Paladin - Jericho's Boys Book #1 - Bonus Epilogue (Patreon)

This is not edited, but you're getting it first. Ever “You okay, gumdrop?” Ever wiped sweaty palms over his jeans, then nodded at Felix. “Y

This is not edited, but you're getting it first. Ever“You okay, gumdrop?”Ever wiped sweaty palms over his jeans, then nodded at Felix. “Yeah, I’m okay. Do people always take this many pictures when you guys are in public?”Zane closed the doors to the room, then turned back to the others, settling on the sofa between Noah and Felix.Noah rolled his eyes. “Sometimes it's way worse. Especially at red carpet events. Don’t worry, though. We come here because the VIP rooms are private. They won’t get anywhere near us. And we’ve got bottle service.”Ever had no idea what that meant but since there were three fancy looking bottles and several types of glasses on the round table in front of them, he figured that was what Noah meant.Ever shuddered. “I don’t know how you do it. I would hate having people take my picture all the time.”Zane laughed, pouring each of them a shot from the bottle at the center of the table. “You get used to it.”Ever didn’t think he could ever get used to something like that. It wasn’t just the cameras from reporters. There had been everyday people like him with their phones out, recording them as they’d walked in. Well, recording Felix, Zane and Noah. Being the spouse of a Mulvaney came with lots of money, but very little privacy. Apparently, so did being friends with the spouses of the Mulvaney’s. A lesson Ever was learning in real time.“Are you gonna be okay?” Felix asked.Ever nodded. “Yeah, I’m totally fine. Let’s do this.”Noah grinned. “You sure?”Ever nodded and grabbed a shot glass, slugging it back and shivering at the bitter burn. “Ew,” he said. “How many of these before I’m drunk?”“Probably not many,” Felix warned. “We need to be careful. Arsen will kill us if we give you alcohol poisoning your first night out with us.”They’d had to work hard to persuade Arsen to allow Felix and the others to take him out drinking. It was Ever’s fault really. It had taken months for him to even feel safe enough to leave the garage without Arsen or one of the other guys with him. And there had been a few panic attacks along the way.But now, he took the bus every morning by himself, met up with his study group at the library or coffee shop alone, went anywhere he wanted, really. He didn’t need Arsen as a babysitter anymore. It was sometimes just hard to remind Arsen of that.“I just want to know what it’s like to be drunk,” Ever said. “And Arsen gets all worried and protective and sucks all the fun out of it whenever I try to get him to drink with me.”Ever wasn’t really upset about it. He was so lucky to have someone like Arsen. How many guys' happiness was making someone else happy? And Arsen never seemed happier than when he was doing something for Ever. Which was amazing, unless Ever wanted to do something a little…dangerous.“You get used to it. The men around us are all ‘grr’ and ‘argh’—” Zane made his hand into claws— “but they mean well,” he said, throwing back his own shot.Ever loved when Arsen got all…grr with him. Sometimes Arsen would tell him how much he liked how small Ever was. How he liked being able to put him wherever he wanted. He liked it when Arsen manhandled him. When he lost himself and did something crazy like bend him over the counter or eat him out on the sofa.But it was few and far between. And Arsen always seemed to feel a little guilty afterwards. Ever tried not to ask for too much, but Arsen seemed determined to be the one to give Ever all his firsts. He loved to surprise him with trips to the woods, or to the beach, or to quirky little villages with vintage bookstores.But whenever they were on those trips, if Ever wanted something a little more adventurous, like zip lining or bungee jumping, it was like Ever had asked to go cliff diving into an active volcano. Arsen was horrified and would start listing all the potential things that could happen. Ever did them anyways. And Arsen always joined him. But Ever could see how much it scared him.The others didn’t seem to have that problem with the men in their lives. Ever leaned into Zane’s space, narrowing his eyes, then poked a set of teeth marks on his neck. “Does that…hurt?”Zane frowned, then reached up and touched the spot Ever had, eyes widening like he’d forgotten. “I mean, it does in the moment, but that’s the fun of it. The endorphin rush of the pain is like a drug. It makes my head swim and I don’t have to think about anything at all. I-I like it.”Ever nodded, taking in the bruises, the teeth marks, even what looked like fingerprints. According to Noah, Zane used to cover it all with makeup, had worried people would see it less as kinky fun and more as domestic violence. But he said the makeup made it more suspicious, not less.Now, he didn’t bother. The world just knew Asa and Zane were into freaky, violent sex. They apparently just chalked it up to rich people being freaks. It was just one more thing to add to the Mulvaney lore.