Binding Attractions

Chapter 2

Trick was barely sixteen when Lorenzo realized his love with computers was more than just games and the teenage fascination with porn.

Back then, as five teenagers living on their own, they had barely enough to live on, surviving on a shoestring budget. Every cent Lorenzo made from running the cheap motel and their first truck went to their education and food. Clothes and shoes were all bought from the second-hand stores and shared. Thankfully, they hadn’t been so different in body size.

But eighteen-year-old Lorenzo, always the provider and protector of the pack, had vowed to make sure they turned their situation around. Somehow, he bought Trick his first computer and Trick practically slept and ate with it until he knew all there was to know about the world of code and programming.

Sixteen years later, Trick owned more than one sophisticated high-tech computer. His bedroom looked more like an advanced gaming room than an actual bedroom one slept in. Not that he actually played games. Nothing Trick did on the six large monitors mounted on his wall and the three laptops seated on his desk involved games. Unless he considered hacking into secure networks and making sure their activities were never discovered as a game.

Trick spared no expense when it came to his toys, as he liked to refer to them. And even though he no longer depended on Lorenzo for survival, his friend still surprised him by ordering him the latest gadgets and programs on the market before they even hit the shelves.

That was how Trick had his hands on the latest programming software in digital forensics and penetration testing. And he was as excited as a kid in a candy store.

“I take it you like it?” Lorenzo asked with a smile.

Trick looked up and blinked at his friend. He had literally forgotten that Lorenzo was still in his room. It took him a second to process what the man had said, then he looked down at the three laptops he was simultaneously working on seated on top of his desk.

“It’s amazing,” Trick whispered before he cleared his throat and said in a louder voice. “I will need to play around with it a little, but this is awesome. This will help me improve the security program and…”

Lorenzo quickly raised a hand to stop him before he could start a full lecture on programs and codes which he wouldn’t be able to understand, despite spending more than a decade listening to Trick talk about them with so much enthusiasm.

“Please, don’t start,” he literally begged with a shake of his head.

Before Trick could respond, a soft chuckle came from the doorway, grabbing both men’s attention. Abigail walked in with an amused smile pasted on her lips. She was a beautiful young lady in her early twenties with a glowing olive brown skin tone. Long, curly brown hair was tied at the base of her scalp in a loose ban. Her striking gray eyes were filled with humor and warmth as she walked toward them.

Abigail placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder when she reached him and looked down at Trick. “You will have a better chance of getting this one to understand all that geek talk than this old man,” she said while rubbing her still flat, pregnant stomach.

Lorenzo glared at her, but there wasn’t any anger in his voice. “Who exactly are you calling old?”

Instead of responding, Abigail ignored his question and looked at Trick. “Are you still heading out today? I want to tag along and see my OB.”

“I told you to let Gabriel check you.”

Abigail gave her husband a frustrated look. “Seriously, Lorenzo, I adore Gabriel, but I honestly don’t want him touching my v****a. Unless maybe it’s life and death and I have no other choice in the matter.”

Trick wasn’t sure if he should excuse himself from his own room and let them have this conversation somewhere where he couldn’t hear so many details. But before he could move a muscle or say anything, Lorenzo turned and faced his wife with almost horror in his eyes.

“I checked your obstetrician’s details online. He’s a man.”

To her credit, Abigail shrugged like she couldn’t see where the problem was. Trick immediately bit his tongue to stop from laughing. He could definitely see where the problem was.

“He is,” Abigail confirmed simply, still oblivious to the argument brewing. “He comes very highly recommended. The best in the city, apparently.”

Lorenzo looked at her like he couldn’t decide if she was being serious or just provoking him. He turned and looked at Trick for help, but Trick only shrugged and watched very eagerly to find out the verdict.

Still looking very much unaware of the fire she was starting, Abigail looked between Lorenzo and Trick. “What?”

Lorenzo cleared his throat. His head jerked for a second like he was having trouble staying still. Then he looked at his wife and his voice came out very measured and low. “What do you think will happen if I see another man touch your v****a? Hmm? Answer me that, Abigail, and be very creative with your answer because… I will be very creative when I get my hands on such a man.”

Trick couldn’t hold it anymore. His lips twitched and his chest trembled before he finally burst out in laughter.

Abigail, on the other hand, didn’t look very pleased with Lorenzo’s question and asked one of her own. “But you want Gabriel to check me out?”

“It’s Gabriel. And besides, you didn’t mention it would be a porn audition. I will touch your v****a. Gabriel can tell me what to do.”

Abigail shook her head at him. “You are unbelievable. This possessiveness is bordering on insanity.”

