“I’m sure it gets more interesting. This can’t be all they’ve got, surely.” Xavier placed the blindfold over Kris’ eyes and tied it securely. “Can you see anything?”
Kris titled his head and turned it from side to side. “No. It’s bit tight, though. Kinda squeezes my head.”
“Okay, people, time to take your partners in hand and go for a stroll. There’s a lot of you, so we opened the doors. Just don’t wander too far!” Frank called out.
Xavier grasped Kris’ arm. “Okay, just follow my lead.”
“Okay,” Kris said. He could hear the others talking and laughing as they wandered about the room, bumping into things. Then he walked into a wall himself, without Xavier trying to warn him or pulling him away.
“Ow! Hey, Xavier? Dude!”
Kris felt himself spun around as a strong hand covered his mouth.
What in the hell?
“Hold him!” he heard Lindy say. He felt another strong body bracket him from the front, pinning arms. Kris thrashed his head about, hoping to hit the persons holding him.
“Just let it happen,” Xavier said.
Let what happen?The hell if I wanna find out!
“Someone grab his head,’ Lindy said. A third pair of hands gripped his head, pulling it to one side.
“No!” Kris tried to shout as he felt the cold pinch of a needle.
Trust,my ass, was his first thought when he came to.Wait. I’m hanging in the air and I’m naked. What the ever loving fuck is this shit?
Kris blinked his eyes. A man sat with his back in front of the window that the bright light was shining through.
“Good, you’re finally awake,” the man’s rich baritone said.
“Mr Lux?” Kris asked in disbelief., the muzziness fleeing as his adrenaline spiked.
Ishmael Lux gave him a lazy smile before standing up. He circled around Kris, who tried to follow his movements. All he succeeded in doing was straining his neck and setting himself rocking. He gagged as his breakfast threatened to make a reappearance. Ishmael reached a hand out and stilled his motion. Coming to stand where Kris could look him fully in the face, Ishmael stared at him.
“You wanted to strip me bare before the world, to turn their scrutiny upon me and render judgement,” he said at last.
“What? No!”
Lux grabbed a fistful of Kris’ hair. “You saw me that morning, just as I saw you. But you couldn’t keep silent about it. You had to tell people I was there and when.”
Oh shit.Is that what this is all about? Guess the rumours were true.
“Okay, look, I don’t know what anyone told you, but I was just being all excited because you’re like, super famous. Owner of one of the most exclusive clubs in the world, this fancy hotel, your penthouse apartment, the works, dude. But if you want me to, I’ll shut up. I will even swear I was mistaken. I thought I saw you, but it was the janitor!”
Ishmael let go and Kris sucked in a relieved breath. The fledgeling hope he felt was immediately dashed.
“It’s too late for that. I am going to offer you a deal. I want you to think about it as you hang in front of this window as naked to the world as you nearly made me.” His gaze bored deep, drilling into Kris' psyche, making Kris shiver despite the relative warmth of the room. Ishmael gave his body a caressing glance. “You see, despite all you might think about me, I’m a man of simple, though singular, tastes.”
Kris stared at him in disbelief.
“I appreciate quality over cost and appearance,” Ishmael continued. “You appeal to my aesthetic very much. So, I am asking you, would you rather belong to me or would you rather we go ahead and end your association in a more permanent manner?”
Be his or die, huh?Because I sure as hell don’t think he’s talking about me getting fired and sent home. If I join his gang or whatever, I can live another day until I find a way to finagle a way out of whatever this is that I’ve stepped into.
“Be yours,” he answered.
“You best be certain,” Ishmael said, running a hand along one of Kris’ flanks. “Once you give yourself to me, you will be mine, completely and irrevocably.”
