AS YOU WISH
Even before the stricken look flashed so painfully across Mac’s face, Danny wanted to take the words back. Because as soon as they were out, he thought about how the other man hadn’t let anyone else into his life, and how much it took to gain Mac’s trust. And about how all of that was probably now ruined beyond repair because he’d listened to someone else.
Abruptly about as readable as stone, Mac replied stiffly, “Sure. Of course. I’ll have the papers drawn up today and courier them here tomorrow.”
When Mac spun around sharply and stalked back towards the car, Danny started after him and called, “Mac! Mac, wait!” But then he was surrounded by at least seven or eight people, all holding him back, keeping him from view. It didn’t matter how much he struggled and kicked and cursed at them, they kept him right where he was until Mac was long gone.
“It’s for the best, Danny,” Gelnich said emphatically. “The man would have used you and exploited you for his own gain. You are much better off as a free man, your own man, than a slave to anyone.”
Danny snarled, “Oh yeah!? What the fuck gives you the right to decide that for me, huh? You bastard! I don’t know why I even listened to you!”
“Because you know I’m right,” the old man countered calmly. “You know that this is the best course for you, even if you’re too frightened to admit it. It’s all right to be scared, Danny, we all know the point you’re at right now because we’ve all been there.”
A quick look around the crowd showed that they were all in agreement with Gelnich and Danny knew there was only one thing to do. Straightening, he said, “I’m leaving here and if any of you try and stop me, I’ll kill you. Don’t think I won’t, because at least that way, I know I’ll be Mac’s forever, no choice about it. And don’t you ever contact me again.”
Danny stalked away from the group and fortunately, no one tried to go after him.
* * * *
It was a long walk to find a payphone and Danny counted his lucky stars that he was wearing sneakers and ‘normal’ clothes as he looked for one. Bare feet would’ve A) been cut up plenty and B) landed him in a cell for escaped slaves waiting to be hamstrung. Glad for a virtually photographic memory, Danny called Stella collect and waited anxiously for her to pick up.
“Hello?”
“I have a collect call from Danny Messer. Will you accept the charges?”
The pause was too long for Danny’s comfort, but Stella ultimately agreed, “I will.”
“Go ahead, sir.”
“What the hell are you playing at, Danny?” Stella demanded furiously. “Do you know what you’ve done to Mac? I can’t believe that you would...”
“Stella, please!” Danny interrupted.
“You’ve got ten seconds to make me not hang up.”
Shaking at the thought that his one connection to Mac might desert him, Danny hurriedly explained, “I screwed up. I never wanted Mac to free me, but Gelnich got me all turned around, saying how’s I couldn’t really trust Mac unless he showed me that he would free me. Then I could turn around and tell Mac I did want to be his, but the bastard snowed me! I tried to get to Mac, to explain, and the bunch of ‘em grabbed me and stopped me! Please don’t hang up, Stella, you’re all I got left. Please help me.”
“God, Danny…” Stella exclaimed.
Miserable, Danny agreed, “I know, I know, I was a complete and utter idiot. Please, you’ve gotta believe me, Stella. I love him. I want to be his, no matter what. I thought he’d let me at least explain what was going on, but then they grabbed me and…”
“Okay, okay. I get the picture. So wait, where are you?”
“Um…” Danny looked around for a
street sign. “At the 7-11 on
“Alone and without a pass?” Stella demanded. “Don’t answer that. You do not move until I get there, understood? And when I get there, you and I are going to have a long talk about the care of one Mac Taylor, because you only get two chances, buddy.”
Relieved that she was giving him even that much, Danny nodded and agreed hastily, “I get it, I do. I’ll be right here, waiting.”
“Go inside the store. I’m going to call the owner and make sure no one mistakes you for an escaped slave,” Stella ordered before hanging up.
And even though it was warm out, Danny was shivering with reaction by the time he walked inside the store. He’d come so close to fucking everything up. Maybe he had. Maybe it was already too late and Mac would never even look at him, even with Stella’s help. He never should’ve listened to Gelnich, should’ve just ignored the old man altogether and gone with his instincts.
“You Danny?” the older man behind the counter asked. “You don’t give me any trouble, I don’t give you any trouble, understood?”
Danny nodded, trying to look as innocent as possible, and sat on the rickety stool at which the man pointed. “Yes, Sir, I understand.”
The man continued to look at him suspiciously, but eventually ignored him and went about his business.
Sighing, Danny pinched the bridge of his nose from under his glasses, trying in vain to stem the headache pulsing along the base of his skull.
* * * *
“You gonna tell Mac?” Aiden asked, following Stella on the way to the elevators.
Stella gave her an incredulous look and exclaimed, “Do I look suicidal to you?”
“Well no, but you’re gonna have to tell him some time soon,” Aiden pointed out. “Danny’s pretty hard to hide.”
“Why’re you talking about Danny?” Flack demanded from behind.
Stella glared at Aiden, then turned to face the other detective, motioning him to keep his voice down. “I’m going to get him so he and Mac can make up and live happily ever after, damn it.”
Flack’s eyebrows rose and he hissed, “After what that asshole did to Mac?”
“I don’t have time to explain, but you’ve got to trust me on this one,” Stella said firmly. “Danny isn’t really to blame for anything.”
“Oh, so he accidentally betrayed Mac.”
“Damn it, Flack! Would you shut up and listen? Better yet, Aiden, you explain things to him. I need to get to Danny before someone does something to him, because then Mac will never forgive himself.”
She left before either could say anything else, hopping into the elevator at the last second so that the door closed on Flack’s angry exclamation. Unfair of her to leave Aiden to deal with the angry cop, but her girl could take care of herself. Breathing a sigh of relief that Mac was out on a scene and couldn’t possibly bump into any of them until it was too late, Stella waited impatiently to get to the garage. She did her best to calm down, but it was difficult with everything that had happened in the last few hours.
On the one hand, she was so furious with Danny for putting Mac through what he did, that she wanted to shake the slave until his teeth rattled in his head. On the other, she knew all too well just how naïve the young man was, despite his previous owner. With Sonny Sassone, what Danny saw, was what he got, and Stella knew that that presumption now colored how Danny saw the world. When Gelnich had ‘befriended’ Danny and taken the slave under his wing, she was positive that Danny hadn’t once even thought the old man might be using him for his own purposes. He’d been manipulated by a master, no doubt about that, his insecurities played upon with virtuoso talent.
The more she thought about it,
the angrier she got at Glenich and, shoving her keys
into the ignition, Stella made a vow to make sure he paid for the pain that
he’d dealt both Master and slave. It was damned sure that Mac and Danny weren’t
the first to suffer from his interference through the years. She had about an
hour to
She started thinking up inventive ways to punish the old man without actually hurting him.
* * * *
Work was a good way to keep his mind off of what had happened that afternoon. Mac threw himself into the case just after he called his lawyer to have the freedom papers drawn up for Danny, and instructed them to be couriered over to Gelnich’s the following morning.
Thankfully, it was a perplexing
case that took all of his concentration and Danny didn’t cross his mind once
the investigation really began. He worked straight through to
“Go home, Mac,” Flack ordered. “This case ain’t a priority and you know it. Get some sleep and start fresh in the morning.”
“Every case is a priority,” Mac retorted.
Flack eyed him pointedly and replied, “It’s a robbery. I know the puzzle’s interesting to you, but trust me when I say that you really need to go home.”
Mac sighed, rubbing his eyes, and reluctantly nodded agreement. “All right, I’ll go home. You too, okay?”
Flack smirked at him and answered, “I’ve got a hot date, so I will not be going home, but thanks for the concern.”
