Trial Of Strength (Book 14)

"RETRIBUTION - GYPSY VERSUS COWBOY"

Cowboy Charlie gets a shock at the rodeo that makes him question his own straight masculinity and sexual identity. In a confused, irrational rage he blames his ‘boys’ Vic & Noah and attacks them. That enrages his brother, gypsy boss Randy, who punishes the cowboy in a stunning sex act – brother-on-brother, gypsy versus cowboy – that only deepens Charlie’s doubts about his own manhood. 

<><>    Cowboy Paranoia    <><>

The cheers rang out for the triumphant rodeo cowboy on his victory lap.  Charlie ripped off his shirt, as he always did, and waved it in the air as his horse reared up.  But as the cheers died down, two discordant voices in the crowd rang out across the stadium.

“Faggot !!! ... Faggot !!!”

Flushed with his reception by the adoring crowd Charlie did not register the word at first. But when he heard the gasps of several in the crowd, he winced and the full impact hit him like a punch in the face.  Mechanically he continued smiling, but his insides were churning.

When he left the ring and dismounted, his mind was still reeling, and his shock was reflected in the rodeo crew and his buddies.  One of them said, “Don’t take any notice, Charlie, that’s something morons fling at anyone.  We all know there’s no truth in it.”

And for any other heterosexual cowboy that would have been the end of it.  But not for Charlie.  As he drove back to his hotel his mind flew instantly to the tribe, and to young Vic and Noah, his boys.  His boys?  What did that even mean?  He had befriended the kids because he liked them and was moved by their shyness.   But was there more to it than that?

He flinched when he remembered.  He had let them kiss him, kiss his body ... damn, they had sucked his cock.  He had let them suck his dick!  That wasn’t what straight guys did with their buddies.  And he was totally straight ... wasn’t he?  Wasn’t he?  Dammit, he was known as a ladies’ man, a stud who fucked half the adoring groupie girls who gathered backstage.

But what about the tribe?  He enjoyed his visits to the tribe.  They were a great bunch of guys ... but they all fucked each other up the ass, for godsake.  And what about his brothers, Randy, Steve and young Ben?  They all fucked men too – and boasted about it.  What were the chances that he was a faggot like them.  Did it run in the family?

He flinched at the thought of that ugly word.  If that got around the rodeo world his career was over.  Dammit, he was an icon of masculinity, a strong, tough rodeo cowboy.  He traded on that – that was his image, not only to the world but to himself too. No way did he suck dick ... and yet he had let two gay boys suck his.  He had slept with them all night, his arms wrapped around them.  That’s what faggots did ... that damn word again.”

Charlie’s paranoia ran rampant.  Feeding on itself it assumed proportions much greater than the two ugly shouts that had started it, which most men would have shrugged off.  Why couldn’t he?  Was there any truth in it?  No, dammit, and he would prove it.

When he got to the hotel there were a couple of girls hanging around waiting to catch a glimpse of him.  Impulsively he invited them to his room, where he fucked them both ... and came twice.  “You were great, Charlie,” one of the women said, “such a stud.”

He pulled his pants up and said abruptly, “Sorry to fuck and run, ladies. But I gotta get down to L.A.”  In his mind he added ... ‘to see a bunch of queers who fuck each other, including my own brothers and my own boys, ‘cos I’m one of them’.

As soon as they left Charlie stuffed his gear into two big backpacks with a frenzy born of shock and anger, and a burning need to confront the issue and make a clean break with the tribe and the boys. 

This had been the final performance in Santa Barbara.  After a week’s rest they were due to open further down the coast in Orange County.  L.A was midway between the two, and his plan had been to spend the week there with his buddies and his boys.  Not anymore.  They couldn’t be his buddies, and certainly not his ‘boys’, whatever that meant.  Not anymore.  A quick visit to break with them for good, then he’d check into a hotel and pick up a couple of girls.

Faggot?, he sneered.  Not him.  No way, and he’d prove it.

As Charlie drove from Santa Barbara to L.A. his mind conjured up compound calamities.  If he had had a buddy he could talk to about this, the buddy would no doubt have told him to snap out of it – this was simply his paranoia taking over.  In reality there would be no harm to his reputation and no damage to his image or his career as a rodeo star.

But there was no one he could share this personal problem with – he certainly could not discuss his sexuality with the macho bunch of rodeo riders. So what about his brother Randy and the guys of the tribe?  No way – they were a big part of the problem, as they were all fa... He refused to even think that word again.   They all fucked ass and would have no sympathy with this threat to his masculinity.

Suddenly he remembered that in the past he had invited Vic and Noah to the rodeo as his special guests.  He recalled them jumping up and down, squealing and hugging each other as they watched him perform, not the butchest sight in the world.  They had ‘queer’ written all over them.

That must be it, someone must have seen the boys hugging him, put two and two together and come up with the F word, a malicious image that would take on a life of its own until everyone believed it to be true.

“Fuck ... fuck,” he said to himself as he neared the tribe’s compound.  OK, quick in and out, just long enough to break all ties with this bunch of cocksuckers. This was their life, not his.  Definitely not his.  Hell no.”

<><>    Charlie Creates Chaos    <><>

It was nearing the end of the business day and the mood in the business office was light-hearted.  The young office manager Brandon smiled indulgently as Vic and Noah joked with the newest recruit Ossie. 

A few days ago Charlie had called his boys Vic and Noah and told them he would be passing through L.A. to spend his week off with the tribe.  The boys giggled so excitedly that Brandon several times needed to remind them to concentrate on their work.  They were not sure what time he would get here, so anticipation was high.  Every time they heard a squeal of brakes outside they thought it might be him ... and then suddenly, it was.

The door burst open and there he was, looking sexier than ever in cowboy boots and hat, dirt-streaked jeans and a brown leather vest open over his bare chest.  They greeted him with squeals of delight and flung themselves at him, behavior that only added to his current distaste for the whole image of young gay boys. They were his problem, and everything they represented.

