Bringing Home Danny (44 page)

“
I spoke to the maître d'. He's going to seat us at our favorite spot.”
 

“
That's nice, Brendan, but I really can't stay long,” Ricky said, as they were escorted to their table.
 

“
You've come this far. Let me at least order us a few appetizers and a drink.”
 

Ricky smiled uncomfortably at the waiter when Brendan took the liberty of ordering for the both of them. “I have to be somewhere in an hour.”

Brendan promised the waiter an extra tip if he hurried. His congenial facade dropped as soon as the waiter was gone. “You've hardened since you left me.”

“
I had to. You really hurt me.”
 

“
You hurt me, too. Not that I blame you for leaving. I only wish you gave me a chance to change before you starting seeing other people.”
 

“
I gave you a lot of chances.”
 

“
I realize that, but I'm clean now. I promise I will never hurt you again. I'll do anything if you let me make it up to you. Don't you remember how good it used to be?”
 

“
Yes, I remember, but it's too late. I'm in new relationship that's good for me.”
 

“
You belong to a harem," Brendan scoffed. "How could that possibly be good for you?”  
 

“
I'm treated with love and respect.”
 

“
Those men took advantage of you, of us, when we were going through a rough patch.”
 

“
That's not true. They reached out to me when I was too afraid to ask for help.”
 

“
They reached out to you all right, and took you right under my nose. How can you degrade yourself by living with all those men? There's no way they can give you all the attention I lavished on you.”
 

“
I'm happy, that's all that matters. If you ever cared for me, you should be happy for me.”
 

“
What about me? Don't my feelings count? Do you have any idea how devastated and lonely I am without you?”
 

“
Of course your feelings count. I want you to be happy. It just can't be with me.”
 

Brendan realized he was not making any ground in changing Ricky's mind, and he refused to debase himself any longer by begging for his forgiveness. He tried another tactic. Ricky should suffer as he had. Brendan leaned back in his chair, and said casually, “I met that cute little roomy of yours. I've been following him. Do you want to know where he goes at night?”

“
What do you mean?” Ricky's heart leapt to his throat.
 

“
That kid, Dan. He's been getting quite a lot of attention downtown. It seems he created somewhat of a competition over who gets to be the first to make him a man.”
 

Ricky's heart began to pound. “He's just a boy.”

“
Not for long, not by the way he's been strutting that tight little ass of his all over the place. I'm thinking about giving him a try myself.”
 

“
You touch him, and you'll find yourself beaten worse than anything you've ever given me.”
 

Brendan yanked Ricky by the wrist and twisted it. “Are you threatening me?” he asked, in a menacing whisper.

“
Do whatever you want to me, but when you're done, you had better run.” Ricky's voice was quivering in outrage, but he matched Brendan eye to eye.
 

“
You're no longer worth it,” Brendan said, releasing his grip on Ricky. “Make sure to say hi to little Danny for me. Better yet, I'll have him say hi to
you
from
me
.” Satisfied by the cringe he received, Brendan abruptly stood up, slammed his chair into the table, and left. Still trembling, Ricky managed to hit the speed dial on his cell for Antonio.
 

“
I'm sorry, Antonio.” He cried into the phone the second he heard his voice.
 

“
Sunshine, what happened? Where are you?”
 

“
I'm in Hamilton Heights.”
 

“
What are you doing so far uptown?”
 

“
Can I explain when I see you?”
 

“
Are you safe?”
 

“
I think so.”
 

“
Stay put, and I'll pick you up.”
 

*****

When they arriv
ed home, An
tonio and Ricky went straight to the office where Mitch was waiting for them. He was already sitting in the tall discipline chair.
 

“
You need to understand, my boy, you might have meant well, but you broke our trust when you lied to us.” Mitch's words hit hard as tears streamed down Ricky's face. Ricky didn't want to make excuses. He confessed all he knew in a concerted effort to right his wrongs, and purge his guilt. Mitc
h beckoned him over, and Antonio followed by his side holding his hand.
 

 “
Okay, Ricky, it's time,” Antonio said, letting go of his hand.
 

Ricky walked slowly over to Mitch.

“
I know you already feel bad, and I appreciate that, but you are going to be punished because I don't want you to ever consider doing anything even remotely close to what you did today. Do I make myself clear?”
 

Ricky nodded while tears of shame washed down his face. Mitch made no pretense of drying them away.

“
Acknowledge Mitch's words by responding with a respectful 'yes sir', honey,” Antonio encouraged.
 

“
Yyyes, sir,” Ricky said, with a cracked voice.
 

“
You not only put yourself at risk, you put everyone in this house at risk. I am disappointed that you chose to keep secrets and defy our authority by engaging with a man we strictly forbade you to see.” Ricky was horrified by the significance of Mitch's words. “I would like you to pull down your pants now to show me that you are willing to accept your punishment.”
 

Ricky slowly unfastened his jeans, and then looked back to Antonio for reassurance.

“
It's going to be all right, sweetheart.”
 

Ricky took a deep breath, dropped his pants, and stepped out of them.

“
Seeing as this is your first spanking we are going to begin with you over my knee. However, if you ever pull a stunt like this again, you'll find yourself stripped, and immediately bent over the discipline chair for several lashes of my thickest belt. Do you understand me?”
 

“
Yes, sir.”
 

Mitch knew his hand was big and strong enough to deliver a powerful lesson without the aid of a discipline implement. They were used mostly for effect, and to quicken the process. Today, Mitch was convinced that he could get most of his message heard through a hand spanking, and he was going to make it long and painful.

Ricky stood in front of Mitch quivering with remorse.