“So the pain…feels good?” Ever asked, then chewed on his lower lip.“Yeah,” Zane said, nodding enthusiastically. “It’s like…poking a bruise.”“Oh,” Ever said thoughtfully.Ever couldn’t remember ever having deliberately poked a bruise, but none of his injuries had ever been done out of anything but pure malice. Part of him wondered what it would be like to feel that sort of pain in a controlled environment.“Do you ever worry he’ll…go too far?” Ever asked.Zane grinned. “No. We have a safe word.”“A safe word?” Ever repeated.“Yeah, a word that tells Asa I don’t like something or that he needs to stop,” Zane said.“Doesn’t stop work?” Ever asked, taking another shot.Zane looked at the others, but they were just smiling. He gave Ever that patient look he often got when he didn’t know things the rest of the world did. “So sometimes I will say stop when I don’t actually want him to stop.”“But why?”Zane looked once more at Felix and Noah but they still stayed silent. Zane waved a hand. “Well, because my husband has very particular tastes and sometimes he likes me to say stop when I don’t want him to stop.”“Oh,” Ever said, despite having no idea what that meant.Noah took another shot, then swayed into Ever’s space. “Arsen hasn’t ever…” he asked, then trailed off.“Ever what?” Ever asked.Zane refilled the shot glasses, before asking gently,“You know, spanked you, pulled your hair, grabbed you a little too aggressively?”“Made you choke on his dick,” Felix added, just as Ever took his shot, causing a coughing fit that made his chest feel like it might explode.“Felix!” Zane admonished, slapping Ever on the back. “He’s just a baby. He’s technically not even old enough to be in here drinking.”“He is according to his new identity,” Noah reminded.Felix rolled his eyes and waved his hand. “Listen, this is our one chance to interrogate him without the others interfering. Even when Arsen’s not around, the rest of the murder muppets are always on guard, like they think we’re going to corrupt him or something.”“To be fair,” Noah said. “We are feeding a minor alcohol while grilling him about any potentially kinky sex habits. Maybe we are the problem?”Felix rolled his eyes. “Whatever, I’m fine identifying as a problem. I just want the dirt on Arsen. I always thought he looked like he’d be rough, but seeing how he is with you, it doesn’t track. So which is it? Is he super aggressive in bed or is he like all hearts and flowers? Or maybe you’re lucky and have both?” Felix asked.Ever sat back with a sigh. In the beginning, Arsen had treated Ever like he was fragile and breakable, even when Ever was the one initiating sex. Now…Now sex was…frantic? Usually quick. Always good but not as slow as it used to be.They were busy. Ever was in college now, and it was a struggle. He still had major gaps in his learning, even though he’d passed his GED with flying colors. Between school and work and streaming, he and Arsen had a packed schedule, so sex was often fucking in the shower, or pressed up against the bedroom door. Even once on Jericho’s couch in his office. But none of that was…aggressive.“He-” Ever stopped, feeling a little guilty, like he was talking about Arsen behind his back.“He what?” they all asked, leaning forward.Ever frowned. “He is just…careful with me. I think he’s afraid if he gets too rough, he might trigger me or something, so he just lets me set the pace.”“If you tell me Arsen is a bottom, I will eat my Jimmy Choo, I swear to god,” Felix said.Ever frowned. “What? No. I mean, he could be, I guess, but it's not like he’s ever said he wanted that and honestly…I don’t really want it either. I like the way things are.”He could feel himself flushing, until even the tips of his ears were on fire. Maybe it was the alcohol.“Nothing wrong with that, pumpkin,” Zane said.“It’s okay if you’re not into the rough stuff,” Noah said. “It’s not for everyone.”