Caged

by Dark Angel

Monday, March 3, 2014

9:10 am

Chris Larabee sat down at the large, round table in what was fondly referred to as "Camelot," their large conference room. He suspected the name sprang from the two suits of armor that stood in two corners of the room, as well as the rather masculine-looking furniture, wood paneling, and flagstone fireplace that dominated one wall. He glanced around at the other men sitting at the table and marveled, once again, at the life he found himself living.

Not so very long ago he had been an angry drunk, well on his way to destroying himself. But his friends, most of whom he'd known longer than he'd known Sarah, had pulled him up and out from his pit of despair and forced him to start living again.

He would be forever grateful to them for their efforts. Of course he'd hated each and every one of them while they were doing it, but now… well, now he still mourned his wife and son, but he'd returned to the land of the living, and he was content, if not exactly happy.

He'd discovered the BDSM community while in college, and through that community he'd met each of the others sitting at the table, except for Buck, who he'd met in high school. He and Buck had gone to college together, found the community together, then enlisted together after graduating from college in 2002, both of them caught up in the post-9/11 fervor. At that time they had just been members of the club, two up and coming doms making names for themselves.

He and Buck served for seven years, most of it in special operations units. When they left the military, in 2009, they joined the Denver Police Department, but the rules and regulations were too chaffing. In 2011, a bust went wrong, leaving Chris and Buck both wounded, and a good friend dead. They quit the force and, going in with Josiah, Nathan, and Ezra, had bought Radius from the man who had started it back in the late 1960s.

Chris had stepped away from the scene somewhat after he'd married Sarah in 2003, but his work there filled some part of him even Sarah couldn't manage. She had understood and gave him her blessing, allowing him to quickly rise through the ranks of doms to become a true master.

The same year they had bought Radius – 2011 – Chris imploded when Sarah and Adam had died in a freak automobile accident. It took him a full two years to pull out of that nosedive, but he'd managed it – with a lot of help from his friends.

This past year had been a good one, and he was now completely dedicated to the businesses that made up Radius. And, as a result, those businesses were flourishing, as was Larabee's reputation within the community.

The blond's gaze swept over the comfortable room, pausing at the large window that looked out on the Front Range – still snow-capped for the moment. The round table itself was made of light-colored wood with a beautiful, intricate grain pattern. Ezra would know what kind of wood it was, but Chris could never remember. The chairs were padded leather, ergonomically designed to be comfortable. Thick carpet and paneling in the room made it quiet and peaceful. As a result, no one had any trouble hearing him when Chris said quietly, "Gentlemen, we have a problem in the community."

The five men in the room immediately focused their attention on Larabee.

"What's going on?" Buck asked.

The blond leaned forward, resting his forearms on the tabletop as he said, "We got an anonymous tip that there's a sub being held and used against his will."

"Crap," Buck said. "Male or female?"

"Male," Chris replied.

"Did they say who it was?" Josiah asked, looking concerned.

Chris shook his head. "No, no names, just a description of where he's being held."

"Where is that?" Buck asked.

"I think it's one of the abandoned buildings in the old Santa Fe industrial corridor," Larabee stated.

"We're going to go check it out, right?" JD asked, excitement lighting his eyes. Dunne might not be very active in the community, but he had his own kink – he was a hardcore adrenaline junkie.

Larabee nodded.

"What did the informant say?" Nathan asked.

Chris glanced at JD and gave him a nod. The younger man was immediately on his feet and heading out to grab his laptop from his office. He was back in less than thirty seconds, and a few moments later he was hitting enter.

A man's voice filled the room, even though he was whispering. "I'm not gonna give my name, but I'm at a leather party. There's a guy here; he's in bad shape. I don't think he volunteered for this. Eli Joe's got him in a dog crate, and he's beat up pretty bad. I think maybe you'd better check on this guy. Looks like he's been here for a while. Uh, it's an abandoned warehouse, close to Santa Fe, off West Mississippi. It's a brick building, lots of graffiti on the first floor walls. You can't miss it. Better hurry, too." The message ended.

"When do we go?" Ezra asked, green eyes flashing. He had been in a similar situation once, a long time ago, and had little patience for individuals who mistreated their subs.

"Tonight," Chris told them.

They all nodded, moving to stand and get prepared, as well as get some work done before they headed out. Chris watched them go with a small smile on his face. Yes, life was definitely interesting these days, but he wouldn't change a thing, except for the fate of his wife and son.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Knowing they wouldn't be leaving for the warehouse until it was dark, Larabee made his usual morning rounds. The first stop was JD's office.

"Hey, Chris," Dunne greeted him.

"I want you to go find that building and put it under surveillance."

"Can do," he replied with a grin, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Will you let Casey and Mrs. P know I won't be available tonight?"

"I'll do that," Larabee replied with a nod, then continued on his way.

Radius was a large building, taking up a full city block. It included two bars open to the public, a private club for members only, a gym – also for members only – as well as a public restaurant and hotel.

Each of the components making up Radius was its own business, and each was run by a different manager who answered to Larabee and the others. Collectively, the six men were referred to as the "board of directors" by the managers and their staffs.

Arc was a trendy, upscale bar for Denver's young urban professionals. Water was the theme – a nice contrast to the mountains – with blues, silver, and plenty of chrome art filling the two-story space. Live bands, and a large dance floor made the club one of the most popular in town. Rafe Mosley, who managed Arc, had a knack for booking local bands with large, loyal followings, and that had helped build the popularity of the bar over the past couple of years, something Rafe took great pride in.

Chris gave Casey Welles a nod as he walked past the central octagon-shaped chrome bar. She was one of their more popular bartenders, and JD's girlfriend. She was also the niece of Nettie Welles, the woman who managed Larabee's horse ranch, and he kept an eye on the attractive young woman for Nettie.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but JD's going to be busy tonight," he told Casey.

"Ah, okay," she replied, looking a little disappointed. "Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem," he told her, continuing on his way to the second public bar, Diameter, which was equally trendy, but among Denver's LGBT community.

Well-lit during the day, Diameter was a popular lunch spot for the queer community who lived and worked in the central business district, and the surrounding areas.

He spotted Inez and Claire standing behind the bar. Inez had her arm around Claire's waist and it looked like she might be nibbling on the shorter woman's ear. They broke apart when they spotted Chris, both of them blushing slightly at getting caught.

"Carry on, ladies," he told them with a grin.

Inez Recillos managed Diameter, and she and Claire Mosley, Rafe's sister, had been dating for almost a year now. Like Casey Welles, Claire was a bartender, as well as a part-time student at the University of Denver.

At night, the lights were turned down and same-sex couples gathered for food, drinks, and dancing. They employed a DJ most nights, but Inez also brought in live bands on Friday and Saturday nights to keep the place hopping. On Sunday nights the transgender community took over, hosting a variety of parties and events.

"Everything going all right?" he asked Inez.

She nodded and smiled. "Of course."

Larabee grinned. "I wanted to let you know that we'll all be out tonight," he told her.

She nodded, frowning slightly. She and the other managers knew the kinds of business the six men sometimes took on, beyond the walls of Radius. "I'll make sure everything goes fine," she promised him. "No need to worry."

"I never worry with you in charge," he told the young woman, then continued on his way.

Tangent was a five story addition to the original Radius building. When the hotel next door had gone up for sale, Chris and the others had purchased it, then had it remodeled, joining it to Radius and giving it a new name.

Tangent had an open floor plan, with a central space that was airy and light. On the bottom floor there was an atrium that framed the front desk area. The glass ceiling over the open space kept the plants in the atrium growing, and created a sense of spaciousness. When it snowed, it gave visitors the feeling they were staying in a large igloo.

"Good morning, Mr. Larabee," greeted the hotel manager, Gloria Potter.

"Good morning, Mrs. Potter," Chris replied. "Everything in order?"

"As always," she replied with a proud smile.

Mrs. Potter ran a tight ship, keeping the 54-room hotel in the black since the second week it was open. Several good-sized conference rooms on the first floor meant that they were able to host small conventions, weddings, and other special events, which added to the Hotel's profits.

"I'm afraid JD's going to be busy this evening; can you get someone to cover his shift?" he asked the woman.

"Of course," she replied. "I'll give Millie a call, see if she wants to come in. She's been looking for additional shifts."

Larabee nodded. "I apologize for the inconvenience," he told her. JD usually worked the desk three nights a week since, of all the co-owners of Radius, JD was the least into the scene. However, he was still an invaluable member of the team thanks to his technology and bookkeeping skills. He could take care of himself in the field, too.

Continuing on his way, Chris pushed past a pair of heavy wooden doors marked "Private – Members Only." This was the true heart of Radius: Sector.

Sector was Denver's most prestigious BDSM and D/s club. It was also the only part of Radius Larabee managed himself, although he would be the first to acknowledge that he wouldn't be able to do it if it wasn't for the help he got from the other five co-owners. In addition, they had hired two assistant managers who could run the club when they were otherwise busy or occupied.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays the crowd was made up of heterosexual players, while Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays were reserved for same-sex players. Sundays were for classes, seminars, demonstrations, collar ceremonies, and other special occasions. Chris was typically on-site Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, while Buck was there Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, leaving Wilmington available to play with his "painted ladies" on his days off and the weekends.

Buck and Ezra were responsible for the two bars in Sector. The primary one was called the Wedge, and it filled one entire wall in the main social area. It was decorated with dark wood and leather. Thick carpet and tiles on the walls and ceilings ensured that the space was comfortable and private. The second bar, called Origin because of the artistic drapes with a reproduction of Adam and God touching fingertips, was just outside the dining room.

When he wasn't working the Wedge, Buck was helping out with security, ensuring that only members in good standing were admitted to the Club, and that what was going on in the various play rooms was safe and consensual. At least once a day he made sure to mention to Chris that they needed to hire a head of security, since Buck was often too busy with clients of his own to help out, being in high demand for his ability to train female subs.

The thought put a smile on Larabee's lips. Buck had always been a ladies' man, and the money he'd made training female subs had allowed him to indulge his other passion – restoring old Victorians to their past glory. He was as passionate about his "painted ladies" as he was his female subs, and Wilmington's small renovation company, Ladies' Men, which he had built from nothing, had quickly become well-known in Colorado, and they were usually working on a Victorian somewhere in the state, with or without Buck. Luckily, Frances Corcoran was as deeply in love with the painted ladies as Buck was, and he managed the construction company for Wilmington.

Buck had hired Emma Dubonnet as his assistant manager shortly after they bought Radius, and she basically took care of the club when it came to their heterosexual members. Chris had found and hired Raphael Cordero Martinez to handle their same-sex members about four months after Emma had started. The two managers carried on a bawdy rivalry, but profits had soared and it was enjoyable to watch, so they generally left the pair to their own devices.

In the basement of the expansive building was a state of the art gym called Chord, with locker rooms, saunas, a pool, and several Jacuzzis. Nathan, a trained physician, ran the gym and still managed to find time to volunteer at a free clinic in Purgatory – one of the poorest neighborhoods in Denver – on Saturday mornings. He also had his own medical practice in town, and worked there part-time two days a week (Mondays and Wednesdays), his two other partners being fulltime. Being known in the BDSM community, Nathan usually saw members of the community in his practice, which was focused around men's health and issues.

Nathan was also the only member of the "board of directors" who was essentially married, although JD and Casey were headed down that path at a rapid pace. And while Nathan and Raine hadn't officially tied the knot, the two of them had been living together since they had met as residents. Raine was an emergency room doctor at Summit Hospital and Trauma Center, and she had treated all of them at one time or another, when their second business turned dangerous.

Larabee stopped to speak to some of the people who were working out, all of them members of Sector, then made his way through the basement play space, an open area with several stations where Sector members could act out scenes with an audience. It was a little early for anything to be happening, but by 5 p.m. the joint would be jumping, quite literally, when it came to the subs.

Reaching the elevators, he returned to the first floor where Arc and Diameter were. The doors would open soon for the early lunch crowd. He made sure all was ready, then headed for the stairs.

The second floor was taken up with the public restaurant – Circumference – which also provided food to the bars and the Sector dining room. Li Pong Xie was the restaurant manager, and Chris didn't want to disturb her as they prepared to open. The managers' offices and a large employee break room took up the rest of the second floor space.

All in all, Radius was the place where Chris felt the most at home, and he had a hunch the same was true for the others as well, except maybe Nathan, who had a special someone to go home to each night. All six men had homes in Denver, and Chris also had his horse ranch west of Evergreen, but they tended to spend the majority of their time at Radius.

His rounds complete, Chris watched the first patrons entering the restaurant, then returned to the elevator and headed up to Josiah's office. The third floor was taken up with five offices for the board members, two storage rooms, the conference room, and Josiah's private office suite.

Josiah Sanchez had a bachelor's and a master's degree in psychology, and had once been a part of the FBI's behavioral analysis unit, but he had burned out after twelve years of chasing serial killers. He had done post-graduate work while at the BAU, and when he left, he finished off his doctorate in psychology. Now he had a private practice where he did psychotherapy and sex therapy. In fact, he was one of the leading sex therapists in the state. Many of his clients were Sector members, so he had converted part of the third floor into an office suite with a reception area and an office where he could meet with patients.

There was a large window in Josiah's reception area that looked out over the city to the mountains beyond, just like in the conference room. It was quiet, comfortable, and Chris' favorite place to retreat to. But today he needed to talk to Josiah, so he knocked on the door and entered the man's office.

Josiah was sitting behind his desk when Chris walked in, after saying good morning to Mattie Stokes, a young woman Josiah had been working with since she was twelve. Now, at twenty-five, she was a healthy, vibrant young woman with a bright future. She was also one of his best female Doms in the Club. Her sister, Kate, was an amazing switch who was also a massage therapist, and co-managed the gym with Nathan.

