Leather Paddles

by Brina Brady

  Niko: I’ve reported it to the police now. Go home.

  Andrew: Thanks. Will do.

  “We’re staying with you tonight. None of us will be able to sleep until Jesse’s back,” Jake said.

  “Thanks. It’s my fault. I should have walked him to the damn bathroom.”

  “Stop, it’s not your fault,” Jake said.

  “How would you know someone would take Jesse from your club with all these men here?” Charlie asked.

  “I don’t know. Let’s go now. First, we’re going to my place. Maybe Jesse went home. Then we’ll take a drive around the club.”

  Before they could get into their cars, John called out.

  “Hey, we checked the cameras, but all the recordings were turned off,” John said.

  “Damn it,” Andrew said.

  They parked their vehicles in front of Andrew’s house, and Andrew hurried into the house. Jesse was not there. He went back out and hopped into Jake’s truck. They drove around the area, looking for Jesse and the black van. After two hours, they returned home.

  Inside, they went straight to the living room, where he collapsed into a chair, then jumped up again, too anxious to sit. Andrew couldn’t believe Jesse was gone. Jake handed him a can of beer. He hadn’t noticed he had left for the kitchen. Charlie sat on the carpet in front of the couch, his face in his hands, sobbing.

  “Sit down, Andrew. We’ll hear something soon,” Jake said.

  “I’m going to call that bastard,” Andrew said.

  “Who?” Jake asked.

  “Sam. We’ll find out if his friends have taken Jesse. I’m sure it’s his fucking fault.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Jesse

  Concentrating hard on keeping himself from shaking, Jesse was lost in a blanket of confusion by his confinement in the dark van. They had gagged and bound him with duct tape. His breathing became heavier; his thoughts clouded with the unknown. The scent of gas mingled with stale cigarettes traveled to his nose. His sore nostrils burned from a drug. The handkerchief—covering his nose—blackness. That was how they’d forced him with them.

  What would these two psychos do to him when they stopped the van? Jesse felt drunker than he’d ever been before, but he hadn’t drunk any alcohol. There was no mistaking what had happened. The men in the front had drugged him before they had forced him into the van. He rolled over and glanced at the two masked men in the front of the van. They spoke Spanish, but not loud or slow enough for him to follow with the limited knowledge of Spanish he’d gained from one of the group homes.

  Jesse glanced at his bare feet bound by the duct tape. His brand-new boots were missing. A swirling mass of sickness overcame him when he remembered he’d left the men’s room and made a wrong turn down a hallway to an exit. Out of nowhere, two masked men had jumped in front of him and pushed him against the wall. One of the men had held a gun to the back of his head, forcing him out the club to a black van. He remembered one man held him down while the other man covered his mouth with a wet handkerchief. Then nothing. He needed Master Andrew. What did these men want with him?

  The man in the passenger’s seat turned around, daunting and chaotic in his movements, making Jesse flinch. “Don’t move, boy!” the man shouted in broken English. “You think we give shit about you?”

  Jesse shook his head, not knowing what else to do, since it was impossible to answer with duct tape around his mouth. The man still wore a mask, but when he turned around, his bare arm displayed his tats, maybe gang ones. He didn’t know one tat from another, but these didn’t seem professionally done. Why would gang members go to a BDSM club to kidnap him unless a BDSM member had hired them? Since Master Andrew had banned Master Ben and Master Carmen from the club, they might have gotten back at Master Andrew by taking him. It was the only possible explanation. But how far would they take it?

  No one would know where to find him, and it might be too late by the time they began looking for him. Surely Master Andrew would have noticed his absence immediately and would look for him. But how could he find him in a moving van? Jesse wanted to jump out of the van, but his feet were bound, and his hands were tied behind his back. He couldn’t open the door. Besides, he had no idea where they were. It was dark outside. That much he saw through the windshield, but nothing more. No lights from buildings or streetlamps. He assumed they were out of the city.

