Dalton (Mistress & Master of Restraint) (14 page)

I hope I didn’t make a mistake…

“Hey, Dexter, come on it.” I show my guest in and offer him a seat at the table. I even pulled out a package of cookies. I didn’t have any coffee, I hope he doesn’t mind energy drinks.

He sits across from and shakes his head in disbelief.

“It’s like night and day. You’
re
creeping
my ass out
. I like this
you,
it’s just that I’m so used to…” He moves his
hands around
and
makes
an indescribable face at me.

“Yeah, in three years I’
ve only seen
this me when I shower. Looking into the mirror isn’t fun for me,” I say honestly.
“Are you going to stay like this? I saw you come up here without your disguise.”
Dexter takes a sip of the yellow liquid and smiles and gulps the rest down. Yeah, what dominant doesn’t like caffeine running in their veins?
“The people that
know
can know. I
’
m really in the witness protection program, so I have to be Thompson. Someone in the city is making sure that the criminal element stays away, but he’s not infallible. I don’t really want gunned down in the middle of the dungeon. When those guys strung me up that’s all I could think. I thought my time was up.”

Dexter looks down into his empty mug and I can tell by the expression on his face that he knows all about me- everything.
“I have a few apologies to make and a few thanks to give. I want to thank you for rescuing me. I know you didn’t want to but I trusted that your nature wouldn’t let them hurt me. I apologize for what I did to Monica. I will apologize to her face, too.”
“I’ve forgiven you for Monica. I’ll never be able to forget, but it’s not because of you. I failed her and it allowed you to prey on her. If I’d been doing my job you wouldn’t have been able to influence her.”
“I still feel sick about it,” I say in shame. “I don’t blame you for kicking my ass. I’d let you do it again if it’d make you feel better,” I offer and he laughs.

“Don’t you mean make you feel better?” he says knowingly. “I’m a sadist, kid. When you’re in disguise I didn’t see it. It’s shining bright right now. Who’s been working you? A masochist as strong as you can’t go without.”

“I self-punish. My Dad takes care of it when I beg him. He had to last night. I fe
el sick that I mad
e him do it, t
hat I mad
e him feel sick because he does it. Before… before I didn’t need to do anything because I was punished on a daily basis.” I shrug.

Dexter stares at me for a long time and I know that he knows everything my Dad does. It helps me relax. Unlike my Mother, Devlin has never made a poor choice. If he
trusts
Dexter, I have to too.

“I called you over for three reasons. I wanted to apologize, I want to talk about Spyder, and I need your help.
So…
Spyder.
I will make nice with you for her sake. I want her to have a whole family. I want her to see Marcus when he’s ready. She needs him,” I plead.
“Marc and Devlin are working on it. It’
s your Master they’
re having a problem with. Spyder’s almost eighteen. They either have to wait or get your Mom to agree.
Yes, they could visit, but that’s not what Marc wants. He wants his kid in his house with the rest of his family.”
“I think it would be best for her to live with them. She’s already bonding to Ava. Vegas
isn’t
where she needs to be. She lives above Kink. It’s not like here. Kink is a brothel. I don’t want my sister to ever go back there.”
“I know a lot about you kid, but I have a feeling that I don’
t know all that’
s important. You need to talk with Marc and tell him what put that wounded look into your eyes. You
still
really are a kid. You need a support system. You can trust him. He will take care of you and Spyder. I promise you this,” he vows.
“Divided loyalties,” I say in explanation. I may hate my Mom, but I can’t betray her like that. Once
your
Master, forever your Master.

Dexter smiles sadly at me knowing everything I left unsaid.

“I need your help. My Master sent me here to keep an eye on Marcus, and then when you started having problems she wanted to me figure out who was leaking information to Adelaide Whittenhower. She made me act like the asshole. I can’t do it that way anymore. I will find out who is the leak, but not on her terms and no
t
for her. I want to help and whatever I
find I’
ll tell you or Marcus. I don’
t trust her anymore.’

“Good,” Dexter says in relief. He smiles at me and I can’t figure out why. “I’
ll agree, but on
one condition.”
“Name it,” I agree before I hear it. “Restraint has shown me more respect than I’ve ever gotten in my life. No matter how heinous I was, you all still welcomed me. I’ll do anything to get our doors open again.”

“Whatever you find you can only tell Marcus, Devlin, or me. Trust no one else. It’s not that they are the enemy. It’s just that someone may overhear or they may say something unwittingly. Understood?”
“Yeah, um… What about Queen? Is she helping you because she said she was taking me off the bench and welcome to the game,” I say in
confusion. I have no idea what’
s going on with her.
Dexter huffs a laugh and grips his belly. I watch him in amusement as he laughs his ass off.
“Is that why you fucked her?” He laughs. “Because I’m pretty sure she was sending a message to a few people with that little stunt.” He keeps laughing.
“What?”
“Nothing… It’s nothing,” he wipes his eyes. “She’s fantastic. Yeah, tell her anything you want. Marc’s been going nuts since last
night. He’s met his match
,” he laughs.
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” I mumble.

“I know, that’s what makes it so hilarious,” he snorts. “Tell her anything. She’ll tell us after you do.”
“So I can’t trust her?” I ask in confusion.
“That’s not what I meant. She’s mama bear and she’s pissed that her dungeon isn’t open for business. She helped me interrogate the fucktards that assaulted you. She’s our Queen and she’ll
protect us all. She’s been helping you more than you know it,” he smirks.
“Fuck you, Dexter. Quit talking in riddles,” I growl.

