Page 11 of Dark Passion

“Okay. Two days and then you pick them up or I’m calling Cole to get them.” Mason walked around the front of the car to get the dogs, and then back in front of the cab to stand on the sidewalk. This time Jay grinned at Mason, then stopped near his driver’s window and posed. I’d seen that before with Jay when he spotted a man that caught his eyes.

Mason, who probably hadn’t been fucked in years, because of his appearance and where he’d been living without a place to groom himself, stared back with hungry interest.

I tapped on the partition, and said, “Come on, Mason, we don’t have time for that. He’s taken, and you don’t want that trouble.”

“You may not have time, but I’ve been out of circulation, and it doesn’t hurt to stare at a good-looking man when I see one. And he has a great ass.” That was all I needed was to hear someone say Jay had a great ass. I was trying to forget that as Mason was speaking, because never once did I see Jay as desirable or good-looking. He was argumentative, and a royal pain in the ass. Oh, well, to each his own.

One man’s trash was another man’s treasure as it was said. “Take me to the clubs you’d go to if you were looking to be bound, beaten, hung, and fucked.” It was me who hadn’t been out there, circulating among my tribe of rich and handsome men who lived the lifestyle, and couldn’t imagine that there was anything but that, after working in high-powered jobs, and they were ready to relax.

Men who cruised the low spots to bring young men into the light of their lives, only to use and abuse them, and throw them away when they were of no use to them again.

“We’re here. First stop, and many more to go,” Mason said, turning to face me.

Chapter 8

Daniel

“Why such a grim look, my friend.” I wished he’d stop saying that. Right now I felt as if I was no one’s friend. I’d deceived the only man I’ve loved by going to an ex-lover behind Cole’s back. And I’d burdened and threatened the two men I depended on, Jay and Ryan, who I needed to take care of my dogs and my business.

Cole and I had no immediate family members we could count on, only Jay and Ryan. I wouldn’t consider Sidney because he was never around unless he wanted to borrow money. Now I was going to ask another favor of Mason, who didn’t need me as a friend, but wanted one desperately.

I was about to ask Mason to go into a place that would hold the worst memories of his young life. I had no one to blame but myself and Max, of course. He was the one who handed his problem over to Cole with this fucking impossible task of keeping an eye on, and protecting a young man who didn’t want to be harnessed, unless there was a hard cock waiting. Or maybe I’d misjudged Charlie. He might be the one topping. You could never know what was behind a pretty face or ass.

Charlie was like a wild stallion who’d been corralled too long, and now that he was back in the wild to do as he pleases, he could be anywhere and doing any number of things if left to his devises and whatever crazy shit came into his out-of-control mind.

“Are you listening?” Mason had to say more than once. No, I didn’t hear a word he’d said. “We’re going in there just to see if anyone knows where St. John is, right? In that place he could be in any number of rooms, I hope you know. Do you have money, because we’ll have to pay people off just for a little information, and who knows if it will be accurate? The men working will do anything for a few bucks. Don’t pull out any more money than you have to.”

“I have enough. I can pay them if it comes to that,” I said, my mind on Cole and how he would feel if he saw me going into a place like this. When I glanced around, I realized we were parked in an alley, and the entrance was around to the side surrounded by apartment buildings, and there was the door with men stumbling out when they should be working, or in bed.But they are men after all, and who am I to judge?

I should be working or in bed,I thought, and shook my head at the ridiculousness of my thoughts.

“Let’s go,” I said. Mason and I opened the cab doors at the same time, and he locked it as I stood waiting for him. It was a long time since I swore I would never be caught dead in one of these holes. That was why I believed Julian when he said he loved me, and I went on year in and year out being a slave to his desires, and here I was.

Mason stood at the door and rang a bell where there was a peephole in the door. Then we heard, “What is it you want, Mason? Didn’t we tell you not to come around anymore? You’re not welcome here.”

Turning to Mason, I was surprised that someone recognized him, but then he didn’t look like that in the cab. A shave and fresh clothes would do that to you. I said, “What’s that about?”

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