“I don’t know if I am or not?” Ever admitted. “While Arsen has tried to give me all my firsts, he still worries about me. And he has a reason to be. I’ve had more than my fair share of breakdowns since we met.”“If I had come from your situation, I would be in a padded cell somewhere,” Felix told him, refilling his glass. “You’re doing amazing.”Ever smiled, heart cartwheeling. He didn’t believe it, but it was nice to hear. And despite his breakdowns, Arsen never got irritated or annoyed with him. He was perfect. Ever considered himself the luckiest person in the world that he got to go to bed with Arsen every night and wake up with him every morning. Even if love hadn’t saved him like in his romance novels.He still had to go to therapy. Which he hated. Sometimes he had setbacks. Massive setbacks. Despite his antidepressants, there were days when he couldn’t get out of bed, when he cried all night, when things felt so hopeless he couldn’t see a way out of the black hole of his feelings. But those days happened less and less as the months passed.Through all of Ever’s lows, Arsen never lost faith in him. He would hold him when he needed it, leave him alone when he needed it, bring him junk food and bad movies, bring in the others to cheer him up. Arsen was far more than Ever deserved, but he would selfishly take him anyway.“I don’t want him to think I’m…ungrateful,” Ever finally admitted. “He takes really good care of me.”“The only benefit of being married to someone who lacks any type of empathy or remorse,” Noah said. “Is that they have zero idea of what’s appropriate. Adam doesn’t care about why I like being slapped during sex, he just goes with it. He doesn’t worry about triggering me or whether it will somehow bring up my past. He’s not that deep and it keeps me grounded. I have to be the grown up in our relationship.”Ever’s eyes went wide. “You like to be slapped? Like…in the face?” He was really receiving an education about his friends. He knew about Zane and Asa because the world did, but the others… “And you?” he said to Felix. “Do you like being hurt during sex, too?”“Oh, no. He likes doing the hurting,” Zane said. “Avi is a total masochist. He’d let Felix put his balls in a vice grip if it made him happy.”Ever blinked rapidly, attempting to process what that might even feel like before forcing the image from his mind. Felix gave him a smug look. “Hey, maybe if Arsen is worried about hurting you, you should try hurting him? He might like it.”Ever had no idea what to do with that information. He tried to imagine asking Arsen to hit him or bite him or vice versa, but it was just too weird. He couldn’t imagine ever having the courage to bring stuff like that up or if he’d even want to. He wanted to try everything at least once, but did everything include kink? If so, would Arsen be as eager to help with that?Finally, Ever shook his head. “Can-Can I just have another shot?”###“I’m so drunk,” Ever mumbled against Arsen’s neck.“Yes, besenok. I know. That’s why I’m carrying you up a flight of stairs at three in the morning,” Arsen said, words heavy with effort. “Did you at least have fun?”Ever’s head felt like it was stuffed with cotton and like he was on a tilt-a-whirl. He’d liked the tilt-a-whirl the first time, but not now. It felt terrible now. “You should take me back to the carnival,” he said. They’d had fun at that carnival. Even though Ever had thrown up…twice.“What?” Arsen said with a laugh.Ever put a finger to Arsen’s lips, pouting. “Don’t laugh at me. That’s rude. You’re being rude,” Ever said, burying his face against Arsen’s neck and inhaling deeply. “You smell so good. You always smell so fucking good.”Arsen chuckled again. “Did you just swear?”“Mm,” Ever said, licking at his neck, enjoying the salty tang of his skin. “We should have sex.” Arsen set Ever down next to the bed, where he swayed dangerously, then grabbed Arsen’s shoulders. “D’ya wanna?”Arsen kissed Ever’s nose. “I think maybe we should save the sex for when you’re not swaying like that inflatable, flailing guy outside the pawn shop.”