  During the long ride, they hardly had spoken to each other. They had stopped for a short time, and he’d been afraid they were about to turn him over to someone else. Hopefully, they wouldn’t shoot him somewhere in the woods and leave him to die. Distorted bloody images of himself riddled with bullets filled his morbid thoughts. His jaw ached from clenching his teeth.

  If someone didn’t remove the tape from his mouth soon, he’d go insane. For some reason, Jesse couldn’t breathe through his nose for long; he needed to breathe through his mouth. His heart pounded fast, pain stabbing his chest, and the lightheadedness returned. His breathing came fast and shallow, in short pants. It caught the attention of the tat guy, and he must have noticed that he had difficulty breathing. He climbed into the back and removed the tape.

  “Breathe. Breathe deep.”

  Jesse took deep breaths, and his heartbeat returned to normal.

  “You are wanted by someone. We don’t harm you. Just do as we say.” He blindfolded him with a bandana. Images of Master Andrew flashed through his mind. He wanted to be with him. He was hungry, but Master Andrew would take care of him.

  “Why?”

  “Quiet, or I’ll tape you up again.”

  Finally, the van stopped, and the side door slid open. Two men lifted him and carried him out of the van. They dropped him onto the floor. It felt like concrete. He must be in a building somewhere. They ripped the tape from his ankles, unzipped his leather pants, and yanked them off along with his underwear. The cold air hit him in the wrong place. Then the tape on his wrists was cut, and rough hands removed his vest. Once he was naked, his feet were chained together, while his hands were tied behind his back. They carried him to a single mattress on the floor. No sheets. It smelled like sweat and other things he didn’t want to think about. They left him on his back on the mattress and closed the door, the click of the lock loud. . For some reason they’d left his collar alone. He’d been sure they would remove it too, but they hadn’t.

  Jesse lay on his side, unable to move. His muscles cramped. His stomach growled from hunger. All was quiet around him until the van started up. They’d left him alone in a building of some sort. He was so afraid, lying there. He tried to relax, but all kinds of nightmare scenarios swirled through his mind.

  Bang. The door slammed against the wall, followed by heavy footsteps. The footsteps came closer to Jesse, then stopped. Hands removed the bandana from his eyes. It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the overhead light. When he got a good look at the person standing in front of him, he gasped. The wild long hair and beard immediately defined who his kidnapper was. As soon as the man’s brown eyes met his, Jesse closed his for a few seconds, erasing the live image of the man with no mercy. The odor of stale tobacco and whiskey blasted Jesse’s nose. He was the same man who warned him on the beach not to go near Master Andrew. Jesse would never forget the gun or the huge boots kicking him.

  Jesse stared at the man’s old jeans and black T-shirt, which accentuated the colorful tattoos covering his hard muscles. The feral look in his dark eyes sent a cold shiver of apprehension crawling up his spine. He no longer worried about the chains around his aching ankles and wrists. His nightmares had just materialized. No one could save him from his demise. He was as good as dead.

  “Why am I here?” Jesse’s speech trembled.

  “You know why. I warned you not to hook up with Andrew. Disobeying me caused more problems for my client.”

  “Who is your client?” Jesse asked.

  “You’ll find out soon enough.” The man’s voice was low, gravelly.

  “This
is kidnapping. Free me, and I won’t say anything.”

  “Shut the fuck up, boy.”

  “Master Andrew will find me.”

  The man’s hand shot out like lightning and slapped his face. “I told you to shut the fuck up. If it happens again, I’ll tape your mouth shut.”

  Jesse believed him. He was desperate for some indication he wasn’t going to be killed. He remembered the man had a gun, and not talking in exchange for his life seemed like a pretty fair deal. That and the fact that the man was holding his right arm so tightly to the point it went numb. Jesse knew he meant business. Deadly business.

  “If you destroy anything or try to get away, you won’t like what I’ll do to you. If you try to go outside, the alarm will go off. The bathroom is down the hallway.”

  “How am I supposed to get to the bathroom if I’m chained?” Jesse couldn’t hold the words back, even when he’d been warned not to speak.

  “Body crawl.”

  The man picked up his leather pants and vest. He threw them onto the floor. He left the room, laughing.