Snorting at the confidence the other man exuded so easily, Mac took another bite and headed for his office. Flack was right. He was too tired to be working there. It would be too easy to make a mistake. Then again, he really didn’t want to go back to his empty apartment and be reminded of the man who was no longer in his life. He’d just sat down at his desk when Aiden tapped on the door. Frowning, he motioned her inside and asked, “What are you doing here? Where’s Stella?”
“At your place, waiting for you,” Aiden answered. “Can you give me a lift? I’m beat.”
The frown deepened and Mac demanded, “Why is she at my place?”
“I think I better let her tell you.”
There weren’t many things that Aiden was shy to get in the middle of, but a fight between Stella and Mac, was on the list. He sighed, not really up to an argument with Stella, but nodded. “Sure. Let’s go.”
“You want I should drive?” Aiden offered.
Mac thought about it, then asked, “I thought you were beat?”
“I’m never too beat to drive.”
A faint smile surfaced at that, because Aiden was hell on wheels. He tossed her the keys. “Why not? I need to wake up for this anyhow.”
* * * *
Mac stopped short on seeing Danny kneeling in the living room corner, his face turned towards the wall. His briefcase dropped from nerveless fingers and he looked to the sofa where Stella sat, giving her an accusing look. “What the hell is going on here?”
Standing, she held up a hand and ordered, “You’re going to listen to everything I have to say, and then you can yell at me, curse me out, throw us both out, or do the right thing and take Danny back, it’s up to you. But first, you listen. Sit.”
Mac folded his arms over his chest, fury combating the need to grab Danny and kiss him stupid.
“Okay, stand and listen. Danny foolishly listened to someone that he thought had his best interests at heart, instead of listening first to you, and then his own instincts. It was Gelnich’s idea to ask for his freedom and Danny only did so to see if you would actually grant it, not because he really wanted it. Danny’s only real crime here was in listening to someone who wasn’t you, hence him sitting in the corner. You can decide a more appropriate punishment once I’m gone. Personally, I think you should just beat him, Claim him, and chain him to the bed for a week to show him exactly who’s boss, but that’s me. Oh, and if I don’t see you at work tomorrow, I’ll know you took my advice, as you always should, let me point out. Good night gentlemen.”
Stella swooshed passed him, snagging Aiden’s arm on the way out, and closed the door behind her.
For a long time, Mac just stood there and stared at Danny. The slave’s shoulders twitched every so often, a sure sign of stress, and Mac realized that he couldn’t call Danny that any more. His lawyer was very efficient and would have rushed the paperwork through to free Danny by the end of the business day, just to keep Mac happy, since they went back a long ways. “Get up.”
Danny stood unsteadily, but didn’t turn around.
“Look at me.”
After a brief hesitation, Danny did so.
Mac saw pain, fear, and guilt in the deep blue eyes staring back at him, all of which assured him that Stella had been telling the truth. Thinking carefully about what to say, Mac settled on, “You’re free to leave here. The paperwork’s already been done. You can walk out that door and live your own life, make your own decisions. Love who you want. Fuck who you want. Own somebody else, if you have the money and the desire. You can leave the state. Hell, you can leave the country and never look back. Pretend all of this was a nightmare and start over on your own, or with someone else.”
Danny mutely shook his head, eyes dropping to the floor for a moment before being pulled back up to return Mac’s gaze.
Mac forced himself to stay hard voiced as he continued, “You should go, Danny. You should walk out that door and get the hell away from me. Find some nice woman and settle down to a normal life. Have some kids and bring them up right. Get a good job. Work normal hours. Be free, Danny, and enjoy that freedom as only an ex-slave can, because that’s what you are right now. You don’t belong to me any more.”
The head shake was more violent this time, but Danny remained mute.
“Last chance, Danny,” Mac warned. “If you don’t walk out that door in the next sixty seconds, you will never get the opportunity to do so, ever again. Not even if I die before you. I will make sure that you’re mine forever. I’ll have you neutered upon my death and given over to Flack. He’ll see to it that no one touches you until you die. If you don’t leave right now, you’re going to know what it’s like to have a pissed off Marine as a Master and believe me, you’re going to feel a lot of pain before I work through this anger inside of me over what you did. A lot of pain. You’ve got sixty seconds, starting right now.”
Mac looked down and deliberately hit the timer on his watch, then went back to looking at Danny. The fear was greater now, but there was also a mix of resignation and determination staring back at him that told Mac pain had been used frequently as punishment by Sassone. The seconds ticked by silently and slowly, neither man giving an inch on the staring contest. When the tiny beeper sounded, it almost startled Mac out of a trance-like state.
Grinning fiercely, Mac ordered, “Strip.”
Danny quickly pulled off his clothes, dropping them on the floor as fast as he could.
“No, fold them neatly and place them on the coffee table.”
Danny obeyed that just as swiftly, then returned to his former position.
“Eyes down, slave.”
The gaze instantly dropped.
“Drop.”
Danny dropped gracefully to his knees.
“Close your eyes.”
That, too, was instantly obeyed.
Mac took his time just looking at the man kneeling motionless on the floor, noting the occasional muscle twitch that signaled just how nervous Danny was. He couldn’t use pain on Danny, because that would equate him with Sassone and if that happened, Mac really would lose the slave forever.
Fortunately, Mac knew how to be subtle.
* * * *
Danny knelt there with his eyes closed for what seemed an eternity. He didn’t hear Mac move, but suddenly the man was right in front of him, the unmistakable scent of him filling Danny’s nose.
“I want you to open your eyes and go to the bedroom. Lie face up in the center of the bed and wait for me there.”
The words were soft and, somehow, all the more dangerous for it. Danny opened his eyes to find himself face-to-crotch with Mac, an impressive bulge outlined under the fabric that was so close to him. All he had to do was lean forward an inch and he could nuzzle the hidden flesh therein, but that hadn’t been ordered. So he stood and hurried to the bedroom, climbing on the large bed in which he’d found so much comfort before and lay face up, staring at the ceiling as he waited.
Danny jumped a little when Mac just appeared at his side, taking his wrist in hand. The man was quieter than a mouse, which still freaked him out sometimes. Danny didn’t have to look to recognize the feel of a cuff around his wrist. It was thick leather and lined with something soft, though, an unexpected boon given what Mac had said before about pain. The rest of his limbs were similarly dealt with, chained to each corner of the bed until he couldn’t move.
Standing beside him, Mac gently took the glasses from Danny’s face and said matter-of-factly, “No need for these for a while.”
That one, little thing caused Danny’s stomach to knot in fear. His vision was reduced to a blur now, even something put right in front of his face would be a big, undefined shape.
“Easy Danny, it’s going to be okay,” Mac murmured, slowly rubbing his stomach in soothing circles. “Close your eyes.”
Danny did so, and felt a blindfold slip into place, provoking a whimper of fear. He’d never done well without his sight, the very real possibility of blindness always just around the corner.
“Can you do this for me, or is it too much?”
The question was nonjudgmental, neutral even, and cut through the fear enough to help Danny regain some of his control. Breathing unsteadily, he nodded and gasped, “Yeah, yeah I can do this.”
“Are you sure?”
Danny took a breath and slowly released it before nodding again. “I can do it, Master.”
“Good boy.”
The warm praise sent a flush of pleasure through Danny, further combating the fear and driving it partially away.
“Sassone didn’t praise you enough,” Mac continued, just as warmly. “You are a good boy, Danny, if a little naïve sometimes, and far too trusting. I don’t want you to change, though, so this isn’t really punishment for trusting in the wrong person. This is punishment for not believing enough in yourself and your own instincts, as well as not coming to me directly with a problem that you had. You can come to me for anything, Danny, and I’m going to reinforce that here, tonight. Are you ready, slave?”
