Dalton (Mistress & Master of Restraint) (10 page)

Strong hands wrap a sports bandage tightly around my midsection. It hurts sharply for a moment and then the relief sets in as I can breathe easier. It dulls to a mild ache. The cool touch of ointment smeared into my inflamed skin is soothing and comforting. I feel his fingertip trace the four tattoos imbedded into my skin. Two large tattoos over the bulk of my shoulders and two smaller ones directly beneath.

Devlin follows up the nursing with basic comfort by helping me dress in pajama pants and a soft, long sleeved t-shirt. The feel of the jersey cotton is a comfort for my skin. The paddle of a brush is pulled through my hair eliciting vocalization from my throat.
“You don’t have to do that, Dad. I can take care of my own hair.” I say in protest.
“I want to. Besides it would hurt
you
to raise your arm to do it. Let me take care of you as you take care of all of us. Let me sho
w you that I love you. Please, S
on,” he pleads.

I don’t answer. I sit contently as he runs the brush through my hair. It’s a gesture that one’s mother should do. Not one my mother ever used. Devlin picks up on all her failings when she allows it.
“Devlin, I don’t think Spy and I could have prayed for a better father. You and mother were never together, but you took respon
sibility for us. I thank you from
both of us.” I say as I wipe a stray tear from the corner of my eye.
“Ah, no matter what anyone says about you
, Font, you are a joy to have a
s a
son. Don’t allow your
broken mother to ruin you. You’
re stronger
than her in so many ways. She’
s one of the strongest of us, but in a way, the biggest coward. I haven’t respected her in a long time. She is a hard woman to deny in the moment. But when I have time to think, I can’t stand by her decisions.”
“Me too. I loathe her as much as I love her,” I whisper the words that have plagued me my entire life- words I’ve never spoken aloud.
“Me too, son, me too,” his deep voice rumbles sadly.

“I don’t trust her anymore. I don’t trust why she sent us here. Even with all the bad things I’ve said and done to the members of Restraint they still treat me with respect. I want to stay here. I want her to go home.”
“I agree. It makes no sense that she would come here. She left Kink and that has never happened before. I don’t trust her motives. I’m rethinking everything she’s said and done. Don’t stress yourself. You could go downstairs as you are and be yourself, Font. You don’t have to keep up this charade.”
“You mean denounce her as my Master?”
I ask in surprise.
“She’ll always be your mother, for better or worse. But she is a bad Master for you. Think about it. I know you fear the repercussions of being Font. Those men and women would keep your secret.”
“All of them except the leak,” I muse.
“Maybe they would, too. You never know.
People do things for different reasons. You have treated your fellow Masters with disrespect at your Master’s command. What do we know of the leak and even Ms. Whittenhower? While you’ve been obtaining information for your mother, I’ve been looking for the source. I have nothing yet, so don’t ask.
”
I relax with the rhythm of the brush. I close my eyes and try to clear my mind of everything. I concentrate on my breathing, in and out… in and out… in and out.
“Font, I don’t want you to be angry with me, but I need you to do something for me.” Devlin’s voice breaks into my meditation.
“I don’t like the sounds of that. It’s always a bad idea when a sentence starts with ‘don’t be angry with me’.”
I’
m surprised to hear the teasing lilt to my voice.

“Tomorrow at midnight I have someone who wants to spend some time with you. I need you to trust me.”
“What do you mean?” I ask suspiciously.
“And yet again, the ‘trust me’ makes me think I can’t,” I smirk.

“I found you an outlet. You
need your needs met. Just be here at midnight and be yourself. He wants Font, not Dalton Thompson. Dress as yourself. Wear the mask I put on your bedside table until he tells you otherwise. I know you can’t trust anyone, but
you can trust me. Just do this.
You
need it badly.”

“Did you hire someone or force them to spend time with me? I don’t need you finding me lovers,” I say extremely offended.
“No, dammit, Font, trust me. I’
m keeping his secret. He came to me. He requested that I set this up for both of you. Just enjoy something for the first time in your life. Don’t act, just be
yourself
around him. It isn’t even about sex. I have no illusions that it’s on his mind, but I think he wants
to be around someone who is um-” He hesitates as he thinks up a word, “like-minded.”
“Do you mean gay, Dad?” I tease him. He is one of the straightest men I know, which is saying something since the BDSM community is teaming with men in comparison to women.