He pushed them away from him so hard that they staggered back against their desks and Noah fell to his knees.  “Stay away from me, kids, I can’t do this anymore, it ain’t working.  That’s all I came to tell you, now I’m outa here.  I can’t see you anymore, I can’t be around all these faggots.”

He was so out of control that he had used the despised word, which resounded heavily in the air.  The boys thought he must be joking and scrambled up to him again.  “I said stay the fuck away from me,” he bellowed, “you’re the cause of all my problems.”  He lashed out again, arms swinging wildly.  One of his hands hit Vic across the face and sent him crashing against Ossie so they both went sprawling on the floor.

Brandon rolled his wheelchair across the office to block Charlie from further assaults.  “Have you completely lost your mind?  These are my boys and I forbid you to touch them.  I’m ordering you to leave my office.” 

“You,” the cowboy snarled, “a cocksucker in a wheelchair ordering me to leave?  I don’t hang with queers like you, and I sure as hell don’t fuck them.  They called me faggot ... at the rodeo ... faggot!!  All because of you guys, especially these two,” nodding scathingly at the sobbing heap on the floor.  “Get out of my way, boy, so I can get away from you queers forever.”

Brandon was partially blocking the door and, in his frenzy, Charlie grabbed one of the wheelchair’s arms and yanked it so hard that it tipped sideways.  Brandon tried to hang on, but fell heavily on the floor next to his fallen boys.  Charlie faltered, staring down at the carnage he had created.  The scene registered for a split-second, only to be replaced by the memory of the boys squealing at the rodeo, and the later memory of that word shouted across the ring.

He had to get away, forever.  He stumbled out the door in a daze, so disoriented that he turned the wrong way, deeper into the grounds.

It was at that moment that Randy came home from work.  When he came through the gate the first thing he heard were shouts and sobs from the office.  He went up the three steps in one bound and burst in. “Jesus, what the fuck happened here?”

He went first to Brandon, knelt beside him and raised his head.  “You OK, dude?  Are you hurt?”

“I, I don’t think so, sir.  My wheelchair upset and I fell.  But check on the boys.”

Ossie said, “I’m not hurt, sir, but I think Vic banged his head on the desk when he fell after Charlie hit him.”

“Charlie did this?  Let’s take a look, kiddo.  Yeah, nasty gash on the head.  Can you move, kid?”

“I think so, sir.”  Noah sat on the floor, took off his shirt and held it over Vic’s forehead to stop the bleeding.

Bob came through the open door, having heard the commotion from his office.  Randy growled “Thank god you’re here dude.  Far as I can tell, seems my cowboy brother had something to do with this.”

Brandon panted, “He burst in, sirs, yelling that he never wanted to see Vic and Noah again, nor any of us.  Called us queers and said something about faggots.  I think he’s out of his mind, sir.  Said he was going away forever.  He just left.”

Randy clenched his fists.  “Take care of them, Bob.  I’ll take care of my brother.”

<><>    Randy Tames The Cowboy    <><>

Randy raced from the office just as Miguel’s boy Finn ran up.  “You looking for Charlie, sir?  I was gardening and he barged straight past me.  He was crazed, didn’t even see me, almost knocked me over.”

“Where was he going?”

“That way, sir, deeper into the garden.  Don’t know why.  He seemed lost, real out of it.”

“Thanks, Finn.  Go in the office and see if you can help Bob.”

Randy clenched his jaw and ran in the direction Finn had pointed.  He soon saw his brother, stumbling forward like a confused drunk, and yelled “Stop!”  Charlie looked wildly over his shoulder, and ran faster.  But Randy soon caught up with him, and this time he didn’t yell.  He dived forward, wrapped his arms round Charlie’s legs and brought him crashing to the ground.

“Fuck you, man,” Charlie panted.  And the fight was on, grappling punching, kicking as they rolled over on the grass.  The cowboy was strong, they were evenly matched, but Randy had the advantage of being in a towering rage. Always hotblooded and quick to anger, nothing made Randy madder than seeing the boys hurt.  All his protective instincts reared up and stirred his blind impulse for revenge.

After a ferocious battle, a bruised Randy ended up kneeling astride Charlie, who was even more bruised, exhausted on his back. Randy pulled his brother’s arms to his sides and knelt on them, pinning him helplessly to the ground.  He punctuated his angry words by slapping his face.  “Motherfucker.  You hurt my boys ...  you hurt my boys.  What the fuck’s eating you, dude?”

“I was called a faggot ... out loud ... at the rodeo.  It’s all because of those boys, and all of you here.  I ain’t no fag, not like you and your queer boyfriend Bob.”

That pushed Randy over the edge.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, asshole, but no man insults Bob like that without getting thrashed.”

“By you?  I don’t think so, dude.  The only thing you cocksuckers know how to do is fuck ass.  No fucking queer slaps me around ...”  Charlie struggled mightily but Randy knelt harder on his arms and made him scream. 

“Fuck you, Charlie, you have lost your fucking mind.  I’m done with your fucking bullshit.”  Randy slammed the back of his fist against his face and stunned him into semi-consciousness. 

When he regained his wits, the cowboy opened his eyes and tried to focus.  Slowly, blearily, his brother came into focus, standing over him shirtless, in his work boots and jeans.  Painfully, Charlie tried to move.  Lying on his back his arms were stretched straight up and ... he couldn’t move them.  He tugged, but realized his hands were tied.”

Randy had ripped off his tank, twisted it into a rope and tied Charlie’s wrists behind a tree.  The realization hit Charlie – he was helpless, at the mercy of his raging brother.

“Fuck you man ... what you gonna do to me?”

