Chapter 7

“It’s...maybe it’s a misunderstanding.” The tension was making it hard to breathe. Danny gazed up at Jacks. “I’m sorry you got stuck in the middle of this. Seriously, I can go. I’ll take a cab and go talk to Trevor and we’ll figure things out. If Jamie doesn’t want me here, I really shouldn’t stay.”

“I can’t stop you from leaving, Danny, but I would enjoy your company if you’ll let me make this up to you.” Giving Danny a once over, Jacks cocked his head before slanting Noah a look. “Strange, isn’t it, how Jamie’ll lend clothes to his mortal enemies?”

Noah’s jaw ticked. He glanced over at Jamie, no accusation in his eyes, but a clear need for understanding. “Why is he wearing your clothes?”

“Because I was asked—” Jamie shook his head, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “No, told, ordered, by a Dom to bring them down to the bar. We’re friends, or we were, so I didn’t question it.”

This just got better and better. Danny blew out a breath, then nodded to himself as his fingers went to the buttons of the shirt. “Another mistake. I’ll just give you them back then.”

“Danny.” A firm, familiar tone froze him as Lawson approached, stopping at Jacks’ side. “That won’t be necessary. Jacks, why don’t you bring him to my office so he can put his own clothes back on.” The man gave Noah a level look. “I wasn’t aware I had to run members by your sub for approval. Rule changes like that should be decided on by the entire board.”

Jamie’s Dom glared at Lawson like he seriously considered punching him in the face. “This isn’t official policy, this is a decision I’m making.”

“The decision was already made. By me. I was chosen to vet the members and I’ve done so.” Lawson’s tone didn’t change, but his stance said he was more than ready for a fight. “If you’d like to lodge a complaint, do it through the regular channels. Unless he’s broken some rule in the five minutes he’s been here? I know how very strict you are about making sure the rules are applied equally to all.”

That got Lawson a head nod from Jacks. Short and sharp. “Sure he is. I obviously don’t rate an apology from Jamie. I’m not a core member, after all, and he’s… How does Reed put it? Sub royalty?”

Lawson’s brow lifted. “I see. Is that an official position now?”

If it was, it totally fit Jamie. But, to be fair, he was married to one of the owners. Danny’s brow furrowed as he thought of Matt, who Lawson had been ready to cane for not following an order right away. Why didn’t he get the same privileges? That didn’t seem right.

But it wasn’t like he was in any position to point that out. He was one breath from being kicked to the curb even if he did stay. And...he wanted to. Fuck, he’d never had someone stand up for him the way Jacks had, and Jacks had asked him to stay.

“No, that’s not official, and you know damn well I’d make Jamie apologize if he was in the wrong. He had this little fuck sprung on him without warning.” Noah jutted his chin toward Danny. “If you expect him to be all sweet about that, after what was done to him, you’re a fool.”

Lawson’s brow lifted. “Danny’s done something to him? Please be specific if you’d like me to reconsider his application. Because he passed the background check. Is Wren unaware of whatever crime was committed against Jamie? I don’t see him overlooking that, but I could be wrong.”

Jamie made a frustrated sound, fingers curving toward his palms. “You want an apology? Fine. I’m sorry I told you to ‘fuck off’. I’m sorry I said ‘fuck’ in your presence at all.” He looked up at Noah. “Was there anything else I need to say, sir?”

Shaking his head, Jacks folded his arms over his chest. “Usually the apology follows the punishment. On your knees. But I guess you’re too good for that too.”

“Sir?” Danny chewed on his bottom lip, turning to look up at Jacks. “Can we… I really want to get out of these clothes. Maybe Jamie’s just tired—he always got moody when he was tired on tour. Please, can we drop it and maybe figure it all out with Trevor later?”

“Sure.” Jacks threw his hands in the air, slapping them to his thighs. “You shouldn’t have to suffer just because these two want to erode the club standing I built up with thousands of dollars in fights I’ve won. Money they’ve profited from. This club has profited from. Nobody worthwhile is going to take my challenges if I don’t rate an apology from one of the Royals, so I’m not even sure there’s a point in coming back.” Turning, he scooped up Danny onto his back, nodding to Lawson. “Thanks for trying. I’ll just go get his clothes and we’ll be out of here.”

Lawson held up a hand for Jacks to wait. Gestured to someone else. “Jared, perhaps you can help us sort out an issue with your sub, since Noah seems unable.”

A broad-shouldered man, a few inches shorter than Noah, his short dark hair sprinkled with white, turned with what Danny instinctively read as a deceptively mild expression on his face. Ice blue eyes skated over Jamie, Noah, Jacks, then Danny, taking everything in as he approached on smooth footsteps that wouldn’t have made a sound even if the club music hadn’t been blaring over the sound system.

Standing on Noah’s other side, Jared folded his arms over his chest. “What seems to be the problem?”

Noah let out a cold laugh. “Jacks decided to pick up another member of Glam Grenade and took exception to Jamie not being thrilled to see him. He’s demanding an apology because Jamie swore at him. And apparently, since Lawson approved this one’s membership, we’re stuck with him.”

Dark brows popped above the silver rims of Jared’s eyeglasses as he turned his attention to Lawson. “What kind of apology?”