Danny swallowed nervously, but nodded and whispered, “Yes, Master.”
“Good boy.”
The bed dipped and Danny felt Mac brush up against him before straddling his hips, trapping his as-yet limp cock beneath a firm ass. He gasped when Mac undulated against him, the sensation new and arousing.
“I will never strike you in anger, Danny. I will never use pain or fear to control you. I am not Sonny Sassone.”
Danny was mostly hard already, just from the slow back and forth movement of Mac’s ass over his groin, sliding between the firm cheeks, enticing him to hardness. Then hands joined the action, rubbing strong and slow over his chest, combing through his chest hair and massaging as they went. Mac shifted forward, putting his hands on the mattress, his arms close enough to Danny’s head that he felt the tickle of arm hair against his cheek.
“You’re mine now, Danny, and I don’t share. I’m going to make you scream, but in pleasure. I’m going to Claim you until you’re sobbing for more, begging for a release that I’ll allow if, and when, I feel like watching you come. I’m your world, Danny, from here on out. If you need anything, if you’re hurting for some reason, if you just want to be held and feel safe, you come only to me and you do it instantly. Understood?”
“Yes, Master, oh Gods, please,” Danny moaned, thrusting up against the ass covering his cock, but not giving him anywhere near enough friction to make him come.
A wicked chuckle echoed in his ear and Mac informed him, “I think this is a good start,” and climbed off him altogether. Before Danny could even beg for more, swift hands wrapped a ring around the base of his shaft and Mac continued, “You’re going to stay like this until I decide otherwise. Get used to it.”
Danny groaned as the blindfold was removed. At least Mac returned his glasses and the world came into focus again. The chains were released as well, but not the cuffs. Danny found his wrists and ankles locked together and Mac manhandled him onto his side before spooning up behind him.
After turning off the light, Mac slid an arm around him then cupped his balls and curled up tight to him. Nuzzling at the back of Danny’s neck, Mac said softly, “Just like this,” and sighed deeply, relaxing against him.
Even if he’d known what the odd words really meant, Danny couldn’t help but focus on the physical. His balls were held snugly in Mac’s palm, his cock hard and aching, and his arms and legs locked together. It took a long, long time for him to relax enough to fall asleep.
* * * *
Mac woke tangled around Danny, still holding fast to the moist, warm balls between the slave’s legs. He was hard, no big surprise there, and though it wouldn’t take much to get him off, Mac decided to wait until they were both free to enjoy it. Releasing the catch on the cock-ring, he took the narrow leather strip and tossed it over onto the bedside table before returning to the shaft. He stroked it slowly, alternating with a tight squeeze and fondling of the balls until Danny woke as well, shuddering violently.
“Don’t you dare come,” Mac warned immediately.
Danny whimpered, but shook his head and gasped, “I won’t, Master, I won’t!”
Mac kissed the side of his throat and withdrew his hand. “Go start the shower, get it good and hot. You’ll find a strop and blade under the sink. Sharpen the blade and when you’re done, come and get me.”
Nodding, Danny started to move then stopped and said, “Master? I’m still hobbled.”
“That does make things challenging, doesn’t it?” Mac observed, slapping Danny sharply on the ass. “Move, slave.”
Danny gasped and rolled swiftly off the bed. It took a few seconds to get his balance, then he baby-stepped to the bathroom, moving slow and careful so as not to lose his footing. Mac watched for a few seconds then stretched and got out of bed as well, feeling a lot more cheerful and content with the world. He would spend the next few days getting Danny acclimated to truly being his slave, and then he would Claim him over the weekend.
First things first, though. It was time to get Danny marked and Chained.
* * * *
Once he’d showered and shaved, he’d taken the cuffs off Danny and ordered him to do the same. When the slave was done, Mac had an enema ready to go and they took care of that, then Danny took another shower. Completely clean inside and out, Danny then stood motionless, legs spread wide apart while Mac had shaved him everywhere.
“We’ll get you waxed there next time, or maybe I’ll look into laser hair removal, but for now I just wanted the area clean so the artist can see what he’s doing,” Mac informed the wide-eyed slave. “Once more rinse, then come out with the cuffs.”
Mac left him there, knowing
that Danny’s mind was racing as to what Mac was going to do to him. Once
outside, he grinned broadly and allowed himself a small chuckle as he thought
about the times that Stella had commented on his mean streak. He took pleasure
in the most perverse things, sometimes, and she’d always warned him to keep his
sense of humor to himself, unless he wanted to be brought up on harassment
charges. It was a full
Danny joined him a few minutes later, dried off but still damp, an exquisite sight, especially shaved the way he was.
Mac motioned towards the pants and sandals on the bed and ordered, “Get dressed. I want to leave in the next ten minutes,” before leaving the bedroom. He fully planned to keep Danny as off-balanced as possible, without freaking the slave out.
Technically, he’s not a slave right now, Mac realized anew and instantly headed for the phone.
“Terry Wicks speaking.”
“Terry, it’s Mac.”
“I couriered those papers over first thing this morning.”
Shit, Mac thought. “Well, I need you to get Voluntary Slave Status papers in order. Danny’s signing himself over to me today. We’ll be at your office in twenty minutes.”
There was a surprised pause, then Terry agreed, “I’ll have them waiting.”
“Thanks, Terry.”
“Anything for you, Mac, and you know it.”
Mac smiled as he hung up and glanced at the bedroom just as Danny exited it to come towards him. Taking the cuffs and chains from Danny, he set about reattaching them, then stood back to admire his handiwork. “We’ll have to get some gold chains for you, they’ll go better with your coloring.”
The wrist cuffs remained on and locked together when they left the apartment. The ankle cuffs were given a length of chain to make walking easier. Mac didn’t quite go so far as to leash Danny, but he was tempted.
Terry’s office was the first stop and definitely the shortest. They went in, Mac didn’t introduce the two, Danny signed the forms, and the lawyer promised to have things official before close of business.
“You’re sure that us not going down in person won’t cause problems?” Mac questioned, hand rubbing slow circles at the small of Danny’s back.
Terry smiled, green eyes bright and cheerful as he replied, “Nope! Voluntary is generally done in person, but there’s no law specifically stating that you have to do so. So, congratulations! And I have to say that now, I know what all the fuss is about.”
Even knowing that Terry didn’t mean anything by it except at face value, Mac tugged Danny into a sideways hug feeling possessive as he replied, “Thanks, Terry. I’ll see you later.”
The next stop was a tattoo/piercing/branding parlor that was owned and operated by a friend of Aiden’s who was also an incredible tattoo artist. He’d done the Greek lettering on Aiden’s back into a design that was subtle and compelling, all at once. And if someone actually spoke Greek, they would know that it said, ‘Beloved Slave of Stella Bonasera.’ Mac knew exactly what he wanted done and was sure that Harry could take care of it.
It was a small, very clean shop with the walls covered in designs. The piercing part was on the left, the tattooing part on the right and branding in the back, with partial walls between all three sections. Each section held its own sterile equipment and Mac spied Biohazard buckets within easy reach. Nodding in approval, he stepped forward and headed for the slender, Hispanic man currently working on a Goth girl who already had too many tattoos, from what Mac could tell.
“Harry?”
“Be with you in a sec,” the man answered, not taking his eyes from his work.
Mac turned to look at Danny, who was looking at the designs on the walls. Stepping up behind the slave, he asked, “See anything you like?”
“Whatever pleases you, Master,” Danny murmured, his gaze shifting to the floor.
Mac smiled and tugged Danny into his arms, bending forward to kiss him, slow and deep. When he pulled back, a daze expression had taken over Danny’s face and he smiled, stealing another, shorter kiss before pulling back altogether. He briefly cupped Danny’s face and told him, “You please me, Danny.”