"I'll get these appointments moved for you," she told Josiah as she left.

"Thanks, Mattie," he replied. "I was expecting you," Josiah said, leaning back as he gestured for Chris to have a seat.

"And you know what I want to hear."

Josiah grinned. "Yes, I know, but we aren't going to know anything until we get him out. There's a chance he volunteered for whatever is happening to him. But, really, we just don't know anything yet."

"There's a chance he didn't, too," Larabee countered. "Those old warehouses have been used for some pretty rough trade in the past. I'll be glad when the redevelopment finally gets to them and tears them down."

Josiah nodded. "I know, but if it was a leather party, chances are, whoever he is, he's at least part of the scene."

Larabee nodded. "Did you check to see who's been using those warehouses for parties recently?"

Josiah handed him a short list.

Chris looked it over. "Damn, most of these guys are long gone."

"Yep," the big man agreed. "We need to do some new reconnaissance, see who's using the warehouses now."

"I have JD out there right now. We probably have a new player in town."

"Would be my guess," Josiah said with a nod.

"And if the vic is being held against his will?"

"Then it'll take some time to put him back together," the big man replied with a sad sigh. "You've seen this happen. It's different each time; you know that."

Larabee sighed as well. Yes, he'd seen the aftermath of something like this before, a few times, and he'd seen Josiah put men back together, but it was never a pretty process. Ezra was a perfect example. "I guess I was just hoping this time might be different," he said.

"It might be, brother. We just won't know until we know."

Chris nodded and stood. "I'll see you at the Dungeon, then."

"I'll be there."

Larabee left, heading for his own office, where he found Kate Stokes sitting at his computer, inputting an order for supplies in the gym.

"Morning, boss," she greeted as she finished and stood.

"Morning," he replied, heading for his desk. "If you see Ezra, can you let him know I need to see him?"

"Sure thing!" she replied on her way out.

Chris settled at his desk, looking over three new applications for the Club. He jotted down some questions he wanted to ask each one, then set them aside. Next was a list of purchase requests, which he had just started to peruse when Ezra entered.

Standish was the host at Sector, as well as being a switch that at least half of the female membership would pay good money to play with, but the dark-haired man preferred to play exclusively with other men. He was also dating Li Pong. "You wanted to see me?"

Chris nodded and handed Ezra the new applications. "We need to find matches for these new members," he said, handing the files to Ezra.

"I see you have some questions," Ezra stated, adding, "as usual."

Larabee nodded. He was careful about who was allowed into Sector. They had a reputation for discretion, and high quality play spaces, and he didn't want the wrong kind of people screwing that up.

"I'll start looking through the database, once I get these questions answered," Ezra said.

"Thank you," Chris replied. "How's everything going?"

"Fine," the man replied, "although Mr. Wilmington has mentioned again, that we really need to hire a head of security."

"Like that's news," Larabee mumbled, his gaze sweeping over the purchase requests.

"No, not news," Ezra agreed.

"I'll just sign these and pass them on to JD to place the orders, unless you'd like to do it?"

"My pleasure," Ezra replied as he turned to go. "Oh, and I finally captured that shot of Mr. Dunne that I was working on. I sent it to you in an e-mail. See what you think. I thought it might make a nice addition to the gallery, if I do say so myself."

Larabee watched Ezra go and shook his head. Standish was an artist, his medium of preference being photography. He'd made quite a bit of money taking pictures of Sector members. It was money he'd used to buy into a small casino in Central City so he could indulge his other passion – poker.

Chris leaned over and pulled up his email, finding Ezra's message. He opened the attachment and sucked in a breath. "Oh, yeah, that'll be a great addition," he said quietly. Standish had captured each of them in some erotic pose, and the pictures all hung in the central hallway that each of their offices opened off of. Due to the pictures it was called the "gallery."

The black and white picture of JD was stunning. The man was naked, lying in a shallow pool of water… He chuffed out a laugh and shook his head. "Nice job, Ezra, very nice job."

He closed the email and went back to work, knowing that the day was going to drag by until it was time to check out the old warehouse. At least there was plenty to keep him busy. Besides Radius, Larabee and his friends operated Blackhorse Security Limited, a private security firm that provided services to some of Denver's rich and powerful, many of whom were also Sector members. They had a steady stream of work that he had to integrate into their weekly schedules, which, given Nathan's and Josiah's practices, Josiah's classes at the university, Nathan's volunteer work in Purgatory, and Buck's renovations, made him wish, once again, that he had gone ahead and hired himself a fulltime assistant. But he just hadn't found anyone he wanted to work with that closely. However, given the pending jobs they had, he might have to make a better effort to find someone.

A personal assistant and a head of security; in all his copious amounts of spare time. Oh, yeah, that was going to be easy… Not.

He was just going to have to start a short list for both positions, and then hand it over to Ezra or JD to make the follow-up calls. With luck they could hire internally, but he wasn't sure there was anyone who wanted a new job. They tried to make sure their employees were happy, and now he was wondering if they might not have succeeded a little too well.

Still, there had to be someone who could use the raise the new positions would come with. He shook his head, mentally putting it on his to-do list for tomorrow, just like he had the day before, and the day before that.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Monday, 5:55 pm

Chris pulled into the underground garage at their second property, which was officially known as The Roman's Stones, but was affectionately referred to as "The Dungeon." The old Romanesque mansion was located in Golden and had been purchased and renovated by Buck and his crew at Ladies' Men.

While that work was being completed, they had opened the old mansion to ghost tours, although they weren't sure the house was actually haunted. Ezra had taken care of that, however, making sure that everyone who passed through the doors had had an experience they wouldn't soon forget. It had been a great way to keep the property prosperous until the real business they had bought the place for could move in.

Once the building renovations had been completed, they hired an outside contractor who specialized in brick work to remodel the basement with brick arches leading to four play rooms where members of the BDSM community could come and play. Those rooms were booked solid for six months into the future, and they paid for the upkeep of the mansion, as well as the salary for the manager, all by themselves.

The second and third floors were also used for BDSM and D/s play, with three suites available on each floor, and two small studios for those who needed to stay overnight. There was even an attic that had turned out to be more popular than they'd expected. The first floor was split between an apartment where the manager, Chanu Blackwolf, lived and a well-stocked toy store that had everything a master or slave could possibly want. Chanu ran the toy store and checked customers in as they arrived to use the various play spaces. There was also a cook who prepared food in the kitchen when requested. Chanu had security on site as well, to ensure that everyone played safely, and were not interrupted – one for each room that was in use at the time.

When Claire Mosley had broken up with him, Chanu had been more than happy to move from tending bar at Sector to running the Dungeon. He still hadn't moved on and started dating again, but then he was holding out hope he could talk Inez into a threesome, although Chris suspected Inez wasn't the type to share. Too bad, though, since he thought they would make a nice threesome.

If Chanu didn't love the Dungeon so much Chris would have offered the man the head of security position, but he already knew Blackwolf wouldn't take it.

After a quick check in with Chanu, Chris headed for the black van they kept parked at the Dungeon. By the time he had changed into black slacks and a black T-shirt, the others had joined him, already dressed the same way. They checked their equipment, then climbed into the van, Chris in the driver's seat, Buck riding shotgun. In the back Josiah, Nathan, and Ezra prepared their weapons, all of them non-lethal.

It took them forty-five minutes to reach the warehouse the informant had described in his message, and JD had located, due to traffic. The outside of the old brick building was definitely covered by graffiti – as far up as the street kids and gang bangers could reach. They drove past the structure, parking in the lot of a small strip of stores a block and a half away. By nine p.m. the stores had closed and the lights went off, darkness taking over the neighborhood.

JD quickly joined them and the six men left the van, disappearing into the shadows with practiced ease as they worked their way to the target building.

The area was dominated by abandoned warehouses and empty apartment buildings that had yet to be torn down. The area had been in rapid redevelopment until the financial crisis hit in 2008. When the money had dried up during the Great Recession, the work had stopped and the remaining buildings had been left standing. Within a year, the buildings had become a refuge for the homeless, as well as a location for drug deals, prostitution, and a variety of other underground activities.

Finding a way into the warehouse was simple enough. They moved through the darkness, avoiding the few homeless people who were gathered around a small fire while making a search of the building. Finding a metal door that had a new chain and lock on it, they knew they had found their target.

Buck made quick work of the lock with a bolt cutter he pulled from his backpack, and they opened the door and started down a long hallway, also decorated with graffiti. When they reached the end of the passage there was a second door, this one with another new chain and lock as well. Once more Buck removed the obstacle.

The room they entered was dark and cold. JD and Ezra turned on their flashlights, sweeping the beams over the space.

"Oh my God," JD yelped when his light landed on a young man lying unconscious inside a large metal dog crate.

The man was naked and lying on his back inside the cage. His wrists and ankles were all secured inside leather cuffs attached to the top four corners of the crate. A ball gag, strapped to the man's head using a chin strap, filled his mouth. Even in the light from the flashlights it was clear the man had been flogged recently, his ass and sides stripped red. There were also bruises scattered across the man's body as well.

The caged man groaned when the flashlight beam passed over his eyes and he rolled his head away without opening them.

"See if you can find a light switch," Chris said, his anger mounting as he took in the man's condition. He walked over to the cage and dropped down onto his hands and knees so his head was closer to the man's as he called, "Hey, can you hear me?"

The man's head rolled back toward Chris, and his eyes opened. Even in the dim light Larabee could see they were a bright blue that made his heart beat a little faster. They were pain-filled as well. The stranger met and held Chris gaze, silently begging to be released.

"Easy, we're here to get you out," Chris promised him.

The man's eyes squeezed shut a moment later when Ezra found a light switch and turned it on, then his entire body began to shake, the crate beginning to rattle as a result.

"Let's get him out of there, quickly," Josiah said, his tone calm but demanding. He was relatively sure the young man was about to have a full-fledged anxiety attack.

"Hey," Chris called, reaching up to wrap his fingers over's the younger man's, which were hooked over the wires of the crate. "Hey, look at me."

The man's eyes popped open, his gaze locking on Chris' once again.

"It's okay. We're getting you out," Chris told him again. "You're going to be fine."

Josiah moved to the cage once Buck had cut the lock. He reached in to free the man's feet, but as soon as he touched him, the man went berserk, fighting the restraints and Josiah.

"Hey! Hey! Stop it!" Chris snapped. "We're here to help you. You have to let us, okay? Just take it easy."

The man gulped in air as best he could around the gag as Josiah carefully freed his ankles, but his body continued to shake uncontrollably.

"Easy, son," the older man said, "you'll be out of there in just a second."

"That's right," Chris said, nodding. "Just look at me and keep breathing. Breathe. That's it."

The younger man continued to gulp air as Josiah reached in and unhooked his wrists.

"Whoa, friend, deep breath… hold it… let it out… again… better," Chris coached while Sanchez worked.

As soon as the captive was freed, he erupted into a frenzy of motion, exploding from the cage like a wild-thing seeking its freedom.

Josiah and Nathan caught him, holding him as he frantically stripped the gag off his head. Then he bent over and threw up, retching until he was shaking so badly his knees gave out. As he struggled to his feet, the man's eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped as deadweight.

"I've got him," Nathan said, catching the man.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Buck said, shaking his head at the situation. "He okay?"

"He will be," Josiah told him.

"JD, leave the message," Chris said coldly.

"Got it," the young man said, pulling a piece of paper from his back pocket and laying it on the top of the now-empty dog crate.

They retraced their steps, exiting the building without being stopped. They quickly made their way to the van and left the area.

"Where to?" Buck asked. He was driving this time, JD riding in the passenger seat while Chris was in the back.

"My place," Chris said, making a quick decision.

There was a slight hesitation on Wilmington's part. Larabee didn't invite many people to his Denver home, but the ladies' man nodded and picked up speed, maneuvering through traffic with practiced ease until he reached Larabee's in-town home. He pulled into the long driveway, parking at the rear of the English Tutor-style house, parking in front of the standalone three-car garage. The house was just north of the Bonnie Brae neighborhood and, being at the end of a long driveway, had a little more privacy than the rest of the neighborhood lying south of Exposition.

The house was often a meeting place for the six men, especially when they were working a security case, and there was a bedroom for each of them, as well as a couple of extras leftover. It was a masculine space, one Buck enjoyed spending time in, as did the others. They had held more than a few barbecues on the back patio, and watched a number of sports games as a group, often with other friends like Chanu, Frances, and Raphael in attendance.

It was the place Buck felt most at home, even if it was his best friend's house. The ladies' man's own home was just a few blocks away in the East Washington Park Neighborhood – a restored Victorian he shared with JD.

They took the man into Chris' house through the rear French doors. "Antler room?" Josiah asked as he carried the rescued man.

"Yeah," Larabee said, leading the way.

Nathan hurried ahead, grabbing a sheet from the blond's downstairs linen closet and using it to cover one of the leather sofas. Josiah laid the man down on it while Nathan retrieved and opened his doctor's bag, then went to work checking the man from head to toe. He jotted down notes as he went along, muttering under his breath and shaking his head. "Josiah, I need to start an IV, he's dehydrated."

"I'll get it," Josiah said, heading off to check the medical supplies Nathan kept at the house.

"Grab me a couple of blankets, too," Nathan called after him.

"Will do."

While Nathan continued to work, JD slipped in and took the man's fingerprints on a small scanner. Once he had them, he used a hack he'd created before to run the prints and identify the man.

"Wow," JD said, reading the screen. "His name's Vin Tanner, twenty-seven years old. He has an address in Purgatory."

"Purgatory?" Buck echoed. "That can't be good."

