A Trial of Strength

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH - PART 344 By Rob Williams

IN THIS CHAPTER:

Mark (the muscle-god cop) and Jamie (his young blond surfer) have wild sex where master/boy roles are reversed. Then a man from Jamie's past, Brigg, surfaces and attacks Brandon. The senior boys unite to exact revenge, first from Pablo's fist and then in a test of Brigg's manhood by the muscular black leatherboy Darius. But Jamie's kindness prompts Brigg to reveal a heart-breaking story of his past.

CHAPTER 344 – "A NEW MAN – A TEST OF MANHOOD"

The whole tribe had gathered at the Grady house to celebrate the reunion of Grady and Mario.

As it turned out they also witnessed the resolution of the problems between Doctor Steve, his lover Lloyd and their houseboy Tommy. That tortured triangle was settled by boss Randy in his usual earthy gypsy way. As he later said with a casual shrug, "I took care of it, that's all. Shit, how many times have I told you guys that a good stiff dick up the ass solves most problems?"

The party was a huge success and went on until dark, when couples started to pair off and go to their homes. In bed that evening most of them went through the usual pleasurable exercise of talking out the party, especially the various relationships in the tribe, their unlikely beginnings and torturous paths to happiness.

One of the most successful and loving of these couples, not to mention one of the most glamorous, were the handsome blond cop Mark and his gorgeous young surfer-boy Jamie. In bed that night they too talked over the party and the couples gathered there. Inevitably their conversation wound its way to recollections of their own relationship and its strange and precarious start. They could laugh about it now, but back then it had been traumatic and could have ended disastrously for Jamie.

At the time he was one of a pair of skinheads, living rough on the edge of the law, who had broken into the tribe's house. They had attacked Randy's boy Pablo but had fortunately been stopped by Mark, arriving home in his police uniform with his authoritarian "Freeze!"

Mark now held his naked boy close and said, "When I first saw you, Jamie, my only thought was of arresting you and throwing you in jail. You remember? It was an ugly scene. Randy of course was all for beating you up but fortunately Bob intervened and convinced me not to charge you and Randy not to slug you. At Bob's persuasion, Randy agreed to hire you two guys as menial laborers on the tribe's new house he was building at the time."

Mark propped himself on his elbow and ran his hand over Jamie's handsome face and muscular surfer's body. "Now look at you, totally transformed – my gorgeous boy, one of the tribe's most senior boys with a ripped, tanned body, that shaved head now a tousled mass of blond hair."

Jamie smiled. "I'll always be grateful that you saw something in me that you liked enough to take me on that trip up the coast." He chuckled, "I prided myself on being such a stud with the ladies and didn't realize I was falling in love with you. And now here we are. I love you so much, sir, and I'll always try to make you proud of me."

"By the way," Mark said, "whatever happened to that other guy? What was his name?"

"Brigg, sir, and he went back to his family in St. Louis. I don't know why though, `cos I seem to remember him telling me his father was a drunk who abused him and his mother."

"Well, that's all water under the bridge now, buddy. It sure ended well for us though. That trip up to my shack in the dunes was the start of our life together. And you remember the first time we fucked? I tied you to the bed, made you suck my dick, then pushed it into your gorgeous ass ... the first man ever to fuck you."

"And the best, sir. My favorite part of every day is getting naked on the bed and waiting for you to come home and fuck me. Mmm, I love that so much."

"Which we haven't done yet today."

"Excuse me, sir?"

"We've been up at the Grady House all day hearing all about other guys patching up their quarrels and fucking each other but ... let's see here." He reached down under the sheet and felt Jamie's cock – stiff as a pole. "Hmm, can't let that go to waste, can we?" He jumped up off the bed and paced round it, gazing down at his naked surfer, and laughed, "Look at that tent pole under the sheet. Throw it off you, let me see what's holding it up."

Jamie pushed the sheet down to his ankles and his cock sprang up tall and proud. He gazed at the blond cop, with the body and face of a Greek God. He was wearing only navy blue boxers and as he walked round the bed he flexed his muscles, deliberately turning his boy on. He went to the small fridge, pulled out a beer and twisted off the top. He tilted his head back and took a long swig, his pronounced Adam's apple moving seductively as he swallowed.

To Jamie the cop was an icon of masculinity, with his chiseled features – strong cheekbones, lantern jaw and blue eyes – his sculpted muscles rippling as he casually raised the bottle and drank. The image was so erotic that Jamie mechanically grabbed his cock and stroked it.

"Oh, no. Oh no you don't boy. You're not gonna jack off like that. I was just getting off thinking about what I did to you that first time. You're a cop's boy now, and you know what that means."

Mark went over to his uniform pants on a hanger and detached from the belt two pairs of police-issue handcuffs. "These are what I use to restrain overactive suspects. And you are definitely being overactive and, I suspect, about to bust your load. No, can't have that. Remember what I did to you all that time ago?"

"Yes, sir," Jamie said, trembling with excitement, pre-cum already oozing from his hard cock.

"Yeah, well, looks like I've gotta do the same thing now. But I'll give you a break – so you don't get hurt." He grabbed off the floor two discarded T-shirts, his own and Jamie's, and wrapped one round each of Jamie's wrists. Then he clicked one pair of cuffs to each wrist and looped the other end over the bed posts so Jamie was cuffed to the bed, arms stretched to the corners, his wrists protected from chafing against the steel.

"Oh shit yeah, that's how I remember you that first time, Jamie, looking almost as gorgeous then as you do now. I remember how you panicked a bit and struggled to get free." The naked surfer struggled now and Mark groaned. "Oh yeah ... oh yeah. Shit that looks so fucking hot. I think when I saw that the first time I knew I you as my boy so I could fuck you whenever I wanted – like I do now.

But still the muscle-cop paced round the bed, teasing Jamie with his near-naked body, and Jamie once again felt the exquisite sensation of being helplessly bound, at the mercy of a police officer. He pulled against his restraints, partly to indulge in the pleasure of naked helplessness, partly to show off his body, as he knew Mark loved the sight of a writhing blond jock.

