Flight of Fancy

Chapter Nine

Gavin dressed himself in a pair of loose-fitting lounge pants and paced. He lay down. He sat up. He tried to pass the time by watching TV, but the only thing he could see on the closed-circuit television was the party in the dungeon. A live feed. Oh hell, he’d been broadcast to anyone and everyone who’d wanted to watch.

He should have been embarrassed. Before Aidan, he would have been. Now, whenever he wanted to hide from his needs, he recalled Aidan telling him not to be ashamed. And he was right. Gavin wasn’t hurting anyone. He didn’t ask for others to watch him, but if they did, he enjoyed it. So he had a thing about exhibitionism. And submission. And bondage…

Aidan would shrug it off as no big deal. And that approval forced Gavin to reevaluate his need to please. Why did he care what everyone else thought, as long as he, and the man he was afraid he loved, accepted him?

He had to admit Aidan played a huge part in his wants and needs. He’d had a crush—from a purely physical perspective—on the blond giant for years. Even though he’d thought of Aidan as a dickhead and brutish asshole, he couldn’t deny he liked the look of him. So to find out he’d been wrong about the man under all that muscle turned Gavin inside out.

Aidan liked domination. He read books, fiction and nonfiction, and had an extensive art collection. The image he projected—a large thug with little more on his mind than the job—wasn’t the real man at all.

Though their conversations had been few, they’d been deep. Gavin knew enough about Aidan from what he didn’t say to know what made the man tick. He needed affection; he just didn’t know how to ask for it. Lying on Aidan’s chest while they rested or readied to play, Gavin had felt Aidan stroking him. The almost incessant need for contact told Gavin that Aidan wanted a tight connection, even if he wouldn’t say it out loud.

His obvious possessiveness had to be more about their relationship than the job. It had to.

Gavin continued to think about the impossible dream of a future with Aidan beyond this case while the minutes slipped into an hour. Then two hours. Worried when Aidan still hadn’t returned, he unlocked and opened his door, only to find two men standing outside. With guns.

One of them growled, “Mr. Castle will return shortly. Mr. Kerr suggests that for your own safety, you remain inside.”

Gavin swallowed. “Okay. Thanks.” He quickly closed the door and locked it again. Then he tried to decide what to do. Aidan had mentioned the possibility they’d be separated, and if that happened, to wait it out. Best case, Aidan would get Gavin a message. Either by note or thought, if the shit hit the fan. And so far, Gavin had heard nothing. Worst case, if Gavin went more than four hours without hearing from Aidan, he was supposed to leave Aidan behind and get the hell out of Dodge. He’d pretend to be nothing more than Aidan’s pawn and tough out his stay at the mansion if he couldn’t escape.

Aidan gone wasn’t an option.

Gavin refused to panic. Panic had caused him to be booted out of the program years ago. Aidan depended on him.

He forced himself to sit down and watch the television, thinking he might catch a glimpse of something useful if he stared long enough. At first the sexual acts and lusty lack of inhibition turned him on, but after a while, all the fucking blended together. As he waited for Aidan to return, he realized the case wasn’t what he’d thought it would be.

It came as a shock to understand that he actually preferred sitting in his office at the gym. He’d spent months trying to get back into fieldwork, and now that he’d arrived, he wanted nothing better than the safety of his computer and calculator. And Aidan.

Gavin looked inside himself, honestly considering the notion that what he’d been searching for wasn’t a better job or more exciting career. Sex with Aidan had given him a connection and a confidence he’d been wanting for a long time. But it was more than Aidan. Gavin sat half-naked on a strange bed, in the home of a man with ties to organized crime. Hell, guards with guns stood right outside the room. And he’d just attended his first orgy, where he’d had sex in front of people he didn’t know.

But he wasn’t freaking out. He could handle this.

And now he knew it.