"Oh, he's one of the good guys for sure," JD assured the ladies' man, adding, "Former Army Ranger… completed the Q-course at the top of his class… then a bunch of black ops missions, all classified; he was a sniper in Iraq and Afghanistan. Looks like he's been doing some fugitive recovery work for the last two years."

Josiah returned with a rehydration bag and handed it to Nathan, then unfolded two blankets and covered the naked man.

Nathan started the IV, then began to treat the man's wrists and ankles. There was nothing he could do about the bruises and stripes, which would fade on their own. He checked and was surprised to see that it didn't look like the man had been used roughly. His vitals were strong. "I think he'll be okay, physically," Nathan said, then told them what he'd found. He looked over at Josiah. "Guess the rest is up to you."

Josiah gave a small smile. "I'll stay with him until he wakes up. The rest of you can go home."

Chris nodded his agreement.

"You sure?" JD asked.

"We're sure," Chris said.

Buck and JD said their good-nights and headed out. Nathan had a list of things Chris and Josiah needed to watch for, questions to ask when the man woke, and he would have had more if Chris hadn't shot the man a glare that had shut him up.

Jackson grinned and grabbed his bag, disappearing after the other two, Ezra on his heels.

Chris walked over to the bar and poured himself a whiskey, then one for Josiah. He carried the drinks over to where the big man had sat and handed it to him as he said, "So, what're you thinking?"

"I'm thinking it's you he connected with when he was in that cage."

"What?" Chris replied, looking more than a little worried.

"You heard me."

"But you're the one with the psychology degree."

Josiah laughed. "Chris, you're one of the best Doms I've ever met. He might need that."

"And you trained me," Chris argued.

"He connected with you."

"But—"

"Look, he might not even be part of the scene, but he might be, and if he is, and he's a sub who's been through that… he's going to need someone he can trust."

"And if he's not in the scene?"

"Then he's going to need a friend, and you, my friend, can be a rather good one."

"Damn it," Chris replied, shaking his head. "I just—"

"Just play it by ear. If you need me, I'll be here."

"Fine," he said with a decided note of surrender.

"I'm going to go to bed," Josiah said.

"And I'm going to sit here."

"Holler if you—"

"I know, I know."

Josiah took one last look at the younger man, then smiled and headed for the stairs.

Chris returned to the bar and pour himself a second shot, but he took it to his favorite chair and sank into it, setting the glass on the end table. Looking over at the unconscious man he sighed. Damn. Why did the man… attract him? Given what he'd been through, it was the last thing Chris should be thinking about, but he couldn't help himself. The man was attractive, and there was something about him…

Chris reached for the glass and took a swallow, shaking his head. No. He was not going to go there.

Not yet, anyway.

A soft moan from the man had Larabee on his feet and moving to the sofa. "Hey, you awake?"

The man groaned again and his eyes struggled open. He glanced around, then frowned. "Where am I?" he asked, his voice colored by a Texas drawl.

"My home," Chris replied. "I had a hunch you wouldn't appreciate waking up in a hospital."

"Yer right," was the reply.

"But if you need to see a doctor—"

"I don't," he said, grabbing the blankets and sitting up.

"Look, my name's Chris, Chris Larabee, and you're welcome to rest and heal up here. We'd like to know what happened."

The man gave him a look – half confused, half distrustful.

"You need to—"

"I need t' find the damn bastard who put me in that cage," the man snapped.

"Eli Joe."

The look turned suspicious. "Y' know 'im? This part 'a some game 'a his?"

"No, I don't know him. Someone left us a message, said Eli Joe was holding a sub against his will."

That prompted a snort from the man. "An' yer what, the BDSM police?"

"Something like that," Chris replied seriously, walking over and sitting down again.

Now the man looked confused.

"I'm one of the owners of a club, a BDSM and Dom/sub club, and when things in the community get out of hand… sometimes we step in."

"Huh," the man said, slumping back against the cushions. "Well, that's a first."

Chris chuckled. "I suppose it might be, but it's the way things work around here. Who is this Eli Joe?"

"Eli Joe Stone. Bastard escaped from a prison in Texas – raped two sisters before he crossed the border. One was fifteen, an' the other was twelve."

Larabee shook his head. "You law enforcement?" he asked, not wanting the man to know he already knew who he was and what he did for a living.

"Fugitive recovery agent," he replied. "Vin Tanner."

Chris nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Vin."

"Can't say the same, but I do appreciate y' gettin' me outta that damn cage." The man's body shook when he said 'cage.'

"I take it you're not part of the scene?"

Vin shook his head. "Ol' Eli is, but he can only get it up with little girls. He was tryin' t' convince me t' give up chasin' him, but now I'd do it fer nothin'."

"My friends and I also run a security business, we'd be happy to help you track this bastard down."

Vin thought for a moment, then shook his head. "He's mine."

"Not saying he isn't, just offering a little backup," Chris told him.

"Thanks, but no."

Vin started to climb to his feet, but Chris held out his hand to stop him. "Listen, you need to rest, let that IV get you rehydrated. Lay back down. I'll see if I can find you something to wear."

Vin thought for a moment, then nodded. He hurt – everywhere – and he was past tired and hungry. He met the man's eyes again, looking for any signs this was part of Eli Joe's twisted plans for him, but he saw nothing to suggest that. He decided to trust the blond, even if he didn't understand why. Lying back down, Vin let his eyes drop closed and, before he knew it, he was sound asleep.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Tuesday, March 4th

10:47 am

Vin woke next to the sound of his stomach growling. He groaned as he pushed himself upright on the sofa. It was hard to believe, but he hurt more now than when he'd first woke up and met Larabee.

"Nice to see you awake, son."

The deep voice made Vin jump and he was on his feet before he realized what was happening. Sitting in the same chair Chris had used the night before, was an older man with a long, square jaw and blue-grey eyes that held nothing but relief and concern.

"And you are…?

"Josiah Sanchez," the big man said, then stood and walked to the sofa, holding out his hand.

Vin shook it, still holding the blanket in front of him with his free hand. The man was handsome, in his own way, with blond hair shot through with gray. The man wore a close-cropped beard that was also a mix of blond and gray. There was a ruby stud in his left ear. "There a shower I can use?"

Josiah nodded. "Second floor, far end of the hall. I think Chris has clothes and towels ready for you."

"Thanks," Vin replied, wrapping the blanket around him as he headed for the stairs.

The house was large, and richer than any Vin had been in before. Evidently running a BDSM club and a security business equaled good money. The stairs were thickly carpeted and he padded silently up to the second story.

Vin shook his head, impressed with the house, which had a very masculine feel to it.

His opinion didn't change with he saw the bathroom at the far end of the hall, either. It was made with stone walls and floor, and a large shower stall that took up the entire back wall. It had clear glass doors, so he assumed Larabee preferred to see whatever was coming. There was a comfortable, dark-leather chair on the left side of the room on which clothing waited for him. There was also a thick, dark brown towel, and a thick terry robe hanging from a wall peg. Some kind of tall, needleless cactus was growing in a pot next to the chair, and he glanced up at the skylight above the plant, guessing that he'd slept longer than he'd first thought.

Dropping the blanket onto the chair, he moved the towel to the corner of the sink and started the water running in the shower. When it was good and hot he stepped in and shut the door. Closing his eyes, he stepped under the spray and let the water work its magic on his sore muscles. The spray made some of his skin burn, but he ignored it, allowing the heat to soak back into his body.

When he was finally warm again, he reached for the soap and washed. The suds had a pleasant scent – a mix of leather, cedar, and some kind of spice. There was shampoo as well, so he washed his hair with that and not the soap.

Once he was clean and rinsed, he continued to stand under the hot water until it began to cool, then turned the water off and reached for the towel.

He dried and dressed in the clothing – grey sweats and a long-sleeve black T-shirt – that had been left for him. There was also a pair of tube socks, which he pulled on.

He tossed the towel over the glass shower doors and headed back down the hall and downstairs. When he reached the living room again he found Chris and Josiah both waiting for him.

"Feeling better?" Josiah asked.

Vin nodded. "Appreciate the clothes."

"Couldn't let you run around nude," Chris said, although he was a little sorry about that. Vin was too handsome to hide under clothing all the time. The blond shook his head and added, "We'd end up having to bail you out of jail."

Vin snorted. "Probably right 'bout that. Considerin' the house, gotta figure the neighbors wouldn't be used t' that."

"No, no they wouldn't," Chris replied with a grin. "You hungry?"

A nod.

"Come on, then, I'll see what I have."

"Better let me cook," Josiah said.

Chris shot the man a glare that prompted a small smile from Vin. "I can cook some goddamn eggs," blond the grumbled.

"You can, but I like mine over easy and you—"

"Never mind," Larabee growled. "You don't like my cooking, you can do it yourself."

"Chris, if it was done on the grill I'd gladly bow to your superior skills, but when it comes to a frying pan…"

"Yeah, yeah," Larabee grumbled. "Fine, I'll make the coffee and the toast."

Vin took a seat at the table and waited while the two men went about creating breakfast – eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee. It smelled so good his stomach began to rumble again.

"Go slow," Josiah said as he set a full plate in front of Vin.

Tanner nodded. He hadn't eaten in several days, although he wasn't sure how many. Eli Joe had kept the lights off, so tracking the passage of time had been hard, and once he was in the cage, he'd completely lost track of time.

The thought almost made him lose his appetite, but he was too hungry to stop eating.

He guessed the "party" had been two or three nights ago, and he hadn't eaten for a couple of days before that…

"Mmm," Vin moaned softly as he took the first bite of the scrambled eggs with cheese. The smoked bacon was equally good. He reached for a jar of marmalade and slathered a thick coat onto his toast.

The two men watched him eat, both looking amused.

"I think he's hungry," Josiah said.

"Yep, looks like."

Vin ignored them, concentrating on his food until his plate was clean and his coffee cup empty. Then he leaned back and sighed deeply.

"Want some more?" Chris asked.

"Nope," Vin replied. "I'm full."

"More coffee?" Josiah asked.

"That I'll take."

Josiah provided Vin with a refill, asking as he did, "So, you feel up to telling us what happened?"

Vin huffed out a breath and shook his head, but he said, "Ain't much t' tell."

"You said you were going after Eli Joe Stone," Chris prompted.

Vin nodded. "Tracked him through Texas an' into Mexico. He crossed back over the border in Arizona. I found his trail, followed 'im through New Mexico an' up here. I reckoned he was headed t' a friend's t' hole up, or t' get money. Took me damn near a month, but I finally cut his trail. Y' ever hear 'a Jess Kincaid?"

"Name sounds familiar," Josiah said, forehead wrinkling as he tried to recall where he'd heard the name before.

"Owned Kink of the Jungle," Chris said, his tone of voice making it clear he thought very little of the man, or his club.

"That's right," Josiah said, nodding. "That was one of the places Mattie used to frequent when she was… out of control."

Chris looked at Vin and said, "Kincaid ran a second class BDSM club that catered to rough trade and under-aged subs and slaves, of both sexes. We shut the place down a couple of years ago. Kincaid left Denver.

"Maybe, but he set up the same kind 'a club down in the Springs," Vin told them. "Place called The Crucible. I staked it out fer three weeks, finally caught Eli Joe goin' in one night. I waited 'til it was almost closin' time, then went in…"

"It was a set up," Chris said, already guessing the punch line.

Vin nodded. "Kincaid had a few 'a his regulars waitin' fer me. I was holdin' m' own 'til one 'a 'em used a Taser on me. When I woke up I was in that building where y' found me."

"With Eli Joe," Larabee added.

Another nod.

"How long?" Josiah asked.

Vin gave them a half shrug. "Can't rightly say… Couple 'a weeks, maybe three."

"Why didn't he just kill you?" Chris asked.

"Wondered the same thing m'self," Tanner replied. "Think maybe he wanted t' break me. He tried a bunch 'a shit, but it wasn't 'til he stuffed me in that cage—" Vin stopped and took a deep breath, trying to keep from coming unraveled. "Never cared much fer being in small spaces. M' last op in Afghanistan, I got trapped—" He stopped again, this time a hard shudder shaking him.

"Easy, son," Josiah told him. "We get the picture."

Chris nodded. "How long were you in the cage?"

Vin shook his head. "Ain't sure. Trussed me up the night 'a the party; after he beat the crap out of me. Didn't let me out again. I lost track 'a time."

Josiah had no problem putting the missing pieces together. Eli Joe Stone was a sadist. He'd found the one thing Vin was really afraid of, and he'd used it, trying to push the man over the edge. And it had nearly worked. Tanner might be holding up for the time being, but the psychologist was sure Tanner was a good deal more fragile than he was letting on.

"What I can't figure is why he didn't let none 'a the bastards at the party do more 'n flog me," Vin added.

"It would undercut his power over you if he allowed someone else to demean you more than he thought he had," Josiah said. "His own sexual preference for women, or girls, meant he couldn't rape you himself, but he also couldn't allow another man to do it, not and still enjoy the power he had over you."

"You some kind 'a shrink?" Vin asked.

"I am," Josiah replied.

"The kind you should spend some time with," Chris added.

Vin ignored the comment. "Right now all I care about is findin' that bastard."

"And we'll help you do that," Chris assured him.

"Don't need or want yer help," Tanner replied.

"Look," Chris said, "one of the things we try to do is make sure the community stays safe. If Kincaid is up to his old tricks again, and this Eli Joe is in town, then it's not safe."

Vin studied the blond's face. Larabee was sincere, and it sounded like the man and his friends could take care of themselves. And as much as he hated to admit it, he knew he was still walking on thin ice when it came to how much control he actually had. Those days in the cage had left him raw and ragged. He wasn't in any shape to track Eli Joe, but he just couldn't say so. Having some backup on this retrieval was a good idea, he just didn't know how to ask for it.