“Baby, I crossed that border a hell of a long time ago where you are concerned.”

“That’s true,” Trick muttered as he tried to hold back more laughter.

Lorenzo narrowed his eyes at him, but only spoke to Abigail. “Find a female obstetrician or gynecologist or whatever. That doesn’t mean I won’t be present for every single appointment. But at least I won’t get the urge to shoot the doctor every time they physically examine you.”

“You might just want to leave your guns in the car when you reach the hospital,” Trick said with a chuckle. “The doctor could be a hot lesbian.”

This time, it was Abigail who glared at Trick. “You’re not helping.”

Trick lifted his hands in surrender. “Just saying.”

Abigail humphed and folded her arms over her chest. Trick leaned back in his seat, his amused eyes darting between his friend and Abigail, who was clearly pissed. It was very entertaining to watch the two stare each other down. But even though Abigail had been with them for less than a year, Trick already knew she could hold her own, even against Lorenzo.

After a moment, though, he decided to cut short the battle of wills. “I will be heading out. Maybe in the next hour, once I’m done with this.” He waved at the laptops to elaborate.

Abigail nodded, turned on her heel and started walking out of Trick’s room. “I’ll be ready. I also need to get some yogurt while we are out.”

“But I bought you yogurt yesterday. Every damn flavor,” Lorenzo said.

Abigail threw a disgusted look over her shoulder. “You bought the wrong brand. I don’t like how they taste.” Then she was gone.

Lorenzo shook his head and muttered, “She asked for that brand yesterday.”

“Do you really want to engage in an argument with a pregnant woman?”

Lorenzo took a thoughtful pause and then shook his head. “Probably not.” He looked at Trick. “I can almost bet she won’t return with yogurt and will probably end up buying watermelon or something.”

Trick frowned and looked at the door where Abigail had left. “Maybe you should go with her. I really don’t want to be handling that.”

“Don’t be dramatic. What are you heading into the city for, anyway?”

It was rare for Trick to leave the forest house ever since he moved back months ago, especially since ninety percent of the work he did involved him sitting at the desk in his bedroom. That arrangement suited Trick just fine, considering going into the city involved a helicopter ride.

But he did leave from time to time. Certain things couldn’t be accomplished sitting behind a computer, such as time with the rest of his friends, Edwards and Trey, who didn’t live in the forest house permanently. And the occasional need to answer the urges of his body and look for a female companion. Companions he took to hotels for a few hours and never brought home.

There was no way in hell Trick would ever bring a hook up to their home. Even when he lived alone, he never took his one-night stands home. That would just give the woman the idea he wanted more, and Trick definitely never wanted more than a few hours of fun.

But the forest house was more than just a home, it was special. It was their safe haven. Their home was hidden in the middle of the forest and equipped with the most sophisticated security system. It sounded paranoid, but with the lives they lived and recent events, it was a necessity. So Lorenzo’s question wasn’t strange, especially since he knew Trick wasn’t meeting up with the guys. Thankfully, he wasn’t heading out for carnal pleasures, so it was easy to answer. Not that they had any restraints on talking about their s*x lives.

“There is a glitch in the security system I installed at Edward’s hotel. The newly renovated one by the lake.”

“Something serious?”

Trick shrugged. “I doubt it, but I can’t know until I get there and run a diagnostic on the system.”

“Let me know if it’s something serious,” Lorenzo said over his shoulder as he walked out of the room.

Trick gave a nod, even though the man couldn’t see it, and returned his focus to his work. He was certain he could guess where Lorenzo was going; in search of his wife to convince her to use Gabriel as her doctor. Trick chuckled to himself and shook his head.

If someone had told him a year ago that Lorenzo would not only marry, but would soon be a father with the same woman his friend had abducted and chased down like a madman, Trick would have told that person pigs would be flying before that happened. Trick shot a glance at his wall of glass, almost expecting to see a pink, fat pig fly right past his window.

Yeah. No pigs in the sky, but Lorenzo was definitely hooked on Abigail. Trick didn’t mind. He liked Abigail, and she was good for Lorenzo and good for all of them as a family. She brought the woman’s touch to their lives. And for five men who spent two decades ruling their own lives, it was a strange but welcome experience.

“Trick, hurry up!”

Speak of the devil. His eyes rolled before he could hold back. Yes, and she was also very stubborn and demanding. Especially since she got pregnant.

Trick looked at the lines of code he was working on for a brief moment and then stood up and grabbed his jacket. He had better chances to finish his work later without errors if he just left now and made her happy.

“I’m ready!” he called back and left his room.