Chapter Ten

 

 

 

Joe flicked over the page of the paperback thriller he was reading. The plot was compelling but he found it difficult to focus on the words. The print was running together in front of his eyes. He reached for the mug of coffee on the bedside table next to him. It was still hot so he took a long swallow, enjoying the bitterness, which spiked his taste buds into life. He’d slid down the bed a little so he adjusted his position until he was more upright—he didn’t want to drop off. Next to him, stretched out on the bed, Olly shifted and grumbled in his sleep. Joe sighed. He pushed a stray curl away from Olly’s face. If only it was as easy to push away his nightmares.

He finished his coffee, then checked his watch. It was still only six in the evening but felt much later. They had only been home three hours and Olly had slept through most of it. The paramedic at the hospital had advised Joe that the shock of Olly’s experience would likely exhaust him. Fainting had just been his body and mind signaling that they’d had enough. He’d only blacked out for a few seconds but Joe had taken no chances, carrying Olly to the nearest ambulance where, once he’d rapidly explained that he had been one of the hostages, he was given a thorough examination. Olly had complained through most of it, protesting that he was fine and that everyone was making too much fuss. Joe had ordered him to keep still and allow the paramedics to do their work. Olly’s pout had been a world-beater.

As soon as they’d got back, Joe had escorted Olly to their home, half-pushed him up the stairs and forced him to lie down for a nap.

“Everything can wait until you’ve rested. I’ll let Heath and Aiden know we’re back. You lie there, shut your eyes and relax.”

“But…”

“No buts. If I need to, I will gag and blindfold you.”

Olly had scowled but kicked off his shoes. He’d clambered onto the bed and less than three minutes later had been fast asleep. Joe had left him to go downstairs and make a drink. He’d called Heath to let him know that both he and Olly were safe and that they would all catch up over dinner. Heath had said he would cook rather than them having to talk in the staff restaurant where all the contractors would be eating and creating a din.

Joe stroked Olly’s cheek. His skin was downy soft with no sign of a beard. It seemed a shame to wake him now that he was finally peaceful. Initially he’d talked in his sleep, the fear evident in the worry lines on his face. Joe had held him until he’d calmed and since then he had rested quietly.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.” Joe planted a soft kiss on Olly’s lips. “If you don’t get up now, you won’t sleep later.”

Olly grumbled and rolled toward him, reaching out.

“Come on, sweetheart. You need to get clean, then we’re meeting Aiden and Heath for something to eat. You must be starving.”

“Don’t wanna.” The petulance was familiar and made Joe grin—Olly’s spark had not been completely extinguished. He reached over Olly’s body and gave his ass a sharp smack. “Up. You stink. You’re covered in gore.”

Olly opened one eye. “Will you shower with me, Sir? I might faint again.” He was all coy, fluttering eyelashes and pouty lips.

“Do you really want a spanking before dinner? Because you’re going the right way about it.”

Olly flopped onto his belly. His golden curls concealed his face. He wiggled, scooting his knees forward until his ass stuck up in the air. Joe was sorely tempted to tear off Olly’s filthy jeans and turn his bare ass a nice rosy pink. But that was exactly what Olly wanted.

Joe slipped off the bed and headed for the en suite. “Two minutes, Olly. I want you in here, naked and apologetic.”

It was too much like déjà vu to run a bath. The walk-in shower was a safer, and quicker, option. Joe turned on the spray and let it run. He was exhausted, but Olly’s needs came first, and what he needed was Joe to be his usual self. Joe pushed his shoulders back and stood a little straighter. The day had taken its toll, emotionally and physically, but he could be exhausted later.

Olly appeared in the doorway clutching a pile of dirty clothes. He was pale, his blue eyes yaoi-huge, dark smudges beneath them marking his fatigue. He dumped his burden in the laundry basket, then dropped to his knees, head bowed.

“Sorry, Sir.”

Joe squeezed his shoulder gently. “Good boy. Let’s get you clean.”

Olly shivered. “I don’t think the blood is ever going to come out of those jeans, Sir. Or out of my head.”

“All stains fade, Olly. I’m going to help you scrub this one until it’s gone. Okay?”

