CONTENTS

  Bonus Epilogue

  Asa slid off his coat as soon as he walked through the apartment door, shaking off the cold before following the sound of voices into the living room. He stopped short at the scene before him, taking it all in. Felix sat on the couch, feet tucked beneath him, his ever present cardigan falling off his shoulder. Avi was dressed in plaid pajama pants and nothing else. Zane sat sandwiched between them, his head resting on Avi’s shoulder.

  Asa blinked at them for a solid thirty seconds. “You realize that’s not me, right?” he teased.

  Usually, his snark was met with an equally pithy response, but, this time, Zane turned dull eyes on Asa. “You weren’t here.”

  Asa frowned. Zane’s eyes were swollen and puffy, his expression miserable. Only one thing made Zane this fucking despondent. Beverly. He glared at Avi and Felix as if they were personally responsible for the state his husband was in.

  “How’d she get to him?” Asa demanded. “We have her blocked everywhere.”

  Felix shrugged delicately, pulling his sweater up over his shoulder only for it to slide right back down. “She’s a virus. Just when we think she’s been eradicated, the bitch mutates.”

  Zane nodded miserably, flopping his head from Avi’s shoulder to Felix’s, who curled a protective arm around him.

  “Is somebody going to tell me what she did? Or said?” Asa finally asked.

  Avi leaned forward and flipped over the paper sitting on the coffee table. It was the tabloid where Zane had once worked. A picture of Beverly’s weeping face sat in the corner beside a much larger picture of Asa and Zane in their wedding clothes. The headline was just a single word in capital letters.

  BANISHED.

  Beneath it, in much smaller font, was a subtitle: Beverly Scott Banished from Son’s Lavish Wedding to Asa Mulvaney.

  That bitch. Asa should have fucking killed her and made it look like an accident. She was a fucking liability.

  He continued to scan the article, rolling his eyes at things like ‘dead son’ and ‘cruel and inhumane.’ Felix was right. The woman was a virus. The worst kind of virus, far reaching, fast-moving, and insidious.

  He shook his head, stepping up onto the coffee table and taking Zane’s hand, pulling him to his feet. “Alright, to the bedroom. I know just what you need.”

  Felix snickered. “Surely, your dick doesn’t cure everything?”

  Asa rolled his eyes. “Not that bedroom. The spare room. You guys know the drill. Raid the fridge and the bar. Let’s go.”

  Asa helped Zane over the table then wrapped his arms around him from behind, picking him up and walking him so his feet hovered just off the ground before depositing him onto the king-sized bed in the room at the end of the hallway.

  Zane flopped onto the bed dramatically. “I don’t want to play games.”

  Asa rolled his eyes. “You say that every time.”

  “And I mean it every time,” Zane retorted.

  Asa grinned. “Liar.”

  He flipped over the white murder board on wheels—stashed in one of the spare rooms for just such an occasion—erasing the drawing from the last game.

  Avi and Felix arrived with cold pizza, sushi, and the remnants of a charcuterie board Cricket had insisted they take from her birthday party the night before.

  Felix climbed into the middle of the bed with two huge bottles in his hand, propping himself against the headboard. “We have no emotional support vodka so, instead, we are subbing in poor life choices whiskey and always down for a good time rum.”

  Felix plopped a pillow into his lap, and Zane dropped his head onto it.

  “Alright, who wants to go first tonight?” Asa asked, holding up a black dry erase marker.

  Felix and Zane insisted Avi and Asa play on opposite teams. They said their little mind meld was an unfair advantage, which was true.

  “You’re already standing,” Felix pointed out, uncorking the bottle of rum and pouring a healthy dose directly into Zane’s mouth.

  “Wait, what’s the current score?” Avi asked.

  Felix squinted, as if trying to remember. “Zane and you have 145 points. Asa and I have 150.”

  Avi started the timer, and Asa began to draw, his skill on par with at least Felix and Avi, all of them requiring some level of drawing skill to do their jobs. Zane was the only one who struggled, but still, he held his own. Besides, it was just a game.

  Asa drew a rather unflattering depiction of his mother-in-law being held in the air.

  “Oh. Oh. Throw her off a cliff? Throw Beverly off a cliff?” Felix shouted.

  Asa shook his head, adding a large mountain-like structure with smoke pluming from the top.

  “Chuck her in a volcano,” Felix amended, bouncing as he held both bottles of liquor in the air.

  Asa grinned, erasing his drawing and putting a mark under their team.

  “Wait, didn’t we already chuck her into a volcano?” Avi asked, looking at Zane for confirmation.

  Zane shook his head. “No. I don’t think so. I think we dropped her into a forest fire, like that scuba diver that got scooped up by the water plane.”

  “We also boiled her in oil,” Felix said helpfully.

  “But no volcano,” Zane said, opening his mouth for another shot.

