Danny hugged his knees to his chest as he sat on the bed, caught between anger, betrayal, and fear. He’d spent the entire afternoon in that position. Mrs. Sassone had promised that no one would hurt him, but having just been promised by Mac that they wouldn’t be parted, he was fresh out of trust. It didn’t help that he knew that she couldn’t really believe that Sonny would hurt him. Oh, she knew that Sonny beat him, but beating a slave was so commonplace that it didn’t really register. She’d interfered once before, but he didn’t expect her to do so again. Not on a permanent scale, anyhow.
No, Mrs. Sassone would pay lip service and let Mac see him once, maybe twice, but then hand him over to Sonny. And Sonny would kill him six months, maybe a year down the line. Mac would’ve moved on by then and maybe six months after his death, no one would even remember that a slave named Danny had even existed.
“Danny? You haven’t eaten,” Mrs. Sassone scolded, entering the room.
He didn’t look at her or the food, keeping his eyes on his bare feet.
She sighed and came close enough to brush fingers through his hair. “I know you don’t like me right now, but it was the best thing under the circumstances. You have to trust me.”
That brought his head up and he looked her in the eyes as he replied simply, “No, I don’t.”
Looking taken aback by his quiet declaration, Mrs. Sassone frowned and said, “I’m going to do what’s best for you, Danny.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Sassone, but you’re not,” Danny countered, abruptly exhausted. “You’re going to give me back to Sonny and he’s going to kill me in a rage one day over something I didn’t even do. That’s just a fact. If you really wanted what’s best for me, you’d never have taken me from Mac. The man I chose to be my Master because I love him.”
And then he disrespected her by turning his back on her. She could easily have had him beaten for it, that’d happened for less provocation, but Danny didn’t even care. Resting his chin on a knee, Danny stared down at his bare feet again, deliberately blanking everything else around him out of his mind.
* * * *
Mac took in Mrs. Sassone’s pale, worried expression and felt his anxiety ratchet up several notches. He hadn’t expected to be put off for as long as he had, but it had been over a week since Danny had been taken from him.
Since I let him go, Mac corrected himself viciously.
It didn’t matter that he called every day, trying to get a chance to see Danny. It didn’t matter that his work had suffered so badly that Stella had essentially confined him to his office if he came in, even though he was her boss. Nothing mattered except that he’d given Danny to someone else.
Bracing himself, Mac questioned harshly, “What’s wrong?”
“We can’t get him to eat,” she told him. “He picked at his food the first couple of days, but not a bite has passed his lips since Sonny saw him a few days ago.”
Of course she would have let Sonny see him first. In spite of everything that Sonny had done to the slave, he was her son. Mac’s stomach twisted as he imagined the state Danny had to be in.
“And now he’s developed a fever somehow,” Mrs. Sassone continued.
Mac did his best not to glare at her as he demanded, “Where is he?”
“Come with me.”
He followed her impatiently, silently yelling at her to hurry. They went upstairs to a small, but comfortable bedroom at the back. Danny lay on a twin bed, sweaty and flushed, looking far too vulnerable without his glasses. Mac immediately strode to him and sat on the edge of the bed, palming Danny’s forehead. It was hot as a furnace and slick with perspiration. His stomach twisted further as he took in how rapidly the slave had lost weight. Not that Danny had been robust even at their best, but now he looked positively gaunt.
Furious, he snapped at the older woman, “This is how you keep your promises? Where’s a damn doctor?”
“He was here this morning. Told me there was nothing to worry about. That Danny just had a bug and would sweat it out,” she replied, defensive.
“Well, he’s a damn quack,” Mac snarled. “I want to give him a cool shower, to start. He needs a fever reducer, now, and then fresh bedding. I’ll need someone to change the sheets while I get him cooled off.”
Even though it was her house, Mrs. Sassone acquiesced without a protest, perhaps out of guilt. Mac didn’t care what the reason was, he was just glad she left to start preparations. Turning back to Danny, Mac gently pulled off the sleep pants, the only clothing that the slave had on. She was back by the time he was done and he took the four pills and glass of water from him.
Pulling Danny into a sitting position and resting the slave against his chest, Mac urged, “Danny? Baby? I need you to take some medicine for me, okay? Can you hear me? Danny?”
