Fighting Over Me

**Slater**

“Roan has been abused, hasn’t he?” I question Razz the next morning as he helps me prepare breakfast. “You noticed his back,” he states in reply, giving me an answer without actually saying it.

“Roan came to live with my family when we were in junior high school. We were changing in the locker room for football when I noticed fresh stripes on his back and bruises. His ribs were molten, and his back was bleeding. It wasn’t the first time I noticed something like that. He would have blood on his shirt and new bruises on his body daily. Then, there were times he would miss one day of school to show up the next in extreme pain. He tried to hide it, but he was my friend. I knew something was wrong. When he was not at school for over three days, I told my dads. After that, he came to live with us.

“After high school graduation, they told us what happened to his parents. Ranger cut them into pieces for how found Roan. Roan was locked in a closet, covered in his feces. He had been severely beaten, his back was infected, and he was dehydrated and malnourished. Because of the trauma to his head, he was in a coma for six months after they rescued him. My family adopted him,” Razz explains to me.

“How is he this morning?” He asks tentatively.

“Sleeping, which leads to my next question… has not been cared for after sex? He was stubborn about me helping him.”

“No, he was not. I would pick him up after he was done. He could barely walk. His muscles would be so fatigued, and he would have bruises. I despised it, but I also knew I couldn’t provide for him anymore. When we had Artemis in our lives, he was easier to manage, but when she left…I couldn’t give him what he needed. Not to that degree,” Razz says with a haunted look in his violet eyes.

“When we were done, I had Artemis come to my room. Thanks to her, I got him to willingly allow me to massage a salve onto his back to take away the pain and heal his skin quickly.” I smirk at the thought. “We put him to sleep.”

“I just can’t believe he is still asleep. He rarely sleeps through the night anymore. Thank you for helping him,” Razz mutters while cooking the ears.

I shake my head, not needing his thanks. “I understand him. Camden is similar, only he needs debasement with bloodletting. It’s not frequent though, maybe once a quarter. For him to let me treat his wounds afterward, Artemis must sing him a lullaby.”

I flip over the bacon.

“Is that a psychopath thing?” Razz queries.

“No. Camden has always been the way he is. His mother left their father when she found out what he was doing to Cam when he would cry. His mother is a wonderful, sweet woman. Cam saw nothing wrong with abuse, which led to what we call his bloodlust and debasement afflictions. Cam would get beatings from his father when he would catch him dissecting animals. He wanted to know what their insides looked like. His father thought Camden was a demon-possessed freak who needed a firm hand. He doesn’t feel emotions like other people.”

“Roan wasn’t like that. He would bury dead animals with sadness. He can have explosive anger, but he has a long fuse.”

“Cam is never explosive. He approaches everything with cold calculation. I don’t believe Ronin is a psychopath. Because of his childhood suffering, he is more than likely a sociopath. I only know this because Weston and I had this conversation last year about the differences. One is created by trauma and the other is born,” I explain.

“That would make sense,” Razz comments, plating the eggs.

“Good morning,” Preston says, entering the house through the backdoor.

Indiana bounds into the kitchen to greet him. He hugs Preston around his waist with his front legs, standing on his back. Preston rubs the pit bull's head joyfully and then tells the dog to get down. Indy does, with his rear wiggling happily. I don't see Clementine, which means the cat is still in bed with Camden.

"Indy is such a sweet dog," Preston comments, petting the dog on the head as he moves.

"We rescued each other," I comment, now frying my freshly made tortillas while Razz places the bacon on the table.

"How is Ronin after last night?" Preston questions with concern. He watched everything but the aftercare. We talked about his thoughts and feelings on what he saw while Ronin was soaking in the bathtub. He is curious and would like to try bondage at least once.

"He fell asleep while I doctored him. He was still asleep when I checked on him after my run. Silver Boy talks in his sleep. He woke me up. I had a conversation with him about the nonexistent knives that were on the table. He wanted to know if I could notice if they were coated in poison. I explained that the only person who would be able to tell him that was Avery Berenger of Fury. No le gusto mi respuesta."

