by Kenzi Bond
“So, what, you would let us do anything to you? Do you have no sense of survival?” Malcolm asked.
“No, we would not let you hurt us. We do understand the difference between this and letting someone do something we don’t want. You say you don’t want us, but you do,” Beau said, looking at first Drake and then Malcolm.
“This is pointless. We don’t want you. Go with your friends. There is nothing for you here,” Drake ordered.
Joel stepped forward. “Come on, guys, let me take you home.”
Unexpectedly, it was as if a switch had been flicked because their aura of submission was gone. They glared defiantly, their eyes black dark with emotion.
“We aren’t going anywhere,” Dean said to Joel. “We need to be collared. It’s what we’ve always wanted. Will you collar us or not?” Dean asked Malcolm and Drake.
Drake was stunned that it was Dean who had made the demand.
“Who said anything about a collar? Besides, a sub doesn’t demand to be collared,” Malcolm said, his voice clouded in rage.
“Yes, he does, when it’s in his best interest. Thank you for coming to look for us tonight; however, we had everything under control. We give you our word that we will not seek you out again,” Beau said as he reached for his brother’s hand.
“No, being collared is a show of trust between consenting partners,” Drake said. Even as he said the words, he knew the boys wouldn’t listen. He needed to protect them somehow. He stared at Malcolm, begging him to do something.
“What do you want from us?” Malcolm asked as he ran his hands through his hair.
The boys looked at them blankly. “We want your collar. It will make us feel cared for, even if it means nothing to you. We will leave you alone until our twenty-first birthday. Then we will return and belong to you,” Dean said boldly.
Drake shook his head. “Why can’t you just go to the shop and buy a collar of your own? No one needs to know it wasn’t given to you.”
“We would know,” they both said in unison.
“We don’t want to collar anyone!” Drake yelled in frustration. He pushed the voice deep down that was telling him if the boys were older, he wouldn’t object so much.
Joel reached for the boys, “Good, we all agree. Time to go,” he said.
Ignoring Joel, Dean spoke to Drake. “Fine, we’ll leave. You asked us what we wanted, and you have made your position clear. Thank you for speaking with us.” They went to walk past Drake only to stop as he stepped in their way.
“No one speaks like you do. Can you even hear yourselves?” He knew if they walked out that door, they would go looking for a collar from someone else. Someone who would take advantage of them. Would it really hurt to give them a collar if it stopped them from putting themselves at risk?
“Fine, have it your way. We will collar you both, but on your twenty-first birthday, you walk away for good. We don’t appreciate being manipulated. After that time, you will remove your collar and leave. We want nothing from you.”
“We understand. Will we never see you?” Dean asked.
“No, you get the collar you want so badly. But there are rules you must follow. You think about what you want for your future. Ask yourself if what you think you want is what you really need. You keep away from us. That’s not negotiable. You stay out of dangerous situations—that includes our clubs—and finally, if you want to be in a relationship with anyone at any time, you need to remove our collars. That’s it, nothing else. Our collars, our rules,” Drake said.
“We like rules. Done. Do you have the collars here, or do you want us to return to you?” Beau asked.
Malcolm gave out a humorless chuckle. “No, we don’t just happen to have two collars sitting around. Go to Club Neon on Friday night and tell the doorman when you arrive, and we’ll come get you. Bring your friend with you so he knows you’re safe. Now get out of here before we change our mind.”
Drake looked at Joel and the girl who was watching silently. Joel had a look of shock and disbelief of his face. Drake looked away in shame.
“You’re giving in to them? Are you insane? They were brainwashed into believing this was their life. What’s your excuse?”
Drake couldn’t answer. He had nothing he could say that would make everything right. He could say it was to prevent the twins from seeking out someone else. He could say it meant nothing. He had said yes; he would worry about the consequences later.
“Leave it, Joel,” Beau said.
Joel glared at Drake and Malcolm before leaving the room with the boys.
