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I blinked at the huge room. There were chains and ropes and whips and things I couldn’t even identify. Austin straddled a bench in one corner of the space, sorting through a metal suitcase. He stopped what he was doing and watched us, his eyes wide.
“This is who I am,” Dante said, more quietly now.
I turned to him and raised my chin as I met his gaze defiantly. “I hope you use each and every item in here on me.”
“Fuck!” Dante yelled. “You just won’t listen! I’ve got to leave for the airport in about five fucking minutes, and I am just not getting through to you!”
“I know who you are,” I said. “I know there’s this wild, dangerous side of you. And I know there’s another side as well, one that’s sweet and gentle and kind. And I want all of you, Dante, both sides, every part of it. I want to be with you.”
He sighed in exasperation. And then he pointed across the room. “See that boy over there, Charlie? That’s Austin. He’s a prostitute. I’ve been beating him and fucking him a couple times a week for almost a year. Austin understands what I am, even if you don’t. Why don’t you talk to him? You sure as hell won’t listen to me, but maybe you’ll listen to someone who’s been where you’re trying to go.”
“You want me to think you’re a bad person, so I’ll stay away from you. But I’m still not convinced. I’ll never be convinced.”
Dante seemed to have a flash of inspiration, and let go of me and crossed the room to the blonde boy, saying, “Can you clear your schedule for the next forty eight hours, Austin? I’ll pay you triple your usual rate.”
“Of course, Mr. Dombruso. The agency won’t have a problem with that. You know you’re their number one client.” He pulled out his cell phone and fired off a quick text.
“Good. Thank you, Austin.” Dante went to a cabinet against the wall and pulled open a drawer and rooted around in it. He then brought a set of manacles over to the skinny blonde, and snapped a wide metal cuff on the boy’s wrist as he said, “Your time starts now.” He tugged on the chain, and Austin leapt up and followed him like a puppy.
He brought this guy right up to me. And then, before I realized what was happening, Dante grabbed my arm and snapped the other end of the manacle onto my wrist. “Ok, that’s weird,” I said.
“Austin, your assignment is to explain to Charlie in excruciating detail exactly what I do to you, and exactly how much you hate every single minute of it.”
“I don’t hate it, Mr. Dombruso,” he said with a reasonably convincing smile.
“Bullshit. Just be honest with Charlie. You know better than anyone what he would be in for if he kept going out with me.”
Austin looked at me with surprise and murmured, “You were going out?”
“These cuffs don’t open with a key,” Dante continued. “There’s a trick to them. It’ll take you a day or two to figure it out, because it’s really not obvious. That should give Austin enough time to talk your ear off.”
“Seriously?” I said.
“I’m sorry to do this to you, Charlie. But I need you to really, truly understand why we can’t be together. I know it’s really shitty and kind of insane to chain you to a rent boy and then flee the country. But, well, I’m doing it anyway. Don’t let him follow me, Austin.” Dante kissed my forehead and left the playroom quickly, and I actually burst out laughing.
I called after him, “Have a safe trip! See you when you get back!” I heard him swearing somewhere down the hall.
“You’re not planning to run after him, are you? Because just so you know, I don’t run,” Austin told me.
“Nah. I’m not going to try to prevent him from leaving the country. I’m simply going to be waiting for him when he gets back.”
“Well, good,” Austin said. He tried to reach into his pocket for his vibrating cell phone, but was stopped short by the chain that linked us. I let him pull my hand over, and he took out his phone and read the screen, then said, “Ok. My employers approved the change of plans in my schedule, so I’m yours for the next two days.” He grinned at me pleasantly.
“Sorry you got dragged into this,” I said. “I’m sure this isn’t your idea of a good time.”
“On the contrary, I think this is hilarious. And of course, it’s obviously not the first time someone’s paid me to chain me up. Though being chained to another person is new.” He thought about that for a beat, then amended, “Ok, that’s not new. The fact that we’re not fucking while we’re chained together, that’s new.”