Things would probably get worse tonight before they got better, but Gavin refused to desert his partner. He wouldn’t lose his composure or flake out on the job. For too long he’d doubted himself, and it had robbed him of the pleasure his real work actually afforded.

He liked making the numbers fit. He liked keeping Jack in the black. Getting the business tax breaks and figuring out the bottom line, then stretching it to make ends meet, gave him a satisfaction this field job couldn’t. Because Gavin understood he wasn’t the best man for action. Aidan was.

Being dominated by Aidan was enough of a thrill. Finishing this case would be hard work, but he knew they could do it. Just so long as Aidan returns in one piece. Gavin let the worry wash over him, accepted it, and owned it. He refused to let it rule him. None of this could possibly be scarier than trying to convince Aidan to give their relationship a chance when the mission ended.

Gavin sighed. He still hadn’t found the right way to broach the subject. Aidan would obviously deny their connection had been anything more than a necessary evil to accomplish the mission. Despite the fact they fit like a lock and key, Aidan would distance himself. Gavin just knew it. But how to make Aidan see them as a couple?

And would any of this matter if Aidan lay nearly dead while Gavin mooned over the big guy? Gavin glanced at the bedside clock and made a decision. He had one more hour before he’d been ordered to leave Aidan behind. And no way he’d do that.

After putting on a shirt and shoes, he opened the door and looked at one of the guards. “Excuse me. But my Master told me if I hadn’t heard from him by eleven, I was supposed to ask for Mr. Kerr.” A small lie, but Gavin didn’t want to wait another second.

The guards looked at each other; then the one Gavin had addressed nodded. “Come with me.”

Gavin kept his head down as he followed the guy around several bends and farther into a nearly empty hallway guarded on either side by large, armed men. The place looked beyond creepy. Dark, sterile, and deserted, the hallway could have been the backdrop for an upscale mental ward. A muffled roar and thud sounded out of place in the quiet calm. He moved with the guards closer to the noise and then stopped.

“Go in there.” The guard nodded to a large set of double doors. Then he walked away, leaving the entrance to the grand hallway, a good forty feet away, still secured by Carl’s guards.

Gavin took a deep breath, then let it out. Remembering to play his role, he opened the door and entered into a lavish office. The ceilings were a good twenty feet high, with a few chandeliers providing more than adequate lighting. Except they remained lowly lit, ghosting the room with shadows and dark patterns. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases crammed with books dominated the side walls. And behind the large desk at the back of the room sat Carl Kerr, his hands clasped behind his head as he leaned back in an overlarge leather chair.

“Please, come closer, Gavin, and shut the doors behind you.”

Gavin swallowed hard. He hadn’t been introduced by an actual name to Kerr, not that he recalled, although the guard had taken the fake name Aidan had given. Turning, he closed the doors and noticed two grand oil paintings on either side of the entry. On one side a beautiful man with white wings lay bent and broken before a horde of sexually aroused demons. The other painting portrayed much the same, except in that one, the angel grimaced in pain as a well of seed shot from his cock into the open mouth of a fanged creature.

Lovely art, he thought with a touch of hysteria. Then he forced himself to remember Aidan and assumed a mien of subservience. He turned around and nodded to Kerr. The prick looked way too pleased with himself. His shirt was partially open, and what looked like a smear of blood matted his cheek.

Gavin bit his lip, praying that blood didn’t belong to Aidan. “I’m sorry for intruding, Sir,” he said in a low voice. “But my Master told me to look for you if he didn’t return within a few hours.”

“And good boy that you are, you obeyed.”

Since he didn’t seem to be asking a question, Gavin didn’t respond.

Kerr stood and rounded the desk. He approached Gavin on quiet feet, and Gavin noted the man wore no shoes. Odd. Odder still, a part of the bookcase to Gavin’s right suddenly opened, revealing a pair of suspicious dark blue eyes.

“It’s okay, Samson. I have this.”

A grunt, and then the door closed.

Gavin had a terrible feeling Aidan wasn’t far away.