  Felix complied, then tipped the bottle to Avi’s lips when he opened his mouth like a baby bird.

  “Don’t get too sloppy. I have plans for you later,” Asa warned, his intent clear.

  Zane flushed, but his reply was sassy. “Like that’s ever stopped you before.”

  Asa felt a little better hearing Zane’s sarcasm. It meant he wasn’t completely spiraling. This was just a bump, not a crash. By tomorrow morning, Zane would be back to his old self after Asa spent the night reminding him of what—and who—was truly important in his life.

  Avi took a bite of sushi, then offered some to Felix, who accepted it, chewing and swallowing before he waved a hand at him. “Go. Your turn.”

  “Why can’t you go next?” Avi asked.

  Felix gave him a withering look. “We’re not even on the same team, dummy.”

  “Dummy?” Avi said, pretending offense. “You’re not the boss of me. I’m the boss of you, remember. Why can’t Zaney go next?”

  “Because Zaney has had a hard day,” Zane said, burrowing his head deeper into the pillow on Felix’s lap.

  Felix hooked one perfectly arched brow at Avi, who sighed. “Fine, but I was going to do it anyway.”

  Felix’s lips formed into a knowing smirk. “Mm, that’s what I thought.”

  Asa settled onto the bed between Zane’s knees.

  “Get your big head out of the way!” Felix yelled.

  Asa leaned back until his head was on Zane’s soft stomach, eyes closing when Zane’s fingers automatically began to comb through his hair. Avi looked back at the bed, frowning. “What the hell? This is bullshit. Why is nobody playing with my hair?”

  “Draw!” the three screamed at him.

  Avi rolled his eyes but then turned and faced the board, waiting for Felix to say, “Go.”

  Avi drew Beverly crumpled on the ground, then began to draw a four-legged creature. Asa knew what it was instantly, but he wasn’t on his team, so he kept his knowledge to himself.

  “Trampled by a horse?” Zane yelled. “No, we’ve done that. Uh, trampled by a dog? A cow? A moose? Is… Is that a reindeer? Did she get run over by a reindeer? Beverly got run over by a reindeer!” Zane shouted triumphantly.

  Avi nodded, high-fiving Zane, then tossed the marker to Felix, who stuck his tongue out before tapping Zane on the forehead. “Yas! Christmas themed deaths. Very festive. I love this for us,” Felix said. “And for her.”

  "Are you drunk, Lois?” Asa teased, lips trailing along the slender column of Zane’s neck as he undressed him.

  “You ask me that a lot. I’m not Archer,” Zane grumbled.

  Once he was naked, Asa slowly turned him, his hands roaming as he kissed his soft lips. “I’m just checking in.” He dipped his tongue inside, tasting cinnamon whiskey. “I like fucking you when you’re asleep, but fucking you when you’re completely unconscious would be weird. A little too necrophile for me.”

  Zane gave an exaggerated moan against Asa’s mouth. “Oh, yes. It gets me so hot when you talk about fucking dead people.”

  Asa’s hands reached down to squeeze Zane’s bare ass, his fingers spreading him apart. “I just want to make sure you’re consenting, Lois. I need you.”

  “You need me?” Zane asked, his breath hitching when Asa’s fingers delved between his cheeks.

  “You always say that like it’s a surprise,” Asa mused. “I don’t think there’s a single night where I haven’t ended up buried inside you. Surely, by now, you have to know I cannot keep my hands off you.”

  “It’s just nice to hear,” Zane said.

  “You feeling a little needy, Lois?” Asa asked, not in a mean way. “Need a little extra time and attention?”

  Zane nodded, arms coming around Asa’s neck.

  Asa picked him up and walked him backwards to the bed, dropping him onto the mattress and following him down. “I can do that. You want me to tie you up?”

  Zane seemed to contemplate it but then shook his head.

  “You want me to go slow?” Asa asked.

  Zane’s gaze met his. “I want you to do all the work.”

  Asa grinned. “Okay, Lois. I can do that. Just don’t start snoring on me. It throws me off my game.”

  Zane stretched all his limbs before collapsing. “Then don’t be boring.”

  Asa snagged Zane’s wrists, capturing them over his head with one hand, forcing his knees apart with his own. “That’s better.”

  Asa kissed Zane the way he liked, long and slow and deep, only moving on when he grew restless beneath him. He took his time, using the bruises and bite marks on Zane’s skin as a road map, kissing and licking at each one as he moved down his body. When he got to Zane’s cock, he was already flushed and leaking. Asa flicked out his tongue to taste but then moved on, earning a whine from Zane.

  “Shush. You said don’t be boring.”

  He pushed Zane’s knees up, biting at his inner thighs before burying his face in the heart of him, his tongue spearing against his entrance. He teased and sucked at him, while Zane slowly came undone, his hands fisting in Asa’s hair, trying to put him where he wanted him. Asa resisted, taking his time, nuzzling his balls, licking up his shaft, but never closing his mouth over him.