“Am I being bad?” Ever asked, hating how his tongue wasn’t cooperating with his brain. “You should spank me.”Arsen made a sound like he was choking. “What? Jesus, you’ve only been gone for three hours.” Ever sighed as Arsen cupped his face. “What did they do to my innocent little baby? Hm?”Ever lurched forward, wrapping his arms around Arsen’s neck. “I like being your innocent little baby,” he said, his whisper almost conspiratorial. “But…I could be your naughty little baby, too.” Ever’s hand trailed down to Arsen’s cock, making a pleased sound when he found he was already half-hard behind his loose pajama pants. “You like that, huh?”Arsen made a sound like he was in physical pain. “Yes, besenok. I like any time you talk to me like this, but I think we should save this conversation for when you're sober.”Ever snorted, whispering in his ear. “Sober me would never tell you this.”Arsen took a step back, cupping Ever’s face once more. “Why not?”“Cause you’re all ‘grr’ and ‘argh’,” Ever said, making claws at him.“I’m…what?” Arsen asked, sounding lost.“You’re too protective of me. You’re afraid you’ll—” He stopped abruptly, searching for the word he needed— “trigger! You’re afraid you’ll trigger me if you get a little too rough with me.”“You want me to be rough with you, besenok?” Arsen asked, sounding bewildered.“I want you to at least be okay with me wanting to try it,” Ever admitted, dropping his gaze to Arsen’s bare chest, face hot.“I’m okay with anything you want. You should know that. But tonight, I think we should table this discussion for when you’re not drunk.”Ever sighed. “Fine.”“Good boy,” Arsen said, skimming a kiss across his temple.“I want more of that,” Ever said.“More of what?” Arsen said, lips still ghosting along his skin.Ever knew he should stop talking but he couldn’t. “I like it when you say I’m good. I like when you call me your baby. I like you wanting me to be good for you. Or wanting me to be bad for you. I like it when you make me beg.”Arsen kissed Ever’s forehead and then his nose. “You’re literally killing me.”Ever’s chest tightened and he looked up at Arsen, terrified of what he’d find. “You like it, too. Right? Like…you don’t do it just for me, right?”Arsen gave him another chaste kiss. “Arms up.” Ever did as he was told without thought. Arsen removed his shirt. “Of course, I don’t do it just for you. I would. But I don’t.” He wrapped his arms around Ever and kissed his cheek. “I like that you want to be good for me. I’m sure you can feel how much I like it when I’m inside you.”“Mm,” Ever said, “I can feel it. It feels so good. Can we do it now? I want to feel you inside me. Please?”Arsen chuckled against his ear. “No. You’re going to drink a lot of water and take some ibuprofen and then you’re going to go to sleep. We can revisit this discussion in the morning.”Ever made a sad sound, falling backwards on the bed, gripping the sheets. “Why won’t the room stop spinning? Or is it the bed that’s spinning?” he whined. “I thought drinking was supposed to be fun. This isn’t fun. I don’t like this.”“I know, baby. I would like to tell you that it will be better when you wake up, but I don’t know if that’s true.”“You’re a terrible motival-movital-why is my mouth not working? You suck at making me feel better.”“Lift up,” Arsen said gently.Once more, Ever complied without thought, letting Arsen strip him completely bare. “Mm, this is nice. You should lay on top of me.” Once more Arsen laughed. Ever sat up, giving him an affronted look. “Stop laughing.”“I can’t help it. You’re so cute. Even drunk. Cuter even maybe. But we’re not having sex and I’m not laying on top of you because my will is not that strong.” Ever made a sad sound. “But if you drink all your water and take your medicine, I’ll play with your hair until you fall asleep.”“Promise?” Ever asked, narrowing his eyes at him.“Yes, besenok. I promise.”Ever grabbed Arsen’s hand and brought it to his cheek. “Will you touch my face?”Ever loved when Arsen traced the planes and angles of his face with his fingertips. It made him happy on a cellular level. It made him want to purr. It made him fall asleep faster than any pill ever could.“Yes, now drink up.”Ever took the pills Arsen offered, then the water, drinking the whole bottle before handing it back. As soon as he laid back, the world grew fuzzy, then faded to black.When he woke the first time, Arsen was looking down at him, his finger tracing down Ever’s nose. “How long was I asleep.”“Minutes, go back to sleep.”