“Tell me, Gavin. What do you know about your Master?”

Gavin swallowed hard, not having to project any nervousness. Carl Kerr made him feel dirty just by standing too near. Apparently the man sensed it, because his smile widened as he drew closer.

“M-my Master is a generous man,” Gavin said quickly. He met Kerr’s gaze and hurried to look away, wanting the man to feel empowered.

“Yes. What else?”

“I—he found me two weeks ago at a bondage club in Portland. A place I was visiting, hoping to find a new Master. My old one moved away.” The cover he and Aidan had practiced on their trip South.

“And?”

“Sir?” Gavin asked.

“What did your Master tell you about himself?”

“That he’s a successful businessman who has to take a lot of trips. So when we do see each other, we need to make the most of our time.” He nodded and gave Kerr a slow smile. “My Master is very good to me. He invited me on this trip because I aced my last history final.”

“Oh?” Kerr moved behind him and ran a hand over Gavin’s shoulder. He squeezed when Gavin flinched, and Gavin froze.

“Sir?” He hated that his voice sounded shrill, but he must have struck the right note, because Kerr smoothed his hand over Gavin’s shoulder and stroked softly down his back. When his hand reached Gavin’s ass, he squeezed. Not hard, but enough to show Kerr was in charge.

“Your Master is a business friend of mine. That’s why I invited him to our little party. You did an excellent job blowing him earlier.”

Gavin flushed. “Thank you, Sir.”

“You’re so polite. So sweet.” Kerr leaned close and nuzzled the side of Gavin’s neck. They stood at the same height, but Kerr had a bit more mass on his frame. Not much, but enough that Gavin might have a hard time subduing him if Kerr practiced any form of martial art with skill. “And I do love a college boy. You’re all so lively and fun.”

“S-sir? Where’s my Master?”

Kerr gripped his ass and rubbed between his cheeks, seeking Gavin’s asshole with hard fingers. “I want inside you, boy. Your Master said you’re a little slut. I want to see my dick in that ass and that mouth. What do you say?”

A hard cry that sounded a lot like it came from Aidan pierced the sudden silence.

“Is that my Master?”

“Do you expect me to believe you’re that innocent? That you aren’t part of Aidan’s plan to steal from me?”

Gavin frowned and pulled away, surprised Kerr let him. He did his best to assume an innocent expression. “Sir? My Master would never steal from you. He brought me to pleasure him, so that I might pleasure you as well. He told me this weekend was important, that you’re a very rich man with business ties that can help him. He wanted nothing to hurt his chances to do business with you. You’re too powerful to alienate. That’s exactly what he told me.”

Kerr didn’t blink. “Your eyes don’t lie. And those ripe lips are begging me to believe.” He sighed. “Let’s ask your Master what he thinks I should do.”

Yanking him by the arm, Kerr pulled Gavin with him to the bookcase. He tapped a book, and the door hissed open. Kerr opened it fully, and they stepped through into a nasty chamber full of whips, chains, and sharp objects meant to inflict pain. The walls were bare and spotted with torn, faded wallpaper, the floors made of cold stone.

Aidan stood against a wall, like a human T. His arms were outstretched, his wrists manacled to the wall. He wore only his leather pants, and welts and gouges turned his chest into a bloody canvas. Before him stood Samson and Tyler, both holding weapons. In Tyler’s hand, a studded club matched the marks on Aidan’s left side. Samson fondled a large knife with care, adding another cut along Aidan’s ribs while Gavin watched in horror as the blood dripped down his side.

“We’re engaging in a little blood play, aren’t we, Aidan?” Kerr dragged Gavin by that damn loop in his collar all the way into the room and shut the door behind him. Where an opening had been, now a blank wall remained. Only a faint line showed where the door would open, and if Gavin hadn’t walked through it, he wouldn’t have known where to look.

