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

by Luna, David

  Gideon responded that he was on his way. Tension mounting, he hurriedly pushed himself through the throng of people. Roarke was a cautious man and didn’t raise flags without good reason. Rushing down the hall to the room in question, he saw his manager there at the security panel. He keyed in his code as Gideon neared him and the door to the right of the room in question opened up, allowing them into the voyeur area adjacent to the room in question. They kept the light off as they walked to the huge two-way mirror.

  The room was partially set up as a police interrogation room, hence the name. Outfitted with a metal table with handcuffs attached to the center and metal chairs with their own handcuffs attached to the sides, it also housed a number of other tools of the trade, including a spanking bench and many instruments of sexual pleasure and torture.

  He was confused as to why Roarke had called him in. There was a submissive, trussed up on the bench, facing away from the mirror, his head completely covered by a loose hood. The scene wasn’t alarming, at first glance. The Dom’s cock was hard and sticking out from his fly, wrapped and from the looks of it, lubed. Nothing overt was off. The scene—like many others that occurred on a nightly basis in that room and others like it down the hall—didn’t signal any of Gideon’s warning bells.

  That was, until Roarke turned the sound on so they could listen to what was going on. He knew immediately why he’d been called in when all he heard was the whisper of the cane as it arced through the air and was brought down with enormous force on the boy’s skin.

  It was more a feeling that something wasn’t right, rather than anything visually alarming. “Check the feeds. I want eyes on this guy from the second he arrived. He’s not a member, I’d remember his face, so he’s got to be a visitor. And get the feeds on whoever signed him in as a guest. Who’s the boy?”

  “Sebastian, Sir.”

  “The one you’ve been telling me about?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Get the feeds for him as well.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Gideon waited as Roarke spoke into the mic that was connected to his security earpiece. He relayed his directives and then nodded at Gideon that their in-house security team was working on it. They didn’t have on-site video and audio security personnel, as of a couple of months prior, they’d paid Custos to manage that for them, off-site. He had two dedicated Custos employees to monitor their feeds live, every night they were open. So far, they’d had no call to pull the footage in all the time they’d been open. That they had to do so tonight pissed him off and new security measures would be put in place as a result to keep it from happening again.

  “You’ve seen the boy in scenes. Is he usually this quiet?”

  “No, Sir. That’s why I called you to observe. Everything about this feels off because I know Sebastian’s reactions. He ran into me when he came down from upstairs. He turned around to see who he’d knocked into and the guy didn’t let him stop. Sebastian tried to smile and say sorry, but was being pulled away from me.”

  “Was he resisting being pulled away? Did he look distressed?”

  “No. He didn’t appear to be resisting, but he didn’t appear to be excited either, which is unlike him. He’s the most eager to please sub I’ve ever tested. Also, unless he’s told not to make a sound, the Dom knows when Sebastian is enjoying what’s going on. His noises are beautiful to hear.”

  As they continued to observe, the whisper of the cane was still the only sound to be heard and the only movement being made was that of the Dom, no reaction to the cane’s blows at all. “Is he a masochist?”

  “I don’t think so, Sir. He can take a lot, but I believe it’s more about pleasing the Dom.”

  All of a sudden the boy began to jerk in his bindings and it was immediately apparent he wasn’t playing. There was no give in his ties and it just appeared the boy was flopping around in an unsuccessful attempt to escape. It stopped a few seconds later and then again, there was no movement at all.

  They heard a growl from the man with the cane. Gideon got another good look at the man’s face and the anger there made his blood run cold. He was moving before he even realized it. As he ran into the hall to the other door, he heard the man yell, “You ugly little fucker! If I’d have known you were such a freak, I’d never have wasted my time on you!”

  Gideon keyed in his master code and shoved angrily at the door. It flew open with a loud bang and the man jumped, lowering the cane. “What the fuck? Get the hell out! This is a private session; you have no right to come in here!”

