Chapter 3

Not even a hardcore fisting scene could pick up the energy in the dungeon tonight. Curtis Smith surveyed the tame scenes, gaze flicking over the few players. Most of the action was still downstairs with the fights, leaving him bored out of his mind. Fingers laced behind his neck, he strolled casually from the stocks where a beefy sub pleasured his leather daddy Dom’s dick with his mouth in a relatively tame scene. The stocks were properly fastened and the blissed-out expression on the submissive’s face said he was right where he wanted to be.

In the lounge, the evening’s two service subs scurried between low tables and armchairs, serving drinks. One sub, on his knees, hands behind his back, used his tongue to lap up stray droplets of a drink from Zach Holmes’ boot. The Dom met Curtis’s eyes with a nod of acknowledgment before returning to his conversation with Eric Jameson.

Passing the whipping station, he rechecked the post, making sure both straps and post were secure. On his second circuit, not much had changed, and on his third, he blew out a breath. He had fuck all to do, which should have been a relief. There had been way too much so-called excitement at The Asylum over the past months. They could all use a breather. Which was why he’d done his damnedest to make sure tonight went off without a hitch.

Grabbing a water bottle from the fridge in the lounge, he cracked the cap and worked down half the bottle, sipping the rest on his patrol. The only excitement had been the right kind, mainly Lawson and Matt putting on a pre-game show that had the men downstairs riled for more. Thinking of the twink sub he’d put in Lawson’s way that spring, Curtis lifted the bottle to his lips and grinned with a shake of his head.

Yeah. When I’m good, I’m very, very good…

A deep thunk sounded as someone knocked on the dungeon door’s metal viewport, and Curtis lowered the water to answer the summons. Sliding back the little door, he peered through and stepped back to admit the member. Standing alone, Dallas spun around. Leaning his forearm along the edge of the door, Curtis flicked his gaze to the man’s wrist. Tonight, he wore his leather wrist cuff on his right.

Nodding once, Curtis took the nonverbal cue and responded accordingly. “Where’s your Dom, sub?”

“Curtis, shit.” Looking over his shoulder toward the bar, Dallas turned back and brushed his hand over his tight black curls in a way that made his biceps bulge. “I swear, I didn’t mean to tell him.”

Normally, he would have taken exception to a sub addressing him at all, never mind with curse words and his name, but Dallas’s expression told him that there were more important things than club protocol to worry about. Apparently, he’d been thinking too loudly, and the gods had decided to heed this prayer rather than the four thousand other sane ones he’d lobbed their way over his lifetime.

“Didn’t mean to tell who what?”

“Kovit…” Dallas said the fighter’s name as if it explained everything instead of nothing at all.

Curtis tilted his head back, beseeching the fuckers on high to mess with someone else’s night.

“If this is because a challenger backed out of a fight with him, drag Lawson into it. I’m busy.” Not a lie. Tonight, the dungeon was his domain. Downstairs was Law’s. “If he’s too busy, find Doc.”

Dallas paled. “That’s just it, though. Reed won’t back out.”

Curtis’s grip on the door edge tightened. Nostrils flaring, he glanced at Dallas’s wrist. Back to the man’s face. “If I had time, I’d beat your ass.”

He wouldn’t have taken Dallas for the type to blab the open secret that Curtis had instructed all of The Asylum’s members to leave Reed alone for the night.

Dallas held up both hands, backed up a step. “I didn’t tell him. Not exactly.”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Curtis punched his sleeves up his arms. The air conditioning in the dungeon was a little too cold unless one was playing, and he hadn’t relished the idea of spending the night freezing his ass off in mid-July. Now, it looked like he was going to ruin his favorite shirt.

“Switch that cuff to your other wrist.” Snapping his fingers, Curtis issued the order, already on his way down the stairs. “You’re on monitor duty.”

At the bottom, he searched the room. No Reed. Doc was behind the bar, pulling an ale.

Curtis looked to the gymnasium’s double, leather-padded doors. “Tell me he’s not already in the fucking ring.”

Doc slid the ale to a guy in a sleeveless black hoodie, then wiped his hands on a bar towel. “Not yet.”

“Well whaddya know? A fucking miracle.” Curtis pushed both hands through his hair. “I gotta suit up. Where’s this Kovit asshole?”

The guy at the bar put his ale down slowly.

Doc groaned, held up a hand. “Fellas, don’t.”

Curtis’s gaze snapped to the pretentious motherfucker, raised hood marking him as just another one of the gang who had torn up The Asylum. The man stood, and Doc’s eye roll told Curtis he’d just insulted Kovit to his face.

“You challenged a sub under my protection. Your fight is with me.” Curtis stepped away, going to change. “End of discussion.”

“Good to know.” Fucking Jedi Master reject finally spoke. “I make it a point to shop the two-for-one specials.”

Couple steps away, Curtis grabbed a bar stool. Swung toward the man’s head. He had the nerve to think he’d get his hands on Noah’s boy?

A yank at the stool stopped Curtis short. Kovit’s kick grazed his stomach. Growling, Curtis spun and met Lawson’s fist. Head snapping back, he let go of the stool and reached for the bar, barely managing not to fall.

Lawson stepped between him and Kovit, arms outstretched. “There’s a ring for this. I suggest you use it.”

Blood trickled from Curtis’s nose and he swiped at it. “Gladly. But Reed stays out of this.”

“Reed?” Lawson’s brows raised.

“Oh, so you hadn’t heard that part?” Curtis cocked his head, gaze narrowed. “Fucker challenged Reed.”

Leaning back against the bar, Lawson crossed his arms over his chest and looked to Kovit.

The man sipped his beer now like the near-brawl had never happened. “He said he didn’t require permission.”

Curtis’s lips pulled back. “Oh, is that so?”