What the hell had happened in the three hours Aidan had been gone? Even the fact that Aidan remained partially clothed didn’t lessen Gavin’s upset.
Aidan snarled, “Fuck you, Kerr. I told you before, and I’ll tell you again. I don’t know what the hell this is supposed to prove, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. Of course I know who Owen Stallbridge is. He was on the cover of Money Now and five other newspapers this month. He’s a millionaire, in the public eye, and he’s everywhere in the Northwest. But I’m not working for him.” Aidan managed a snort. “If I was, I sure the hell wouldn’t be here with you. And I would have admitted it long before now. My ribs fucking hurt.” He glared at Samson through a swollen eye.
“Maybe, maybe not. I think you like it when I hurt you,” Samson said in a low voice. He nodded to the crumpled men near the far wall Gavin hadn’t noticed before. “And you’re a lot more than an independent arms guy. You took those three out like it was nothing.”
“Until you tased me. Asshole.”
Samson chuckled. Tyler stood back, his club at the ready.
“Holy hell. What happened?” Gavin thought as hard as he could.
“Somehow, they found out about me. The phone call Carl took before was some damning info. But they know nothing about you. You have to get the hell out of here and warn Jack. I think Samson might have tracked me back to the gym.”
Gavin shook, not acting at all. “Mr. Kerr? What’s going on?”
“Your Master has been telling lies. He works for a man I’d like to go away—forever.” Kerr smiled through his teeth. “Apparently, my opponent has a few aces in the hole. Did you know Aidan Castle is really Aidan Marshall, a man who claims to be telepathic?”
“What?” Oh shit.
“I never claimed anything at all, Kerr,” Aidan denied through a hiss when Samson grabbed his balls and held tight. “I thought I was here to do some business with you, but after tonight, you can forget it. In fact, you’d better let me out of here right the hell now. And then you can start sweetening any deal we might have made, ’cause no way I’m not after some payback after this shit.” He snorted. “Telepathy? Dickhead, if I could read your mind, I wouldn’t have walked in here with you and been beaten down by your lapdogs.”
Tyler frowned and nudged Samson away. Then he swung the club at Aidan’s thigh. The sharp impact had Gavin flinching back—into Kerr’s arms.
“Shh. It’s okay, Gavin. I’ll protect you from the big bad men.” He laughed. Samson and Tyler snickered. But through it all, Aidan glared at Kerr and didn’t make a sound. Kerr continued, “I can’t figure out if Gavin is part of your plan or an innocent bystander.” He wrapped his arms around Gavin’s stiff body. “What should we do with him?”
Aidan clenched his fists, unable to move because of his restraints. “I don’t give a shit. Keep him. Fuck him. Who cares? I want out of here. Now. And I want a fucker of an apology.”
Gavin blinked, feeling betrayed, though he recognized Aidan was acting. “But, Master—”
“Shut up, you little slut. I saw you eyeing him earlier tonight.” Aidan growled, “You just want someone to coddle you through life. You think I didn’t see you looking for a sugar daddy two weeks ago? If that ass wasn’t so tight and those lips so soft, I would have fucked you and dumped you days ago. Hell, Kerr. You want him? Take him. But get me the fuck down.”
“I thought you wanted the book.” Kerr hugged Gavin tighter.
Though Gavin knew Aidan didn’t mean what he said, a part of him felt the truth like a shocking blow. Gavin did want to be taken care of. He did like others watching him get off.
“The book is in the other room, in the bottom drawer of his desk, hidden. There’s a button under the left side of the middle drawer. You push it to access the bottom drawer. Get it and go. Then warn the team.”
“Okay.” Gavin wanted to ease Aidan’s worry, so he agreed, though he had no intention of leaving without Aidan. But first he’d grab that stupid book. He let some tears fall, worried about Aidan and nervous about Kerr. “Mr. Kerr? I don’t understand any of this.” He cried harder. “I just wanted my Master to love me.”
“It’s okay. Come with me. You can show me how innocent you really are.” Kerr grabbed Gavin’s crotch and rubbed. “Not hard yet. But that’s okay. I’m hard enough for both of us.” He shoved himself against Gavin’s ass, and Gavin more than felt his erection.
“Fucker likes the sight of blood,” Aidan whispered in his mind. “Go, Gavin. I’ll distract these two. You can take Kerr. Then hustle the hell out of here. You need to get to safety. Don’t wait for anything. Just go.”
Gavin let Carl lead him away.
Over his shoulder, Carl ordered, “Don’t kill him yet. You can play with him, though. Soften him up some. Still too much piss and vinegar in our blond spy.”
“No problem, boss.” Samson sounded way too happy about the command.
Gavin walked through to the office again, hating the slaps, pounding, and groans indicating Aidan’s abuse. Kerr left the door open between his office and the other room, no doubt to hear the pain better.
“Now, Gavin. I’m going to sit down, and you’re going to suck me off. Just the way you did your old Master. And if you please me, I’ll treat you like the treasure you are. That beautiful skin, those deep blue eyes.” Kerr sighed and dragged Gavin with him to his large chair…right behind his desk.
He pulled the chair out, sat, and turned it to give Gavin access. Then he spread his legs wide and waited.
Gavin bit his lip. “Please don’t hurt me, Sir.”
“I won’t unless I have to. Take off your clothes.” Kerr studied Gavin through shuttered lids. “I want to see that cock again.”
Gavin knew he had to make his move soon. This was turning into a nightmare. Kerr was a freak of the first order, and his monsters in the other room were having way too much fun beating on Aidan.
As he eased out of his shirt and toed off his shoes, he hesitated at the waistband of his pants. He leaned forward slightly, his hands on his waist. “Sir, can I ask you something?”
Kerr shrugged. “I don’t care. But ease those trousers down, slow.” Gavin nudged one side of his pants down while he readied to spring.
“It’s just, I don’t understand—”
He shot forward and used the flat of his hand to chop Kerr in the throat. While Kerr gagged and grabbed at his neck, Gavin continued to talk and pressed down hard, choking the man. “I don’t know how my Master could have lied to me like that.” He mentioned how they’d met and how special Aidan had made him feel while pushing down on the pressure points in Kerr’s neck.
Once Kerr went limp, Gavin hustled to find the hidden button on the desk Aidan had mentioned. He found it and pressed. A little snick, and then he reached for the bottom drawer on the left-hand side of the desk and opened it. Way in the back, past some hanging files, he felt a piece of wood jutting up. He moved it and accessed a deeper, hidden bottom. He withdrew the book he’d held in his hands just three short weeks ago.
Thank God. He quickly leafed through it, content this was the same volume he’d nearly bought before it had been sold out from under him. Then he looked down at Kerr.