Dangerous (14 page)

He instinctively looked for Ken—his long black braid and wicked smile, his tattooed back and beautiful body. But each time his gaze collided with a scene that made him queasy, he was glad he wasn’t there. Brady had seen a lot of gruesome things in his years of combat, but some of this was just plain wrong.

The first was a naked man whose arms were spread wide on a cross and held in place by thick metal chain. His knees were bent, his feet resting on a small protrusion on the device, and his entire body was covered in bloody welts. Brady assumed those came from the man wielding a multi-tailed whip that was tipped with sharp metal edges. Brady flinched when he looked down and noticed the clothespins attached to his testicles.

Son of—
God
that looked painful. Truly. And the man genuinely looked miserable. As if he would stand and try to leave if there weren’t fucking mousetraps on the floor to keep him from lowering his feet.

Had he voluntarily asked for this?
Why
?

Open mind, Brady. Remember your training and tighten up. Stick to the mission.

He tried. He passed another man hanging from metal hooks inserted into his back. The Conan-wannabe behind him whipped his ass ferociously and ordered him not to move, which was impossible because the force of the blows made the hanging man rock forward. He was helpless and dangling with no way to obey. No way to get down.

Brady clenched his fists at his sides, then quickly opened them and hooked his thumbs in his pockets so no one would notice his tension.
Open mind, my ass
. He wanted to break that damn whip and cut that poor guy down. He’d reached his limit as soon as he got off the elevator. Only fifty-five minutes to go.

Did Ken like things like this? Did he
do
things like this? He couldn’t see it. Couldn’t merge these images with the man who was his lover.

He thought about the night Ken had bound Tasha. Brady knew it was just a demo, and it had all been for show, but it hadn’t looked anything like this. Ken had moved like he was dancing, and his hands had been commanding but soothing. Everything about him that night had been focused on his partner, on her pleasure. This? This was all about pain without mercy. This was everything he’d thought BDSM was when he first met Ken. Torture. Humiliation. Power.

Were any of these men Terry Wahl? If not, had
they
been tricked, trapped and traded into being sex slaves, as he had? Most of the men who weren’t being tortured were chained to the wall—waiting for their turn to be abused by the ones wielding the whips, chains and knives. Did they want to be here? Were they given an option?

He glanced over his shoulder and took a closer look at the wrestlers dressed as security guards stationed throughout the room. There were telltale bulges under their shirts. Armed wrestlers. Even better.

How was he going to do this without Ken?

Just do it, that’s how. Focus.

Cal squeezed his hand. “My friends are at that viewing table up there.” Brady noticed a few carpeted steps leading to a row of tables, one of them occupied. “Don’t worry, I have no intention of talking shop tonight, but I need to say hello. I want to show you off.”

Yes, finally. The reason he was here.

“I don’t mind,” Brady said, speaking through the knot of disgust in his throat. “I’d like to meet them. And if you want to talk for a while? We’re not in any hurry, right?”

Cal frowned. “You might not be, but I damn well am.”

As they slowly climbed the steps, Brady observed the four men he was going to meet. Their ages ranged from forties to sixty-something and their clothing was casual, but expensively so. He memorized their individual features, but it wasn’t easy since they all had a similar look about them. That look was money. So much money they didn’t need to count it or talk about it. So much that they didn’t understand what a budget was and never heard the word “no.”  Only one of them was looking down toward the main floor. The rest were having a quiet discussion, showing little to no interest in the painful scenes of torture they’d supposedly come to see. From their expressions, they could have been at their yacht club or playing golf instead of watching naked men bleed.

These were the kind of men Cal Grimes admired. This Slaver’s Club. These were the kind of men he wanted to emulate. But it was clear none of the men at the table were self-made. None of them had an air of ambition or drive. They had more in common with the apathy-filled club kids downstairs. The fact that they’d seen this sort of sexual brutality enough for it to bore them made Brady want to break something off in their asses. Something sharp and painful. But they’d probably get off on that, the lecherous fucks.

Brady didn’t want to know men like these. He didn’t want to shake their hands and pretend he enjoyed meeting them. He just needed one man for one minute.