Apparently mesmerized by Mac’s eyes, Danny for once didn’t look away. Not until someone coughed discreetly from a few feet away, at least.
Grinning, Mac turned back to the counter that divided the waiting area from the work area and found Harry smirking at them.
“I love newlyweds,” the man observed. “What can I do for ya?”
Mac motioned Danny forward and said, “I’m Mac Taylor. I work with Stella and Aiden?”
“Oh yeah! Hey, Aiden said you’d probably be in with your new slave, but that was like months ago. Finally get tired of the blank canvas?” Harry asked, grinning.
With a snort, Mac replied, “Not hardly, but I would like a few decorations.”
“You got it. What’re we talking about?”
“Nipples and belly rings, and a tat.”
“Of?”
Mac outlined his plan and, by the end of it, Harry was looking thoughtfully at Danny’s back and nodding.
“Yeah, yeah okay, I can totally do that,” Harry said at last. “You got any specifics, other than the numbers?”
Shaking his head, Mac answered, “Feel free to be creative. You need a couple of days to figure out what you want to do?”
“That’d be best, yeah. Why don’t we pierce him up today, you can give him a couple days to heal up from that, then bring him back on Saturday and we’ll get a start on the tat?” Harry suggested.
Mac put a hand on Danny’s shoulder and guided him towards the piercing chair. “Let’s do it.”
* * * *
Thank God Mac had decided on him going shirtless for the day, even though it was embarrassing to have three bandages in obvious places on his torso. He could only imagine what it would’ve been like to have a shirt rubbing against the bandages. Danny was also grateful for the custom of keeping his eyes on the floor, it kept him from having to endure the looks and smirks that he knew he was getting at the bandages and cuffs.
He’d thought, the night before, that he’d known what to expect. Mac would beat the crap out of him and they would move on, hopefully never to darken the doorstep of a beating again in the future. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on the point of view, Mac was a helluva lot more devious than that. The night before had been pleasurable in the extreme and earlier at the tattoo parlor, every time something hurt him, Mac would distract him with pleasure until he could barely see straight. Mac’s hand had been on Danny’s crotch the entire time he’d been in the piercing chair. After each golden hoop had gone through flesh, he would take a few minutes to kiss and fondle Danny until he was gasping with need, instead of pain.
When they got to the lab, Mac parked Danny in his office with a stern, “Don’t leave this room unless you have to go to the bathroom. And even then, call me at Aiden’s extension.”
“Yes, Master,” Danny agreed demurely, looking at the floor.
Mac tilted Danny’s head up with a finger under his chin and smiled at him. “You’re doing so well today, Danny. I’m very pleased with you.”
Danny flushed happily and smiled, whispering, “Thanks, Mac.”
An eyebrow quirked at him before Danny realized what he’d said, and Mac informed him, “I didn’t technically tell you not to use my name, so no punishment for it, but from here on out, what do you call me?”
“Master,” Danny answered hastily.
Mac nodded and winked at him. “Good boy. I’ll be back in about an hour. Go check in with your friends online and tell them I haven’t murdered you.”
The flush this time was that of embarrassment, but Danny only nodded and walked over to the desk. Flipping on the computer, he waited for the machine to boot up and again considered how lucky he was to have been taken back. He’d come so close to ruining everything. It still surprised the hell out of him that Mac was so forgiving, but maybe the other man had been looking for an excuse to forgive him and take him back.
It only took longer than usual
to log in, thanks to the cuffs. But then he worked out a good position and got
online to sign into the freemail that he used so as
not to clutter Mac’s official work email. Almost instantly, a chat window
opened up and he sighed on seeing that it was
Gabby007: Are you okay!?!
DannyNYPD2B: Yeah, I’m fine.
Gabby007: I can’t believe you went back to him!
DannyNYPD2B: Look, if you’re gonna be like that I’ll just sign off.
Gabby007: No wait, sorry. You do know you’re free, right? The papers showed up at the Professor’s house this morning around eight. You can change your mind and catch a cab over.
DannyNYPD2B: I signed myself over to Mac just before lunch.
Gabby007: Oh Danny. *sighs* I guess it’s too late to ask if you’re sure about it.
DannyNYPD2B: I know you don’t get it, but I’m happy. Can’t you just accept that?
Gabby007: I don’t have much choice, do I?
DannyNYPD2B: Nope.
Gabby007: alrighty then… so how pissed was he about the whole thing?
DannyNYPD2B: pretty pissed.
Gabby007: you okay? need any med atten?
DannyNYPD2B: Jesus. How many times I got to say I’m fine??
Gabby007: okay, okay! sory! just worried about you!
Danny sighed as he looked over that response and shook his head.
DannyNYPD2B: that’s what I’m saying. what I’ve been saying all along. Mac might not love me, but he’s good to me and he’s gonna take care of me. He’s a good guy.
There was a longish pause before she finally answered that one, apparently doing her own thinking.
Gabby007: all right. I believe you. I won’t bring it up again.
DannyNYPD2B: Thank You.
Gabby007: so you still getting your GED?
DannyNYPD2B: well yeah. why wouldn’t I?
Gabby007: he was pushing you to that when he was going to free you, remember? why would a slave need a GED?
DannyNYPD2B: Good point. I dunno then. I’ll have to ask him when he gets back.
Gabby007: gets back?
DannyNYPD2B: we’re at work. he wanted me to reassure everyone that I was still among the livin.
Gabby007: nice of him.
Danny glared at the screen, then decided to take it as non-sarcastic.
DannyNYPD2B: yeah it was, wasn’t it?
Gabby007: I’ve gotta go. see you around?
DannyNYPD2B: hope so.
Gabby007: bye!
And she was signed off before he could respond. Or maybe she’d just made herself invisible to him and was bemoaning his lack of independence to the others in a chat room. Whatever the case, he knew that he didn’t belong with them anymore. They had his email if they wanted to get in touch with him, after all. He was staring at his screen name and thinking that it didn’t really fit him any more. Being a slave, he doubted that he’d be allowed to be a cop.
Supposing that Mac let him get his GED, which Danny really figured that he would, and that Danny completed a tech program, he’d probably be in the lab with Aiden. Which would be very cool in its own right, since it was the challenge and puzzles that he loved most of all. He sure wouldn’t have to worry about dead bodies on a regular basis, just trace and forensics stuff.
Then he figured out what his screen name should be and laughed to himself as he went into the account area and changed it to: MacsBoy.
* * * *
Danny was hidden by the computer when Mac returned to the office and he smiled fondly on seeing the slave out cold, slumped on the desk, glasses askew. He moved silently over and peeked at the monitor, surprised to find that Danny was on a support group page for voluntary slaves. Thoughtful, Mac returned to the door and made some noise closing it, waking Danny in the process.
Immediately fixing his glasses, Danny blinked owlishly at Mac a few times before yawning and greeting, “Were you longer than expected, or was I more tired than I thought?”
Mac smiled. “Both, I suspect. You hungry? It’s almost three and I know you haven’t eaten yet today.”
“I could eat,” Danny agreed, smiling shyly in return. “Just, nothing slimy?”
Chuckling, Mac promised, “Nothing slimy. Come on, baby, let’s go.”
Danny flushed in apparent pleasure at the endearment and Mac made a note to use it strategically. It was strange how easy it was to show his affection for Danny, at least in private. He’d expected to hold onto his hurt like he always did. It was one of the things about him that had driven Claire crazy, but maybe he’d finally grown up a little. One thing he did know, that her death had driven home, was that life was too short and could be taken away at any moment. If he didn’t show his love and affection for Danny now, while there was time, it was possible that the slave would never know how much he meant to Mac.
