Trial Of Strength (Book 13)

"A CRISIS TESTS THE TRIBE'S RESILIENCE"

After a car-wreck in the desert, the tribe’s much-loved Uncle Mike is hospitalized with a serious injury. The tribe’s boss Randy leaps into action and goes out to take charge and comfort Mike’s boy Larry. Randy’s lover Bob rallies all the men and boys, whose love for each other intensifies. The cop Mark, his surfer boy Jamie and young Felipe find solace in passionate three-way love.

<><>    Back To The Old Routine    <><>

It was time to get back to work. 

The tribe had enjoyed a festive weekend at the Grady House, where the mellow, loving atmosphere created by the owners – movie action-star Grady and his Italian lover Mario – had been conducive to healing rifts in relationships.  That in turn led to reaffirmation of the small families that made up the larger family of the tribe itself.

This focus on love and reconciliation had continued on their return to the tribe’s compound, especially for Brandon who had been having a crisis of self-doubt about the restrictions of life in a wheelchair.  (He did not know at the time that he would soon be able to pass on his newfound confidence to another man, suddenly and dramatically facing the same restrictions.)

The two co-leaders of the tribe set the tone for the back-to-work spirit.  The rough, tough gypsy Randy, who was in command of the company’s four construction sites, prepared to whip the crews back into shape.  (If necessary, he would have done that literally, except that their insurance company would have shut them down.  In fact, he always treated his crews generously and was well-respected by them.)

Randy’s lover Bob was the opposite of Randy’s rugged gypsy image – refined, gentle, his brain matching Randy’s brawn.  With his PHD in finance, he ran the business side of the company, and assisted the men and boys with their personal financial needs too. For instance, he helped the senior boys Pablo and Darius in their purchase of a house across the street, a new home for them and their boys, Tyler and Ryan. 

Then Bob consulted with Mario and young Finn about setting up a legal partnership for their proposed landscaping company.  Bob suggested the simple name of M & F Partners, but Finn preferred F & M Partners – not because it put his initial before Mario’s, but because, as he said with a grin, “If you say it fast it comes out like S & M, and that turns me on.”  The men agreed and the company was born.

Bob next checked in with the four chefs in the tribe’s large kitchen – his twins, Kyle and Kevin, and their assistants Will and Felipe.  Then he went across the lawn to the business office, managed by the ever-efficient and newly-confident Brandon.

Soon, playtime was just a happy memory, and the work routine was ticking over nicely.  Lunch was served, lunch boxes deliver to the work crews, dinner was served in the evening, the chefs were thanked – and the day was over.

As Bob said later when he and Randy were getting ready for bed, “Hmm, so good to be back to the old routine, without all the dramas that seem to flare up all the time.  We’re crisis-free for the first time in a long time.  I love when it’s back to business as usual.”

Then they made love – business as usual.

But of course, in this tribe of active, adventurous men and boys, Bob had spoken too soon.  In fact, the next drama was fast approaching.  And this time it was serious.

<><>    The Tribe Rallies, Springs Into Action    <><>

As happened so often in the past, the drama began with a simple phone call.

A few days after their return from the Grady House, Randy was on the construction site as usual when his cellphone rang around midday.  He glanced at the screen and frowned.  It was Mike’s boy Larry calling from Palm Springs.  (Everyone had Randy’s cell number for emergencies.)

“Hey, kid, what’s up?” 

He heard Larry sobbing.  “Sir, it’s Mike.  He’s been in a car wreck ... he’s been taken to hospital ... they called me.”

Randy tensed. “How bad, Larry?” 

“The hospital wouldn’t say – they’re still evaluating him.  But he’s in the Intensive Care Unit and from the bit they told me it sounds like he’s pretty banged up. I’m on my way to the hospital now, but I’m scared.  I called you first, sir.”

“You did right, kid.  OK, I’m on my way, be with you in an hour-and-a-half tops.  Take a deep breath and hang in there, dude.”

He ran off the site, leapt into his truck and roared away. Whenever one of the tribe was in trouble Randy became a laser-focused man of action.  And this guy was special to him. 

Mike, known in the tribe as Uncle Mike, was a tough, dominant, but kind man in his late fifties, the long-time owner of a popular Palm Springs leather-bar.  He was madly in love with his boy, Larry, a tough former street-kid who idolized Mike.  Randy loved Mike as a son loves a father. Mike was the only man (except for Bob) who could control the powerful gypsy, the only man ever to call Randy ‘boy’.

As he hit the freeway Randy muted his fears and focused calmly on the job at hand.  First, Bob.  He called the number they used for emergencies and Bob picked up right away. “What’s up, Randy?”

“I’m on my way to Palm Springs.  Larry called me ... Mike’s been injured in a car wreck, he’s in the ICU and Larry’s on his way to the hospital.”

“How can I help, Randy?”

“Take care of everything there, buddy.  Call Zack and ask him to take charge at work.  Keep things going – the house, the office, everything.  The news will be out in no time, so try to keep everyone calm.  They all love their Uncle Mike and we don’t want rumors to spin out of control.”

“Of course, Randy, leave everything to me.  But one thing I beg you – please don’t drive too fast.  I know how you are ... and the last thing we need is a second wreck.  Promise me?”

“Yeah, OK, I can take care of myself.  I’ll call as soon as there’s more news, keep your phone handy.  I love you, man.  I don’t say that often enough.”

“Me too, Randy.  Now get off the phone and put both hands on the wheel.”

“Fuck you, man.  Love you ...”  The line went dead and Bob smiled.  Always the same, come hell or high water.

