Jack trailed after his escort down the hall towards the holding cells, heart beating fast in his chest as he thought about Danny being trapped there. At least they’d moved him to a separate cell as soon as Jack had yelled at the watch commander for putting a Fed in gen pop. He was still afraid of what he would find when he got there, though, knowing that Danny had been in that cell for a couple of hours before he’d gotten his phone call. Hopefully, word hadn’t leaked out that he was a Fed in the time that he’d been in there.
He found Danny seated on a bench in a solitary cell, knees hugged up to his chest, and a stark, pale expression on his normally tanned face. “Danny!”
Danny’s head whipped over to him and the young man jumped up from the bench, rushing over to the bars. “Jack! Oh thank God! Jack, I’m so sorry, I didn’t want to drag you into this, but, I killed him and I couldn’t think what else to do!”
Shaking his head, Jack said, “It’s okay, Danny, I’m going to get you out of this. I’m waiting for Van Doren to call me back and when she does, we’ll figure out what to do. Are you all right? They didn’t rough you up, did they?”
Danny shivered a little, but shook his head. “No. No, they didn’t know and I kept my mouth shut.”
“Good,” Jack breathed, relaxing a little. “I got the bail hearing moved up, so you shouldn’t be in here too much longer.”
“Christ, Jack, I can’t afford bail!” Danny exclaimed, dark eyes widening.
Jack held up a hand and assured him, “It’ll be covered, Danny, don’t worry about it. I know you’re not going to skip town.”
“No, Jack, I can’t let you…”
“It’s done. Whatever they ask, I’ve got a bond in place to get you out of here. You’re not spending a minute longer in jail than you have to,” Jack stated.
Danny sagged a little, clearly miserable, and wiped at his nose as he said, “Jack, I’m so sorry.”
Patting the hand on the bar, Jack replied firmly, “It’ll be okay, Danny, I promise.”
Because to think anything else, was impossible.
“Special Agent Malone?”
Jack looked over at the woman’s voice and found a tall, redheaded woman standing a short distance away. “Yeah?”
She stepped forward, holding out her hand, and introduced, “ADA Inna Cander. Can we talk?”
Jack looked over at Danny to
give him what he hoped was an encouraging look before
falling into step with the
Sighing, she answered, “He confessed, Agent Malone, in the hearing of multiple witnesses. There aren’t any exigent circumstances that justify him shooting a man to death. Three bullets in the heart, one in the chest and another in the shoulder. That’s not self-defense, it’s murder.”
Jack shook his head. “No way. I know Danny Taylor and there’s no way that he would murder anyone.”
“Agent Malone…”
“I’m telling you that something happened!” Jack insisted. “At least question him and find out the circumstances.”
She paused, then agreed, “Because he’s one of us, I’ll give him some leeway and question him personally.”
Jack waited while she ordered
that Danny be brought into the conference room, then again until he arrived.
The normally vibrant young man was huddled in on himself, pale and scared, and
the handcuffs seemed so wrong to Jack that he ached to get them removed. It was
only by the thinnest threads that he didn’t demand they be taken off. He
couldn’t afford to piss off the
“Agent Taylor, I’m hoping that we can come to a reasonable outcome to this entire situation,” she began. “Several people have already heard you confess to murdering Ramon Juaraez. What I need to know, is why?”
Danny took a deep breath and slowly released it before explaining, “In the last couple of months, I’d been having trouble sleeping so I went to a sleep specialist. He referred me to a psychologist who referred me to a hypno-therapist. It was with this woman that I discovered…rediscovered memories that I’d been repressing since childhood. Ah, it was, my father. He used to beat me and my brother. I suppressed everything and blamed my brother for driving our father to an early grave. I guess, well, it’s not an uncommon reaction.”
When he paused to look at the ADA, she smiled encouragement and nodded for him to continue.
“Anyway. Bobby called me this morning and said that some guy he used to know was hassling him about getting back into the gang. Now, you gotta understand that Bobby’s done a lot to get his life back together. He’s got a wife and step-son to think about now, a job, a place to live and we just, he and I, just started putting our relationship back together, you know? All he wanted was for me to talk to the guy, scare him off, and that’s all I planned to do.
“But when I got there…this guy, Juarez, he was in my face from the first second. I held it together fine until he threatened Miguel. That’s Bobby’s step-son. He’s eleven and he’s a great kid. But Juarez, he, he said he was going to make sure that if Bobby didn’t go back to the gang, he’d make sure that Miguel disappeared and that he suffered a lot before turning up in a gutter somewhere. I just, I lost it. Jack, I’m so sorry, but I did, I just completely lost it. One second he was screaming at me about Miguel and the next, I was staring at his body, filled with my bullets,” Danny finished, again huddling in on himself.
Jack’s heart was breaking for more than the obvious reason that Danny had taken a life. He’d known that something was wrong with Danny over the last few weeks, but every time he’d approached the younger man, he’d been rebuffed. If he’d only insisted that Danny tell him what was going on, if he’d only made sure that Danny really was all right, none of this would have happened. Looking at Cander, who was clearly moved by the story, Jack asked as carefully as possible, “What do you think?”
She sighed, scrubbing fingers through the short red hair, and answered, “I think it’s an election year and the mayor’s going to make an example of him to prove that he’s got control of the law enforcement officials who work in his state. I’ll do what I can, I’ll make a case for exigent circumstances, but I can’t promise anything. You’ll give me permission to have your medical records looked through by our psychologist?”
Danny nodded. “Yeah, sure, absolutely.”
“Okay. In the meantime, I’m going to see if Judge Alden will release you into Agent Malone’s custody. Why don’t you two stay here until I take care of that,” she finished, standing up.
Jack and Danny both stood with her and when the woman was gone, Jack turned to him and asked, “Why didn’t you say anything? Jesus, Danny, I would’ve helped you out.”
Looking down at the floor, Danny whispered, “I thought I could handle it and I just, I didn’t want to disappoint you. I’m so sorry, Jack.”