“Okay.”

The utter trust in that single word struck Joe’s heart like an arrow. The weight of his responsibility as Olly’s Dom, not just his lover, had never felt heavier. It was a burden he welcomed. In all his years in the lifestyle before he’d met Olly, Joe had never dreamed he would find a man who would gift him with such submission. He gazed down at Olly, who was naked, kneeling at his feet, placing his physical and psychological wellbeing in Joe’s hands. The warmth of deep love and affection flushed Joe’s veins and arteries with heat. His eyes prickled and he fought back tears. Too late, he realized Olly was staring at him.

“Are you okay, Sir?”

Joe considered lying for a second, but there were no secrets between him and Olly.

“Not really.” He held out his hands.

Olly grasped them and Joe pulled him to his feet.

“I could have lost you today. I think that’s only just sinking in.” He drew Olly closer. “You’ll have to forgive me if I get a bit overprotective in the next few days.”

Olly sniggered. “Since when have you not been overprotective?”

“You have blood on your face.” Joe rubbed at the spots with his thumb.

“It’s not mine, Sir.” Olly placed his hand over Joe’s. “It’s not mine.”

“Let me wrap your stitches before you get under the water.” The plastic wrap was still on the side of the sink. Joe pulled off a sheet and made Olly’s wound as waterproof as possible. “There you go.”

Olly stepped into the shower, leaving the sliding glass door open. He squeezed a big dollop of gel into his hand and began to rub it over his lithe body. Except he wasn’t just washing—he was performing. He was putting on a display just for Joe.

Olly pinched his lower lip between his teeth and looked up from beneath lashes jeweled with water droplets. He smeared suds on his chest, giving his nipples a little pinch. Immediately they peaked into hard, rosy nubs. He worked the lather lower, over his smooth belly down to his hairless groin. He stopped just short of his jutting dick, turned and bent over. He reached back, parted his ass cheek and let the water stream down his crack.

Joe sucked in his breath. Olly straightened and rotated to face him again. He reached for his cock.

“No.” Joe snapped out the word.

Olly froze. His smile was coy and utterly wanton at the same time.

How does he do that?

“You know better than to touch without permission. That’s mine.” Joe stripped off his shirt.

Olly licked his lips. Slowly. Joe shook his head. Olly was incorrigible and definitely in need of punishment.

Getting rid of the rest of his clothes was a relief. Joe’s hard, aching cock pointed at Olly as if dropping a very heavy hint.

“Hands behind your back, brat. You’re not getting to come any time soon.”

“But, Sir… That’s so not fair.”

Joe ignored Olly’s complaints. He fetched a thick rubber cock ring and a bulbous plug from the toy box then headed back to the bathroom. He joined Olly in the shower, and placed the plug on the small shelf that housed their shampoos. Olly circled the drain with a toe.

“There’s some kind of law, isn’t there? About how water goes down the drain. I remember it vaguely from school.”

“The only law in this shower is Joe’s law.” Joe slipped the cock ring over Olly’s bobbing dick. “That was quite a show you put on just now.”

“Just trying to take your mind off things, Sir.”

“By teasing me. By flaunting your body.”

“Yes, Sir.” Olly was all wide-eyed innocence.

Joe didn’t fall for it for a moment. “Well, now you can wash mine.”

Bouncing on his toes from excitement, Olly lathered up his hands and began to soap Joe down, starting with his shoulders. He took his time, massaging gently as he went. It was difficult to keep still. Joe remained stoic, letting Olly have his way. He couldn’t deny that it felt good to be pampered, but he also had an ulterior motive.

“Touching you makes me so hard, Sir.”

Tilting Olly’s chin up, Joe kissed him. “I know.” He held Olly’s hips then turned him to face the back wall of the cubicle. “Hands on the tiles.” He reached for the waterproof lube. “Your arm’s not hurting in that position, is it?”

“No, Sir.”

Joe slicked his fingers, then stroked them through Olly’s crease. “You have some bruises, sweetheart.” There were dark marks on Olly’s hip and on one arm. Joe circled his pucker, dipping the tip of one finger inside Olly’s grasping heat.