And it was true. Watching his boy handcuffed to the bed was a huge turn-on for Mark and he at last dropped his shorts and stood naked at the foot of the bed stroking his huge cock. But still he teased his boy. "Remember how after I tied you up I stuffed this rod in your mouth?"

"Yes, sir," Jamie trembled.

"You want it now, like that first time?"

"Yes please, sir. Please let me suck your cock, sir."

Mark grinned. "That's what I like to hear, a surfer jock begging for cock as he struggles in bondage. Guess I better give him what he wants." Mark knelt on the bed straddling Jamie's chest, and pulled a pillow under his head, raising the boy's face so his dick was pointing straight at his mouth. Reflexively Jamie parted his full, soft lips, an inviting target for the cop's long shaft.

Mark leaned forward, braced his hands on the headboard and raised up on his feet so his body was arched over the young jock, his stiff rod pointing down just a few inches from his face. Jamie strained his face up and poked out his tongue trying to lick the end of the cock.

"Man, you really want it, don't you, stud?"

"Yes, sir," Jamie groaned eagerly. Finally Mark had mercy on him, lowered his hips and slowly pushed his cock between the lips, into the warm mouth and all the way down the boy's throat. Jamie felt Mark's curly blond pubic hair press against his face and inhaled though his nose, savoring the musky smell of the cop's sweaty crotch.

As Mark pulled slowly back Jamie applied the lessons he, like all the other boys, had received from the champion cocksucker Eddie. He clenched his throat muscles tight round the thick shaft as it slid from his mouth then pushed in again, with Jamie alternately clenching and relaxing his throat.

Mark gazed down at the boy's full lips, pursed tight as his cock disappeared into his mouth. "Man, that feels so fucking good. Yeah, eat that cop's dick, surfer boy." He grinned, "You've come a long way since that first time, Jamie, when you gagged and choked, but you learned fast." He fucked the handsome, blond, wide-eyed face, driving Jamie wild as the cock pushed in, paused, pulled out slowly then drove in fast, deeper than before.

But suddenly Mark pulled out, threw his head back, eyes closed, and moaned, shit you almost made me cum there. But I wanna save it for something special." He sank down on his knees again over Jamie's chest and freed his wrists. He locked eyes with him and spoke seriously.

"Like I said, Jamie, you've come a long way since those early days, transformed from an insecure boy to a self-assured young man – my man. You see this? Mark pointed to a tattoo on his own arm, a surfboard with a letter J across it. Remember when I did that, and why? Remember when I told you I don't want you to be my boy anymore ... I want you to be my man ... my lover, my buddy, my friend."

"Yes, sir, I remember it all."

"And you remember what we did to celebrate?"

"You mean ...?"

"Yeah ... this ..." Mark reared up on his knees ... then sank straight back down onto Jamie's rigid cock, letting it plunge deep in his ass. "Aaagh!" Jamie howled, shocked by this sudden dry fuck that quickly gathered speed as the naked cop rode the surfer's pole, smiling down at him with shining blue eyes, raising his arms and flexing them in a bodybuilder pose, his muscles rippling as he rose and fell over him.

Jamie instantly transitioned from obedient boy to the role of a hot young stud having sex with his good buddy. "Yeah, come on man, ride that dick ... damn your ass is hot." He raised his hands and ran them over Mark's ripped abs, his rock hard pecs and bulging biceps. "You are so fucking gorgeous, man. Yeah, buddy, let's fuck!"

With a surge of strength Jamie threw Mark over onto his side and lay behind him, wrapping his arms round him from behind, still ramrodding his ass. Soon he pulled out and pushed the cop over on his stomach. He knelt behind him pressed his hands on the small of his back and moaned, "fucking gorgeous ass," as his plunged his cock in again.

They both looked up at the mirror at the end of the bed staring wildly at each other. "OK, buddy," Mark howled, "let's see what you got. Fuck that ass!" Pressing down on Mark's waist and pinning him to the bed, Jamie had reversed their roles. Previously at the cop's mercy the surfer was now the top man and his rod pistoned inside the cop's helpless ass.

Mark willingly surrendered his ass to his boy until the pressure became too much even for him. He flexed his muscles, arched his back and threw Jamie off him. They rolled over the bed in a tangle of limbs, fucking in every position, trading roles, on top one minute, then getting butt-fucked by the other. In the end Mark was on his back, gazing up at the heaving body of the young surfer, his long blond hair flying in a tangled mess as he fucked like a stallion.

Their frenzy of love and lust seemed to have no end, but the stamina of even these virile men had its limits and at last Jamie's cock slowed and he panted with exhaustion, "I'm done, man. Your ass is so damn hot I gotta cum."

"Let's do it, stud," Mark grinned, pounding his own bulging cock in his fist. "God you look beautiful, Jamie ... let me feel your jizz in my ass. Fuck yeah! Oh man, I love you. I'm gonna shoot ... I'm cumming ... fuck ... fuck ... aaagh ..." His cock exploded in his fist, blasting ribbons of cum over his washboard abs and heaving chest.

The sight of the rugged blond cop covered in his own cum, and the feel of his hot ass clenching round his dick was irresistible to the young jock. He threw his head back, his muscles flexed, and with one last ferocious plunge of his cock he howled as his sperm erupted deep inside the ass of the handsome police officer lying naked beneath him.

Their hearts were pounding, their breathing ragged, they stared at each other in wonder. It had been phenomenal sex, even more powerful because it was between two good buddies – not master and boy but two virile alpha males, trading muscle for muscle and fuck for fuck. Jamie pulled his dripping cock out and fell on top of mark, who held him and smiled into his eyes.

"That's the man I wanted, Jamie – the only man for me."