Danny mumbled in protest and didn’t open his eyes, but his mouth lowered enough for Mac to put a pill inside. He swallowed the water, just enough to get each pill down, and then turned to Mac, holding on tight, face pressed to the crook of Mac’s shoulder. Momentarily letting himself just hold the other man, Mac felt tears threaten at such explicit trust, even after everything had happened.
Getting control once more, Mac shifted Danny across his lap and then into his arms. He stood with the slave in his arms and was alarmed at just how much lighter Danny had become. Jaw clenched, he asked, “Where’s the bathroom?”
“Two doors down,” Mrs. Sassone replied, motioning to the right of the room.
Mac found the room easily and set Danny carefully in the tub so he could undress. Moments later, he pulled Danny upright and leaned the slave against him, supporting him with an arm around the waist. He started the water at lukewarm and gradually cooled it to not-quite-cold. Danny immediately started shivering, his arms tightening around Mac as his body fought the temperature change.
They were in there for almost a half-hour before Danny’s eyes opened and he blinked owlishly at Mac.
Smiling, Mac greeted softly, “Welcome back.”
“Mac?” Danny asked, clearly confused. “What’re you doing here?”
Mac stifled the hurt the question prompted, knowing that Danny had no reason to think that he would ever show up again. Maintaining the smile, he answered, “Taking care of you. Where else would I be?”
It was obvious that Danny could hardly make him out, despite their proximity. He kept blinking and squinting at him. Finally, he admitted, “I didn’t think Mrs. Sassone would let you see me again.”
“Me, either,” Mac confessed. Kissing Danny’s temple, he asked, “Do you feel better now?”
Danny nodded. “Not boiling out of my own skin anymore, thanks.”
“Good. Come on, let’s get dried off.”
“Do we haveta?”
The plaintive tone said clearly that Danny thought the visit would end as soon as they told Mrs. Sassone he was better. Taking Danny’s mouth in a slow, gentle kiss, Mac’s arms tightened around him. He wanted nothing more than to take Danny home and lavish attention on him, wait on him hand and foot until he’d regained all the weight he’d lost and the sparkle in his eyes. That wasn’t possible, so this brief connection would have to do. Danny’s breath hitched audibly in his throat, even as he responded with a desperation that took Mac’s breath away. Breaking off the kiss left an actual ache in his gut.
“Please don’t leave me, Master, please, please,” Danny whispered. “I’ll do anything, please?”
Mac’s throat tightened at the heartbreaking words and he pressed his lips to Danny’s cheek, and then his tightly closed eyes. “I’m sorry, baby, I don’t have a choice.”
Danny cleared his throat loudly before nodding and saying, “I know. I just…I miss you. So bad.”
“Me, too, Danny,” Mac replied, voice choked. “Come on, let’s dry off. I don’t want you getting worse.”
They were silent as Mac dried Danny off. He took his time, rubbing the soft towel over the lean body and kissing various parts of it when the urge struck. When he was done, Mac wrapped another towel around Danny’s waist, tucking the edge in firmly. Looking into the squinted eyes, Mac told him, “I want you to start taking care of yourself, Danny, and that means eating.”
Danny sighed. “What for? She’s just gonna turn me over to him.”
Mac didn’t like the resigned tone and countered sharply, “You don’t know that.”
Unexpectedly, Danny’s hand reached out and cupped Mac’s face. His thumb brushed slowly over Mac’s cheek as he said, “I wanna thank you, Mac. You showed me what love’s really like and I never knew before.”
“Danny, don’t talk like that,” Mac pleaded, hearing death in his voice. “This isn’t over!”
A half-smile surface on Danny’s face and he leaned in to kiss Mac, short and hard, then left without another word.
Stunned, Mac didn’t move for a few seconds. He abruptly snapped out of the shock and grabbed his clothes, yanking them on as fast as he could. Running out of the bathroom, he dashed the short distance to Danny’s room but found it empty. His heart pounded in fear and he shouted, “Danny! Danny, where are you?”
There was no answer, so he started searching room by room. Mrs. Sassone hurried over to him not a minute later and demanded, “What’s going on?”
“I think Danny’s going to suicide,” Mac snapped, scanning another room.
Appalled, she exclaimed, “Suicide? What on earth would he do that for?”
All patience gone, Mac shouted, “Because you haven’t left him any fucking choice! What did you think would happen, you stupid woman? Help me find him, or get the hell out of my way!”