Bob did a quick inventory of who was home and who was at work.  He called Zack and explained briefly what was going on.  “Don’t worry, Bob, I’ll take care of everything here, I’ll tell Pablo, Ben and the guys.  Keep me posted, eh?”

Next, Bob called Brandon, his office manager, who said, “Oh no ... poor Larry.  I’ll spread the word, sir, and try to keep it low-key.  After all, Uncle Mike might not be so badly hurt after all, so we don’t want the guys to overreact.”

“My feelings exactly.  Let’s try to keep the regular routine going and concentrate on work. You’ll probably gets lots of phone calls, so fill your guys in on what’s happening.”

After that, Bob went down to the kitchen where the twins, and their assistant chefs Will and Felipe, were clearing up after lunch and taking a breather before starting early dinner prep. Bob sat them all down and told them of Larry’s phone call.

“Now, we have no solid facts yet, and this may not be anything too bad.  Hospitals often take car-crash injuries from the Emergency Room to the ICU to assess the harm, so it might all blow over.  But you know how rumors spread in the tribe and become exaggerated.  So here’s what I need.  I’d like Kyle and Kevin to come upstairs to my office to help me field phone calls.  That’s if Will and Felipe can manage here on their own.”

“Oh sure we can, sir,” Will said, “eh Felipe?  There’ll probably be lots of guys for dinner, so we’ll get going now.”

Bob smiled.  “Thank you, guys.  I always love the way the tribe pulls together at times of stress like this.”

The twins accompanied Bob to his house and upstairs to his office.  Bob heaved a big sigh.  “OK, only thing we can do now is wait.”  The phone rang. “Right,” he smiled, “here we go guys.”

Surprisingly it was Jason, the fireman.  “Hey Bob, rotten news, uh?  Ben just called and told me.  Listen, you know that some time ago Ben and I stayed with Mike and Larry when Ben helped Larry out in his motorbike repair workshop.  Although we don’t know yet how bad things are, I was thinking that they’ll both probably not be up to working for a while.

“So if it comes to that, Ben and I could go out there.  Ben could take over Larry’s workshop and I could help out at Mike’s bar.  You didn’t know this but when I was a youngster I was a part-time bartender, so I wouldn’t need much training.  Fire season is over so I could easily get time off, and if Randy could let Ben off work for a while ... just a thought.”

“It’s a very generous thought too, Jason, and it might just be the answer.  Wait till we get more information from Randy and I’ll run the idea by him.  I’ll get back to you as soon as I can ... and thank you, Jason.  You and Ben are a great team.”

By now the twins were both on the phone and Bob smiled at them.  Once again he was impressed by how the tribe rallied and became one big team.

<><>    Randy & Larry Get The News – Good & Bad    <><>

Despite his assurances to Bob, Randy did drive fast, way over the speed limit. But he kept an eagle eye open for traffic cops – the last thing he wanted was to be pulled over and delayed.  He got to the desert in record time and made straight for the hospital Larry had named.

He was getting out of the truck when he saw himself reflected in the wing mirror – still wearing the sweaty tank from the construction site. “Fuck,” he growled and reached behind the car seat for a crumpled T-shirt that was marginally smarter than the tank. At least it didn’t stink of sweat.

He went in and was directed to the ICU waiting room.  There was only one other person there – Larry, who sat staring blankly into space.  He jumped up, fell into Randy’s arms and sobbed.  “I can’t lose him, sir.  He’s my whole life ... my lover, my partner, my dad, my best friend all in one.  I can’t think of a life without him.”

“Hey, hey, you won’t have to kiddo, I’m sure of that.   We’ve gotta be strong for him, Larry, Mike would want that.  So, any more news?”

“No, sir.  They just told me they had to run lots of tests, X-rays and stuff, and when they’ve finished the doc will come out and brief me.”

“And you’ve been sitting here all this time, all on your own?”

“Yes, sir.  I didn’t go anywhere ‘cos I didn’t wanna miss the doc.

“Jesus, you poor kid.  Well, I’m here now kiddo.  Do you know anything about the accident?”

“I spoke to the cop who gave his report to the staff here, and he told me it was a solo spinout, no one else involved.  Mike was driving back from Cabazon where he’d been buying shirts for me from the outlet stores.  It’s only twenty minutes away. 

He was on Highway 111 when it seems the right front tire blew out and, judging by the skid marks, the cop said, Mike tried hard to brake, but the car skidded out of control and hit a light pole. The cop said the whole front end was crushed, the car’s a complete write-off.  Listen, sir, someone’s coming.”

The doctor came in and they searched his face for answers.  He was a young doctor and smiled, “Sorry to have kept you so long, guys, but we had to run a whole battery of tests.”

“So what’s, the verdict, doc?” Randy asked always zeroing in on the facts.  “And don’t sugarcoat anything.”

“With a guy like you, sir, I can see I don’t have to.  OK, so when they brought him in he was unconscious but he came round pretty fast and we ran the tests.  And the good news is there’s no organ damage ... his upper body is more or less intact, apart from a nasty bump on the head where it hit the steering wheel.”

“And the bad news?” Larry asked.

“Well in a crash like this, as soon as the car goes out of control the driver’s instinct is to press hard on the brake pedal to slow it down.  So when Mike’s car hit the light pole his leg was locked rigid and absorbed the full impact of the crash.  His left leg is not too bad, just a simple fracture, but ...” his expression turned solemn ... “the major issue is the right leg.