Drake counted. He only reached two before Malcolm had him pinned to the wall, his hand gripped tightly around his throat. “What the hell have you done?”
He pushed his brother’s hand away and glared back. “It will be okay. We’ll give them a collar, and they’ll stop coming around. From everything ever reported about the boys, you know as well as I do that when they make a promise, they keep it. It won’t really mean anything.”
“Bull. You and I both know the importance of a collar. It is a symbol, and it means something. They don’t know any better, but we do. We shouldn’t be encouraging them.”
“I didn’t hear you offering any suggestions. Look, let’s see how it goes.” He lowered his eyes in disgrace. “I have to protect them. Dean especially calls to me. I just want to take him in my arms and keep him safe.”
Malcolm laughed. “We’re such a pair. You don’t think I feel the same way. There’s just something about them. Don’t you think I’m not drawn to his fiery brother? But with the life they’ve lived, they seem older than sixteen. But they are sixteen, and that’s too young to agree to a collar or even understand the meaning,” he said.
“That’s just it. They have this notion that they have to be collared. They will keep looking for someone to give them one unless we agree.”
“It’s wrong on so many levels, but I hear what you’re saying. Let’s get them a collar and see how it goes,” he said to Drake.
Drake stared at his brother. “Are we good?” He hated when his brother was mad at him.
“Yeah, we’re good. Come on, we’ve got work to do.”
4
Drake
D
rake looked down at his watch for the tenth time. It was nearing eight o’clock, and the boys hadn’t arrived. In hindsight, Club Neon wasn’t the best place they could have chosen to meet. Admittedly, this office was his favorite, but it wasn’t the place to conduct a meeting with the boys. He sat on the couch with a huff before standing again. He couldn’t work out why he was anxious. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and tried to slow his racing heart.
Malcolm thumped him in the back of the head. “Will you stop that? They’ll be here. Do you honestly think they won’t show up after we’ve given in to their demands? If you want to do something useful, go check in with Ronny.”
“Don’t tell me you aren’t feeling the same way,” he said, noticing Malcolm’s hands clenched by his side.
Malcolm ignored him.
“Fine, I’ll check on Ronny. You continue to sit here looking all serious and broody,” Drake said.
Drake rushed out of the room, glancing around the nightclub as he looked for Ronny. The room glowed with subtle lighting, while some areas were a little darker. Lady Gaga’s latest song had the patrons moving to the energetic beat. It was early, but the club was filling up. Drake found himself humming the words of the song under his breath as he finally spotted Ronny. She wasn’t dancing, but she was tapping one of her sensible black shoes in time with the beat as she surveyed the room.
“Hey, Ronny, thanks for filling in tonight. I know we usually keep you over at Beat Boys, but we wanted to see what you thought of this place. Do you think you would consider transferring here permanently?” He was pleased to see the usually stoic bodyguard smile.
“Who wouldn’t? This place is great. I haven’t run into any serious problems, and the music is a bonus. Even the clientele is nice.”
Drake was pleased. Ronny had worked for them for a long time, and they didn’t want to lose her. Before he could assure Ronny that she would always have a job with them, the voice of the guard assigned to the front entrance came through Ronny’s walkie-talkie.
“Reid here. I have Beau-Dean claiming they have an appointment with the big guys.”
Drake gestured to Ronny to hand over the device. Grabbing the walkie-talkie, he spoke calmly despite the surge of excitement he was feeling. “I’ll be right there.”
He gave the walkie-talkie back and rushed off to get Malcolm. Now that they were finally here, he couldn’t help but smile. The twins were a handful, and he was dying to see what they would do next.
As he came to the main door with Malcolm on his heels, he spotted Reid kneeling in front of the boys. His face was flushed crimson. “I’m sorry for my behavior,” he grunted out.
Drake didn’t know what he was expecting from the boys, but seeing the six-foot-two security guard on his knees wasn’t it. “Can someone tell me why my guard is kneeling on the ground groveling?”
