Chapter 4

“You’re being very unhelpful with my financial endeavors.” Noah let out a dramatic sigh. “Maybe we can get Jared to fuck him? Would that be better? Tell me what you need and it’s yours. Oh, and my boy.” Noah squeezed Jamie’s ass hard. “You’re celebrating your birthday. Christmas is cancelled. I already discussed it with my mother and she thought it was a great idea, so no trying to talk your way out of it.”

Jamie’s ‘But I love Christmas’ died on his tongue. If Tracey was doing something that awesome for him when she adored Christmas—when everyone adored Christmas—at her house, then he wasn’t going to throw that in her face by not taking full advantage. He perked up, an idea hitting him.

“What if I got Tracey and Ana and Coal a trip to Disney, and I chartered a flight for the core?” Bouncing up on the balls of his feet, Jamie hissed when the curve of his dick slipped along Noah’s hip. “I have a friend who just bought this island in the South Pacific. There’s no development. We’d have to take a seaplane, but we could bring cabanas to set up. It’d be super private and different.”

Smiling, Noah nodded. “I love that idea. And it’s past time everyone gets a break. Just be warned, Lawson will grumble about the cost, but I’ve got it. Let me know the schedule so I can make sure there’s enough staff to cover us while we’re gone. Say two weeks?”

Jamie bobbed his head, grinning like a fool, as Jared liked to say. “Yes. Thank you, thank you. I didn’t mean for you to pay for it, but this would be awesome. And if I can arrange to sleep with Danny, I’ll let you know ahead of time to debase the cost.”

“Defray. And that’s very practical, my boy.” Noah gave him a sly smile. “That doesn’t give you much time, so get on that. It would probably help if you got dressed, unless you think going down to the bar like that would get you a head start. In which case, enjoy.”

“What? And devalue the merch?” Dancing away from Noah, Jamie went to the living room to dress, calling, “I gotta keep it exclusive or it’s not worth as much.”

“You’ll always be priceless, little cat.” Noah gave him a warm look as he went to the doorway to grab his boots. “And no matter what, I know you’ll make me proud.”

A smile on his lips, a mission on his mind, Jamie squeezed into his skinny jeans, wincing a little as his still half-hard cock made him have to suck in more than usual. “This is worse than a cock cage. It’s like being vacuum sealed.” L.D. rolled the liner cap into the living room, then caught a swish of his own tail in the corner of his eye. The whump-whump as it flashed faster before he pounced on it, running in circles to try to catch himself, had Jamie in hysterics as he put on his shoes. “Okay. He gets to live. No more rug.”

“Until the next time he becomes homicidal?” Noah straightened, boots snuggly tied. “You know that light he likes chasing around? Do you think pups like those too?”

Standing, Jamie French-tucked his shirt, considering. “I mean, subby puppies probably would.” He gave Noah a long look. Where was he headed with this? “Are you gonna make Danny chase it onto my lap? That’s not sexy.”

“I’m thinking of ways for you to cheat.” Noah lifted his shoulders. “He doesn’t wear the collar all the time, but you’ll need to make some moves when he does. The art of seduction, little cat. It requires some finesse. I’ll work on making sure Jacks and Shea don’t get in your way.”

Stepping up to Noah, Jamie tilted his head back. “How did you get to be such an evil genius?”

Noah kissed the top of his head again. “Practice.”

“I love you, sir. You’re my everything.” Up on his tiptoes, Jamie managed to sneak a kiss. “Wanna play ‘human sedan chair’ and carry me downstairs? Or are we making a conventional entrance for the plebs tonight?”

Noah cocked his head, tapping his chin. “Conventional. It might get other bets out there we can mess with. The cut going to the bar will balance the books nicely and we can bring some extra special treats on your birthday trip.”

“You should put a huge bet on me never sleeping with Curtis, by-the-way.” Jamie held Noah’s hand as they left the loft. “Because never, ever gonna happen. I might put a bet on the books for you slapping him around a bit though. Just to be able to see it.”

Thumb tracing along Jamie’s pulse, Noah shook his head. “That won’t earn you much. There’s always a bet about us getting into it. Which doesn’t get many takers anymore, it’s too predictable. But I think I’ll put that bet down just to see the look on his and Lawson’s faces. And Matt’s—though he’ll probably growl at me. I can’t figure out why Lawson never got into pet play with that one. He’d make a sweet little guard dog.”

Nope. I do not want to discuss Matt in any way, shape or form.

“Do you think a bet you’ll sleep with Curtis would do better?”

