Trial Of Strength (Book 13)

"THE COP SUFFERS MIGHTILY"

After a stressful day patrolling the streets, the muscled blond motorcycle cop Mark gets home and his tension erupts. In a fit of rage he injures and insults several of the boys in the tribe, and pays a heavy price. Jamie and Felipe, the boys he loves, put him through a grueling ritual of sexual denial and frustration, and the shirtless cop ends up sobbing and broken on his knees.

In the previous chapter

After Uncle Mike’s car accident and the resulting surgery performed by Doctor Chad, his rehabilitation at the tribe’s compound was settling into a routine.

His lower right leg and ankle were currently in a cast and he was in a wheelchair.  Doc Chad had ordered that he keep his leg extended horizontally on the wheelchair leg-rest for at least a week, which was a source of frustration for the usually active, assertive man.  He did not take kindly to being dependent on others. 

Fortunately the tribe had rallied to ease his burden.  His devoted boy Larry was staying with him at the compound, having left their house and businesses in Palm Springs in the care of others.

They had been invited to stay in the spacious ground-floor apartment shared by the cop Mark, his lover Jamie and Jamie’s friend Felipe, the junior chef.  The tribe’s co-leader Bob had relieved Felipe from his kitchen duties and assigned him to care for Mike, working with Larry.

Mike’s main enemy was boredom.  But that problem was solved when Bob suggested to his office manager, young Brandon, that he give Mike work to do in the overburdened office.  Brandon prided himself on his efficiency and became quite formal as he swung into Office Manager mode.

 “Sir, while you are here with us recuperating you have said you would like some gainful employment.  As it happens, I am short of staff, so I would like to offer you a temporary position as office assistant. I realize the work would be way below your experience level and your status as a business owner, but it would be a great favor to us if you would consider the offer, sir.”

Mike was moved by Brandon’s formal little speech, and he really wanted to reach over and hug the boy, but he knew that might be seen as demeaning to his new boss, so he played along and formally accepted the offer.

Things went so well that Brandon’s man – handsome Forest Ranger Pete – invited him to dinner at their house across the street.  The normally quiet, private Pete, usually known as “strong, silent Pete”, relaxed with the wise older man and opened up to him.   And when, inevitably, Pete and Brandon made loved, Pete was happy, just this once, to share their privacy with Mike and Larry who watched enthralled.

=========    Book 13: Chapter 10   =========

<><>    Cop On A Rampage    <><>

After his car accident Mike was contentedly settling into his new routine at the tribe’s compound.  He reported to work each morning in his temporary office job, and was happy living with Larry in the guestroom of Mark’s and Jamie’s apartment.  Larry and Felipe perfected their skills at assisting Mike – transferring him between wheelchair and bed, and performing the tricky task of helping him shower, after wrapping his cast to make it waterproof.

Their initially frustrating clumsiness gradually became a smooth operation, and Doctor Chad was pleased with his progress when he gave Mike physical therapy morning and evening.

However ...  As was often the case in this tribe of volatile, macho alpha males, liable to bouts of anger, periods of calm were prone to disruptions by one man or another.  Most often the angry outburst came from boss Randy, the hot-blooded gypsy who (with is lover Bob) held the tribe together but could just as easily tear the fabric apart.

But for once Randy was not the culprit.  The eruption came from an unlikely source.

It happened unexpectedly, some days after Mike’s dinner with Pete and Brandon.  In the office, the boys were working hard as usual in the late afternoon, though Mike had left early, feeling tired, and had gone to lie down in his room in the ground-floor apartment. 

Felipe was the only other person there, preparing to help Mike when he left work and wheeled himself in.  Jamie had still not come back from his exciting job as the surfing expert on their friend Grady’s lifeguard movie.  They were doing a late shoot at the beach on scenes that required the golden light of the setting sun.

Mark had been out since early morning at his tough job as a city cop, patrolling the rough city streets on his police motorcycle.  Depending on the day he’d had, he was often tense when he came home.  It was a sort of ritual that he relieved his tension by fucking his boy Jamie who waited for him naked on the bed.  When, like today, Jamie was working late, Felipe substituted for him and had the pleasure of satisfying the cop sexually and draining his tension.  

But right now Felipe was free to assist Mike, help him to the guestroom and single-handedly help him transfer to the bed.  He loosened his clothes, pulled a blanket over him and asked, “Would you like me to bring you a snack and maybe a beer, sir?”

Mike smiled.  “You’re a good kid, Felipe.  Come to think of it I am a bit hungry.  A sandwich and a beer would just hit the spot.”

“No problem, sir.  I was just going across to the main kitchen to get some supplies, we’re running low here.  I’ll be back in a just few minutes – you be alright till then?”

“Sure, kiddo.  I think I’ll just close my eyes and snooze a bit.”

So peace settled over the compound.  Felipe chatted to the other chefs in the kitchen while Bob worked in his office upstairs in the house he shared with Randy.  And the boys in the office were hurrying to finish their final tasks before shutting up shop for the day.

But they raised their heads from their computer screens when they heard the roar of an engine outside and the gate crashed open.  The office had a full view of the garden and they had often watched the cop Mark stride across the lawn in the late afternoon with a fierce look on his face.  The boys could tell from his expression the mood he was in and the treatment Jamie was like to get.  But they had rarely seen him this mad as he yanked off his helmet, a look of thunder on his handsome face. 

Vic said, “Wow, must have been a real rough day on the streets today.  Looks like he’s fit to tear the place apart.  Jamie’s not home yet so it’ll be Felipe who’s the target for the treatment.”

“Not that he’ll mind,” Noah grinned.  “You know how he and Jamie love to get ploughed by the gorgeous cop taking his tension out on them.

But that’s not the way it worked out at all.