Randy sneered down at him.  “I’ll do the only thing us cocksuckers know how to do, according to you, Charlie.  A time-honored punishment for assholes who hurt my boys and insult my man.”

Randy didn’t mess around – he didn’t do foreplay.  He dropped to his knees, reached forward, ripped open Charlie’s jeans and yanked them down to his knees.  He pulled out his own huge cock, spat on it and stroked it.”

As the realization hit Charlie, he stared up at his gypsy brother who had a wildness in his eyes that Charlie had never seen.  That scared him, but he spoke defiantly.  “Nah, even you wouldn’t stoop to that – trying to recruit a macho straight guy into your deviant lifestyle.”

“You still don’t get it, man,” Randy sneered.  “I ain’t trying to fucking recruit you, we wouldn’t want a loser like you anyway.  I’m the boss of these men and boys here, and I protect them.  I see a shit-for-brains like you beating up on young boys, then insulting the man I love, there’s only one punishment for that.  I don’t give a shit if you fuck women, men or your own fucking horse, that’s your business.  And it’s my business to do this ....”

Randy pushed Charlie’s legs back, stared down at his virgin ass ... and drove his cock in deep.  “Aaagh!”  Charlie’s scream echoed round the garden and his head flew back in pain.  “No!!!  I don’t do this ... I’m not a ...”

“Not a faggot, uh?  Maybe not, dude, but you’re still gonna get your macho straight-guy ass fucked good.”  Randy leaned forward, pinned the cowboy’s biceps to the ground, and his laser-blue eyes penetrated his brother’s, while his thick shaft penetrated his ass.

Randy grinned maliciously.  “Might as well relax, dude.  My weapon is hard to take for rookies like you, but if you relax there’s less pain and you might even enjoy it.”

“I’ll fucking kill you, man,” Charlie howled, “My own crazy brother with his dick up my ass.  I’ll fucking kill you.”

But Randy didn’t let up.  He was ruthless – and mad as hell.  He kept seeing the image of four boys lying sobbing on the ground, and kept hearing the words ‘queer boyfriend’, referring to the man he loved.  He settled in for a long fuck, although not the totally savage fuck he was capable of – this was his brother after all, with a virgin ass.

Charlie’s howls of pain and humiliation carried across the garden to the house, and Bob worked hard to minimize the effect.  He told Brandon to close the office, take Vic, Noah and Ossie to his house across the street and keep them indoors.  Brandon’s man, the calm, solid Ranger Pete, was perfect to take care of them.

Bob stationed himself in the middle of the compound where anxious men and boys were gathering.  “Guys,” he said, “this is a matter for Randy and Charlie to settle. It seems none of the boys were badly injured, so we’ll let Randy deal with the situation in the way he chooses.”

It was pretty clear from Charlie’s howls of pain and protest that he was getting the worst of the confrontation – no surprise to anyone who knew Randy as well as everyone here did.

And despite Bob’s reassuringly calm words, his own stomach was churning.  He knew better than anyone that when Randy’s rage erupted like this he could lose all impulse control and become demonic.  Bob wanted to intervene, but didn’t dare to.  As he had told everyone else, they had to leave it to Randy.

In fact, Bob would have been surprised and relieved to know that Randy was not going full caveman.  He knew his brother Charlie was tough and, like himself, could withstand any bodily pain. His aim was not to fuck him into begging submission, but to teach him a lesson.  He kept up the pace but knew his brother’s limits, and stayed within them.  It was a fierce fuck, but without the savagery he often showed.

As always, Randy’s sexual tools were his massive cock and his hypnotic blue eyes – together they could transform a man.  And after long minutes of enduring Randy’s piston driving in his ass, Charlie found that Randy’s advice to relax actually worked.  Instead of fighting the torment by pulling frantically at his restraints, he slowly calmed down and accepted his fate. 

It was a technique Charlie used as a rodeo cowboy.  When riding a bucking stallion became painful, he would just grit his teeth and ride it out.  And now, as Randy rode his ass, he was determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing him beg, and plead for mercy.

Like his brother, Charlie too had a penetrating look in his eyes, and used it.  It became a contest of eyes, as much as cock and ass.  And slowly Charlies’ determination to outlast and survive his brother’s assault had an unexpected result.

Randy was a master at controlling a man.  After a fierce driving fuck had left the victim’s ass sore and tender, he slowed down and massaged the sensitive membrane with his cock, no longer a weapon but a balm.   Mesmerized, Charlie gazed into the hypnotic blue eyes and was drawn inexorably into the gypsy’s magnetic sexuality, as so many men had been before him.

“He realized what was happening to him but it was too late.  Startled he yelled, “No ... No ... I don’t ... “aaagh ...”

His cock reared up, shuddered, and erupted in a blast of semen that splashed down on his chest and face.  In a panic he yelled, “No ... I’m not, I’m not.”

“No you’re not, bro.  You haven’t been converted – you’re still the same macho, stud cowboy the ladies worship, and always will be.  But sometimes brotherly love wins out and shows that all those crappy labels are just so much bullshit.”

Randy gently pulled his cock out of his ass, got up and stood astride the bound cowboy.  “Notice I didn’t bust a load in your straight ass, bro.  I was saving it for this.  This is your humiliation for beating those kids and insulting my lover Bob.”  Randy pounded his cock in his fist and sprayed streams of his own jizz on Charlie’s chest, face and even in his gasping mouth. 

Randy grinned, “The juice of two loving brothers all mixed together. Kinda poetic, eh?  Just don’t mess with my man or my boys again, dude, OK?”

Randy stuffed his cock back in his jeans, grinned down at the helpless cowboy, turned and strode away.”

<><>    Bob Takes Over    <><>

After the shouts died down Bob sensed that the action was over and it was safe for him to intervene.   We walked across the grounds in the direction of the noise and saw Randy coming towards him.  He could tell from his gypsy swagger that he was proud of what he had done – whatever that was. 

