Chapter Seven
~ Daniel ~
I slid down the door and sat on the cold hard cement floor. I pressed my hands against my chest because they were shaking so much. Fear had made my throat go dry.
How had they found me so quickly? I had at least a half hour head start and I know for a fact that I hadn't left any clues behind. Sure, someone might have seen me leave the estate, but not a single car had passed me while I was walking to town.
Had they known I was going to run? Maybe someone had been waiting outside the gates of the estate and had secretly followed me?
My heart slammed against my ribs as a new fear enveloped me. Was it William? Had he found me? I hadn't really gotten a good look at the people outside. I'd just seen the vehicles pulling into the gas station and panicked.
I was desperate to find out who was outside, but terrified at the same time. Running again sounded like a really good idea, except that that terrified me as well.
It wasn't like I had a whole lot of experience with the outside world. Slaves were usually kept locked up until their master wanted to play with them.
Sir hadn't been like that, but he understood my desire to stay at the estate when he had to go out and socialize. He hadn't forced the issue, which I was grateful for. People made me nervous.
A wild cry escaped me when someone knocked on the bathroom door. I slapped a hand over my mouth praying whoever was on the other side hadn't heard it.
"Daniel."
The word was spoken in a deep dark tone that made the hairs on my arm stand on end. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was still dry.
"Daniel, I know you're in there. Open the door."
My hand automatically reached for the door handle, but I froze before I could turn the lock. I knew that voice. Not only had I heard it in person tonight, but I'd heard hundreds of times on the phone and in the videos Sir played over the past five years.
Jackson.
Sir had said he was to be my new master, but Jackson didn't want me. He planned to sell me off to a new master.
That must be why he was here.
I pressed my hand to my chest right over my heart when the sharp pain I felt there stole my breath. I didn't know anything about Jackson beyond what Sir had told me and I'd personally known him all of about three hours. There was no logical reason why I should feel so disappointed that he didn't want me.
"Daniel, I'll give you to the count of three to open this door," Jackson said in a stern tone. "If I have to kick it in, you will be punished."
My body was moving me into a standing position before I had even finished processing Jackson's words. I had the door unlocked and started pulling it open a moment later.
Just because Jackson planned to send me to a new master didn't mean he wouldn't punish me in the meantime.
Two things I hated the most were crowds of people and disappointing my master to the point where I was punished. Until Jackson sold me off he was my master—even if he didn't want the responsibility, so I needed to listen to his commands.
Once the door was open, I stood there with my head bowed and my bag clenched tightly in my hands. I didn't dare look up. Jackson was already upset with me. I didn't want to make him even madder.
I gasped and stumbled back when Jackson pushed me. Fear skated along my nerves like an electrical shock and I hurried over to the corner when he stepped in and shut the door behind him, turning the lock.
Was he going to beat me?
Kill me?
Jackson pointed to the floor right in front of him. "Come."
I swallowed tightly and took a small step forward.
"Daniel."
Spots appeared before my eyes as I took the necessary steps to reach the spot Jackson had indicated. I was seconds from death and I knew it. There was just nothing I could do to prevent it.
I prayed it wasn't too painful.
I jumped when Jackson's hand curved around the back of my neck, a shiver of trepidation running down my spine.
"Do you have a safe word, Daniel?"
Wait...what?
"Sir?" I whispered.
"Do. You. Have. A. Safe. Word?"
"N-No, sir."
"Okay, then we are going to use the red, yellow, green system until we find something better. Do you know what that is?"
"Red means stop, yellow means go slow, and green means go."
"Correct." Jackson gave my neck a gentle squeeze as if approving of my answer. "That is the first and the most important rule. You must always use your safe word when you need it, no matter what the situation is. You will not get into trouble if you use it and I will not get angry. Understand?"
No, but I nodded anyway.
It wasn't like I had a lot of experience with safe words. It wasn't something my former masters had given me the right to use. I was their property to do as they saw fit. I didn't get to argue about it or tell them to stop when they did something I didn't like.
"I will always respect your safe word, Daniel. If you're feeling unsure of something, we can stop and talk about it. Honesty between us is just as important as your safe word. I will always be honest with you and I expect you to always be honest with me. Agreed?"
I hesitantly nodded.
"I know you have no reason to trust me—"
"I trust you," I whispered. "Sir said I could."