Mitch took him by the hands and said, “We are going to make this count. I don't want to do this again anytime soon. Now, be a good boy and pull down your boxers.” Mitch let go of Ricky's hands so he could obey his command, which he did without protest. “Over my lap,” Mitch instructed, patting his knees.

Ricky complied as Mitch helped him into position. Mitch had selected a tall chair with a wide seat, but no arms to impede his swing as his discipline chair. It suited his purpose and his large frame, while making the boys feel particularly vulnerable because it was difficult to secure a position dangling off the ground. He rubbed his hand over Ricky's plump voluptuous mounds and thought
they were made for kissing not tanning
. His rear end was surprisingly curvy for such a slender young man, and Mitch never expected to see it presented over his lap for punishment so soon. He was sure it would have been Antonio to see to his first discipline spanking, and he couldn't imagine it being for anything very serious. He steeled himself for what was to follow.

“
Are you ready?” Mitch asked.
 

“
Yes, sir, I'm ready,” Ricky said, as bravely as he could.
 

Mitch laid a heavy stream of spanks to Ricky's backside covering as much of his bottom as he could with each whack. Ricky closed his eyes tight, and attempted to lie as still as possible to show Mitch that he wasn't going to cause him any more trouble.

Mitch paused to ask, “Tell me what you did to earn this spanking, Ricky.”

“
I was dishonest and b-broke your trrussst!” he cried out.
 

“
How were you dishonest?”
 

“
I was selfish and stupid for not telling you Brendan was back. My thoughtlessness endangered...”
 

“
That's enough,” Mitch said, stopping Ricky from berating himself any further. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let's stick to the facts. We don't need your overly critical commentary.”
 

“
I...” Ricky wanted to please Mitch with the right response, but he had no idea what he was supposed to say.
 

“
You are being punished for not following the safety rules we put in place in regards to Brendan,” Mitch stated matter-of-factly.
 

“
I'm sorry,” was the last thing Mitch allowed Ricky to say before he lifted his hand to resume the spanking.
 

By the time Mitch was doubling up on the under curve of his backside, Ricky began to squirm uncontrollably. Mitch pulled him in tighter. He was aware that it paradoxically comforted the boys while making it easier for him to aim. Mitch continued his rhythm from top to bottom turning Ricky's backside from pink to bright red. His own hand went from stinging to a deep throbbing ache. Mitch rubbed the numbness from his hand against the burning heat of Ricky's punished hind end. Ricky took the moment to take in deep hitching breaths. Before he had a chance to brace himself, Mitch laid into him with a half dozen harsh spanks in rapid procession against the center of his left upper thigh. Ricky's eyes opened in surprise, and he let out an unexpected howl. Mitch repeated the process to the other side, and Ricky lost his composure and began to cry out his anguish.

Mitch gave him a few moments to settle down before lifting him off his lap. He hardly recognized Ricky's sweet face now that it was all red and swollen from his puffy eyes, tears, and snot.

“
We're almost done. That spanking was for keeping secrets and disobedience. Now we have to address the issue of putting yourself in danger.”
 

Antonio held Ricky’s hand as Mitch laid him across the desk.

“
Twenty with the paddle or ten with the belt?” Mitch asked.
 

“
I don't know,” Ricky cried.
 

“
We'll make it ten with the belt,” Mitch said, preferring to finish sooner than later.
 

He laid it on hard enough to sting, but not enough to blister. Mitch wanted him to feel the pain, to ache for a while, to know enough to avoid it in the future; but not enough to be afraid of it. He never wanted his boys terrified of him, regardless of how badly they think they behaved.

The physical pain was almost a relief from the emotional one. Ricky thought he could never forgive himself for breaking their trust and endangering Danny. When Mitch put him in the corner, he began to truly fall apart. The guilt was overwhelming, and standing there isolated with his self-deprecating thoughts was too much for him to take.

Mitch watched as Ricky fell in on himself and cried uncontrollably. “This isn't working, come back over here.”

Ricky turned around clutching his stomach. Antonio met him half way over, lifted him in his arms, and carried him to the office couch.

He sat Ricky gingerly on his lap. “What is it, sunshine?”

“
I'm so sorry,” Ricky cried.
 

“
It's all over. You don't have to be sorry anymore.”
 

“
I put Danny in danger,” he balled.
 

“
Danny put himself in danger, and he will be punished for that,” Mitch assured.
 

“
I didn't mean to get him in trouble. He's going to hate me even more.”
 

“
Danny does not hate you. And he has no problem getting himself in trouble,” Antonio said, trying to calm him.
 

Ricky couldn't believe they were forgiving him so quickly, and began to cry even harder. “I don't deserve to be here. I broke your trust,” he said, breaking through his sobs.

Mitch took a seat next to Antonio and Ricky. “Trust us to make the right decision, that's all we are asking of you right now.”

Ricky looked pleadingly up at the both of them.

“
You belong to us, and that's never going change,” Antonio promised, in answer to his unspoken question.
 

Ricky closed his eyes and concentrated on the hum of the room, the throbbing of his backside, and the breathing of the men huddled near him. He let out a long sigh of relief, and marveled at the mysteries of the universe. Was it possible that this could be the worst and best day of his life?

*****

Danny snuck in the back door, and ran upstairs to grab his jacket before heading out again. He stopped in his tracks when he heard the unmistakable sounds of someone being disciplined. He sat down midway up the stairs to listen closer, and ascertained that it was Ricky. Both Mitch and Antonio were in the office with him. Danny couldn't believe it.
How is it that goodie two shoes is getting a spanking? Why are Mitch and Antonio comforting him? Why does it bother me so damn much?