  Gideon ignored him completely, his eyes never leaving the boy’s small frame. It hadn’t moved when he’d thrown the door open. When the man raised the cane as if he was going to continue, Gideon spared the man a glance. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

  “I’ll do whatever the fuck I want! I paid good money to visit this dive tonight, and I’m gonna get my money’s worth!”

  As if to prove his point, he lowered the cane in a swift arc. Gideon moved quickly, catching it in his palm, and yanked it towards him. The man, still holding onto the other end, stumbled forward. Gideon gave another yank and the guy finally let go. “Fuck this shit. I’m outta here, he’s not worth it anyway. Fucking freak.”

  Gideon glanced back and gave a slight shake of his head. Roarke moved into the room and shut the door behind him, effectively blocking the man’s exit. As the guy began to rail in indignation at being locked in, Gideon blocked him out and focused on the boy in front of him.

  As he rounded the bench and gently pulled the hood from the boy’s head, he realized he had a ball gag in his mouth and his eyes didn’t open when the hood was removed. His cheek was slightly swollen and pink, causing Gideon to clench his teeth in anger, wondering if he’d been slapped. His heartbeat kicked up several notches when he ran his fingers through the boys long, dark bangs and he still didn’t respond.

  Making quick work of the bindings connecting his legs to the bench, he went to work on his arms and stilled at the terrified moan that ripped through the room. The boy was shaking his head violently as if trying to say no, to safeword, to stop what had been happening to him.

  Suddenly, he started to gag and Gideon nearly lost ten years off his life as he scrambled to trigger the quick release clasp on the ball gag so the boy could vomit without choking himself to death. Internally cursing the other man to the pits of hell and annoyed with himself that he hadn’t taken it off first thing, Gideon held the boy’s head as he retched on the floor. The mess that hit Gideon’s shirt and pants was a small price to pay for the boy’s safety.

  When the sub was done getting sick, Gideon used the bottom of his t-shirt to gently wipe away his tears and anything left on his face, all the while murmuring to him. “You’re all right. You’re safe. I’ve got you. Nothing else is going to happen to you, boy. You’re safe now.”

  He looked at Roarke to ask him to get some water, but the man was already on it, walking towards him with a bottle in his hand. As he did so, Gideon watched as the asshole tried to beat a hasty retreat when he saw the door was no longer being manned. Gideon watched him with narrowed eyes as he tried the door only to realize it was locked from the inside. He started yelling again, about his rights, about who he was, about what he’d paid, and on and on, but Gideon didn’t spare him another glance.

  He was worried that the boy seemed so out of it. When his eyes had closed again after he’d gotten sick, Gideon guessed what had happened and the anger rolling through his body was burning out of control. He finally worked the restraints off the boy’s arms, leaving him where he was for now, as there wasn’t a more comfortable place for him to rest in the room.

  He looked at Roarke and the man came to him immediately. He ran his hand through the boy’s hair again, giving him soft, reassuring touches. When he lifted his hand Roarke nodded and took his place, continuing to touch the unconscious boy as Gideon approached the man who now stood pacing by the door.

  “The first thing you’re gonna do
is open up that cabinet over there and get out the cleaning supplies. You’re gonna clean every single drop of that vomit off the floor until it sparkles. Then you’re gonna sit down at one of the chairs and allow Master Roarke to handcuff you to the table.”

  “The fuck I am!”

  As if the man hadn’t spoken, Gideon continued. “Then you’re going to wait, patiently, until the police arrive to take your ass in.”

  “You can’t keep me here! Do you know who I am? You have no right to keep me against my will! I did nothing wrong! That little freak was begging for it! He wanted to be beaten! Let me the hell outta here!”

  Gideon got into the man’s space, his chest wedging the asshole against the door. Putting his back to the cameras, he pulled the ever-present knife out of his pocket, holding it up just enough for the man to see, his eyes going wide. He brought up his other hand, grabbing onto the man’s chin and tilting his head up and back at an uncomfortable angle, the knife down low, against the fly the coward had tucked his dick back into at some point.

