Page 93 of Bully for Sale

“Come inside,” Adrien said. “Where’s your nest? Downstairs?”

Ezer nodded, but he didn’t want to go down there now. Not to that restricted area with nowhere to run, no way to get out except for the way he came in. He started to breathe shallowly, and Adrien noticed, and seemed to understand exactly what was happening.

“Just to the sofa in the living room, then,” he murmured. He had a lovely voice, very soothing and sweet. It matched his handsome face, and his baby was pretty too. Ezer just wished it would stop crying.

Ezer covered himself with a soft throw blanket from over the sofa. He didn’t want to be naked if the police decided to question him, and he had no doubt the police were coming. He was shaking and had a hard time breathing, but he glanced toward the clock on the wall. “Ned will be home soon.”

“Where’s Earl?” Adrien asked kindly.

“He went to buy groceries. Sometimes he meets his husband for dinner afterward.”

Adrien nodded, and Ezer remembered that Simon was their servant, their sons’ nurse, and Heath’s long-time companion. Like Earl was to Ned.

“Why don’t you tell me what happened?” Adrien said after he’d calmed the baby by lifting his shirt and placing a swollen tit in his mouth. “I can tell Heath, and he’ll let the police know.”

Ezer took in a shaky breath. “He—Braden Tenmeter—has tried to rape me before.”

“When?”

“One time before this, about four and a half months ago now, I suppose. It was at my da’s old apartment. He found me alone there. My da came home in time—”

“Dear God.”

“Today, Braden came when he knew I was alone here, and he tried again.”

Adrien’s mouth tightened. “I don’t want to ask this, but the police will want to know: do you have a history with him? Is this a jealousy thing or a lover’s quarrel?”

Ezer’s head pounded. “No, I don’t have history with him. Not like that. I went to his school, and he liked to bully and scare me.” He licked his dry lips. “Over time, it escalated.” Ezer’s voice went small, and he stared at the nursing baby, watching his dark head bob as he drank. “I thought it was over. It should have been over. I did everything they wanted.”

“Everything who wanted?”

“Them! All of them! I’m here, aren’t I? Stuffed with children, just like my father wanted. Just like Ned’s father wanted, too! And they promised me in exchange for giving it all up, for doing…for doing this—” he pointed at his stomach “I’d at least be safe. They said I’d be safe. Why wasn’t I safe?” His voice cracked. “Ned said he’d protect me.”

Adrien reached out and squeezed Ezer’s fingers. The baby nursed a little longer, and then the sound of tires on the drive below and the ringing of the bell let Ezer know that the police had arrived.

“I’ll let them in,” Adrien said. “You wait here. If they want to talk with you, they’ll need Ned’s permission first. Hopefully we can skip that unpleasantness. Right?”

Ezer covered his face.

“But don’t worry. Heath and I will handle everything with the police. Then I’ll make tea for you. You need to rest. This has been a shock to the twins, I’m sure.”

Adrien disappeared for a long time, and thankfully took the again-crying baby with him. Ezer waited alone in the living room. The shadows danced over the floor as the breeze shook the ornamental trees outside. Eventually, Braden’s shouts and denials from the pool drifted in on the breeze. Lies, all of them. Ezer wanted to defend himself, but he couldn’t.

He didn’t move.

Finally, Adrien came back with tea and a murmured explanation that he needed to speak with the police some more on Ezer’s behalf and that he’d be right back.

Ezer didn’t drink the tea.

The babies twisted inside him. They felt like they were tangled up and trying to undo the knot of their bodies.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ezer could see movement, heard a tussle, and then Braden’s undignified scream of rage.

The clock chimed.

It was almost four. Ned would be home soon.

Ezer’s stomach turned over and he staggered to the open area just outside the living room and vomited into the bushes out of sight of the police, Ned’s uncle and his omega, and Braden.