When Mark slammed into the apartment he was already touching his pants, ready to rip them open, pull out his cock and relieve his tension in Jamie’s ass.  But there was no one there. He roared, “Jamie, where the fuck are you?”  He was greeted with silence. Mike’s guestroom was down the hall and in his sleep he vaguely heard the yell.

“Felipe?  You here?”   Nothing.  For the overwrought cop this was the last straw, the perfect end to a traumatic day.  All his frustrations that had built up over the day now boiled over, and he completely lost his cool.  In his rage he imagined that his boys had joined a conspiracy against him.  He paced around the empty room, fists clenched and slammed a lamp off a table.  He stormed out the door and ran into Felipe – literally ran into him.

Felipe was carrying a tray of food for Mike, but as the angry cop shoved him Felipe went sprawling on the ground, and so did the tray. “Where the fuck have you been?  Where’s Jamie?”

Stunned and frightened by the cop’s rage, Felipe scrambled to his feet and stammered out an explanation.   “Sir, Jamie is still at work ... that sunset shoot he talked about ... and I just went to the kitchen to get some food for Uncle Mike.  He’s lying down, feeling tired and I was taking care of him.”

“And to hell with me, I suppose.  How about taking care of me, for a change?  Jamie should be here too. You know when I get home stressed out I need Jamie to be here, or you, whoever – I need ass.  Seems to me you and Jamie spend too much time taking care of Mike and neglecting me.  I’m the boss around here, not Mike, you get it?”

“Sir, I’m ready now.  I’ll get on the bed and ...”

“Fuck you, kid.  Forget it, I’m getting the hell out of here, go find myself a piece of ass somewhere else.”

While Felipe cowered under the verbal onslaught, other people heard the ruckus too.  Mike was now fully awake and appalled by what he heard through the open window of his room.  He yelled out to Mark, who was too enraged to hear him, and Mike cursed his own immobility.

The boys in the office heard too and looked anxiously at Brandon for guidance.  And upstairs in his bedroom Bob was startled by his friend’s raging tirade.”

The office was closest to the turmoil and Brandon was the first to react.  He wheeled himself quickly down the ramp to the garden and blocked Mark’s way as the strode to the gate.  “Sir, please ... what’s the matter?  Can I help in some way?  You must have had a bad ...”

“Out of my way, boy ... how the fuck can a kid in a wheelchair help?”

Brandon blushed deeply and faced the cop bravely.  “Sir, I don’t think you should leave until you’ve calmed down and ...”

“Get out my fucking way, boy ...”  Mark shoved the chair hard, but instead of it rolling harmlessly away, he had impulsively hit it sideways-on and the force of the blow sent it toppling over, spilling Brandon on the ground.

Vic and Noah had watched from the office window in stunned disbelief and now rushed out of the office to help Brandon.  At the same time Bob came running out of his house and restrained Mark.  “Is Brandon OK, boys?”

“Seems to be fine, sir,” Vic said.  “We’ll take care of him.”

Bob put both hands on Mark’s shoulders and gazed into his eyes.  “Mark, it’s me, Bob.  Are you gonna take a swing at me too?”

Staring into the face of the man he loved Mark calmed down a little, though the look in his eyes was still wild and anguished.  “Mark, listen to me.  This is your rage talking, not the words of the man I love.  Tell me what happened today, share your troubles with me.”

Mark panted and struggled to speak coherently.  “Fucking bitch of a day ... it all went wrong ... couple of teenagers breaking into cars.  I arrested them and called for a backup unit.  When the squad car came two officers got out and one of the stupid, stupid kids pulled a gun.  One of the cops shot him and he fell like he was dead. 

“I called for medics and they did their thing and loaded him into an ambulance.  Said they were taking him to Hollywood Pres Hospital, but they might as well have taken him to the morgue.  And it was all my fault, Bob.  He was just a kid, about sixteen.  Dammit, that could have been Jamie years ago when he was running wild on the streets.”

“Mark, it was not your fault. You were just doing your job, arresting a couple of car thieves.  You didn’t pull the trigger.  But here’s the deal, buddy. You know that old saying that a cop should never bring his work home to his family, it can be fatal.  You’ve had a horrible experience, but please don’t take it out on the boys and make them collateral damage.”

A bewildered Mark turned and looked at the boys he had harmed, as if seeing them for the first time.  Brandon was back in his wheelchair being tended to by the office boys and the twins, who had come running from the kitchen with Will. 

Will had gone to help Felipe, who was on his knees, gulping back tears while he tried to gather the fallen food and drinks and put the debris on the tray.  Will fell to his knees, hugged Felipe and consoled him.

“Fuck ... fuck ... I gotta go to them ...” Mark stammered incoherently.  “I didn’t mean ... but how the fuck am I gonna ...?”

“You’re not, Mark, not right now.  Let the dust settle here.  I’ll explain everything to Mike and the boys.  The person you need right now is Doc Steve.  You know he has a long-term contract with the police department to work with cops in the same condition you’re in now.  He’s been giving you personal anger management therapy for years.  Steve’s the guy you need right now.” 

Mark seemed to deflate.  Chastened he nodded in agreement.

“Go up there right now, Mark, but not on your bike.  Take my car, here are the keys.  You OK to drive?”  Mark nodded again.  “I’ll call Steve, explain what’s happened and tell him you’re on your way.”

Mark gazed at Bob with a lost look in his eyes, the very opposite of the confident, commanding police officer he usually was.  “Bob, you and me ... are we still OK?  I know I lost my mind but ... but I don’t wanna lose you,”

“And you won’t buddy, we love each other too much for that.”

“And tell Randy I ...”