“Yes, I mean gay. You’
re in
a
similar circumstance. As I said it’s not just about sex. I do think like-minded was an appropriate word,” he defends his wording choice.
“Fine, if I don’t like it I’
ll tell him to leave. It’s the best I can do right now.” I fall back on the bed an
d snuggle into the blankets. I’
m overcome with lethargy.
“Get some rest. I set your alarm on your cell phone and there are fresh bagels on the counter for breakfast. You don’t need to worry about your stomach tomorrow. Class is dismissed and you aren’t sched
uled for duty in the
dungeon. Your sister
outed
you to her new friends. I’m sorry, but it’s unavoidable. Under the circumstance we can agree that they are exceptional at keeping secrets. I need you to take them to a movie or something. Ava needs you to talk to.”
“I agree. I don’t like that they know. First
,
Dexter and now Ava and Niel know my real identity, who else will find out?
Hell, Queen called me by my real name.
If the mole does I lose my in with Adelaide, but worse is if the cartels find out. I don’t want Dalton Thompson’s
name on a hit-list too.”
“You’
re safe. The ones who know who you are will protect you.
No fear. Get some rest. I will call for an update on your meeting.
” He winks as he says meeting- m
y father the matc
hmaker.
“Speaking of updates, M
om didn’t call.” I avoided bringing up the sore subject earlier,
but
it’s
unavoidable now.
“I called her while you were in the shower. She w
on’t call tomorrow either. She’
s busy and I told her to leave you the fuck alone or there would be consequences.” His voice drops an octave as he speaks.
“Did you really threaten her?” I ask in awe.
“Yes, and I meant every word I said.”
“Yeah, you can mean it, but it doesn’t mean she does.”
“She knew I was serious. I don’t give a shit i
f she tries to bend my will. I’
m three hundred pounds of pissed off father. She got the hint.
Technically, I’m her Master now. She shouldn’t have given me the reins,” he laughs.

“Dad, did she come with Sebastian?” I pray I am wrong.

He just shakes his head sadly.
“Thanks, bonne nuit.” I roll into a ball underneath the covers and sigh in plea
sure.
“Good night to you too, S
on,” he says as he locks up behind him.  
 

Chapter
Eight

The world is brighter by the light of day seen out of green eyes instead of drab brown. My face luxuriates in the feel of my hair sweeping across it in the light breeze. I lay on my back in the grass in the park smiling to myself.
“Ruff… ruff… ruff…
grrr
…” startles me upright. I almost butt heads with the idiot who startles me.
“Bark…
bark
… Font,” he laughs at me bringing his face so close that he looks like a Cyclops.
“Back off, Mini-Whitt,” I say as I mock-punch the idiot in the chest so he gets out of my personal space.
“You have a nice smile,” is his reply. I throw him a confused look and he smiles at me again.
“What’s up with the look, Daniel? I know I look different, but you’re gazing at me like I’m fascinating.”

“Who’s she?” I ask of the teenage girl that looks so much like Whitt it’s surreal. She’s tall and curvy with sandy-blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She smiles at me shyly and blushes.

“My
little
sister, Ella,” he says as he points at the ground where he wants her to sit.

“I thought you were an only child,
an
orphan. I’d ask if you meant an adopted sister, but dang she looks just like Whitt.” I shake my head in mystification. If the girl wasn’t so close in age, I’d swear Whitt was her father
.

“Shh… no telling or our mom will kick your ass,” he warns. The girl nods her head up and down in agreement.

“I feel ya. I have a sister myself,” I smirk at Spyder.

It was kid
s’ choice of activities today, a
picnic and sunbathing in the park. Yea
h, what a lovely idea for the pasty white guy, his sister of the same s
kin tone, an ethereal being,
the mini-boy next door
and his sister, the girl next door
.
“Whose idiot idea was it for us to get a sunburn?” I ask when Niel doesn’t explain why he keeps gazing at me fondly.