Unable to take the practically destroyed expression any more, Jack closed the distance between them and pulled Danny into his arms. “It’s okay, Danny. It’s going to be okay.”
If he could only be sure of that.
Danny walked into the courtroom as calmly as he knew how, but his breathing was just shy of hyperventilating and his heart raced almost out of control. The judge had taken two days to come back with his decision, which didn’t bode well for him. He had the option of banning Danny from working in law enforcement for the rest of his life and making restitution to the Juarez family, or he could go for the full penalty and strip his freedom, making him a convict-slave. It all depended on what kind of pressure, if any, he’d been getting from the mayor’s office and elsewhere.
The press, thankfully, had been keeping a low profile on the case, not wanting to add to the chance that Danny would be reduced to convict-slave. He was sure that Jack had called in a lot of favors to make that happen, but suspected that it had all been for nothing. There was a solid lump of panic in his stomach that said the judge was going for broke and he’d be wearing chains and fitted with a locator chip within the hour.
Jack caught his gaze on the walk to the table and gave an approximation of an encouraging smile. Despite himself, Danny had to return it. Jack was nothing, if not an optimist. Sam, Viv, and Van Doren were there as well, which shocked the hell out of him. Not that Sam and Viv were there, but that Van Doren was. He’d maybe exchanged a handful of words with her in the year that he’d worked for Jack. There were a lot of other FBI agents in the audience, too, along with a lot of cops that he’d worked with in the past.
“All rise. Honorable Judge Caravacci presiding.”
Danny stood with his lawyer, one hand pressed to the table for support, since his legs weren’t all that steady.
Judge Caravacci was an older man in his sixties with a face like a roadmap. He was known for being unilaterally fair, which was in Danny’s favor, but very by the book, which wasn’t. Murder was an automatic convict-slave status offense. That the prosecutor was asking for a lesser punishment spoke to the glowing character references both from his co-workers and the people whose loved ones he’d helped to find over the last year.
Everyone save Danny and his lawyer sat, when given permission to do so.
“This was a hard case for me to decide,” Caravacci said at last, looking right at Danny. “On the one hand, you’re a federal agent who has done nothing but good in your life. You’ve overcome hardships that make others fall into drugs and crime or worse, every day. As well, you were under a documented, emotional strain that probably would have rendered another person into a mental facility.”
He paused for a long moment before continuing, “I cannot, however, truly weigh that against the taking of a life. You knew that you were under pressure and could have requested help, but did not. You at least suspected that the encounter could turn violent but again, did not seek assistance. There were several points along the way where you could have chosen differently that would have resulted in Mr. Juarez’s life not being taken.
“In accordance with Federal and Imperial law, I therefor find for your social status to be reduced to that of convict-slave. To show this Court is not without mercy, however, I am waiving the required penalty of hard labor until death and allowing for you to be bought by an individual household, provided that they can prove the means to keep you in check. It is there that you are to redeem yourself through whatever services your new master or mistress deems fit. Court is hereby adjourned.”
There was an almost simultaneous outcry of anger and disappointment from the audience, but Danny was too numb to truly appreciate the shouts and clamor for his freedom. He meekly went along with the court officer, walking out the side door that criminals walked through. For a split second before it closed after him, Danny glanced back to find Jack staring at him, looking like his heart was breaking.
The guard shoved him forward when he didn’t move fast enough, and Danny stumbled before catching himself. Heart pounding, he followed them down a sterile hall to a plain, gray room where he was ordered to strip. Hands shaking, Danny obeyed and dropped the clothes in a hamper when directed. He stood in the middle of the room, hands over his groin, while the guards looked him over.
“Man, he’s got a nice ass, don’t you think?” one of them asked the other.
The second man nodded. “Damn fine. Think we should give it a test-drive? Break it in for the new owners?”
Danny’s tremors increased, knowing that there was absolutely nothing he could do if they wanted to rape him. He was a slave now and if he fought back, they could beat him to death without anyone even batting an eye. Well, except for his friends, but there wouldn’t be anything they could do about it.
The door opened before the first one could respond and a woman poked her head in with, “The Doc’s all set for him. Bring him down.”
“Damn,” the second one cursed. He cuffed Danny hard upside the back of the head and growled, “Get moving, slave.”
Danny stumbled forward, one hand to his sore head and the other over his genitals, though he couldn’t really cover it with one hand. They went down the same hall, but in another direction, turning at an intersection and going into another room. There was a mobile exam table there which he was rudely shoved onto and then strapped down on. The spinning table was moved so that he looked down at the floor. Something sharp stuck him in the arm and moments later, he was spiraling into darkness.
* * * *
Jack paced outside the Judge’s chambers, waiting for Van Doren to get done with the conference. She’d been in there for the last hour, which was making him more and more nervous. Not only was Danny officially in the Slave system for processing, where who knew what was happening to him, but the longer the conversation went on, the less likely it was to come to a resolution that they would like.
Sam and Viv took turns waiting with him and checking for information about where Danny was in the process. So far, he’d been inspected by a doctor, fitted with a locator chip, and moved to a cell awaiting transfer to the Pens, where he would be sold. If Jack didn’t get him here, he’d have to hunt for Danny on his own at the Pens and pray that he could outbid whoever took a fancy to the young man. And while Jack had money, he wasn’t nearly as loaded as some of the slave owners in this city.
Finally, Van Doren came out with a relieved smile and announced, “The Judge is calling down to the holding cells now to have him brought up, Jack. He’s approved your ownership of Danny and all the other points to having him come back to work, on a provisional basis. If I feel that he can’t handle both, then you’re to keep him solely as a slave for whatever other duties you feel he’s qualified for.”
Relief made him weak for a second, but Jack pulled it together fast. “When will he be brought up?”
“Should be any minute now,” she replied.
A door opened down the hall and they all turned to find a naked and embarrassed Danny being prodded towards them. Anger lit through Jack and he strode towards them, shrugging out of his coat as they went. When he reached them, he tossed the coat around Danny’s shoulders and glared at the guard, snapping, “You’re done. Get out of here.”