“Of course I will.  If anyone can relate, he can.  He’s lost his mind and gone on a rampage more often than I can count.  Now get the hell out of here, dude, and tell your troubles to the doc.”

They kissed and Bob watched his friend walk slowly out through the gate.  Bob pulled out his phone and called Steve’s house phone.  Tommy answered.  “Yes, he’s free, sir.  Just saw his last patient of the day.  I’ll put you through.”

“Hey Bob, what’s up?”  Bob explained the whole sad story and Steve listened without interruption.  Then, “You did right, Bob – I need to speak to him before anything else.  I’ve seen stuff like this so often – cops taking their work stress home.  Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.”

“One other thing, Steve.  The paramedics took the shot teenager to Hollywood Pres.  Could you call over there and try to find out what his condition is?  Might be some help.”

“Sure, I know people over there.  Depending on what I learn, it could remove one element of doubt and confusion.  Great idea, Bob – you should have been a shrink.”

“Who says I’m not, Steve?  Now I gotta work my skills with Mike and the boys he hurt. Mark cut a wide swath of damage here.”

Steve chuckled, “Good luck with that, buddy.”

“Same to you, doc.”

<><>    Bob Takes Charge – As Always    <><>

As in past crises Bob’s first mission was to limit the fallout.  A dramatic event like this could race over the grapevine and become exaggerated by rumor, so he sought to confine his comments to the guys in the house who had actually witnessed the ugly scene.

First he needed to check on Brandon, who was now back in his wheelchair and seemed none the worse for wear.  “I’m fine, sir,” he said to Bob.  “Not the first time I’ve gone sprawling out of my chair ... come to think of it, not the first time I’ve been pushed out of it.”

“Let’s hope it’s the last time, kiddo.  You sure you’re OK?  No headache, no bruises?”

“Absolutely, sir, honest, I’m not just being brave.  But I think Felipe is pretty shook up.”

“Next on my list, dude, Bob smiled.  Er, I seem to have asked you this before, but could you and the boys try to low-key this thing as much as possible?  You know how fast rumors spread.  And when you’ve closed the office I’d like to meet with the guys here who actually watched all this go down.”

“Sure thing, sir.  Actually, our work in the office was interrupted just when we were closing out the files for the day, so shouldn’t take long.  Vic, Noah, thanks for your help, but let’s get back to work, eh?”

“Aye-aye sir,” Vic smiled.  They followed Brandon as he wheeled himself up the ramp to the office and Bob smiled, impressed once again how cool and efficient Brandon could be, even after a scare like this.

Bob said to the twins, “Guys maybe you could take some drinks to the office, help calm their frazzled nerves.”

Kyle smiled.  “Of course, sir, though it seems to us their nerves are rock solid, you know how Brandon is.  But they’ll never say no to a drink.”

“And when you’ve done that, please gather everyone out here.”

Bob next walked over to Felipe who was sitting at a small table with Will, the tray of debris in front of him.  “Hello, sir,” Felipe smiled weakly.

“Felipe, I want to meet with all you guys after I’ve spoken to Uncle Mike, but I need to say a couple of things to you.  I know what you’ve been through was a shock, but I want to stress that it had nothing to do with you.  You were in no way at fault.  We all, Mark included, admire the way you have been taking care of Uncle Mike and I hope you feel you can keep doing that.”

“But is that OK, sir?  Mark said I was neglecting him ‘cos I was spending too much time with Mike.  I really love Mark, and I’m sad that he’s stopped loving me.”

“No, no, you mustn’t think that for a moment, Felipe.  Everything Mark said was not him, it was his rage speaking and I guarantee he didn’t mean a word of it.  He loves you and Jamie as much as he’s ever done, and in time he’ll demonstrate that to you. 

“In the meantime I have a job for you to do.  When Jamie comes home he’s going to be shocked and confused.  You are so close to him – his special friend, his brother – and I want you to break the news to him quietly and explain everything that happened. 

“He will feel anger, disbelief, disappointment, a whole range of emotions, but I want you to keep him calm if you can.  Stress that you are not hurt, neither is Brandon, and you know Mark didn’t mean what he said.  I’ll talk to Jamie later to reinforce what you’ve told him.”

“Yes, sir, I can do that.  Thank you for your confidence in trusting me to do it.”

“You’re such a good kid, Felipe, and we all love you.  Now I have to talk to Mike, and when we’ve finished perhaps you can come and help Mike off his bed and into his chair.  You know how to do that better than anyone.  OK, now for Uncle Mike.

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

When Bob went into Mike’s room he was sitting up in bed, and grinned, “Ah, here comes the shit-shoveler in chief.  God knows you’ve had enough experience following Randy’s circus parade and shoveling up the elephant shit he leaves behind him.  It was hard for me to hear everything Mark yelled at Felipe, but there was nothing I could do, trapped in this bed with my damn leg.  I almost dragged myself out there to put a stop to Mark’s bullshit.”

“I’m glad you didn’t risk that and break your leg again, Mike.”

“Ah, maybe Mark was right anyway.  Maybe it’s all my fault taking up so much of Felipe’s time.  If he’d been home waiting for the stressed-out cop, none of this would have happened. 

“No, not you too, Mike.  I’m tired of people trying to blame themselves when the blame is entirely on Mark’s shoulders.  Most of all, I don’t want anyone to believe anything Mark said.  He was out of his mind. I had a quick talk with him and sent him up to see Doc Steve. He’s treated him in the past for anger management and he’s the best guy to calm him down and talk it out.”

Mike grinned. “Boy, you are so good at shoveling shit out the door.”

“Now, now,” Bob smiled, “let’s not be too harsh.  You’ll understand better when I tell all of you what Mark told me.  I want a quick meeting now with everyone.  Ah, here comes Felipe to help me get you off the bed and into your chair.”