"With or without you we're involved," Larabee stated.

"Then I reckon we're in this together," Vin replied, grateful the man had made it easy for him.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

1:17 pm

Vin followed Josiah and Chris into Radius. Sanchez offered to give him a tour while Chris checked in with the managers and got the rest of the team together.

"Circumference, Tangent, Arc, and Diameter, are the four public faces of Radius," Josiah explained after showing Vin the restaurant, hotel, and two bars. "This," he said as they pushed past the heavy doors with the plaque 'Private – Members Only,' "is Sector, the BDSM and Dom/sub club. There's a gym, Chord, for members in the basement, and a small dining room on this floor."

Vin glanced around the entrance hall. The floor was marble, the lighting subdued. The desk to the right was empty, but as they got closer a soft chime sounded, and a second later there was a handsome black-haired man standing there.

"Good afternoon, Josiah," the man greeted, then nodded at Vin, adding, "Nice to see you're already up and around, Mr. Tanner." He shifted his attention back to Josiah as he added, "I just spoke to Chris. I've nearly gathered all the troops to meet you in Camelot."

"Vin, this is Ezra Standish, the host here at Sector, and one of the men who helped get you out."

"Appreciate that," Vin said, extending his hand.

Ezra took it with a smile. "It was a pleasure. To help, that is." He looked at Josiah and asked, "The nickel tour?"

The older man nodded. "Come on, Vin, let me show you the rest."

"'Meet you in Camelot'?" Vin asked as they walked the rest of the way down the hall to a set of double doors.

"The conference room," the older man explained as he pushed one door open and Vin stepped into a large open space. There was a long bar running the length of one wall, set off in shades of red. The room shifted from red tones on the right to more yellow tones on the left, arches and brickwork making the transition work. All through the space were comfortable leather chairs arranged around low tables, making small pockets for conversation possible.

"We have an exclusive membership," Josiah told him, "made up of vetted Dominant and submissive men and women. Half of the week the hets play, and the other half the same-sex members."

"Gays and lesbians?" Vin asked.

"Some are, yes, others are more… versatile, and just prefer to play with members of the same sex. We screen for level of training, style, personality, and more. It keeps the membership diverse and varied and helps us suggest matches for play and long-term contracts."

"Sounds like y' thought 'a everything."

"We try."

When they reached the far – yellow – side of the room Vin spotted an open arch, leading into another space. Josiah waited as he walked over to take a look.

The second room was smaller, and the dominant color was still yellow, but instead of an open plan, here there were a series of alcoves, each with a comfortable square U-shaped sofa and a small table. The central floor space was open to allow for entertainment. He could easily imagine dancers in the space, or even demonstrations.

Vin stepped back to join Josiah, who gave him a look Vin wasn't sure how to read, so he said nothing, and followed the man into what looked like a small restaurant, which was what it turned out to be.

The walls were lined on three sides by wine racks that reached from the floor to the ceiling, and Vin shook his head at the number of bottles they must contain.

From the restaurant they proceeded down to explore the gym, then walked through the "playground" as Josiah called it. There were a few pairs of men, and one pair of women engaged in various kinds of role play scenes, and Vin glanced nervously away from the sexual activity, especially the submissive who was on his knees, blindfolded, while his Dom engaged in a little needle play.

"This ain't like most clubs I've seen trackin' Eli Joe," Vin said, swallowing hard.

"No, it isn't," Josiah agreed, seeing the reaction. Vin Tanner might not be part of the scene, but he was most definitely curious. "It's a place for members of the community to meet and socialize, and to engage in the kinds of play that allows them to fulfill each others' needs and fantasies in a safe, monitored environment."

Josiah decided to skip the play rooms, taking Vin to the elevator. They rode up to the third floor and headed for the conference room. The others were already there, waiting for them.

Chris filled the others in on what had happened to Vin, and who was involved.

"I remember Kincaid," Buck said, his face screwed up like the very thought of the man created a foul odor the ladies' man was smelling. "Total asshole." He looked at Vin. "Any idea where they might be now?"

"Reckon Kincaid went back t' the Springs," Vin offered. "Eli Joe… don't know. The man's got a talent fer disappearin'."

"I'll see what I can find," JD replied.

Chris nodded his approval and the young man opened his laptop and started working.

The others talked about the two men for a while, each asking questions and taking notes as Vin told them whatever he could.

"All right," Chris said, "we have a business to run. JD, you stay on Kincaid and Stone."

"Will do," the young man replied, taking his laptop and heading to his own office.

"You want to see the gym?" Nathan asked Vin.

"Sure," the bounty hunter replied.

"You might want to soak in one of the Jacuzzis," Nathan suggested as they stood and headed out.

"I'll make the rounds," Buck said as he stood.

"And I shall head back to the Club," Ezra stated as he followed suit.

When the last two men had left Chris turned to Josiah. "Well?"

Josiah thought for a moment, then said, "He's more fragile than he's letting on, but I expected that."

"Too fragile to be on a hunt?"

Josiah shrugged. "I think he'll be all right… with some support."

Chris nodded. "I hate to admit it, but…"

"There is something of a submissive in the man," Josiah agreed. "He's definitely curious."

"The last thing he needs is some guy hitting on him after what he's been though."

"Might want to leave that up to him," Josiah cautioned.

Chris shot the older man an annoyed look. "And what, tell him I want to fuck him through the floor?"

"Well, you might use a little more tact than that, but I think you might find him more open to the idea than you think."

"But that bastard—"

"Beat the crap out of him, locked him in a cage, but never touched him sexually – or let anyone else. Vin might be claustrophobic, and dealing with some PTSD issues, but he's not a rape victim."

Chris started to say something, but changed his mind.

"All I'm saying is, he's attracted to you, he's curious about the scene, and he's not sexually traumatized. And I have a hunch he's a man who appreciates honesty."

"I'll keep all that in mind," Chris replied, pushing to his feet, his face a little red with embarrassment.

"Good luck," Josiah said with a grin as Larabee left.

"Fuck you, Josiah," Larabee grumbled back at him.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

5:00 pm

Chris drove Vin back to his place, Tanner looking considerably more relaxed after a soak and a massage. "Ready to eat?" he asked.

"I could eat," Vin replied.

Chris nodded and set about fixing them dinner. He started the grill and lit the firepit on the back patio to warm up the space. It had been a comfortable day, with highs in the low 60s, but he knew it would drop to freezing before morning.

He pulled two filet mignon steaks from the fridge, then put Vin to work making a salad while he microwaved two potatoes before wrapping them in foil and putting them on the grill, along with the steaks.

When Vin carried out two bowls of salad and set them on the table next to the fireplace Chris asked, "Beer or wine?"

"Beer," Tanner replied.

"Here, keep an eye on these," Chris said, handing Vin his tongs and heading inside. He returned a few minutes later with a pair of Dale's Pale Ale bottles. "This is a local brewer," he said, handing Vin one of the bottles.

Vin took a sip and nodded. "Nice."

Before long they were sitting at the table, eating their meal as the sun slowly sank toward the mountains. Chris grabbed second bottles for each of them, and they finished off the food.

Then, taking their beers, they moved to the chairs that were closer to the fire and sat back, watching as the sky shifted from orange to violet.

"That was great, thanks," Vin said.

"No problem," Chris said. "I hate cooking just for myself."

Vin nodded his understanding.

"I, uh, I guess I should let you know… I'm, well…"

"Just spit it out, Larabee," Vin replied, wondering what had suddenly gotten the man so tongue-tied.

"I'm interested."

Vin paused for a moment. "Interested? In what?"

"In you," Chris clarified. "I'm attracted."

It took a quick beat, then Tanner's eyes rounded slightly and he turned his head to look at Chris. He wasn't at all sure what to say, but decided on, "I'm not into pain."

Chris grinned. "That's completely up to you. I enjoy submission over pain."

That sent a shock of desire racing down Vin's back, warming his balls. He'd never met anyone he felt he could really surrender to, but he had a feeling Larabee might be the exception. There was just something familiar about the man, something that made him trust the blond, even if he hardly knew him. His gut had never led him astray, either, so he was willing to trust it this time, too.

Vin swallowed and let out a long breath. "Some of what I saw… Never thought it'd be the kind of thing I'd be interested in, but…"

"But?" Chris prompted, when Tanner didn't pick up on his own.

"But when I think about it bein' me an' you… Guess I'm 'interested,' too." Chris grinned, the look like an electric charge going off in Vin's groin.

"Glad to hear it," the blond replied.

The two men stayed on the patio as the sky went dark and a few stars became visible in the light coming from the city. When a light breeze picked up, they gathered up their dishes and took them inside. Vin loaded the dishwasher while Chris pulled on a jacket and went back outside to deal with the grill. When he was done, he turned off the gas-fed fire in the pit and returned inside. He set the alarm, then looked over at Vin, who was leaning against the counter, watching him.

"Want to grab a shower before bed?" the blond asked.

Vin nodded.

They climbed the stairs to the second floor in silence. Vin started to head for the shower he had used that morning, but Chris reached out and stopped him. "Why don't you join me?"

Vin's eyes rounded slightly, but he followed the man to what had to be the master bedroom. It was smaller than he'd expected, but then realized that there were two spaces that opened off the bedroom. The bedroom itself had two dressers, an armoire, desk, fireplace, and a tall four-poster bed. There was an old trunk at the foot of the bed, as well as a small table in the center of the floor. The furniture was all masculine, wooden furniture that felt right for the blond.

One of the doors that opened off the bedroom was a bathroom, and Vin followed Chris in. The space was narrow, but long, with a tub, shower, sink, and toilet and, at the far end, a walk in closet. Despite the odd shape of the room it didn't feel cramped.

Chris turned on the water in the shower – this one also with glass doors – then stripped, tossing his dirty clothes into a hamper just outside the walk-in closet. Naked, he stepped into the shower, saying, "What are you waiting for?"

Vin took off his clothes as well, but he folded them up and set them on the leather chair, then followed Larabee into the shower stall.

The water was hot, but not too hot, and he took up a position under the spray as Chris moved to the other side and began to soap and scrub. When Vin was good and wet, they changed spots, the blond rinsing while Vin washed. They did the same for shampooing.

When they were both done, Chris cut the water off and opened the door, grabbing two thick cream-colored towels with red and gold trim. They were soft and warm, and Vin closed his eyes as he enjoyed the feel of the material moving over his body.

Chris headed for the closet and exited a few minutes later dressed in flannel pajamas. He handed Vin a pair, along with boxers and socks.

"Thanks," Tanner said, taking the items and quickly dressing. When he stepped back into the bedroom, it was to find Chris already in the king-sized bed. There was a low gas-fire burning in the small fireplace, and the flat-screen television on the wall opposite the bed was on, muted, the news playing out on the screen.

"Uh, where do you want me to sleep?" Vin asked.

"Here," Chris replied, patting the mattress.

Vin grinned a little as he walked over and looked down at the bed, then he glanced in the direction of the second room that was attached to the bedroom. Chris saw the look and grinned.

"Go have a look," Larabee offered, curious to see the younger man's reaction.

Vin felt a slight flutter in his belly, but he walked over and opened the closed door. Inside he found a playroom about the same size as the bedroom with a table, a couple of benches, and St. Andrew's Cross mounted to one wall. There were two sliding glass doors, and when Vin checked inside the closet behind them he found a variety of BDSM tools and toys.

A tremor of fear and excitement shook Vin's body and he felt the blood rush to his cock, swelling it just enough to budge the front of his pajamas.

He took his time, looking at the variety of items that were in the room. Some of the items were familiar, thanks to his time with Eli Joe, but he wasn't afraid of them. Not here, not in Larabee's home. He knew he didn't have anything to fear from the blond, although he was equally sure the man could find and push every button Vin had. There was some part of Vin that wanted Chris to do just that, and another that was leery, hesitant, but also curious, interested.

He swallowed hard and ran his hand over the wooden and leather table that took up a good portion of one side of the room. It was softer than he'd guessed to the touch, and padded. There were rings at the top of the table, next to the wall, and slits in the wood legs of the table at the opposite end. He wasn't sure what they were for, but he secretly hoped he might find out one day.

He turned, finding Chris leaning against the doorframe, watching him with an appraising look.

"What is this place?"

"My private playroom," Chris replied.

"BDSM playroom?"

"BDSM when it comes to Ezra, although he sometimes prefers Dom/sub play… the same for Josiah."

Vin swallowed hard. It was all too easy for him to imagine both men in the room.

"You ready for bed?" Larabee asked.

Vin nodded, his cheeks turning slightly pink since he knew his arousal would be evident to the man.

Larabee turned and left. Vin followed him out, turning off the light and pulling the door closed behind him. He walked over to the bed and slid in at the same time Chris did on the opposite side.

Larabee waited until Vin was settled, then turned off the television and the fireplace with a remote. Smiling at Vin, he reached over and turned off the light sitting on the nightstand. Chris settled into the bed, enjoying the feel of Vin lying so close by. He closed his eyes and quickly fell off to sleep.

Vin, on the other hand, lay in the darkness, thinking about what he had seen in the playroom, thinking about Ezra and Josiah in there, naked, and Chris—

He cut off the thought as quickly as he could, because he knew the next image that was going to come into his head would be him in there, Chris doing whatever he wanted to his body.

