Yeah, he’d really screwed up. He couldn’t be killed, but he was going to be hurt so badly that he’d probably wish he’d die. There was definitely evil intent in more than one man’s eyes.

  Stefan screamed and kicked, he hit and bit, anything to keep them from pinning him down. Desperate, he yelled for Conner, hoping to be saved, and God, how he hated that he needed to be saved.

  What was wrong with him? All he’d wanted was to get laid, to get past his past and to forget about the two men who’d hurt him almost as badly as Johnny had hurt him. The intense, instant connection he’d felt for Gideon and Jordan was obviously unrequited. Stefan wasn’t going to keep agonizing over it.

  Conner came through the place like a whirling dervish, hitting and slinging Stefan’s attackers. Ro was right behind him, but as soon as one spirit went flying, two more seemed to appear.

  Stefan thought it was like some minions from hell, except he didn’t believe in hell so he had to assume there were just a lot of evil assholes hanging around the club. And he’d led his friends right to them. “Shit.”

  Punching and clawing got him closer to Conner. Ro was back to back with his man. Stefan was grabbed from behind and flung backwards, a kick catching him in the ribs. He howled with pain and saw red, so furious at himself, at the bastards who wouldn’t leave him and his friends alone, at Gideon and Jordan for not wanting him.

  Stefan went wild, tearing through the place, a whirlwind of betrayal and rejection. Years of repressed emotions spilled out of him, splattering his anger on his opponents via his fists.

  It built up and spewed over, a volcanic eruption of hate he’d carried since he’d been able to think, since he’d come to understand he was different. It didn’t matter if his physical brain had gone on to wherever and his spirit was normal, he’d always felt tainted by his living form.

  No wonder Jordan and Gideon hadn’t wanted him. Someone probably had told them about Stefan’s lack of mental acuity when he’d lived. They might have just figured out he was weird on their own, too.

  It all hurt, and Stefan was so tired of hurting, tired of covering it all up—his insecurities and doubts, his memories and regrets, all of it. He’d had enough of being the bright, happy sidekick. God damn it, he wanted to hurt the people who had hurt him.

  Or so he thought, until he saw Gideon and Jordan, bruised, bleeding—he didn’t even wonder on that—each man barely standing under the onslaught of attackers. Guilt slammed into him at the same time that a fist connected with his stomach. Stefan’s breath gusted from his lungs as he doubled over.

  He saw the boot coming for his head, someone kicking at him. He threw out one hand, trying to block the blow. The kick never landed as the man was grabbed and thrown in the opposite direction.

  Gideon, panting, furious, grabbed Stefan under the armpits and yanked him upright.

  “Home,” Gideon snapped.

  Yes, Stefan wanted that too, and he wanted Jordan with them. Every part of him ached, some parts throbbed and others seemed like they were screaming from pain. Stefan wanted comfort, he wanted to pretend at least for a while that he mattered to someone as more than a friend or brother.

  He wasn’t sure what had happened. His mind was racing with images of Johnny mocking him, fucking him, killing him, and the crazy sons of bitches from the bar. So many mean people in his head. Stefan didn’t want to remember any of them.

  “Shh, sweetheart. It’s okay.”

  Oh God, now I’m delusional too. No one spoke to him like that, like he really was special.

  “Stefan, open your eyes for me,” someone else said. Stefan knew those voices, Gideon’s rougher one first, then Jordan’s. He had to be dreaming.

  Soft touches to his shoulders and face made him whimper. He wanted to be cared for so much that the lack of it hurt worse than the physical pain he felt from the fight.

  “Come here,” Gideon rumbled. Stefan didn’t know what he meant and figured Gideon must be talking to Jordan since Gideon still had an arm around Stefan.

  But Gideon might not have been talking to Jordan, because the warm, hard length of Gideon’s body was suddenly pressed to Stefan’s entire backside. He shivered as Gideon’s breath wafted over the sensitive skin of his neck.

  “I have you,” Gideon whispered just as another body pushed against Stefan’s front. “Me and Jo, we have you. We’re not letting you go until we figure this out.”

  Stefan didn’t have the energy to argue or express his disbelief. There was no point in doing so anyway. He knew this was all a dream. He’d wake up by himself, just like he had all his life.