Leading Danny out of the office with an arm around his waist, Mac said, “I was thinking just something light, since your body’s dealing with a few…modifications…at the moment. How does Chinese sound?”
“Like I’ll be hungry again in a few hours,” Danny joked softly.
Mac bit back a laugh and slapped him lightly on the ass. “What’d I tell you about keeping an open mind?”
“That I might catch something?”
At that, Mac did chuckle and thought, At least his humor’s still intact.
* * * *
Danny moaned in need as his body was treated to another night of pure frustration.
Mac had been sucking him off, without the actual ‘off’ part, for at least an hour. Every time he got even close to coming, the other man seemed to sense it and back off. There was no ring this time, though, and he had to fight his own body’s urges to keep himself in check, thanks to the order not to come. He didn’t know if this was a test, or punishment, or both, but was too preoccupied to really think about it.
“Is there something you want to ask me, Danny?”
Mac’s words barely penetrated the fog of desire that clouded him, but Danny knew he had to answer. The main problem being that he’d forgotten the question. “Uh…I…yes?”
Chuckling, Mac said, “That doesn’t sound like the right question.”
Danny forced himself to think, then exclaimed, “GED!”
“And that doesn’t sound like a question at all.”
Mac bit him right above the belly ring and sucked on the flesh there, sending shards of need through Danny and again obliterating his thoughts. He struggled in the cuffs, moaning desperately, and managed to get out, “Am I, can I, oh shit, can I get my GED?”
Mac licked delicately over the smarting skin and answered, “Yes. Anything else?”
“Um, no?” Danny replied, trying to catch his breath. “I don’t, um, think so?”
“Oh I think there is.”
Mac returned to sucking on his dick.
Danny groaned in despair, thrusting into the wet heat with a need that bordered on insanity and started begging.
* * * *
One of the most difficult things about arranging for Gelnich’s arrest was knowing how much it would hurt Danny. Despite everything the old man had done wrong, he’d thought that he was doing the right thing for the slave and that still counted in Danny’s mind. Mac knew that for a fact, without even having to ask him. The last two days had been so good that Mac was loathe to disturb their equilibrium, even for this, but there was no choice. If he was going to bring Gelnich up on charges, he had to do it as close to the day of the crime as possible.
So it was that Wednesday morning, Mac sat Danny down in one of the conference rooms and took the seat beside him. Then he took the slave’s hand and said, “What Gelnich did to you, to us, was a crime.”
Shocked, Danny blinked at him a moment then asked hesitantly, “What do you mean?”
“It’s called ‘custodial interference.’ When he prevented you from getting to me on Sunday, he broke the law.”
Danny looked down at the floor and questioned, “Do we have to do something about it?”
“No,” Mac answered honestly. “But I think we should. What he did was wrong. It almost kept you from me forever and we both know that neither of us wants that. If you hadn’t been able to convince Stella, if I’d been just a little more pissed off than I was or in a grudge-holding mood, if someone had found you while you were walking to the phone to call Stella and called the cops on you, so many bad things could have happened, Danny. And you can bet we’re not the first people he’s done this to.”
Sighing, Danny looked up at him and explained earnestly, “But he doesn’t mean any harm. He’s doing what he thinks is right.”
“The road to hell...” Mac pointed out gently.
Danny glanced away, his hand tightening on Mac’s before he said, “Will he go to jail or...”
“I doubt it,” Mac assured him. “It’ll most likely be a blow to his reputation, more than anything else. Frankly, I think he’d probably prefer prison over losing his reputation, but I can’t see anyone giving him jail time at his age. Most likely a stiff fine and probation.”
There were several minutes where Danny remained silent, thinking everything over. Mac let him think, not wanting to pressure him in any fashion. This had to be Danny’s decision and no matter what, Mac would go along with whatever it was. Finally, Danny met his gaze again and nodded. “Okay. Let’s do it. I don’t want anyone else to go through that. It was so close...”
Mac caught him close in a tight embrace, pressing his lips to Danny’s throat as he agreed softly, “Too close, baby. Too damn close.”
Danny leaned on him, holding tight.
* * * *
Thursday passed in the exact
same manner as Tuesday; excruciatingly pleasurable and tormenting in the
extreme. Danny’s body was on fire all the time, his cock hard without any need
for a ring, and his nipples so sensitive that the brush of a shirt over them
was painfully delicious. He had to learn to control his body all over again, because
Mac expected him to continue on just as he had before the disastrous trip to
They had dinner at a different romantic restaurant every night; ones that included the use of fingers and having Mac feed Danny by hand. Dessert was generally at home, in bed, and involved some form of fruit or chocolate sauce licked directly from Danny’s body. When Mac finally let him collapse in a shuddering heap Thursday night after one such dessert, Danny had to struggle to get his breathing under control, heart thundering in his chest like it would actually break free.
When he finally Claims me, I’m gonna die, ran through Danny’s head. Then he sighed deeply and thought in contentment, But what a way to go.
Chuckling, as if knowing exactly what Danny was thinking, Mac lay half on him and teased one of the gold rings in his teeth, pulling just shy of painful, then letting go. Hitching a leg over Danny, he commented, “I think I’ll leave you in chains tonight. You look so pretty like this.”
Danny smiled because even though he couldn’t see through the blindfold, he could hear the smile in Mac’s voice. “Thank you, Master.”
“Such a good boy,” Mac murmured, turning Danny’s head sideways to kiss him, exploring his mouth gently and thoroughly. “So very good. Get some sleep now, I’ve got some work to do.”
Heaving what he hoped was a plaintive sigh, Danny asked, “A lot of work?”
“Not too much, and I’ll be right here on the laptop,” Mac told him. “Now go to sleep.”
Danny smiled again and did as he was told.
* * * *
Friday was hot enough to boil an egg on the sidewalk. Danny was more than grateful for the a/c in the truck and the office, because he could stay close to Mac without either of them getting too hot and irritated. When he’d woken that morning, still cuffed to the bed, he’d been mildly sore from sleeping on his back, but so utterly content that a smile had instantly surfaced and remained plastered on his face ever since. Of course, Mac kissing him senseless immediately after waking hadn’t hurt, nor had the gentle nips he’d placed upon each limb, unbuckling the cuffs altogether.
Walking without his chains felt strange after almost a week with them on. The important Chain was still in place though, welded shut so that only metal clippers would get it off Danny. A simple gold chain rested at the base of his throat, the soft metal warm against his skin. It wasn’t the most expensive Chain, nor even a terribly unique one, but Mac had actually had it made for him so what it lacked in imagination, it more than made up in sentimental value.
Besides. Mac liked the way it matched the rings through his nipples and belly. He liked it a lot, from the way his eyes lit up every time they landed on the Chain.
The morning was spent at a crime scene, which meant that Danny stayed in the car and read. Stella and Mac spent the time working on a double homicide that, at first blush, looked gang related. They all had a short lunch before Stella was called out to a rape consult at a hospital. By the time they joined Aiden in the lab, it was almost two in the afternoon and the trace had made it there before them.
“What do you have for me, Aiden?” Mac asked, coming up beside her.
She grimaced and answered, “Not much, yet. The bullets are definitely from the same gun, a Sig, but that’s all we know so far. I’m still working on trace from the clothes and what Hawkes caught under the nails is over in DNA.”
Mac frowned. “There wasn’t any evidence of a fight at the scene.”
“Well, they both had DNA under the nails, so if they didn’t have a fight with each other, maybe it was with someone else,” Aiden replied.
“Okay. Keep me posted,” he said, motioning for Danny to precede him out of the lab.