Taken aback, the guard answered, “Ah, if you’re Malone, you need to fill out paperwork before I can turn him over.”
“Go on, Jack, we’ll keep an eye on him,” Viv promised.
Jack hesitated, then gritted his teeth and nodded. Catching Danny’s gaze, he said, “I’ll be right back.”
Forcing a smile, Danny replied, “I’ll be right here.”
His heart went out to the young man who was so brave in the face of what had to be overwhelming uncertainty. Turning resolutely, he followed the guard away, smiling a little when he heard Sam and Viv fuss over Danny as he left. The paperwork didn’t take too long, only about ten minutes, but Jack was chafing to get back to Danny and get him home. He wanted to get Danny away from the Courthouse, superstitious that the Judge would suddenly change his mind and take Danny from him.
Striding back down the hall, he found the group almost in the same place as where he’d left them. Van Doren had already left, no big surprise, so Danny was firmly ensconced between Sam and Viv on a bench along the wall, the coat buttoned tight to cover his naked body.
Danny stood on catching sight of him, relief and happiness blazing over his face as he exclaimed, “Jack! Is it okay? Did everything go through?”
He gripped Danny’s shoulder, feeling the tremors, and squeezed it lightly. “Everything’s fine. You’re officially mine now, so it’s okay. You’re safe now, Danny.”
“Jack, I don’t know what to say,” Danny murmured, still pale and shaken, despite the brave façade. “You’ve done so much for me.”
Jack rubbed his shoulder and said firmly, “You’re family, Danny, you know that.”
“Are you guys okay to get home?” Viv asked.
Nodding, Jack said, “We’ll be fine. Marie’s got the girls at that Jamboree thing.”
Sam grinned and pointed out, “I think Jamborees are for Boy Scouts.”
Waving a hand in the air, Jack said, “Whatever it is. They’ll be gone all weekend, so we’ll have some time to get used to this.”
“Good, good,” Viv murmured. “We’ll see you on Monday then. Take care, both of you.”
Sam and Viv both pulled Danny in for a tight hug before heading out.
Jack put his hand at Danny’s back and guided him towards the door with, “Let’s go home.”
* * * *
Even though he was Jack’s slave, as opposed to some stranger’s, Danny couldn’t help but be scared on the drive to his house. He knew Jack wouldn’t hurt him, but what if he expected more from Danny than he could comfortably give? What if, as was his right, he wanted to have sex?
Danny had never been with a guy before, never even thought about it, and was terrified right now that Jack would want just that. He and Marie had been sleeping in separate bedrooms for a long time now and, as far as Danny knew, the affair with Sam had ended over a year ago. It was entirely possible that Jack would turn to him for sex. Not that he’d jump or rape him, no, not a chance, but Danny felt like he had to do something for Jack after what the other man had gone through for him. And if sex was what he wanted, well, that’s what Danny would give him.
When the car pulled up in front of the three-story brownstone, Danny hesitated to get out. Jack got all the way around to the door before he managed to open it and climb out.
Jack mistook his shaking and put an arm around him, saying, “Cold out here, c’mon. Let’s get you inside and into something warm.”
Staying tense in Jack’s arm, he walked up the stoop to the foyer, waiting until Jack got the door unlocked and the alarm system disabled.
“I’ll get you the codes later,” Jack promised, smiling at him.
Inside, Danny pulled away as casually as possible and waited to see what Jack’s first move would be.
Jack kept walking, to Danny’s surprise, and said, “You’re probably hungry, right? I’m not much of a cook, as you know, but we can call out for something. Chinese, pizza? Whatever you want, Danny. Danny?”
Danny jolted out of his stupor and hurried after Jack, who’d poked his head back out of the kitchen. The kitchen was just as he remembered it, comfortable and clean, but cooler. Though that was probably due to his near-naked state than anything else.
As soon as he was through, Jack shook his head and said, “What am I thinking? Clothes first. Come on. My stuff’ll be too big for you, but it’s better than nothing and we’ll get some good fitting things tomorrow.”
So Danny followed Jack upstairs and down the short hallway to a bedroom that was definitely Jack’s. It was strong and masculine, but not in an overpowering way; it just was. Jack ransacked his drawers, finally coming up with a pair of sweats and a t-shirt that he held out. Holding tight to the overcoat, Danny accepted the clothes and asked hesitantly, “Um, bathroom?”
Jack pointed to a door on the other side of the room and Danny hurried over to it, closing the door behind him. He’d never been in either room, but wasn’t surprised to find this just as neat as the other. It was more spacious than he’d have guessed, especially the tub, Jack had never struck him as a guy interested in creature comforts. With shaking fingers, knowing he couldn’t take too long, Danny unbuttoned the coat and yanked the t-shirt and sweats on in its place.
Folding the jacket over his arm, Danny took a second to look at himself in the mirror and cursed at himself, hating that fearful look in his eyes even as he knew there was no way to banish it. He belonged to someone else now, someone who could do anything to him, up to and including, deal out his death. Danny would never have considered Jack as anything but an honorable and upstanding man, but then, he’d never seen the man deal with slaves on a personal level, either. Danny took a breath and released it slowly, forcing himself to calm down before leaving the illusory safety of the bathroom.
Jack had gotten changed as well while Danny was in the bathroom, now dressed comfortably in jeans and t-shirt. He grinned at Danny and said, “No sense in standing on ceremony, right? C’mon. Let’s get something to eat.”
But Danny couldn’t take it anymore and shook his head, hugging the coat to him as he blurted, “What do you want from me?”
Surprised, Jack frowned at him and repeated, “What do I want from you?”
“Yeah. Are, are we gonna...do you want to, to fuck me?” Danny asked, face heating as the words escaped.
Looking at him seriously, Jack stated, “One day, when you’re not terrified that I’m going to bend you over the nearest surface and rape you bloody, maybe we can revisit the topic. In the meantime, I’m going to order us pizza and set you up in the guest room. That’s going to be your room. You can decorate it, or not, however you want. Life is going to be different, Danny, I won’t bullshit you, but it’ll be good, too. You know the girls love you, and Marie will get used to it, whether she wants to or not. You have free reign of the house. You’ll go in to work with me. You’ll sleep in your own room. I’m not a monster, Danny, and I hope you can trust me to take care of you.”