  Jesse didn’t see his boots anywhere, and he was afraid to ask. Master Andrew had just gotten the boots for him, and he treasured them because they had matching ones, and now they were gone for no damn reason at all. He wanted to belong to Master Andrew and to serve him as his sub. Now, he’d never be able to do that. He hoped Master Andrew didn’t think he’d run away from him. No. I’d never run from him.

  The man returned with scissors, picked up his clothes, and cut them into pieces. The scissors brought fear to Jesse. He wanted to run but couldn’t move. Jesse wanted to cry, but he refused to allow himself to do that.

  “Now, you can’t run.”

  Who was this man’s client? He was sure it was either Master Ben or Master Carmen, but why? Sam didn’t want him; he’d said so on the phone. It was clear that they were lying about Sam returning for him. As if he would. No way.

  His new job was to get out alive. Get un-kidnapped. He had to save himself regardless if that took twelve hours, twelve months, or twelve years. Within his new job description, Jesse must always do what the man told him to do. The problem would be when Jesse’s objective and the man’s were at odds. Half of his mind thrashed inside his skull, trying to understand and plan and figure out, while the other half believed it would be better to shut down, go on autopilot, and pretend he was in a bad BDSM scene. Both sides were trying to get him through safely, except their definitions of “safe” didn’t match.

  The man left him and slammed the door shut but didn’t lock it. Jesse had no idea what would happen next. His stomach hurt from fear and hunger. Lying on the dirty mattress naked and chained without Master Andrew depressed him in ways he couldn’t describe.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Master Andrew

  Andrew called Sam from his cell while Jake and Charlie listened. Jesse’s disappearance was taking a toll on Charlie. His face paled, and he cried on and off. Jake put his arm around him and held him close. Andrew was doing everything he could to keep himself sane and levelheaded.

  “What the hell does Master Big Dick want?” Sam asked in a gruff tone.

  “Jesse’s missing.” Andrew kept his voice civil, as difficult as that was.

  “I guess your big dick couldn’t satisfy him. He never ran from me.” Sam’s arrogance and hate could drown a man. He was a true bastard disliked by everyone who came into contact with him. In the beginning, he had been kind and pleasant, conning Andrew and the other Doms, but as time went on, his mean personality had surfaced.

  “I didn’t say he ran away. I said he’s missing, like in some asshole took him from my club. Did you have Jesse kidnapped?” Andrew wanted to read Sam the riot act, but he had to focus on getting Jesse back home safely. His anger toward Sam could not enter the conversation.

  “Kidnapped? What are you talking about?” The hint of concern in Sam’s voice surprised Andrew. Perhaps the man cared about Jesse in some way after all. How do you live with someone for four years without caring? Though Sam was a cold bastard and a mobster, according to Jake.

  “Someone kidnapped him tonight from my club.”

  “So he was at your club, and you weren’t watching him?”

  “He doesn’t need a babysitter to piss.” Andrew’s patience was wearing thin.

  “I never left the boy alone. If I had to separate from him at the club, Malik watched him. I can’t believe you fucking lost Jesse in your own club. How long have you had him?”

  “None of that matters now. Did you have anything to do with Jesse’s kidnapping?”

  “Fuck no. Think about this. Why would I or anyone want Jesse? Maybe he just left you.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Andrew had thoughts of flying to New York and beating the fuck out of this asshole, but he needed the bastard’s help. He had to keep him on the phone. Andrew was sure he knew something about the whereabouts of Jesse.

  “Jesse was a good sub, too good. There’s no fun with a good sub. And he’s too damn skinny. The only thing he has going is he’s intelligent, but emotionally he’s a fucking mess. Those fucking group homes made him crazy. He’ll never be right in the head. I don’t know any man who would want this mess.”

  “I want Jesse.” Andrew paused. “And I think you know how to find him. There must be a tiny spot somewhere in your cement heart to give a fuck about the loving sub who worshipped you for four years. Do you want him dead?”

  “I don’t want any harm done to him. He didn’t fit in my life anymore for reasons I could never explain to him. I’ll make some calls and see what I can find out.”