“I must… Sir, oh! I must have got them throwing myself under the bed. I seemed to spend a lot of time on the floor this morning. Rocky grabbed my arm one time too.”

“The only marks on your body should be mine.”

Joe coated two fingers with more lube, then thrust them into Olly’s passage. He played a while, making sure he grazed Olly’s prostate a few times. Olly writhed and made the cutest of squeaks. He scrabbled at the tiles.

“Sir, please! Need you in me.”

Making sure he applied a nice, thick layer of lube, Joe pressed the head of his aching cock to Olly’s entrance. Olly shoved his hips back, trying to speed things along.

Joe gave his ass a firm slap, enjoying the bloom of pink on Olly’s skin. “I set the pace here, not you.”

Olly wiggled even more. That got him another slap. Despite his restraint, Joe was just as eager as Olly. He gripped his wriggling sub’s hips tighter, probably adding a few finger-shaped bruises.

“Be still, brat.” Joe thrust forward, sinking deep into Olly’s welcoming channel. He kissed his neck, then bit down gently. “Remember who you belong to.”

“Never gonna forget, Sir.”

Joe snapped his hips. Olly flexed his inner muscles, gripping him tight, making him work. Nothing felt better than Olly’s heat. The connection between them, so profound, was more than simply physical. Possessive lust surged through Joe’s body. He didn’t hold back. He pounded into Olly, staking his claim. He didn’t usually have such Neanderthal urges but he recognized the need for what it was—fear, insecurity and the knowledge that he could have lost the love of his life. Holding back his orgasm wasn’t an option. The sheer joy of being inside his sub, owning him, controlling his pleasure had him shooting deep into Olly’s body. He held him close, not wanting the moment to end.

“Love you, Sir.”

“I love you too, and that’s why I’m going to keep some of me inside you.” Joe grabbed the plug, then slicked it up. He withdrew carefully from Olly’s body, then pushed the bulbous toy firmly until it was deeply seated. He turned off the shower. “Time to get dry.”

He stepped from the cubicle and fetched a couple of towels. He wrapped one around his hips then held the other out for Olly. Olly, hands on hips, stared at his unrelieved erection with an expression that bordered on disgust. He raised his eyes in mute appeal.

“Something to say, Olly?”

Olly’s lips parted but he just took a shuddering breath then shook his head. Wet curls bounced.

“Come on, you’ll get cold.” Joe wrapped Olly up in the towel and resisted the urge to laugh. A little denial would make Olly’s release all the sweeter later that night—after a bit more tormenting, of course.

 

* * * *

 

Olly shifted in his seat. Joe didn’t like it when he fidgeted but, as Joe was the one who’d stuffed a plug up Olly’s ass, he would just have to deal with it. The thick rubber toy was pressing against his prostate and his erection hadn’t diminished since the shower he’d shared with Joe. The memory of the shower made him squirm even more. He sent an accusatory glance Joe’s way but just got a knowing grin in return.

“Unbelievable.” Olly rested his head on Aiden’s shoulder.

“Are you having a Victor Meldrew moment, or was that some deep philosophical comment on the meaning of life?”

Olly scowled at his best friend. “Not funny. Joe did bad things to me. Well, really good things, actually, but you know what I mean, and now I can’t sit still and he’ll probably punish me for fidgeting and then I’ll have to wait even longer before I get to come!” His voice rose to a wail. “I’m traumatized.”

“You know why he did it?”

“Because he’s a Dom and all Doms are sadists?”

Aiden snorted, “Can’t disagree with the sadist bit, though I’m sure we shouldn’t be generalizing, but no, that’s not why. Think about it.”

“He’s distracting me from what happened this morning, isn’t he?”

“Because he loves you and he doesn’t want all that stuff playing over and over in that pretty head of yours like some bad B-movie rerun.”

“Well, it’s working because all I can think about is my dick and the fact that my balls must be an interesting shade of cobalt by now. Ooh! I wonder who would play me in the movie?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be Vin Diesel, that’s for sure.”

“Yum. All those muscles.”

“We still have to talk about what happened. You’re not going to get upset, are you?”