  * * * *

  Jordan knew the instant Conner appeared. The air in the room seemed to grow frigid. Gideon grunted and Jordan raised his head up to find Conner, looking like he’d never even been in a huge brawl, glowering above them.

  “Let him go,” Conner snapped, the temperature dropping even more.

  “Conner,” Ro began, tugging on his arm. “Calm down. All you’re going to do is make Lee and Darren’s whole house unbearably cold. Why would you want to do that?”

  Conner growled and flung his hands up. “I don’t want to! I want to toast these two bozos’ asses and toss them out of McKinton!”

  Gideon turned his head a few inches. “No.”

  “No?” Conner mimicked.

  “No,” Jordan added. “You don’t get to do that. If Stefan wants us to go, then we will.” Jordan didn’t want to leave his mother behind, but he wouldn’t hurt Stefan again.

  “He won’t want either of you here after the way you’ve hurt him,” Conner informed them. “Selfish fuckers.”

  Gideon sat up a bit, but kept one hand planted on Stefan’s hip. “It’s not your place to judge us. What happened between the three of us, that’s our business, but I can assure you we didn’t break any promises to Stefan.”

  “No, you just broke his heart,” Conner snapped. “Or his hopes, at least. Maybe he wasn’t all googly in love with y’all, but he’s been alone for so long, and I’ve watched him for years, wanting someone of his own. Waiting for someone to see how amazing Stefan is, to appreciate him and to be trusted by him. Stefan’s past—”

  “Is my business,” Stefan cut in softly. “It’s my business only.”

  Conner’s entire expression shifted from furious to loving. “Right, Stef, it is, and you don’t owe these two fools anything, okay?”

  Before he could do anything to stop it, Jordan was pushed aside and held against one wall. Gideon hit the opposite one with a thump. Conner stood with his arms extended in their directions, power oozing from him. He only had eyes for Stefan.

  “I know you hate being alone, Stef, but don’t settle for anything less than you deserve, and contrary to what you might think, you deserve to be treated like a goddamned treasure.” Conner moved over and sat beside Stefan.

  Jordan still couldn’t unpin himself from the wall.

  “You can’t blame yourself for how you were born,” Conner began.

  “Stop,” Stefan pleaded, sitting up and grabbing onto Conner’s shoulders. “Please, just stop.”

  Conner cocked his head and stared back at Stefan. “You’re ashamed.”

  Stefan looked away.

  Jordan wondered what the hell Stefan had to be ashamed of. Jordan looked at Gideon, who glanced at him in confusion then focused on Stefan.

  “No, you have no reason, Stef.” Conner pulled Stefan into a hug. “You don’t. All this time, you’ve hated yourself for it and I didn’t even see it.”

  “I don’t hate myself,” Stefan whispered, clinging to Conner. “I just hate that about myself.”

  “Oh, baby,” Conner sighed. He buried his nose in Stefan’s hair and began rocking him from side to side.

  Jordan itched to shove Conner out of the way and to hold Stefan himself. He suspected Gideon was experiencing the same want. Somehow, they were going to work everything out. Stefan needed them, and they needed him.

  Seeing Stefan in Conner’s arms was maddening. Gideon wriggled and tried to free himself. He was stuck against the wall like a damned moth pinned in place. Conner was a freak—a scary, strong, protective freak.

  Conner glared at him over Stefan’s head. Gideon snarled and began to struggle harder. Maybe if he kept fighting, Conner would tire of holding him still. He couldn’t seem to get any words out, either. Conner’s smug look was the most annoying damned thing Gideon had ever seen in his life.

  Gideon glanced at Jordan. Fight, he thought. Don’t be complacent. We have to fight for Stefan, or… Gideon examined Conner’s expression closely. There was more than just smugness there. Granted, Gideon could be wrong in his reading of the man, but he thought there was hope and expectation in Conner’s bright eyes.

  And he got it. Conner wanted them to fight him. Not necessarily physically—because they’d already got their asses whooped by him, and even though neither Gideon nor Jordan had fought back then, Gideon knew there was no hope in trying to do so. Conner would simply put them down every time they got up until they had to quit.

  So then he didn’t want them to fight him. Understanding dawned like someone turning on a light switch. Conner wanted them to fight for Stefan, even if that meant fighting with Stefan if he pushed them away.