Unfortunately, the next stop was the morgue. Bracing himself, Danny followed Mac inside and watched from the sidelines as Hawkes went over his discoveries. Mac listened with the same intensity that he always did, and at the end of the mini-conference, Danny could tell that the cop had figured something out.
“So what do you think happened?” Danny asked on their way to the elevator.
Mac shrugged a little and answered, “I don’t like to speculate prematurely, you know that.”
“You wouldn’t be speculating.”
“Oh no?”
Danny grinned. “Nope. You’d be brainstorming.”
Mac chuckled and told him, “Nice try.”
They were out of the elevator for only a few seconds when Mac stopped suddenly enough for Danny to stumble right into him. He barely caught himself from falling over. “What’s wrong?”
Frowning, Mac replied, “Officials of some sort. Go on to my office and I’ll see what’s happening.”
Danny hesitated, but Mac smiled at him and nodded for him to go, so he did. It wasn’t like he wasn’t known by pretty much everyone in the building by now. No one was going to mistake him for an escaped slave, after all. He made it to the office without trouble and settled in behind the desk, flipping on the computer to get Mac logged in and up to speed by the time he get there. The door opened while he was typing in the security password and he asked absently, “Did you find out what’s going on, Master?”
“It’s about the Dove Commission.”
Danny froze in place, recognizing Markoni’s voice instantly. He slowly raised his eyes to find the man smiling at him from across the desk. Not a nice smile, either. Lowering his gaze, Danny asked, “Can I do something for you, Sir? I’m afraid my Master is elsewhere just now.”
“You can definitely do something for me,” Markoni confirmed, walking around the desk and stopping just beside him. “You can get on your knees, where a slave is supposed to be.”
Danny’s head rocked from the backhand blow and the chair spun with the force of it, sending him sprawling onto the floor. It took a few seconds to get his bearings, knees and wrists smarting from where he’d landed hard, and his head throbbing. A coppery tang hit his tongue, telling Danny something was bleeding even as he automatically moved into a submissive posture on his knees, head angled down.
“That’s much better. Now, your Master is going to be occupied for quite a while, so it’s just you and me. And if you ever tell him or anyone, what happens here, then you can be sure his name, and every one of his people’s names, will be in the addendum that I make up,” Markoni informed him.
Danny knew exactly what was going to happen and also knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. He couldn’t let any of his friends, his new family, get into trouble to save his own honor. He could take whatever Markoni dished out, no doubt about that, and if he got lucky, maybe the man would be satisfied with a blowjob. He watched Markoni’s legs go over to the door and heard the lock snick shut, then the blinds close, and his stomach sank. If it was just a blowjob, they could easily have hidden it behind the desk. It looked like Markoni wanted to fuck him, or maybe get both. Or maybe something else entirely that he didn’t know about yet and probably didn’t want to.
The man returned a few seconds later and ordered, “Kneel up, bitch.”
Danny did so, shaking, and kept his eyes on the floor.
“Take me out and get me hard.”
Fingers laced painfully tight in his hair, jerking his head forward. With shaking hands, Danny reached for the belt and got it undone thinking, I can do this. It don’t mean nothin’ and Mac ain’t never gonna find out. This don’t mean shit in the scheme’a things. I can do this.
Just as he pulled down the zipper, the door burst open, slamming against the opposite wall to shatter the glass. Markoni kicked Danny from him and turned to face Mac, who was coming at the dirty cop full speed. From his skewed position on the floor, Danny saw Mac tackle Markoni into a wall, shoulder shoved into the man’s stomach. There was a satisfying crunch of bone and a cry of pain from Markoni, but the man recovered too quickly. His fist slammed into Mac’s kidney, a vulnerable spot completely reachable from his current position, and Mac staggered away, groaning.
Before any further damage could be dealt on either side, Flack, Stella, and a bunch of other cops arrived to separate them. Aiden appeared at Danny’s side, but he waved her off and ignored the pain in his mouth and midriff to stagger over to Mac, who was being helped to his feet. Danny found himself pulled tight against Mac’s chest and wrapped his arms around his Master’s waist, burying his face against Mac’s throat.
“God, Danny, are you all right?” Mac demanded, pushing him away a little only to cup his face and tilt it to the side. “What else did he do? Are you hurt?”
Astounded, Danny exclaimed, “Me? What about you? I saw that punch!”
Mac flashed him a feral grin and answered, “I’m a Marine, Danny, I can take more than that. You, on the other hand…what else did he do?”
“He, he didn’t. There wasn’t any time,” Danny stammered.
Tugging him into his arms again, Mac whispered, “Thank God.”
“I demand satisfaction,
Danny held on to Mac’s shirt, even as he squirmed sideways to see the other man.
Mac’s arm tightened around Danny and he snarled, “Name the time and place of your death, Markoni.”
That took the other man aback, but he sneered and demanded, “One hour. Right here.”
“Swords,” Mac countered. “There’s a gym downstairs that’s got practice facility we can use.”
Markoni didn’t bother to answer, he just stalked out of the office.
“Okay people, show’s over,” Flack ordered. “Everyone out. French and Speck, make sure the gym’s all set up for this, would you? Take whoever you need. This is not going to be a spectator sport, people. Unless you’re directly involved, the gym is off-limits starting now, until it’s over. Go on, move!”
It took a few minutes, but finally it was only Mac, Danny, Flack, Stella, and Aiden left in the office. Danny remained glued to Mac’s side, unable to bear the thought that his Master would be hurt in his defense, possibly killed. Looking up into Mac’s eyes, he whispered, “Please don’t do this, Master, I’m not worth it. Please don’t…”
Mac’s hand covered his mouth, stopping the words, and he said fiercely, “You are worth it, Danny! I’m not going to let anyone put their hands on you, let alone that bastard. Understand me?”
Nodding miserably, Danny burrowed closer, unable to relax even when Mac started rubbing his back.
“Mac, he’s an expert swordsman,” Stella warned. “You can’t go into this hacking away like a Marine.”
“It’s kept me alive so far.”
But Flack agreed with her by saying, “She’s right, Mac. This guy, he’s killed three people in the last year all on account of him unable to keep his hands to himself. The commissioner of the Dove report himself got whacked because they were both seeing the same broad. So did she, matter of fact, though there was some kind of outcry over that part of it.”
“What’s your point?”
“My point is the guy’s a sociopath who uses Challenges to get his fix of killin,’” Flack snapped.
“Look, I appreciate all of your concerns, but do me a favor and give me some time with Danny.” Mac requested.
None of them looked happy about being ousted, but they all left.
Pushing Danny gently into the chair that was somehow still upright, Mac leaned against the desk and stated, “I’m not going to die.”
Danny looked into his eyes and pleaded, “Promise me?”
“I promise that I will not die as a result of this challenge,” Mac vowed seriously. “You’ve got to believe me here, Danny. I don’t care how skilled Markoni is with a blade, he’s a dirty, emotional fighter and that’s going to trip him up.”
“I want to believe you, Master,” Danny murmured, aching for it to be so.
Mac smiled and cupped his face, saying, “Then do. I’m going to be fine, Danny, I promise. Now. Let’s see about getting you cleaned up, okay?”
So they spent the next ten minutes in the men’s room where Mac washed the blood from Danny’s face. Mac scowled and lightly touched the cut from what had to have been a ring of some sort. “That’s going to scar, the bastard. If I hadn’t planned to kill him before, I would now.”
Even though the sentiment warmed Danny, he still wished that none of this was happening.
When Mac literally gave Danny the shirt off his back, Danny tried to protest, but Mac stifled the words again and said, “I’m not going to need a shirt for the fight anyhow, and I want you comfortable. Well, as comfortable as possible.”
