Caged Sanctuary (10 page)

“Oh, look, the fairy thinks he can do something,” one of the men sneered.

He counted five men, but wasn’t certain, as at least one was now behind him. The sudden pain across his back was unlike anything Kade had ever felt. It wasn’t the exquisite bite of a cane, the tease or sting of the flogger, or even the blinding lash of a whip. No, this was cruel, painful, and not something he could process enough to do more than fall and scream. The taunts continued, degrading from fag and fairy to rants about how they were going to kill him once they beat the sickness from him that was poisoning the world. The next while, he only had vague flashes of boots smashing into his ribs and back, fists cracking across his face and chest, someone hitting him with what he later found out was an aluminum bat, until the moment he managed to scramble away and run.

Kade had no idea how he managed to get up and run, but he had. He didn’t know if someone had startled the gang attacking him or what; he’d just been thankful. Sadly, one of the men caught up to him just as he made it around the corner to the street. The next moment, he felt hands shove him from behind, then blinding light, pain, and nothingness. He hadn’t woken up for two weeks, and much of the time right after that he only vaguely remembered.

“Kade!” Deacon snapped, his voice loud and tight. The sound brought him back to the present but that didn’t stop the pain of the memories or the hurt at seeing another sub at his Dom’s feet. Or, the man he’d thought of as his Dom, at least. “Boy, what’s wrong?”

Confused, Kade lifted his gaze to Deacon’s, only then realizing Deacon had moved and was crouched next to Kade, both hands on Kade’s face. “Sir? Why…?” He wanted to ask why Deacon had invited him over if he’d already been replaced, but that was as far as he got before his voice failed and a tear slipped down his cheek.

“Kaden.” Deacon’s voice was softer, and his eyes held more concern than he’d seen before, which only served to confuse Kade more. “What just happened? Why are you shaking?”

He wiped at his eyes, pissed at himself for showing so much on his face. “I’m not. I just….” He glanced at where Jake stood nearby. “What’s Jake doing here?”

“Sam stopped by with his pet, and I suggested they should stay and meet you. Why.” The last was not a question, it was a demand.

Without thinking, Kade dropped his gaze and answered truthfully. “He was kneeling at your side. I thought— It doesn’t matter what I thought. I should just go and let you be. Sorry,” he added, his voice nearly gone.

“You aren’t going anywhere, boy.” Deacon turned to Jake and motioned to him, but Kade wasn’t sure why. “Jake, come here.”

Jake didn’t move when Deacon ordered him to, confusing Kade even more—why would Jake not do as Deacon instructed? That made no sense.

“Jake, please, come to Kade. I’ll talk to Sam if he’s upset, but Kade needs to see you right now.”

A moment later, Jake knelt on Kade’s other side, the same sweet smile he remembered from years ago on Jake’s beautiful face. “I wasn’t kneeling at your Dom’s feet, Kade. I was where Sam, my Sir, placed me when he left the room just before you came in.” Jake ghosted his fingers across the back of one of Kade’s hands. “It’s really good to see you again.”

“You, Sam? Who’s Sam, and wait, really?” Kade’s eyes darted from Jake’s to Deacon’s, hope flaring in his chest again.

“Kade, Jake isn’t my boy. He’s Sam’s, and when I found out he knew you, I hoped you would appreciate spending time with an old friend. Now, you want to tell me what else was going on in that head of yours?”

Kade stared at him, not wanting to discuss his stupid memory dump in front of Jake or the unseen mystery Dom, Sam.

“You looked like you were in physical pain and started shaking,” Jake added, his voice coaxing. He did not move from beside Kade.

Kade turned his head to meet Jake’s gaze. “That last night we….” He couldn’t. He could not discuss that night.

Jake’s eyes got wide and he swallowed hard, his naturally tan face draining of color. “You mean the last night you were at Fierce. The last night we subbed together?”

No longer looking at either man, he nodded. He knew Jake wasn’t like the others that shunned and ignored him, but back then, he hadn’t been able to handle seeing Jake perfect and whole and desirable when he knew a huge part of who he was was now trapped thanks to his injuries. He’d sent Jake away after the doctors told him the spinal trauma had permanently damaged the nerves and he would never walk again.

“I don’t understand.” Deacon’s voice was strong but Kade heard the confusion in it. “You subbed together and somehow that’s a bad thing?”