A scream from downstairs sent a slice of horror through Mac and he ran for the source. It seemed forever before he reached the kitchen, where he found three slave girls doing their best to stop Danny from bleeding out. Towels were wrapped around each wrist and they held pressure on it while a third held a bunched up towel in Danny’s gut. Even as Mac pulled his cell phone out and dialed 911, he noted the large butcher’s knife tossed aside. He dropped to Danny’s side and added his own strength to the pressure with one hand.
“911, please state your emergency,” an operator answered.
“This is Detective Mac Taylor,
badge number 4659. I need a bus at
“Right away, Sir! It’ll be there in three minutes.”
Mac dropped his phone back into his pocket and used his free hand to keep two fingers on Danny’s ever-slowing pulse. He prayed then, as he hadn’t in years.
* * * *
Danny hadn’t expected to wake up, but there was no mistaking the steady beeping of life support or the nauseating taste of what had to be anesthesia in his mouth. The last thing he remembered was the agony of shoving the knife into his gut. He hadn’t been sure if just the wrists would be enough to kill him fast enough, not with Mac in the house.
Apparently, he should’ve waited until Mac left.
He sighed and opened his eyes, finding the blur of an unfamiliar room to confirm that he was in the hospital.
“Danny?”
Mrs. Sassone’s voice startled him and Danny glanced to his right, blinking and trying in vain to bring her into focus. She surprised him again by putting glasses on his face. He couldn’t remember seeing her so sad since her husband’s death. He managed a smile and told her, “Can’t be that bad, Mrs. Sassone.”
“Oh, Danny,” she sighed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I thought…well, it doesn’t matter what I thought. I gather you’ll just do this again if I give you to Sonny.”
Danny’s lips twisted as he said, “Won’t have to. Sonny’ll do it for me, few months down the line. I just wanted the last thing I remembered to be a good memory. To be Mac. I didn’t want to die looking at your son. No offense.”
The matter-of-fact tone seemed to make her even paler, but he didn’t try to take it back. It was only the truth, after all.
She took a breath and then told him, “I’m sorry, Danny. If I’d known you felt so strong, I wouldn’t have drawn this out. I’m signing you over to Detective Taylor.”
Stunned, unable to really believe her, Danny whispered, “Really?”
Brushing his bangs from his face, Mrs. Sassone nodded. “Really. My lawyer’s on his way over with the paperwork. I’ll call Detective Taylor to let him know as long as you promise me that you’ll never ever do anything like this ever again. Danny, you’re truly special to me and I would never knowingly put you in any kind of harm.”
“I know, Mrs. Sassone,” he replied, smiling.
It didn’t feel real to him, that he was really going to go home with Mac. Probably wouldn’t until he was actually there. Maybe he could convince Mac to chain him to the bed or something, just to help him along. He yawned, the short exchange tiring him out more than he would’ve expected.
“You concentrate on getting some rest,” she ordered kindly. “When you wake up next, your Detective will be here instead of me.”
Danny nodded and closed his eyes as darkness tugged at him gently. He wouldn’t really believe it until it happened, but it was a nice thought.
* * * *
Mac slowly opened the door to Danny’s hospital room, careful to make no noise that would wake the sleeping man. Danny wore his glasses and they gave him an endearing look as he slept. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he just sat there for a long time watching Danny. A little frown marred the slave’s forehead, as if even in sleep, Danny couldn’t find peace. His wrists were heavily bandaged and Mac imagined his stomach was, too. The surgeon had told him that it had been a close call. They’d had to repair the small intestine, which had been nicked by the blade.
The very start of peace was beginning to creep over Mac, now that he had the sale papers in Terry’s safe at the lawyer’s office. In order to make sure no one tried to repudiate a ‘gift’ slave, Mac had insisted on paying the going price for a slave of Danny’s caliber. It had set him back almost forty-thousand, but he would bankrupt himself to keep Danny safe.
Danny snuffled in his sleep, frown deepening in something like pain. Mac ghosted a hand over the slave’s forehead, combing fingers through the unruly hair. Something like a sigh passed Danny’s lips and he woke slowly, blinking a few times before he focused on Mac. “Mac?”
Mac nodded and took the nearest hand in his, carefully bringing it up to kiss the palm. “I’m here, Danny.”
“I want to go home,” Danny whispered.
Kissing Danny’s palm again, Mac replied, “We will in a few days. You did some pretty good damage, baby. The doctor had to repair your small intestine.”
