Chapter Thirteen #2
“One of my staff or I can alert him about the situation. There’s no need for you to do so.
You’ve clearly appointed yourself the young man’s protector and savior.
Still, I’ve gotten the impression that while he isn’t particularly thrilled at the prospect of giving up his virginity to a stranger, he’s very set on the decision and is of sound mind.
He indicated needing the sort of money that would allow him to go away and not come back.
One can’t help but wonder who it is he’s running from. ”
Brennan Doyle said something similar. Later, when I’m alone, I’ll take the time to consider why it feels like the man in front of me has plunged a knife into my gut.
“You motherfucker.”
I’m known for staying cool in all manner of situations. It’s something I’ve honed over more than two decades. How is it then that I find myself standing over Daniel Corvus with his finely made dress shirt twisted in my fist?
Not that he seems particularly ruffled. He’s never seen me carve a man to pieces with my knife. Maybe that would give him more cause for concern.
“You have to know that my security is already on their way. The sooner you let go, the more likely you are to leave here in one piece.”
He’s not bluffing. Heavy footsteps thunder nearby, coming up the stairs and down the hall toward the room where we’re standing. Three people. Maybe four.
Fuck. I release Corvus and take a step back. It’s not like me to go into a scenario without backup or to lose my temper to boot, and here I am doing it because of Ravi again. Fucking again. This kid is messing with my head.
Reason enough to stay away. As if there aren’t plenty of others.
Am I going to? No. At least I have the presence of mind to know that I should.
With however many seconds I have left, I come the closest I ever have to begging.
“Daniel, his parents trusted me to take care of him. Which I can’t do if he’s getting sold off to the highest bidder like an antique chair.
God knows what some creep with deep pockets would do if they had him for an entire night. Tell me where he is. Please.”
“The deal is for twenty-four hours. It’s not exactly an eternity.”
“That doesn’t make it better. In twenty-four hours he could be dead.”
Footsteps come closer.
“We’re vetting the applicants carefully.
That’s a promise, and I take promises seriously.
These auctions are supposed to be fun, Mr. Masters.
We’ve got several other club members auctioning themselves for charity on the same night as Ravi.
The others will be donating their proceeds to the East End Mission. ”
“Then you don’t need Ravi, do you? I’m asking you to put a stop to this.”
“You have to know there’s too much invested.
I’ll give you this, Mr. Masters. In spite of your behavior this evening, I’ll instruct my security team to allow you entry for the auction.
Don’t make me regret that. If you cause a disturbance, my security will tear you apart before you’ve had time to regret your actions.
Oh, and bring a bank statement. Bidders will be expected to prove their ability to pay prior to the auction start. ”
What the fuck? I take a step back, staring Corvus right in the eyes. “You’re saying if I want to take the kid who’s already living in my damn house back home where he belongs, I’m expected to fucking bid on him?”
“I’m saying if you don’t want your young man spreading himself open for someone who isn’t you, then you’ll need to win him, yes.”
The door bursts open.
When two sets of hands grab me, I don’t resist. There’s only one of me, and from the sound of it, a few sets of boots at my back. In spite of holding my hands up in a show of surrender, I give Daniel Corvus a look that tells him exactly what I think of his suggestion.
“Please escort Mr. Masters outside. We’ll be seeing him again on the night of the charity auction.
And, Mr. Masters, I’ll even give you a little help to ensure your finances are in order.
” He pulls a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolds it.
Without reading the page closely, I know it’s a consent list. Ravi’s.
“Ravi’s expressed a willingness to be shared. I see a distinct likelihood that men with those proclivities might be enticed to pool their resources.”
Fuck. Fuck. That cannot happen.
Over my dead fucking body.
I process this as I’m shoved down the stairs and out into Shadow’s parking lot.
The truth of Corvus’s parting words weigh me down more than the Florida humidity.
He’s telling me some of Belle Argo’s richest and most influential men might decide to chip in on Ravi like stoned kids in a university dorm splitting the cost of a pizza. Bile shoots into the back of my throat.
It’s one of my personal kinks, sharing someone. Admittedly, the thought of Ravi being in the center of one of the circles Zed and I have hosted in my garage elicits feelings it really, really shouldn’t. Disturbing, beautiful images of him tied down and spread out.
But faceless strangers sharing the kid? Without me there to ensure his safety?
No. He’s mine, goddammit. I’ll blow up this club and everyone in it before I let anyone else have him.