“Randy, what have you done to Charlie?”

Randy smiled arrogantly.  “Just taught my brother a little lesson is all.  Nothing for you to worry about.  He won’t be injuring any more boys or insulting you.”

“I’m going to help him, Randy.  I know you don’t like me to get involved, but I have to, and that’s final.”

Again that arrogant grin.  “Dude I love it when you get all bossy – so fucking sexy.  I probably have to teach you a lesson too, keep you in your place.  Yeah, OK, go check on him.  He’s a little tied up right now, probably feeling a bit sore.”  Randy wrapped his hand round the back of Bob’s neck and pulled him into a long, ferocious kiss.  Then “later, dude,” and strode away.

Trying to ignore the hardon Randy always gave him, Bob walked anxiously across the garden and stopped in alarm.  The cowboy was lying on his back, arms still stretched, hands tied behind the tree.  What shocked Bob the most was the mass of semen on his bare chest, his leather vest, neck and face.

Charlie looked up at him with that look of macho defiance that Bob had seen so often on Randy’s face – it ran in the family. “So, you’ve come to bust my ass too, recruit me into this cult y’all got here.  My brother sent you to finish off his dirty work for him?  Just untie me, man, and let me get as far away from you guys as I can.  I don’t belong here, no way.”

Bob knelt beside Charlie and smiled.  “No, Charlie, I have not come to finish what Randy started, and I certainly have not come to recruit you.  Only one man does any recruiting in this family and that’s Captain Hassan, into the Marines.  Unless you want to join the Marines.”

“Fuck you, man.  You’re all just a bunch of fags, but here’s a newsflash – I ain’t no limp-wristed faggot.  Only reason those guys at the rodeo called me that is ‘cos I’ve been hanging out here, with you and those boys.  Not anymore.  As soon as I get free I turn my back on your crowd for good and all.”

Bob sighed. “So that’s what started all this.  I’m sorry that happened, Charlie.  They obviously got it wrong, everyone here knows you’re not sexually attracted to men.  That straight macho look is one thing Vic and Noah loved about you.  By the way, we don’t use that ugly word here.  It must have been a shock to hear it at the rodeo, but please don’t use it to me.”

Chad winced.  “I didn’t mean it about you, dude, I know you’re a good guy.  So just untie me and we’ll call it quits, you’ll never see me again.”

Bob grinned and ran a finger through the pool of jizz on Charlie’s chest.  “You are not going anywhere looking like this, cowboy.  Let me clean you up first.”  Bob pulled off the white V-neck T-shirt he always wore and used it to gently wipe away the cum from Charlie’s face and body. 

As Charlie looked up at the handsome face and sculpted body his tone softened.  “I ain’t got nothing against you, man.  Like I said, you’re a good guy.  But Randy ... he tied me up and fucked me, dude ... shoved his dick up my ass.  And dammit, this jizz ain’t all his, it’s mine too.  He made me fucking cum, man.  My own brother reamed my ass and made me shoot my fucking wad.  Like I said, I ain’t no f... I ain’t a guy who fucks with other guys.  Why would Randy do that?”

“He always does, Charlie.  If it’s any consolation to you, Randy can make any man or boy cum without touching themselves.  His sex appeal is magnetic, and you got drawn into the field, like so many men before you, straight or otherwise.  He wasn’t trying to convert you, he was punishing you in the way he knows best.  Nothing enrages Randy more than seeing boys get attacked and injured, he goes totally apeshit.”

Charlie looked contrite for the first time.  “How are the boys, Bob?  I never meant to ...”

“I know you didn’t, Charlie.  Another trait you share with your brother is to go apeshit crazy, and then show tenderness for shy boys, like Vic and Noah.  That’s why you took them under your wing, and I loved seeing that.  You’ll be relieved to know there seem to be no serious injuries, just bruises and a small cut on Vic’s forehead.  I called our buddy Doc Chad, just to make sure, and he’s checking them out now over at Pete and Brandon’s house.

“Look, Charlie, this whole thing is a hot mess, that’s for sure, and of course I’ll untie you.  But on one condition – that you don’t immediately turn tail and run.  If you did that, you and Randy would never see each other again, and that would not be right.  Family is family after all, despite your differences.

“Nah, I can’t stay here, dude, after everything that’s happened.”

“As to that, Charlie, I have a plan.”

Charlie managed a smile.  “Randy once told me that you always have a plan, Bob. Seems this ain’t the first time you’ve got my brother out of a hot mess, as you call it.”

“So listen to my plan, Charlie.  When I set you free, you don’t run away, but you don’t have to face the tribe either.  I’ll take you to the house on the other side of the compound where Randy and I live.  The boys call it the Boss House.  You’ll have a private dinner with us, a family dinner as I’d like to invite your other brother Steve.

“I would invite your kid brother Ben too, but he’s currently up at the Grady House nurturing his man Jason who just got home after fighting the wildfires.  I don’t want to interrupt that.

“Still, having you three brothers together will start the healing.  Actually, Doc Steve might be pivotal in that process as time goes on.  He’s been the therapist to all of us from time to time, and helped us when our minds were messed up.”  Bob chuckled, “And I think we can agree on one thing, Charlie – right now your mind sure is messed up.

“I’ll have the twins cook for us in our private kitchen, and they’ll join us for dinner.  Don’t worry, the twins know everything I know – sometime even before I know it myself.  And then you can spend the night in our guestroom – all alone, no interruptions.   Better than some bleak hotel room.  What do you say, buddy?”

Charlie smiled again.  “Another thing Randy told me about you, Bob, is that you could charm the birds out of the trees.  And he’s right.  OK, dude, we got a deal.  I give you my word I won’t turn tail on y’all.”