“You asked me not to sugarcoat it, sir, so I won't. The right leg has sustained serious injuries – multiple fractures in the foot, ankle and lower leg.  When he recovers from the shock and regains his strength, he’s going to need complex orthopedic surgery if we’re to save the leg.”

“Save the leg?!” Larry said in alarm, going pale. 

“You wanted the truth, so I have to tell you – there’s a chance he might lose it.  I can’t tell you the odds, though, that’ll be up to the surgeon.  That complexity is beyond the scope of what we can do here and he’ll have to be transferred to a skilled surgeon specializing in injuries from vehicle crashes like this, or sports and workplace injuries. 

“It’ll be a day or two before he can be transferred, after we’ve made sure he’s recovered from the shock and has no other complications.  I’ll give you a list of experts in the field.  It might be even better to use one in Los Angeles, once I’ve cleared him to travel.”

Randy said, “Thanks for all your help, doc, but I don’t need a list. I know just the guy, the best there is.”

“Can we see Mike, doctor?” Larry asked.

“He’s on heavy pain meds so he’s a bit groggy.  I want him to sleep ... but you can have five minutes before he does.  Better you go in together, I don’t want a parade of visitors.”

The doctor led them to Mike’s bed in Intensive Care.  “Five minutes, guys, that’s all.”

“OK, doc, thanks,” Randy said, and sat by the bed with Larry.  Mike had an IV attached to a pole by the bed.  His eyes were closed and there was a bandage on his forehead.  He opened his eyes, frowned as he tried to focus, then smiled weakly.  “Hey guys.  Your two faces are a sight for sore, black eyes.  I assume I have a black eye.”

“Two, sir,” Larry smiled.  “You look like a racoon.”

“Thanks kid. I like racoons, they’re feisty, like me. Randy, you came all the way out here to see me, boy?”

“Just to see you, Mike.  Couldn’t stay away.  So what you been up to, old-timer?  Bob always accuses me of driving too fast in case I have a blown tire or something.”

“Is that what happened?  Only thing I remember is hitting my head on the steering wheel and I must’ve blacked out.  Don’t know how long I’ve been here but I dimly recall being shunted around so they could check me out ... X-rays and stuff.  Trouble is they haven’t told me much.  But I can’t wiggle my toes and I know that’s a bad sign.”

“Sir,” Larry said, “We’ve talked to the doc and the great thing is there’s no organ damage, upper body’s fine.  The damage is to the legs, one leg mainly.  That’ll need surgery.”

Mike winced but Randy said, “Not to worry, dude, we have a plan. The doc said they don’t do that level of surgery here so you’ll have to be transferred to an orthopedic specialist.  He said you need a skilled surgeon specializing injuries from crashes, sports and the workplace.”

“Hm, sounds like a job for our Doc Chad.”

“My thoughts exactly, buddy. So, when they’re sure you’re fit to travel, no delayed shock or stuff, we’ll take you to L.A. straight to Chad’s hospital.”

“Randy, if I had to trust any guy to take charge of me, it would be you.  And you, kiddo.”  He smiled at Larry.  “Most important, Randy, is take care of my boy here.  Oh, and Larry, I better tell you about the bar and what you need to ...”

“Don’t worry about all that, sir, it’s already taken care of.  All you have to do is get well.”

“And sleep,” said the doctor, appearing suddenly.  “Time’s up, gentlemen, the patient needs to rest.”

“And then to get the hell out of here,” Mike grinned. “No disrespect, doc, you’ve all been great to me.”.

The doctor chuckled.  “I can appreciate that, Mike, most patients just want to ‘get the hell’ out of here.  But all in good time, eh?”

Larry bent down and kissed Mike’s cheek and the doctor followed them out of the room as a nurse came in.  “OK, Larry, I’ll keep in touch.  And, er, Randy, isn’t it?  You say you prefer a surgeon in L.A.?”

“Yeah, the name’s Chad ...”

“Oh Chad, yeah, I’ve met him at conferences, and he has a terrific reputation.  Before we discharge Mike I’ll send him our test results.  I’ll let you guys know when he can be transferred.  Barring complications, should be a day or two.  The sooner he gets in surgery the better.”

When Larry and Randy got back to Mike and Larry’s house, Larry served up beers in the garden. They sat together while Randy phoned Bob, put him on speaker and told him everything they had learned.  “Looks like it’s touch and go on the leg, so Chad’s obviously the guy for this.  I’ll call him next and set it up.  Meantime I gotta help Larry work out what’s gonna happen here with his workshop and the bar.”

“Ah, now there I think I can help,” Bob said.  He told them about Jason’s offer and Larry jumped at the idea.  “That would be perfect, sir.  I’d trust my workshop with Ben any day, and work’s fairly light right now. 

“Mike’s assistant manager Curtis can run the bar but he’ll need another bartender at the busy times.  Jason would be terrific.  You know there’s a tradition that our bartenders work shirtless.  Picture it, that fireman hunk stripped to the waist behind the bar ... they’ll flock in ... great for business.”

“And how are you two doing?” Bob asked.  “All this can’t be easy for you.  You taking care of Larry, Randy?”

“We’re taking care of each other, dude.  And I have plans for Larry later ...” 

Bob could imagine the roguish smile Randy gave Mike’s boy.

<><>    Doc Chad Briefs The Tribe    <><>

By now the whole tribe knew of Mike’s accident, though not all the details.  Bob was eager to tell everyone everything he knew ... he always believed in openness, not hiding anything from the men or the boys. 

Dinner was the obvious place to do that when everyone was gathered together, as he was sure they all would be.  Uncle Mike was deeply loved and respected by the whole tribe.  By far the senior man of the group, his was the authoritative voice of maturity, kindness and plain common sense.