The boys just gave innocent smiles and lowered their heads respectfully. Once again, he was moved by their beauty. Their olive skin was highlighted by the white tunics they were wearing. The fabric looked expensive with delicate embroidery of gold thread highlighting the sleeves and neckline. The only makeup they wore was a touch of kohl under the eyes. The whole effect was stunning. Drake recalled reading somewhere that the boys’ father had often dressed them in Middle Eastern clothing. They might be free of their father, but his influence was still strong.
Joel stepped forward. “Yeah, Reid, why don’t you tell your boss what you called my friends? Tell him what a prick you are.” The man was clearly angry as he stared Reid down.
“I just repeated what everyone already knows—they’re a couple of well-used sex toys,” Reid blurted. His eyes flicked to the people around him, looking for support.
Joel lunged for the man, but Drake got to him first, lifting the guard up by the collar of his shirt. He wondered if this was what Malcolm felt when he let his temper off the leash. He wanted to crush the man with his bare hands. He was so incensed on behalf of Beau and Dean that he couldn’t speak. He felt Malcolm step up beside him.
“You’re fired, effective immediately. I will have your personal items boxed up and returned to you tomorrow. Leave the premises and never come back,” Malcolm said coldly.
“Mr. Tallon, I’m sorry. I spoke out of turn. I didn’t know you had a personal interest in Beau-Dean. I’ve never known you to show an interest in anyone, to tell you the truth. If you want to try them out, it’s no skin off my nose.” The man struggled as Drake tightened his grip and gave him a shake.
Finding his voice, Drake moved his head closer to ensure Reid understood him. “You’re a fool. First, they are not Beau-Dean, as they have mentioned on numerous occasions in interviews if you cared to look past the gossip. Their names are Beau and Dean, as in two separate individuals. Second, it is none of your business what they do on their own time. What they deserve is to be treated with respect. Everyone who comes to our clubs deserves that honor. Now get out of our sight,” he said, letting go of the man’s shirt and pushing him away.
Intuitive as always, Ronny appeared just as Drake needed her assistance. “Ronny, get someone to take over the door, please. We’ll be in our private office.” He turned to Joel and raised an eyebrow. “I take it you’ll be coming also?”
Joel huffed in annoyance. “I’m not letting them out of my sight. Just for the record, I know why the boys want this, but I don’t see what you get out of it. I’m going to be here to make sure you don’t take advantage of them.”
Drake was impressed by the loyalty of the man. “By all means, come along and watch over them,” he said, not acknowledging the boys.
Joel didn’t seem happy, but he followed. Beau and Dean were quiet, but when he looked at them over his shoulder, they gave him a happy smile. Inside the club, heavy techno music blared out. Drake led them through the crowd toward a door marked Staff Only. As he shut the door, the music was muted to a reasonable level behind the soundproof walls.
“This is our area. We won’t be bothered here.” He walked over to sit behind a large oak desk. Malcolm entered and stood beside him. They had spoken earlier and come to an agreement as to how this would pan out.
Just inside the door, Beau and Dean kneeled in a subservient pose, waiting.
Drake glanced at Malcolm, who raised his eyebrow at him in a questioning manner. “Boys, I want you to repeat to me the rules of this arrangement,” Drake said.
The boys spoke softly, entirely in sync with each other, making Drake wonder if they had practiced the words at some time.
“We have to think about our future and what we want. We’re to leave you alone. That includes staying away from the clubs. We have to stay safe and not put ourselves in dangerous situations. Finally, if we want to be in a relationship with anyone at any time, we need to remove our collars.” Beau appeared to have trouble continuing, so Dean went on alone.
“We must return the collars on our twenty-first birthday and then walk away for good. In return, you will collar us and be our masters.”
Malcolm stared at their bent heads. “This will mean nothing between us. You will wear our collars, but you will have no claim on us. It’s a symbol to keep you both safe. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Masters.”
“We will not be your masters; we will have no interaction with you. If you think you can change our mind, you are going to be disappointed,” Drake insisted.