Bob reached down and quickly released the cowboy’s wrists by pulling the escape knot Randy always used.  He helped Charlie to his feet, and he unsteadily pulled up his jeans and buckled the belt.

“You ready?” Bob asked.  “I’ll take you round the back way so we don’t run into anyone.”

As they walked away Charlie said, “Bob would you do me one more favor?  Would you tell my boys Vic and Noah, that I haven’t gone away, I’m staying with you.  And, er, tell them I’m sorry ... and I’ll see them soon.”

“Of course I will Charlie.”  Bob smiled to himself.  At least Charlie had used the words ‘my boys’.  It was a start.

<><>    Oil On Troubled Waters    <><>

The Boss House was empty when they went in, as Randy was over at Pete and Brandon’s place talking to the boys there.  Bob took Charlie to their large, light guestroom and Charlie said, “You’re right, Bob, this is better than a dingy hotel room.  Er, I just wanna say, dude, that I hope all this hasn’t come between you and me.  Whatever else happens, I’d like us to always stay friends.”

“Thanks for saying that, Charlie.  I don’t take friendships lightly, so you can’t get rid of me easily no matter how rough the waters get.  Now, I’m sure the first thing you need is a shower.  You have your own bathroom so help yourself.  And then you probably need a nap.”

“Jeez, I suddenly realize how bushed I am.  It’s been a rough day, to say the least.”

“I plan dinner here for seven-thirty and I’ll wake you up if necessary.  Until then I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed – by anyone,” he added with a meaningful grin.  “Er, if I give you a hug you won’t think I’m trying to convert you, will you?”

“Dammit, I really said that, didn’t I?  If there was ever a man in the world who could convert me, that would be you, Bob.  But no, I know a buddy-hug when I feel one.”

When Bob left the room he headed across the street to Pete and Brandon’s house and heard the sound of laughter.  That’s encouraging, he thought.  Before he went in he caught sight of Randy taking a breather in the small garden.  

Bob knew that after Randy punished a guy he treated it as a done deal.  A man commits an offense, he gets punished, and that was that, Randy is ready to move on.  But this was much different. Not only did it involve his brother, but at a time when Charlie was reeling from an incident that questioned his manhood, Randy had added insult to injury by fucking the straight man’s ass and making him orgasm.  That was not something that could be shrugged off as just water under the bridge.

Right after the event Randy, as always, had been swaggeringly triumphant.  But now as Bob saw him pacing in the garden, he was brooding.  He looked up as Bob approached and smiled wryly. “There you are.  Have you been doing your usual job of following the parade and shoveling the shit other guys have left behind?”

“Kind of,” Bob grinned, “though I wouldn’t put it as colorfully as that.  But I did have a long talk with your brother Charlie ... and then set him free.”

“Ah, and he’s gone I s’pose.”

“As a matter of fact no.  I appealed to his sense of family and brotherhood and persuaded him not to leave.  Right now he’s showering in our guestroom, and I’ve invited him to stay with us for a private dinner. I also plan to call your other brother Steve and invite him, too – all three brothers breaking bread together instead of breaking heads.   You cool with that?”

Randy clenched his jaw and his eyes flashed for a second, before he relaxed.  You sure take a lot on yourself without consulting me.”

“I’m consulting you now.  If you object I can reverse course and disinvite Charlie,”

“Nah,” Randy said, a little too quickly. “Let him stay. But you watch yourself in future.  I told you that a bossy Bob turns me on, but if you go too far you’ll get the same treatment.”

“Hmm, tied up and butt fucked.  Seems to me I already get that – quite often, actually.”

“Fuck you, man, come here.” Randy pulled him into a warm hug and a passionate kiss.  “You know I love you, asshole.”

“Yeah, I kinda got that impression some time ago.  And I know when you attacked Charlie you were defending my honor as well as avenging the boys.  So now, let's go in and break the news to the boys.”

The chatter stopped when they went in, and the boys looked at Bob in anxious anticipation.    “OK, kids, here’s the scoop.  Charlie has not gone away as he threatened.  He was not injured, except maybe his pride a little, and he’s staying with us in the Boss House guestroom.”  Vic and Noah gazed at each other and relief flooded their faces.

“As a matter of fact, he asked me to tell ‘his boys’, Vic and Noah, that he was sorry for what happened and he’ll be talking to you later.”  Their relieved looks became broad smiles.

“So, I want the routine here to carry on as usual, dinner for the tribe at seven.  Except that Charlie will be having a small dinner in our house with Randy and me, and hopefully Doc Steve.  I’ll be borrowing the twins to cook for us and join us, so Will and Felipe will finish cooking and serving the main dinner.  Vic and Noah, it might be nice if you offered to help them.  So, Pete, how’s it been going here?”

“Pretty well, Bob,” the Ranger smiled.  “Doc Chad came over and checked the boys out.  He pronounced them in pretty good shape – a few bruises but nothing broken. He dressed and covered the cut on Vic’s face, as you see, and Brandon’s wheelchair has a wobbly wheel, so he’ll use his spare until we get it fixed.”

“Thanks, Pete, always a reliable port in a storm.  What about you, Ossie?”

“I’m fine, sir, I was just caught in the crossfire.  When Charlie asked me what the fuck I was doing there, I told him I do payroll.”  There was a burst of laughter and Ossie blushed.  “It’s always best to tell the truth, don’t you think, sir?”

“I do indeed, Ossie,” and Bob hugged him.

“OK we seem to have righted the ship so far.  If any problems arise you know you can come and see me any time.”

Leaving a happy group behind them Randy and Bob walked over to their house.  “Pretty good performance there, dude.” Randy said.  “You do have a knack of calming things down.  But you do know you’re gonna get it from me later, don’t you.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, you big bully.”