Bob and the twins had been working the phones, and when the volume of calls dropped Bob suggested the twins go back to the kitchen to help the assistant chefs Will and Tyler with dinner, as most everyone had said they would be attending. 

Alone now, Bob called Randy and they had a longer conversation, making plans but, more importantly, bolstering each other’s spirits at such a dark time.  Randy mentioned that as soon as Jamie got home from working on Grady’s movie, he had called Larry.  They were old friends, even before joining the tribe, and the call had soothed Larry a lot.  Randy would be taking Larry out to dinner, to get him out of the house for a while.

Bob was relieved when dinnertime came and he went down to join the crowd at the outdoor table.  Conversation was much more muted than the usual din and they looked up expectantly as Bob arrived. 

He remained standing.  “OK, guys before we eat I know you want details.  By now you’re all aware that Uncle Mike has been involved in a solo car crash and is in hospital in Palm Springs.  Fortunately, his upper body had very little damage, but they are concerned about his right leg in particular. He braked hard, so that leg locked rigid and absorbed the full force of the crash.

He will need extensive surgery on that leg so, when he’s strong enough, Randy and Larry will bring him to L.A., straight to Doc Chad’s hospital.  Any questions so far?”

“Sir, will they have to cut off the leg?” asked young Tyler, jarring the group.  His man Pablo had always encouraged Tyler to be assertive and ask direct questions, but he hardly expected this.  However, Bob took it all in stride.

“I’m glad you asked the question Tyler, as it has been on our minds too.  Er, Chad, I wonder if you could field that one and tell us how much you’re involved so far.”

The handsome doctor got to his feet and smiled. “I really can’t answer Tyler’s question until I have examined Mike in person.  The hospital in Palm Springs has transmitted the results of their tests and I can say that there are complex, compound fractures in Mike’s foot and leg. It’s always my duty to warn that in such cases, loss of a limb is one of the possibilities.”

“Sir,” asked Eddie, “is that like when you read the label on an aspirin bottle there’s a whole list of possible side effects, up to and including death?”

Chad smiled.  “I take your point, Eddie, and I can only say that the chances here are somewhat higher than death by aspirin.  But I don’t want to commit myself any further until Mike is in my care.  That should be in a day or two.”

Chad sat down, Bob thanked him and said, “Guys, I know how depressing this all is and I want to leave you with this thought. Events like this tend to put our own lives in perspective and we realize the inestimable value of our partners and lovers.  So I suggest we convey our good wishes to Mike by being especially loving with each other tonight.  Mike would approve of that.”

Bob sat down and Mark kissed his cheek. “Well said, Bob, we’ll all take that to heart.”

<><>    Jamie & Felipe Take Care Of Mark    <><>

Dinner didn’t last long and there were stronger hugs and gentler kisses than usual.  Before he left the table, Mark said to Bob, “Dude, I know how hard this is for you, especially with Randy not here.  So if there’s anything you need, anything at all, you know where to come.”

“Thanks Mark, I might take you up on that later.  But right now, I’m gonna curl up with my twins, and I’m sure you want to be close to Jamie and Felipe.  Like everyone else, the news has shaken them up a lot and all the boys will be looking to us for guidance.”

Bob was right, of course, and when Mark went into his ground-floor apartment Jamie and Felipe looked up anxiously.  Felipe poured brandies for them all and they sat round the low coffee table.  “So, what do you think, sir?” Jamie asked.

“Well, guys, you know me, I always go by facts, not speculation.  So, as to Mike’s injuries, we can only go by Chad’s professional opinion and he won’t know anymore till Mike gets here.  That’s when we’ll all have a practical chance to help.  Bob told me that Jason and Ben will be going out to Palm Springs to help keep their businesses running.”

Mark smiled, “So, you wanna know what we can do in the meantime?  We love each other, share our hopes and fears, and our bed.”

Jamie said, “Sir, I have fears every time you go to work.  I worry about the danger a cop faces patrolling the tough streets of L.A.  If anything happened to you, I ...”

“Jamie, I can’t give you an assurance that nothing ever will ‘cos I don’t know.  But if I ever ended up in the hospital like Mike, my comfort would be that you two have each other, you’re not alone.  That’s why I was so glad you have become like brothers.”

“And you’ll never be alone, sir,” Felipe ventured.  “You’ve had Jamie for such a long time and now you have me too.  Right, Jamie?”

Jamie leaned over and kissed Felipe.  “Right, bro, and we have to take care of our man.  What did you say, sir, about sharing hopes, fears ... and bed?   OK, we’ve shared our hopes and fears, now for the other thing.”

Jamie and Felipe stood up, grabbed Mark’s wrists, pulled him up and tugged him into the bedroom.  Normally the dominant cop would never let himself be led anywhere, but now his resistance was minimal to non-existent. In the bedroom Mark stood obediently still and let the boys do their work.

Mark had worn to dinner a blue short-sleeve shirt tucked into blue-jeans and light cap-toe boots.  Felipe knelt before him and began to unlace the boots, while Jamie stood astride Felipe, gazed into Mark’s eyes and unbuttoned his shirt.  Felipe pulled off the boots and socks, and Jamie pulled the shirt out of his waistband and pushed it off over his shoulders.   Jamie ran his hands lovingly over the cop’s bare muscled chest, then his face.  Felipe bent low and kissed Mark’s bare feet, then reached up and unzipped his jeans. 