Danny sighed and threw his arms around Mac again, whispering, “Be careful, Master, please.”
“I will, I promise,” Mac replied, nuzzling at his ear. “Come on. Let’s get down there so I can warm up a little.”
And even though Mac seemed confident as they walked to the elevators, Danny’s stomach remained tied tightly in knots.
* * * *
No matter what kind of confident air he put on for Danny and the others, Mac knew better than to take anything for granted. This was a fight for his life with someone who liked to kill and in this case, was more than motivated to do so. That would make the man more dangerous than most opponents and Mac intended to act accordingly. He would also be keeping a sharp eye out for secondary weapons like poison or a dagger in the hand of a friend.
After warming up, Mac glanced at Flack and gave him the high-sign to keep a special eye on Danny, and the cop nodded sharply. They both knew this was about the slave, not Mac, and if something was going to happen, that was where it would. With Mac’s attention on Markoni and everyone else’s attention on the fight, Danny would be vulnerable. Despite the order that was supposed to keep the fight private, it was standing room only in the gym. Not a surprise, given who was fighting. Knowing that Flack would be keeping an eye on Danny allowed Mac to concentrate solely on the obstacle before him.
The good thing was that when he’d come into possession of Danny, Mac had taken to including an hour of sword work in his regular workout whenever possible, half anticipating something like this. He would spar with whomever was in the gym at the time, giving him a broad range of skills and styles to work with. He was in far better shape for this fight than anyone suspected, especially Markoni. To most, Mac simply spent his time in the lab or was home with Danny. They didn’t see the muscles hidden beneath the suit, or his easy flexibility, or know that he could chase down a suspect on foot for six blocks and barely break a sweat.
Mac gave himself a brief moment to relish the coming fight. He was going to be quick, ruthless, and efficient, giving Markoni a better death than the man deserved. Of course, that didn’t mean he couldn’t inflict a little pain before the end. He grinned, feral, at Markoni, who flinched at the look. Taking a deep breath, Mac closed his eyes and slowly released it, putting aside all his emotions before opening them again.
Walking over to where the swords were kept, Mac pulled out the one reserved for Challenges. He couldn’t remember the last time there had been one on police property, but no self-respecting gym would be without a proper set of swords. He cut the air with it a few times, getting the feel of the blade’s heft and balance, then crossed over to Danny. Cupping the back of the slave’s neck with his free hand, he said, “I’ve got this covered, Danny. It’s going to be okay.”
Danny’s eyes were wide and impossibly blue behind his glasses, worry and fear so easy to read therein, but he nodded and whispered, “Be careful.”
Mac pulled him in for a hard kiss, then walked over to the ring without looking back, putting his focus exactly where it needed to be…on the bastard smirking at him a few feet away. The injury that Mac had done him earlier didn’t seem to be phasing him, so Mac knew the man was filled with adrenaline. It would make the fight all that much trickier. He’d chosen a heavier, slightly shorter blade than Mac’s, but his reach was longer so it would probably even-out.
Captain Verish, Captain of Detectives, stepped forward with a grave, unhappy face, the expression almost hidden by his thick, dark-gray beard. “This is the last thing cops should come down to, especially among our own. The only reason I’m not forbidding this is because I know you’d just take it somewhere else. Here’s the deal. You are not to kill.”
Mac opened his mouth to protest, but was drowned out by an angry chorus from everyone else.
Verish glared around the room and exclaimed, “I will not have cops killing cops in my house!”
It was furious enough to quiet the crowd.
“So,” Verish continued when he had everyone’s attention. “Like I said before, here’s the deal. No killing blows. Fight until one of you is down. The loser is stripped of rank and privilege, never to serve as a cop or any other form of law enforcement ever again. That’s the way it’s going to be. You might prefer death, I know I would, but that’s not going to happen unless you lay on your own blade after. If I find out the two of you went out later and one of you dies because of it, the one left alive will be prosecuted for murder. Period. End of story. Am I clear?”
Mac realized that his teeth were bared in a silent snarl at the restrictions and quickly composed himself. Taking a cleansing breath, he nodded to the Captain in agreement. Markoni took longer, but agreed as well. He had to, really, or he would lose so much face that it wouldn’t matter if he technically had his job in the PD anymore. No one would want to work with him because he’d backed down from a Challenge that he, himself, had issued.
Funny how cops are the
modern day warriors, more than the military, even, Mac mused, calming
himself further. Like the old Samurai meant to keep the peace in ancient
Seeing that he had both Mac’s and Markoni’s agreement, Verish stepped back saying, “Take your positions.”
Mac strode into the center of the ring, bringing up his sword as Markoni did the same. He waited tensely, eyes locked on his opponent’s.
“Begin.”
The swords met in a loud clang, sliding along each other with a screech of metal that sliced through Mac’s spine like nails on a chalkboard, even as it was ignored. They feinted back and forth, testing strength and skill, feet moving in a swift, light dance. Shortly into the match, he knew that Flack was correct, that Markoni was a very good swordsman and it would prove to be a tough fight.
Markoni drew first blood by slipping behind Mac’s defenses to slice along the ribs. Mac jumped out of reach, but too late; fiery pain stung his midriff in a shallow, six inch gash. There was a collective hiss at the score, but Mac was too engrossed to make out individual words of encouragement or triumph. Keeping to his forms brought him in the clear for a few minutes, allowing Mac to regroup and then go on the offensive.
Again and again, the blades tangled and caught on one another, sending off showers of sparks as the blows grew more savage. Mac finally slammed the sword aside and was able to cut deeply into Markoni’s flank, causing the man to cry out in pain. Pressing the attack, he hammered his sword into Markoni’s over and over until at last, it flew from his grip. Instantly, Mac brought his sword up to Markoni’s throat, the flat of it flush against the bottom of his chin.
Grinning fiercely, Mac demanded, “Do you yield?”
Mouth twisted into a rictus of hate, Markoni remained silent.
Mac pushed the blade into the throat just enough to draw blood and leave a scar, not enough to kill him, and repeated through clenched teeth, “Do. You. Yield?”
“Yes, damn you,” Markoni snarled at last.
Withdrawing the blade, Mac nodded to Verish and then simply turned his back on Markoni. If the man was stupid enough to try anything while Mac wasn’t looking, he’d be shot by whoever could draw their weapon fastest. He walked over to where a very pale Danny waited in the center of a protective group of Flack, Stella, Hawkes, and Aiden. Smiling, he held out his arms and Danny flew into them, throwing his arms around Mac’s waist and clinging tight. Mac grunted when his injury was rubbed wrong and Danny drew back, stricken with guilt.
“I’m sorry! Oh, Master, that was so thoughtless! Come, sit down and mmph…”
Mac plundered Danny’s mouth in a deep, Claiming kiss and kept it going until the slave moaned and sagged against him. It was all he could do not to just bend Danny over the nearest surface and mount him then and there, but Mac forcibly restrained himself. Their first time would be private and special, not a public spectacle. Pulling free of Danny’s mouth with difficulty, Mac smiled fiercely at the dazed expression on his slave’s face and tugged him into a sideways embrace, looking at their friends.
Grinning broadly, Stella asked, “So. And what are you two boys doing when you get home tonight?”
“Oh I’m sure we’ll think of something,” Mac answered, dry. “In the meantime, any of you think to grab a medic before I lose too much blood to enjoy anything tonight?”
* * * *
As pumped as Mac still was from the fight, he was careful not to miss the correct angle when he shoved Danny hard enough to send him flying backwards...to land safely on the bed. Danny was wide-eyed behind the glasses and licked his lips nervously.
Not that Mac blamed him for being nervous.
“Strip.” Danny started to climb off the bed, but Mac held up a hand. “Stay right there, and strip.”