“I thought that since this is our first official meeting that it would be nice not to be in the dark. Our lives are spent in a dungeon and castle-like homes and learning institutions. We need a little sun to brighten up our lives.” Ava, the youngest of our group, gives the best insight.

“I wouldn’t call the five
of us a meeting. I do like the location though. I hope someone remembered sunblock.”

I help spread out the quilt that Ava brought and smile when I see a huge hamper full of food and drinks.
“We aren’t the only members-” Ava cuts her words short when Niel gives her a
shut the fuck up
look. “One member couldn’t make it today.”
“I assume that the member is a secret- good to know.” I say sarcastically. I feel eyes on me. “Dammit, Daniel, why do you keep staring at me?”
“You’re very pretty.” I look at him like he’s lost his mind. I know damn well the boy only has eyes for Ava. H
e isn’t crushing on me so what’
s his issue?
“You look just like your mom, almost identical, except on you
it’s
better. You’d be beautiful if you weren’t a guy.” His eyes evaluate me.
“You’re
creeping
me out, Kid.”
“That’s a perfect combination- beautiful and pretty,” my sister snickers out. I
roll my eyes at her. I know I’
m the brunt of some inside joke. My suspicions are confirmed when Ava looks at me from her peripheral vision and blushes. 

“You wouldn’t happen to be matchmaking, would you? Have you been talking to Devlin? Spyder, is nothing sacred?”
I tease and sigh dramatically.
I receive four
pairs
of innocent eyes- two green,
one gray
, and one blue
. All
four
blink their lashes at me. Well, it’s like a preschool, but it’s entertaining.
“So how many members are there, really?” I ask Ava because
,
c
learly, she’
s the leader.
“Six
members- us and one other person.”
 
“Whose idea was it for your organization?”
“Niel and I came up with it, and then we got some help from our silent partner.” She smiles at Daniel for not mentioning the missing member. “We found your sister and now you.”

“What are the rules?”
“It’
s like Fight Club. You don’t talk about Fight C
lub. One extra rule- you don’
t state the name of the club or the members. Lastly, we come first. I know that sounds strange, but your loyalties
lie
with us first and foremost.”
I crack a grin as the angelic child-woman gives m
e the rules of Fight C
lub with a straight face.
“Kids, I’m from Vegas
as my sister probably told you, I know those rules very well.”

They all shake their heads like puppies.
“Alright, I’m in charge now.” I tell them because
I will not have a fourteen-year-
old child boss me around. No freaking way is my sister going to and a hell no on Mini-Shit-Whitt
and Mini-pretty-Whitt
.

They all shake their heads no. I
stare them down until Daniel c
aves.
“The sil
ent partner’
s in
charge,” is his answer.
“Who’
s older?”
I arch a brow.
“You may be by a few months- I think.” He scrunches up his face and rubs the back of his neck in a gesture that is so similar to his uncle’
s that I have to blink the
vision of Whitt from my mind.
“Well, I’m oldest, so I’m
in charge.” I really don’t care.
I’m baiting them to see who the silent partner is.
“Stop answering him, you fool,” Spyder snaps at Niel. I glare at her for
messing up my plans.
“No, he’
s still the one in charge.” I laugh when the kid keeps it up. I fall back and lay in the grass silently laughing. I hold on my chest to still my aching rib.
“
Ah- you guys are fabulous. Thanks for making my day- hell, my year. I don’t know how you’ve gone undetected for so long. It’s a fucking miracle.” I sit up and wipe my eyes.
“
I bet your silent partner, Marcus, and Devlin are running interference to keep you out of trouble.”
The three of them look at me in confusion.
They can’t figure out why they’
re amusing me.
“Ava, from now on you are the spokesperson. I hope and pray chatty-Daniel is only so free with his speech around those he trusts. You guys know too much about me and frankly, it could get me killed. So you better mean what stays at ‘do not say the name of the club’, stays with us. Now, go ahead and call Whi
tt to our meeting. I’m sure he’
s sad that he’s missing all the fun. That is unless you’ve been able to keep your mouth shut for five seconds and by some miracle he doesn’t know who I am.”