Chapter 3

Something about The Center made stepping past the doors feel like facing every sin and hoping the unworthiness within was hidden deep enough. Avery’s family had never been that religious, but he remembered going to church with his mother and sitting in the pews while she went to confession. Not really understanding why she felt the need until after she was dead.

He didn’t believe in some merciful higher power—if it existed, it wouldn’t have taken his family from him—but he did believe something came after this life. He had to. Knowing his parents would be there to greet him made taking risks...bearable.

Leaving Rhodey...Keiran...Dallas… It wasn’t something he wanted to contemplate.

But it could happen. And it wouldn’t be for nothing. Ever.

There was a lot preserved from the original layout of the cathedral, but more interesting were the changes to make this a space where young people came to enjoy different arts. A few paintings on the walls held Noah’s signature style, likely from the higher level students he came here to work with several times a month. One big wall off the main entrance before the offices held dozens of pictures of various skills, the art students from the preschool level all the way up to junior high putting their best on proud display.

Further down were pictures of students who’d left the Center and gone on to the careers of their dreams. Two who’d reached the finals on those talent shows that Avery never could get into, a dancer and a singer, both with lucrative contracts now. A violinist who was part of some big orchestra. Three painters who’d been invited to prestigious schools on scholarship to specialize in their chosen medium. A graffiti artist now working on movie sets.

Neither Jamie or Danny’s pictures were up anywhere. At one point there’d been a discussion about it, Noah nudging his boy to claim what he’d created, but Jamie joked that his face was on enough stuff. He’d wanted to put up the pictures of the other teachers for a bit, but none of them seemed all that comfortable with it either.

The students got the spotlight and they thrived in it.

Most of them, anyway. Coal tended to practice pickpocketing more than whichever instrument he was interested in that week.

At least he’s learning something?

Keiran’s boots clicked lightly on the polished wood floors, making it clear they were going for a regular, totally normal guys approach and not silent movements. Following his lead, Avery shoved aside the awkwardness of intentionally making noise, keeping close and listening to the muted voices behind the many closed doors. It was a Monday morning, so only the daycare students, and the select full-time students who were given intense one-on-one courses, were present. More would come in for the lunch sessions from the elementary and high school a few blocks away. After school was when things got really crowded.

Hopefully, whatever Keiran was doing to help Jamie and Danny would be over long before then. Avery could deal with crowds when necessary, but a horde of screaming kids was not something he’d subject himself to given the choice.

“It’s in here.” Keiran adjusted the large container of cupcakes he’d brought under his arm and caught Avery’s hand. Lacing their fingers together, he gave a light tug in the direction of two solid wood double doors. The conference room. “Since Tracey’s homeschooling Coal—and Ana part-time—she’ll probably bring them in a bit before lunch. We can get all the boring grownup stuff out of the way before they get here.”

Avery blinked, trying to recall when the information about his sister being homeschooled, even part-time, had been given to him. He was usually good with details like that. “She started grade two this year. Her marks have improved and she hasn’t been suspended since...spring? Why the change?”

The edges of Keiran’s lips tightened slightly with displeasure. “She asked Tracey not to tell you...but promised to tell you herself. I assumed she had.” He sighed. “Some of her behavioural issues were because she wanted to be home more with Tracey and she was jealous of Coal not having to leave every day. Her therapist recommended trying it out for a bit if Tracey was willing and able—which she is. Ana...really looks up to you, mi corazón. Whenever you visit it’s playtime and sharing all the positives, along with a bit of mischief because she knows it amuses you.”

“But…” Avery shook his head, running his fingers through his hair and tugging lightly as he looked up at Keiran. “I want her to feel comfortable telling me everything. Why would she keep this from me? And why would Tracey keep a promise like that to a seven-year-old?”

That got him a brow lift. “This is Tracey we’re talking about. She knows how important trust is, to both those kids, after all they’ve been through. They’re her priority and you wouldn’t want it any other way.”

True, but that didn’t make Avery feel any better about being excluded from part of his sister’s life. “I don’t understand. Was she being bullied? Were the teachers too hard on her? There has to be a reason.”

“There is. And I can’t say I understand it completely myself. I only know any of it because Tracey was juggling the new curriculum and business meetings and couldn’t do the back-to-school bake sale. She asked me if I could bring something in and one of the teachers got chatty. When I told Tracey, she filled me in on the rest. I think she believes Ana told you already, too.” Keiran squeezed his hand. “Maybe, when you see her, talk about Coal’s homeschooling. How it’s awesome he gets to do that. Open up the topic with letting her know you don’t think it’s a bad thing and maybe she’ll finally tell you.”

Nodding slowly, Avery took a deep breath, locking down on the feeling that he really had failed to develop the relationship he’d assumed he’d have with his sister when he got her back. He’d been a stranger to her—she’d been much too young to remember him when she was taken. None of this was fair to either of them, but...dwelling on that wouldn’t improve the situation.

One of the men he loved had given him a possible solution. And if that didn’t work…

As long as one’s still breathing, there’s always a Plan B

“Let’s get this meeting shit over with.” Avery grinned as Keiran’s lips curved. No Doms around meant no need to watch his language—though he rarely had to because Rhodey found perverse pleasure in giving him special privileges that made the other Doms silently fume. But if Avery had to do normal, he might as well act like any other sub did when let off the leash. “How much you want to bet Danny gets flustered, ready to agree with anything Jamie says, but not wanting to disagree with us?”