All around him, bright spotlights highlighted the harsh reality of a torture chamber. Stone floors, textured walls, and marbled tables couldn’t disguise the purpose for the many objects taking up space in the various armoires placed around the room. Floggers, whips, spears, canes. Metal teeth and chains. Dildos of many sizes, gags, and leathers promised pain in a variety of ways.

What the hell had happened in the three hours Aidan had been gone? Even the fact that Aidan remained partially clothed didn’t lessen Gavin’s upset.

Aidan snarled, “Fuck you, Kerr. I told you before, and I’ll tell you again. I don’t know what the hell this is supposed to prove, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. Of course I know who Owen Stallbridge is. He was on the cover of Money Now and five other newspapers this month. He’s a millionaire, in the public eye, and he’s everywhere in the Northwest. But I’m not working for him.” Aidan managed a snort. “If I was, I sure the hell wouldn’t be here with you. And I would have admitted it long before now. My ribs fucking hurt.” He glared at Samson through a swollen eye.

“Maybe, maybe not. I think you like it when I hurt you,” Samson said in a low voice. He nodded to the crumpled men near the far wall Gavin hadn’t noticed before. “And you’re a lot more than an independent arms guy. You took those three out like it was nothing.”

“Until you tased me. Asshole.”

Samson chuckled. Tyler stood back, his club at the ready.

“Holy hell. What happened?” Gavin thought as hard as he could.

“Somehow, they found out about me. The phone call Carl took before was some damning info. But they know nothing about you. You have to get the hell out of here and warn Jack. I think Samson might have tracked me back to the gym.”

Gavin shook, not acting at all. “Mr. Kerr? What’s going on?”

“Your Master has been telling lies. He works for a man I’d like to go away—forever.” Kerr smiled through his teeth. “Apparently, my opponent has a few aces in the hole. Did you know Aidan Castle is really Aidan Marshall, a man who claims to be telepathic?”

“What?” Oh shit.

“I never claimed anything at all, Kerr,” Aidan denied through a hiss when Samson grabbed his balls and held tight. “I thought I was here to do some business with you, but after tonight, you can forget it. In fact, you’d better let me out of here right the hell now. And then you can start sweetening any deal we might have made, ’cause no way I’m not after some payback after this shit.” He snorted. “Telepathy? Dickhead, if I could read your mind, I wouldn’t have walked in here with you and been beaten down by your lapdogs.”

Tyler frowned and nudged Samson away. Then he swung the club at Aidan’s thigh. The sharp impact had Gavin flinching back—into Kerr’s arms.

“Shh. It’s okay, Gavin. I’ll protect you from the big bad men.” He laughed. Samson and Tyler snickered. But through it all, Aidan glared at Kerr and didn’t make a sound. Kerr continued, “I can’t figure out if Gavin is part of your plan or an innocent bystander.” He wrapped his arms around Gavin’s stiff body. “What should we do with him?”

Aidan clenched his fists, unable to move because of his restraints. “I don’t give a shit. Keep him. Fuck him. Who cares? I want out of here. Now. And I want a fucker of an apology.”

Gavin blinked, feeling betrayed, though he recognized Aidan was acting. “But, Master—”

“Shut up, you little slut. I saw you eyeing him earlier tonight.” Aidan growled, “You just want someone to coddle you through life. You think I didn’t see you looking for a sugar daddy two weeks ago? If that ass wasn’t so tight and those lips so soft, I would have fucked you and dumped you days ago. Hell, Kerr. You want him? Take him. But get me the fuck down.”

“I thought you wanted the book.” Kerr hugged Gavin tighter.

Though Gavin knew Aidan didn’t mean what he said, a part of him felt the truth like a shocking blow. Gavin did want to be taken care of. He did like others watching him get off.

“The book is in the other room, in the bottom drawer of his desk, hidden. There’s a button under the left side of the middle drawer. You push it to access the bottom drawer. Get it and go. Then warn the team.”