“Hmm.” Noah tilted his head as though thinking it over. “Maybe, though there is one wondering when I’ll finally collect my winnings from Lawson. Which won’t happen, just between us. We’re in a...better place. Sort of. At the moment. That’s not something that could happen without consequences.”

Doors opening and closing a level below made Jamie lower his voice as he leaned into Noah’s touch. “What won’t? Sleeping with Curtis? Or collecting your bet?” Up one step higher than Noah, he had the unique experience of being almost eye level. “And would you want to? Would it be fun for you? Because if not, don’t.”

“Lawson won’t happen.” Noah continued stroking Jamie’s neck. “Curtis was always fun, but it’s usually a good sign if we’re not trying to break half the bar stock with each other’s bodies. I like where we are too. I’d be concerned about losing that. If I didn’t think we would…” He shrugged.

Fascinated, Jamie held his breath, pulse fluttering wildly beneath Noah’s thumb. “When I wish I were bigger, it’s because I want you to play with me like I imagined you played with them.” The words came out on a whisper before he could hold them back. “It’s why I wanted to watch you.”

Noah brought his lips close to Jamie’s ear. “I’m just as rough with Jared. And he’s even rougher with me at times. So, in a way, you already have.” He nipped the curve of Jamie’s neck. “But we’ll see if I can’t find new ways to satisfy my voyeuristic kitty. I like playing with you like this. It’s fucking hot.”

Fingers digging in Noah’s biceps, Jamie held himself upright when his knees went a little funny. “God, me too. You’re delicious.”

The door opening in the hall above broke the moment. Giving Noah a knowing look, Jared shouldered on a charcoal jacket over his black T-shirt, Wren emerging behind him. “We’re going down to keep an eye on things in the bar while Reed has his fight. To keep Curtis occupied. You need to get to the ring in…” Jared lifted his wrist, glancing at his watch. “Twenty-five minutes.”

“Give me one good reason not to just snap Sin’s neck so Reed doesn’t have to decide whether or not to lose.” Noah’s tone sharpened, then he jumped back in surprise as a ball came bouncing down the stairs, Wren racing after it. His brow furrowed. “Cheater.”

Wren grabbed for the ball, almost knocking Jamie off the steps. He stared up at Noah. “Sir?”

Jamie giggled, slapping a hand over his mouth in a way that had Jared cutting a look between him and Noah. He probably guessed they were up to stacking the bet books again.

After a moment, Jared shook his head. “No.”

“No?” Noah’s brow shot up. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. And is Wren planning to choke his little pup friend with that thing? I’m pretty sure that’s not considered safe or sane.”

“Well, I mean it depends on the kind of balls you’re being choked with.” Jamie inserted himself, just to feel the predicted push of Jared’s hand against the back of his head. He flirted a little with his body, then gave Noah a sideways glance that said ‘See? I can do it.’

“Behave, my boy. Don’t let him rope you into his fun and games. You’ll end up with rabies.” Shaking his head, Jared smiled up at them both from a few stairs lower as he moved away, then called, “Wren, hold onto that ball or I’ll take it away. You can’t trip members with it. I’ve got enough work to do tonight.”

On one knee at the bottom of the stairs, Wren rubbed the ball on his black shirt, making a face. “Yes, sir. I need to scrub these stairs, they’re filthy. Does disinfectant taste bad?” He glanced over at Noah. “And respectfully, sir, Blain gave me this ball the last time he was here and it’s the perfect size. He knows everything.”

“Let’s go, Wren.” Giving Noah a deep kiss, then brushing his fingers over Jamie’s hair with a little tug, Jared snapped his fingers at his boy. “We’ll discuss the different chemicals in disinfectants and how you’d die if you ingested each one. You match the effect with the correct poison, and I’ll buy you a bag of puppy play biscuits for Danny online.”

Wren’s face lit up. “I’d love that, sir. Thank you.” He stood, going to Jared’s side as he brushed his pants off, immediately dropping the ball again, which began bouncing wildly around the stairs before he caught it. “Oh, shoot. I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

“Mhm. See that it doesn’t.” Jared took Wren’s hand, leading him through to the third floor hallway, the sound of his voice cutting off with the closing of the metal door on “Phthalates. Found in air fresheners and fragranced products. An endocrine disrupter. It’ll reduce your sperm count. Not so bad if you don’t care how many swimmers you have.”

Shaking his head, Noah looked at the door for a moment. “Well, you do have the advantage of Danny never having bitten you. As well as time together at the Center. We’ll win this one, we just have to get creative.”