  Gideon got it. He’d have said so but Conner was still doing his creepy control thing. Adrenaline rushed through Gideon’s veins. He needed to be free, at least to speak if nothing else. Stefan out of Conner’s arms would be good, too.

  Conner out of their lives while they sorted everything out would be fan-fucking-tabulous.

  Gideon drew on that need to be with Stefan, on the desire to touch him and to touch Jordan as well. They needed to talk, they needed—each other, the three of them. Whatever Stefan was hiding in his past, it was past. It was time for it to stop causing him to suffer.

  Gideon pictured it in his head, him holding Stefan, Conner turning into a wisp of annoying vapor that smelled roughly like sulfur. The added stink was fitting in his mind as Conner was annoying the devil out of him. Ro would need to disappear too, but he could just go. Gideon wanted Stefan between him and Jordan. They should be the ones comforting him.

  “Fuck—” Conner’s shocked voice had Gideon peeking out from barely opened lids. As he watched, Conner faded away, his mouth moving but no sounds coming out.

  Gideon hoped he didn’t send him anywhere bad. Kind of.

  “Conner!” Stefan shouted, but Gideon caught him before he could shoot up to try to go after Conner. Gideon wrapped himself around Stefan and caught Stefan by the chin. He saw a flash of fury in Stefan’s eyes, heard the beginnings of a curse word being hurled at him.

  Gideon slanted his mouth over Stefan’s. He swallowed every foul word the man loosed at him, and held him as Stefan battered his shoulders and back.

  But Stefan didn’t pull away. He didn’t bite or kick.

  He didn’t turn Gideon out, or demand that he leave. Gideon hoped the tantrum was cathartic for Stefan. He delved his tongue deeper into Stefan’s mouth and ran one hand down to grip a softly rounded ass cheek.

  Immediately after he felt the press of Jordan’s cock against the back of his hand. Jordan reached around and held onto him with one hand. The other was pushed between Gideon and Stefan.

  Stefan whimpered and the hitting turned to clutching instantly. Gideon tilted his head and ramped up the heat of the kiss, demanding everything Stefan would give him.

  Stefan opened for him like a man who was starving for loving. From what Gideon had heard, that was accurate. He kneaded the flesh under his hands, touching his men. They would be his. Gideon wasn’t letting either of them go.

  Jordan could fucking well deal with his embarrassment over his mom spilling the beans. Gideon loved the silly fool right back, and Stefan—Stefan had the power to wrap him and Jordan both around his pinky.

  Gideon wedged a knee between Stefan’s legs. He pressed his thigh up, pushing Stefan’s balls up. “Ride it,” he rasped, turning his head aside. “Come on, let me feel you on me.”

  Stefan whimpered and began rutting. His clothes disappeared and Gideon thought that was the best idea yet. He willed his clothes gone and one look told him Jordan had done the same thing.

  Gideon leaned around Stefan enough to get to Jordan’s mouth. He was afraid—Jordan could reject him, refuse to be kissed, but Jordan opened beautifully for him.

  The three of them rubbed and touched each other. Gideon traced Stefan’s crack, pulling his ass open.

  Stefan whined and tossed his head. Gideon and Jordan had to end their kiss, but Stefan’s pleasure was worth it. Stefan humped Gideon’s leg frantically. Jordan grabbed Stefan’s cock and gave him something to fuck.

  Gideon found the tight little aperture nestled between Stefan’s butt cheeks and he rubbed over it.

  “Oh God!” Stefan shrieked right before he shuddered. His cum was hot and fragrant as it spilled from his cock. Gideon kept touching his hole until Stefan stopped shaking. Then he kissed Stefan, tasting his pleasure, needing to find his own.

  Jordan had to be hurting, too, so Gideon would wait. He plundered Stefan’s mouth, owning him and giving himself in return. Stefan keened then went still. Gideon hadn’t closed his eyes all the way, wanting to watch Stefan’s expression as he came apart, and now something like trepidation was scampering over Stefan’s features.

  “I’m not going to fuck you,” Jordan said from behind him. “Just…this. Gonna do this, if you’ll let me.”

  Stefan’s expression shifted to one of borderline bliss. Gideon peeked over his shoulder and nearly came on the spot as he watched Jordan dragging his cock up and down Stefan’s crease. The slick moisture making his dick glisten had to have been Stefan’s own spunk.