Face hot with embarrassment and shame, Danny answered miserably, “I know you’re not a monster, Jack, I’m so sorry.”
Smiling briefly, Jack closed the distance between them and gripped Danny’s shoulder. “I know you’re scared, Danny. I doubt that I’d have survived being convicted. Probably would’ve killed myself instead of being caught in the first place. But I always knew you were stronger than me, so that’s no surprise. But you’re safe here with me and you always will be. I will say one thing on the subject of you and sex though, just to clear the air. If, sometime in the future, you need someone in your bed, I’m sure up for the task, but if you don’t swing that way, then we’ll figure something else out. You’re my slave, but I will respect your wishes in this, as in everything else that I possibly can.”
Deep-seated relief surged through Danny and a real smile surfaced, along with his appetite. Putting his hand on Jack’s, he said, “Thank you, Jack. Thank you so much for everything.”
Jack’s hand tightened briefly as he replied, “You’re welcome. Hey, go on downstairs and order something, okay? Pizza, Chinese, whatever. I’m gonna freshen up a little.”
Sensing something behind the words, but not knowing what, Danny nodded and left the bedroom. Whatever was going on in Jack’s head, at least Danny knew that he was safe. That he still had Jack’s respect and friendship. Feeling better since his sleep had been invaded with nightmares months ago, Danny was smiling as he went downstairs.
* * * *
Jack fought to keep from throwing up, standing still as stone in the middle of his bedroom. It was a few minutes before he trusted his stomach enough to move and he stumbled over to sit on the bed. That Danny had honestly thought he could do something like that...
Shaking off the shock and revulsion, Jack ordered himself not to take it personally. He knew the hell that the other man had to be going through, the uncertainty and fear. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told Danny that he’d have died first, because Jack would never let another dictate his actions or take his freedom from him, no matter what he’d done. The blade was infinitely better than being a slave, at least for Jack.
So now he had to suck it up and deal with the feelings that felt a lot like betrayal, that Danny could think the worst of him. Once he was finally under control, Jack went downstairs and found the young man sitting at the kitchen table, waiting. He wasn’t nearly as tense as he’d been, the fearful edge gone, thankfully, but there was no way that anyone could call Danny relaxed. Offering a brief smile, Jack asked, “What’s for supper?”
“I ordered some lasagna from Valentino’s,” Danny answered with a hesitant smile. “I know you love it, and I’m starving. Should be here in about ten minutes.”
Jack’s smile widened a bit and he said honestly, “Sounds great. You want something to drink?”
Hopping up from the table, Danny replied, “Let me get it. You want a beer?”
Jack nodded and sat at the table. He wasn’t sure where this might be going, but was willing to go along with it and watched as Danny explored the kitchen to find glasses and then got a beer from the fridge. He only took a soda for himself, sitting beside Jack once he’d set the beer down.
“I um, I was thinking,” Danny began.
Offering a teasing smile, Jack observed, “That’s dangerous.”
Danny grinned, dark eyes lightening as he agreed, “Probably. But, I was thinking that it would be better for everyone if I got used to doing stuff for you, you know? Like, serving you and, I don’t know, doing your paperwork at work, things like that.”
“Keep up appearances?”
“Something like that, yeah.”
Not a bad idea, really, but Jack wasn’t all that sure he could have someone doing things for him like a slave would. Part of the reason that he’d never had one, was that he was too hands-on for it to work. He opened his mouth to nay-say it, but Danny beat him to the punch.
“I just want to earn my keep, Jack. Please? Let’s give it a shot and see what happens?”
Jack sighed, but there was no way he could refuse that kind of plea. Shaking his head, Jack took a deep draught from the beer and answered, “Okay. But you should know that I’m damn particular with how I want things done.”
Danny smirked a little and he said, “Like I don’t know that already.”
Jack snorted.
Less than a month later and Danny was ready to go crazy. Not because Jack had become some heavy-handed, overbearing bastard, no more than he’d always been anyhow, but because it was nearly impossible to do anything for the man. He’d managed to sneak his way into doing the case-reports for Jack only because Sam was in on the conspiracy. She would distract Jack with her own reports until Danny was more than halfway through Jack’s and it was too much work for Jack to take over or re-do them. The other man had let them know in short order that he was on to them, but hadn’t reclaimed the reports yet.
Aside from that, Danny had figured out through trial and error just how Jack wanted his clothes washed and ironed. What kind of foods sat in his stomach like a lump. How a massage to those broad shoulders at one in the morning on a hard case focused Jack and gave him a second wind. All little things that Danny was pleased to have figured out, but wished that Jack had been more cooperative about. It surprised the hell out of him, just how anti-slavery Jack was, on a personal level. The agent had never once mentioned his views to Danny, and he’d just assumed that Jack couldn’t afford one, not that he actively detested them.
Fortunately, Danny knew how to distinguish between hating slavery, and hating the slave. Jack never once allowed his feelings to cloud things between them. The worst that happened was a tightening of the jaw, or thinning of the lips, when Danny dropped to his knees beside Jack during some kind of public function.
For his own part, it was a little scary just how easily he’d taken to serving Jack. Danny knew that part of it came from being used to obeying Jack from work, but that was a very small part. He liked being able to anticipate whatever Jack needed and getting or doing whatever it was for the other man. He wanted to be able to see to Jack’s comfort, make sure that he got everything he needed to be happy and healthy. It was an eye-opening experience for him, and not one with which he was entirely comfortable.
Time went by quickly and slowly, for Danny, after the conviction. Working while in that status was strange, because he always had to carry a pass from Jack to move around the building to get things done. People on the phone didn’t know he was a slave, of course, so that was easier. The rest of the team didn’t treat him any different, which was great, but some of the other agents leered at him in ways that left no room for interpretation. Danny avoided them as much as he could, but it wasn’t always possible. He didn’t tell Jack, though, knowing the other man would do something stupid over something that couldn’t be helped or changed.