Keiran snorted, rapping his knuckles lightly on the door. “Jacks is with him, so I’m betting he does all right, but tries to avoid chiming in at all.”

Another possibility. And part of what Rhodey wanted him and Keiran to steer Danny away from. Since claiming the sub, Rhodey seemed to take it as his responsibility to both make the young man strong enough to exist in their twisted reality, while preserving the softer parts that fascinated him so much. There might also be a subconscious desire to have his subs higher on the totem pole than his nephew’s, but that could be digging deeper into Rhodey’s motivations than necessary.

His Dom was complex when he needed to be, but kept most things very simple. Reading him took being able to understand him on a very basic level, leaning into their bond, with no need to question a single thing. A sensation that let Avery feel his submission on a level few ever would, and he fucking loved it.

Danny would never get there with Rhodey, but he could be guided into a space where he could make his Dom proud.

By not being a doormat.

The door opened, Jacks smiling in greeting to both him and Keiran before letting them in. Golden brown hair lightened with frosted streaks, not a strand out of place, the Dom was dressed like he’d just come off the runway in a gleaming silver shirt and practically painted on black acid-wash jeans. He made a pleased sound when Keiran passed him the container, opening it even as he led the way to the conference table where Danny and Jamie sat across from one another, a large binder and several papers spread out between them.

“Cupcakes. You’re a lifesaver, I totally missed breakfast in the rush this morning. Three new custom orders before my eyes were even fully open. Can’t complain about the money it’s bringing in, but damn, a man’s gotta sleep and eat and all that shit. Freakin’ time zones will be the death of me.” Jacks set the container on the table, giving Danny a pointed look. “I won’t pressure you, but I would be very happy if you have at least half of one. We can split it.”

A pencil in his mouth that he chewed like his favorite toy in a pup play scene he didn’t want to destroy, Danny lifted his gaze. His light brown hair angled over one eye in the shadow of his big, dark grey hoodie, a bedazzled ‘Navy’ sparkling at the center of his chest. “I can do that, sir. But...not one with a lot of icing? It’s delicious.” His gaze snapped to Keiran. “But with so much sugar it’s harder to tell my mental calorie counter to shut up, you know?”

Keiran gave the other sub a soft smile, reaching over and pulling out the white linen napkins he’d tucked in at the end of the container. He placed one down for Jacks, another for Jamie, and the last for Danny. Then he put a small green cupcake with white icing in front of Danny. “This is a low carb recipe I tried out, just for you. It’s healthy, there’s even spinach in it, but you can’t taste it at all—I know you don’t mind the taste, but it would be strange in a dessert. The frosting is cream cheese and matcha. If you like it, I’ll make you some whenever I spoil our lot with these.” He shot Jamie a wink. “Double chocolate and cookies and cream for you. Last time you couldn’t decide which one you liked best, so I thought...why not both?”

“Both is perfect.” Jamie rubbed his hands together as Keiran took out two cupcakes for him. His white hair was stylishly rumpled, and the oversized, dark blue dress shirt he wore, sleeves rolled up over his forearms, looked like one of Noah’s. “I burned off so many fucking calories last night, I’ve earned it.” He took a huge bite of icing, moaning as he licked it off his lips. “Do you know if you complain your Doms won’t let you ride their dicks often enough, they’ll take turns letting you, while you’ve got an evil cockring on and you beg until your throat’s raw? No fucking sympathy, either of them. And they’re gonna ruin my career.”

Danny’s lips parted, his cupcake halfway to his mouth after he finished carefully peeling off the liner. “Your voice sounds fine now… Does it hurt? Maybe we should call Jared. There could be damage. If you try singing it could tear something open and you could drown in blood and—why don’t we have a doctor on staff? The nurse is nice and all, but he doesn’t have the same skills.”

Eyes getting wider and wider, Jamie shook his head. “Dude. Drown in blood? Where the hell do you come up with this stuff? Do you really think Jared woulda let me leave the loft if there was anything to worry about?”

Shrinking a bit more into his hood, Danny chewed on his bottom lip. “Well...no. But if you didn’t tell him, how could he make the right diagnosis?”

A few feet away from the table, Avery observed the interaction, glancing at Jacks to see his response. The Dom had his fingers laced behind his neck, the strawberry cream cupcake Keiran had made for him forgotten on his napkin. His expression was tight, his first urge likely to defend his sub, but...it was hard to argue with what Jamie had pointed out.

We all knew Danny latches on to worst case scenarios. Would it hurt to be gentler with him?

And gentle definitely wasn’t Avery’s go-to.

Jamie in business mode—with sex being his clear exception from ‘professionalism’—tended to be a lot less patient than usual. It was like the Hollywood-bred beast took over. Jaw clenched, he glanced from Danny to Jacks and back before straightening the papers in front of him with irritated snaps. “Call him if you want, I was just fucking joking. He’s got a job to do at the clinic. We have one here. I’d rather continue now that Keiran’s here, but whatever.”