“Jesus, make sure you growl for your secret admirer. It sounds hotter than hell in a French accent,” he teases.

“Asshole,” I grumble, but I smirk anyway. “What did you find out from them?”
“I can’t tell you all of it because you’re not ready. Hell, Marc didn’t tell Devlin until last night. Your Dad’s on a rampage this morning. And Marcus thinks he’s everyone’s dad, so you have two of them on the warpath.”
“What made him so mad?”
“He was upset after punishing you and went to Marc
to
t
ry
to figure out a way to stop you
r
Master from
yanking your leash. Marcus thought it was time to spill the beans. He finally told me what’s going on at the same time. Shocked is an understatement.”
“What? How can I help if I don’t have a fucking clue?”
“You’re not ready. The assholes were more than happy to tell us the truth while Regina held th
em down and I used my gift. I’
ll tell you this because you need to know. They didn’t randomly choose a Master. They were specifically told to harm you. In fact, they were told to create a distraction in the club to clear out the dungeon. They were supposed to kill the Master and make it look like an accident. The fallout would make Restraint no more and you would have been dead.”
He calmly delivers the news that I was supposed to die weeks ago. I sit in stunned silence and think about how I’ve lived my life. I was given a few extra weeks of life and all I did in that time was be miserable and make those around me miserable.
“The cartels,” I murmur in acceptance.

“No, Dalton. You’re safe from them. Your father-in-law really is protecting you. Your guy Bruno is protecting you. No one dares to collect on the hit. Devlin speaks with them every day checking to see if anyone has taken the hit. You’re not ready to know who wants you dead or why.”
“Does Devlin know?”
“Yeah, when we told him who, he called all of your contacts until he figured out the why. I’m sorry,” Dexter says in comfort.

“I need to be alone,” I mumble.
“I understand,” he says quietly. “I think you know who. I can tell. You need to talk to Marcus soon. It can wait for tonight. Enjoy your date,” he chuckles.
“Does everyone know except
for
me?”
I whine.
“Pretty much anyone that matters,” he teases. “You’ll be pleasantly surprised, but not too surprised. Get your rocks off tonight. You fucking need it. Later, you know where to find me,” he says in parting leaving me to my depressive musings.

Chapter Eleven

I feel exposed sitting on the edge of my bed with a sleep
mask
covering my eyes and my front door cracked to allow my secret admirer entrance. I’m not a fool. My admirer is one of two people- Sebastian or Whitt. I would lay money on Seba
stian. It would be easy for my M
other or Devlin to ask him to give me some much needed attention. Devlin made it a point to say it wasn’t about sex. Whitt is a conundrum- he acts one way and then another. It’s making my head spin in confusion and need.

Plus if it was just
about mutual sex they would
send my wife. I’m gay.
No
amount of punishment
could remove that need. But I’
m able to be with my wife as a husband should. Some part of me sees her as mine and we cherish her. I don’t have any experience to draw from on whether or not
it’s like real lovers, but it’
s enjoyable. I care for her. I protect her with my life. It’s the best I can hope for since I don’t believe in soul mates. 
I’m in a dark mood after reliving my past and speaking with Bianca
and Dexter
. I miss my wife, but seeing her in person opens too many wounds. I speak with her every day and her voice is a comfort. I haven’t been able to speak with Sebastian in a long time. It hurts too much. I know she puts me on speaker phone and allows him to listen in. I speak to him, but do not allow him to speak in return.

When I first went into Witness Protection I was thankful to be away from everyone except my sister. They all complicate my life. It was relaxing to be someone else. They were just a phone call away and that was good enough. Then I was sent here as Dalton Thompson and my life went to shit again.

A warm hand on my cheek makes
me flinch. I was so caught
up in my
inner-
miseries that I didn’t hear my visitor.
Thank God my enemies didn’t sneak in the door- I’d be a dead man right now.

Well, one mystery is solved- it’s a guy’
s hand. My wife has a tiny hand.
This
one is warm and soft, but large. I try to remember the sight of Whitt and Sebastian’s hands. I draw a blank, not from the lack of memory, but because the hand is still burning me with its warmth.
I look up and silently swear because the mask impedes my view. I receive a playful pinch to the end of my nose and the hand leaves me.
The click of my deadbolt is
slightly unnerving. Either we’
re locking people out or me in, neither is a comforting thought.
“Why the mask?”
I ask my visitor.
The hand is back- resting on my shoulder.
“You won’t speak with me?”
I mumble.
I receive two squeezes on my shoulder.
“Let me g
uess- two for yes, one for no,” I say sarcastically.
Two more squeezes and I laugh from the ridiculousness of the situation.
“
This isn’t your first time playing the guessing game. I can tell.
I have a pretty good idea who you are. You don’t have to hide from me. Why are you hiding?”
I coax him.

Breath cares
ses my ear as if he’
s tempted to speak. My body goes bowstring tight. The darkness creates an intimacy I’ve never encountered. My hands flex on my thighs with the need to touch him. I instinctively know that I’m not allowed until he offers. It makes the n
eed that much stronger. I lean closer
and
I
barely resist the urge to kiss him.

“I want you,” I say and I hear a hitch in his breathing. I know that sound. I know the feel of him. I know with one-hundred pe
rcent accuracy
who
he is and I’
m
pleasantly
surprised
, but not too surprised- Just as Dexter has said.