Saving Sebastian: A Catharsis Novel (Custos Securities Series Book 3)

by Luna, David

  They settled in and Sebastian told them all about the club, showed them the app and what it could do. He then walked them around the main floor to let them see everything for themselves. They wound themselves through the crowd back to the elevator, Sebastian glad to have avoided seeing Gideon on stage with another sub.

  Crossing his arms over his chest, protecting himself the only way he knew how, he got himself mentally ready to see his Dom, knowing it was inevitable. Unease unfurled in his stomach when he realized the reason Gideon didn’t invite him was because he didn’t want to be seen with him.

  Jesus how obvious could it be? They didn’t go out together, they never scened at the club when it was open, in fact Gideon had never once mentioned it. And really, it wasn’t like he could blame the man. Not that Sebastian wanted to scene in public, even the thought of it spiked his blood pressure, but not having Gideon ask him to do so seemed strange suddenly. His face grew hot with embarrassment at not having realized all of this before that moment.

  They took the elevator down to the Liberation Room, Braden and Zavier chatting about the club, neither noticing his upset. Quickly he pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened his Lyft app, scheduling a pick-up as soon as someone could get there. Knowing on a Saturday he’d have to wait twenty minutes or so, he figured he had enough time to show them around before he left.

  Looking up, he was glad to see the excitement on their faces the minute the doors slid open and they got a look at the atmosphere of the room. The bass was thumping and the crowd was one big huge mass of moving bodies, tuned to the same rhythm, moving as one. The undulation of the crowd appearing to emulate the movement of the ocean.

  The music switched over to something a little faster and as one, the crowd began to jump and writhe, no longer a wave but a mass of bodies moving with no discernable pattern except for the beat of the music. He usually avoided the room. That many people in one space made him nervous. He looked over at Braden and Zavier and smiled when he realized they wanted to join in the melee.

  He quickly took them around to look at the voyeur rooms, enjoying Braden’s blushing cheeks. They asked a few questions and walked back towards the Liberation Room. He hugged them both and then pushed them out onto the dance floor and told them he’d maybe see them later and to take their time and have fun.

  Knowing that wasn’t true, he made his way back upstairs and was about to leave when he heard Gideon’s voice coming over the speakers in the Tranquility Room. His voice, as always, drew him near and instead of going out the front door, his body refused to listen to his mind and walked closer and closer to the stage where he saw a girl tied up to a St. Andrew’s Cross at the far end of the long stage.

  When he drew closer he saw the single tail bullwhip held coiled loosely in his Dom’s hand. As Gideon spoke into the ear mic, to the crowd that had gathered around the three sides of the stage facing the girl, Sebastian could do nothing but watch, feet rooted to the floor as if held by an invisible force.

  Sebastian watched in morbid fascination as Gideon warmed up with the whip and then gave the first lash. It was like he felt the lash himself and it was the only thing that allowed him to get his feet moving. He was in and out of the locker room in seconds and walking towards the front door, smiling for Khaleo as he approached the door.

  “I’m gonna head home. I gave Zavier and Braden the tour for Gideon. They seem to really like the place, so I think they’ll probably submit their applications.”

  A surprised look crossed Khaleo’s face. “It was nice of you to come down and do that. I could have arranged something. Do you want to stay until he’s done?”

  Sebastian shook his head. “No. It’s okay, I’m getting pretty tired. Long week.”

  “All right, Sebastian. Do you need a cab?”

  He held up his phone and was happy to see the Lyft notification that his driver had arrived. “Nope. My ride just pulled around. Thanks. Goodnight!”

  He was out of there with a softly spoken “night” from Khaleo trailing behind him. The trip home was uneventful. As he let himself into his place, he tried not to think too hard on the evening. He didn’t know quite what he felt. Strangely, seeing a woman strapped naked to the cross had made him feel less upset.

  If it had been a male sub, he probably would have felt worse. But as he couldn’t blame Gideon for doing his job and he knew Gideon wouldn’t be sexually stimulated by the scene with a woman, he didn’t feel so worked up about it. He also felt a strange jealousy at the fact that she’d been whipped with a single tail by his Dom when he hadn’t yet. He’d always wanted to feel the bite of a single tail wielded by someone that truly knew what they were doing, and clearly, Gideon did.