They’d just settled into a strange kind of rhythm in their new life, an odd contentment helping Danny sleep at night, when his brother showed up early one Saturday night.
Staring at his brother in shock, Danny exclaimed, “Rafi? What are you doing here?”
The elder Alvarez openly looked him over, taking in his clean, comfortable clothes and easy manner at a glance. He finally answered, “I wanted to check on you, see how you were doing.”
“I’m, well, fine,” Danny said.
Rafael nodded and said shortly, “Yeah, I can see that.”
Stiffening at the hard tone, Danny asked, “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” Rafael demanded incredulously. “Danny, you’re a slave! That’s what’s wrong!”
“There’s nothing either of us can do about that,” Danny pointed out, stomach clenching. “I’ve got a pretty good thing here, Rafi, more than I ever could have hoped for. Jack’s a good man.”
“He’s your Master and I can see now that you’re his bitch,” Rafael snarled.
Jerking back as if hit, Danny literally couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
Rafael loomed over him, stepping inside, and continued in a low, hard voice, “If you were any kind of man, you would kill yourself before submitting like this.”
“Rafi, please,” Danny exclaimed, shaky. “It’s not what you think!”
But he was given the ultimate insult when his brother effortlessly backhanded him, like he was a dirty whore. Danny slammed into the wall and fell to the ground, cheek throbbing as a bruise instantly formed. The spit that landed on his face hurt far worse, though, and Danny couldn’t even summon the energy to clean it away as he watched his brother leave without a backwards glance.
“Danny? I heard a... Danny! Are you okay?” Jack exclaimed, rushing over to kneel beside him.
Feeling empty inside, Danny managed to nod and finally wiped away the spit, letting the other man fuss over him and pull him to his feet. Once he was sitting at the kitchen table, a frozen bag of vegetables to his hot and painful cheek, Danny explained, “It was Rafi. He...he didn’t react well to me being a slave.”
Jack was clearly furious as he snapped, “You’re a slave because of him and he takes it out on you?”
With a shrug, Danny answered, “He’s a proud man, Jack.”
Carefully pulling the bag from Danny’s face, Jack visibly reined in his temper and sighed as he informed Danny, “You’re a strong one, Danny, and a good one. Don’t let this convince you otherwise.”
Danny offered a wan smile, even though his stomach remained upset, and said, “I’ll be fine, Jack.”
Gentle fingers combed through his hair as Jack gave a lopsided smile. “Yeah, I think you will be.”
The stirring of heat in his groin at the gentle touch sent a frisson of shock through Danny, though he managed to conceal it. Swallowing nervously, he asked, “You mind if I go to bed now?”
Stepping back, Jack shook his head. “Course not. I’ll be in my office if you need anything.”
Danny put the bag of vegetables back in the freezer before leaving. Even knowing that Jack was watching him go, Danny couldn’t risk looking back at him, afraid of what his eyes would reveal. He’d never been able to lie to Jack as a free man and doubted that being a slave would lend any special new ability to do so. And right then, he couldn’t let Jack know about the need that was rushing through him, about the ache to be held and reassured.
He could barely admit it to himself.
* * * *
Jack sighed as he watched Danny leave the kitchen, but didn’t know what else to do except let him go. Things had been going a lot smoother than he’d expected, no doubt about it, which of course meant that something had to happen. Danny’s brother showing up to condemn him hadn’t been on the list, though. Jack had a mind to track the bastard down and beat him black and blue, but restrained himself, knowing how it would make Danny feel.
Heading for his office, Jack couldn’t help but think about how seamlessly Danny had infiltrated their lives. His life. When they’d been coworkers, Danny had always done his best for Jack and now that effort was tripled. It was a bit to his surprise that Jack enjoyed the attention as much as he did and so didn’t put up nearly as much of a fuss as he could have. Danny and Sam conspiring to get his work done for him had amused him to no end. Having those incredible massages when he was at his worst or most tired was something he looked for, now. The food experiments he could do without, but since it pleased Danny so much, Jack sucked it up and ate what was put in front of him.
It’s a lot like a honeymoon, Jack suddenly realized as he sat at his desk. Minus the sex.
And it was. They were together for the rest of their lives, since Jack would never sell Danny, and he supposed that subconsciously, they were trying to figure out just how this thing would last that long. How to make it so that the journey together would be as pleasant as it possibly could be.
A journey that would be a lot more fun without Marie around, Jack thought for about the tenth time. While she’d approved of what he’d done for Danny in theory, coming back to find the slave in their home, if not in Jack’s bed, had proved to be...unsettling...for the woman. She’d been prickly and snarling ever since. The girls had, as anticipated, been thrilled to have Danny around and clung to him whenever possible. He was teaching them Spanish and helping them with their schoolwork whenever possible.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t going to get rid of Marie just because she was being a bitch. If she didn’t settle down in the next month or so, he’d have a real talk with her, but Jack was sure that it would just take some time for her to get used to the idea. She’d ruled the roost for fifteen years, after all, and sharing it had to eat at her, even though as a slave, Danny couldn’t be construed as a threat by anyone.
Shaking his head, Jack pulled out the checkbook and started balancing it.
* * * *
It was an hour later that a panicked shout of his name had Jack running from the office to Danny’s room down the hall. There were two more shouts before Jack burst into the room, fully expecting to see someone murdering Danny. The other man was on the bed, though, caught in the grip of a violent nightmare, thrashing and struggling against unseen assailants. Jack sat on the bed and shook Danny’s shoulders, exclaiming, “Danny! Danny, wake up! Wake up, damnit!”
Danny came awake with a fearful cry and launched himself at Jack. Automatically wrapping his arms around the other, Jack held him tight, rocking him and rubbing a hand up and down in a soothing movement.
“Daddy?”
Looking over at the door to find Hannah standing there, Jack gave what he thought was a reassuring smile and said, “It’s okay, honey. Danny had a nightmare. Go on back downstairs to your mother.”