Together, Jamie and Felipe shoved Mark, making him fall back on the bed.  The boys each tugged a leg of the jeans, jerked them off and left the cop lying naked on the bed.  He linked his hands behind his head on the pillow and gazed up at the boys.

“Looks sexy, eh, Jamie?” Felipe smiled. 

“Sure makes me hard,” Jamie said. He faced Felipe.  “And talking of sexy ... come here, kiddo.”

He pulled the young Honduran close, they smiled into each other’s eyes and pulled off each other’s T-shirt.  As they kissed, they pulled down their shorts and eased off their sneakers.

Mark’s cock reared up like a flagpole as he watched the naked young jocks making love.  “Shit damn,” he moaned softly, moving one hand from behind his head and stroking his cock slowly.

When at last the boys pulled apart, they looked down at Mark as if seeing him for the first time.  “Wow,” Jamie said, “a naked cop.  Looks like he needs some attention.”

“Won’t he push us away though?” Felipe asked.

“Not if we do this ...”  Jamie picked up his discarded T-shirt and wound it like a rope.   Felipe did likewise with his own T-shirt, they pulled Mark’s wrists up to the bed-board and tied them to the corner posts. 

They stared down in awe at the naked, bound cop and coordinated their moves.  Felipe knelt on the floor by the bed, leaned over and kissed Mark softly on the lips.  Mark loved the soft kisses he always got from Felipe, a contrast to Jamie’s more passionate embraces. Suddenly he felt his legs being raised and he looked up. 

Jamie smiled, “You said we have to take care of each other, sir... this is our way of loving you.”

Mark moaned into Felipe’s tender mouth as Jamie eased his cock inside him – a role reversal from the countless times the uniformed cop had come home from work and fucked the blond surfer.  Far from pushing anyone away, Mark willingly surrendered to the tender care of his boys.   He felt Felipe’s tongue probing his mouth and Jamie’s cock probing his ass, and the anguished news of the day temporarily faded from his thoughts.

Jamie was a great fuck, and an erotic sight as Mark gazed up at the surfer’s sexy face, tousled blond hair and tanned, flawless body, a tribute to hours spent in the surf.  He felt the other boy’s soft lips kissing his forehead, cheeks, eyes and his open mouth and he struggled to free his hands so he could jack off.

Jamie saw he was close, and forestalled his climax.  He stared down at the Greek-God features and sculpted body, he pounded his ass, threw his head back and gasped as his cock erupted deep in the cop’s ass.

Felipe pulled away from his face and Mark groaned, “Dammit, man, you know I was close.  Untie me so I can jack off looking at you.”

Jamie smiled.  “We have something better in mind, officer.  Hey, Felipe, you want sloppy seconds here?”

Quickly they switched places, with Jamie kneeling by the bed and Felipe kneeling behind Mark’s raised legs.  Already sexually aroused, his rock-hard cock oozing precum, Mark groaned as, simultaneously, he felt young Felipe’s cock ease into his cum-slick ass, and Jamie’s mouth slide over his rampant cock.

To Felipe, the sight was overwhelming – the muscled cop, arms stretched up, struggling in bondage.  Soon, Felipe panted, “Jamie, I think I’m real close ... can’t hold back.  Can I ...”

In response, Jamie raised a thumb’s up, without taking his mouth off his man’s cock.  The cop was in no position to give orders, but he did anyway.  “Cum in my ass kiddo.  Jamie, swallow my jizz.  OK, boys ... now.” 

Felipe gasped as he felt his cock swell and pour semen inside the cop, while Mark howled and blasted cum down the deep throat of the surfer who greedily gulped down every last drop.

When their heartbeats subsided, Felipe pulled out of Mark’s ass, Jamie off his cock, and they freed his bound wrists.  Mark lay with his arms outstretched and grinned, “Come here guys.”

They lay down on either side of him, and he folded his arm round them.  “Guys, I’m so glad we’re all together ... nothing like family in tough times.  And as we fall asleep, we gotta think good thoughts for Larry, no doubt in Randy’s arms tonight, and for Uncle Mike in the days to come.

<><>    Larry Opens Up    <><>

Dinner in Palm Springs was a much quieter affair – just Randy and Larry.  Randy was determined to honor Mike’s request that he take care of Larry, and he focused on that now. He decided to take Larry out of the house for a while as there were so many reminders of Mike.  Larry also needed to talk, away from the house, so he suggested a steakhouse in downtown as he knew Randy’s preference for steaks.

As soon as they sat down and ordered, Larry opened up and Randy let him talk.  “I’ll take care of him, sir, no matter what.  Even if he can’t walk properly again I’ll make life as good for him as it’s always been between us. 

“Nobody knows just how much I love him.  He’s everything to me, a mix of you guys rolled into one.  He has your power and, well, raw masculinity ... he has Bob’s kindness and wisdom, Zack’s toughness, Mark’s authority, Hassan’s strictness, and Pete’s gentleness and quiet strength.  Plus he’s sexy as all get-out.

“But you know what it is most, sir?  Mike makes me feel safe ... when he talks to me, corrects me, teaches me, and especially when he makes love to me.  He’s a wonderful lover.

“You know, I never really felt safe in my life until I met Mike.  I was physically and sexually abused by my dad so I ran away from home.  When I was running wild on the streets it was like I was fighting against the world, not trusting anyone, thinking how smart I was, but underneath it all I was terrified.  Especially after my buddy Jamie fell in love with Mark and I was left alone.  When I woke up every day, no matter where I’d slept, I wondered if that day would be my last.  Anything could happen.