He took a deep breath and tried to think about something else, but it was impossible. He finally resorted to counting sheep, falling asleep only to have a series of vague dreams begin to play in his mind, all of them with Chris as the major figure.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Wednesday, March 5th

6:13 am

Vin was dreaming, again. Chris was spooned behind him, his hand lightly rubbing over his hip and ass, teasing him. He didn't mind at all. The exploring hand tucked under his shirt and found a nipple, rubbing in light circles, making the nub hard and sensitive. He moaned softly, relaxing into the waves of pleasurable sensations that assailed his body, all thanks to that roving hand, which burrowed under the waistband of the pajamas and was fondling his hardening cock.

Best dream in a long time, he thought lazily.

Vin pressed his ass back against the hardness that was pressed against his ass, then humped into the loose grip that teased his cock. The fingers responded, tapping on his balls, then scooping them into a light squeeze.

Definitely the best dream in a long time…

Vin moaned again, his erection getting harder, and he felt himself being eased over onto his back, his body warm and relaxed in the comfortable bed. Hands tugged his pajamas and boxers down and he lifted his hips without thinking, glad to be rid of the confining clothing. His shirt was pushed up, fingers and thumbs rolling his nipples between them. His back arched and his cock jumped in response, and he felt the first drop of precome leak from the tip, rolling down the over-heated flesh of his shaft.

He gasped sharply as lips took over on one of his nipples, sucking softly, then harder before teeth nipped at the sensitive hard nub. He rolled his head back and forth his hand reaching for his aching cock, but another hand beat him to it, fingers curling around his shaft, sliding, spreading his own precome over his hardness, speed quickening as he humped into the not-quite-tight-enough grasp.

He could feel someone on the bed shifting, settling between his splayed open legs. Without opening his eyes he knew that it was Chris and he felt no fear as his cock was sucked into a warm, wet mouth.

He inhaled, his hips coming up off the bed as he tried to plunge deeper into the incredible feeling that was possessing him. His fingers curled into the sheets and he grunted as that amazing mouth moved up and down his shaft, a talented tongue driving him to distraction.

Best dream ever…

A moment later he felt something warm and slick being rubbed over his ass. The warmth quickly spread, and he gurgled in response, the building pleasure in his cock and ass making speech impossible.

He knew he was rapidly sliding toward a climax unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. A single finger slid effortlessly into his ass and he gulped air as his body began to vibrate in response. The finger slid in and out with the same rhythm as the mouth that was devouring him.

Vin's fingers squeezed the fabric in his grip and he began to tremble uncontrollably as his orgasm swept over him and he emptied his balls into Chris' mouth, feeling the man's throat milking him as he drank it down.

A euphoria clouded Vin's thoughts and he surrendered to it, letting it sweep him along as two fingers explored his ass, extending the afterglow of his climax.

Then he felt Chris sliding into him, and felt his own muscles open in reply. It was like his body was trapped in the moments following his climax, unable to come down, and too lethargic to respond, but then he realized he was driving his hips up to meet Chris' thrusts, the incredible feeling of being filled, being taken, forcing blood back into his flaccid cock.

He ground his face into the pillow and nearly howled when Chris' hand closed around him for a second time, flying up and down with almost frantic jerks.

Vin wasn't sure how long they lasted, but then his body was starting to shake again and he was coming for a second time. As his body convulsed around the cock buried inside his ass, Chris thrust in deep and started to come himself.

Vin could feel the heat from the man's seed filling the tip of the condom he was wearing and he cried out in frustration, wishing that the man was filling him instead.

"Shh," Chris whispered, leaning over Vin's back and kissing his shoulder and neck. "Easy, babe, easy."

Vin's ass continued to spasm as his orgasm slowly faded into that drugged-like state of complete satiated bliss that had no real description.

More kisses rained down on his shoulders and back while Chris waited for his cock to slowly soften. Eventually, it slipped from Vin's ass and the bounty hunter whimpered at the loss.

Chris eased down next to the man, pulling the spent condom from his penis and reaching over to drop it in the small waste basket next to the bed. Then he pulled Vin into his arms and held him as their breathing slowly returned to normal.

Eventually, Tanner stretched languidly under the covers and blinked his eyes open. "That's one helluva alarm clock y' got there, Larabee," he purred.

Chris smiled and leaned in, claiming the man's mouth like he had his body.

* ~* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

7:50 am

The two men sat in the kitchen, eating the eggs and bacon Vin had fixed – Chris once again limited to fixing toast and coffee. Vin couldn't remember a time when he'd felt so relaxed, so… happy. It was a little disconcerting, really. He'd let this man… what? Fuck him?

No, that's wasn't right. He'd let the man make love to him, and he'd enjoyed the hell out of it.

"That a little of that Dom/sub stuff?" he asked, looking at the blond through his lashes, a little embarrassed at his own wantonness earlier.

"A little," Chris replied. "As you were waking up I told you to surrender to me, let me pleasure you, and you did. To be honest, I didn't expect the first time to go so easily." He grinned at the man. "Guess you're a natural."

Vin's cheeks turned red as he muttered, "A natural, huh?"

"Yep."

"That why you let me take a look at your playroom last night?"

Chris shrugged. "I don't have anything to hide from you, Vin. But I'll admit, I was hoping it might make you more… receptive."

"Bastard," Vin growled, but there was no heat to the word. "Spent the whole damn night dreamin' 'bout you an' me in there…"

"The next time, I'll take you in there," Chris replied, and Vin's cock immediately let him know what a good idea it thought that was.

"Shut up an' eat," Tanner grumbled.

Larabee grinned and took another bite of his toast.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

10:10 am

Seven men sat around the conference table. Josiah had immediately noticed the new ease that existed between Vin and Chris as they had walked in and sat down, side by side. They had the feel of an established couple, and it wasn't long before the others picked up on it as well.

Buck grinned, trying to hide his expression in his coffee cup. Nathan shot Josiah a quick look, then smiled and hiked his eyebrows. Ezra had a look of longing on his face as he watched the pair, and Josiah could just imagine what was running through the man's mind – either what he wanted to do to Vin, or what he wanted the two of them to do to him. Of course, he might be planning the photograph he wanted to capture of the two of them, too. With Ezra, it was sometimes hard to tell.

JD was the only one who looked confused about the new relationship between the two men, but he carried on, saying, "Eli Joe isn't using any credit cards, hasn't tried to buy plane, train, or bus tickets, and he's not registered in any hotel or motel under the name Eli Joe Stone."

"He's still here," Vin stated. "Y' can be sure 'a that; probably usin' an alias."

Chris glanced around the table. "Let all the managers know that we have a Blackhorse case. They'll be taking over until we get this settled."

There were nods all around.

"Buck, you and JD head down to the Springs and keep an eye on Kincaid," Chris said. "Nathan, Josiah, check with your contacts in the community, see if anyone knows anything about Stone, or Kincaid. I'd really like to talk to the guy who called in the tip if you can find him. Offer a reward for information."

"We'll see what we can do," Josiah agreed.

"And me?" Ezra asked.

Chris grinned at the man. "I want you to make the rounds of the underground clubs, see who's around, who might know Stone, or who can satisfy his tastes."

The dark-haired man sighed dramatically, but he didn't argue. Ezra enjoyed doing "undercover work" and was quite talented in creating disguises and infiltrating underground clubs.

"Take one of the security guys with you, just in case," Chris added.

Ezra inclined his head, appreciating the fact that Larabee always watched out for their safety.

"What're we gonna do?" Vin asked when the others had all left.

"We're going to go back over the ground you covered when you got to Colorado," the blond told him, "see if anyone has seen Stone."

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

The men headed off to carry out their parts of the investigation, but Buck swung back when he saw Vin duck into the restroom. "Hey, stud," he said quietly, "now's your chance to make me a happy man."

"How's that?"

"Hire this kid as head of security. He's qualified, and the club will grow on him; I'd bet a ball on that."

Chris grinned and shook his head. "Buck, you have a one track mind, you know that?"

The ladies' man grinned. "Damn straight I do. After he's hired, get yourself a damn assistant, too."

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

5:05 pm

After spending the day canvasing every location Vin had tracked Eli Joe to, or thought he might have visited, and finding nothing, the two men headed back to Chris' place.

"Man can be a damn ghost when he wants to," Vin grumbled as they climbed out of Larabee's black Jag.

"Maybe, but if he stays in Denver, and he's got any connection to the community, we'll find him. It's not like this is New York or San Francisco."

"He's only stayin' t' get his hands on me again," Vin said. "Ain't no other reason for him to stay 'sides that."

"That's because he knows you aren't giving up, and you're not going away."

"No way in hell," Tanner agreed, shaking his head. "That bastard is mine."

"If all else fails, we can always use you as bait," Larabee replied as he led the way to the house.

"Bait? Thanks a lot, Larabee," Vin grumbled, looking a little affronted by the suggestion.

"You do know I'm joking, right?"

Vin smiled at the man. "Yeah, I know." And he did know. He knew without a doubt that Larabee would do everything in his power to keep him safe, to make him happy, and that was more than a little scary. Vin hadn't had much luck with life, or love, and he didn't want to fuck this up. But the idea itself might not be a bad idea, really…

Larabee fired up the grill again, this time cooking them thick buffalo burgers while Vin made salad and tater tots in the kitchen. They ate outside again, sitting next to the fireplace, and finished the meal with slices of an apple pie that Larabee's housekeeper had made and left in the kitchen.

When the stars were starting to come out, Chris looked over at Vin and said, "What would you think about becoming a co-owner of the club along with the rest of us?"

"Of Radius?" Vin asked, completely surprised.

Chris nodded. "You could head up security at Sector. Buck's been after me for over a year to find someone to do that. The offer even comes with your own place to live."

Vin's eyebrows hiked up. "And where would that be?"

"Well, preferably in my bed," Chris said, "but I have a hunch you like your privacy, too, so, come on, let me show you."

The blond levered up off his lounge chair and Vin did the same, following the man around the side of the big tutor mansion, then through what Vin was sure would be a beautiful garden in the spring, to a small cottage on the grounds. Chris stopped at the front door and pressed in the security code, then opened the door. He stepped inside and turned on a light.

Vin followed him inside and immediately grinned. The house looked like a cross between a log cabin and a small studio he'd stayed in up in Boulder once. There was a living room, kitchen, and what he guessed was a bathroom on the first floor, and an open loft bedroom above that with a ceiling that sloped where the roof did. The floors were made of pale hardwood, as were the support beams, the beams in the ceilings, and the logs making up two of the walls. Bookcases made from the same wood rose floor to ceiling on either side of a small stone fireplace in the living room.

They climbed up to the loft and Vin saw that there was a queen-sized bed with a head- and foot-board made from the same wood, along with two dressers and an armoire. The sofa and recliners in the living room were soft and comfortable. The television and stereo system were state of the art.

Chris also showed him a finished basement with sofa, rocking chair, empty bookshelves, a Bowflex and elliptical machine, as well as a rack of free weights, waiting to be used.

They returned to the kitchen, which was small, but well stocked with pots, pans, and other necessaries. A small counter bar separated the kitchen from the rest of the first floor space. Three chairs were lined up along the counter.

It felt like home, and Vin knew he would be accepting the position whether or not he really thought it was a good career move for him. He doubted he'd do anything that took him too far from the blond who was so determined to change his life.

"It's, uh, nice," he said. "Really nice."

"You should see it in the spring and summer. Julio takes care of the garden and there are vines all across the front of the veranda. It's been empty for a while, but his partner, Rick, takes good care of it, as well as the rest of the house."

"Sure does," Vin replied, glancing around. "Seems like a lot of space for one person," he said, hoping Larabee might be willing to share some of his life.

Chris dipped his head and huffed out a breath, then said, "I was married… had a son… they died in a car accident almost three years ago. I sold the house we lived in. Buck found this place and I liked it, so I bought it."

"I can see why you like it," Vin admitted. "The grounds are great, and it gives you plenty of privacy."

"Yep," Chris said. "Good location, too – close to work and most of the team. I've got a horse ranch up in the mountains, too. That's my getaway spot."

"Damn, man, this work does pay good, don't it?"

"Yes, it does, but it's a lot of work, too. If you take the job it'll keep you busy. I'm not sure you'll be able to bounty hunt, but you won't need to. Between the club and the security work, it's a fifty-hour-a-week gig."

"Never been afraid 'a hard work," Vin told him.

"Glad to hear it. Now, go check out the bathroom."

Vin walked over and entered the bathroom, which was bigger than he expected, but made with the same light wood as the rest of the cottage. There was a full-sized tub and shower – not surprisingly with clear glass doors. He was beginning to think Larabee might be a bit of a voyeur when it came to showers.

He shook his head, wondering briefly if he was really back in the cage, making up a fantasy to escape his physical confinement. He'd used a trick like that to pass the time before his team had been able to dig him out when that cave had collapsed on him in Afghanistan… He shook off the thought with a shake of his head.

"So, what do you think?" Chris asked from the door.

"I think it's beautiful, and a helluva lot more than I can afford," Vin replied.

"Not if you come into the business with us," Chris told him, then leaned over and whispered an annual salary in the man's ear.

Vin's eyes rounded with surprise. "You're shittin' me."

"Nope," Chris replied.

"Damn, Larabee, being the BDSM police pays a helluva lot more 'n I thought."

The blond smiled. "Don't worry, you'll earn it. It takes a lot to stay on top of all the businesses at Radius, as well as the Dungeon, and Blackhorse Security Limited."

"The Dungeon?" Vin asked.

"Another BDSM play space. To be honest, it's almost exclusively used by our gay BDSM members, while Sector appeals more to our same-sex Dom/sub and BDSM het members. I'll show it to you once we get this thing with Stone wrapped up."

"What makes y' think the others are gonna want me t' cut int' their profits?"

Chris laughed. "They've all been after me to find another partner. All of my back-up managers have refused. They like their hours to be a little more… regular."

Vin snorted softly. "Hell, I ain't never had what y' could call regular hours."

