“OKAY, GUYS, THIS is our new street. Memorize the address. 2405 Bel Air Road, Los Angeles, California.”

Julien stared out the back window of his mom’s sleek Mercedes-Benz, as she wound them up a twisty road that took them higher and higher with every turn. On each side of the road, houses seemed to sprout out of the ground into towers that overlooked the side of the mountain they were climbing, and Julien had never seen anything like it.

Up in the front passenger seat, his sister peered out the windshield at the mansions sprawling out ahead of her, and when they turned up one road in particular and got a view of a massive white house with a terra cotta roof, she glanced back at Julien with eyes wide as saucers.

This sure wasn’t anything like their home back in France. This was…eye-opening. Everything was so new, so expensive looking, and more than a little intimidating. Julien had known his father made good money due to their circumstances back home—well, France—but when he looked at the homes and cars parked in the driveways here, he suddenly realized why his parents hadn’t minded uprooting their kids and moving across an ocean. This partnership his dad had taken had obviously been very lucrative.

“These houses are incredible,” Jacquelyn said, the awe in her voice matching what Julien felt as he stared at the shiny cars—he counted five—that sat in the driveway they’d just passed. “I can’t believe we’re going to live here.”

“Believe it, baby girl,” their mother said, as she looked over to Jacquelyn and ran a hand down her shiny hair. “Because this right here is ours.”

Their mother turned the car into a drive that had two heavy iron gates blocking a gravel entryway to the—

“Mon Dieu,” Julien said as he sat forward in the middle seat between his mom and sister, looking up at the huge white house they’d seen from one of the bends in the road. A house that overlooked—

“That’s the Stone Canyon Reservoir,” their mom said.

“It’s gorgeous,” Jacquelyn whispered, and then looked at Julien, their faces close enough that she grabbed his cheeks between her hands and squealed. “Eeek! Can you believe we’re going to live here? It’s like…like a castle.” Then she lowered her voice and whispered, “Can you imagine the parties we could have here?”

As their mom punched in a code on the small box by the gate, the iron bars slowly opened and she said, “Excuse-moi? Parties?”

Jacquelyn rolled her eyes as she flopped back in her seat. “Come on, Mom. This place is parfaite for parties. It will totally help with first impressions, since we’re the newbies this year.”

She wasn’t wrong, Julien thought as their mom drove them slowly up the drive. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to the idea of starting their senior year in a brand-new school and country. It was hard enough to get through high school without being the newbies with the accents, the twins, and also gay. So yeah, he was starting to like Jacquelyn’s idea of throwing a party to win over the natives more and more.

“We’ll talk about all of that later,” their mom said as she pulled the car to a stop in a huge circular courtyard made out of—merde—marble. “But for now, how about we head inside and each find a bedroom?”

“Find one?” Jacquelyn said, and then laughed. “How many are there?”

“Eight.”

“Eight?”

“Oui,” their mom said, and waggled her perfectly shaped eyebrows as she shoved open the car door. “So don’t run off or we might lose you.”

They all got out of the car and Julien raced his sister up to the huge double glass doors of the back entrance, and they both peered inside.

“Wow,” she whispered, and then giggled. “Have you ever seen anything like this?”

“Non,” Julien said, and bumped shoulders with her. “I bet they have a library here.”

“Oh oui…” Jacquelyn said with a wistful tone to her voice. “And imagine what the kitchen is going to look like.”

“At least until you get your hands on it.”

“Uh-huh,” she said, and when their mom came up between them and inserted the key, she said to them both, “Your dad is meeting us here at six. But until then, let’s go and find you two a room.”

She didn’t have to tell them twice. Not a second after the words left her mouth, he and Jacquelyn shot off into the enormous home in search of their new rooms…

“JULIEN?” THE DISTANT sound of his name had Julien stirring where he sat, his mind clearing from the past as a hand on his arm shook him back into the present.

“Jules? We’re about to make our descent. You’ve got to put your chair up.”