Unfortunately, that man wasn’t at the table. Ken had shown him the only picture he’d found of the financier so Brady would recognize him. He was heavyset with a beard and a receding hairline. He was in town, and he should be here. He was supposed to be here.

Brady calmed his panic and focused on the others. They were deep in discussion about something that obviously upset the younger man. His posture was defensive, his expression volatile. But nothing he said made the others react in kind. Brady tried to guess what it could be about. A merger gone wrong? A country they wouldn’t let him buy? Or did the little evil Cabal member want a pony?

Before Brady could come close enough to hear anything interesting, they stopped talking and started to turn in his direction.

They’ve seen you. No backing out now, Finn.

“Good lord, Grimes wasn’t exaggerating was he, boys? That has to be a first.” The man closest to the stairs chuckled, his expression surprised as he looked Brady up and down without leaving his chair. “He’s bigger than my head of security, and that man is a mutant.”

The younger member, Pony Boy, stood and moved closer in silence. He shook hands with Grimes, but the entire time he was studying the zipper of Brady’s jeans as if he could lower it by will alone. 

“Did you say he was a Marine, as well?”

“Yes,” Cal answered proudly, as if he’d enlisted himself. “He was commended more than once for heroism and valor in combat.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Brady forced out stiffly, wishing he’d been sent here to knock some heads together instead of playing Cal’s date. “Thank you for letting me—”

“He has a nice voice, too,” the third man interrupted, reminding Brady that Cal had told him not to speak unless spoken to. “Very deep. Very commanding.”

Brady felt drunk again. He was nauseated and not quite sure any of this was really happening. In fact, it was so much like a bad movie he had to swallow a laugh.

“Well done for your first time out, Grimes. To be honest, I didn’t think you’d get him here voluntarily. But looking at him now, I can see why you went to so much trouble. If he weren’t so well connected, he would be a perfect addition to our stables.”

Addition to your
what
, motherfucker?
Brady looked down at Cal who was wisely avoiding eye contact. Brady no longer felt sorry for stringing him along. He no longer felt anything but quiet, seething rage.

Stay on mission. Smile. Relax. Imagine what you’d do to them if you could. That should cheer you up.

“The senator only has pull in this state,” Cal protested. “We have other clubs.”

Pony Boy frowned at Cal. “
We
have other clubs. You’ve only been invited to this one, so take care. And you’re still an idiot. The senator has more influence and political capital than he did before. And this big bruiser was there. He knows what happened.” He laughed. “You can’t handle a ride like this, Grimes. He would break you.”

Cal’s face turned red. “He’s mine. He wants to be here. Tell them, Brady.”

“I want to be here.”
To burn your house down.
Brady smiled genially.

All four men laughed at that and Pony Boy patted Cal on the shoulder. “I can see he’s overcome with lust.” He paused. “Are you sure you wouldn’t consider sharing him? I’ve been disappointed once already this evening. In fact, we could make the argument that you were personally responsible for that, so you owe me.”

Cal took a step forward. “I don’t care. I’m not sharing him.”

No one is sharing me you sick, nasty jackoffs. 
Brady nodded in agreement with Cal, showing the men his pleased expression.
Try it and you’ll lose a limb.

Pony Boy didn’t look happy with that answer, but his tone was amused. “For now, that might be best. You’re our newest member, definitely our first charity case, and you’ve been here more than the rest of us combined these last two weeks. You need your own toy so you don’t break all of ours.”

Cal seemed confused. As if he didn’t know whether or not he’d been insulted.

Oh you have, buddy. Trust me. He doesn’t like you at all.

None of them did. It was obvious to Brady, but confusing. It wasn’t like they were low on whipping boys. Why had they let Cal join if they couldn’t stand him?

The fourth man set down his drink. “Look at what he was working for, Clive. That is a prime piece of real estate. The size of him alone gives one ideas. Any of us would have used the club’s amenities as roughly in the same situation. Once Vargas is finished with Cal’s favorite piece of equipment, he’ll see this strapping Marine and say the same. He’ll probably try to purchase him from you, Grimes, but don’t you let him.”