A few strenuous minutes later Mike was wheeling himself out, with Bob and Felipe on either side of him, to join the twins and Will, and Brandon, Vic and Noah from the office.  They were sitting round the table on the lawn and Mike expertly glided his chair up beside Brandon, who smiled, “Very smooth sir.”

“I had the best teachers,” Mike replied, referring to Brandon and his boyfriend Brian who had given him wheelchair lessons after his first clumsy efforts.  Bob sat at the head of the table, with all the upturned faces looking at him expectantly.

“Guys, I want to keep this short and simple as I don’t want to give the incident more prominence than it deserves.  It’s important that we all low-key this thing and not dramatize it.  You all saw, or heard, what happened, and you should know that Mark has gone to see Doctor Steve.  Steve regularly gives anger-management therapy sessions to him and many other police officers, individually or in groups.  By its nature, their job is stressful and can lead to impulsive behavior.        

“Your view of this event might change when you hear what Mark told me before he left for Steve’s house.  Briefly, Mark came across two teenagers robbing cars and he arrested them.  He called for backup – standard procedure when he needed a squad car to transport the boys.

“Two backup cops arrived, but one of the teenagers foolishly produced a gun and pointed it at them.  One of the officers shot him and he fell to the ground.  Paramedics came and transported him to the hospital.

“The boy was apparently only about sixteen and the sight of him crumpled on the ground was agonizing for Mark, as he had instigated the confrontation in the first place, though he was not at fault for the way it developed.

“As you know, Mark often comes home stressed-out and relieves his tension by making love to Jamie or, in his absence, Felipe.  Unfortunately, when he came home Jamie was still at work and Felipe was tending to Uncle Mike.  That is when Mark’s tension erupted and you all saw the result.

“None of this is to excuse what Mark did, especially to Felipe and Brandon, who are, I’m glad to say, none the worse for wear.”  Bob grinned, “No need to do wheelies to prove it, Brandon, they’ll take my word for it.  In all this, Mark’s main fault was to bring his work stress home to his family, which only heightened his rage.  I’m sure Steve is making that clear to him as we speak.

“So, what can we do to help, sir?” Brandon asked.

“Good question, Brandon.  Our next task is to tell the story to the men and boys when they get home from work.  I repeat, I want to keep it as low-key as possible – small one-on-one conversations rather than a dramatic group meeting. 

“I’ve already asked Felipe to talk to Jamie, who, as Mark’s lover, will be the most upset of anyone.  Brandon, maybe you could you tackle Eddie, as he is the one most prone to exaggeration.  Mike and I will chat to Randy, Zack and the other senior men.”

“What about when Mark comes home from Doc Steve’s, sir?” Will asked.

“Ah, well that’s where I’m relying on Steve.  He will know that Mark’s main anxiety will be how to confront the tribe after all this.  I am assuming that Steve will advise him on that, and we should simply take our cue from him.  I’ll leave it at that for now.  Remember, guys, kindness rules the day.”

As the small meeting broke up Mike smiled at Bob.  “Well done, boy.  You really have a talent for pouring oil on stormy waters.  Notice I’ve dropped the shit-shoveling metaphor.  I think we’ve had enough bullshit for one day.  As for Randy, if he blows his top, leave him to me.  I know how to deal with that big ol’ gypsy boy.”

“Thanks, Mike.  Boy I could use a drink.”

“Coming right up, sir,” the twins said.  “Drinks all round.”

<><>    Doc Steve’s Shrink Session    <><>

Bob was right in surmising that Steve would be able to calm Mark down and chart his course for what comes next.  He knew the cop would be in a highly emotional state when he arrived, so Steve himself was standing at the front door to greet him, along with his house manager Tommy

Mark pulled up in Bob’s car and got out, leaving the door open, which Tommy quietly closed. “Welcome Mark,” Steve smiled.  “Come on through to my office.  Tommy, would you mind bringing us brandies?”

“Of course, sir.”  The blond gymnast gave Mark a dazzling smile which would normally have given Mark a hard on, but right now his stress stifled everything else, even his normally active sex-drive. 

Still wearing his full police uniform, Mark followed the doctor through to his comfortable office.  Steve indicated the couch, where Mark sat sprawled, his arms along the back, legs manspread.  Steve’s eye deduced in Mark’s expression and body language a confused mix of anger, doubt, embarrassment and defiance.”

Tommy brought a tray with a brandy bottle and two glasses and Steve smiled, “I thought that on this occasion a brandy might help, Mark.  Would you like a glass?”

“Sure, doc,” Mark grunted, evidently not ready to cooperate, let alone make small talk.

Steve poured the drinks and Tommy said, “Let me know, sir, if I can be of service in any other way.”   He walked out, his flawless gymnast ass flexing under his tight black pants.  Steve studied Mark to see his reaction to Tommy’s provocative offer, and the ass that always turned men on.  But Mark appeared to be unmoved.

Steve removed his jacket, loosened his tie and rolled up his shirtsleeves to the elbows, his muscular torso outlined under the white dress shirt.  He sat in an armchair facing Mark.

“Er, before we begin, Mark, there’s something I need to tell you.  After speaking to Bob I took the liberty of calling the hospital they took the boy to.  I’ve worked with them often before, so they were free with the information.  They told me that the teenager’s wound was serious but not life-threatening.  He will recover.”

Steve was pleased to see a flicker of reaction in Mark to this news.  It was a positive sign. “Thanks for doing that doc.  Look, I’m really in no mood for this right now, so ...”

“Mark,” Steve smiled, “I do have some idea of what you’re going through, though of course I can’t feel what you feel.  I’m here as your friend not your shrink – a friend who loves and admires you, so perhaps you could call me Steve instead of doc.  Have a sip of brandy.”