A nod. Then Jamie brightened. Then frowned. “Hm. This might be the best or worst idea I ever had.” Leaning back, he balanced one foot on a higher tread. “How do you feel about face slapping?”

Noah blinked at him. “I smack your cheek all the time when you’re being cheeky. Unless you’re suggesting slapping Danny? I’m not sure he plays that way, but with that sneaky, sweet mouthiness of his, he could use it.”

“No.” Laughter bubbled up from Jamie’s stomach despite the subject. “Um. I mean like more than a tap. What you do doesn’t hurt or anything. It’s a reminder but not like what—” He shrugged. “—not like when I pissed Curtis off.” His lips quirked. “It’s an easy ten grand if you haul off and do it to me sometime though. I bet on it in the book after Curtis put in the original saying you would. Even though at the time I figured you wouldn’t. I just wanted to cut his winnings in half if you ever did.”

“Huh. Yes, I guess I could do that.” Noah’s sly smile was back. “For the cause, and also because I know it’ll get you off.” He continued down the stairs to the closed dungeon door. “What will be interesting is whether you’ll think of me, or him, while I’m doing it. Or perhaps both.”

Jamie stumbled at the visual that resulted. Sliding onto his ass, he bump-thumped down six treads before landing at the bottom in a sprawl, staring up at Noah.

At his side in a rush, Noah lifted him carefully. “Are you all right? I was teasing, little cat. Mostly. That is not the reaction I expected.”

“Sorry.” Laugh coming out shaky, Jamie turned around to try to check the bling on his butt. “Did I lose any rhinestones?” He twisted the other way, then gave up. “No. I just remembered thinking I was going to have to submit to Curtis when you were away and how much that terrified me. I’ve always… I mean even with the whip? I thought he’d rather I was dead than with you.”

Smoothing Jamie’s hair back, Noah shook his head. “No, my boy. He might have complicated feelings about you, but he’ll always protect you. He has before, yes? I wouldn’t trust him anywhere near you if I doubted that for a second.”

Which made complete sense, when Jamie thought about it, but feelings weren’t logical as Keiran liked to say. He gave Noah a sheepish smile. “Yeah. He has. And I know that. Like on a gut level. I just hadn’t put all that together.”

“Give yourself time. There’s no rush.” Noah straightened, pulling Jamie to his feet. “Now let’s go see what kind of trouble Reed’s gotten into now. Fighting Sin, of all people. Fuck, I don’t know how to feel about this. Or whether to allow it.”

Trailing Noah through the dungeon, heading the back way to the ring, Jamie nodded even though Noah couldn’t see him. “I heard Jared say something to Lawson about how Reed needs to let off steam. That he pays for his membership with a lot of work, and unless we want him fighting and playing somewhere else, we have to let him do this. That Curtis hasn’t been taking care of his hardcore needs and it’s damaging him. Do you think it’s damaging him?”

Jaw tense, Noah nodded. “I know it is, but...I’d prefer they find any other way around it than letting him face a sadist who’s into needleplay. A shorter leash is an option. A leash in general? I don’t know, it’s still hard to see him as a sub sometimes and I worry it is for Curtis too. He’s a good Dom, there’s no reason he should be missing so much otherwise.”

They waved at Connor in the security room, then headed into the back of the dance club, where a few members lounged around the open doorway, discussing bets they’d placed on Reed, some on Sin.

One Dom—a man with a drooping handlebar mustache and a paunch hanging over his wide leather belt—nodded to Noah on his way by. “Sent those fillets to Tracey like you asked, Noah. She said you might want some lamb for this weekend, so I left it with Keiran downstairs.”

“Thank you, Clyde.” Noah nodded back, hand around the nape of Jamie’s neck to keep him close to his side. “I’ll have Lawson put a discount on your membership.”

Clyde shook his head, making his mustache waggle in a way that would’ve had L.D. eating his face. “No need. Your mother likes to send me home with all that butter and bread she makes.” He patted his stomach. “I blame her and the craft beer you’ve been carrying for this.”

A slanted smile on his lips, Noah nodded. “I hear you. I wasn’t sure what I thought about her keeping farm animals again, but it’s been good for the kids. The place is more like she’d always dreamed it would be. You should try the goat cheese she’s finally perfected. She gave Keiran some and I swear he was in heaven. Doesn’t take much to spoil that sub.”

Light crept into the Dom’s toffee colored eyes, creases lining the sides of his broad grin. “He sure spoils us. Least we can do for him. Best hire you ever made.” Looking over his shoulder, he winked at Dallas, who’d begun to shoo people out of the dance club doorway so he could close it. “Sorry, Dallas. You can’t make baked goods.”