Olly rolled his eyes. “I’m not the delicate little flower you all seem to think I am.”

“You fainted.”

“Did not.”

“Did so, Joe told us.”

“Okay, well maybe for a second or two, but only because I ran out of adrenaline. And I hadn’t had anything to eat or drink.”

“For a whole hour and a half?”

“Your point is?”

Joe and Heath joined them at the table.

“What are you two bickering about?” Joe asked.

“Nothing!” Olly and Aiden dissolved into fits of giggles at their simultaneous declaration.

They had enjoyed a simple meal, which to Olly’s utter astonishment, Heath had cooked and still proved to be delicious. They’d had ice cream for dessert. Olly found that somewhat ironic but he couldn’t reject rocky road as his second favorite flavor just because Sergeant ‘Rocky’ Drayson had tried to kill him. Joe and Heath had cleared away the dishes and now they had a pot of freshly brewed coffee to share. Olly was in heaven.

Joe patted his lap. Olly’s world immediately got even better. He scrambled onto Joe’s lap and snuggled close. He was well fed, warm and safe. His eyelids drooped. Despite his nap that afternoon, the events of the day were catching up with him.

“How are you doing, love?” Concern laced Joe’s words.

“Just sleepy. I’m good.”

Aiden coughed his disbelief but Heath tugged his head back by the hair and kissed him into silence.

“We need to talk about what happened this morning,” Joe said.

“I’m sorry we went out without letting you know.” Olly nuzzled into the crook of Joe’s neck. “We thought we’d be back in time for lunch.”

“Neither of you are prisoners. Yes, you should have told one of us where you were going rather than just leaving a note, but there’s no way either of you could have known what would happen. It’s history and there’s no changing it.” Joe took a sip of his coffee. “Olly, what impression did you get of Darren Drayson?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Just curious. How was he acting?”

Olly took a breath. He didn’t want to make an idiot of himself. “Well, it was loud, unexpected noise that seemed to set him off. The fire alarm, the helicopter that flew over, then finally the storm. He was raving, like he was in a war zone being attacked. At first it seemed like he was trying to defend us but toward the end he started accusing us of acting for the enemy.”

“So, typical signs of PTSD?”

“Well…no, not really. It was more like he was…I don’t quite know how to describe it…acting a part. He was a bit too convincing. I’m not sure he really was suffering from PTSD, but what possible reason could he have for pretending? He made me suspicious and that was part of the reason why I risked pushing the blade under Razor’s bedding. I was sure there was something else going on. Was I being stupid, Sir?”

Joe and Heath exchanged a look.

“No, not stupid at all. In fact, you were remarkably perceptive. I’m proud of you, sweetheart,” Joe said.

Olly glanced around the table. “Why do I get the feeling that I don’t know the whole story here?”

Heath reached across the table and patted Olly’s hand. “I’m amazed how well you kept your head in such a difficult situation. Anyone would have been terrified. You were exceptionally brave, Olly.”

Praise from Heath made Olly glow. Heath wasn’t a man to be easily impressed and the comment had Olly feeling uncharacteristically shy. For once, he didn’t know what to say. He realized his mouth was open and snapped it shut. Joe ruffled his hair and gave him an indulgent smile.

“You’ve gone pink.” Joe pressed a cool hand to Olly’s overheated cheek.

“What’s going on? Heath has had a personality transplant, that I can see, but there’s something else. What have you all been up to?” Olly eyeballed Aiden, knowing he was most likely to crack, but his friend just shrugged.

“While you were…detained, this morning, Aiden was doing a bit of digging. We came to the same conclusion you did—that PTSD was Rocky’s cover for something else. He smuggled a weapon into the hospital—that was the giveaway. We think he was lucky with his supposed triggers, but he could probably rely on something happening sooner or later to give him the excuse for an episode. When he attacked you yesterday, that was the perfect set-up for a bigger agenda. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could have been anyone.”

“Remind me to stop buying lottery tickets, because my luck stinks if today was anything to go by.” Olly shivered. It was hard to believe it had only been a few short hours since the hostage situation had ended. “So what did you dig up?” He directed his question to Aiden, who looked to Heath before he responded.

