Chapter Eleven
Torin
After Garett left for the Cowpokes, Torin and Henry sat on the back porch of Colton’s house, the wooden steps slightly worn but sturdy beneath him. A warm breeze carried the faint scent of wildflowers and grass, making the evening air feel lighter than anything he’d experienced on the ranch. Henry leaned back on his palms, his relaxed posture a sharp contrast to Torin’s usual tension.
“Colton told me you’re living with Garett.”
“Yes, I’m under his protection,” Torin said.
“Is he training you to be his sub?” Henry asked.
“No. Well, I don’t think so. It’s not like he even wants me around. He’s doing a favor for Dante.”
“Oh, Dante. I see. You don’t want to get into trouble with him. People disappear.”
“My parents were in a mafia and their enemies murdered them. I know all about the trouble you can get into with those type of people. I lived it my entire life.” Torin couldn’t believe he rolled out his tragic personal history to someone he had met this evening. Normally, Torin held his past within his heart. Henry made him feel comfortable and he genuinely enjoyed his presence. Since he looked at Henry as an equal, Torin could let himself relax mentally around him.
“That’s some heavy stuff, man.”
“Yes, it was and still is. My brother Liam raised me. He sent me here because I fell in love with a mobster. Liam is a judge, and he wasn’t having it.”
“Why would he send you here? Dante is mafia,” Henry asked.
“Because my brother wanted me away from my boyfriend, away from New York City and my friends. He knows Dante and he knew that Carrillo Ranch was safe for gay people.”
“Why would your brother know Dante?”
“My brother was older when my parents were alive. He met Dante when they were young. Through the years they kept a friendship and did favors for each other. My brother called in a favor to Dante, and he passed it to Garett.”
“So, are you forced to stay here then?”
“Sort of. If I left, and I could, my brother would wash his hands of me. He gave up a lot by taking me when I was left an orphan. So, I owe him. I never had much of a problem with him until he found out about my boyfriend and what went on while I was supposed to be living in a dorm.”
“Was he pissed you were gay?”
“No. The only thing was he became overprotective of me because of it.”
“Do you like it here?”
Torin took in the open fields and rolling hills. “It’s different. Quiet’s not bad, though.”
“So,” Henry paused then asked, “what’s it like living with Garett?”
Torin snorted, swirling the last of his lemonade in his glass. “Strict. He’s got rules for everything—when to speak, how to act, what to call people. It’s like walking on eggshells half the time. I’m not his sub.”
Henry smirked, his green eyes glinting with amusement. “Sounds like Garett. He never removes his Dom hat. You know, every sub at Cowpokes is dying for him to be their Dom.”
Torin blinked, caught off guard. “Seriously? Why?”
Henry grinned. “He’s got this reputation—firm, but fair. Protective too. No one would dare touch his sub.”
“His protectiveness feels excessive. He takes his responsibility too far.”
“Some people love that combination. Have you seen him? He’s not exactly hard on the eyes.”
Torin rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the corner of his mouth from twitching. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. Doesn’t mean I get why everyone’s obsessed with him.”
“Does he still walk around naked in his house?” Henry asked.
“How do you know that?” Torin stared, dumbfounded by the question, a whirlwind of confusion swirling in his mind as he wondered how Henry found the source of this personal information about Garett.
“His last subs bragged about it. They told everyone how enormous he was.”
“That part about him is true. Did he have more than one sub at the same time?” Torin took a deep breath when the image of when he had seen Garett’s cock hard for the first time flashed in his mind.
“So, you did see his big cock then.”
Torin nodded, a blush creeping up his neck as he felt his face warming. “Why else do they want him?”
Henry chuckled. “Maybe because they think he’s got it all figured out. Subs like knowing where they stand, and Garett’s not the type to leave anyone guessing. But you? You’re different.”
Torin raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re not falling over yourself to impress him. You push back.” Henry gave him a knowing look. “I bet he doesn’t get that often.”
“Someone needs to inform him I’m not his sub nor am I applying to be his sub.”
“The problem is he doesn’t know how to operate out of the Dom mode. I’m sure you’ll tell him when he oversteps.”
Torin glanced out at the open field stretching beyond the yard. The conversation was making him squirm. “Yeah, well, I still have no clue about Doms and subs, or what he even wants from a sub or me. He’s impossible to read.”
Henry tilted his head, considering. “Have you asked him?”
Torin shot him a look that could curdle milk. “Are you fucking kidding? He’d probably give me some cryptic answer and then lecture me for even asking.”
“That’s just Dom behavior. Always looking for a reason to spank you.”
Torin rolled his eyes. The thought of Garett spanking him, the sting of the hand on his skin, sent shivers of anticipation through him. Certainly it wasn’t anything he wanted to admit to. “Do you know Cherry at Cowpokes?”
Henry nodded. “Why are you asking?”
“Is he Garett’s sub?”
Henry grinned. “No! He isn’t his sub, but he wants to be. And if he was, Garett would have told you.”
“Cherry said he played with Garett.”
“Garett feels sorry for him. No one wants to collar him.”
“How come?”
“He was too rebellious and unwilling to submit himself into what a Dom wants.”
“He does stick out like a sore thumb at the club.”
They both laughed, the tension easing as Henry shifted the topic. “So, Garett said you’re studying graphic art?”
Torin nodded.
“What’s your focus?” Henry asked.
“Mostly digital design,” Torin said, perking up. “I enjoy creating stuff for websites and branding. What about you?”
“Same, but I’ve been getting into illustration lately. Like, designing stuff for games or animations.”
Torin’s eyes lit up. “No way. I’ve been experimenting with that too. It’s harder than it looks though.”
“Tell me about it,” Henry agreed. “Sometimes I spend hours just trying to get one character’s expression right. Drives me nuts, but I love it.”
For the first time in what felt like weeks, Torin felt the tension drain from his shoulders as he finally relaxed. The conversation flowed naturally as they swapped stories about their projects, shared tips for camping trips, and joked about their struggles with horseback riding.
The sun dipped lower on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. Torin leaned back, letting the warmth of the moment settle over him. “Thanks for this,” he said quietly, surprising even himself.
Henry glanced at him, a small smile playing on his lips. “For what?”
“For not being…complicated,” Torin admitted. “It’s nice to just talk. No rules, no expectations.”
Henry nodded. “Yeah, I get that. Sometimes it’s good to just be.”
They sat in companionable silence, the crickets starting to chirp in the distance. For the first time in a long while, Torin felt like he could breathe.
“We’ve got to do some riding together.”
“Riding what?”
“A horse. We could ride after work.”
“I’d have to ask Garett. I doubt he’d let me go anywhere without him.”
“I have to check in with Colton, of course. He trusts me now. It wasn’t always like that.”