Dallas’ expression warmed, his hearty laugh booming across the gym. “He’s The Asylum’s secret weapon.” Meeting Noah’s gaze, Dallas gave him a meaningful look. “In more ways than one.”

Thinking back on the not one, but two or...even three times Keiran had saved Wren’s life, his own life, maybe even Noah’s life, Jamie couldn’t agree more. Keeping his gaze respectfully lowered, he tried to throw Dallas a smile all the same.

“Hey, Jamie, nice bling.” Dallas addressed him, bringing his head up.

Jamie grinned back. “Thank you, sir.”

“All right, let’s get this party started and stop giving the Anniston Falls Fire Department something to gripe about.” Dallas motioned Clyde and his buddies inside, then leaned over to Noah, lowering his voice. “If Reed decides to come up to the dungeon with Sin, I’ll keep the station next to his open if you want to bring Jamie up. And I’ll make sure to keep an eye out.”

Relief filled Noah’s eyes as he inclined his head. “I appreciate that. And if not...you’ve been close to him for a long time. If you can get him to talk, it might help.”

With the conversations Jamie’d had with Reed over the past few months, he likely had more insight than either of the Doms. Things that needed to be guarded and protected. Like how Reed worried about the way Doms treated Curtis when he dressed on the right. As a switch, Dallas would be a great person for Reed to talk to so he wouldn’t stress so much.

“Absolutely, my man.” Dallas’s focus shifted from Noah for a second as he nodded to another Dom, who entered with a tall, thin sub in tow. Then Dallas glanced back, voice lowered. “This is going to turn out. No worries. Things have a way.”

“I hope you’re right.” Noah took out his phone, checking the time with a sigh. “I suppose it would be bad form to use a lockdown to delay the whole damn thing.”

“I don’t know…” Dallas glanced to a shadowed spot on the gym’s steel girders. “Depends on how much you like having darts thrown at your ass.”

Noah snorted, shaking his head as he slid his phone back into his leathers. “Good point. And my uncle would end up with a sub I can’t mess with.” The edge of his lips quirked. “Or two.”

That earned Noah an eyebrow pop from Dallas. “Yep. That’s my man. We’re on opposing teams there maybe, so I’m going to close this dance club door and preserve the peace. You let me know what you need with Reed.”

“Will do.” Noah gave Dallas a respectful nod, continuing the rest of the way into the gym with Jamie. “Fucking rigged game right there if I ever saw one. Dallas and Rhodey. Didn’t even get a chance to put in a bet—didn’t see it coming.”

A step in front of Noah now, the way they liked it when he moved under his own power, Jamie skirted the members who’d begun crowding the ring. When Noah’s expression darkened, members backed up as much as they could. The fight hadn’t started yet, but a Dom whose name Jamie couldn’t remember, but who’d been around the club for awhile was in the ring as ref, talking to Sin—who didn’t look at all bothered by Noah’s presence.

“Have you fought him?” Standing by his side, Jamie tried to get a bead on Noah’s mood.

Noah shook his head. “Both Curtis and Lawson did. For some reason, at the time… Let’s just say I tried to stay out of their sandbox. There were plenty of other members to choose from.”

Jamie glanced around, lacing his fingers through Noah’s. “Sometimes I think about having Matt train me again so I can be more a part of things, and maybe have some fun with you in the ring on our own, but…” He threw Noah a rueful grin, catching motion at the back near the locker rooms as Reed stepped out. “He kind of mostly doesn’t like me. Even if he did save me from getting killed by the gang.”

“We’ll wear Matt down eventually.” Noah’s gaze trailed Reed. “He’s wearing black.”

One eye on Noah, Jamie stilled.

Things might get ugly.

Reed bounded up to the ring, energy in his step, but no humor in his smile.

“I should get him out of there.” Noah’s gaze locked on Reed as he joined Sin at the center of the ring, bumping fists. “I can’t tell what he’s decided.”

The gym doors opened, more heads turning than usual. Jumping up, Jamie tried to see over everyone’s heads, then tried again, unable to get good enough lift to see over so many giants.

Jaw clenched, Noah focused on Reed as the first punch connected. “Damn it, boy. Not again.”

“Noah.” Jamie tugged his hand to bring his attention to Curtis.

Who headed for the stairs like a battering ram.

It looked like they might not have to worry after all. Because given the look in Curtis’s brown eyes, Reed wouldn’t be in the ring for much longer.

Or ever again.