As they calmed down Mark became more contemplative. "I love watching you grow into a virile young stud, Jamie, a man in my own image. But I'll tell you this, being a top man has its obligations. As a police officer I have to be tough but I try to be fair – justice tempered with mercy – and I want you to be the same. As a senior boy you have to combine strength with compassion, especially taking care of the junior boys. Some of them can be vulnerable and you and the other senior boys must look out for them. You understand?"

"Yes I do, sir. Is it OK if I still call you `sir'?"

"Of course. We're buddies, but I'll always think of you as my boy – my handsome, blond surfer boy. And I couldn't be prouder of you, the way you've grown from that lost young rebel into the man you are today. I know you will always act wisely, no matter what the challenge."

And at last they drifted off to sleep in each other's arms – cop and California surfer, master and boy, two best buddies – two men totally in love.

They couldn't know it at the time but a challenge would shortly arise that would test Jamie and many of the boys in the way Mark had described.

It all happened suddenly about two weeks later on a Friday in mid-afternoon. The house was quiet as most of the men were still at work, though they were expected home soon as they usually got off early on Fridays.

The twins were home, of course, busy in the kitchen prepping the evening meal, which was usually quite festive at the start of the weekend. Nate, the house manager, was upstairs checking on supplies for the master suite. Brandon was alone in the office, a small, separate building with a view of the garden.

Jamie, the office manager, had taken papers up to the Grady House for Grady to sign, leaving his assistant Brandon in charge. Brandon was on the phone with Randy's boy Pablo, the chief mechanic at the construction site, querying some expenses he had put in for vehicle maintenance. Suddenly he saw through the office window a stranger who had come through the gate and was standing in the garden looking around.

Brandon hung up the phone and wheeled his chair out and down the ramp. "Excuse me ... can I help you?"

When the guy turned around Brandon was surprised to see a scruffy, surly-looking guy, maybe in his mid-twenties – scrawny, decent-looking face under the dirt and matted brown hair. He was wearing old jeans and a sweaty T-shirt that looked as if he slept in them.

He scowled, "I'm looking for Jamie. Who the fuck are you anyway?"

With an uneasy feeling Brandon said, "My name's Brandon – I'm Jamie's friend and assistant. He's not here right now but I can probably get him on the phone. What name shall I say?"

"Tell him Brigg – he'll know who I am. We're best buds – go back a long way. What are you, his faggot boyfriend? That's what this place is, uh ... bunch of fucking faggots? I was here before – couldn't wait to get out of the place. And I've come to take him away with me. Jamie ain't no fag – less'n he's been brainwashed by you guys. Huh. What good is a cripple boy to him anyway? Only thing you could do is suck dick."

Brandon backed away. "Er, if you'll wait here I'll go into the office and get Jamie on the phone."

"And dismiss me like a fucking servant? I don't think so, asshole. I'm coming with you."

"No, I'm not allowed to let anyone in the office – lot of confidential papers and ..."

"And what, you're gonna stop me, wheelchair boy?" Brigg laughed cruelly. "Yeah right, like that's gonna happen." He walked forward and Brandon tried to block him with his wheelchair. "Fuck you, kid. Out of my way ..." Brigg grabbed an arm of the wheelchair and with one heave hurled it over. Brandon went sprawling and fell heavily on the ramp to the office. He threw out a defensive arm but collapsed on top of it, howling in pain as his left wrist hit concrete.

Brigg towered over him grinning viciously as Brandon reached up with his good arm and tried to pull the fallen wheelchair between them. Brigg kicked it aside and was about to stomp on Brandon when a voice said, "Hey, mate, what to fuck you doing?" Encouraged by the angry Australian voice Brandon reached out and grabbed Brigg's ankle as Nate hurtled out of the house and tackled him.

Nate and Brigg rolled over the ground trading punches, but Brigg was evidently a tough street fighter, more than a match even for the determined Aussie. But the cavalry arrived in the shape of the twins. They had heard Nate's shout from their kitchen and came racing out, still in their aprons, and piled on top.

Brigg fought like a tiger, landing a few good punches, one on Nate's cheek that would surely give him a black eye. Brandon was groaning in pain and the fight was in full swing when, "Freeze!" At first they thought it was Mark, but no, it was his boy Jamie arriving home. "What the fuck?" he yelled. "Brigg is that you? Stop! Right now!"

Jamie's commanding voice, something he had learned from Mark, had the momentary effect of making Brigg hesitate and the other boys seized the opportunity to pull him to his feet. He stood there looking even more bedraggled than before, his shirt torn, breath heaving. "Thank Christ you got here, Jamie, or I would have murdered these faggots." He managed a grin. "I've come to take you away from here. Best buddies – like old times, eh?"

Jamie's first thought was for Brandon and he knelt on the ground beside him. "Dude, are you OK? What happened?"

Brandon was shivering in mild shock but put on a brave face as he stammered, "I ... I dunno, Jamie, he just showed up here asking for you, then went kind a' crazy and upset my chair. I think he was gonna beat me up when Nate arrived, thank god, then the twins. I ... I think I may have broken my arm. Hurts like hell."

Brigg looked around him and, seeing the odds against him, decided to make a break. He pulled free of the hands restraining him and made a dash for the gate ... only to run into Pablo coming through the gate followed by his faithful dog Billy and by Darius. Pablo grabbed his arm tight and growled, "Who the fuck are you?"

"Ask your buddy Jamie," Brigg snarled.

"Oh yeah, I remember you. The asshole I beat up all that time ago when you broke in. Jamie, what the fuck's going on here?"

Jamie looked up from where he was calming Brandon. "Dude, for some reason Brigg showed up out of the blue. Brandon offered to help him but he got violent and pushed his chair over. Would have beat him up if Nate hadn't come to the rescue. Brandon's hurt his arm."

Alarmed Pablo went and knelt beside Brandon while Darius guarded Brigg. He grinned his usual confident grin and said, "You ain't going anywhere dude. One move and ..." he clenched his fist ... "get it?"