Mark looked down at the brandy glass as if noticing it for the first time.  He picked it up and drained it in one gulp.  The sudden rush of zesty warmth made him cough a little, and his eyes showed signs of life for the first time.

“Always hard to know where to start in cases like that, isn’t it?” Steve said.  “Bob filled me in on the basic facts of what happened in the streets, then in the house when you got home.  But I would like you to tell me, in your own words, your recollection of the events and what you felt at the time.  No hurry, take your time, and I’ll interrupt only for clarification.”

Mark looked at the smiling blue eyes that reminded him so much of Steve’s brother Randy whom he resembled so closely, a man Mark loved, along with his lover Bob.  That thought, and the residual warmth of the brandy inside him, helped him start to relax.  He took a deep breath and haltingly began.

His mind went back to the start of the drama when he had spotted the boys breaking into cars.  He had not allowed himself to recall it up to now – he had blanked it out – but now, with Steve in the comfort and safety of his office, he began to open up.

Mark recited the events with professional precision, almost like the dry words of a written police report.  “It was the shooting that shook me, as it always does – not the first time I’ve seen one, of course.  It’s what every cop dreads, and this time it was a kid of sixteen on the ground.  Like I told Bob, the boy could have been Jamie when he was a street kid before I met him.”

“Do you think there’ll be repercussions, Mark, an inquiry?”

“I shouldn’t think so.  It’s a pretty open-and-shut case.  The boy pointed a loaded gun at the backup cop whose only choice was to fire.   It was all caught on the cop’s bodycam.  When something like this happens a cop shuts out emotion and goes through the follow-up procedures by the book – on autopilot.”

“Bottling up his own emotions, eh?”

Exactly, Steve, and that’s the whole point.  Although I instigated the interaction I don’t blame myself or the cop who fired the shot.  We were doing our jobs, and this is a hazard of the job.  But when I finally drove away it all crashed in on me – the sight of that young kid on the ground, everything, and I went straight home really stressed out. Maybe, irrationally, I wanted to make sure Jamie was OK.   And that’s the part I blame myself for.  I should never have taken my work home, the state I was in.”

“You’re not alone, Mark, far from it.  Almost every one of you cops that I treat after being shaken by an event like this has taken his stress home and unloaded it on his family.”

“Like poor Felipe.  I love that kid, Steve, and there he was, right in the line of fire.  That’s a bad choice of words, I know ...”

“Not really, Mark, ‘cause that’s as dangerous as it can get.  Do me a favor, buddy.  The next time something likes this happens – and there will be a next time, there always is – I know it’s a natural instinct to head for home, but don’t.  Come straight to me.  If I’m with a patient, Tommy will take care of you while you wait, he’s become good at that.  If nothing else he’s very easy on the eye – that alone can calm down a troubled soul,” Steve grinned.

“OK, Steve, thanks.   But my real problem is, what happens next.  I can’t face all those guys after what I did to those kids they all love.  Felipe’s had a rough life and is new to the group, and young Brandon’s in a wheelchair, for god’s sake, or was till I shoved him out of it.”

“Mark the key words there are ‘all those guys’.  You don’t have to face them all at once.  Tell me this ... when you were rushing home, who did you most want to see?”

“Jamie, of course.  He’s my soulmate as well as my lover, and he can always talk me down from a ledge and take me in his arms.”

“Right, and there’s your answer.  I’m not suggesting it’ll be simply a kiss and make up deal, it’s too complicated for that, after the way you attacked his pal Felipe.  Plus I know how macho guys like you, Randy and Zack think – you need to be punished.  With you especially, a law-and-order cop, the punishment has to fit the crime.  But I’m sure you and Jamie can work that out in your own special private way.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s it, Steve,” Mark said, like a drowning man reaching for a lifebelt.

“Good, so let’s end this session here, we’ll resume it another day.  “Er...”  a light dawned in the doc’s eyes, which usually signaled some move that was not in the shrink rulebook.  “Before you leave, come with me and say goodbye to Tommy.”

Mark meekly followed Steve out of the house to the pool where Tommy was swimming laps.  He was, gliding through the water naked, with his legendary ass showing above the surface, water sliding off the perfect white mounds.  He glimpsed the pair, swam to the side and pulled himself out of the pool.  He looked ultra-sexy, standing butt naked, water streaming down his muscled gymnast body, his cock already semi-erect. 

“Is there something else you wanted, officer?” he smiled.

“Not, er, not right now, thanks, Tommy.  I was just leaving.  But, er ...”

“Maybe next time,” Tommy smiled.  “I’m always at your service, sir, especially a man in uniform such as yourself.”  Tommy walked up to him, arm outstretched, and shook his hand warmly, his smiling eyes piercing Mark’s.

Watching carefully, Steve saw the gleam in Mark’s eyes that he had hoped for, and noticed the start of a bulge in his uniform pants.

Mark shook hands and grinned, “You’re a devil-doc, Steve, you know that?  Damn you’re good.   Now I really gotta get home to Jamie – that was your plan, right?”

“Something like that,” Steve shrugged with a smile.  “So get a move on.  I’m sure your surfer-boy will be waiting for you.”

Mark walked determinedly round the side of the house, and they heard a door slam and the car drive away. Tommy smiled, “A successful session, sir?”

“I would say so.  And you played your part, Tommy.  Before I sent him home to Jamie I needed to see a spark of desire in the cop’s formerly dead eyes and you certainly gave him that.”

“As I said, sir, always at your service.”

He picked up his briefs ready to put them on but Steve said, “No, don’t, not yet.  We can’t let that butt go to waste, can we?  I may not be wearing a uniform but ...”

“Sir, you do know that everything I do for your patients, like just now, I really do it for you.”