  It was more the shame of being an embarrassment to Gideon, of being the type of sub he had to keep hidden that he felt awful about, but yet again, he couldn’t place any blame there. When it came down to it, he had no control over his Dom and how his Dom felt. All he could do was control how he reacted. He needed to think about what his feelings were. For that he’d give himself time.

  He locked up behind himself, fed the little monsters, turned out the lights and made his way towards the stairs. Almost to the top, he got the tingling sensation in his fingertips that sometimes warned him of an impending seizure. It wasn’t early enough, and before he could sit himself down to try to mitigate the damage, he was seizing and falling down the stairs as it happened, knocking himself out in the process.

  GIDEON LET HIMSELF INTO SEBASTIAN’S home feeling like a complete asshole. The event was a huge success, but an event that large took a lot of work and there had been several issues throughout the night that had required his attention. One of the scheduled demos was going to be cancelled because the Dom had a neck injury from a car accident and wouldn’t be able to perform. As Gideon was the only free Dom that was skilled enough with the single tail, he’d agreed to scene with the sub so she wouldn’t have to miss it.

  He hadn’t scened with anyone since he’d signed Sebastian, and he felt uneasy about it, but as they’d never discussed it and he felt it was his job, he’d made the decision to do the scene. Making that last-minute decision, and dealing with the other issues that had cropped up during the night, calling Sebastian had slipped his mind. He’d fucked up.

  He’d been pulled away to deal with an equipment malfunction that thankfully hadn’t hurt anyone, and a panicked sub that needed help who’d been abused by his Dom. Turns out the Dom was none other than the man that had recently submitted a membership request that he’d been holding back pending a deeper background check, so he’d mentally marked it off his to do list.

  He’d texted a well-respected Dom through the club’s app. Dr. Gabriel Price was a mild-mannered psychologist who Gideon knew was a softie when it came to troubled subs. They’d talked several times about having him work at the club to give the subs someone to go to if they needed help. They hadn’t ironed out the details yet, but he had some ideas brewing that he wanted to discuss with the soft-spoken Dom.

  He’d left the panicked sub in Gabe’s capable hands and had texted Zavier again to let him know he’d try to find them later. When Zavier had responded that they’d arranged a tour with a friend, Gideon had assumed he meant Braden’s barista and had put it out of his mind to check up on stock for each of the bars.

  Only when he was done with his demo was he able to find Braden and his brother. They’d both greeted him, smiling and looking like they’d been enjoying themselves. He wanted them both to feel comfortable at his place and knew their joining it was contingent on whether Braden felt safe and content in his surroundings. He placed his hand on Braden’s shoulder and squeezed gently.

  “You look like you’re having fun.”

  Braden hugged him as usual, something he’d had to get used to. “We were just downstairs dancing in the Liberation Room. So wild. You have a great place here, Gideon.”

  “Thanks. I hope you feel comfortable enough to join. Do you guys want a tour? I’m sorry
it’s taken so damned long for me to join you.”

  “No, we’re good. Sebastian showed us around. He left us downstairs and said he’d see us later. Did he find you?”

  His heart took a dive. His boy was there? “No. When was that?”

  “I don’t know, probably thirty minutes ago now.”

  “Fuck.”

  He jogged to the entrance and could see Khaleo’s disappointment in him immediately. “He tried to hide it but he couldn’t get out of here fast enough and didn’t look well when he left. On top of that, when he arrived, Mr. Forrester came in behind him, nearly shoving him off his feet to get him out of his way and tried to intimidate and threaten his way into the club.”

  “Was he hurt?”

  “No, but it was a close thing.”

  Anger seethed just under the surface, everything Khaleo had just said making his mind hum like there was a hive of bees up there. “You didn’t try to stop him?”

  Khaleo raised a brow at him, not intimidated by his anger. “I don’t make it a habit of accosting our members and refusing to let them leave. He said someone was pulling around the front to get him.”