"Yeah," Brigg said sullenly.

"No dude," Darius's smile broadened. "You don't understand. I said, do ... you ... get ... it?"

Brigg stared at the shirtless black muscle-stud, saw the flash of cold steel in his eyes behind the grin and said, "Yeah ..." Darius clenched his jaw ... "OK, yes, sir ... I get it."

"Better." At that moment Pablo stood up from Brandon and came to confront Brigg, glaring with a fury everyone had seen so often in Randy's eyes. Pablo wasn't the boss's boy for nothing.

"So, asshole," he said coldly, "it seems that you called Brandon over there a faggot, cripple boy and wheelchair boy. Then you hurt him bad and were gonna beat him up some more." Pablo frowned. "You may recall from your stay here years ago that I am the boss's boy, he's my dad, and I get angry real fast just like my dad. That kid on the ground is one of the boys here, one of my best buddies, and ya see, I don't let anyone mess with my boys. If my dad were here he'd have ripped you apart by now. But see, he's not here, so I guess that job's mine."

Pablo hauled back and slammed the back of his hand across the frightened man's face and snarled, "You shit-for-brains asswipe." He punctuated his words with alternate slaps across both sides of his face. "You dare to come into my house ... our house ... call us a bunch of faggots ... abuse this great kid here who's worth a hundred of you. That makes me angry, dude, and when I'm angry I do this ..." He hauled back again and slammed his fist on his jaw.

Knocked clear off his feet, Brigg staggered backward and crashed down on his back on the grass ... and everything went black. A few seconds later he began to regain his wits and felt water dripping on his face. He opened his eyes and froze in panic. The liquid on his face was slobber from Billy, snarling above him, baring his terrifying fangs.

Pablo grinned. "You remember my dog Billy, don't you dude? Man's best friend – and your worst nightmare. He don't like you any more than I do, and he does whatever I tell him. Now me and the guys are gonna sort things out here and while we do you don't move a fucking muscle. `Cos one move from you, one word from me ... and you're dog meat, pal."

Darius came up behind Pablo and said softly, "Way to go dude." The impulse of Darius and the other boys had been to retaliate physically, but they had all curbed their violent instincts. All except Pablo. He was not Randy's boy for nothing. Those two curbed nothing, especially not their violent instincts, and always found great satisfaction in a fist to the jaw.

While Pablo had been taking care of business the twins had dusted themselves off and straightened their aprons after their brief struggle on the ground. And now, calm and methodical as ever, they made several phone calls to alert the other men to the situation including, most importantly, Brandon's master Pete. Fortunately Pete was up the hill in his bungalow, just home from work, so he arrived within a few minutes and Jamie quickly explained what had happened.

By this time Brandon was back in his wheelchair but holding his left arm and grimacing in pain. Pete knelt beside him, covering his natural concern for his boy by the calm professional expertise of a Forest Ranger. He exerted light pressure on his arm and wrist to ascertain where it hurt, made him move his hand and wiggle his fingers.

While that was going on Eddie suddenly came flying through the gate, having been alerted by the twins. Jamie intercepted him and briefly filled him in, then Eddie rushed up to Brandon and looked at him wide-eyed. "Wow, dude, so you beat the guy up, eh? Way to go, stud. You broke your arm?"

"I don't think so," Pete said with a reassuring smile. "Probably just a bad sprain. But Brandon I'm gonna get you up to the first-aid clinic at my ranger base in the park, let a nurse look at it and give you pain meds."

"OK, sir." Instinctively Brandon tried to wheel his chair but howled in pain. "Damn, I can't do it."

"Dude," Eddie said, "sometimes you gotta let your friends help you. Remember that first time I met you trying to wheel yourself up the hill with your groceries and I ended up pushing you? Worked then, it'll work now," and he grabbed the handles of the chair determinedly.

"Thanks, Eddie," Pete smiled. "We can solve the chair issue. Can you come with us?"

"Try keeping me away sir. Me and Brandon are best buddies, we go way back." Brandon grinned, feeling better already, boosted by Pete's reassuring strength and Eddie's effervescent support, and the three of them left together.

Attention turned back to the terrified Brigg, staring up at Billy and trying hard not to move. The four senior boys moved out of earshot and pondered their next moves. Each of them, with their individual talents and personalities, had his part to play.

Nate had already played his. As house manager it was his job to ensure the integrity of the compound and he had certainly averted a catastrophe by rescuing Brandon in the nick of time, receiving a black eye in the process which he now nursed. Pablo had asserted his status as boss's boy with fists flying (Randy would have been proud), and the assistance of his pal Billy in his efficient guard-dog role.

The twins, always a calm, authoritative presence befitting Bob's boys had, after their first skirmish, held back and methodically alerted the rest of the tribe. And the self-assured Darius watched over everything with his commanding presence and the curiosity of an observer, mentally recording events for posterity (or `prosperity' as he persisted in calling it.) Besides, his piece of the action would come soon enough.

And what of Jamie? He recalled Mark's advice of just two weeks ago – firmness and compassion – and now made his position clear to the five senior boys. "Guys, I feel it's my responsibility to resolve this mess. Brigg showed up here to see me and take me back to our old street life together. Obviously that's not gonna happen, and my former partner in crime has clearly not changed much. What he did to Brandon was unforgivable and has to be punished."

Jamie took a deep breath. "But Mark has a saying – `justice should always be tempered with mercy.' I think we all wanted to slug the guy, as Pablo did, and we inwardly cheered him on. Thanks dude. But before we do anything else I would like to talk to Brigg and get a sense of what brought all this on, and why he is so hostile to the world. Then we senior boys can get together and decide where we go from here. Agreed?"

"Agreed," they said in chorus." Then suddenly there came the sound of slow handclapping.

Randy and Zack had been having a directors' meeting with Bob and Mark at the construction site when word came from the twins and they all piled into Randy's truck and raced home. They had rushed through the gate but pulled up short as they saw a scene of calm deliberation where the immediate danger was removed by the looming presence of Billy. So they stood there and listened, impressed by the way their boys were handling what had been a traumatic event.