"I kind of got that impression. So, you in?"

Vin thought for a moment, but he knew the die was already cast. He could no more walk away from Larabee now then he could jump into the air and fly. "Reckon I should sleep on it," he said.

Chris grinned. "What makes you think you're gonna sleep tonight?"

"You want me awake to do any work tomorrow, I better sleep tonight."

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

7:21 pm

They walked back to the mansion and Chris led Vin to the desk in his bedroom, opening a drawer and taking out a small key-ring with two keys on it. He handed it to Vin. "The silver one is for the cottage and the gold one is for the main house."

Vin accepted the keys and slipped them into his pocket. One part of him wondering what the hell he was doing, while another was content with the changes that had taken place.

Then the two men dressed for bed and climbed into the big four-poster, watching just enough of the news to see that the weather was going to hold for the next five days.

The lights were turned off and they settled down to sleep. Vin listened, hearing Larabee's breathing quickly even out and deepen. He thought for a moment he might make an advance, but he honestly wasn't sure what to do, what Larabee might like.

With a slightly frustrated sigh, he found a comfortable position and closed his eyes. It wasn't even nine yet, Vin knew. He rolled over, and tried again, this time falling asleep.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Thursday, March 6th

5:03 am

Vin woke to the same dream as the night before – spooned up next to Chris, the man's hand stroking his ass. Then Larabee lifted up and whispered in his ear, "Come with me. Now."

Vin groaned softly, wanting the hand to continue, but it was gone, and he felt the bed shift as Chris climbed out. Forcing one eye open he saw the man disappearing into the playroom.

Without thinking, Tanner rolled out of bed and padded after the blond. There was a soft amber light on in the playroom, just enough so the two men could see what was in the room, but not enough to actually wake Tanner completely up. Larabee was standing next to the padded table. He motioned for Vin to come over.

Vin felt his feet moving before he decided it might be a good idea to do as he was told. Reaching the table he saw that there were now leather cuffs attached to the rings set in the wall. They were lined with fleece, and the bounty hunter swallowed hard.

"Uh, Chris—"

Larabee reached out and unbuttoned the shirt Vin was wearing, then pushed it over and shoulders and down his arms to remove it. "Lean over the table," Larabee instructed him.

Vin hesitated for a moment, but then he leaned over the table, his arms stretched out in front of him.

"Give me your hands," Chris instructed.

There was another hesitation, but Vin shifted his arms and allowed Chris to secure his wrists inside the cuffs. He noticed that the blond didn't cinch the buckles too tightly, so he knew he could pull his hands free if he really wanted to.

Once his hands were secured, Larabee moved down and hooked his thumbs under the waistband of Vin's pajama bottom and pulled it down. His boxers quickly followed. He lifted his feet and Chris pulled the material away from him.

Vin rested his weight on the table, on his chest and belly, as Chris stepped up behind him and began to rub his hands up and down Tanner's back and sides, then over his hips, and down his outer thighs. Vin's cock, which hung between the end of the table and his groin slowly began to fill.

Chris stepped away, then returned, using a soft strip of cloth to cover Vin's eyes. Tanner tensed, but the blond whispered in his ear, "It's all right, I won't hurt you; just relax, enjoy the sensations."

Vin swallowed and nodded, resting his cheek back on his arm.

The next thing Vin felt was a soft cloth slipping over his skin. It played across his back and shoulders, teased up and down his legs, over his ass. He wondered if it was rabbit fur, but didn't really care. It felt so good moving lightly over his skin, sensitizing it, heightening his pleasure, that he didn't care what it was.

He sucked in a gasp when the soft material was wrapped around his cock and balls. "Oh, God," he breathed, feeling himself go hard. A moment later, a cock ring was snapped closed at the base of his cock.

"You'll have to wait to come," Chris told him. "Surrender, let yourself enjoy what I'm going to do to you, and I'll let you come. Fight it, and you'll be hard for a long, long time."

Vin trembled, goose bumps rising across his skin at the man's words.

"Now, relax, do whatever I tell you," Larabee commanded.

Vin took a deep breath and let his body relax as much as he could standing, bent over the table like he was. But the table was the perfect height, so there was little strain on his arms or legs, and he quickly slipped into a kind of waking dream state, waiting to see what Larabee had planned for him this time.

He felt rather than heard Chris step away for a moment, then he heard one of the sliding glass doors open behind him. A few moments later Larabee returned, setting something on the table. Vin was unable to see what it was thanks to the blindfold.

A soft popping sound preceded the application of some kind of lubricant to the crack of Vin's ass. Chris rubbed the liquid lightly over his hole, then dipped his finger inside, slicking the walls of his rectum with the substance.

Vin moaned softly as the skin touched by the lubricant began to tingle slightly as it warmed. He could hear Chris doing something else, then a relatively thin rod slid into his ass. The contrast of cold metal, or glass, and the warmth in his skin made Tanner gasp in surprise.

Chris slowly sank the rod in, then pulled it almost all the way out before pushing it back in again. The rod began to vibrate.

"Oh, shit," Vin barked, his hips beginning to rock as the vibration heightened the tingle in his skin.

Chris pressed the rod in and held it there with one hand. With the other hand he fondled Vin's swollen cock and balls with the soft fur.

"Oh, God," Vin gulped, his hips rocking harder.

The soft fur disappeared, then the rod was removed.

"Open your legs wider," Chris commanded, and Vin immediately responded, widening his stance. "Very good."

More of the liquid lubricant was rubbed up and down his crack, over his quivering pucker, and into his ass. Vin's breaths were becoming quick and he groaned, his fingers twitching with the desire to reach down and touch himself, jack himself to climax. But the soft cuffs kept him from doing do.

He felt Chris' finger slide into his ass, wiggling around, stroking the walls of his rectum. Vin moaned, louder this time.

Then two fingers slid into the hot, tight passage, and Chris carefully pushed his fingers apart, stretching Vin's opening.

"Ah, God, Chris," he gulped, his balls beginning to throb.

Larabee kept up his work while Vin's body quivered as he surrendered to the manipulation, his body feeling more and more heavy as Larabee continued. A few moments later, he felt the muscles in his ass go soft.

When Chris entered him it was with one strong thrust that left him fully buried in Tanner's ass.

Vin's head and chest arched back and he grunted, but before he felt any pain the soft fur was once again surrounding his cock and balls.

"Oh, fuck," Tanner nearly yelled, his body trapped on the edge of release, but unable to tumble over.

Chris began to rock his hips, sliding slightly in and out, slowly picking up speed, the strokes getting longer and stronger. The fur left Vin's cock, traveling over his back and legs, buttocks and balls.

"Oh, God, Chris," Vin whimpered, "I've gotta come… please."

"Soon," Larabee said, sliding in deeply.

"Chris," Vin moaned, "please… oh, God… shit…"

Larabee's fingers curled around Vin's hips, his thrusts stopping, his cock head all that was left inside the bounty hunter.

"Ah!" Vin cried, his hips lurching back, trying to sink the man's cock back in deep, but Chris pushed down with his weight, trapping Vin's hips against the padded table. Tanner's body jerked under him, the muscles in Vin's ass convulsively grabbing at the cock he wanted to fill him.

"Chris!" Vin wailed.

Larabee plunged back in, grinding his groin against Vin's stretched open ass cheeks.

"Fuck!" Tanner replied, his hips lifting to grind back.

Then Chris began to piston his hips, striking Vin's pleasure spot again and again. Tanner cried out and Chris slipped his hand down and unsnapped the cock ring.

Vin's cock exploded, shooting thick strings of come into Chris' hand while his body jerked and humped. The younger man grunted and gurgled, lost in the most intense climax he'd ever experienced. And it seemed to go on forever.

Eventually, Vin lay sprawled on the table, gulping for air, the last drop of his orgasm clinging to his slit while Chris remained buried inside him, still hard.

When Vin stopped gulping air, Chris slowly pulled out of the man's ass.

Vin heard the condom as it was removed from the blond's penis. Then his hands were released.

"On your knees," Chris ordered, guiding Vin to stand and turn.

Vin sank to his knees, surprised to discover he was kneeling on a soft pillow.

"Open your mouth," Larabee told him, and Vin trembled with anticipation as he did so.

Chris' cock slid into his mouth and Vin's lips closed around the hard shaft. He immediately began to suck, using his tongue to lave the sensitive underside of the blond's shaft. Hands cupped the sides of his face and Vin responded, reaching up to grab Chris' ass, pulling him closer, pushing the man's cock farther down his throat.

"Yes," Chris hissed. "I'm close," he warned.

Vin's head bobbed up and down, muscles, tongue, and teeth all working to rain pleasure on the cock in his mouth.

"Vin!" Chris warned, but Tanner only sucked harder.

Larabee grunted and jerked his hips as he began to come, spilling his seed down the man's throat. He released Tanner's face and took a step back. His cock semi-flaccid, but not spent.

He guided Vin to his feet, steered him so he was standing with his back to the table.

"Lay down," he commanded, and Vin's hands reached back, finding edge of the table. He sat down first, then lay back.

"Scoot up," Chris told him. Vin did so.

Larabee returned the man's hands to the fleece-lined cuffs, this time cinching them tight enough that Vin would not be able to easily pull free. "Bend your knees and open them," he instructed.

Once more Vin responded immediately, doing as he'd been told.

Chris reached down, jerking on his cock until it was fully hard again. He rolled on a new condom, lubed it, then climbed onto the table between Vin's splayed legs. His hands on Vin's shins, he lifted the man's legs and pushed them back toward his chest, making the man's ass available.

Scooting closer, Larabee rubbed the head of his cock against the still loose hole, then started to slide back inside the man.

"Fuck!" Vin cried out. "Chris," he growled, the muscles in his ass convulsing as he was filled once more.

Chris kept Vin's legs up, close to his chest as he fucked the man slowly, gently.

"Oh, God," Tanner moaned, his head rolling back and forth, his cock slowly filling again. "Oh, yeah, feels so good…"

Larabee watched his cock riding in and out of the man's hole, enjoying the tight heat that had him heading straight toward a second climax. He shifted his hands from Vin's legs to cupping the man's ass cheeks. Vin held his legs up for a moment, then slowly lowered them, pressing the balls of his feet against the tabletop so he could lift and lower his ass on Larabee's cock. Chris shifted closer, his thighs sliding under Vin's ass.

As the younger man fucked himself on the blond's erection, Chris reached up and squeezed Vin's nipples. Tanner's hips responded, rising and falling faster as Larabee gave him another squeeze, then reached down and jerked on the younger man's cock with one hand and diddled his balls with the fingers of his other hand.

Vin's head rolled faster and he lifted and slammed himself down on Larabee's cock again and again while Chris worked him. "Feels so good," he groaned. "Ah, damn…"

As soon as Tanner started to come, Chris released Vin's cock and balls, grabbed his legs just below his knees, and forced them up and back, rolling the man up onto his shoulders. He held Tanner there, slamming into him several more times before he was tipped into his own second orgasm, then plunged in as deeply as he could and humped the man's ass hard while he filled the tip of the condom.

What happened next was a blur for Vin, but somehow he was freed from the cuffs and helped from the table. He vaguely remembered being taken into the master bathroom where they showered – Chris doing most of the work of washing him. They dried, or Chris dried him, and they returned to the big bed. He remembered snuggling up to the blond, then nothing except the lingering whisper in his ear, "You pleased me, Vin. You surrendered beautifully. The next time I'll introduce you to the sounds."

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

11:50 am

Vin slept until almost noon. When he finally woke it was to a soft kiss pressed to his temple.

"About time, sleepyhead," Larabee told him.

"Mmm," Tanner replied, stretching in the warmth under the covers. His ass ached slightly, but it was more pleasurable than painful. He cracked his eyes open and looked over at the blond, who was watching him from where he was lying on his side. "What time is it?"

"Eleven-fifty," Chris told him. "Guess we'll skip breakfast and go straight to lunch at the club."

Vin nodded, his stomach rumbling.

Chris leaned over and kissed the man, Tanner's lips instantly parting.

"Oh, no," Larabee told him. "We're late enough as it is."

Vin whimpered softly, but he didn't try to keep Chris there. They climbed out of bed, took another shower, then shaved and dressed.

Vin enjoyed the way Larabee's old blue jeans fell a little low on his own hips. The material was soft and faded, just the way he liked them. The borrowed black T-shirt with a V-neck was equally soft and comfortable.

"I need t' stop by m' place and pick up some clothes," Vin told him.

"We can do that on the way to the club," Chris decided.

They were out of the house a few minutes later.

They stopped by Vin's apartment, where the man tossed most of his clothes into an old Army duffle bag, along with the weapons in his weapons safe, a few books, pictures, and other items.

Vin tossed the bag into the trunk of the Jag and they headed for Radius.

As soon as Ezra saw the two men he said, "JD wants to talk to you both."

They went up to Chris' office and the blond called JD.

"Hey, guys," Dunne greeted as Chris put him on speaker. "We think we might have a lead for you," he told them.

"What?" Vin demanded.

"Buck and I were talking to folks down here in the Springs, and they mentioned a new guy in Denver – Nick Yates – who's into young female slaves. He sounds like somebody Eli Joe might know, or might make contact with."

"Sounds like Eli Joe's type all right," Vin relied, glancing at Chris.

"We couldn't get an address on the guy, but a couple of people said they heard he hung out at the Cock and Ball Club on Colfax," JD explained.

"We'll put it under surveillance," Chris told him. "You think it's worth staying down there?"

"We're gonna stay a little longer," came Buck's voice. "We're getting some good intel on some lowlifes we might want to check into later."

"All right," Chris replied, "but I want you both back up here tomorrow morning."