  Incredulous, Gideon asked, “He was here with someone?”

  Before he had time to think about how irrationally jealous that thought made him, Zavier gripped him by the back of his neck and squeezed. Hard. Hard enough that he couldn’t ignore it. He tried to shrug him off but in the end, the palm gently placed on his shoulder that came just before the gentle words of his brother-in-law calmed him like nothing else could have. “Gideon, talk to us. What happened?”

  “He left. I didn’t know he was coming tonight. Had no idea he was here…”

  His voice trailed off and he scrubbed his face in frustration. He shouldn’t have yelled at Khaleo. He was angry at himself. He looked up to apologize and the man shook his head, but he said it anyway. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”

  “I know, Sir.”

  Braden, still confused, asked, “What do you mean, you didn’t invite him to tonight’s event? That’s the only reason I asked him to give us a tour. So, what? He came here just to walk us around? I assumed he’d be here with you. Aren’t you guys seeing each other?”

  Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. He’d never take his anger out on Braden or any other submissive. And if for some reason, he lost his mind and did so, his brother would have killed him regardless and though their fights were always evenly matched, he wouldn’t fight back if it came to that.

  “No, I didn’t invite him. It didn’t occur to me, honestly. Fridays are not our nights.”

  “Your nights?”

  Sighing, he gripped the back of his neck in his hand and squeezed at the tension there. “Yes. Our nights. We’re not seeing each other in the sense you mean. We’re in a six-month contract. We’re Dom and sub, only.”

  “But—” Braden was cut off by his husband who drew him into an embrace.

  Gideon looked at Zavier in thanks and got a stern stare in return. Zavier had always been able to read him and this time wasn’t any different. “So, you didn’t invite him and when he came at Braden’s request, I’m guessing the fact that you were demonstrating with another sub was news to him as well.”

  Gideon clenched his jaw and then his shoulders slumped when he heard Braden’s gasp. Nothing could have prepared him for the quick right jab to his ribs that Braden shocked him with. The punch was pulled, but he could tell that Zavier had been practicing with his boy. He rubbed the sore area.

  “You better go fix it, you big jerk.”

  He laughed, incredulous. Did he really just… “Big jerk?” Jesus the kid was priceless.

  Braden wasn’t laughing, however, and his arms were crossed over his chest in anger. “Yes! Go find him and make it right.”

  Gideon sighed, knowing that’s exactly what he should do. “He’s working tomorrow. He’s probably already asl—”

  “So you go and wake him up! Gideon, he’ll be thinking about it all day tomorrow and feeling like shit. Not to mention, if you don’t talk to him, he might not show up at your next ‘scheduled’ time.”

  Gideon growled at that thought but couldn’t deny it. He looked at Khaleo who nodded at him. “I’ve got it. Go find your boy.”

  He nodded and made his goodbyes to Braden and Zavier. Making his way across town, he parked as close to Sebastian’s house as he could and jogged the rest of the way. As he locked Sebastian’s door behind him, Slap and Tickle came to greet him. He spent a moment scratching them under their chins.

  He made his way up the stairs, the little fur balls nipping at his heels. Leaving the hall light on, he walked into Sebastian’s room and saw him curled there in a tight ball, asleep. Not wanting to wake him, but knowing he had to, he sat down on the bed and rubbed his shoulder.

  “Sebastian, can you wake up for me?”

  Gideon could feel when he woke because his body tensed up. He gently rubbed his hand up and down Sebastian’s arm, but his boy stayed where he was, facing away from him when he whispered, “Can we talk tomorrow night? I’m exhausted, Gideon, and I don’t feel well.”

  Gideon remembered that Khaleo had mentioned he didn’t look well. Worrying he was getting sick, Gideon turned on the light next to the bed and glanced at him. There was an old-fashioned ice bag in Sebastian’s hand and when he glanced up at Sebastian’s face he was shocked to see a huge lump just above his temple that was swollen and bruised, the skin broken. Out of his mind with worry, he spoke louder than he’d meant to. “Jesus Christ. Baby, what happened? Who the fuck did this to you?”

