Page 69 of Double Down

Raiden

A year later…

Raiden stoodon the staircase outside their home, the street quiet around him. The brick building had come to feel like home, and Raiden had started hanging around the hardware store downstairs and making some neighborhood friends. He took a small slip of paper, then jammed it into the slot by the middle buzzer.

Re-Knew Solutions, it read, and he let out a satisfied grunt to see the name of Lawrence’s new business there.

“Yo!” Gray yelled from down the street. “You get lost?”

Raiden’s best friend was strolling toward him with a couple stuffed grocery bags in his arms. A few months earlier, he had gotten back to the country after travelling with his boyfriend all year, and Raiden felt like the last piece of the puzzle was finally in place, now that he had returned. Raiden hurried forward, then grabbed one of the bags from Gray. “Thanks for stopping by the store.”

“Anytime,” Gray answered. “You must be pretty damn busy, considering you’ve got two hot men to keep satisfied.”

Raiden laughed. He shifted the bag into one arm, then shoved Gray with his free hand. “I had to think of something to outdo you, after you went and fell in love with a movie star.”

“Just tell me this,” Gray asked as they headed up the stairs. “You really never get jealous between them? Because it used to be you’d try to pick up a total stranger at the bar, then end up spitting nails when he just looked at someone else.”

“What’s there to be jealous of?” Raiden asked, sincerely confused by the question. “None of us are looking at anyone else.” He tightened his grip on the bag, then pushed the door open. “Wouldn’t even cross our damn minds,” he added.

Gray laughed. “I don’t know. I guess it makes sense for you, man. It really does.”

They walked into the first floor of the former woodworking studio, which had been carefully remodeled into an open office space. Desks, couches, and shelving were artfully scattered around, and the few floating walls were splashed with art that Lawrence had commissioned. The computers, monitors, and other technical equipment had been moved aside for the night, and the space was lightly decorated with tablecloths, floral settings, and scattered bottles of wine.

“I’ll go get the guys,” Raiden said with a nod to Gray.

“Take your time,” Gray replied. He grabbed the second bag back from Raiden, then started to the kitchen. “I came all the way into the city to help, and I know you three haven’t slowed down yet.”

It was satisfying to be teased like that from Gray, and Raiden grinned to himself as he rounded the corner, then took the stairs to the second floor. They’d filled out the living area with a couple walls and took advantage of the old plumbing setup to install a second bathroom. Each of the three men had their own corner of the place, with Raiden’s record player and punching bag hidden away behind a divider, Cash’s computer lair sprawling in the back corner, and Lawrence’s own personal lounge on a slightly elevated platform in the center. They kept their bed in the same position Cash used to have it, although it wasn’t unusual for one of them to take a night in the small guest room by the stairs, just for a little peace and quiet.

When Raiden emerged to the top of the stairs, he immediately spotted Cash and Lawrence. Lawrence was standing there in a pair of black boxer briefs and picking through his wardrobe while Cash laid casually across the golden couch, sipping a cocktail. “What about the blazer with the roses printed on it?” Cash asked.

Lawrence grabbed the blazer, then draped it over his chest. “Are you sure? Does this really sayPresident of the Foundationto you?”

“Damn straight,” Raiden said, joining them. “Then again, anything you wear will say that, since you are.”

Laughing, Lawrence stuck out his hip, offering a pose. “You’re saying I should go to this reception naked?”

Jumping forward, Raiden spun him in his arms, and Lawrence laughed with surprise. “I’m saying we should all spend a little time naked before you go down,” Raiden growled. “Don’t you think?”

Cash appeared beside him, stroking the back of Lawrence’s head. “I think we’ve got time for some fun,” he agreed.

Only a few seconds later, the guys were tearing their clothes off each other. Raiden chuckled as he wrestled with Cash a little, then chased him with some spankings before they all jumped into the big bed and rolled around. They dynamic between the three of them was always growing and changing, which suited Raiden just fine. None of them were particularly kinky, but they all played with some dominant and submissive tendencies, and Raiden found he would spend weeks obsessed with plowing both men, only to have his attention switch over to the fun of doubling up on Cash with Lawrence. It was like they were always new together, but infinitely familiar, too.

They only played around for a little while that afternoon, finishing off by lying in a triangle and sucking each other off. Then they washed up in the shower and got dressed. Raiden ran down first, and Gray’s boyfriend Jameson was there, sparkling in a belted jumpsuit as he helped arrange snacks in the kitchen.

Lawrence and Seb had gotten the idea to start the foundation together, believing that they could build the kind of initiatives and public programs that would be needed to undo the damage Horizon had done. As the corporation crumbled and the executives were held to account by Congress and by the public, there were new openings to build a better world. The plan ran into a minor hitch when Lawrence’s trust fund and salary vanished in the Horizon fallout. Thankfully, Jameson had shown up and generously offered his own fortune to make the whole thing possible again. Although he would stay anonymous, he was really as much a part of the whole thing as any of them.

Over the next few hours, the space filled with familiar faces. Declan and Seb showed up early, each in matching brown suits, and Seb, Jameson, and Lawrence ran upstairs to plan the speeches together. Horatio arrived with a case of champagne, and when Lawrence’s friends appeared en masse, they immediately started snapping selfies and tweeting out their excitement for the initiatives. By the time Raiden welcomed the newest couple in their expanding family, Alexandria and Dee, his cheeks were aching from smiling so much.

“Looking pretty damn proud, big guy,” Cash said. They were standing by the doorway to the office, looking out on the busy scene.

Raiden grabbed the top of Cash’s head, then messed up his hair. “I am proud,” he said. “I’m damn proud of all three of us.”

“Who would have thought my hacker skills would be helpful for planning watershed rehabilitation?” he asked.

“I did!” Lawrence said brightly. He waved at Seb and Jameson as they headed into the office, then beamed at his boyfriends with a smile. “With Seb’s help, I guess.”

“You ready for your speech, sweetheart?” Raiden asked.

Lawrence nodded quickly. “Seb and Jameson reminded me that I don’t even have to feel nervous about it.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Sure,” Lawrence answered. “We’re all on the same team, aren’t we?”

“That’s right, sweetheart,” Cash agreed. “And don’t forget it.”

Raiden smiled. He took one boyfriend under each arm, then turned back to the office. Finally, there was nothing to run from and nothing to hide—just three men and the people they loved, building a new life together.

The end