“When I came out to L.A. to find Jamie I got to know the whole tribe and they taught me a lot, but when Mike came to visit I knew what I wanted.  The first time I shared a bed with him I fucked it up.  I tried to give him a blowjob but I guess I was treating him like the johns I sucked off for money.  But then we spent a second night together and to this day I recall what I told him – that when I was cuddling up with him I didn’t feel scared ‘cos he was there, and somehow I knew I would always end up with him.

“And I’ll always be there for him sir.”  Larry faltered.  “He ... he is gonna make it, ain’t he, sir?”

Randy grabbed his hand and looked at him with his penetrating blue eyes.  “Of course he is, kid.  Like Doc Chad said on the phone, we don’t know yet how bad his leg injuries are, but my bet is, the thought of you waiting for him will give him strength to face whatever there is to come.”

While Larry talked, Randy had been eating and had finished off his steak.  “Hey, you’ve hardly touched your food, kid.  Gotta keep your strength up, Mike would want that.  Eat up.”

Larry frowned.  “I’m not really hungry, sir.  I could never finish this steak.”

“Well I can, dude, and Bob always says we mustn’t waste food.  Listen, I might lose my cool sometimes, and often lose my temper, but one thing I never lose is my appetite.”

Larry pushed his plate to Randy and watched him dig in.  He smiled, “Randy, I’m so glad it’s you I’m with right now.  Can we share a bed tonight?”

Randy looked up from his plate, his mouth full of food.  “Duh ... what, d’you think I’d leave you on your own, tonight?  I promised Mike I’d take care of you and I will – whatever it takes.”

<><>    Now I Feel Safe    <><>

When they got back to the house Larry went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, leaving Randy to undress.  Randy pulled the bedsheets back, perched on the side of the bed naked, and his phone rang.  It was Mike.”

“Hey, buddy what are you doing up and awake at this time of night? You escaped from the hospital?”

“I wish,” Mike chuckled.  “You know hospitals, night and day don’t mean much, they wake you up all the time to check your vitals.  They’ve got me doped up to the eyebrows but I’ve got a couple of minutes before the meds kick in again, so I called to check in with you.  How’s Larry doing?”

“He’s a tough one, Mike, you know that, learned that from you.  He’s bearing up, misses you of course.  I took him out to dinner, he talked about you a lot and I even made him laugh.”

“Great, great.  Randy I wanna ask you a favor.  Would you sleep with Larry tonight and make love to him and, er, fuck him?  We always do that, and you’re the only guy who could take my place.”

“Way ahead of you, buddy.  We already settled that, and right now I’m sitting on the bed butt naked while he’s brushing his teeth.  And when he comes back I have every intention of fucking his cute butt.  But let’s get one thing straight, old buddy.  I could never, ever, take your place.  But I think you’d approve of the way I make love to him.”

“Randy, I love you, boy, you know that.  I’m so glad it’s you he’s with tonight.”

“That’s more or less what Larry said.  Hey, here he comes now.  Have a word before you drift off in your pain-pill sleep.  Larry, it’s your lover ... his meds are about to kick in again, so let yours be the last voice he hears before he falls asleep.”

Randy handed him the phone and went to take a quick shower.  When he came back toweling himself dry, Larry was lying back naked, with a smile on his face.  “He told me he loved me ...”

“Well duh,” Randy chuckled.

“And when I told him I’ll always be here to take care of him he said he always knew that ... ‘in sickness and in health as long as we both shall live’.  That’s the wedding vows, sir, like we’re married or something.”

Randy grinned.  “OK, so I know you belong to someone else, but that ain’t gonna stop me fucking you, kiddo.”

“Did Mike asked you to say that, sir?”

“Dude, I told him we were way ahead of him, it was already decided.  But I wanna tell you what I told Mike.  There’s no way I can replace Mike, even for a night.  So you’ll have to make do with a good ol’ gypsy fuck from me.”

Larry grinned.  “Oh, I think I can just about ‘make do’ with that.”

“Don’t be cheeky now, kid.  He who talks back gets fucked harder.”

“That’s what I was counting on, sir.”

Randy threw himself down on Larry and kissed him fiercely.  When at last he pulled back Randy grinned.  “That’s about it for foreplay, dude.  I like to cut straight to the chase ... or the butt.”

“That’s what Mike always says.  He’s not big on foreplay.  OK, my butt’s all yours, sir.”  He pulled his legs back and offered his ass to the macho gypsy.  We don’t usually use lube, sir.”

“Lube?  Means nothing to me, kid.”  Randy projected a gob of spit in a direct hit at his ass. “That’s it – foreplay.”

“Mmm, you’re speaking my language, sir.”

Randy leaned forward, pinned the boy’s wrists to the bed and pushed his cock slowly but firmly inside him.

“Hmm,” Larry sighed, gazing up at the laser blue eyes in the dark stubbled face. “Now I feel safe.”

<><>    Gallows Humor    <><>

Early next morning as they were drinking coffee in the garden, they heard a car pull up.  In through the gate came the young blond fireman Jason and his boy Ben.

“Damn that was fast,” Randy said, pulling Jason into a tight man-hug. Then he turned to Ben.  “Hello little brother, come give your old man a hug.  I hope you’re ready to run a bike repair shop on your own.”

“Piece o’ cake, sir,” Ben said, with his rascal junior-gypsy grin. 

Jason gave Larry a warm, loving hug.  “How you doin’, Larry.  Bearing up?”

“Yes thank you, sir.  Having Randy here makes everything so much easier.  The hospital said Mike had a restful night, slept like a log, and we can visit in an hour or so.”  He turned to Ben.  “Dude, let’s go to the kitchen and rustle up some breakfast and I’ll bring you up to speed on the workshop.”