  “I trust you’ll keep your word, since Jesse is in danger.”

  Sam ended the call without saying anything else. Andrew kicked the wall, making Charlie jump. “That son of a bitch!”

  “What did he say?” Jake asked.

  “Nothing that will help us find Jesse. He claims he’s not part of this, but I know he is. This kidnapping reeks of Sam. It’s all Sam.”

  “I know Sam, and I saw him with Jesse often. I can tell you that even though he cheated on him, they had a relationship. A bad one, but if he thinks Jesse is in trouble, he won’t stand by and let anyone hurt him. I watched him tell men off if they just looked at Jesse. He was too possessive of him and very jealous,” Jake said.

  “Are we ever going to find him?” Charlie asked.

  “Of course, we’re going to find him. The FBI and police are looking. Maybe Sam will find out something,” Andrew said.

  The doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation.

  “Maybe it’s Jesse.” Charlie ran toward the door with Andrew and Jake right behind him.

  “Wait, Charlie, don’t open the door. We don’t know who it is.”

  Andrew looked through the peephole. Niko stood there, and Andrew let him in quickly.

  “I have some information,” Niko said as he hugged Andrew.

  “Let’s talk in the living room.”

  All of them made their way to the living room. Charlie sat on the couch beside Jake and focused on Niko. “I’m Jake, and this is Charlie. We’ll keep Andrew out of trouble,” Jake said.

  “I’m Niko. Andrew and I used to work together when he was still with the FBI,” Niko said.

  “So, you’re an FBI agent?” Charlie asked.

  “I am.”

  “Thanks for helping,” Jake said.

  “All the guys are on it. Once they heard it was your sub, they’re working overtime and off-hours and put some other less time-sensitive matters aside to find Jesse. Ben and Carmen had been doing some illegal work for Sam. According to their texts, Sam owes them big money but left town. These messages were between Ben and Carmen. They know Sam’s number, but he doesn’t take their calls.”

  “Did they take Jesse?” Charlie asked.

  “We don’t know for sure.”

  “So what’s next?” Andrew asked.

  “We’re listening in to their conversations for more informati
on, and the police are looking for the van and Jesse.”

  “What should we do?” Andrew asked.

  “Stay here in case someone calls or Jesse returns. You know how these things go. We believe the kidnappers will ask for ransom, but are not sure if they’ll ask you or Sam for money.”

  “Why don’t we go over to Ben’s and Carmen’s houses?” Andrew asked.

  “No. Remember your training when you worked as an agent. Anyone who is emotionally involved in a case will only complicate it for the agents. We’ll get him,” Niko said.

  “What about Sam? I can call him again,” Andrew asked.

  “No. Don’t call him anymore. We’ll get them before Sam enters the scene. Plus, I don’t trust Sam. What did he say?” Niko asked.

  “He said he didn’t know anything about it but would look into it. I’m not sure he will.”

  “Do you think you’ll bring Jesse back safely?” Charlie asked.

  “Yes, I do. Be patient. It might take a while, though. We’re hoping to bust them soon,” Niko said.

  “What does soon mean? Tonight? Tomorrow? A week?” Charlie asked.

  “We’ve been working on those two for a while, so I bet within a day or two. We haven’t located them yet, but we’re getting closer.”

  “Thank you. I hope they don’t hurt him,” Charlie said.

  “They won’t. If they kidnapped him for money, they won’t hurt or damage him. They want the money.”

  “Excuse me, Sir. Explain why Sam would pay them for Jesse. He dumped him. That doesn’t make any sense,” Charlie asked.

  Andrew’s head pounded as he thought on Charlie’s words. He was right. There was no way Sam would pay money for Jesse.

  “It doesn’t matter if Sam comes or not. They have to check on Jesse. These two thugs wouldn’t have gone to the trouble if they thought Sam wouldn’t pay them for Jesse. They must know more than we do about their relationship.”

  “I don’t think Sam will pay them,” Jake said. “But if he thought they would hurt Jesse, he’d do something about it. He has access to many more thugs in New York.”