Though she seemed reluctant, such a serious little girl, sometimes, at only six years old, Hannah nodded and left.
That taken care of, Jack started pulling back to get a look at Danny, but the other wouldn’t let go, fingers digging in to Jack’s waist. Kissing the top of Danny’s head, he said, “It’s okay, Danny, everything’s going to be fine. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”
It was a long time before Danny’s grip loosened and when he finally pulled back, there was something like shame on his face as he whispered, “I’m sorry, Jack.”
“Hey, nothing to be sorry about,” Jack countered instantly. “Everyone has nightmares.”
Shaking his head, Danny finally met his gaze and said, “I want this to work. Us. I want...”
Jack didn’t speak, letting Danny find his way with words, sensing it was important.
“I’ve never had anyone for myself. Never really trusted anyone enough. There were girls and even a couple of serious girlfriends, but it was easy to keep them at a distance. I can’t do that with you, though. And I don’t, don’t want to. But, I’ve never, I don’t know how to let you in, Jack, don’t know if I can.”
Feeling the weight of trust from Danny’s words, along with the pain and uncertainty, Jack cupped his face and said, “We don’t have to rush things, Danny, we’ve got time. Let’s start slow, okay?”
Danny offered a slight smile, nodding his acceptance, and asked, “What now?”
“Now you come to bed with me. Just to sleep,” Jack added hastily, at Danny’s widening eyes.
Letting out a shaky breath, Danny said, “I think I’d like that.”
So they got up from the twin bed and Jack moved his arm around Danny’s waist, guiding him to his bedroom. Danny climbed into the large bed and curled up under the blankets as Jack headed for the bathroom to get ready for the night. He knew that it was going to be both incredible and incredibly frustrating to have Danny in his bed from there on out. It would be a while before Danny was comfortable enough with him physically to want more than the comfort that Jack was currently offering, if he ever did. Jack accepted that, even as he ached to bury himself in Danny’s body and give them both the pleasure he knew waited for them. It had been a long time since he’d had a male lover, but that wasn’t exactly something a body forgot.
Taking a deep breath and splashing water on his face, Jack undressed to put on the sweats he usually wore to bed. He debated on whether or not to wear a t-shirt, but decided against it. Danny had to get used to him at some point, so there was no point in changing his habits. He grinned at when Danny’s eyes widened again, taking in the sight of his bare chest, and offered, “Not bad for an old geezer, huh?”
Danny shook his head and said, “Uh, no.”
“Not exactly a confidence booster, Danny,” Jack teased, climbing into the bed and rolling onto his side to face the other man.
“Oh! Sorry, I mean...”
“I’m teasing, Danny, relax.”
Danny sighed explosively, a rueful grin surfacing. “I always did say your humor left something to be desired.”
Grinning back at him, Jack said, “True enough. Get some sleep.”
So saying, Jack reached over to turn off the bedside lamp, then got comfortable on his back. It was strange having someone else in his bed, even if Danny was about a foot away. He could hear the other man breathing; not steady, not unsteady, just in a rhythm that he just wasn’t yet familiar with. A deep sigh turned into a yawn, and Jack closed his eyes.
It didn’t matter that they
went to sleep with distance between them. When Danny woke, he was always
plastered to Jack like a second skin which was, clearly, his subconscious
telling him not to be such an idiot. The first time he’d woken like that, Danny
had nearly jumped out of bed altogether, waking Jack in the process. He’d been
able to cover it by saying that he’d woken from a nightmare, though, and Jack
hadn’t commented. It was over a month since that had happened and Danny still
didn’t know how to get more from the other man.
Jack sighed and shifted in
his sleep, a hand landing heavy on Danny’s ass and squeezing. Shivering lightly
at the possessive touch, Danny wondered how he could ever get up the nerve to
tell Jack that he was even thinking that he wanted more than this. The other
man was so intense, so vital and strong, intimidating, if Danny were to be
honest about it. The thought of having all that focus on him was more than a
little daunting.
Danny risked a soft, slow kiss
to the bare shoulder beneath him. Nothing happened. The roof didn’t cave in,
lightening didn’t strike, Jack didn’t wake up yelling
at him for taking a liberty. A little bolder, he kissed closer to the man’s
nipple, causing Jack’s hand to tighten on him and mumble something in his
sleep. That, in turn, caused Danny to gasp in pleasure as it zinged through
him. The alarm blared right then, startling him, and Danny automatically rolled
over to turn it off. When he rolled back, Jack was rubbing his eyes and yawning.
“Morning,” Jack greeted,
still half-asleep. He pushed into a sitting position and scrubbed through wild
hair. “Sleep good?”
Throwing caution to the wind,
Danny answered by kissing Jack on the lips. There was a clearly startled pause
before Jack responded, aggressively taking Danny’s mouth in a deep kiss. Danny
gasped and opened to it, more out of surprise at the other man’s reaction than
anything else. Then he was on his back and Jack’s weight resting on him as his
mouth was devoured with a hunger that was almost frightening. His body
tightened in need, legs spreading in eager invitation, and his hands gripped
tight to Jack’s hips as his Master ground down against him.
The aggravating the alarm
started going off again and Danny whacked blindly at it with his hand, but it
wouldn’t stop.
“Danny.”
Danny wrapped his arms around
Jack’s neck, holding tight and thrusting up against him.
“Danny?”
A fuzzy question of how Jack
could talk and kiss at the same time ran through his mind. Coupled with the
sensation of being shaken, Danny opened his eyes to find that he was pressed up
tight against Jack’s side, one leg hooked up over Jack’s ass, and definitely
not under him…like in the dream. Jack grinned at him. Groaning in
embarrassment, he rolled away and pulled a pillow over his head.
There was a warm, amused
chuckle and Jack observed, “Must’ve been a hell of a dream. When you’re done
being embarrassed, get cleaned up and ready for work.”
The bed moved and he heard
Jack walk over to the bathroom, but Danny stayed right where he was, flushed
and hard in reaction to not coming. The fact that he was now having wet dreams
about Jack, minus the actual wet part, definitely meant that he needed to get
off his ass and do something about it. He wasn’t normally one to agonize over a
decision, but this was different; this was Jack.
