So that was what Nash did. Taking a deep breath, he focused on his surroundings, taking in one thing at a time until he had the room memorized.Be here. Right now. You’re not in this alone. You know what you’re doing.
There were seven people in the room. None of them appeared to be there against their will. All of them were men. Mallor must have hidden the woman Abi had seen earlier. Only two had clothing on, and they wore nothing but underwear.
It all appeared legitimate, even if the intent was clear. The night would end in an orgy. Nash and Abi were the newcomers. New people for everyone to fuck. But it was clear Mallor wanted Nash to be comfortable. All consensual in the Mallor skybox. Nothing nefarious was going on. No, sir, Mr. Drake. Just a bunch of people having fun with each other.
Mallor was testing Nash, and Nash had to proceed cautiously. He needed to figure out what motivated Mallor to trust others. That required patience and allowing Mallor to take the lead to some extent, while keeping him convinced he had a certain level of control—enough to prevent him from taking what he wanted from Nash and Abi.
Nash just hoped Sylvain would get the ball rolling sooner rather than later, before they had to take part in an orgy.
Abi tensed.
Nash pulled him closer. “Are you tired, boy?”
Abi faked a yawn. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Let Daddy hold you.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” Abi let Nash lift him into his arms. He wrapped his legs around Nash.
They seemed to gain everyone’s attention, which was the point. Everyone needed to know Nash cared for his boy.
A blond man held a naked man on his lap. They sat in the corner near the back of the room. The boy had his thumb in his mouth, and he played with his own cock as though it were a toy. The boy looked to be in his thirties and eyed Abi as though he were competition. His gaze was calculating. He licked his lips when he eyed Nash.
Everyone else milled about. Two men ate from the buffet set up on one side. The rest sat in chairs near the windows, more interested in people-watching and anticipating the fighting than anything Mallor was doing.
As for Mallor, he held a petite, dark-haired man. The man, in his mid-twenties, was naked and appeared to be happy to be there. He leaned against Mallor, who had kept his clothes on except for his cock, which peeked out of his pants and was embedded inside the man on his lap. He was the only one dressed in more than just underwear. Mallor made sure Nash and Abi saw his cock disappearing inside the companion.
Mallor looked just as Nash remembered him. He’d aged, of course, but not much. His dark hair was now streaked with gray at the temples, and he still had a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. He clearly loved his life. That was obvious in the way he stroked the man’s cock. He seemed high on something—probably a warlock drug that might have dulled his magic, but it made for a good time. He didn’t seem concerned that he hadn’t put up wards around the room, even though it left him exposed.
Nash considered killing him, but if he did, his slaves would go to his successor. They'd end up right back where they started, trying to find out who that was so they could locate where the slaves were kept. The slaves would likely get absorbed into the system, and Nash would never know their whereabouts.
Mallor was like a ghost on paper. If he used other names, they hadn’t surfaced, not even in rumors. He owned nothing in his own name, remaining in the shadows. He had a network of people just like him who helped him stay hidden.
Mallor waved them over and patted the seat next to him and his companion.
Nash carried Abi over and sat down with Abi tucked into his lap.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get up to greet you, but the boy…needs my cock.” Mallor played with the man’s nipples.
“Need it so bad, Daddy.” The boy licked his lips and smiled with feigned satisfaction.
“I’m Michael Mallor. Thank you for joining me.”
“Thank you for having us, Mr. Mallor.”
“Please call me Michael.”
Nash nodded. “My name is Niko Hines. And this is my boy, Ben.”
Mallor didn’t believe Nash. That much was clear in the way his eyes narrowed, but only for a moment.
Nash wasn’t sure if Mallor recognized him or if he just suspected Nash used an alias. Maybe he thought Nash was a criminal.
“Do you share your boy with others, Niko?” Mallor eyed Abi with no small amount of lust.
Nash tried to get himself under control, but it wasn’t easy. He held Abi tighter.
“I don’t know, sir. We’re new to the”—Nash waved his free hand around the room—“scene. For now, we’d like to play alongside the others. Perhaps at another time.” Nash’s heart pounded in his chest, waiting to see if that would satisfy Mallor, or if he would push for more.