"We'll be there," Buck told him, then the connection went dead.

Chris put Nathan on the surveillance of the club, letting him know that Ezra would relieve him at five pm.

"I'll hang with Ezra," Vin told Chris as they headed out to see what they could find out about Nick Yates.

"All right, but I'll pick up around nine if it's quiet."

Vin gave him a small grin that said clearly that he hoped it was quiet at nine pm.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

8:37 pm

Vin and Ezra sat in Standish's black Bentley Continental Supersports while they watched the comings and goings at Cock and Ball. The front for the illegal BDSM club was a bar and strip club, but he and Ezra had seen a number of people pull around to the back lot, entering through the kitchen to the BDSM club that took up most of the back of the building.

Ezra had gone into the bar just after dinnertime, watching as the barely legal dancers strutted their stuff on the small stage, others enticing patrons to give them dollar tips while they worked the poles in the four corners of the large room.

When he had returned to the car he'd sighed and said, "No one has seen a man fitting Eli Joe's description."

"Sure they'd tell y' if they had?" Vin asked.

Ezra gave him a grin. "Oh, with the tips I was handing out, they would have said something."

They two men lapsed back into silence for several minutes, then Vin spotted a man approaching the club on foot. "Look," he said.

Ezra turned his attention to the figure approaching. It was a man, around six foot, 150 to 160 pounds, which matched Vin's description of Eli Joe, but he was wearing a dark-colored hoodie, which was pulled up, obscuring his face.

Vin leaned forward. "Damn it, I can't see his face."

"Give it a few minutes and I'll see if I can get in," Ezra told him. "One of the dancers told me the password – 'Daisy,' as in 'fresh as,'" he said, his expression making it clear what he thought about the idea of under-aged slaves.

Vin nodded his agreement, but he wasn't happy about it. "I'm gonna go find a better position t' watch that back door from. If he leaves, I'll follow 'im. Larabee said this might be easier if y' use me as bait, this might be our best opportunity."

"I doubt Mr. Larabee is going to agree. Be careful," Ezra told him.

"Always," Vin replied.

Ezra watched Vin leave the car. The bounty hunter walked up the street, then crossed it, disappearing into the darkness. Standish couldn't see him coming back to the club, but he assumed that that was what the bounty hunter had done.

He checked his watch. He'd wait fifteen minutes, then go in and see if he could spot Eli Joe. If he did, he'd call Larabee. Vin might not mind playing bait, but he was sure the blond wouldn't approve.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Vin found a good spot to watch the back door of the club – an old washing machine box someone had converted into a shelter. He'd given the occupant a twenty and told him to go get a hot meal. The man had been happy to oblige. Vin just hoped he wouldn't use it to buy a bottle.

He crawled into the box and pulled on the gloves he had in his jacket pocket. A few minutes later he saw Ezra approach the rear door and knock. The door opened a crack and Vin assumed Ezra gave the man the right password since the door opened wider and Standish disappeared inside.

Vin was sure the man he'd seen in the hoodie was Eli Joe, he could feel it in his gut. With luck he'd send someone out to entice him out, get the drop on him. He'd make it as easy as he could. The sooner this was over the better.

Tanner's vigil continued for another fifteen minutes when a soft gasp startled Vin and he looked up from his position inside the box. A young girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen was standing at the dumpster next to the box where Vin was hiding. Her eyes rounded with fear as they met Vin's.

"Where's Dougie?" she asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing with distrust.

"He's fine, I, uh, just needed t' borrow his box," Vin said, easing out and standing up. She had to be there at Eli Joe's urging. "It's okay," he said quietly, smiling at the girl. She clutched a bag of garbage to her chest and took a step back. "I'm not gonna hurt ya."

"W-What are you doing out here?" she asked. "That's Dougie's box."

"I know. He'll be back soon. I'm just lookin' for a man, a bad man."

She cocked her head to the side slightly, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth. Yep, she was working for Eli Joe. He heard movement and turned. There were two more girls standing there. One of them raised a Taser and fired.

Vin felt every muscle in his body contract at the same time. He grunted and fell to the ground, unable to move. As soon as the shock stopped, he groaned and tried to push himself up, but it felt like every muscle was vibrating on its own, and he had no control.

Another one of the girls stepped over him and grabbed his neck in a choke hold. A few seconds later, Vin slid into unconsciousness. His last thought was Bein' bait sucks…

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

9:41 pm

Consciousness returned slowly. It was hard to breathe and Vin tried to move, quickly discovering that he couldn't. He relaxed, waiting until his brain cleared before taking stock of his situation.

He was lying on a narrow bench, his arms draped over either side and tied to the legs of the bench. His shirt was gone, his pants bunched at his ankles. His legs were tied to the other two legs of the bench.

A sudden swish warned him what was coming the moment before the paddle struck his ass with a loud thwack! Vin's head jerked back, but he made no sound beyond a soft grunt.

The paddled landed a second time, then a third. Tears sprang into Vin's eyes by the time the blows reached ten. Then, they stopped.

Vin was breathing hard and he tried to look over his shoulder, but as soon as the man spoke, he didn't need to bother.

"Back for more, huh, Tanner?"

"Fuckin' bastard," Vin growled.

Another man laughed. "Here, let's see how he likes this one." A moment later a leather strap landed across the backs of Tanner's thighs.

Vin yelped.

"Now, that's better," the second man said, landing another blow, this one across Vin's ass cheeks. Tanner grunted, tears slipping free of his eyes despite his best efforts.

The strapping continued, Vin's ass and thighs quickly feeling like they were on fire. He jerked against the ropes holding him to the bench, gasping and grunting, but refusing to cry out.

"He's a stubborn bastard," Eli Joe said. "Damn, Yates, I think he might be enjoying it"

Yates. The man must be Nick Yates.

Yates walked around Vin, the front of his jeans swelled with his erection. "He's a fighter all right," he said to Eli Joe, who was fucking one of the under-aged slaves who had helped him capture Vin.

"You should see what he does in a cage," the man grunted. "Freaks-fuckin'-out."

Vin's body went rigid at the word 'cage.'

"Cage, huh?" Yates repeated, having seen the bounty hunter's reaction. "Hmm," he said thoughtfully, then smiled. "That could be arranged," he said. "But first I want to see how he takes a good, hard fucking."

Vin ground his teeth together, hoping Ezra knew he'd been caught by now and had already called the others. Still, it would take them a little while to get there, probably too long to save him from Yates' cock. But then the man walked over to a shelf and pulled down a long, thick, black dildo. He ran his hand over the length, his gaze going to Vin. He chuckled when he saw the bounty hunter swallow hard.

Yates stepped over to another shelf and picked a bottle of lube, pouring a goodly amount over the plastic and using it to slick the whole dildo. He set the lube down and walked over to Vin. He pressed the tip to Tanner's hole and twisted it back and forth, pressing against the man's opening.

"Think you're man enough to take this?" he asked Vin.

"Go t' hell," Tanner replied, but he was more than a little scared. The damn dildo would probably tear him up good.

Yates pressed harder, starting to force the device into Vin's ass.

"Put him in the cage first," Eli Joe said a little breathlessly as he came all over one of the girls' faces. "Then put that dildo on a fuck machine. I want to watch it tear that bastard in two."

Yates laughed, twisted the dildo back and forth a couple of times, then stepping away. He opened the door to the room and barked, "Chip, get the big dog crate and bring it in here."

Vin tried to hold the panic at bay. There was no way he was going into another cage, not while he was still breathing.

A few minutes later the door opened and Vin could hear someone dragging in a metal crate. At the same time, Vin could watch as Yates pulled a machine from one of the closets in the room. He attached the big black dildo and turned the machine on. A metal rod, which the dildo now tipped, began to thrust in and out. Yates' eyes were shining with anticipation as he turned the dial up another setting and the machine thrust faster. By the time Yates reached the last setting, Vin knew the machine would probably kill him if they used it on him.

Yates turned the machine off, then went over and grabbed the crate. He dragged it over next to the machine and checked to see where the dildo was pointed inside the cage. "Looks like it'll line up with this bastard's ass just fine."

"Sure does," Eli Joe agreed, laughing softly. One of the girls whimpered, then squealed as Stone did something to hurt her. "Quiet, bitch, or you'll be the next one inside that cage." She sobbed softly in reply.

"So, how do you think we should get him in the cage?" Yates asked.

"Like this," Eli Joe replied, and the next moment Vin felt the Taser hit him again.

When consciousness returned Vin was being secured inside the cage. He exploded in a riot of action, kicking, punching, and growling. He fought his way out of the crate.

"Grab the Taser!" Yates yelled.

"Don't let him go!" Eli Joe replied. One of the girls screamed as Stone stepped on her in his haste to grab the Taser again.

Yates grabbed Vin, trying to tackle him, but Tanner's training was more than a match for the man. He slammed his elbow into Yate's ribs, breaking two and weakening his grip. Tanner spun away from the man, snapping up a kick that doubled Yates over. Vin interlaced his fingers and brought both hands down as hard as he could on the back of the man's neck.

Yates grunted and went down, unconscious.

Eli Joe grabbed the Taser and brought his hand up to fire it at Tanner, but two of the girls rushed him, scratching and biting him. Stone used the Taser on one of them, and grabbed the second girl's hair, swinging her, screaming, away from him.

But that was all the opening Vin needed.

He tackled Stone, driving him to the floor. He lunged back, bringing his fist up, ready to slam it into Eli Joe's face when the door exploded open and Chris and Ezra rushed into the room.

Chris caught Vin's arm, keeping the bounty hunter from killing Eli Joe where he lay. He pulled Vin off the man while Ezra moved in, his Glock on the fugitive. "I would welcome an excuse to shoot you, Stone, best you remember that," he snarled at the man.

A moment later Josiah was inside the room as well, his Magnum revolver on Yates as the man groaned and tried to push himself to his hands and knees. "No sudden moves," Josiah warned the man.

"Vin, settle down!" Chris barked, giving the bounty hunter a jerk.

Tanner's eyes locked on Larabee's, the red haze that had clouded his vision vanishing as he released the man who had stopped him from killing Eli Joe. He jerked his head around, registering Josiah and Ezra and their weapons. The three girls were all huddled in one corner, too afraid to move.

"Deep breath, Vin," Nathan said in his ear. "You're gonna hyperventilate."

The bounty hunter sucked in a deep breath and held it for a second before letting it out. He was shaking all over, and his peripheral vision had closed in, but he allowed Nathan to help him over to the sofa in the room. He dropped onto the cushion and ran his hands over his hair.

"Here ya go, kid," Buck said, dropping Vin's clothes onto his lap.

"Thanks," he said as Nathan sat down next to him to look him over.

"Did they—?"

"No, not yet," Vin interrupted. "Y'all got good timin'." He watched as Buck took over handling the girls from JD. Josiah had gotten Yates to his feet and used plastic zip-tie cuffs to secure his hands. Ezra did the same to Eli Joe.

A short time later Chris met a police officer at the door. They exchanged words, then the man came in and took Yates and Eli Joe out. He came back a short while later and took statements from the girls, and Vin. It helped to have friends on the force, and Vin was confident that – this time – Eli Joe Stone was going to prison.

A pair of police women came in and took the girls out.

A little before midnight Chris and Nathan escorted Vin out to Larabee's Jag and helped him in. There were no words exchanged while Chris drove Vin back to his place. Once he parked, the blond looked over at Vin and asked, "I hope you're not having second thoughts about joining the team."

Vin glanced over at the blond. He had been having second thoughts, but he knew Larabee would never do the kinds of things Yates had threatened him with. He knew he loved the blond. He knew he wanted to explore things he'd never even thought about before with the man. He knew he couldn't walk away, even if he wanted to. And, when he really thought about it, he didn't want to. If he did, he would be letting Eli Joe win, and there was no way in hell he was going to let that happen.

"No," Vin said, shaking his head. "No second thoughts."

"Good," Chris replied. "Now, let's get you in the shower and then into bed."

"What is it about you an' showers?" Vin asked as he climbed from the Jag.

Chris gave him a seductive grin. "One of these days I'll be happy to show you."

Vin shivered at the promise in the man's words.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Two weeks later

Josiah sat at his desk, listening as Vin spoke. When the younger man finished, he asked, "And how would you feel if that fantasy came true?"

"Don't tease me," Vin replied.

"I'm being completely serious," the older man replied. "Chris has noticed your reaction to Ezra and I."

"Larabee ain't a man who shares," Vin said.

"You might be surprised about what Chris is willing to do…" was Josiah's reply. "…as long as everyone is a completely willing participant."

Vin looked at the older man. He'd been having recurring dreams where Josiah, Chris, and Ezra had ganged up on him and ravaged his body in too many ways to count. And he couldn't get the damn images out of his mind. It hadn't helped that Larabee hadn't made love to him again since the night Eli Joe and Yates had been caught.

He also knew that Chris was giving him a chance to settle into his new job, new house, and new relationship. But watching men fuck three days a week had left him hot and horny, and his dreams had decided to take him places he'd never even contemplated before.

Now Josiah was as much as telling him that he, and Chris, and Ezra would be more than willing to make at least one of those dreams come true… Vin huffed out a deep breath. "Well, if that was t' happen, I'd be… a damn happy man," he concluded.

Josiah chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."

There was a knock at the door and Josiah called, "Yes?"

The door opened and Chris leaned in. "I was just checking to see if Vin was still here."

"I am," Tanner said, his mind flashing to a scene where Chris and Josiah were taking him on the big man's desk. He forced it away, hoping he got laid, and soon!

Chris stepped into the room. "You, uh, ready to head home?"

Vin nodded and stood. "Yep. I just need t' check with Andy, make sure he's got the list of new members. I'll meet y' at the Jag in ten."