“Come on, Danny, up and at ‘em,” Jack called cheerfully before the bedroom door closed.
Heaving an irritated sigh,
Danny flung the pillow away and glared at the ceiling. Of course Jack was cheerful.
Why wouldn’t he be? He wasn’t the one who’d just been humping another man in
his sleep like a dog. Grumbling to himself, Danny finally forced himself out of
bed.
* *
* *
Having been startled awake by
Danny’s subconscious acting out, it didn’t take hardly any time at all to jerk
off in the shower. All he had to do was listen to Danny’s breathless, “Jack,”
in his head and remember the feel of the slave rubbing against him, and he’d
been hard faster than he could remember in a long time. He bit down on a wash
cloth to keep from making too much noise and adding to Danny’s embarrassment.
The ride to work was a lot
quieter than usual, but Jack wasn’t all that surprised. He turned on the radio
and occasionally made comments on news items, not calling Danny on the silent
treatment. Jack knew the other man would figure things out, and soon, or he
didn’t know Danny at all.
“Danny have
a rough night last night?” Viv asked with a frown.
Jack shook his head and
answered, “Rough morning. And don’t ask, because you really don’t want to
know.”
She arched an eyebrow at him,
but Sam arrived just then, Danny in tow, and said, “We have a missing girl.”
“Details?”
Jack asked.
Sam held up a picture of a
well-dressed, pretty black girl as she explained, “Tara Whitcomb, 13, was
abducted on her way to school this morning, right in front of two friends.
They’re at the school now waiting to talk to us.”
“Viv,
you go talk to the parents,” Jack ordered. “We’ll go to the school and check
things out.”
Sam wrote down the address and
handed it to Viv, then followed Jack and Danny to the
elevator.
Looking at his watch and
seeing that it was only just
* *
* *
Some thirteen hours later,
with Tara Whitcomb safe and sound in her parents’ arms, Jack’s feeling from
that morning had been proved right. The minor head injury he’d sustained
fighting with the girl’s captor only added to his weariness, but the night
wasn’t over yet. The girls would be in bed, thankfully, since it was almost
eleven at night, but Marie was likely to be up and he still needed to make sure
that Danny got something to eat. The car came to a stop and Jack opened his
eyes to a slightly blurry garage.
Before leaving the car, Danny
ordered softly, “Come on, Jack, let’s get you to bed.”
Jack contemplated getting out
of the car on his own, but had the distinct impression that he would fall over
if he tried. Danny was there in a few seconds and helped him up. His head swam
from the change and Jack leaned heavily on the slave as he got his bearings.
“I’m good.”
“No, you’re injured,” Danny
corrected, but started walking.
It took longer than usual to
navigate the stairs and Jack thanked his lucky stars that they didn’t meet up
with Marie on the way. He was never so grateful to sink into bed as that night
and mumbled a thanks as Danny carefully undressed him.
Okay. Maybe a little more than a ‘minor’ head injury, Jack finally
allowed, at least to himself.
The rest of his body felt
bruised and sore as well, thanks to its impact with the pavement from a ten
foot drop. He was lucky he hadn’t broken anything, or the doctor would have
kept him overnight regardless of how much he’d protested.
“A little help,
Master,” Danny murmured, tugging at a sleeve.
Jack moved as indicated, glad
he didn’t have to open his eyes again. If it were up to him, he’d just have
slept in his clothes, but it clearly wasn’t. The thought amused the hell out of
him, considering Danny was the slave, and he grinned.
“Something
funny?”
“Nah.
Just thinking.”
“You probably shouldn’t,
given the concussion.”
Jack’s grin grew and he
replied, “Just happens sometimes, Danny.”
The shoes came off before
Danny said, “Just go to sleep, Jack. I’ll take care of you.”
“S’posed
to be the other way,” Jack pointed out drowsily.
Gentle fingers combed through
his hair and Jack sighed again at the caress, this time in contentment. He let
sleep and unconsciousness battle it out for control as he drifted into the
darkness.
* *
* *
Danny smiled fondly at the sight
of Jack half-undressed, arms and legs sprawled akimbo, snoring. He hesitated
before reaching for the belt and undoing it, but then shrugged to himself. If
Jack was going to be comfortable, then he should be all the way undressed. At
least he didn’t have to worry about moving him around much; the man was solid
and heavy. Bending forward to pull Jack’s pants down had his face right near
the other’s groin and he paused only a moment before slowly tugging the slacks
down. The boxers came with them and Danny figured it would be easier to just
keep going than to worry about trying to get them into place again.
For the first time, Danny was
treated to a completely nude Jack and he looked his fill, starting at the
strong, handsome face and slowly moving down. Broad chest,
the muscles still there, if not so defined, due to not working out on a regular
basis. Lots of chest hair, flecked with silver, trailing down to the
slight belly and then even further down. This brought him to Jack’s sex, which
was a good length and thick, thicker than Danny by a good measure, and he
shivered, trying to think of how that would get inside him.
Very carefully, the old joke surfaced in Danny’s mind.
Snorting at the irreverent
thought, Danny finished off the visual surveillance over thick, hairy thighs
and strong calves to callused feet. All in all, Jack was a very well
put-together man, as Danny had already known. Nothing too extraordinary when he
was asleep, when that vitality was resting and quiescent, like his body, but
awake...that was another story altogether.
With a sigh, Danny pulled the
covers down with only a mumbled protest from Jack, and then tucked the other
man in. Danny started to remove his own clothes and it wasn’t long before he
climbed into the bed with his Master, just as naked. Settling up against the
warm skin was nice and Danny smiled when Jack snuffled against his cheek,
tossing an arm over Danny’s back to hold him, even in sleep.
It was the first time he’d
let himself go to sleep in his Master’s arms, but definitely wouldn’t be the
last.