Kade didn’t respond; he couldn’t. Thankfully, Jake didn’t seem to have the same problem. “We did on a few occasions, back when I was a house sub at Fierce. The night Kade was attacked, we were both picked by one of the more demanding Doms that frequented the club at the time.” Jake took a deep breath, touching Kade’s hand again. “I know you said you didn’t want to see me again, but I thought you being back in the scene would mean it was okay when we were invited to stay. I’m sorry, Kade. So, so sorry.”

“Um, not to interrupt, but someone want to tell me why you two are crowded around my dentist?”

Kade’s head snapped up as he tried to recognize the voice. When he saw the owner of the voice, he was shocked. There stood one of his patients. The man was well over six feet. He had dirty blond hair, dark blue eyes, and, Kade knew personally, beautiful, perfect teeth in a somewhat lopsided smile. Though the smile was absent right then. “Mr. Skyler? What are you doing here?”

“Visiting a friend. Now, would somebody please explain what’s going on?”

“This is Kade, Sir,” Jake explained when no one else spoke. Deacon continued to touch Kade’s face and neck, but he seemed just as curious to hear more as Mr. Skyler, Sam, did. “I told you about him, as did Mr. James.”

“Wait, my dentist is Deacon’s new boy and your old friend?” The snicker wasn’t appreciated, but Kade didn’t say anything. “Huh. I usually can spot a sub a mile away. I never connected the sub you spoke of to my dentist.”

“I am,” Kade said, his voice stronger than it had been since he’d first seen Jake. “Or I think I am,” he added, glancing at Deacon again.

“One little panic attack isn’t getting you out of anything, boy. We talked about your fears already.” The tone Deacon took sent a shiver across Kade’s skin, one that curled around his spine and settled low in his groin. “Now, are you okay?” When Kade nodded, Deacon stood and motioned everyone into the sitting room. “I have your cushion ready for you, Kade.”

Kade looked around and for the first time noticed that next to the chair Deacon sat in, the special high-backed cushion thing Deacon had gotten for him was there. He smiled, hoping Deacon would let him sit there despite his behavior. “May I?”

“Of course.” Deacon stood up again, then stepped forward and lifted him out of his wheelchair and settled him on the chair-like object as he had for both breakfasts they had shared.

Deacon moved the wheelchair out of the way and sat again, moving one hand straight to the back of Kade’s neck. The touch soothed in ways he couldn’t explain but loved nonetheless. “Thank you, Sir.”

“Welcome. I wanted to introduce you to my friend Sam and let you have time with his pet, Jake. Since Jake’s presence is connected to the pain in your past, I will understand if you’re not comfortable, but our business isn’t quite done yet.”

“No!” Kade shocked himself at how he spoke. He hadn’t meant to yell. “Sorry, Sir. I meant, no, I’m not upset now that I understand. I’d like a chance to visit with Jake, if his Dom will allow?”

“I don’t tell Jake who he can and can’t talk to or be friends with. So as long as he wishes to, you two are free to visit all you like.” Sam looked down at Jake and smiled. “Would you still like time with your friend?”

“Very much, thank you. Touch?”

The question made Kade curious. Was Jake asking to touch or to be touched? Before Kade could figure it out, Sam spoke again. “Of course, pet. In fact, Deacon, would you mind if we left the two of them alone to chat? I have something I wanted to ask you about but only just remembered.”

A few minutes later, Kade was alone with Jake for the first time in three years. He stared at his old friend, drinking in how sweet and sexy Jake still was. He was shorter, like Kade… well when Kade could still stand, so about five-eight. He had soft black hair, pale blue eyes, and naturally tanned skin that looked almost golden all year round. He was also smiling shyly at Kade, a look he couldn’t remember ever seeing directed at him.

“I really am sorry about that,” Kade said, referring to his previous meltdown.

“It’s okay, Kade. I just, when Mr. James told us who his new sub was, I got so excited you were back in the scene, it never crossed my mind you’d still be upset seeing me.” Jake’s lips turned down as he paused. “I’ll leave if you really don’t want me here, though.”

Kade couldn’t help the smile he knew was plastered on his face at the softly spoken words. “I don’t want you to go, Jake. I just… I’m still having trouble believing someone like Deacon could want me, much less keep me for long.”

“Kade—”

“No, don’t interrupt. Look, I’ve regretted sending you away for a long time, but couldn’t bring myself to go to the places I thought you might hang out to find you.”