“Okay.” Gavin wanted to ease Aidan’s worry, so he agreed, though he had no intention of leaving without Aidan. But first he’d grab that stupid book. He let some tears fall, worried about Aidan and nervous about Kerr. “Mr. Kerr? I don’t understand any of this.” He cried harder. “I just wanted my Master to love me.”

“It’s okay. Come with me. You can show me how innocent you really are.” Kerr grabbed Gavin’s crotch and rubbed. “Not hard yet. But that’s okay. I’m hard enough for both of us.” He shoved himself against Gavin’s ass, and Gavin more than felt his erection.

“Fucker likes the sight of blood,” Aidan whispered in his mind. “Go, Gavin. I’ll distract these two. You can take Kerr. Then hustle the hell out of here. You need to get to safety. Don’t wait for anything. Just go.”

Gavin let Carl lead him away.

Over his shoulder, Carl ordered, “Don’t kill him yet. You can play with him, though. Soften him up some. Still too much piss and vinegar in our blond spy.”

“No problem, boss.” Samson sounded way too happy about the command.

Gavin walked through to the office again, hating the slaps, pounding, and groans indicating Aidan’s abuse. Kerr left the door open between his office and the other room, no doubt to hear the pain better.

“Now, Gavin. I’m going to sit down, and you’re going to suck me off. Just the way you did your old Master. And if you please me, I’ll treat you like the treasure you are. That beautiful skin, those deep blue eyes.” Kerr sighed and dragged Gavin with him to his large chair…right behind his desk.

He pulled the chair out, sat, and turned it to give Gavin access. Then he spread his legs wide and waited.

Gavin bit his lip. “Please don’t hurt me, Sir.”

“I won’t unless I have to. Take off your clothes.” Kerr studied Gavin through shuttered lids. “I want to see that cock again.”

Gavin knew he had to make his move soon. This was turning into a nightmare. Kerr was a freak of the first order, and his monsters in the other room were having way too much fun beating on Aidan.

As he eased out of his shirt and toed off his shoes, he hesitated at the waistband of his pants. He leaned forward slightly, his hands on his waist. “Sir, can I ask you something?”

Kerr shrugged. “I don’t care. But ease those trousers down, slow.” Gavin nudged one side of his pants down while he readied to spring.

“It’s just, I don’t understand—”

He shot forward and used the flat of his hand to chop Kerr in the throat. While Kerr gagged and grabbed at his neck, Gavin continued to talk and pressed down hard, choking the man. “I don’t know how my Master could have lied to me like that.” He mentioned how they’d met and how special Aidan had made him feel while pushing down on the pressure points in Kerr’s neck.

Once Kerr went limp, Gavin hustled to find the hidden button on the desk Aidan had mentioned. He found it and pressed. A little snick, and then he reached for the bottom drawer on the left-hand side of the desk and opened it. Way in the back, past some hanging files, he felt a piece of wood jutting up. He moved it and accessed a deeper, hidden bottom. He withdrew the book he’d held in his hands just three short weeks ago.

Thank God. He quickly leafed through it, content this was the same volume he’d nearly bought before it had been sold out from under him. Then he looked down at Kerr.

Gavin continued the one-sided conversation, just in case anyone was listening. After unplugging a nearby lamp and using the cord to tie Kerr’s hands together, he shoved his shirt in the man’s mouth, thankful Carl had yet to awake. Unfortunately, he had a pulse. As much as Gavin wanted to kill him for what he’d done to Aidan, Gavin couldn’t in good conscience commit murder.

He heard a low groan, recognized it as Aidan’s, and hustled to the door, the book in hand.

Just as he opened the door wider, he came face-to-face with Tyler.

Shit. “Mr. Tyler? Mr. Kerr fainted. I was coming to get you.” His voice shook. When Tyler moved past him, Gavin turned and slugged him in the head with the book. Tyler dropped the club he’d been holding, and Gavin tossed the book and hurried to grab the club. But Tyler was faster. He fought with Gavin for it and managed a kidney shot that hurt like hell.