  “Fuck,” Gideon ground out.

  “I remember what he said,” Jordan panted out. “He was going to fuck, not get fucked.”

  Gideon took a minute to process that. All he could reason out was Jordan meant Stefan had told him he was going to that fucked-up bar to fuck someone, not get fucked. Jordan wouldn’t fuck him unless Stefan wanted it.

  Gideon wanted to fuck them both, and he wanted to watch Stefan take Jordan, see him open up Jordan’s ass slowly, stretching him and making him beg to be filled.

  Jordan bit his bottom lip then released it. He paused in humping Stefan’s crease long enough to say, “You’re thinking dirty, dirty thoughts, Gid. What are they?”

  Stefan hissed and wiggled his butt. “Don’t stop,” he said over his shoulder before looking back at Gideon. “What? Tell us.”

  Gideon reached for and found Stefan’s cock, already growing hard again. He fisted the base. “I want to see this in his ass.”

  Stefan wasn’t the only one who moaned at that. Jordan’s hungry sound convinced Gideon he’d get to have his wish, sooner rather than later.

  “Ever had anyone suck your cock?” he asked Stefan.

  The squeak he got in answer was adorable.

  Gideon slid down Stefan’s body. He didn’t draw out the torment. Stefan had never had a blow job, and that was all kinds of a shame, but it was also thrilling to Gideon, knowing he’d be Stefan’s first. He sucked the crown past his lips and swirled his tongue under the ridge.

  Stefan mewled and clawed at his head. Gideon reached beneath him. He let go of the base of Stefan’s shaft so he could fondle Stefan’s balls. With his other hand, he palmed Jordan’s balls from between Stefan’s legs.

  Jordan cursed and began fucking Stefan’s crack faster, driving him against Gideon. That was fine with him, he wanted Stefan to go to town on his mouth. He sucked strongly and Stefan yelped. He thrust his hips and Gideon hummed his approval, wanting more.

  Stefan gave it to him, bucking without rhythm, instinct driving him after the ecstasy Gideon’s mouth was promising him. Gideon almost gagged as Stefan’s cock breached his throat, but almost as soon as it was there it was gone again, Stefan withdrawing and shoving back in part of the way.

  Gideon gave both of his men’s balls a squeeze. Jordan’s shout rang out right before Stefan’s. Spunk jetted into Gideon’s mouth. He swallowed eagerly once he let the flavor of it permeate his senses.

  Then he was being pushed back, and he didn’t know or care where he was going to land because Stefan was on him, licking and sucking at the tip of his shaft.

  Jordan straddled Gideon’s chest and tapped his lips with his softening, wet cock. “Open.”

  Gideon did, gasping as Stefan sucked him hard. Jordan thrust inside, the girth of his dick bringing an ache to Gideon’s jaw.

  Gideon looked up at Jordan, pleading silently for him not to leave again. Jordan grunted but he gave the tiniest of nods before fucking Gideon’s mouth.

  Stefan cupped Gideon’s balls. He took a good half of Gideon’s length into his mouth then he came back up. He fisted the lower half of Gideon’s cock before proceeding to suck him in again.

  Gideon hollered around the mouthful of cock he was sucking on. Jordan framed his face, holding onto Gideon and staring into his eyes as he drove repeatedly into his mouth.

  When they’d been living beings, they’d both had incredible stamina, but now Gideon thought he could fuck all day and night and not have to stop. Stefan and Jordan must have felt the same. Stefan had come twice already, but Gideon was pretty sure he was feeling Stefan rubbing a third erection against Gideon’s calf.

  And Jordan was close to coming again, his cock swelling, that thick vein throbbing beneath Gideon’s tongue. Jordan tightened his grip and snarled as he drove himself into Gideon again and again. At the same time, Gideon’s dick was encased in such silky hot suction that his brain was surely scrambling.

  Then a press of a fingertip to his hole sent him over the edge. No one ever touched him there, hadn’t for years and years. To feel a timid, bare touch was more stimulating than Gideon had ever remembered it being.

  He tried to shout, but his mouth was stuffed full. Jordan did, though, bellowing and pumping his load over Gideon’s tongue. All Gideon could do was shake and moan as his climax tore him apart with a thousand strands of pleasure.