Hence the clapping. Now they walked forward and Mark smiled proudly at Jamie. "Well, you guys seem to have everything pretty much under control. So who's responsible for that?" pointing at the bruised and shivering guy.

"That would be me, sir," said Pablo, grinning at Randy.

"That's my boy," Randy smiled. "Straight right to the jaw was it?

"Pretty much, sir, after a few warm-up shots. Then I let Billy take over."

"How's Brandon?" Bob asked the twins.

Kyle answered, "Pete thinks it's just a bad sprain, sir. He and Eddie have taken him to the first-aid at the ranger station to check it out. Brandon's only worry is he can't wheel his own chair, but Pete says he's got a solution for that too."

"And how are you, Nate? That's a pretty good shiner you've got there. Ah, here comes Adam."

Adam came through the gate from next door, looked closely at Nate and kissed his bruised cheek gently. "I hear you're the hero of the hour, mate," he said in his deep Australian drawl. "But it takes more than a shiner to beat an Aussie down, eh boy? No worries, mate, when I get you home I'll take your mind off it."

Mark said to Jamie. "So, you think you've got this covered, Jamie?"

"Of course, sir. I'm your boy aren't I?

"You sure are, stud. OK guys, what say we leave the boys to it, we kick back in my apartment and break open a six-pack of beer?"

Randy grinned, "You said the magic words, officer. Lead the way."

The boys all sensed that this was a test of their leadership as senior boys, but they also agreed that they should take their cue from Jamie as he knew Brigg better than any of them. After all, a long time ago they had originally come to the house together (broke in actually), though their paths had diverged widely since then.

But before anything else Darius addressed them all with his usual mix of authority and mischief. "Guys, before Jamie has his little pow-wow with ragged boy over there, there's something I want to clear up. And I think it's a crucial fact you should know about him up front, Jamie. See, what pisses me off the most is how he called Brandon – pardon my French – a faggot, then accused us all of being a `bunch of faggots'." There were murmurs of disgust from the group.

"Right, now when I hear a guy throw the F word around, especially when combined with the N word ..." he grinned roguishly ... "as in `nigger faggot' ... yeah, yeah, I'm used to that. Well like I was saying, when I hear that, after I've thumped the guy and kicked him to the curb, I get to wondering what exactly is behind it.

"I usually have my suspicions, as I do with this Brigg character. But you'll never get the answer just by asking the guy ... by that time my guy's still spitting out teeth anyway. No, you gotta demonstrate it ... and there's one surefire way to do that. So, gentlemen, if you will indulge me, I would like to stage a little demonstration.

The boys loved Darius when he got into this mood ... treating a deadly serious subject with a comedic touch and the flair of a ringmaster ... and they willingly let him take charge.

At this point Ben rushed in with a look of alarm. He was one of the so-called `three-amigos' with Brandon and Eddie, and had imagined the worst when he got the news. But Nate quickly reassured him that everything was under control and they joined the boys looking down at the frightened man cowering on the ground under Billy.

The shirtless Darius, arms folded across his muscular chest, was an imposing sight towering astride Brigg. "OK, asshole, here's the deal. That wheelchair boy', the faggot' you attacked, is a special friend of mine and if it were up to me I'd take over where my buddy Pablo left off ... I'd thrash the fuck out of you and leave you face down in the dirt where you belong.

"However ... calmer heads have prevailed and instead of a thrashing all I'm allowed to do is a small experiment on you. So here's what's gonna happen. First I'm gonna have my buddy call off his dog, but he'll only be a split-second leap away from you. So, you can either be my lab rat ... or dog meat. Your choice." He flashed a white-tooth smile as Brigg cringed. "Thought so."

"OK, first things first. You're a fucking mess, you look like a dog's dinner – oops, bad choice of words. So when I meet a guy who stinks, first thing I make him do is take a shower. Pablo, could you do the honors?"

With an almost imperceptible sound Pablo called Billy off and, with a last snarl, he came and sat beside his master without taking his eyes off the enemy. Then Darius frog-marched Brigg over to a wall of the house and picked up the garden hose. "Nothing like a cold shower on a hot day like this, eh dude? Now while I'm showering you, you my friend are gonna strip naked."

Brigg flinched and glared at him, about to protest, but Darius shrugged, "Dog meat, Briggy-boy." So he sullenly complied and while Darius poured water over his head Brigg pulled off the torn remains of his shirt, kicked off his sneakers and pushed down his jeans and shorts.

While Darius hosed him down the other senior boys got a good look at him naked. Great physical specimens as they all were they cast expert eyes over his body, which could only be described as scrawny. But the proportions were right – tall, fairly wide shoulders, slim waist and hips. Pablo muttered to Nate, Jamie and the twins, "A month in the gym with Randy he wouldn't look half bad."

Kevin said, "Pity about that permanent scowl on his face – hard to call him good-looking." Nate agreed. "Too right, mate. Wonder what a smile would do – if the bloke can smile."

When the shower was over Darius threw him a towel from off one of the chaises and he dried off. Darius pulled him over to a wooden Adirondack chair beside the lawn and pushed him down on it, still naked. He picked up the wet remains of his T-shirt, wrung it out, ripped it in two and twisted it into two ropes that he used to tie Brigg's wrists to the arms of the chair.

"Right, all set. Don't even think of getting free, dude. See I'm pretty much a bondage expert – hell, I live with one – so all you can do, Briggy-boy, is watch.

"See, I get the very distinct impression that you don't like faggots. Probably don't care for niggers either would be my guess." Darius reached out and pulled Pablo next to him. Well what you see here before you, dude, as a couple of proud Grade A faggots – and a mixed-race couple too ... yuck! Thing is though, we also happen to be lovers, who fuck whenever we get the chance." He gave his dazzling smile. "Like ... right now perhaps?"

