Page 20

Chapter 20

Lotto

W hen Bones walked through the door, I had just arrived home as well. I had only enough time to go into the kitchen and get Pops his meds for the night and a glass of water. When I came out, Pops was gushing about the fight and praising Bones on how well he fought.

“I haven’t seen you that focused ever,” Pops said, slightly winded from his excitement.

“He’s been working his ass off training, and it was obvious tonight,” I added as I dispersed the meds into Pops’ shaky hand.

Bones smiled shyly, not quite used to the praise but visibly pleased by it. “Thanks, Dad. Means a lot comin’ from you,” he said as he took a seat on the worn leather couch. He leaned back his head and closed his eyes for a moment, the exhaustion after the fight clearly catching up with him.

“I’m proud of both of you,” Pops added, looking up at me.

I shook my head. “All I did was oversee the business stuff. Helped keep Bones on track. Nothing much.”

“Bullshit,” Bones snapped, glaring at me. “You did a hell of a lot more than that. You’re the one who believed in me from the start, long before I even thought I had a shot at this. Without you, I’d still be scraping by on the streets.”

I shrugged. “It’s all you.”

“With you in my corner,” Bones added.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit, son,” Pops added.

It still sounded foreign when he called me “son”. Even after all these years seeing the man as a father figure, and even being by his side through his illness, I still didn’t quite know how to respond when he treated me as one of his own.

Growing up in the foster system and spending more time in group homes than out of them, the sense of family hadn’t existed for me until I met Bones and his father. Everything had changed for me then.

But at times, I wondered if I would ever truly feel like I belonged. If I was ever truly going to break free from being the unwanted, discarded dirty little boy no one ever wanted. Everything felt temporary for me. As much as I tried to fight the feeling, it was a demon that won. I suppose it was why I felt the need to manage. To take care of. If I always made myself needed, then there would be no reason to toss me aside.

I sat down in the armchair across from them. “Enough with the sappy talk, you two,” I said, trying to diffuse the awkwardness that hung in the air. “Where did you go tonight? Frankie and I were talking, and then the next thing I knew, you had left.”

Bones chuckled, a bit of the edge returning to his voice. “Oh, you know, just had some business to attend to.” He winked at me, but there was a hint of something else in his gaze, a darkness that hadn’t been there before the fight. I knew better than to pry in front of his father. His wink told me all I needed to know.

He had been with Ari.

Bones stood up and stretched, the muscles in his back and arms rippling, evidence of the hours he’d spent in the gym. “I’m tired. I need to turn in.”

Pops coughed into his handkerchief before taking another gasping breath. “Yeah, get outta here. I’m tired, too,” he said, although the light in his eyes hadn’t dimmed since Bones had walked in the door. He then looked at me. “I’m proud of you, Lotto. I may not tell you that enough. And I know you’re often in the shadow of Bones, but I want you to know that our family wouldn’t be anything without you. Bones and I both need you.”

“Absolutely,” Bones agreed.

I nodded, unable to find the words to express how much their approval meant to me. The three of us knew the truth: Bones was the fighter, the one destined for greatness in the cage, and I was always just the one holding down the fort. But tonight, it did feel good to get some acknowledgment.

“Thanks, Pops,” I managed to say, my voice thick with emotion. “I’m just glad I could help. You know, do my part.”

I followed Bones upstairs, giving him space as he showered and changed. When he emerged, his face taut with exhaustion and a hint of bruising forming under his eyes, I handed him a glass of water and two painkillers.

“Here,” I said gruffly. He raised an eyebrow but downed the pills with a grunt of thanks before collapsing onto his bed. “So you left with Ari?”

“Yeah, we went back to the gym and?—”

“Frankie’s going to kill you,” I cut in. “You’re entering dangerous territory.”

“I can handle Frankie.”

“Yeah, well can you handle Freakshow? Because that man could beat you to a bloody pulp. He’s over-the-top possessive of Ari.”

“Yeah, did you tell yourself that when you spanked Ari’s ass and had her lips around your cock?”

“Point taken.” I sat down on the edge of the bed and studied Bones, his eyes locking with mine. “Did you fuck her?”

“It was more than just fucking,” he said with a nod. “But yeah.”

The silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken words and the weight of our shared past. Bones had always been the one who had a way with the ladies, while I was more reserved and cautious. We shared plenty of times, but something in my gut told me this time was different.

“Do you have feelings for her?” I asked.