“Jacks is within his rights to ask for a club apology. He’s willing to accept the words, but there seems to be a lack of even basic protocol with your boy.” Lawson mirrored Jared’s stance, which seemed to be a favorite of the Doms here. “Since when do we make excuses for that kind of behavior? Jamie was taken off guard, so Jacks no longer deserves his respect?”

Running a palm over his face, Jared eyed Noah and breathed deep. “Noah...love…”

“Jesus Christ.” Noah laced his fingers behind his neck, shaking his head before he glanced at Jamie. Then Jared. “This isn’t right. That boy should not be here.”

Jared’s nod wasn’t without understanding. “That may be so, but you and I both know that we expect better from our boy. He was trained better than that, by both of us. These are two separate issues.”

Lowering his hands, Noah glared at Lawson. “You better make damn sure your little pup never steps out of line, my man. You don’t want to play these games with me.”

Lawson gave him a level look. “This isn’t a game, Noah. But I’ll keep that in mind.”

Jared looked to Jacks. “You don’t mind if I administer the punishment?”

Sliding Danny to his feet, Jacks gathered him to his front. “No. Not at all. That would probably be for the best.”

Fingers curled into his palms, Jamie lowered his head, jaw working as he stood next to Noah.

Jared nodded, holding out a hand to Lawson. “May I borrow your paddle?”

“Of course.” Lawson unclipped a short, solid-looking, leather-covered paddle from his belt, then passed it to Jared.

Danny swallowed, not sure what the man planned to do with that thing. This wasn’t at all how tonight was supposed to go. He’d been a bit nervous about seeing Jamie again, and a lot nervous about the club itself, but he’d never thought Jamie would hate him and end up getting...some kind of punishment because of him.

Unbuttoning, then rolling up the black cuff of his right sleeve with sharp flicks of his fingers, Jared jerked his head at Noah. “Hold our boy, love.”

Noah nodded, drawing Jamie to him and latching onto his wrists. He bent down to speak quietly to his husband, giving him a bracing look before getting him into position.

“How many infractions?” Jared looked over his shoulder at Lawson as he unbuttoned Jamie’s jeans and shoved his pants down along with his boxer briefs.

Jacks spoke up. “Four, but only two against me personally.”

With a visible wince, Jared seemed to reconsider the implement in his hand before he took a deep breath. He stood back to line the paddle up with Jamie’s ass. “Twenty. Count them out.”

Twenty…

Danny couldn’t wrap his mind around what that meant, even though he’d seen mention of punishments in the contract he’d signed. He jumped as the paddle connected with Jamie’s ass. Cold licked along Danny’s flesh as a bright red mark spread over pale skin.

Voice steady, Jamie counted, one smack after the other. His reaction told Danny he’d been through this before.

But that didn’t make it any easier to watch. Still, Danny couldn’t close his eyes. Couldn’t look away. His vision blurred as he tried to imagine what Jamie was thinking. What he must be feeling, having to take a punishment like this in front of so many people. The pain wouldn’t be the worst of it, though he wondered if Jamie would have to lie down for the next week and be careful not to let anything near his ass. This was terrible and Danny didn’t know how to stop it.

If only...if only he’d figured out Jamie wouldn’t expect him. That Trevor hadn’t been clear or...or something. Maybe he’d assumed his manager would call?

All the interviews, the articles about the reunion, didn’t come out of nowhere.

Jamie never contradicted any of it.

On the last strike, Danny forced himself to look away. Whatever Jamie’s reasons, he wouldn’t make this worse on him by staring like everyone else. Wouldn’t force Jamie to look at him any more than he already had.

This was Jamie’s world.

Maybe I don’t belong here.

But Jacks wanted him here. No matter what else happened, Danny couldn’t forget that. And he couldn’t let this whole mess have been for nothing by running away.

Even though he really, really wanted to.

Jared drew up Jamie’s jeans, putting him back together with a gentleness that the paddle blows had belied. The man might or might not think Jamie had been in the wrong, but he hadn’t flinched from whatever passed for discipline in this place.

“Apologize to the Dom you disrespected.” Jared jerked his head toward Jacks. “Don’t let it happen again, or I’ll double the strikes per infraction.”

Once Noah released him, Jamie turned, kneeling gracefully in front of Jacks, who looked down at him like he’d never known him. “I apologize for disrespecting you and your guest, sir. It was rude and uncalled for. It won’t happen again.”

Jacks gave a short nod, meeting Jared’s gaze. “Forgiven.”

Holding out his hand to Jamie, Noah pulled him to his feet. “You may go back to work, little cat. I’ll see to it you’re not bothered again.” He seemed to dismiss both Jacks and Danny, turning to Jared. “Thank you, my love. I’ll be at the bar if you need me.”

Concern deepened the faint lines around Jared’s eyes. “Of course. I’ll join you once I see if any of the fighters need my attention.”

And just like that, Jamie returned to his booth as though Danny didn’t exist, Noah was at the bar, and things around him kept moving. Why had Danny ever thought coming here would be any different than how they’d always been between him and Jamie? Jamie and Trevor were the ones who made things happen, not him. He’d been an idiot to even entertain the idea that a place that was Jamie’s in every way would welcome him.

He turned, looking at the door, needing his own clothes back on so he could think. Damn it, this was all...too much.