* *
* *
Danny woke slowly, the feel of strong arms wrapped firmly around him from behind and Jack’s mouth against his shoulder. At first he wasn’t sure what had woken him, because Jack’s breathing was slow and even, no indication that he was awake. Then the lips moved a couple of inches to press against the back of his neck in a kiss and he shivered. Awareness expanded to include the hard length against his ass and Danny definitely didn’t have to ask how Jack was feeling.
Jack’s voice was rougher than usual as he asked softly, “Can I have you, Danny?”
Shuddering in lust, all Danny could do was nod. The time to wait was over. Either or both of them could be dead tomorrow and never have had the chance to experience each other. Danny didn’t want to be alone anymore and knew, thanks to Jack’s patience, that he didn’t have to be. To his surprise, Jack continued to kiss him, pressing his lips at various points over Danny’s back, moving down until he reached Danny’s ass. Danny gasped in surprise when Jack’s tongue slid along the cleft and licked over his hole.
His ass was gripped firmly and pulled apart to expose him, the tongue pushing slowly into his body. Groaning, Danny buried his face in the pillow in a combination of embarrassment and need. No one had ever done anything like this to him. If Jack hadn’t so clearly been enjoying himself, Danny would have sworn that it wasn’t the least bit pleasurable to the giver, however much fun it was to be on the receiving end. A finger joined the tongue a few moments later and Danny couldn’t help but tense up at the intrusion.
Jack paused in his ministrations long enough to murmur, “No Claiming today, Danny. Just you and me getting to know each other. Relax for me, okay?”
Nodding, Danny took a deep breath and let it go, forcing his body to relax as he did. Something cool drizzled over his ass a moment later, causing him to gasp in surprise. Danny snorted as he realized that Jack must have been up already to get supplies and observed, “I always did sleep like a rock.”
With a chuckle, Jack agreed, “I noticed that.”
The finger moved the lube inside him, preparing him carefully as Jack’s other hand massaged his back and his lips continued to kiss the nearest available skin. It wasn’t painful at all, just odd, and Danny relaxed further, content to let Jack do whatever he wanted. A second finger joined the first a few minutes after and Danny frowned at the sensation, but didn’t tense. The stretching was more difficult to get used to and he winced, but didn’t complain. Having seen Jack the night before, Danny was more than happy to let his Master stretch him out however he saw fit.
“You’ve never done this.”
Jack’s statement prompted Danny to shake his head and confirm, “Never really had the inclination.”
“I’ll take care of you, Danny, I promise.”
Half twisting around, he met Jack’s dark, earnest gaze and replied simply, “I know, Master.”
Jack’s breath caught and he surged up to take Danny’s mouth in a strong, aggressive kiss. Danny moaned into it, mouth opening to the demanding tongue. He twisted the rest of the way to lay flat on his back, his new lover solidly on top of him. The calm acceptance of only moments before was gone as his body responded to the way Jack tried to own him through the kiss. It was only seconds before his cock throbbed, rubbing against Jack’s, and his legs spread, one hooking over Jack’s hip as he arched up into the contact.
Jack actually growled, a heady, possessive sound, and thrust down against him, moving Danny’s body with the force of it. Their mouths met in a hard kiss, each striving for dominance, and Danny gave way after a long, intense make-out session. Not because Jack was the Master and he, the slave, but because he wanted to give Jack whatever the other man needed. In this case, that included learning Danny’s entire dental layout as they moved together.
It had been too long since Danny had felt this, too long since he’d been held and his body given any sort of attention. He had sure as hell never felt so loved and cherished and it pushed him quickly towards orgasm, body tightening in its need, balls drawing up as he panted and moaned beneath Jack. His whole body jerked when it happened, seed splattering both torsos, head dropping back onto the pillows, a cry pulled from him as he came hard enough to see stars. Jack groaned, deep and low, the sound muffled by Danny’s shoulder as he bit down and came, adding to the mess with his own come.
When Jack collapsed on top of him, Danny hadn’t even come close to recovering. He couldn’t even find the energy to put his arms around his Master and hold him through the aftershocks. Licking at dry lips, Danny finally managed to focus on Jack enough to gasp, “God, Jack! Shit, that was...”
Jack chuckled, a breathless sound, and rolled off him. “Yeah.”
Danny shifted on his side a few minutes later and found Jack watching him. He flushed in embarrassment, asking, “What?”
“Nothing,” Jack replied, smiling. “Just looking. You okay?”
“Yeah, of course. You didn’t really do anything,” Danny pointed out.
Jack stroked fingers over Danny’s hair and said, “That doesn’t mean you’re okay with it. I don’t want to move too fast for you.”
This was his life and Danny realized it with a sense of disjointed wonder. This man had been so much to him over the last few years and now, he was everything. There was no doubt that had Danny never become Jack’s slave, the other man never would have broached the subject of them becoming lovers. Feeling his heart finally catch up to his mind, Danny covered Jack’s hand with his own and whispered, “I love you, Jack.”
Jack’s eyes widened and for a heart-stopping moment, Danny was certain the declaration would be rejected. Then something seemed to ease within Jack and he gave an uncertain smile, leaning forward to press their lips together.
“Love you too, Danny,” Jack murmured against his mouth before deepening the kiss.
When the kiss ended, Danny happily curled up against Jack’s side, resting his head on his lover’s chest. Jack pulled the blankets around them and sighed deeply, kissing Danny’s forehead without a word. Feeling content for the first time in as long as he could remember, Danny laced his fingers with Jack’s under the covers and settled in for a late morning nap. He grinned a second later and fingered the plain, unimaginative chain around his throat, asking, “Hey Jack?”
“Yeah, Danny?”
“When do I get my chain? The real one, I mean. I know you’ve got it hidden around here somewhere.”
Jack chuckled, a sleepy, warm sound, and answered, “Go to sleep, Danny.”
Which was as good as an admission that there was one hidden somewhere. Pleasantly unsurprised by the fact that Jack had bought one in anticipation that they would eventually move on to the next level, Danny sighed happily and squeezed Jack’s hand, casting a brief look heavenward. This definitely wasn’t how he’d pictured his life turning out.
It was much, much better.