<><>   The First Olive Branch    <><>

Bob called Doc Steve and described what had happened.  “Yeah,” Steve said, “I got the gist of it all from the grapevine.  Seems Brandon told his boyfriend Brian, who told Danny, who told his lover Tommy up here ... well, you know how the grapevine works, Bob.”

“I should, after all these years, Steve.”

“Sounds to me like another case of confused sexual identity, I see guys with that all the time.  And I can’t honestly say I’m surprised.  I was always puzzled by our brother Charlie – a tough rodeo cowboy, macho ladies’ man – but he fits in so well with the tribe and even calls two of the youngsters his ‘boys’.  I’m told they even suck his cock to get him off.  So, are you calling to ask me to treat him as a patient?”

“Well ultimately perhaps, Steve, depending on your professional evaluation.  But in the short term I’d like you to join us for a private dinner – just Charlie, Randy and me, and my twins.” 

Steve chuckled.  “Sounds like you’ve been busy Bob in your usual role as peacemaker.”

“Well, somebody has to do it, Steve, but this one’s a toughie.  My first step was to stop Charlie from running away, then try to reintegrate him into the group – what he mistakenly calls recruiting or conversion.”

“That old cliché again.  If I had a dollar for every time I heard those words, I’d be a rich man.”

“You already are, Steve.”

“I’d be richer,” Steve laughed.  “But I get your point, Bob.  A quiet dinner for Charlie with his two brothers and you, sounds like the way to go.”

“It’s what I call the brothers breaking bread instead of heads.”

“Well put, buddy.  OK, sure, I’ll be there.”

And so, a couple of hours later, there he was, along with his brothers and Bob, whom Steve also looked on as a brother.  Charlie had been the last to arrive, freshly showered and wearing clean jeans, the ubiquitous cowboy boots, and looking sexy in a white V-neck T-shirt.

He smiled, “Bob, I took the liberty of raiding the guestroom closet for some fresh clothes and found these – just like you always wear.”

“I do, Charlie – minus the cowboy boots, that’s your territory.  Of course, you’re welcome to whatever you find in that room.”

This was the first time Randy and Charlie had come face to face since Randy’s attack on his ass and Charlie’s spontaneous orgasm.  Bob held his breath.  After a tense pause, Randy stood up and stretched out his hand.  With only the slightest hesitation Charlie clasped it and they shook.  Bob could almost hear the ice crack – a small crack, to be sure. 

As if on cue, the twins, Kyle and Kevin appeared from the kitchen, in their aprons and chef’s hats, with a tray of appetizers.  Kevin said, “Here are the appetizers, gentlemen. Cocktails, wine and beer are on the table beside you.  Dinner in fifteen minutes.”

“And this,” Kyle said, “is for you, sir.”  He handed Randy a bottle of his special, exclusive Scotch – Johnnie Walker Blue Label – that they kept stashed away only for him.”

“Thank you, guys,” Bob smiled.  “And after you serve dinner take off that kitchen uniform and join us.”

The men all sat at the table, Charlie opposite Randy, who opened the Scotch and poured two glasses.  He handed one across the table to Charlie, picked up his own, and they tentatively clinked glasses.  Everyone present knew that this was an early olive branch by Randy and a halting acceptance by Charlie.  It was not a reconciliation ... there was a long way to go for that.

<><>    Doctor Steve Gives A Speech    <><>

Cocktails were a predictably awkward affair – men making small talk while a huge cloud hung over the gathering.  No one acknowledged why they were all there, and conversation tiptoed around trivia until it became embarrassing.

Mercifully the tension lifted when the twins served dinner.  At least they had food to talk about.  The twins took off their aprons and hats and sat at the table on either side of Bob.  They all picked at their food until Bob looked desperately at Steve, who instantly picked up on his cue.

“Gentlemen, I would like you to raise your glasses in a toast.”  With relief that something was happening at last, they raised their glasses and Steve smiled, “To good friends and good conversation.”  They repeated the slightly puzzling words and sipped uncertainly.

“Guys, I want to say something, at the risk of interrupting dinner – delicious food, courtesy of Kyle and Kevin that we are just picking at ... and we all know why.  My toast to friends and conversation was deliberate.  We already have good friends here, but our conversation is lacking.  We’re talking about what sauce the fish is cooked in and ignoring the elephant in the middle of the table.  So, as the only shrink at the table, it falls to me to shoo away that elephant.

“Charlie, this is all about you, with a generous helping of brother Randy.  I have been told the details of what happened and why, and obviously, Charlie, you are confused.”

“You can say that again, doc,” Charlie mumbled.

“So Charlie, I would like to talk to you privately tomorrow, as a therapist, not as you brother.  In effect, a shrink session, in the strictest confidence, where you will feel free to open your heart, all your most private feelings. I hope you will conder that seriously and agree to meet.

“But here and now I would like to say a few general words about sexual identity as it applies to everyone.  Sexual confusion is widespread, it affects all of us at one time or another in ways big or small.  Look at what we have round this very table. 

“We have Bob and Randy who years ago had wives but were fleeing from bad marriages.  They were drowning their sorrows in a dingy bar when their eyes met.  And they fell in love with each other, man on man, even though the classy man from Marin County was the polar opposite of the rugged gypsy construction worker from West Texas.

“So does that mean they suddenly converted from hetero to homo?  Absolutely not.  The point is that those words are just labels that we try to superimpose on human love and attraction, which are always far too complex to over-simplify with inadequate words.

“My point is that sexuality is not binary, not a choice of two distinct opposites – masculine or feminine ... gay or straight ...  top or bottom.  There is a wide, complex range that defies labeling.  I often think of sexuality in percentages.  Some people are right near the straight end, some at the gay extreme, but most of us fit somewhere else on the scale. 

“Those plumb in the middle are called bisexual.   But you will often hear people add ‘bisexual, whatever that means’.  Well, what does it mean?  Does it mean you fuck women on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and men Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday?  See, sounds absurd.