“You have made yourself perfectly clear. You don’t want us. We agree to the terms.”
Drake was so focused on the boys that he forgot Joel was in the room until he spoke. “You don’t have to do this. I know the boys are hard to say no to, but they will get over it.”
Drake smirked. “Yeah, I considered it, but they are right about being vulnerable. Anyone in the lifestyle will know what the collar represents.” He walked over to the wall safe and took out two solid wooden boxes and placed them on the desk. He passed one to his brother.
“Boys, stand and come here. Hands behind your backs, chins raised, but keep your eyes lowered,” Drake instructed. He didn’t know if he could do this if they actually looked at him.
At once, Beau and Dean stood and did as directed.
Drake opened the lid on the boxes and ran his finger over the edge of the cover in contemplation. Once again, he was so lost in thought he didn’t notice Joel step forward until he was standing right beside him. He wondered what Joel thought when he looked in the box. They could have gone with a straightforward design, but when it came time to place the order, Malcolm pushed for something more. Looking down at the collar and back to the beautiful boys in front of him, he was glad Malcolm had spoken up. The silver collar was solid with two O-rings in the center, held together by a chrome-plated heart-shaped padlock with the letter T inscribed into the metal with real diamonds. Drake lifted the collar out of his box and undid the lock with a small key while Malcolm did the same. They stared at each other wordlessly for a moment. After doing research, they had found out the boys were almost seventeen, making the arrangement illegal, but it felt deeply significant and very real.
“Beau, step forward,” Malcolm said, holding up the collar so the light reflected off the metal.
Beau did and put his hands behind his back. Malcolm placed the collar around his neck and worked the padlock through the link, then clicked it shut. A small shudder worked its way through Beau’s body, and he swayed closer to Malcolm. Malcolm steadied him with one hand on his shoulder.
“Dean, step forward,” Drake said. He placed the collar around Dean’s neck and clicked the padlock in place. He ran his finger under the collar to ensure it wasn’t too tight, then cupped Dean’s cheek before stepping back beside Malcolm.
“From this day forth, you will wear the collar of Tallon. You will wear it with pride an
d honor,” they stated.
“May we have a kiss?” Dean asked boldly.
Drake had been staring intently at the collars, liking how the metal rested on the boys’ soft skin. He was surprised by how confident Dean was behaving tonight. “No. No way in hell. You’re minors, and you made a deal with us. Are you already trying to break your word?” he said in a deep voice.
“No, a kiss goodbye. Don’t worry, we’ll keep our word. Goodbye, Master,” Dean said and took a step back.
“Damn it!” Malcolm muttered, before stepping forward and yanking Beau against him. He gripped Beau’s face and kissed him chastely on the forehead. “Be safe, Beau.” He then kissed Dean on the same place. “Be safe, Dean.”
Malcolm stepped back, and Drake moved forward to repeat the process. “Be safe,” he murmured. He forced himself to step back.
“These are your keys.” They pressed the keys into the boys’ hands when they refused to take them. “Remember, as long as you wear our collars, you will respect what that means. If you want to hook up with someone, that’s fine, but our deal will cease. If at that time, you wish to remove the collars, do so and return them to us. Now get out,” Drake said, going back to sit behind the desk. He frowned blankly down at the paperwork, effectively dismissing the boys.
Malcolm nodded at Joel and came to stand beside Drake. It was done. The boys were wearing their collars.
Without a word, Beau and Dean turned and walked out of the room. Joel went to follow but stopped and looked back. “You don’t fool me. You care for them, and you may even want them a little. Thank you for not taking advantage of them. I promise to keep an eye on them. You spend that time deciding if you really want to send them away when they turn twenty-one.” He closed the door quietly behind him as he left.
“What have we done? They’re teenagers, and we just put collars on them. That’s insane, isn’t it?” Drake asked.
“It was your decision in the first place. Too late to back out now. Hopefully, everything will be okay and we won’t see them again until they’re twenty-one.”