“Didn’t you ever try to come back to Fierce or one of the other clubs in the area? We would have loved to have you!”

Shaking his head, Kade rolled his shoulders, trying to dispel the tension building there. “I tried a couple of times to attend functions after I was out of rehab, but no one would even look at me. Doms I’d been with, even a couple you and I played with together, ignored me completely. And the other subs skirted me; well, the ones that didn’t whisper about the cripple being in the way, at least.”

“Not everyone would have done that,” Jake insisted. “I wouldn’t have, and if Sam saw someone being treated like that, he’d have taken it up with them right then and there.”

He shrugged. It had happened, and not just with the Doms he’d known. Until Gary, no man had really paid him any attention. Of course after Gary, even if a man had, he probably would have run. Until Deacon, that is…. Kade still couldn’t figure out why he’d taken a chance with Deacon, but so far, he was happy he had. “It is what it is. Being with someone like me is hard. I know that. I can’t do even something simple like kneel how you are now.”

“No, but it looks like you found a Dom who doesn’t care about such things and is willing to find ways around the chair.” Jake leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Kade in a gentle yet warm hug.

At the first contact of skin, Kade shivered. He missed touch, even simple friendly hugs. Other than the handshake with patients and hugs from Katie, he was rarely touched until meeting Deacon. Before he realized what he was doing, he’d wrapped himself around Jake as best he could, and held on tight. “Thank you,” Kade whispered.

“Any time, K. You were a good friend before the chair, and I’d like to be friends again despite what happened.” Jake pulled back but didn’t release Kade completely. “I hope you’ll let me back in now. Hell, if you want to come to Fierce with your Dom or just to visit, I’ll even comp you your membership,” Jake added and winked.

“And how are you going to do that?”

“Sam and I co-own the club now, that’s how.”

“You—What?”

“Sam bought out Jerry, one of the two owners of Fierce, about a year and a half ago. That’s how we met, actually. About six months ago, I bought out Wes, the other partner, at Sam and Wes’s insistence.”

“Wow!”

“Jake,” Sam’s voice interrupted them, pulling their attention to the doorway, “if you think you can let go of Kade, I need to borrow you for a moment.” The huge grin on Sam’s face relaxed Kade a little, though he didn’t overly like the idea of being left alone while everyone else visited.

“Sure.” Jake released Kade and smoothly stood. He reached out, cupping Kade’s face with one hand. “Glad I asked permission to touch.” He winked. “You be okay for a little bit? You want me to move your chair closer?”

“He won’t be alone long, pet.”

“Still, Sir, he shouldn’t be without his chair if no one’s around. That’s not fair to him.”

Wanting to cut off what sounded like the start of an argument, Kade covered the hand Jake had on his face with his own. “It’s fine, Jake. Deacon will help me if I need. I want to be right here when he comes back.”

“I understand. Sorry.”

“No, thank you for caring.”

D
EACON
STOOD
in the kitchen, waiting for Sam to return with his partner and sub, Jake. He could not believe Sam had a live-in, contracted sub, much less one so cute and stubborn. Sam had always sworn he didn’t do long-term and had even teased Deacon for his refusal to do casual. Once upon a time, Deacon and Sam had trolled the clubs together, looking for new subs, but while Sam had continued that path until meeting Jake, Deacon had stopped in his midtwenties after taking his first long-term sub. Pushing away the thoughts of boys before Kade, he refocused on the now and what he needed to ask Jake. He’d liked Jake since they had first met and was honestly pleased for his friend. He hoped Sam and Jake could help with Kade.

Deacon looked up when he heard Sam and Jake enter. “Thank you for visiting with Kade.”

Jake shook his head. “It isn’t a favor. We were friends, and I have honestly missed him. I tried to keep up with him, but other than work, he never seems to go anywhere. And, well… he’d said he didn’t want to ever see me again.” The bright smile Jake flashed was not to be missed. “I’m just glad he’s changed his mind.”

“I wish I’d known the sub you spoke of and my dentist were the same person,” Sam grumbled from behind Jake. “He’s very in control, bordering on aloof at his office. I would never have thought.”

Deacon shrugged. “I’ve never seen him at work, but that’s neither here nor there. Right now, I wanted to ask you,” he said, staring at Jake, “if you would help me with my plans for Kade this weekend.”