He turned to face Pablo who grinned and murmured, "Son of a bitch, dude." Then their mouths locked in a ravenous, churning kiss, their hands groping each other's bodies as they ground their crotches hard together. When at last they broke away Darius looked at Brigg who was pulling hopelessly at his bound wrist, his head turned away to the side in evident disgust.

"Ah, I see you're starting to get the idea, boy. I hear you're a stud with the ladies and now you're forced to watch two fucking faggots getting it on. Oh, a word about that. I wouldn't turn your head away or close your eyes if I were you. Our other buddies love to watch us fuck – Billy does too if it comes to that, except that this time he's sitting three feet away and only has eyes for you. Also, it's late for his dinner, he's hungry and drooling so ... don't close your eyes, pal.

"Great. OK – foreplay. This is how my man and me usually start." Pablo pulled off his shirt and they stood stripped to the waist facing their captive. They kicked off their shoes and Darius said, "Now this bit you really gotta see, dude."

Pablo turned his back to Brigg and they both began to push down their jeans, lower and lower until the other boys gasped. Everyone, including the reluctant Brigg, was staring at the monster ten-inch black club that sprang out side by side with the round white globes of a perfect ass. "Ta-da!" laughed Darius, indicating their endowments with a stylish wave of the hand like a game-show hostess. "A match made in heaven, wouldn't you say?"

Brigg was gripping the arms of the chair tight and staring at the cock and ass, and not only, Darius guessed, out of fear of Billy.

"OK, stud," Darius said to Pablo as they faced each other again. Unless you want a dry fuck, you better lube me up." Pablo fell to his knees, held the rigid cock in his fist and licked the head lovingly. Then he opened his mouth wide and Brigg witnessed the incredible sight of the long black pole disappearing into Pablo's mouth, inch by inch by inch until his face was nestled in a mass of wiry black pubic hair.

Darius pulled back slowly and pushed again into the handsome, high-cheeked Mestizo face with its almond shaped eyes and long black hair. He eased in and out only a few times (this was a demonstration after all) before pulling out and saying, "OK, now you see, Briggy, we believe in give and take, so now it's my turn on my knees.

The lovers traded places and Darius knelt behind Pablo, making sure Brigg had a perfect view. "Man," Darius moaned dramatically, "will you look at that fucking gorgeous ass! An ass that could make a grown man weep ... except a man like you of course, Briggy. But even you gotta admit that is a beautiful butt." He licked the dimpled cheeks, kissed them, then buried his face between them, pushing his tongue in the ass, slurping, probing.

At last he pulled away wide eyed, his chiseled, ebony features shining, mouth dripping with saliva. "Tell you, Briggy, ain't nothing like the taste of a hot ass as perfect as this one. No, I tell a lie. There is one thing better ... pushing your dick inside it." He stood up and held his big pulsing shaft right over Brigg's face.

"See that, dripping from the end? That's called pre-cum, dude. Means that real soon I'm gonna be blasting a big load of jizz deep in my man's spectacular ass. My balls are fit to burst, I tell ya. Just look at them." Darius shook his cock slightly and drops of pre-cum dripped on Brigg's face. "Ah, shit, sorry, dude. I forgot you're not into that. Although, hey, what's this?"

Darius looked down at Brigg's cock that had started out limp and was now semi-hard. Can it be? Nah ... are you getting just a tad turned on by my ten-inch club and my buddy's perfect butt?"

"No way, man," Brigg growled.

"Nah, thought not. Probably thinking about all those broads you fucked – love em and leave em, uh? The big stud around town. Well, sorry I can't stand around chatting, dude. I got an ass to fuck." He turned to Pablo. "OK, man, assume the position. Time for the big finish."

Pablo dropped to the ground and knelt on all fours, sideways on to Brigg only a few feet away. Darius knelt behind him and pushed the head of his long rod between the white cheeks. He grinned at Brigg, "Here we go, dude ... the miracle of love." This time it wasn't slow, not inch by inch. Darius reached forward, grabbed Pablo's waist, paused ... and then drove his shaft hard all the way down to the hot depths of his lover's ass.

"Aaagh," Pablo howled, head jerking back, his black hair flying. But it was not a cry of pain. "Yeah, fuck me man. Shove that humungous dick in my butt. I love you, dude. Come on, plough that fucking ass!"

The next few minutes dazzled the watching boys, all of them now stroking their cocks as they circled behind Brigg's chair, mesmerized by the spectacle of the black shaft pistoning into the white mounds of the Mestizo's ass. "Yeah, give it to him, mate," Nate yelled. "Man that's so fucking hot." And the others joined in, yelling, goading, pounding their cocks as they watched the boss's boy get jackhammered by his muscular black lover.

Darius was gleaming with sweat as he fucked but he still kept an eye on Brigg and grinned as he saw his cock had swelled to rock hardness, his eyes riveted on the spectacle of the massive black cock ramrodding the flexed ass. Without losing his rhythm Darius reached over and deftly released Brigg's right hand. "Go ahead, dude," he grinned. "Touch it. You know you wanna touch your dick, buddy. You want it real, bad. The other guys are beating their meat. And you're the stud. Show us what a stud you are. Do it!"

Brigg forgot who he was or why he was here. All he could see was the long black shaft driving into the gorgeous white ass. Inhibitions flew to the wind as he touched his cock, stroked it, then pounded it like the other guys. Darius knew he had him, knew that the time had come. "OK, guys," he shouted to the group, "let's do this thing. You ready, men? Shit damn, my balls are bursting ... I'm gonna shoot ... here it comes ... yeah, fuck yeah ... fuuuck ...!"

His screams were joined by all the others as he blasted his jizz deep inside Pablo, who yelled as his body bucked and he sprayed cum all over the grass beneath him. Brigg was pounding his cock in a frenzy and threw his head back in ecstasy. Behind him the boys all climaxed together, spurting plumes of jizz high in the air that splashed down into the upturned face.