Cal frowned. “He’s… I didn’t know he liked that one.”

Clive/Pony Boy snorted and shared a laughing look with the others. “He doesn’t, really. He has his own toys. He’s just not that fond of you. He’ll come around to our way of thinking. You’ve already been invaluable.”

Brady knew he could turn around and walk out. There was no doubt in his mind that none of the guards, armed or not, could stop him. Not if they wanted to remain intact. One word stopped him.

Vargas.

He has his own toys.

Ken wasn’t here. Brady was the only one who could salvage this shitstorm and finish the mission. He turned and looked down at Cal, raising his eyebrows expectantly and hoping his anger would come off as excitement instead. “Your favorite? That sounds promising.”

“Show him, Cal,” one of the men urged. “His reaction should be interesting. They’re in the back room.”

Cal hesitated, trying to read Brady’s expression. “You remember what I told you about keeping an open mind?”

Nodding as nonchalantly as he could, Brady used Ken’s trademark smile so he wouldn’t have to speak.

Cal’s shoulders relaxed. “Good. Come with me.”

Brady shoved his hands deep into his jean pockets so Cal wouldn’t take his hand. If he did Brady might break his bones. Slowly. One at a time. And then he might reset them and do it again.

Burke was a blackmailer who liked kink. These men were something else entirely. Brady wanted to laugh them off as stereotypical spoiled pricks but…
They didn’t care.
They didn’t care that Brady had been listening to them while they talked about his cousin. They didn’t care that he knew what they looked like or where this club was located. That wasn’t stupidity, and it wasn’t coming off as blatant overconfidence. It was knowledge.

That made them dangerous.

“I told you on our first date that everyone would want to take you home. Clive already does.”

Cal said it like Brady was supposed to be pleased. What happened to the man? He’d been Stephen’s assistant, for crying out loud. How could he think this was okay? That this was acceptable behavior? “How did you meet your friends?”

“They found me nearly three months ago,” Cal told him. “But they’d had their eye on me for a while. They said I had exactly the kind of ambition they were looking for, and that was more important than my pedigree.” He sounded so proud. “I’m the first man to gain membership without generations of money behind me. Do you know how impossible that is? And since then I’ve had more work than I know what to do with, more money than I’ve ever made and this. All of this, whenever I want it. Everything is finally working for me. That’s why I knew I could have you too. When you know these men, nothing is impossible.”

Aw, hell, the stupid bastard was a fall guy. Brady didn’t have proof, and he didn’t know when they would throw him to the wolves, but he knew it would happen. Greed and lust did strange things to people, and Cal had an overabundance of both. The men here would know exactly how to exploit it.

Brady might feel sorry for him if Cal hadn’t just paraded him in front of those men like a prize bull. It had been the worst sort of humiliation. Not purposeful, just matter-of-fact. They spoke about him, not at him, enumerating his traits and studying the goods for future reference.

He’d been an object. A thing. He wondered if they’d still feel that way if he took turns dangling them out a window by their ankles.

Focus. For Ken. For Terry. You made a promise.

“They didn’t treat you very well.”
Damn it, Brady, shut up.
“I mean, you deserve better.”

Cal stopped walking and whirled to face Brady, his hand coming up as if he thought he could slap him. Instinctively, Brady’s own hand shot up to grip Cal’s wrist lightly. Just enough pressure to stop him, and then he let him go.

“You say another word about them and I will get the guards to hold you down while I beat you.” Cal was whispering, quick and panicked. “I want you but I will be damned if I let you ruin this for me. They chose me.
Me.
Clive is jealous, because he’s not the young hotshot anymore. I am. This is what I deserve.”

Fix this. Tighten up.
“I’m sorry, Cal. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“That’s right,” he said, straightening his jacket. “Now I really need that ride so I don’t hurt you later. I hope Vargas is done.”

The back room wasn’t that different from the rest of this sadistic nightmare, but it had a wall for privacy. There was also what looked like a medical curtain, behind which Brady could see a heavyset, bearded shadow, pumping away.