“Charlie, I believe you are very close to the ‘straight’ end of the scale.  You are a macho icon, a cowboy at the rodeo.  Doesn’t get much butcher than that.  You are every woman’s desire and every gay man’s fantasy.  You have a reputation as a womanizer, making love to your choice of female groupies who mob you after every show.

“But you also have a quality that is sadly lacking in others.  When there are two opposites, the two rarely get together – they treat each other with suspicion, antagonism even.  But you, Charlie have embraced the guys here, not literally maybe, but in your affections. Up to now you have had no problem with these men and boys living together as a tribe, and it warms my heart to see you take those shy boys Noah and Vic under your wing.

“I know you even let them suck your cock to get your off.  But that does not make you gay, certainly not to your boys. They love you because of your masculinity – a tough, straight cowboy who feels affection for them and nurtures them as his boys.

“One final word about getting your rocks off.  Orgasm is a bodily function.  You see or feel something that makes your dick hard and you ejaculate – like a mouth round your cock or a rod in your ass massaging your prostate, a gland that responds to stimulus.  You would be surprised how many happily married heterosexual men I see who occasionally love to get their prostate massaged by a dick in their ass. 

“But we are not talking here about face-fucks or butt-fucks.  We are talking of love and affection, which take many different forms.

“Your mind is probably reeling with all this, but take heart, Charlie, all is not lost.  There are examples of happily adjusted men even though their behaviors and affections are unusual.  I’m talking about our identical twins, Kyle and Kevin. 

From their youth, they had only each other for support, shunted around between foster homes, always in danger of being split up, which would have devastated them.  Their interdependency extended to sex.  Yes, two handsome identical twins loved having sex with each other.  They are in love in every possible way, and don’t give a hoot if society frowns on such behavior. 

“Then the twins had the good fortune to meet a man who entirely accepted them as they were, and they fell in love with him.  Who wouldn’t?  Just look at him.  Congratulations you three.

“Wow, I have blabbed on forever haven’t I and dinner is getting cold.  That’s the shrink in me, I guess.  But before your eyes glaze over, please indulge me in one final word about getting familiar with the ‘other side’ so as to erase suspicion and distrust.  You all know that old Doc Steve has an unorthodox side to him, and I intend to demonstrate it before the evening is over.

“By the way, Charlie, that ugly word faggot is merely a very common lowlife insult, right up there with asshole, douchebag, retard, or all the hundreds of others – ugly but meaningless.  So the only advice I have for you on that, Charlie, is ... get over it.

<><>    Doc Steve Goes Off The Rulebook    <><>

The heavy cloud hanging over them had lifted ... the elephant had left the room.  Steve’s long speech had touched on the main issues at the root of Charlie’s paranoia and he looked more relaxed and confident.  This in turn reassured the other men, and when Steve suggested they leave the topic behind for a while, they willingly agreed.

The dinner proceeded with the gusto that had been usual in these men before the latest major disruption in their lives.  Even Randy and Charlie loosened up as Charlie asked him about the construction company’s new project – building a pediatric wing of Doc Chad’s hospital, named the Brian House.

The twins, always calm and composed, as befits the boys of Bob, were especially cheerful after Steve’s admiring description of their lifestyle.  Bob asked, “How is the main kitchen, guys?  Are Will and Felipe coping with the tribe’s dinner?”

“They are, sir,” Kyle said, “thanks in part to Vic and Noah, who came in and offered their help.  They were eager to learn, and became very efficient.”

“How did they seem?” asked Charlie.

“Very cheerful, sir,” Kevin said.  “The mentioned that they had received some good news.”  That brought a smile to Charlie’s face.

Steve, always observant of others, noticed particularly the silent interactions between Randy and Bob.  Steve understood the dynamic of their relationship, as different as they were from each other.  He guessed that, after Randy’s raging physical treatment of Charlie, Bob had taken charge and calmed the situation. And that created in Randy admiration for his lover, but also a raw desire to reassert his supremacy.

All of which later formed the basis of the plan he had mentioned to bring together disparate men with different lifestyles, to foster better understanding and dispel any lingering animosity. So at the end of the meal Doc Steve went off the rulebook and surprised them with his suggestion. 

After brandy and coffee he said, “Gentlemen, I have sensed for some time that our hosts here, Bob and Randy, are finding it difficult to keep their hands off each other.  So I suggest they go to their room to satisfy their urges ... and that we go with them to satisfy our curiosity on how two hot alpha men like them express their passion.”

There were stunned faces all round, except for Randy who roared with laughter.  “Great idea, doc.  An audience always adds spice when you’re making love.  And bring your brandy, guys.”

Steve knew very well that, after Randy and Bob had both taken leading roles in the Charlie saga, Randy needed to prove to his audience that he, in fact, was the dominant partner.  On some level Bob also understood this about Randy, and he loved him for it.

And so it was that four men and two boys trooped into the bosses’ bedroom.

<><>    The Other Side Of The Coin    <><>

In the bedroom, the atmosphere was almost festive.  Steve, Charlie and the twins arranged themselves on a couch and armchairs in the large room, still nursing their drinks.  Steve said softly to the twins, “My guess is that you guys have seen this show before.”

“Oh yes, sir,” Kevin said.  “Bob often lets us watch.  And we are in for a treat.”  Kyle grinned playfully, “So what are you hoping for from watching Bob and Randy, doc?”

“Good question, Kyle.  Actually, I’m hoping for what you might call an antidote to the painful act Randy subjected Charlie to.  I’m hoping that Charlie loses his sudden distaste for the concept of men having sex with men.  And, you know from experience, watching these two hot alpha guys make love can be a warm, inspiring experience. That’s what I’m hoping for, guys.”

And Steve was not disappointed in that hope.  Even though the two lovers were being watched by an audience of four, they paid no attention.  As always before bed, the men had eyes only for each other.  The rest of the world, temporarily, ceased to exist.