As they grappled, the larger, tougher man got the upper hand and rolled over Gavin, pinning Gavin to the floor on his back. Tyler grabbed the club and raised it over his head, the promise of death in his eyes.

Gavin instinctively cried out to Aidan in his mind.

And then to Gavin’s shock, Tyler’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he seized, falling flat onto Gavin’s chest.

With a grunt, Gavin tried to catch his breath and pushed the dead weight from his body. What the hell? He didn’t have time to worry about Tyler, though, not with Aidan still at Samson’s mercy.

Gavin ignored his aches, picked up the book, and raced into the room, where he saw Aidan sagging in his chains, a mass of bloodied bruises. Scared and furious at the scumbag still pounding on his partner, Gavin didn’t think. He reacted. He knocked into Samson hard, shoving the bigger man aside. Before Samson could retaliate, Gavin shot into the air, his energy revving to be let go.

“Holy shit.” Samson stared, wide-eyed, at Gavin floating high above him. The expansive ceiling provided some respite, but Gavin would need to find a way to disarm Samson before he hurt Aidan again.

Then Samson grabbed a smaller knife from the small of his back and waved it. “You’re a real treat, aren’t you, boy?” He laughed, and Gavin wondered how he’d ever thought Samson and Aidan were alike, even physically. “I thought Kerr was off his rocker, but I guess there’s something to Stallbridge sending freaks to do his dirty work. You, I get. But no way in hell is your Master a telepath. Though I’m impressed he’s held out as long as he has. He’ll make a fun fuck toy, that’s for sure.”

Before Gavin could react, Samson threw the knife. Gavin tried to dodge, but the knife lodged in his shoulder, and he fumbled the book. The pain interrupted his concentration, and he dropped like a stone. He hit the stone floor hard, fucking up his knee. But at least the fall managed to dislodge the knife when he rolled.

Samson was on him in a heartbeat. But like Tyler before, he too twitched and fell forward. He didn’t pass out, but he didn’t attack either. It was like he was frozen, staring at something only he could see.

“Hurry. Can’t…hold him…much…longer…” Aidan’s weak summons spurred Gavin to action. An image of keys in Samson’s pants flashed in his mind’s eye, and he followed Aidan’s instructions, fetching the keys and crawling to his partner. But after he’d freed Aidan from his restraints and stood, Gavin encountered yet another problem.

He hobbled like a lame horse, and Aidan didn’t move from the wall.

“Aidan, you’re going to have to help me.” Gavin stumbled over to the book lying on the floor and grabbed it, then returned to Aidan.

“Hard to move. Tie Samson up. Gimme a minute.”

“Shit. You’re slurring.” Gavin knew he’d lost a lot of blood, but it was Aidan’s mind that had taken a hit. Somehow his lover had felled both Tyler and Sampson with mind powers he wasn’t supposed to have. “It’s okay, partner. We’ll work our way out. Somehow.” Gavin wondered what the hell to do now. Guards were still posted outside in the hall, and who knew when Kerr, Samson, or Tyler might revive?

“Samson. Tie him up.”

Gavin nodded and found some duct tape—surprise, surprise—that he used to tie up the creep on the floor. He put a generous amount over Samson’s mouth as well, knowing how much it would hurt to be ripped off.

“Go out this door to the left,” Aidan whispered, his voice hoarse. “There’s another hallway leading to an underground tunnel, one that wasn’t on the blueprints.”

“Aidan?” Gavin touched his shoulder and felt a huge wave of relief when Aidan opened his eyes. “I’m not leaving without you.”

“Stubborn boy. No discipline.” Aidan blew out a shaky breath. “You’ll have to help me. I used up a lot of my reserves already. But I looked into Samson before he started in on me. I know exactly how we’ll get gone.” Aidan grinned, and Gavin joined him, but inside, he wanted to cry.