"Yeah!" Brigg opened his mouth to drink their semen pouring down on him as his own cock exploded in the most intense orgasm he had ever known.

It was some time before hearts beat slower, breathing slowed, and Darius pulled out of Pablo's ass. He reached down, pulled Pablo to his feet and threw his arm over his shoulder, staring down at the shuddering man smothered in the sperm of six men ... and his own.

"Well," Darius said matter-of-factly, "no doubt about it. I'd say my little demonstration is conclusive. OK, Jamie, now you know what you're dealing with. Glad I could help." Then to Brigg, "And dude, you can drop the attitude ... and no more with the F word, OK? `Cos you know what? ... you're one too. Get used to it. Hey, Kyle, Kevin, I'm fucking starved. Anything you can do about that?"

They laughed at their amazing friend and Kyle said, "Well, we have to get on with dinner prep but if you all come to the kitchen I'm sure we can rustle up a snack or two, eh Kevin?"

And so they all trooped off together, all except Jamie who was left alone with his former buddy for their little chat.

"Briggsy," Jamie said, using the nickname he always used to. I'm gonna leave you for just a few minutes and get something from the house. You'll be quite safe while I'm gone." He hurried inside where Mark, Randy, Bob, Zack and Adam were all drinking.

"Did you watch, sirs?" he asked.

"You think we'd miss all that?" Randy chortled. "`Course we watched. Fucking amazing."

"I can't stop. I came for some clothes for Brigg, then I'll find out what's really going on."

Mark gave him a quick hug. "I'm proud of you, buddy."

Back outside Brigg was sitting with his head bowed still with one hand tied to the chair. Jamie had brought scissors that he used to cut through the cloth binding him. "Look, I've brought you a towel and some of my clothes – a polo shirt, cargo shorts and sneakers. They should fit."

"I don't want your damn charity, big-shot."

Jamie sighed. This was going to be uphill. "It's not charity, dude, and I'm no big-shot. It's just new clothes and we need to talk. Here, let me dry you off. He pulled Brigg's head back and wiped the cum off his face, and the man was surprised to see Jamie smiling. With a surly look he put on the clothes, sat down, and Jamie sat opposite him.

"Look," Brigg snarled, "let's get one thing clear. What just happened here was not what you think. I was forced to do it by that nigg ..." He stopped short as Jamie's eyes blazed. "... by that guy. Shit, I was tied up, what the fuck was I supposed to do? He'd have turned the damn dog on me."

"Oh Briggsy, you should know by now that we don't go in for bullshit round here. We can see it coming from a mile away. So listen to me. What you did to that poor kid Brandon is what got everyone so riled up. But all I want you to do is answer a few questions. Like where did you come from – your home in St. Louis?"

"Yeah."

"And how did you get here?"

"Had some money for a bus part of the way, hitched the rest."

"And you have no money left?" Brigg shook his head. "OK, now for the main question. Why did you come?"

Brigg mumbled something that seemed to end in "... to go."

"Excuse me?"

He raised his head defiantly but had tears in his eyes. "I said I had nowhere else to go."

"What about your family – your mom and dad?"

Now the tears flowed. "Mom died. She couldn't take any more from my dad, that asshole." Jamie covered Brigg's hand with his. "Then he started in on me ... called me ... called me a faggot and took his belt to me, so I hightailed it out of there. Nothing left for me there after my mom went. I was scared he'd come after me so I hopped a bus headed west. I got no other friends so ... so I came here." Then he snarled through his tears, "And here you are, all high and mighty with your hotshot boyfriends ..."

Jamie withdrew his hand. "Stop it! Look, Briggsy, you gotta lose that chip off your shoulder. By the way, when did you last eat ... a proper meal, I mean?"

He wiped his tears away with the back of his hand and sniffed. "Dunno, days ago."

"OK, here's what I can do. You can join us all for dinner and, if Mark agrees, you can stay here tonight. Then we'll take it from there, OK?"

His heart went out to his former friend, lost and beaten down by life, and his voice softened. "Briggsy, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. Life can be weird ... all a matter of luck I guess. I landed on my feet here, made something of myself with the help of the men here, and I'm totally in love with Mark, that cop you met last time, and he loves me.

"But Briggsy, fate dealt you a bad hand back in St. Louis with that brutal dad of yours. And now with your mom gone ..." Jamie sighed. "Things could so easily have gone differently for both of us, Briggsy. There but for the love of a good man ... and so on. So I'll do everything I can for you. But I'll have to ask Mark first ..."

There was a cough behind them. Mark stepped forward and said, "Guys, I hope you'll forgive me but I'm afraid I heard your conversation. Not a cool thing to do, I know, but in this case it was all for the good. I agree with everything Jamie said, boy, and I promise no one will hurt you while you're here. They won't forgive you for what you did `cos Brandon is a big favorite around here. But you'll find they're a decent bunch of guys and if you can lose that resentful attitude of yours things should go pretty smoothly."

Men and boys were starting to drift into the garden gathering for dinner and were content to leave Brigg in the company of Mark and Jamie who seemed to have calmed things down. The sound of a truck came from outside the gate and Eddie bounced in.

"Dudes," he said dramatically, with outstretched palms. "You are never gonna believe this. Behind Door Number One ... Ta-Da." He waved his hand with a flourish and in through the gate sailed Brandon maneuvering an electric power wheelchair with his right hand. His left arm was in a sling.

"Dude," Ben gushed, "that is so cool. Can I hitch a ride?" He sat on Brandon's lap and took over the control while Eddie perched on the platform at the back. He raised his arm and yelled, "The Three Amigos ride again," as they raced around to whoops and laughter from the crowd.

When things calmed down and the boys hopped off the chair Pete explained, "We keep some of those at the ranger's station for visitors who can't get around easily. So I borrowed one for Brandon `cos the nurse says his arm will be in a sling for a while. It's a bad sprain so he won't be able to wheel his own chair for a week or two."