In fact, Sir had stated that Jackson was the only person I could trust. He said that no matter what our relationship evolved into, Jackson would always take care of me, which was why I had been so heartbroken when he decided he didn't want me.
Had I misunderstood?
"Master?"
I quickly tucked my lips in when Jackson's lips thinned.
"I don't like the word master," Jackson stated firmly, but without the stern tone he'd used before. "I don't want it between us. You may call me Jackson or Jack as my friends do."
Was he serious?
"Do you prefer to be called Daniel, Danny, or Dan?"
"Daniel," I answered automatically.
It was better than "Pet" or "Boy".
"I have something to discuss with you and I need you to be very, very honest with me. Okay?"
I nodded quickly.
"My father left you in my care, but he wanted us to get married so that I could take care of you in all matters. Did he talk to you about this?"
"Yes."
"How do you feel about it?" Jackson asked.
How did I feel?
I wasn't sure how to answer that, but if Jackson wanted honesty, I'd give it to him. "I don't understand the question."
"How do you feel about us getting married?"
My brows drew together as I tried to find an answer, one that would not only please Jackson, but would give voice to what I was feeling.
"If we got married, you'd keep me?" I asked because that was my biggest concern. "You won't sell me to another master?"
"No, never," Jackson said quickly. "Even if we don't get married I'd never sell you to someone else."
"Then why did you have me pack my stuff?"
Jackson's eyes widened for a moment. "That's why you ran?"
Um...
"Daniel, I was taking you to my penthouse in the city. After what happened tonight with the butler, I didn't think you'd want to stay at the estate. Besides, I'm pretty sure the police have it taped off as a crime scene until their investigation is done."
Oh.
Well, now I felt like an idiot.
"How do you feel about all of this?" I asked.
Jackson sighed as he slid his hands into his pockets and then leaned back against the door. There was a pensive look on his face as he stared past my shoulder.
"I'll be honest with you. In the beginning when I first heard about all of this, I wanted to punch my father. Who ever heard of a man marrying his husband off to his son when he died? It seemed a bit ridiculous to me."
My heart pounded a little faster as I asked, "And now?"
"And now it makes a little more sense to me." He held up a hand when I opened my mouth to talk. "I don't know why. I just know that it makes a lot more sense to me and the thought of shuffling you off somewhere or handing you over to someone else doesn't sit right with me."
"We could just live together," I stated even though I hated that idea. "We don't have to be married."
Jackson shook his head as his eyes landed back on me. "No, I think my father was right about that. The best protection I can give you is to marry you and give you my name."
I felt a little heat fill my cheeks as I looked down. "I already have your name."
"You have my father's name, not mine."
Wasn't it the same thing?
Wyatt was Wyatt.
"If we're married, I have the right to act in your stead. As your son-in-law, I don't."
Son-in-law...that was almost funny. Jackson was a good ten years older than me not to mention several inches taller. He didn't look like a son-in-law at all.
"So, unless you object, we're going to head back to the penthouse tonight and we'll get married first thing in the morning. From then on, you'll belong to me."
Those were the words I had been waiting for.
"You mean that?" I whispered with all the hope in my soul.
"I do," Jackson admitted. "Beyond your safe word and being completely honest with me, I don't have a lot of rules for you at the moment. I imagine that will change as we get used to each other. Can you live with that?"
I nodded so fast my neck popped.
Rules were good. Rules I understood. They let me know what I should and should not do and how to keep my mast—Jackson happy.
Rules made the world not so terrifying.
I barely noticed the thick veined lines in the top Jackson's hand as he held it out to me. His words were much more impactful. "Are you ready to go home, Daniel?"
I swallowed tightly and prayed that Sir had been right when he told me to trust in Jackson, and then I laid my hands in his. "I'm ready, sir."
"Jackson."
"Yes, sir."
Jackson chuckled. "You'll get it sooner or later."
I had a lot of conditioning to not get it so I wasn't sure if he was right about that or not. For as long as I could remember it had been pounded into my head to always address my master with respect. It was going to be weird calling Jackson by his name and I suspected it would take time before I got it, but if this was what he wanted, I'd do it.
Jackson gave my hand a gentle squeeze and then turned to open the bathroom door. "Let's go home."
I was a little iffy on where home was.