  He leaned down next to his ear and spoke in a guttural whisper. “You’ll never harm any of my subs ever again, here or outside of the club. If you do, I’ll hunt you down, torture you within an inch of your life, cut off your cock and balls, and shove them down your throat. I’ve done it before; I’ll do it again. That’s the last warning you’ll receive from me.”

  “Master G.”

  The words, softly spoken, brought Gideon out of his angry haze. He turned and approached the bench again, surreptitiously tucking the knife away. The boy was trying to move, his actions slow and disjointed, as if he couldn’t make his muscles work. He tried to raise his head but ultimately didn’t have the strength. Gideon saw his eyes flutter open and then close again.

  After several moments and a monumental effort on the boy’s part, his eyes finally cracked open to half-mast and he looked around, confused, and disoriented as he began mumbling. Gideon had to lower himself to one knee to make out what he was saying.

  “Red. Red. Red. Red.”

  Gideon’s heart broke at the sound of the wounded boy, his litany of safewords continuing as Gideon looked up into the eyes of the man that had done that to him. The man paled at his venomous glare, understanding the danger he was in. Gideon ran his hand through the sub’s hair, keeping it there, rubbing his head softly. With his other hand he began to touch his back, his arm, his shoulder, so gently, murmuring that he was safe. The boy finally stilled.

  Gideon wanted to get him out of there, but the other rooms were booked this time of night and he didn’t want to draw attention to the situation and humiliate Sebastian. He’d be damned if anything else happened to make matters worse for him if he could help it. And as much as he wanted to find him a more comfortable place to be, his back, ass, and thighs were too damaged to move him more than once. He’d get things settled as quickly as possible and hopefully the ambulance would arrive quickly.

  Gideon looked up at Roarke. “Call nine-one-one. We need him drug tested. I’m pretty sure he’s been roofied. We also need a rape kit done—”

  The man, his hand still guarding his cock after Gideon’s threat, choked out his denial. “I didn’t rape him! I never got the…”

  Gideon stood, glaring at the man. “Never got the what, the chance? You pathetic piece of shit. We’ll see if that’s the case.” Gideon glanced back at Roarke. “Regardless, we need to get him to the hospital.”

  “No.” The whispered word, so weak and thready was repeated. “No.”

  Gideon bent down. “What is it, boy?”

  “Nospital. Plee.”

  “Sebastian—”

  Fear in his eyes, he slowly, painstakingly shook his head. “No, no.”

  Gideon let out a pained sigh and nodded his head. “No hospital, but I’m having a doctor come and check you out, understood?”

  Sebastian opened his eyes again, just barely enough to gaze at him directly and nodded. Gideon’s heart squeezed at the fear and sadness he saw there. “You’re safe with me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Sebastian’s slurred thank you had Gideon’s fingers reaching out again to gently card them through the boy’s hair. It was as if the single act of getting those final words out had sapped the last of his strength, and Sebastian closed his eyes again. Angry that they were in that situation, he stood and paced away. Pulling his phone from his pocket he called his brother.

  “Gideon?”

  “Yeah. Finn, I need your help.”

  There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line before Finn finally responded. “Anything.”

  Some of the tension left his shoulders. “I have a boy here that needs a doctor.”

  There was a pause as Finn put things together. “You’re at the club?”

  “Yes. I think he’s been roofied, and there’s also a possibility he’s been raped.”

  “Jesus. Gideon, take him to the hospital. I’ll meet you there.”

  “He doesn’t want to go.”

  “He needs to, Gideon.”

  “Please, Finn. He asked me not to and I promised I wouldn’t. He’s been through enough tonight; it’s imperative that I don’t break his trust after what he’s been through.”

  Finn sighed. “So a urine test and a rape kit.”

  Gideon took a deep breath. “Yes.”

  The way he answered must have given him away. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “He’s been caned.”

  “What the fuck does that… wait, you mean beat with a cane?”

  Gideon’s pause was answer enough. Finn let out a frustrated huff. “Christ, Gideon. Okay. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

  “I’m taking him up to my place. Use your code.”