Bones sat up in his bed, wincing as he shifted his aching body. “I do. It scares the shit out of me.”

“Do you want me to back away? Leave Ari alone? Let you explore what the two of you may have?”

Bones shook his head, a tired smile creeping onto his face. “No. That’s not what I want. You know I could never ask that of you. I mean, shit, Lotto, if it wasn’t for you... I don’t even want to think about where I’d be.” Bones sighed and put his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. “Would you have if I said yes? Would you have walked away from me, too?”

I let out a long breath, running my hand through my hair. “I’m glad you didn’t ask me to. Frankly, I don’t know what I would have done,” I said honestly, a knot forming in my stomach at the mere thought of losing Bones and even Ari. “But I’m glad we’re not in that situation.”

Bones extended his hand to me and pulled me toward him. “There’s no separating us. Ever.”

The way this man looked at me, the way his eyes connected… I wanted nothing more than to end this conversation with my dick in his mouth, but he was exhausted and needed rest.

Bones’ grip on my hand tightened, and he pulled me down onto the bed next to him. I lay on my side, facing him and traced my fingers over the bruises on his face. “You should get some sleep,” I said softly.

Bones shook his head, his eyes never leaving mine. “I don’t want to sleep.”

“And it’s my job to know what’s best for you.”

“Fucking you is what’s best for me,” he said with a mischievous grin even though his lids appeared heavier than I had ever seen them.

I sighed, feeling my resolve weaken. It had been a long day, Bones needed rest, but I also knew how much he craved physical intimacy, especially after a fight. Truth be told, I craved it just as much.

“Roll to your side,” I commanded as I lowered his sweats in one effortless move.

I shifted, putting myself behind him, and pressed my chest against his back. I moved my hand down to his hip, gripping him possessively as I slid my other up his chest. I leaned down, my lips brushing against his ear. “I got you,” I whispered. “And I’ll never let you go.”

Bones relaxed into me, letting out a low groan as I traced my fingers over his nipples, feeling them harden under my touch. I nipped at his earlobe, then soothed it with my tongue. I knew he liked it when I was rough, when I took control. And right now, he needed that more than ever.

I traced the lines of his muscles, feeling the smoothness of his skin. I gripped his cock, feeling him twitch in my hand. He was already hard, already ready for me. I stroked him slowly, my grip firm as I moved my hand up and down his shaft.

Bones let out a low moan, his hips bucking into my hand. I increased my pace, moving my hand faster as I felt him get closer.

I increased my movements, tightening my grip as he reached the edge. And then he was there, his body shuddering as he came, my name on his lips as he let out a low groan.

I slowed, letting him come down from his high. I pressed my lips to his shoulder blade, feeling his heartbeat slow. “Sleep now,” I whispered.

Bones nodded, his body going limp as he fell into a deep sleep. I stayed there, holding him close, my hand still resting on his hip.

Feeling the need to be buried balls deep in his ass, asleep or not, I rolled over and reached for the lube in the nightstand.

Quietly, I opened the bottle and slicked my fingers with the cool liquid. Bones was tired, but he wouldn’t object to what I had in mind. I gently pushed his legs apart, his body yielding to me as I moved between them.

I traced my fingers over his entrance, feeling him shiver at my touch. Slowly, pushed one finger inside, feeling him clench around me. I added a second, stretching him as I prepared him for what was to come.

Bones let out a low moan, his hips moving in time with my fingers. I curled them, hitting that spot that drove him wild. His breathing hitched, his body trembling as I whispered, “Sleep.”

I pulled my fingers out, replacing them with the head of my cock. I pushed inside him slowly, feeling him stretch to accommodate me. I moved in and out, my pace slow and steady as I then stilled.

“I’m going to keep my cock inside you until we both fall asleep. I want you to stay connected to me always.”

With one last thrust, I buried myself deep inside him, feeling his body welcome me home. I wrapped my arm around his waist, pulling him close as I pressed a kiss to his shoulder blade. I could feel his heartbeat against my lips, slow and steady as he settled into a deep sleep with my cock buried in his ass.

The room was silent, save for the sound of our breathing and the soft rustle of the sheets as we lay tangled together.

The weight of exhaustion was pulling at me, my eyelids heavy as I fought to stay awake. I wanted to savor this moment, to remember the feeling of him in my arms, the warmth of his body pressed against mine, and the tightness of his hole gripping my dick.

But eventually, my own exhaustion won out, and I slipped into sleep.