Randy and Jason sat down and poured coffee.  “So, Randy, what’s the verdict?”

“None yet.  We’re just waiting for the doc to clear him for travel and we’ll take him straight to Doc Chad’s hospital in L.A.  There’s no organ damage but the right leg’s pretty banged up as it was pressed rigid against the brake when he crashed.  This doc said that saving the leg is touch and go.  Chad won’t commit himself until he sees Mike and runs his own tests.  But dude, this is real good of you to bring Ben out here, solves so many problems.”

“It’s good for us too, Randy.  We don’t get away together often enough.  And Ben is raring to take over Larry’s shop.  He’s always wanting to take charge – takes after his big brother.”

“He does, don’t he?  And how about you, stud?  You gonna be the bartender from hell?

“Well, this ain’t my first time at the rodeo, man.  I bartended a lot when I was younger, before I joined the Fire Department.”  Jason’s handsome face broke into a roguish grin.  “I can tell this to you, ‘cos you know already.  You know how much I love showing off my body, even to myself in the gym mirror.  And at the bar I’ll have a huge horny audience.

“I sometimes think my narcissism started when I tended bar.  There’s no place like behind a bar to flaunt your body – shirtless under those flattering spotlights, the focal point of a crowded room, guys drooling over you.  I filled in for Mike one afternoon a long time ago and had a blast.  So while Ben’s doing his thing in the bike-shop, I’ll be doing my thing behind the bar.”

Randy laughed.  “Love you, dude.  Sounds like a win-win all round.  Except for poor ol’ Mike, eh?  But after breakfast we’ll run over to the hospital and find out where we go from here.”

An hour later all four of them were sitting in the waiting room at the hospital, waiting for the verdict from the doctor, whose name, they learned, was George.  He didn’t keep them waiting long and appeared with a broad smile.  “Gentlemen, he’s remarkable.  Professionally, we call it resilient, but in laymen’s terms he’s tough as nails.   Follow me.”

He took them to Mike’s room, where the patient was sitting up in bed smiling, with an empty breakfast tray beside him.  “As you can see,” the doc smiled, “no problem with the appetite.  So here’s the scoop.  Apart from the legs and the racoon eyes there are only mild aftereffects of the trauma.  The cranial CAT scan shows no damage from the bash on the head, though he should keep the bandage on for several days.  Looks cool, Mike,” the doc smiled.  “Like a pirate.

“Mike slept soundly all night and that helped a lot.  Nothing like sleep to facilitate healing.  So the real concern is the legs, especially the right leg where the multiple fractures are serious.  In complex cases like this the sooner he gets into surgery the better and, as he is in such good shape otherwise, I’m recommending an immediate transfer.

“There are two options there, Mike.  You can travel in an ambulance or, at a pinch, and with great care, you can go in a large vehicle where there’s plenty of room.”

“No way I’m going by ambulance, doc,” Mike said. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in one of those – actually, that’s the only way you would find me in one – dead.  Besides, an ambulance costs and arm and a leg.”  He grinned.  “Oops did I just say that?  Just a little gallows humor.”

George sighed and rolled his eyes.  “Like I said, guys, he’s ready to get out of here.”

Mike said, “Randy has this humongous truck, doc.”

“An F-650,” Randy said, “the back seat’s huge.  Mike could lie on his back along the back seat resting his legs on Larry’s lap.”

“And you would drive slowly and carefully, Randy?  No excess speed, no sudden stops?”

“Cross my heart, George,” Randy said with that dazzling sexy smile that stiffened every dick in the room – except George’s maybe ... who knew?”

“OK, so the prep will take a while.  What I’m going to do is put a temporary fiberglass cast on the right leg.  The fractured bones are fragile and should be kept still.  The surgeon will take the cast off, of course, and replace it with another after surgery.  For the left leg a surgical boot will be enough.”

“What’s the timing on that, doc?” Larry asked.

“Er, come back in two hours.  We’ll bring him out in a wheelchair and you can haul him away.  Please leave your phone number with my nurse, Randy, in case we need to contact you.”

Randy rewarded the doctor with another gleaming smile and a bone-crushing handshake.   “George, you are a prince among men, we owe you a lot for taking such good care of our buddy. Any time you’re in L.A. look us up – you’ll be an honored guest and it’ll be our turn to take good care of you.”

As his sexy laser-blue eyes bored into George’s, the guys doubted that the doc’s dick could stay limp under the gypsy’s gaze, whether he was into men or not.

<><>    Next Stop Doctor Chad’s    <><>

On the way back to the house they stopped off at Larry’s workshop so he could brief Ben on repairs that were pending.  

Next, they went by Mike’s bar where Larry told the assistant manager Curtis what was going on with Mike.  He introduced him to Jason, and Curtis smiled, “Oh yeah, I remember you, stud, from the last time you were visiting Mike.  It’ll be a pleasure working with you ... you ready to take your shirt off?  It’ll be great for business.”

“Oh yeah,” Jason grinned.  “After we’ve seen Mike and Larry off I’ll come back so you can show me the ropes and give me a schedule of the busy times you’ll need me.”

They went back to the house where Larry packed his and Mike’s clothes into the truck.  “Don’t worry guys,” Jason said, “we’ll take care of the house and business, you just take care of Mike.”

They exchanged warm goodbyes and thanks and soon Randy and Larry were sitting in the truck outside the hospital.  A nurse wheeled Mark out in a wheelchair, his right leg in a cast, supported straight out on a leg-rest.