“Okay.”When he woke a second time, Arsen was wrapped around him, his leg thrown over Ever’s, snoring softly in his ear. Ever smiled, falling back to sleep almost immediately.When Ever woke again, Arsen was still sleeping, but rolled away from him. Ever’s head throbbed and his mouth felt like glue, but at least the room was blessedly still. He slipped from bed and headed to the bathroom. He had to pee so bad. When he was done, he washed his hands, splashed water on his face, then brushed his teeth. Almost as an afterthought, he took two more pills for his aching head.It was only once he was back in bed, lying on his back, did pieces of their conversation begin to bleed through the cracks in his memory.I like being your innocent little baby.I like being your naughty baby, too.You should spank me.Ever glanced over at Arsen’s back. Was it too late to hurl himself off the roof? When Felix had suggested bringing up kink, Ever was certain that wasn’t what he’d had in mind. What was Arsen thinking? Was he hurt? Was he mad? Is that why he had rolled away from him?Ever scooted closer, rubbing his face against Arsen’s naked back, realizing he was fully naked just like Ever. Had he been naked when they fell asleep? They hadn’t done anything. Ever would have felt that familiar comforting ache that came from Arsen fucking him.He kissed the space between his shoulder blades, whispering, “I’m sorry.”Arsen stirred, then rolled over, looking at Ever in confusion. “For what?”Ever winced. “You were awake?”“I promise you, whenever you press your naked body against mine…I wake up. Why are you sorry?” he asked again.“For…last night.”“Getting drunk? Isn’t that what you set out to do?” Arsen asked, threading his hands in Ever’s hair and massaging his scalp.Ever moaned. “Why does that feel so good?”“I imagine because you have a hangover. There’s no need to apologize to me. You’re an adult.”If possible, Ever grew hotter. “I didn’t mean that. I meant…for the other things.”Arsen smirked, brow arching. “Other things?” he asked, removing one of his hands from Ever’s hair to curve it around his hip to his ass.“What other things?” he asked, full of that mock innocence that let Ever know Arsen knew just what he meant. The jerk.“You know…the sex stuff,” Ever mumbled.Arsen squeezed his ass. “What sex stuff?” He leaned in, biting Ever’s lip briefly. “Oh, you mean the part where you asked me to spank you?”Before Ever could answer, Arsen lifted his hand and brought it down on Ever’s ass, the sound gunshot loud in the quiet of their room. He sucked in a breath, fire trailing in its wake. Almost immediately it became a throbbing ache. Arsen rubbed the spot, then teased his fingers between his cheeks. “Or the part where you told me you like being good for me.”Ever whimpered, wanting to hide his face against Arsen’s chest, but his other hand was still in Ever’s hair, holding him hostage. Finally, Ever said, “All of it?”“Why? Were you lying?” he asked, tone teasing. “Do you not like being good for me? My good little baby?”Before Ever could answer, Arsen dipped his head, his tongue sliding across the seam of Ever’s mouth. His lips parted eagerly, his eyelids fluttering closed as Arsen explored his mouth. When he pulled back, he asked, “Were you lying, besenok?”“No,” Ever whispered.“Then why are you sorry?”“I don’t know…” Ever admitted. “I just don’t want you to be…disappointed in me.”“Why would I ever be disappointed in you?” Arsen said, still kissing and biting at Ever’s lips.“Cause I’m not always going to be your innocent little baby,” Ever said.Arsen pushed Ever onto his back then rolled on top of him, trapping his hands above his head, looking him dead in the eye. “We can play it any way you want. You can be my innocent little baby.” He dipped his head and kissed him chastely. “My naughty little baby.” This kiss was dirtier. Arsen parted Ever’s legs with his thighs. “My feral little demon.” He nipped at Ever’s lip. “You can be anything you want with me. As long as you're mine.”“I’m always yours,” Ever promised, breathless, arching to grind his cock against Arsen’s. This conversation was both embarrassing and a turn on. “Fuck me?”“Roll over.” Arsen said without hesitation, moving so Ever could do as he asked..Only once Ever was on his stomach, Arsen kneeling between his open legs, did it occur to Ever that they rarely did it like this, with Arsen behind him, on top of him. It left Ever feeling…exposed, but not in a bad way.Arsen gripped Ever’s ass in strong, rough hands, then squeezed, pulling him apart then releasing him, slapping his cheeks just hard enough to make them jiggle. Ever rubbed his aching cock against the mattress just as Arsen bent down and bit the meat just above his left thigh.Ever moaned, lifting his hips, trying to get Arsen’s dick where he needed it, before he slid his hand underneath his raised hips, taking himself in hand. It helped, but it wasn’t enough.