  “Okay, see you soon.”

  “Finn?”

  “What?”

  “Thank you.”

  Finn let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re welcome.”

  Gideon rubbed a hand over his forehead. Not having control of the situation was getting to him. He hated the censure he could hear in Finn’s voice, and because it was so unlike his brother, he could hardly hold it against him. He was angry at himself for allowing this to happen in his own goddamned house.

  His brother didn’t understand the world he lived in, but regardless of that fact, it was the first time he’d felt Finn’s disapproval since he’d told his family about his club. Gideon knew Finn wasn’t upset because of the club itself, but that someone had gotten hurt on his watch, and as he felt the same disappointment in himself with the situation, all he could do was make it right and make sure it never happened again.

  He was about to place a call to Zavier, but the phone rang in his hand. “You’ve heard.”

  “They’re pulling the feeds for all three men. Is the boy okay?”

  Knowing Zavier understood the BDSM lifestyle, he felt more at ease speaking with him about it than he did with Finn. “I think so, but I’m not sure. Finn’s on his way. Would you trust that detective you worked with at the SFPD?”

  “Detective Miller?”

  “Whoever the guy was that worked on Braden’s case.”

  “Yes, but he’s no longer in the SVU.”

  “Shit.”

  “Let me check and see if I have his old lieutenant’s number.”

  Gideon nodded, knowing his brother kept meticulous records and would find the information. “Yeah. Listen. Watch the feeds and call him. Explain to him what happened and have him send someone to pick up this asshole. Even if it’s just a beat cop, I want them to know who they’re dealing with and I want this taken seriously. Sebastian’s not going to be up to talking to anyone tonight, so we’ll probably just need someone to come and arrest the guy and Sebastian can hopefully answer questions in the morning.”

  He finished his conversation with his brother and hung up the phone. He glanced at Roarke, whose eyebrows were raised in question. “Zavier?”

  “Yeah. Listen, can you deal with him? I need to get S
ebastian out of here and up to my place. He can’t stay on this fucking bench any longer.”

  “Yeah, of course. I’ve got a couple more of our guys out in the hall. Let one of them escort you to the elevator.”

  Gideon nodded and gently grasped Sebastian’s shoulders, tilting him back on his knees on the bench and holding him upright until he could gather his shoulders in one arm and scoop his other underneath his knees. The whimper that escaped the boy’s lips escalated his rage. Gideon murmured softly to him and his heart lodged in his throat when Sebastian’s body tensed and the most beautiful amber colored eyes opened to gaze steadily at him. “You’re gonna be okay. You’re safe with me.”

  He felt the tension leave Sebastian’s body as they continued to look at each other, something indefinable shifting in Gideon’s chest. Sebastian finally nodded at Gideon, closed his eyes, and leaned his head on Gideon’s shoulder. When Gideon got to the doorway, Roarke met him there with a blanket and tucked the edges gently around the boy’s small frame. He stirred, sucking in a breath, scared by that action alone, but settled again when Gideon murmured reassurances that he was safe.

  The door was opened and one of his security guards walked in the room to help Roarke, another waited for him to exit with Sebastian and closed the door after him. Gideon nodded at the guard dressed in Dom gear and allowed him to lead them through the throng of people in the Liberation Room and to the elevator. When they were safely ensconced inside, Gideon carefully entered his passcode into the keypad and they were whisked up to the top floor that acted as his home.

  GIDEON CARRIED SEBASTIAN TO THE bedroom, gingerly pulled the bedding back, and placed him gently down on his stomach. He dimmed the lights so they wouldn’t bother the boy if he regained consciousness and headed out to the kitchen to get a bottle of water and some pain meds for him when he woke.

  When he heard movement on the bed he ran back to the bedroom to see the boy’s body shaking. A few moments later he vomited again all over the pillow. Gideon put the water and pills on the nightstand and leaned in to lightly rub the boy’s shoulder. When he sucked in a scared breath and pulled away, curling in on himself, Gideon whispered to him and he finally settled.