The nurse was unsure how to maneuver him in the truck, but Randy said, “Don’t worry, nurse, I’ll take care of this.”  He bent forward and picked Mike up bodily, while Larry supported his legs and they slid him carefully on his back lengthwise onto the back seat.  The nurse was surprised that a big gypsy-looking man like this could be so tender.  Larry sat in the back seat and eased Mike’s legs onto his lap.  The nurse said, “Goodbye, sirs, good luck.  Drive carefully now.”

“You OK, back there?” Randy asked cheerfully.

“Never better, son.  With you up front and my precious boy back here with me ... who could ask for anything more?”

Mike’s toes were sticking out from the cast and Larry said, “Can you wiggle your toes yet, sir?”

“Only a bit.  I need practice.”

“Maybe this’ll help.”  Larry bent down and sucked Mike’s toes into his mouth.

“Mmm, much better. Hey, I might keep you around, kid, as my resident toe-sucker.” 

“OK,” Randy said, “quit with the toe fetish, guys, it’s weird.”

“You mean you never sucked Bob’s toes, boy?  I thought you sucked every inch of that gorgeous body.”

“That’s between him and me,” Randy grunted.  “Go to sleep, dude.  Next stop Doc Chad’s.”

Larry knew Randy’s reputation for driving fast and aggressively so he was surprised by his restraint now.  He drove under the speed limit and, instead of flooring it and swerving past the cars up front, he followed meekly behind.  Larry smiled. He was learning a whole new side to the rough and rugged gypsy boss.

Larry had brought a pillow for Mike, who fell asleep, still under the effects of pain pills, and they drove mostly in silence, with a grim set to Randy’s stubbled jaw. He called Bob – hands free, both hands firmly on the wheel.  “Hey, buddy, we’re on our way.  Could you call Chad and tell him we’ll be at the hospital right around three o’clock?”

“Sure thing, Randy.  And here are the arrangements I’ve made here.  I’m thinking that when Mike gets out of hospital a ground floor room is essential. So, Mark wants Larry and Mike to stay with them in their ground-floor apartment. He has two nice spare rooms, and Jamie will be right there for his pal Larry.   Jamie got off work early and he’s here waiting for Larry.

“Felipe lives with them, of course, and I have released him from kitchen duties and assigned him to take care of all of them, cooking and everything.  He seemed very eager to help, and I think they’ll all make a warm little family.  Mike will be in good hands.  That’s about it.  Can’t wait to see you, Randy.  I’ll be waiting for you.”

It seemed like a longer ride to L.A. than usual but at last, just after three, they pulled up to the emergency entrance of Chad’s hospital.  Chad himself came out, looking sexy as ever in the dark blue V-neck shirt of his scrubs.  A nurse accompanied him with a wheelchair.

Chad’s immediate focus was Mike.  He reached into the truck, felt his pulse and asked, “How you feeling, Mike?”

“Pretty good, doc.  Bit groggy is all.”

“Just as well – keeps you nice and relaxed.  Er, Randy ...”

“I’ve got it, Chad.”  He slid Mike closer to the door and picked him up in his arms.  Chad supported his feet and together they lowered him into the wheelchair, with the leg rests extended.  Larry bent down and kissed him.  “Bye, sir, see you soon.  Then it’s my turn to take care of you.  I love you.”

Randy could see that Larry was blinking back tears, so he reached down and squeezed Mike’s shoulder.  “Hang in there, you old rogue.  You’ll be out in no time.”

“Randy, you know how grateful I am for ...”

“Hey, enough of that, dude.  All in a day’s work for me.  I’ll take good care of your boy.”

“OK, nurse,” Chad said.  “Take him inside, I’ll be right in.”  Randy, Larry, I’m afraid it’ll be quite a long time before I have any news.  A full assessment takes time – tests, MRIs, the whole ballgame.  But I’ll call you before he goes into surgery.”

Randy’s eyes became moist.  “Chad, please ...”

“I know, Randy, he’s a special guy.  You know I’ll pull out all the stops on this one to save the leg.  Now I gotta go care for my patient, while you, Larry, let Jamie take care of you.  Randy, I know you’ve been through the wringer in the last couple of days, taking charge the way you do, with everything on those broad shoulders.   Now I want you to go and let Bob take care of you.”

Chad hugged Larry and Randy and they drove back to the house in a tense silence.  But the tenson lifted when they got back to the compound and found a small group waiting for them.  Randy said, “OK, guys, so far so good.  Mike stood the journey well and he’s now getting the best possible care from Doc Chad. It’ll be a while before Chad has any news, and of course we’ll keep y’all posted.”

Jamie ran up and embraced Larry.  “Hey, dude, you’re in good hands too.  You’ll be staying with us, and Felipe is waiting to feed us.”  He put his arm round Larry’s shoulder and led him away.

Bob smiled at Randy.  “Come on, big guy.  Home.” 

They walked together through the garden to their house and went upstairs.  Randy gazed into Bob’s soft brown eyes and all the tension and adrenaline that had sustained him all this time now drained away.  He was with the man he loved, and at last he could give way to the raw, ragged feelings he had been holding in check.  His lower lip quivered, his body shook ... and he fell sobbing into Bob’s arms.

Bob held him tight for a long time until the wracking sobs eased a little and his body stopped heaving.  Bob kissed his wet cheeks and said gently, “OK, Randy, I’m taking you to bed.”

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

 TO BE CONTINUED in “A Trial Of Strength” – Book 13: Chapter 7