Elliot was left speechless despite Fane’s constant mutters almost drowning out Laurent’s words. “It’s… okay. I mean, you’ve done your best,” he said in the end.
“Laurent!” Beast grabbed Laurent and spun around, placing his fiancé behind his back.
Knight cleared his throat, hugging Elliot while Fane walked through Beast to reach Laurent. Fortunately, without a body he couldn’t cause him any harm.
“How about you two come in, and we can have a nice cold beer together?” Knight proposed, hauling Elliot up.
Elliot stumbled, but Knight was there to hold him. Laurent followed behind Beast, and they were having a whispered argument Elliot couldn’t catch. Even in these circumstances, it was a bit funny to see a pretty boy who couldn’t be more than five-foot-seven be so defiant to the tattooed giant of a man that was Beast. But maybe that was what true love was about - absolute trust that the other person would never hurt you, no matter how much taller and stronger they were.
Beast followed Knight into the living room, careful to always stand between Laurent and Elliot. “How are things?” he asked grimly, and Elliot wasn’t sure who the question was meant for, but when the inquisitive gaze settled on him like physical weight, he felt compelled to answer.
“I… I’m healing well.”
Laurent’s eyes were so full of compassion when he peeked out from behind Beast. Elliot wasn’t sure what to do with all the care coming his way.
Before he could continue, he was spirited away to the sofa, and Knight pointedly pushed him down so that he’d sit. “Beer? Food?” he asked, leaning so low over Elliot the ends of his hair tickled Elliot’s cheek.
“May I have one of those blue bottled cocktails Nao always has?” Laurent asked, and Knight nodded at him. “Sure, there should be some on the lowest shelf.”
Beast sat down in an armchair opposite Elliot, unnerving him with his sheer size. Elliot wasn’t as short as Laurent, but it still felt as if Beast were twice his weight. Beast dwarfed Knight, so he was pretty much the local answer to The Rock.
Laurent came back with two blue bottles and wanted to pass one to Elliot, but then he must have remembered the straitjacket and awkwardly put the drink on the coffee table. “So, I wanted to speak with you privately if that’s possible.”
Elliot’s one eye instantly settled on Beast, who shook his head and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “Out of the question. I know it’s not his fault, but I can’t risk Fane taking over and hurting you as well.”
“Why can’t you just talk while we’re here? What can be so intimate?” Knight asked and fed Elliot some of the girly alcoholic cocktail.
Laurent sat in Beast’s lap and wrapped his arm over his man’s nape, looking like a lion tamer showing off his skills. “I wanted to talk to Elliot about Fane, and it’s not something I wish to discuss with others, or for it to be distracted. I promise to be cautious. I am not one to invite danger, but I will not shy from it either.”
Knight rubbed his fingertips through Elliot’s hair. “What do you think?”
“It doesn’t matter what he thinks, because he’s not the one to attack Laurent!”
“Say yes,” whispered Fane, whose hand briefly moved across Elliot’s thigh.
Elliot licked his lips, under pressure from every side. “I would very much wish to hear your side of the story, Laurent,” he said in the end, but then frowned to himself at the archaic way he sounded. As if Laurent was a prince and could be addressed in no other way. “I mean, yeah, I’d like to talk about it in private.”
Laurent stroked Beast’s shoulder. “He is contained, my Beast.”
Beast’s nostrils flared, as if he were a bull about to charge. “We could attach him to the sex hook so that he can’t move around.”
“What’s a sex hook?” Fane asked.
Elliot rolled his eye. Of course William Fane liked the sound of that.
“See?” Laurent smiled widely and kissed Beast’s cheek. “You can always find a way out of every dilemma.”
Beast groaned. “Knight, are you sure it’s safe?”
Knight shrugged and stood up, pulling Elliot with him. “Yeah. I’ve tried it out many times. Won’t budge.”
“And you two could stay outside, just in case,” Laurent said and slipped off Beast’s thigh.
Elliot looked up at Knight. “You never said you had a ‘sex hook’,” he whispered, flushing at the visions his brain provided. Was it one of those anal hooks with a ball at the end? But… they wouldn’t attach him to that, would they?
Knight’s eyes went warmer as he led the way, sliding his hand to Elliot’s ass even though Laurent and Beast were right behind them. “Didn’t know you’d be into that. But maybe we should try it out later?”
Elliot’s brain went a bit fuzzy, and he smiled, but Fane was there poke at the back of his head. “Focus on the task, Elliot. Stop thinking with your prick.”