Julien’s eyes opened fully then and found Robbie’s lovely face where he sat by the window.

“We’re already here?” Julien asked as he began to move his stiff body, and when Robbie nodded, Julien brought a hand up to scrub it over his face. “Dieu, I slept the entire way?”

“You were tired,” Robbie said, concern marring his usually carefree voice.

“I guess I was,” Julien said, and touched his fingers to Robbie’s cheek. “Remind me not to work so hard ever again, princesse.”

“As if that would help,” Priest said from across the aisle, and Julien turned his head on the headrest to look over at him. “You haven’t stopped all week, using the restaurant as an excuse. Don’t try and deny it.”

Julien opened his mouth to do just that, but then sighed instead. “You’re right, mon amour. You’re absolutely right.”

“Uh…don’t tell him that,” Robbie said, as he looked to Priest, who raised a copper-colored eyebrow. “He already thinks he knows everything. There’s no need to give him any more ammunition.”

Julien pursed his lips and nodded. “This is true.”

“Of course it is,” Robbie said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “That’s why he’s sitting over there with a spare seat. One for him and one for his giant…ego.”

“Robert?” Priest said in a voice that never failed to capture Julien and Robbie’s attention.

“Yes, Joel?”

Priest’s eyes narrowed on their boyfriend, but the twitch of his lips made it clear he was amused. “Behave yourself.”

“And if I don’t?” Robbie said, as he crossed one of his denim-clad legs over the other. “What are you going to do about it? We’re on a plane surrounded by a hundred or so upstanding citizens.”

“We might be. But we won’t be on a plane in fifteen minutes, will we?”

Robbie shifted in his seat and Julien wondered if it was the dark promise of sex in Priest’s voice or the underlying threat of a well-deserved spanking that turned Robbie on more—knowing their princesse, it was likely both.

“How about you use this time to make sure the two of you are all buckled in,” Priest suggested, and then lowered his eyes to the blanket draped across Julien’s lap. “I’d like you both to arrive safely. Think you can handle that?”

Julien followed the pink tip of Robbie’s tongue as he slid it along his glossed-up lower lip, and then he aimed his baby blues at Julien and winked. “Oh, I would love to handle that.”

ROBBIE WAS PRETTY sure that safety was the last thing on Priest’s mind as he stared across at him and Julien. But there was no way in hell Robbie was about to debate the issue when he’d just been told to “handle” Julien.

Not in this lifetime. No siree.

Over the past four hours or so, Priest had been working on his laptop while Robbie had been listening to his music and trying to ignore the fact that Julien had slept with his head resting on his shoulder the entire trip.

Not exactly an easy feat when the man’s lips were soft and plump and made Robbie want to suck on them until those stunning jade eyes found his and begged for more, but…that was beside the point.

The point was that the flight from Chicago to L.A. had been a fairly uneventful one. No turbulence of any kind. Until five minutes ago when Julien had finally woken up and Priest had shut down work, and they were once again aware of the fact that they were in close confines and unable to touch one another—at least not in any way that they wanted to.

Priest’s eyes were fastened on the two of them with that serious expression Robbie had come to crave, and as he slipped his hand under the blanket on Julien’s lap, Robbie pressed his lips to Julien’s cheek and said, “You all buckled in, Jules?”

Julien smiled, but it quickly turned to a hum in the back of his throat when Robbie may—or may not have—accidently brushed his hand over his groin. “I better check. Just in case,” he said, as Julien’s eyes fluttered shut. “Hmm, I don’t think this is your seatbelt…”

As Robbie massaged Julien’s growing erection, Julien pumped his hips up off the seat. “I don’t think it is either.”

“No?” Robbie asked, feigning wide-eyed innocence.

“Non.” Julien moved a hand to clamp it down over Robbie’s and let out a rush of air. “Ahh, princesse. You’re testing my restraint.”

“I’m just being thorough. Priest wants me to make sure you’re safe. I’m following a direct order.”