“I do know that, Tommy ... I’m a shrink, remember?”  Steve pulled off his shirt, kicked off his loafers and dropped his slacks.

Tommy stared at the doc’s perfect physique and stroked his solid pecs.  “You are the best, sir.  The all-time best.”  Tommy pressed against Steve and kissed him passionately.  Then he broke away, turned and threw himself face-down on a chaise, hips slightly arched, butt on full display.

The doctor lowered himself on top of the young athlete and eased his cock into his wet ass.  Tommy sighed, “Thank you, sir.  Yes definitely ... the all-time best.”

<><>    Bob Sets The Stage    <><>

Like Steve, Bob had considered the best way for Mark to return to the tribe’s compound after his shrink session with the doc.  Bob and Steve often thought alike, and Bob too figured that Mark’s arrival should be as low-key as possible – no curious crowd, no questions or expressions of sympathy.  So, Bob made the rounds and arranged for everyone to be indoors getting on with their normal activities. 

The key to all this was Jamie, whom Mark had been rushing home to see in the first place. When Jamie had come home with his pals from working at the beach he had been shocked to hear the whole ugly story from Felipe, setting off a whirlwind of emotions – from anxiety for his close friend Felipe, to anger mixed with sympathy for Mark, the man he loved best in the world.

Bob sat with them both and told them it would be best if Jamie were alone to greet Mark.  “You see, Felipe, Jamie has been through this before with Mark, who often comes home stressed out after a tough day patrolling the streets.  As you know, Felipe, it’s sort of a ritual that Jamie is here waiting for Mark, usually lying on the bed naked so Mark can relieve his tension by making love to him.”  Bob smiled, “You could call it fucking out his frustrations.

“A man like Mark, so proud of being a calm, commanding man of the law, will feel highly embarrassed at losing his cool as he did with you, and harming the boys he was sworn to protect.  So it’s best to let Jamie handle it at first.  I suggest you go help your fellow-chefs in the kitchen until Jamie calls for you.”

“Of course, sir, if you think it’s best.”  Felipe hugged Jamie who said, “Don’t worry dude, it’ll all come out alright, I know it will.”  Bob hugged Jamie too.  “Mark should have calmed down quite a bit after his session with Doc Steve, Jamie, but if things get difficult just yell, and Randy and I will come running.”

“Good to know, sir, but I doubt I’ll need to.  Mark and I know each other too well after all these years.”

They left Jamie alone.  Felipe went to the kitchen and Bob went upstairs to his own house to join Randy, Mike and Larry who were waiting anxiously for him.   “OK, guys so the stage is set.  Mark should be home from Steve’s soon and Jamie’s waiting alone for him.”

“Load a’ bullshit,” Randy growled.  “I could settle this by giving the cop the thrashing he deserves after what he did to those kids.  If I was Brandon’s man Pete I sure wouldn’t let him get away with it.”

“And that, Randy is why you are you and Pete is Pete.  Pete knows full well that Brandon wouldn’t want to escalate things like that.  They are at home across the street waiting quietly for developments.  They’re most likely making love.”

Make love not war, eh?” Mike chuckled.  “That’s our motto too, eh, Larry?”  Larry smiled and snuggled closer.

<><>    Jamie Confronts Mark    <><>

As he waited for Mark, Jamie was surprisingly calm, in view of his task ahead.  He loved two men – Mark, his long-time lover whom he idolized; and Felipe, the Honduran boy he had come to love like a brother in the last few months, after finding him alone and scared, an illegal immigrant hiding on the beach.  But one of those men had threatened the other.  Now Jamie had to protect Felipe and at the same time confront Mark who had attacked Felipe.

Normally, when he waited for Mark’s return Jamie lay on the bed naked, but this time he knew could not be business as usual.  So he decided to keep on his T-shirt, boardshorts and sneakers.  He had no idea what he would do, except to take his cue from Mark.

He tensed as he heard a car pull up outside the gate.  Watching from the bedroom window he saw Mark, still in full police uniform, come through the gate, then turn and skirt the garden, headed for the back door of the apartment.

When he came into the bedroom Jamie stood up and they stared at each other.  Jamie was moved when he saw tears in Mark’s eyes.  Jamie had no idea what to say and was relieved that Mark spoke first in the deep voice Jamie always found so sexy.

“Jamie, I won’t insult you by offering an excuse, apologizing or begging for forgiveness. You and I are beyond that.  I’m a cop and I believe that when a man commits a crime he should be punished, and the punishment should fit the crime.

“I’ll just say this.  I love you and that sweet kid, Jamie.  We are three men living together, loving together and making love together.   When I watch you and Felipe making love I always feel a strong desire to join you, and I usually do. Watching you, but being constrained from joining in, would be agony for me. 

“But I don’t deserve to watch you, because I have hurt and insulted you both in a fit of rage.  My honor as a police officer, and as your lover, is at stake, and I have to be punished.  I think you understand what I’m saying, Jamie.  Do you?”

“I think so, sir.  And I’ll do what you need.”  The cop stood still, surrendering to his fate, and Jamie got to work. 

Twenty minutes later he was crossing the lawn headed for the kitchen, and all four chefs looked up when he walked in.  Felipe stepped forward, wearing the same dark green apron and chef’s hat as the others.  He was trembling slightly as he asked, “Are you ready for me, Jamie?  What do you want me to do?”

Jamie smiled and kissed him.  “Please don’t be frightened, buddy.  There’s only one thing you have to do, and that’s make love to me in our bedroom.  Think you can handle that?”

Felipe smiled for the first time.  “You know I can, Jamie.  Will Mark be ...”

“He’ll be there Felipe, but he won’t be joining in as he usually does.  Guys, can you spare my friend for an hour or so.”