Razz snorts. "Of course, he didn't like your answer. You didn't give him the answer he wanted to hear."

I shrug at him.

I turn my attention back to Preston. "Do you want to try what we talked about today? I still think you would be a perfect brat."

"On that note, I'm going to see if anyone else is awake," Razz says rushing out as though his ass is on fire.

I inwardly snicker.

I'm not shy about sex and I find it adorable that he is.

"Watching you was making me rock solid, but I'm not sure if I would enjoy something like that or not," Preston responds sitting at the table when Razz leaves.

I hum under my breath before responding. "You have a voyeur kink. You were leaking without touching while watching us with Artie, and me with Plateado."

"I didn't know I could get so turned by watching people have sex. Watching porn or strippers didn't interest me," Preston comments.

"What are your plans today?" He questions, quick to change the subject.

I'll let him get away with that just this once, but at some point today will be circling back to him wanting to try bondage.

"Training the teenagers. We have a lot to do to get Ash caught up to the murder twins," I tell him.

Preston nods his dark head. "They'll be the murder triplets soon enough," he sighs in exasperation.

I hum under my breath again.

"What do you think of Ash?" He asks me.

"I think the kid is a sociopath like Ronin and AC. His trauma response is to shut down and blank off. He needs to get seen by Weston," I tell him.

"I know, but he isn't ready yet. It's only been a short time since we got him out of his situation. We need to give time to adjust. For now, let's work on getting him trained so that he can defend himself," Preston retorts.

He has a point, the kid is new to the family.

It's odd because of the way Kass and AC are with Ash, it's as though he has been with them all along.

"I have to meet with the crew before lunch so that we can train the teenagers after lunch. I want you to watch from the cameras, they have audio. I want to see if you notice anything. I feel as though someone in my crew will soon make a play to end me and Camden," I comment.

"I got you six or is it your dick?" Preston teases with a wink. He licks his lower lips staring at my dick jutting out toward him from inside my lounge shorts.

I chuckle at him. "Si quieres mi polla, ven a buscarla, Nene. (If you want my dick, come get it, Baby Boy.)" I dare him with a purr.

"After last night, if anyone is getting your dick, Papi, it's me," Ronin says with hooded eyes as he makes his way to the coffee pot.

He has some of the best bedroom eyes I've ever seen.

"I didn't know what he said, it sounded sexy as hell rolling off his tongue," Preston rasps and then clears his throat.

I'm going to have fun with these two.

It's been a long time since I let this side of myself be seen. I've always had just as much interest in boys as I did in girls, but because of what my uncle did to me, I become triggered when I attempt to be intimate with other men. I want to be comfortable with someone, to work through these triggers, and just maybe these two will be understanding enough not to condemn me for my actions.

"If anyone is sucking Slay off before breakfast, it's me," Artemis says with Camden and Razz behind her.

"If we are going to make Slay's trouser-snake deflate, we better make it quick. The kids are awake and will be in here shortly," Camden comments.

I shake my head at all of them while finishing the last of the tortillas. "We aren't doing that right now. Deja de pelear por mi."

Ronin walks behind me. His arms wrap around my waist. "But I don't want to stop fighting over you," he rumbles. He licks the shell of my ear before sucking my lobe into his mouth so his tongue can flick my earrings.

I stifle a moan.

This man is more sinful and open than I thought he would be. Is this because of last night?

"You're worth fighting over," he whispers before stepping away.

I turn around with a plate of tortillas to see him kissing my goddess while Razz kisses her throat. Camden, Preston, and I watch until their spell is broken by children running into the kitchen, the three teenage boys are hot on the toddler's heels. They break apart.

Artemis picks Atlas while Camden does the same to Atticus. They place the little boys in their highchair while the rest sit down around the table to eat our breakfast.

I look around the table, at the faces of my new family.

This is right.

These men are supposed to be with us.

But then, why do I feel as if something is about to go wrong?