  “Asa, please,” Zane whined, his hips writhing.

  “What do you need, Lois?” Asa teased.

  Once more, Zane tugged on his hair. “You. Inside me. You know what I want.”

  Asa didn’t bother to undress, just shoved his pants and underwear out of the way, snagging the lube off the side table and slicking his cock, not even using his fingers before he eased inside. Zane hissed at the sudden invasion, but Asa knew he liked the burn. He loved being used by him, which only turned Asa on more.

  Zane had total trust that Asa knew just what he needed, knew just how much he could take. He pinned Zane’s knees to his chest and rolled his hips, burying himself deep with each hard thrust until Zane was making sounds he was sure were traveling throughout the apartment.

  “Shh.” Asa clamped his hand around his throat, squeezing just hard enough to feel Zane go limp, eyes rolling with pleasure. Yeah, Zane loved being manhandled, loved when Asa took control and just used him hard. Knowing how much Zane loved it, loved being his, made it all the hotter for Asa.

  He was already so close and had been thinking about burying himself in the tight heat of Zane’s body since long before he got home. “Fuck, you feel so good. I’ve been thinking about this since you sent me that pic at lunch today, you little fucking tease.”

  Zane moaned. “Harder.”

  Fuck. Asa gave him what he wanted, driving into him, his orgasm building with each sling of his hips, his hand spasming around Zane’s throat. The next moment, he was coming, filling Zane up, hips twitching as he rode it out. Then he was sliding back down Zane’s body, closing his mouth over his straining cock, forcing three fingers into his hole, finding that spot that made Zane scream.

  And he did. Asa should have gagged him. It didn’t matter. They were all used to the sex noises that happened in the house. Zane came hard, the bitter taste of his seed filling Asa’s mouth as he continued to massage him from the inside, milking every drop until he was begging Asa to stop.

  After he cleaned them both up, he gathered Zane to him, forcing him into little spoon position. “You okay, Lois?”

  “Mm,” Zane managed. “I’m always okay after that.”

  Asa smiled against his hair. “I meant about the Bev situation. You good?”

  “I’m better. I just wasn’t expecting it. It’s easier when I can prepare myself, like at our wedding. Like I knew she’d try something. But this…going to my old work…and the fact that Beach would even print something like that about me.”

  “Were you close?” Asa asked.

  “I thought we were at one point. But Beach doesn’t really have friends. She has sources or employees.”

  “And you’re neither. She was just chasing a story and it happened to be about you. You’re a Mulvaney now. Our lives are public fodder. Just remember every ridiculously mundane scandal helps shield what we really do. Bev is a fucking nightmare, but she’s great at creating drama as subterfuge.”

  Zane sighed. “I guess you’re right.”

  “Nobody cares that you didn’t invite her to the wedding. There’s nobody sitting at home thinking she’s the wounded party. They’re just there for the trauma porn. They’re tragedy tourists. They’ll forget the moment they close the magazine. Promise.”

  “How was your day?” Zane asked, clearly tired of the subject of his mother.

  “It was good, especially after that pic you sent. Sorry I couldn’t send one back but I was in the middle of a huge meeting. Sending you a dick pic might have derailed the conversation.”

  Zane snickered. “That’s okay. It’s much more fun to look at in person. And worth the wait. Sorry if the sex was boring.”

  “That seemed boring to you?” Asa asked around a laugh. “Damn, Lois.”

  “No, but you’re the one who has to be, like, punching me in the face to get off,” Zane countered, reaching back to pinch him.

  “I have never—not ever—punched you in the face. Or anywhere. I can’t help that I love to see the evidence of our sex life. I can’t help that it turns me on to see all my marks on you. But if you don’t want to play rough anymore, just say the word.”

  Zane snapped his head back to give Asa a look. “Don’t be dramatic. You know I love our sex life. I just know that the tamer stuff isn’t as fun for you.”

  “You know no such thing. Any sex that ends with me buried inside you is enough for me. Is it enough for you?” Asa asked, already knowing the answer.

  “Duh,” Zane deadpanned, burrowing closer. “Anytime you’re touching me, I’m happy.”

  “I’m touching you now.”

  “And I’m happy,” Zane said.

  “Good.”

  They were silent for a long while when Zane said, “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Lois.”

  “Forever?” Zane hedged.

  “Forever ever.”

  Zane erupted into peals of laughter. “Did you just quote Outkast to me?”

  “Would you prefer Shakespeare?” Asa asked.

  Zane shook his head. “No. Outkast is highly underrated as one of the romantic poets.”

  “Agreed.”

  * * *

  the end

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  Onley James, Headcase: Bonus Epilogue

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