Heath gave a slight nod. “Go ahead.”

Aiden’s eyes sparkled with excitement just as they always did when he talked about his clandestine activities.

“You are such a spy-geek.” Olly couldn’t resist teasing him.

“Do you want me to tell you or not?” Aiden could be almost as growly as Heath sometimes.

Olly batted his eyelashes. “Yes please, Commander Bond.”

Aiden huffed.

Heath squeezed his shoulder. “He’s had a traumatic day. Cut him some slack. The experience has probably melted whatever brain cells he had left.”

Olly stuck his tongue out. “You can’t be mean to the ex-hostage. It’s the law.”

“Olly.” Joe’s tone only changed a fraction but it was enough to tell Olly he was skating on thin ice.

Aiden put his elbows on the table, then steepled his fingers. “With a bit of help from Becket, I managed to access Rocky’s personnel files and take a peek at his history. He’s spent a lot of time in various west African combat zones.”

“Nick said Rocky had been brought into the team because of his regional expertise. But Special Forces operate all over the world, why is that significant?” Olly couldn’t imagine a connection, but Aiden’s ginormous brain worked differently to everyone else’s.

“I put together a little program that searched for specific word connections across the web and I got a few similar hits. Have you heard of blood diamonds?”

“I saw the film,” Olly said. “With Leonardo di Caprio. Can’t remember where I saw it but I think it was depressing.”

“The whole conflict diamond industry is pretty depressing,” Aiden said. “All built around funding war. It’s a particularly slimy underbelly of several African countries.”

“But I still don’t get what this has to do with Rocky.” Olly massaged his temples. Thinking was giving him a headache. He was tired and just wanted to be curled up in bed with Joe wrapped around him. He wound his finger through the necklace that doubled as his everyday collar.

“Well, it’s purely theoretical at the moment and I don’t have proof, but there are too many threads intertwined for this to be coincidental.” Aiden wrinkled his nose. “I’ve cross referenced every source of information I can get into—satellite feeds, traffic cameras, weather reports, news footage, blogs, even conspiracy theory websites. It comes down to this. There was a daring raid on an illegal mining operation in Liberia. The thieves—although stealing from thieves makes them something else, I suppose—got clean away. They vanished like ghosts. Rumors put the worth of the haul at more than a million pounds.”

“And these are just a bunch of rocks, right? Not sparkly, polished stones.” Olly hardly understood the appeal.

“That’s right. These are stones straight out of the ground. They don’t look like much.” Aiden leaned back in his seat, swaying automatically toward Heath. “The one thing I haven’t been able to do so far is find definite proof that Darren Drayson was involved in the raid. There are far too many coincidences for there not to be a connection, though. He had extensive local knowledge for a start.” Aiden counted off his points on his fingers. “Secondly, the team was operating in exactly the right area so he had the know-how and the opportunity. Third, there’s reference in his records to some disciplinary issues and there was an investigation into the theft of a rare artefact from an archaeological dig in the Ivory Coast, though there was no proof and the matter was closed.”

“He doesn’t sound like someone who gives his all for his country,” Olly said.

“My gut says there are two possibilities. Either Rocky took the diamonds himself or he took them from the people who did. Either way, he had military transport to get them out of the country. I doubt getting injured was part of his master plan.”

Heath put his arm around Aiden’s shoulders. Olly detected pride in his expression along with a measured dose of impatience. Joe had apparently spotted it too.

“I think we should get you to bed, Olly. Heath needs to take care of his boy and you, my love”—Joe gave Olly a squeeze—“are practically unconscious already. Rocky is safely contained in a secure ward with military police guarding the door. We can reconvene over breakfast and decide what we need to do next.”

Olly wished he had the energy to keep talking, but his eyelids were drifting closed. Joe scooped him up into his arms. Olly made a half-hearted protest that he could walk, but Joe ignored him.

“Thanks for a great meal, Heath. We’ll see you in the morning,” Joe said.

“Was yummy…” Olly pressed close to Joe’s chest. He let the steady beat of Joe’s heart lull him to sleep.