Danny swallowed hard, but complied. It was a feat that took a lot of wiggling and served to boil Mac’s blood even further. He’d been waiting for this from the moment he’d laid eyes on the slave in Sassone’s SUV, and couldn’t fool himself about that any longer. When Danny was naked and waiting, Mac deliberately ran his gaze over the younger man and ordered, “Arms over your head, hold the headboard. Tight. If you let go, you’ll regret it.”
Danny hastened to obey, stretching out like a feast before him.
Teasing them both, Mac stayed where he was and just looked for another half-minute or so. He finally closed the distance and climbed onto the bed, kneeling up over Danny, staring down into almost fearful eyes. “Are you scared of me, Danny?”
“A little, yeah,” Danny whispered. “You just...you really were going to kill him. I didn’t think...”
Mac bent down to bite sharply at a nipple and hissed, “I’m a Marine and a cop, Danny. Did you really think I’d never killed anyone? That I wouldn’t do it again, either in discharge of my duty or in defense of those I love?”
Danny shuddered at the first bite and groaned at the second.
“Answer me.”
“I, I didn’t think about it.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Danny arched up into the next bite and gasped, “Yeah! Yes! I didn’t think you’d ever killed no one.”
Licking across the broad chest to the other nipple, Mac bit down hard again and then said simply, “You were wrong.”
“Oh God, Mac...” Danny moaned.
Mac gripped the hard cock and squeezed, twisting it painfully and provoking another gasp as he ordered, “Master, remember?”
“Master! Oh God, please!” Danny begged, thrusting up into the tight grip.
Biting sharply just under the slave’s chin, Mac spent a few seconds sucking on the same piece of skin, marking it. He took a breath and went back to worrying the spot until it was dark red, almost purple. Then he blew cool air on it just to watch the gooseflesh rise and Danny’s head arch back, exposing himself for more of the same. Sneering slightly, Mac demanded, “This what you want, Danny? To be hurt? To have pain? Do you get off on humiliation, or knowing that someone else owns you? How about this? Do you like it when I do that?”
Danny’s breath hitched, eyes dilating when Mac’s hand again squeezed his cock and twisted. His hands were white-knuckled around the metal bars of the headboard, muscles flexing as he struggled not to let go, not to fight.
“I don’t hear you,” Mac murmured right at his ear.
Danny gasped a couple more times before finally managing to get out, “Please, Master, oh God, anything you want...anything...please...”
Mac bit the lobe and hissed, “Oh I will, slave, believe me.”
It was incredible, the way Danny responded to him and Mac could hardly believe how good it felt to have the man under him. To have him gasping with need and barely coherent. He took Danny’s mouth again, gentling the kiss even as he deepened it, exploring at leisure because they had all the time in the world now. There was plenty of time for rough games and fucking, plenty of time to go exquisitely, torturously slow. Mac had every intention of doing everything with Danny, as often as possible.
Mac ran his hands over the trembling body and closed his eyes, letting his other senses fill in the gap of his sight. He breathed in Danny’s slightly soured scent while his tongue slid along the refined muscles of Danny’s chest. He massaged slowly down the strong arms held so taut above the slave’s head, his mouth changing direction on a whim to land on the collarbone for his tongue to outline in detail.
“Please, please, Master,” Danny groaned. “Please let me come, need it so bad, please!”
Considering that he’d been kept on edge pretty much all week, Mac was sure that he did. But Danny would need that desperation to get him through the Claiming, so Mac merely shook his head and ordered softly, “Turn over, baby.”
The words brought a little focus back to Danny’s eyes and the slave’s breath hitched even as he obeyed. Mac took his time then, licking a slow path up the center of Danny’s ass.
“Master!”
Mac grinned at the shocked exclamation and said, “Get used to it, Danny, I might just set up shop here for a while.”
Danny moaned a response as Mac rimmed him, tongue sliding over his hole and then circling it repeatedly. Arching back onto his knees when Mac’s tongue pushed inside him, Danny’s legs slipped apart in silent encouragement while breathy moans spurred Mac deeper. He knew instinctively that he was the first person to ever be so intimate with Danny, knew it in his gut that this man was his alone, in all ways that mattered. Unable to hold back any further, Mac moved onto his own knees and surrounded Danny with both arms around the slave’s waist. Nuzzling the back of Danny’s neck, he said hoarsely, “Mine, Danny, all fucking mine, need you so much, baby, so much.”
“God yeah, please Master, Claim me, Claim me!” Danny gasped, rubbing his ass against Mac’s cock.
Panting, Mac used one hand to line himself up and then slowly but surely forced his dick inside Danny’s hole. Half-sobbing with need, Danny shoved himself back on Mac’s cock the rest of the way. It was Mac’s turn to groan chest-deep with his own need. Biting down hard on Danny’s shoulder blade to keep some semblance of control, Mac’s breath sounded harshly in his own ears as he throbbed inside the tight sleeve of flesh.
Danny arched his head back further, his hair rubbing against Mac’s cheek and he ordered breathlessly, “Do it, Mac, do it, please!”
Mac nipped Danny’s ear and murmured, “As you wish,” and undulated his hips. The resulting movements prompted pleased, mostly unintelligible words from Danny, urging Mac to keep going. It didn’t take long before the Claiming began in earnest, both of them far too wound up to draw it out. Mac thrust harder into his slave’s welcoming body, bit by bit, until they were both grunting and panting from the force of the Claiming. When Danny jerked violently under him, crying out wordlessly, Mac knew he had the right angle and redoubled his efforts. He was so close, so damn close, just a little...
Danny’s ass clenched down extra tight unexpectedly, ripping Mac’s orgasm from him and he cried out Danny’s name, humping savagely into the willing body as he came. Danny howled with his own release, neither of them having once touched his cock, spilling all over the bedspread and clamping down even tighter around the shaft buried deep inside him. The world actually grayed out around Mac when he came and he completely lost track of time, his body, and the man beneath him.
When he recovered, they were both sprawled bonelessly on the bed and he was still inside Danny, though soft and limp. Nuzzling at his lover’s damp spine, Mac cleared a surprisingly rusty throat and asked, “Danny? You okay?”
“Mmmmhuh?”
Mac chuckled and sighed deeply, his own satiation tugging at him with determination. Dragging himself out of the too-comfortable haze, Mac yawned and pulled slowly from Danny’s body, provoking a groan of mild pain from the slave. Inspecting Danny showed no blood, though, so Mac presumed the other man would be fine with some rest. Smiling with honest emotion, he bent down to kiss the dimple just above Danny’s ass before starting the process of cajoling the somnolent man off the covers and under the sheets so they could sleep.
By the time they were settled, Mac injuries from the fight were making themselves known with a dull, unpleasant throbbing that the sexual release couldn’t truly combat. He heaved an aggravated sigh and climbed back out of bed to take the painkillers he’d been prescribed. He returned as quickly as possible to the comfort of his bed and his slave, Danny shifting to snuggle up over his chest and kiss his throat with a yawn. Mac was drifting into sleep when the slave starting laughing softly.
Curious, Mac cracked an eyelid at him and demanded sleepily, “What?”
Danny grinned at him, love shining at him from the myopic gaze as he asked, “You ever see a movie called ‘Princess Bride?’”
While Danny’s thought processes sometimes reflected pure instinct, this time Mac felt there was something behind the question, even as out of left field as it was. “No, why?”
Humming in apparent contentment, Danny tightened his arm around Mac’s waist and murmured, “No reason, Master. Good night.”
Bemused by the odd question, Mac just shook his head with a smile and closed his eyes again. He had a lifetime to learn everything about the man in his bed and Mac figured that it would probably take just that long.