Kevin smiled. “Jamie, he’s all yours for as long as you want him.”

“Which is likely to be a very long time,” said Kevin’s twin Kyle. 

Felipe took off his hat and apron and hung them on their peg, then followed his friend outside.  Halfway across the lawn Jamie stopped and pulled Felipe down to a chair beside him at a table. 

“Dude, there’s something I should explain before we go in.  In this tribe there are certain rules and rituals.  When a man does something to harm others, especially hurting the boys they are supposed to protect, he has to be punished. The guilty man himself, especially Mark, would be the first to demand it, to absolve him of the offence he has committed in the eyes of the tribe.”

Felipe winced.  “Do you mean physical punishment, Jamie, like ... like whips and stuff?”

“It has sometimes been that in the past, Felipe, with guys like Randy and Zack.  But it’s generally recognized that psychological pain is worse.  Those tough guys can withstand any amount of physical pain, but emotional pain is different.

“When we go in you’ll probably be stunned by what you see.  But as I said, all you have to do is make love with me and ignore Mark.”

Felipe frowned in thought.  “You said Mark won’t be joining in.  Does that mean because he can’t for some reason?  You won’t let him?”

“You’re a smart cookie, dude.  Yeah, almost exactly like that.”

Felipe grinned.  “Sounds kinda sexy in a way, dude.”

“You are full of surprises, young man.  I’m glad you said that.”

“But Mark won’t be hurt, you promise?”

“No, kiddo, not physically.  No one will touch him – and that right there is the punishment.  You ready?”

“Whatever you say, Jamie.  I’ll follow your lead.”

<><>    The Captive Cop Breaks    <><>

Years ago, when Randy had converted a row of storage rooms into a spacious apartment for Mark and Jamie, he had to retain some structural columns in several of the rooms, including one in the bedroom.  They remained as a feature of the apartment’s raffish charm, and it was one such column on which Felipe focused his stunned attention when he entered the bedroom.

Against the column stood Mark, stripped to the waist in his uniform pants and motorcycle boots.  His hands were cuffed behind his back with his own handcuffs.  Round his neck was a rope, several feet long, the other end tied round the column.  He was able to walk only a few feet forward before the rope tightened round his neck.  To add to the indignity, his cock was hanging out of his pants.

Felipe’s cock stiffened at the homoerotic sight of the captive blond cop, but he tore his gaze away and stared at Jamie, who pulled him close and kissed him.  “It’s just you and me now, buddy.  And we’re gonna make love on the bed here.  You OK with that?”

Felipe understood right away what was going on and smiled at his surfer-jock lover.  “OK with making love to you, Jamie?  Of course I am, always.”

Staring into each other’s eyes the boys pulled off their shirts, stroked the smooth tanned flesh of each other’s chest and sighed as they tweaked the other’s hard nipples.  Felipe ran his hands over Jamie’s face and neck and dug his fingers into his pecs.  Then he grasped the sides of Jamie’s slim waist and sank to his knees.

Reaching up, he traced his fingers over the ridges of the surfer’s washboard abs, then leaned forward and kissed his already-stiff cock.  Behind them came the first low groan from the prisoner.  Watching the start of the boys’ lovemaking he instinctively stepped forward, but was pulled up short by the rope round his neck, just feet from them.

Ignoring everything else, Felipe was still body worshipping Jamie, licking his thighs then his calves.  He unlaced Jamie’s sneakers and pulled them off, then bent low and kissed his bare feet, to louder groans from the watching cop. 

“Suck my balls, dude,” Jamie murmured and Felipe responded by raising his head and sucking both balls into his mouth.”

Straining at the rope, Mark gazed at the exotic Hispanic face, his full lips wrapped round his lover’s balls.  Mark recalled the feeling when Felipe had done the same to him, making him cum all over the boy’s face, and he tugged uselessly at his cuffed wrists in a futile effort at freedom.  His lust intensified as Felipe pulled back on Jamie’s scrotum and stretched it until the balls sprang free.  Then Felipe swallowed Jamie’s cock whole.

“Aaahh,” Mark sighed deeply, recalling the musky taste of Jamie’s cock that he had tasted so often. Mark’s own cock was now rigid as a pole standing out from his curly blond pubic hair.

Jamie said, “Felipe, you’re bringing me real close ... but not yet, dude.”  He curled his hands under Felipe’s armpits and pulled him up on his feet.  He pulled open Felipe’s shorts and let them drop to his bare feet. They kissed and Jamie wrapped his hands round both their cocks, rubbing them together.  Chest to chest, he pushed against him until they both fell on the bed.

Mark watched helplessly, his cock dripping pre-cum as Jamie turned round so they lay in a sixty-nine position, and both hungrily feasted on the other’s cock.  The last time Mark had seen them do this he had dived in between them and the boys worked together on his throbbing cock. But now, in an agony of frustration, all Mark could do was pull frantically against the rope round his neck.

As he sucked, Felipe glimpsed the struggling, shirtless cop, his torso straining, muscles flexed, in his desperate attempt to join the lovers – his boys, the boys he loved and had betrayed. 

Felipe understood this punishment of agonizing frustration had to be extreme, and he was determined to play his part.  Suddenly he pulled away from Jamie, got to his feet and stood on the floor at the foot of the bed. He rolled Jamie over on his back and pulled his legs, sliding him forward until his lower legs were hanging over the end of the bed.  Felipe walked away and stood at a distance stroking his cock.

Mark was now looking at the erotic sight he always saw when he came home from work – the naked young jock, his lover, waiting for him ... waiting for him to rip open his uniform pants and plough his ass.