“Someone’s impatient,” Arsen murmured.“Stop playing,” Ever whined. “I don’t need the foreplay. I just want you inside me.”“You going to be good for me?”“Yes,” Ever breathed.“You sure?” Arsen’s slick fingers played at his entrance, rubbing but not pressing inside.“Yes, please.”Ever shivered at the low noise Arsen made, then two slick fingers were forcing their way inside. It burned, but he liked it. He wanted more. He worked himself back on Arsen’s fingers, jerking himself to the same rhythm.“Fuck, do you know how hot you are?” Arsen asked. “You’re doing so good. You feel so fucking good. My good baby. My good boy.”“Please, I’m good. I’m ready. Just do it.”Ever gasped as Arsen’s hand came down on his ass cheek hard enough to send fire shooting through him. Zane was right. The pain itself didn’t feel good but the weird rush that came after made him feel…dizzy. Euphoric.“I’ll decide when you’re good,” Arsen said, tone just as tender as it always was. Somehow that made it more intense.Ever looked back over his shoulder to see Arsen watching his fingers disappear into Ever’s body. Oh, fuck. Why was that so hot? “Please? Please? Please? Please, Senya,” he chanted, fucking himself harder, frustrated when it just wasn’t enough.Arsen’s hand disappeared, but before Ever could mourn the loss, the head of his cock was slamming home, Ever moaned, arching so his ass was at just the right angle, practically screaming as Arsen buried himself in one thrust.Arsen spread Ever open, once more watching. “Fuck, baby. You’re taking it so good. You look so pretty like this, so perfect. So full.”It was like something out of bad porn, but Ever didn’t care. He needed the words like he needed oxygen. His hand moved over his cock in time with Arsen’s brutal pace. He wasn’t just fucking Ever, he was pulling almost all the way out, then driving back in again and again in a way that had Ever practically drooling onto the pillow, until every thrust was just pure pleasure, driving him towards his own release.He just needed to come.He needed Arsen to fill him up.“I want to feel it,” he begged, hoping Arsen would understand what he meant. “Please?”Arsen’s fingers tightened on Ever’s hips in a way that would probably leave bruises tomorrow. The thought only spurred him closer. Arsen’s harsh breathing and the slap of skin on skin was making him crazy.Finally, Arsen came with a hoarse shout, grinding his hips against Ever, his cock pulsing as he emptied himself inside. That. That was all Ever had wanted. Two more strokes and he was joining him, spilling onto the sheets below as Arsen moaned, his cock still inside Ever’s spasming hole.Arsen didn’t pull out, just fell forward, flattening them both into the mattress. “Was that okay?”Ever tried to talk, but was too out of breath. Instead, he raised his hand and made the okay symbol.Arsen laughed. He spent the next ten minutes or so kissing and licking at whatever skin he could reach without pulling free of Ever.“We haven’t done it like this in a while,” Ever said. “In bed, I mean.”Arsen stopped short. “You’re right. I…never noticed. Is-Does that bother you?”Ever frowned. “No. I like doing it in other places. It’s a different list of firsts.”“Oh, really?” Arsen said. “Tell me all the other places you’d like to try.”Ever was too cum-drunk to be embarrassed. “The car. A movie theater. Maybe in a restaurant bathroom. But not the Book Bar. I would be so sad if we got banned from there.”“Noted,” Arsen said, amused. “Anywhere else?”“A park? A swimming pool? Lots of places. Maybe at an amusement park.”“You really are my naughty little baby,” Arsen teased.“I cannot believe I said that,” Ever groaned.“I like it,” Arsen promised. “I like all of it.”Ever hesitated for a moment, before asking, “Promise?”“Have I ever lied to you?” Arsen asked, tone serious.Ever smiled. “Never. Not once.”“Then believe me when I say there is nothing you could ask me to do to you that would change how I feel about you.”Tears sprang to Ever’s eyes. “Okay.”“Don’t start crying while I’m still inside you, it’s going to give me a complex.”Ever laughed. “Okay.”“Are you hungry?” Arsen finally asked.Ever nodded. “Let's go to the diner. I want greasy food. Lots of it.”“Could we do it in their bathroom?” Arsen said, poking at Ever’s ribs until he started to giggle and squirm.“No, only bad places that we don’t care about. The diner is sacred. The bookstore too.”Arsen laughed again but then settled back over Ever. “I love you, besenok.”“I love you, too, Senya.”