Brandon spotted Brigg standing silently between Mark and Jamie and he wheeled up to him. "Hey, dude," he said ... "nice clothes ... looks better. He smiled shyly and held out his right hand. "Hey, no hard feelings, eh? These things happen."

Brigg hesitated but at a nudge from Jamie he shook hands with Brandon. A silence fell over the crowd at this magnanimous gesture by Brandon, which could put them all to shame as they nursed their hostile feelings. He had set the tone of forgiveness and Pete teared up as he looked at Bob, Mark and the guys, then came and knelt beside his boy and hugged him.

An awkward silence followed, broken by Jamie, who became all business. "Brandon when you were ... interrupted earlier you probably didn't have time to close out your work for the day. Would you mind finishing it off now before dinner? I realize you'll only be able to use your computer with your right hand so maybe Eddie could go with you and help."

"You mean be his left-hand man?" Eddie said brightly and roared with laughter at his own joke. "Come on, dude, let's do it," and he followed Brandon's wheelchair up the ramp to the office.

Nate said, "And Ben, you think you could you give me a hand finishing up in the master suite. I still had some stuff to do when I ... er ... came out here to the rescue."

Bob smiled proudly at the other men. "How about them boys of ours eh? Just the right touch ... the seniors putting the younger ones to work ... back to the old routine ... no more drama."

The twins emerged from the kitchen with trays of drinks and appetizers. "Pablo and Darius," Kyle grinned, "you don't seem to have a job right now so how about helping us in the kitchen?"

Pablo huffed, "What me? The ..."

"Yeah, yeah, the boss's boy," Kevin smiled, "we know all about that. Maybe we should clear it with the boss, then?"

"Fuck you and your gorgeous twin," Pablo laughed. "OK, Darius, let's show these guys how to cook."

But before anyone moved, another car drew up at the gate and Randy yelled, "Hey, you know who that is?" The gate opened and Randy said, "Mike you old scoundrel, so you made it." He strode over and gave him a bear hug. "Yep," Mike said, "I took a couple days off from the bar so I was wondering if you could give an old desert rat a place to hang his hat for a day or two.

There was a whoop of enthusiasm for Mike, the middle-aged owner of a leather bar in Palm Springs who had lately become a good friend of the tribe, dispensing his wisdom whenever trouble erupted. They had invited him for the weekend but he hadn't been sure if he could take the time off, so now men and boys crowded around him enthusiastically.

Eventually things settled down and he sat drinking with the men. "Actually, Mike," Bob said, "you missed all the excitement. It's been quite a day here." They filled Mike in on the events, each man adding his own piece of the story, as Mike listened with growing amazement. "Holy shit," he said when they finished, "you guys don't mess around do you? Is that the villain of the piece over there?"

He nodded over to the end of the table where Brigg was sitting looking lost and confused as Jamie spoke to him. Hmm," Mike said pensively, "the kid reminds me of someone." Bob gave him a questioning look. "Reminds me of me when I was his age ... abandoned, friendless, kicked out of my home. Like him I headed west and kinda washed up in the desert with eight bucks in my pocket."

Randy looked at his old friend through new eyes. "Mike, you never told us ..."

"Ah, long time ago, when you, you big lug, were still a sexy gleam in your daddy's eye." He grinned, "Same gleam you have when you look at Bob." Just then Jamie got up from the table leaving Brigg looking even more abandoned and Mike said, "OK if I go over and talk to him?

"Help yourself, Mike," Bob said.

Mike picked up a full beer bottle, sauntered over to Brigg and sat opposite him. Brigg looked at him through dull eyes and mumbled, "Who are you?"

"The name's Mike," he said cheerfully. "How's your beer?" Brigg shoved his empty bottle away from him. "Thought so," Mike grinned. "I run a bar and can always tell that empty-bottle look in a man's eye. Here take this one." He pushed the bottle toward him. "So what's your name?"

"Brigg."

"You got a first name? I always think first names are more friendly."

Brigg looked up and stared at Mike curiously, trying to figure out his angle. "They call me Briggsy." Mike smiled, "That's not what I asked." The boy sighed. "It's Larry, but nobody ever calls me that."

"Except me," Mike grinned. "If it's OK with you."

"Suit yourself," he shrugged.

"And you can call me sir'. Cos I'm a lot older than you – probably about the same age as your dad, am I right?"

"Yeah, I guess so, but he's ... I mean you're ..."

"I'm not mean like him, right? Or so you'll find out. See, once upon a time I had a dad like that."

Larry looked up at Mike and squinted, as if really seeing him for the first time. "You say you run a bar?"

"Yeah, I own it, out in the desert – Palm Springs. It's mostly a leather bar ..." Mike looked him straight in the eye ... "mostly men."

"I saw signs to Palms Springs coming here on the freeway. Wondered what it was like. What's it like, anyway? Pretty fancy, I've heard."

"Well Larry, I'll tell you ..."

At the other end of the table the men were watching curiously. "What do you think they're talking about?" asked Zack.

Bob smiled a knowing smile. "Oh, this and that I imagine. Just two guys getting to know each other ..."

TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Chapter 345

Author's note: This chapter refers back to Jamie's first arrival at the house and his subsequent acceptance by Mark as his boy. If you are interested in going back and rediscovering these chapters, they are:

Chapters 33 & 34: Jamie's arrival at the house. Chapters 36 & 37: Jamie falls in love with Mark.

Hey guys, this is Rob Williams. I hope that chapter got you off, and I welcome your comments and suggestions, which can be very helpful in planning future chapters. E-mail me in confidence at rw6789@aol.com.

ALSO, I invite you to visit my Web-site www.atrialofstrength.com. You can read the whole story, all the many chapters, with extras, including pictures and biographies of all the characters. Click on the `Our Story' tab to read the current chapter, or click on the green button to browse all the chapter synopses. Enjoy