For the first few minutes, all they did was stand and smile lovingly into each other’s eyes.  Then they took a step back and slowly pulled their shirts off over their heads.  Without breaking eye contact they dropped the shirts on the bed and gazed at each other’s bare muscular torsos, both men barefoot in beltless blue jeans.

“Holy shit,” Randy breathed softly.  He walked forward and they kissed, long and hard. When they pulled back Randy ran his hands over Bob’s face, then his neck and chest, tracing a finger down the cleft between his pecs.  “You have no Idea how much I love you, man.  So fucking gorgeous.”

Randy kissed Bob’s chest, ran his tongue over his hard nipples, then over the ridges of his ripped abs.  Suddenly, he surprised the onlookers.  He sank to his knees, unzipped Bob’s jeans and pulled out his rigid cock.  He licked the head that was already oozing precum, then leaned forward and swallowed the whole length of his cock.  Slowly, gently he drew back and went down again, caressing Bob’s cock with pursed lips.

Bob looked down at the dark, chiseled gypsy face and sighed with intense pleasure.  “Man, that feels ... it’s gonna make me cum.”

Immediately Randy pulled away, stood up and smiled.  “You won’t cum, buddy, you know the rules.  You don’t bust your load until I say you can.”

Steve smiled at the twins.  The first hint of dominance from Randy, just as Steve hoped.

The men’s eye locked again and, in unison, they pulled opened their jeans, let them drop and stepped out of them.  The spectators gasped, even Charlie, at the sight of the two beautiful naked men, so different, and so much in love.

“You know what I want, man,” Randy grinned.  “And you want it too.”

Bob backed up to the bed and fell on it.  Lying on his back, propped on his elbows, he stared up at Randy, pacing round the bed like a beast of prey.  He finally went to the head of the bed and pulled out a rope that was hanging from a bedpost.  “You want this, dude?”

“You know I do, Randy,” and Bob stretched his arms up to the corner bedposts.  As Randy expertly tied his wrists, Steve leaned over to the twins and whispered, “Good, just what I wanted.  It’s a repeat of what he did to Charlie, except this is the other side of that coin.”  He noticed Charlie flinch at the memory of his ordeal.

Randy now got down to business in his usual no-foreplay way.  He knelt between Bob’s splayed legs, leaned forward and kissed him. “You really acted like the boss today, buddy, taking charge out there.  But now you’re tied down, at my mercy, and we both know who the real boss is.”

“It’s you, Randy ... always.  I love you, man.  I need to feel your cock in my ass.”  He wrapped his legs round Randy’s back and sighed as he felt the gypsy’s cock ease inside him ... not the sudden thrust Randy had used on Charlie.

And that’s how the fuck proceeded.  Far from a punishment, as Charlie’s had been, this was lovemaking, pure and simple.  Bob was in heaven, gazing up at the pale blue eyes he loved, set in the craggy, swarthy gypsy face, as the huge cock moved steadily in and out of his ass.”

Steve glanced at Charlie, hoping his reaction would not be one of distaste.  It wasn’t.  His eyes were shining, watching his big brother making passionate love to the handsome man for whom Charlie felt an affectionate admiration.   They were two stunning alpha males, supremely masculine, expressing their intense love for each other. 

Charlie smiled at Steve who knew what the smile meant.  At last Charlie understood what Steve had told him – that labels had no place in what he was watching.  It was simply beautiful.

It was clear from the lovers’ glowing faces that they were approaching the climax of their passion.  Randy rewarded Bob with a gleaming smile.  “You ready, buddy?  I know your hands are tied, but I wanna watch you shoot your jizz all over that gorgeous body.  Do it, dude.  Do it for me ... now ...!”

Bob sighed, “I love you, Randy.”  His cock reared up and a plume of semen erupted from it and splashed down on his heaving chest, while Randy made one last thrust and poured juice deep inside his shuddering ass. 

When their cocks had drained, Randy pulled out, quickly released Bob’s wrists, and fell on top of his lover’s cum-splashed naked body.  And there they lay, entwined in each other’s arms.

Steve said softly to Charlie and the twins, “Time for us to leave them now.  They’ll probably sleep like that all night.”

<><>    Young Soccer Fans    <><>

Outside, the twins smiled.  “We’re leaving now, sirs,” Kyle said, “to go to bed and make love to each other.  Good night, Charlie.”  Charlie reached out and hugged them both.  After they left, Charlie said, “Steve, I would like to see you tomorrow if that’s possible – as a therapist like you said.”

“For my handsome brother, of course it is.  Call me in the morning, I look forward to it.  Will you be sleeping in the guestroom?”

“I will, but first I have to make a quick visit.”  Steve smiled knowingly and hugged him goodbye.

Charlie ran downstairs, out and across the garden to the business office. He went up the stairs to the self-contained apartment over the office, and knocked on the door.  It was opened by Vic, whose face lit up with a smile.  “It’s you, sir.”

“Can I come in for a minute?”

“Of course, of course, sir.  Noah and me were just going to bed.”  He went in and hugged them both.  “It’s been quite a day, boys, and I’ll only stay a minute.  But I had a question.  You kids told me you’re soccer fans, right?  What’s your team?” 

“The L.A. Galaxy, of course,” Vic said.  “We’re big fans, and they’re playing an important home match tomorrow.”

“I know, I read about that.  I was, er, wondering if you would like me to take you both tomorrow.”

They gaped and said in unison, “Really sir?”   Their glowing faces were all the reply he needed.

“It’s a date then.  I’ll check out the times and see you tomorrow.  And, er, by the way, I do love you boys, a whole lot.”

Noah said, “And we love you, sir.  We never stopped.”

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

TO BE CONTINUED IN “A Trial Of Strength – Book 14: Chapter 2