  Sebastian winced then groaned and covered the lump with the ice pack. “I fell. It’s nothing. I’m just tired, Gideon. Please, can we talk later?”

  Gideon didn’t believe it was nothing for a second but he sighed and said, “We can talk about what happened at the club later, yes. But I need to know what happened to you. Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  “I’m fine. I slipped on the stairs. Slap and Tickle got underfoot and I missed a step. I’ll be okay. I just want to sleep.”

  Something in his gut told him that explanation wasn’t the whole truth, but he didn’t want to push. “Did you lose consciousness?”

  Sebastian sighed but still didn’t move. “I don’t know. Yeah, I think so.”

  “Bastian, you probably have a concussion. We need to take you—”

  “I’m not going to the hospital for a bump on the head. I’m fine. What I need is sleep.”

  Still worried and not wanting to take any chances, Gideon pushed, “Let me—”

  “Gideon, please. Please, don’t make me safeword right now. I’m tired. I need sleep. You can stay or go, but I’m not going anywhere, and I need you to let me sleep.”

  Safeword? His gut churned, knowing that Sebastian was feeling so upset, so utterly without defenses that he felt he might need to use it. Everything in him wanted to push, to order Sebastian to go with him, but he didn’t want to force a safeword and he knew that’s what would happen. He sighed and softly rubbed Sebastian’s arm again, up and down and whispered, “Okay, baby. But I’m gonna stay if that’s really all right with you.”

  Sebastian gave the briefest nod and sleep slurred his words when he responded, “S’all right.”

  Sebastian was asleep before Gideon even got off the bed. He placed a call to Finn and got some advice on what to do and how to help and then he got ready for bed himself, stripped down to his boxer briefs and got in bed beside his boy. He wanted to hold him but knew he shouldn’t move him. He got as close as he could without disturbing him, moved the ice bag to the nightstand, and held Sebastian’s hand against his chest.

  He couldn’t help but let his mind wander, allowing himself to imagine would it would be like if Sebastian was truly his. To imagine how that conversation would go between them. Because the longer he was with him the more he felt and the more he felt the more he wanted to claim his boy’s mind, body, and heart. He didn’t have any desire for a slave, and G
odknows he’d never presume to call himself a Master, but he admitted to himself that’s what he was craving.

  As his possessiveness took over, his desire for permanent ownership doing its best to take control as well. It was like a burning ember at his core that seemed to be growing by the day. He was afraid that ember, which had started as a simple spark the second the boy had slapped him across the face that first morning, would eventually turn into a fiery inferno that he wouldn’t be able to contain.

  Sebastian’s past, his present, his future desires, were a gift he wanted to be offered, one that he would treasure. Every nuance, every emotion, every thought in that gorgeous brain of his, freely given. He was the light to Gideon’s darkness.

  There was an inherent sweetness, and innocence that exuded from the boy in waves and he wanted to help him keep that, do everything he could to encourage it to continue. But he couldn’t. None of that could happen and that heartbreaking thought was his last, before he drifted off into a fitful sleep.

  Throughout the night he’d woken Sebastian up every couple hours to make sure he was doing all right. His phone’s alarm went off marking another two hours gone, and Gideon roused quickly, ready to wake Sebastian up again at the designated time, but he found himself alone in bed. He got up and checked the bathroom and found a note that said Sebastian had gone to work. He read it twice and still couldn’t believe his eyes.

  Work? After a concussion? What the actual fuck? Pissed off that his boy wasn’t taking care of himself as he should be and having the discomfiting feeling that he was quickly losing control, he took a two-minute shower and got himself dressed and out the door in five. He drove across town to the Mission Station, to search for Sebastian.

  He wandered around the north side of the building and then made his way over to the south side when a uniformed cop asked if he needed help. Gideon knew what he really wanted to do was ask what the hell he was doing wandering around. When he mentioned Sebastian’s name, Officer Henson directed him further back into the bullpen and along a bank of offices. It appeared his boy had his own cubbyhole office, which was empty.