“I see,” Julien said, and brushed his lips over Robbie’s. “So it’s Priest’s fault that I’m now sitting here with an erection?”

“Oui. So embrasse-moi. Let’s tease him a little. It’s only fair,” Robbie whispered, and Julien groaned.

“You’re getting good at that.”

Robbie increased the pressure of his hand and grinned against Julien’s lips. “Then reward me.”

And when Julien did just that, and slid his tongue inside Robbie’s mouth, Robbie made sure to aim his eyes across the aisle to Priest.

Damn. The man’s stare was like a tangible thing. Robbie swore he could feel it at all times, and knew that Julien did too. Priest didn’t have to speak. He didn’t have to move. He just had to be in the same vicinity as them and they were instantly aware of his presence.

When the corner of Priest’s lips tugged into an arrogant grin, Robbie wished they were all somewhere they could get naked. It had been a long week, and with the way Julien had been working overtime, they’d barely had a moment where they’d all been in the same room at the same time. And now that they were, they were on a flight that Robbie knew was going to bring Julien to a place of eventual pain.

“Arrêtez,” Julien said, and nipped at Robbie’s lower lip. “You need to stop or this is going to get out of hand.”

Robbie pouted. “Can we finish later?”

Julien took hold of his face and kissed him quickly. “I’d be disappointed if we didn’t.”

“Okay… I suppose I can wait, then,” Robbie said, and ran his tongue across his top lip, taking a final taste of Julien before looking over at Priest. “He’s all buckled in. Nice and safe.”

Priest arched an eyebrow. “From turbulence or you?”

Robbie poked his tongue out at the dry remark, and when Julien laughed, Robbie found himself settling back into his seat with a smile on his face.

For a moment there, he’d taken Julien’s mind off what was ahead this weekend, and that was what mattered the most—that he and Priest got Julien through the next two days in one piece, because from what Robbie understood, that wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

PRIEST STUDIED Julien’s profile as he sat across from the two men he now considered his. A slight smile remained after the burst of laughter that had just escaped his husband, and Priest wondered just how long that would last.

This weekend was never an easy one. The anniversary of Jacquelyn’s death, and the circumstances behind her passing, usually culminated in a total clusterfuck that had Julien unraveling in ways he fought so hard to avoid on a daily basis. It was the one time of the year that Priest watched Julien extra closely, and this time around would be no different.

As the flight attendant announced the time and weather at their final destination, Priest checked once again on the two across from him. Julien’s eyes were now shut, but Robbie’s were locked on his, worry having replaced the light that had been there a couple of minutes ago.

Priest had said it before and he’d say it again: Robert Bianchi was a smart one. Smarter than he gave himself credit for, Priest thought. It was in the deep understanding that filled those blue eyes of his right now. In the ability Robbie had to playfully take Julien’s mind off what was ahead, yet at the same time keep his concerns to himself until a moment like this where they shared the burden—and Priest had to admit, he was thankful to have Robbie with them this time around.

What they were about to walk into was something that no one could imagine. It was like heading off to war. No matter how prepared you thought you were, until you got there, you never quite knew what you were up against.

Where they were going was a place where years of guilt, years of pain, had manifested into something ugly, and eight years ago, Priest had realized that not all demons were the same.

They weren’t always obvious and didn’t always hide away in the dark like his did. Sometimes, they were out in the light for everyone to see. In a face, in a photograph, in the way a mother and father looked at their son with disdain in their eyes. But the one thing about demons that never differed was that they never missed an opportunity to drag a person into the darkness, whenever they found a weakness.

They watched and waited. They searched for the right moment. And when they spotted a break in the line of defense that they could slip through, all one could pray for was some flicker of light, some flicker of hope, to pull them back through to the other side. Luckily for them, there was strength in numbers.

This weekend, Priest was Julien’s line of defense and Robbie was his light and hope, and it had never been more apparent that the connection they had forged was one they’d all been searching for, and one they desperately needed.