"Sounds good," Chris said, watching as Tanner left. He looked at Josiah and asked, "So, is he okay?"

"He's fine, just like I told you last week. However, I think we might want to push up that little orgy you're planning."

Chris grinned. "Works for me. I should have him ready in… eight, maybe nine months. Get hold of Ezra, find a good date, then save it."

"Will do," Josiah replied, his cock swelling with the idea of him and Chris and Ezra having their way with Vin. "And as for you, would you please take that boy home tonight and fuck him – long and hard. He's about ready to explode."

Larabee's grin turned decidedly licentious as he said, "You think I don't know that? I promised to introduce him to sounds, and he wanted to know what it was about me and showers…"

Josiah groaned. "Oh, Christ. Stop, right now, or you'll make me come in my damn trousers."

Chris chuckled. "Have a good night, Josiah."

"You do the same."

"Oh, I will," the blond purred.

Leaving Josiah's office, Chris headed straight for his Jag, finding Vin already waiting for him. "Ready?"

"Yep," the Texan replied.

"I hope so," Larabee said under his breath as he slid in behind the wheel.

"What?" Vin asked as he pulled the passenger door closed.

"Nothing," the blond replied as he pulled out of the parking garage, skipping his usual turn.

"Where are we goin'?" Vin asked.

"Thought we'd stop for supper," Larabee replied. "I have plans for tonight, and I want to make sure you're well-fed."

Tanner swallowed hard and forced himself not to touch his cock, which was making his jeans feel three sizes too small at the moment. "Plans, huh?"

"Plans," was all Chris would say.

They ate at the Buckhorn Exchange, one of the owners a member of the club, so they didn't have to worry about not having a reservation. Both men opted for elk steaks, but they didn't overeat, knowing they would be busy soon. They didn't drink anything but coffee, either. Once they were done, they walked back to the car and Chris took the quickest way back to his home.

They climbed from the car and walked down the drive to the French doors. Chris pressed in the security code and Vin opened the door. They stepped inside and Chris reset the alarm. He led the way upstairs, Vin following behind the man, his muscles trembling slightly with anticipation, his cock already hard.

They went straight to Chris' bedroom. "Take off your clothes," the blond ordered.

Vin made quick work of undressing. He stood, his cock pressed tightly against his belly, pointed straight up at his chin.

Chris circled him, his gaze sweeping over Vin's body. He stopped behind the younger man and undressed himself, knowing Tanner would be wishing he could watch. When he was done, he walked to the playroom and found several items he planned to use on Vin, placing them in a small, black velvet bag.

He returned to the bedroom. "Come with me," he said, walking past Vin and heading out to the hall and leading the way down to the bathroom Vin had first used. It had the largest shower stall in the house.

Chris set the velvet bag on the sink counter, then opened the shower door and stepped inside the stall without turning the water on. Vin stopped just outside the stall, watching as the blond lifted two rings from small recesses in the wall. Then Larabee stepped out and reached into the bag, taking out two rubber rings.

"Hold out your hands," Chris commanded.

Vin immediately lifted them.

Chris opened the metal clasps and fitted the cuffs on Vin's wrists like they were bracelets. There were small metal rings that allowed Chris to attach them to the rings set in the shower wall with small carabineers. There was no escaping the rubber cuffs. Vin's cock jumped slightly as he faced the wall, Chris standing behind him.

"You asked me once what it was about me and showers," Chris said quietly, his hand running down Vin's chest to his aching cock. He wiped the first white pearl of precome from the tip. Vin could hear the man lick it from his fingertip. "I'm going to show you some of that tonight."

Behind him, Vin heard the water come on, warming up. Chris stepped out of the stall. Vin turned his head and watched as the blond took several items from the black velvet bag, but he couldn't really see what they were.

Larabee stepped back into the shower stall and set the items on a small shelf at the other end of the stall from where Vin was secured.

The spray came on, and Vin listened while Chris washed his body and his hair. When Larabee was done, the spray was turned off.

Vin stood there, dripping, wondering what the blond had planned for him. He found out a few moments later when he said, "Open your legs."

Vin took a half-step back, repositioning his feet so they were spread wide, but still comfortable.

"Push your ass back at me."

Again, Vin did as he was told, knowing he could trust Larabee. He felt Chris rub lube over the pucker of his ass, the blond's finger pressing in to slick the rim of muscle. Then, a thin metal object was slipped into his ass, and secured there with a belt-like strap that circled Vin's waist as well as his upper thighs. Vin's cock stayed hard.

"Have you ever had an enema?" Chris asked.

Vin shook his head.

"I'm going to turn the water on, just a trickle. You'll feel it as it fills your rectum. It'll get a little uncomfortable, but don't worry. You can take more than you'll think you can. I won't hurt you, but I am going to fill you up. Do you understand?"

Vin nodded, his heart beginning to beat faster was he felt the first of the water begin to flow into his rectum. It was warm, and while the feeling was different it wasn't bad.

Chris stepped out of the shower stall and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist and sitting down in the leather chair, watching as Vin began to fidget as he continued to fill. Some of the water ran down the backs of Vin's legs and his cock jumped and leaked. Tanner groaned, his ass moving as he felt fuller and fuller.

Larabee reached down and absently rubbed himself as he watched Vin throw his head back. "Chris," he moaned. "Chris, I can't."

Larabee stood and, leaving the towel behind, stepped into the shower stall.

"I can't," Vin repeated. "Too full."

Chris reached down and took hold of the nozzle, sliding it in and out of Vin's ass as the water continued to flow into the man.

"Oh, God!" Vin gasped. "Chris, I can't. I can't. No more."

Chris reached back and turned off the water, but he left the nozzle in place.

"Please," Vin begged. "I gotta go."

"It just feels like that because your rectum is full of water. The feeling will get easier to deal with in a minute," Chris told him as he turned the shower back on. He let the spray wet Vin, then set about washing him from head to toe. All the while Tanner squirmed and twitched, trying to escape the feeling in his ass. He was able to force some of the water out around the nozzle, but not enough to stop the too-full feeling. But it wasn't a painful feeling, and his cock remained hard and leaking.

When Chris' soapy hand closed on him and began to slide up and down his aching cock Vin threw his head back and screamed Chris' name as he came so hard he was surprised he stayed on his feet. His stretched rectum convulsed as well, sending more of the water running down his legs.

Chris cleaned all of him a second time, then let the water rinse off the soap. He detached the tube from the nozzle still held in Tanner's ass, then released the younger man's hands. He dried Vin off, then guided him to the toilet.

"I want you to hold that water until you sit down. Do you hear me?"

Vin nodded.

Larabee removed the belts, then pulled the nozzle from Vin's ass.

The bounty hunter dropped onto the toilet and nearly cried with relief as the water gushed from his ass, the pleasure of the release hardening Vin's cock.

When he was empty, he wiped and stood, his body trembling.

"Good," Chris said. "Now, come with me."

Vin didn't think, he simply followed the man back to the master bedroom, and into the playroom. Chris had him lie down on the padded table. His ass continued to spasm weakly as he laid back on the table. The blond secured his hands above his head.

Vin's cock was half-full and he was feeling a little float-y. Chris moved around in the room, gathering things, setting them on a small table he had moved over next to the table.

"Close your eyes," Chris told him, and Vin did so.

The soft fur was rubbed over his body. He moaned softly, enjoying the sensation. His cock slowly hardened even while the rest of his muscles seemed to melt. Chris kissed him, and Vin opened his lips, letting the blond's tongue plunge into his mouth. Fingers and fur teased his nipples, his balls, his cock.

Vin knew this could go on for some time, his last orgasm having left his balls empty. It would be a while before he could come again, and Chris seemed determined to take advantage of every moment.

He felt the fur wrap around his cock, Chris holding his erection straight out at a 90-degree angle from his body. The blond's tongue licked over the tip and Vin sucked in a soft gasp. The next sensation was one Vin had never felt before. Something warm and hard slipped into the slit of his cock and down his shaft. His eyes flew open.

"Don't move," Larabee commanded.

Vin lay frozen on the table, watching as a long, thin metal rod slid into his penis. When it was fully inside him, held in place by a sphere of metal resting on the tip of his cock, Chris reached over and picked up a tuning fork. He struck it against the edge of the table, the note ringing out in the quiet room. Then the blond touched the base of the fork to the metal sphere and the vibration shot straight down the sound to the center of Vin's being.

"Oh, God!" he cried. "Fuck! Chris!"

Larabee chuckled and struck the tuning fork a second time. He touched it to the head of the sound again.

"Ahhh!" Vin cried again, his balls pulling up around the base of his cock. "I'm gonna come!"

Chris grabbed the base of Tanner's cock and squeezed, allowing the rising orgasm to ease.

Vin was gripping the edge of the table as tightly as he could, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. The sound was halfway out before he realized what Chris was doing. His eyes opened and he looked at the blond, who was holding a slightly thicker sound. It was slick with lube.

Tanner closed and eyes and groaned as it was slowly slipped inside his aching cock. This time Chris dipped it in and pulled it out, repeating the action several times. When he saw Vin's balls begin to tighten, he pulled it free and laid it next to the first.

"One more," he said.

Vin looked, the third sound looking considerably thicker than the second. "Chris, no," he breathed.

"I promise, I won't hurt you," Larabee soothed. "It only looks too thick. This is just the third of seven you'll learn to take. You can do this."

Vin's eyes were wide and a little wild, but he nodded, watching with fascination as the rod slid into his cock. He groaned and let his head drop back, feeling his climax beginning to build. "Oh, God… Chris, 'm close, so close…"

"Easy," Larabee whispered. "Breathe… Take it all, Vin. Take it for me."

Tanner groaned again, his head whipping from side to side as he felt the sound fill him up. It was similar to the fullness the enema had created in his ass, and his muscles quivered as he remembered the incredible orgasm that had caused.

"That's it, Vin, that's it," Chris told him. "The seventh sound is a little more than twice this size…"

The bounty hunter groaned, and squeezed his ass as tight as he could. "Chris, please," he begged. "Please."

Larabee slowly removed the third sound and laid it next to the first two. He smiled. Vin really was a natural, surrendering completely to whatever he asked.

"Chris," Tanner whimpered, his hips pressing up, his cock leaking with need.

The blond released Vin's hands, then helped him off the table and over to a thick pad that was lying on the floor – part of Chris' earlier preparation.

"On your hands and knees," Chris told him. A moment later Vin was in position. The blond reached for a condom, then changed his mind. They were both free of any disease, and he wanted to feel Vin on his skin. He slicked his cock, then stepped up behind Tanner. "Show me your ass, Vin. Give it to me."

The younger man leaned forward, his hips coming up, his ass opening.

Larabee swallowed a groan of his own as he stepped closer, grabbing the base of his cock and lining it up with Tanner's ass. He pressed against the hole and felt it give easily. He slid into the tight heat that fit him like a glove.

Vin moaned and pressed back, wanting Chris to impale him as soon as possible. The blond was more than happy to oblige. Grabbing Tanner's hips, Chris began to thrust, piercing Vin with long, hard strokes.

"Oh, yeah," Vin grunted, "hard, Chris, hard."

Chris grinned and thrust harder.

"Oh, God… oh, yeah… so good, Chris, so damn good…"

"What do you want, Vin?" Chris asked without breaking his rhythm.

"You, Chris, I want you," the man panted. "Want y' t' take me, use me, make me come."

"I can do that," Larabee said, his hips speeding up as he felt his own climax drawing closer. "I'll take you places you've never been, Vin. All you have to do is surrender. You're mine, Vin. All mine."

"Yours," Vin replied.

"That's right," Larabee growled. "You're mine, Vin Tanner. Don't ever forget it." He reached under Vin and grabbed his cock and squeezed.

"Chris!" the younger man cried, his body exploding with another orgasm that he thought might just tear him to pieces. "Yours!"

Chris was able to wait just long enough for Vin to come before he had to let the man's cock go. He grabbed the bounty hunter's hips with both hands and plowed Tanner's ass as fast as he could. Then he shoved his hips forward with a cry of his own and let his balls turn themselves inside out as he filled Vin's ass with his come. He grunted and humped the man's ass, grinding himself against the splayed cheeks until he was finally empty. It was one of the most intense orgasms he'd ever experienced and he knew he and Vin were just getting started.

The thought was enough to spark one last burst of come from his cock before it started to go soft.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Vin had no memory of how he'd gotten cleaned up and into bed, and he really didn't care. Chris had taken care of him. Chris would always take care of him. He knew that with the same certainly he knew the sun would rise in the morning.

He was spooned in front of the blond, the man's arm draped over Vin's side, his ass pressed tight against Larabee's soft cock. Vin was warm, comfortable, his body more sated than he'd ever been. His ass ached pleasantly, and his balls felt like they'd been pumped dry. All in all, it was a feeling he knew he would come to love. Hell, he already did.

He was still a little scared about where this new life was taking him, but it was the kind of scared that made him tingle with anticipation; it made him feel alive. Larabee only asked for his surrender, and that was something he was more than willing to give. In fact, it was something he'd discovered he needed to give the blond.

You're mine, Vin Tanner… Don’t ever forget it…

Those words had been like an arrow that had pierced him straight through his heart. He belonged to Chris Larabee, body, heart, and soul. Completely. And he always would.

"Yours," he whispered into the darkness. "Yours, Chris Larabee."

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Almost nine months later

Chris walked into Josiah's office. "It all set up?"

Josiah looked up at him and nodded.

"Good," Chris said with an easy smile. "He's ready. Hell, he's more than ready."

"I'll let Ezra know it's a go."

Larabee nodded. Vin wouldn't know what hit him…[2]

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