“I’m sorry, Mac, I just couldn’t go back to him,” Danny continued, as if he hadn’t spoken. “I couldn’t go back. I just, I couldn’t.”
Mac covered Danny’s lips with a finger and soothed, “Ssh, baby, it’s okay now. You’re mine. I’ve got the papers and no one, no court, no government, no one can take you from me again. I’ll kill the next person who tries.”
Danny stared up at him a long moment before nodding slowly. “Thank you, Master.”
“Get some rest, Danny. I’m not going anywhere.”
Smiling wanly, Danny nodded again and closed his eyes.
Mac stayed there, watching over him.
* * * *
Curled up against Mac as they walked down the hall towards the apartment, Danny didn’t care that their pace was comparable to that of a snail. Mac’s arm supported him around the waist and his cheek rested against Mac’s shoulder as they moved. The hospital stay had been longer than anticipated, even without complications, and it was almost a week later that he’d been released. Visits from Stella and Aiden, Sheldon and Flack, even the new girl Lindsey, had helped pass the time, but he’d still been confined to bed.
By the second to last day, he’d been more than a little cranky, but Mac had merely smiled and promised the next day was the last. The good news was that he didn’t have hardly any pain anymore. The long, thin scabs on his wrists were ugly but they itched, more than anything else, and his gut only ached or hurt when he moved too fast.
“Here we are,” Mac announced cheerfully, stopping in front of their door.
Danny held fast to Mac as the other man unlocked and opened the door, pushing it in. The place was warm and a little stuffy, no surprise since Mac hadn’t been home in days. Mac’s scent seemed intensified because of it and Danny inhaled deeply, ignoring the pinch in his gut.
Mac grinned. “Happy to be home?”
“You don’t even know,” Danny confirmed emphatically.
Mac’s grin faded a little as he replied, “I think I do, a little.”
Mentally wincing, Danny said hastily, “There’s something I want you to do, if it’s okay?”
Immediately focusing on Danny, as intended, Mac asked, “What’s that?”
“Chain me to your bed.”
Mac blinked at him for a surprised moment, but then the grin reappeared. “I think that could be arranged. Come on. I want you to take a bath and relax for a while, so let’s cover up the bandages.”
Danny not only allowed the fussing as Mac made sure his bandages were watertight, he enjoyed it to the fullest. Little kisses were interspersed with soft words and he soaked up both like a sponge. It wasn’t too long before he sank into a hot bath with a groan of pleasure.
Mac smiled at him and stole another kiss before standing and saying, “I’ll be back shortly. Just want to put fresh sheets on the bed.”
And he really wasn’t gone that long. It seemed like he’d just closed his eyes when Mac was back at his side and shaking Danny’s shoulder. Yawning, Danny said, “Guess I was more tired than I thought.”
“Guess so,” Mac replied, smiling.
The drying off this time was so much different than the last, in Mrs. Sassone’s bathroom. When Mac nuzzled at Danny’s crotch, it felt natural and Danny cupped the back of Mac’s head, urging him on. He groaned when Mac slowly engulfed his cock, wet heat surrounding him. The suction sped up his hard-on, desire and need coiling tight throughout his body. Mac’s tongue swirled around and over his dick, adding to the sensation.
Leaning against the sink for support, Danny started panting, legs spreading for better balance. It was all over when one of Mac’s fingers pressed against his hole, the tip just barely entering him. Crying out in release, Danny spilled into the other man’s mouth without a single thought except to come.
And then Mac was standing and supporting him with a shoulder under his arm, leading him to the bed. He grinned happily on seeing a set of chains attached to the headboard. Mac had taken him literally. Stretching out on the bed, Danny smiled up at Mac as the other cuffed him in softly-lined, leather-bound cuffs. They were loose enough not to aggravate his bandages, but tight enough to be felt, which was what he needed.
Mac stripped in short order and joined him on the bed. Pulling the blankets over them, he slid an arm under Danny’s pillow and pressed them full-length together, the other arm wrapping around Danny’s waist. Pale blue eyes stared into his as Mac leaned in and kissed him with heartbreaking emotion. Danny sighed into the hungry, gentle possession, mouth opening to it.
When the kissing stopped, Mac whispered, “Mine forever, Danny.”
Resting his head on Mac’s shoulder, breathing in the heavy scent of the man, Danny sighed in deep contentment and whispered back, “Yours forever, Master.”