Jamie propped himself on his elbows and pleaded, “Fuck me, sir.  I need it so bad, I need to feel your cock in my ass ... please, sir ...   Show me you still love me by fucking me, sir.  If you don’t fuck me, it ... it means you’ve stopped loving me ... I’m begging you, sir ...”

“Aaagh!!” Mark howled, desperately yanking at the rope chafing his neck, his boots pawing the ground in a frantic, futile effort to move forward.  Sweat was pouring down his chiseled features and bulging chest, and his agony peaked when Jamie hooked his hands behind his own knees and pulled his legs back, his ass on full display, on offer to his lover ... an offer the writhing cop was unable to accept. 

He stared at the ass he worshipped, downy blond hair curling round the hole that begged for Mark’s cock to plunge into it.

Felipe intervened and stood where Mark always stood, looking down at Jamie’s ass.  “Don’t worry, Jamie, I still love you.  Seems it’s just you and me, now, dude.  We’ll be lovers – just us two.” He knelt on the floor, leaned forward and licked Jamie’s ass.  He pressed his face against the fuzz of blond hair and pushed his tongue in the hole.  Mark was forced to watch the ecstasy on Jamie’s face as he was eaten out by his young lover.

Felipe straightened up on his knees and stroked his cock, pointing it straight at Jamie’s ass, Mark groaned, “No, it’s mine ... that ass is mine, I own it ...”

“Not anymore,” Jamie said.  “Fuck me Felipe ... my ass is yours.” 

“No, no, please ...” Mark was being shut out, as if he had lost the right to the ass, lost his boy Jamie, and Felipe too.  His degradation was complete, tears flowed down his face and, at the moment Felipe drove his cock into Jamie’s ass, Mark threw his head back and howled.  His cock reared up and blasted a ribbon of cum, then another and another, and he sank sobbing to his knees in humiliating defeat.

On his knees, his cock dripping cum, the rope was now pulled tight round the cop’s neck and his face fell forward in exhausted submission, tousled blond hair falling over his brow.  Jamie smiled as Felipe pulled out of his ass and wiped his still-hard cock clean.  They hadn’t cum, knowing instinctively what came next. 

Barely aware what was happening, Mark felt a hand grab his hair and pull his head back.  He opened his eyes and found himself facing Jamie’s rigid cock.  His jaw sagged open, the cock drove in, fucked his face and in only a few seconds erupted deep in the cop’s throat.  He gagged and swallowed Jamie’s warm sperm. 

Dazed, he was dimly aware of Jamie pulling out, but his jaw still sagged open, semen running down his chin, as a second hand grabbed his hair, pulled his face back and he was staring up at Felipe’s handsome face.  Felipe slid his cock into his mouth and shot another load of jizz down the cop’s throat that he gulped down, just as he had swallowed Jamie’s cum.  After his cock drained, Felipe pulled out, turned and joined Jamie on the bed.

Tears flowed freely down the cop’s face, cum oozed from his mouth and ran down his square sagging jaw.  His face fell forward, hanging from the rope round his neck, arms cuffed behind his back, a picture of total degradation.  The once proud, muscular, dominant police officer, sobbing shirtless on his knees, was a broken man.

<><>    Many Bridges To Mend    <><>

Jamie and Felipe kissed, their task complete.  They got off the bed and released Mark’s neck and wrists.  Mark stayed still, physically and emotionally drained.  He took deep breaths, and at last pulled himself unsteadily to his feet and sat on the foot of the bed. 

The boys stood with their backs to him and each pulled a boot up between their legs.  Holding them tight they strained forward until the boots came loose and they stumbled forward.  Together they unbuckled his belt, pulled open his pants and pulled them off.  Naked now, Mark eased himself back on the bed, and lay on his back with a huge sigh of relief.

The boys lay down, one on each side, propped themselves on their elbows and smiled down at him.   Jamie was the first to speak.  “Did that do the trick, sir?”

Mark managed a smile.  “You guys are amazing ... just what I needed.  It helped a whole lot.”

“Sir,” Felipe frowned, “does that mean we can put all this behind us, water under the bridge, and get back to loving each other? I really hope so.”

“If you guys feel you can do that, so can I, at least as far as we three are concerned.  But out there, I got a whole lot of bridges to mend.  First comes Brandon who I treated shamefully, and his boys in the office.  And I have to apologize and make peace with his man Pete.”

“Sir,” Jamie said, “Pete and Brandon are very easy-going and peace-loving.  Ranger Pete is himself in law enforcement and understands the stress you went through.  I think they’ll be happy to accept your apology and let bygones be bygones.”

Mark sighed.  “Mike won’t be so ready to forgive, though, knowing the things I said to you Felipe about your caring for him.  He may even think he really is in the way here, and partly responsible.  He’s like a father to us all and he can be a tough nut to crack.

“Then comes Bob and Randy.  Bob will be lenient, I think, but Randy’s another story.  You know how he reacts when he sees a man hurt a boy – it’s like a red flag to a mad bull and his only impulse is to beat the guy up.  If that’s what he wants, I’m ready to take it.”

Jamie said, “Sir, I don’t think Bob would let him do that.  The next hurdle, though, is dinner.  Are you ready to face the crowd?”

“Hmm ...” Mark said uncertainly.

“It won’t be so bad, sir,” Felipe smiled.  “We’ll be there supporting you, and if they see that things are settled with us, that will count for a lot.”

“Guys, with you behind me, I think I can face anything.  All I need is your forgiveness.”

Jamie kissed his cheek.  “You already have that, sir, after what we put you through.” 

Felipe grinned. “It may have been tough, but it was also kinda sexy, don’t you think?”

Jamie laughed.  “Like I said before, kiddo, you are full of surprises.”

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

 TO BE CONTINUED in “A Trial Of Strength – Book 13: Chapter 11