Love & Stitches at The Asylum: Part Seventy-Three
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We hope your weekend has been full of all the right kinds of mayhem and adventure!
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xoxo
Tibby and Bianca
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"Fuck no."
Quint startled himself with his own words, pressing his eyes shut as he sent up a pointless prayer that he’d said them in his head, instead of out loud. That’s what he’d intended, but that anyone would consider Pike taking part of an escape room without Quint within arms reach—preferably closer—seemed absolutely ludicrous.
Rather than look insulted, Reed tucked Pike a bit closer to his side, the edge of his lips twitching. “A little tarnish on all that perfection. Me likes.” He cleared his throat when Quint folded his arms over his chest. “He’ll be fine. It’s like you don’t trust me or something.”
“Damn it, Reed, it’s not that.” Quint attempted a different approach to make up for his outburst. “I just…I don’t like the uncertainty. Not with him. There are so many things that could go wrong.”
Apparently more than Quint could’ve ever dreamed up, after his conversation with Danny. He’d never considered himself paranoid, but since The Asylum had been transformed into a literal death trap—a fake one, but still—it was hard not to look around and see danger lurking everywhere.
Ropes Pike could trip on. Someone could hide behind those bales of hay. Was that a real or a fake pitchfork?
I am about to prescribe myself a sedative.
All right, so maybe he grasped the concept of how Pike going through the obstacles with Reed would be more fun for him. Quint’s co-sub did manage to get around the club every single day without serious injury. Bumps and bruises weren’t a good enough reason to put him in a bubble.
But reason had very little space in Quint’s head where the younger, more fragile man he loved was concerned. He’d already been hurt more in his short life than Quint was willing to put up with. If Quint could prevent it, why shouldn’t he?
Pike met his eyes for a minute, then worried his bottom lip with his teeth, lowering his gaze. “This ain’t about Quint not trusting you, Reed. It’s me. Y’all go have fun. I’m gonna go see if there’s any heart cupcakes left.” He looked up, a small smile on his lips. One meant to comfort Quint. “I’ll probably get all messy. You’ll have to clean me up before I put on my next costume.”
I feel like a complete asshole.
This wasn’t fair. But Quint couldn’t seem to get a hold on himself when it came to Pike. He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face as he reached for Pike’s hand. “There’s plenty of everything. Keiran left you a plate of things to graze on in the galley.”
Dressed in all black, barely visible, Avery slithered along through the dance-club-turned-escape-room on vines constructed from his silks. He dropped to his feet in front of Quint. “Let him stay. I’ll take him through, but the choices will be his own. Nothing will hurt him.”
“I appreciate the offer, sweetheart, but this works out better. You go enjoy yourself with Reed. He still needs a partner to go through with.” Quint lifted Pike into his arms to avoid anyone else trying to take over. The other subs meant well, but getting his co-sub away from here, to the relative safety of the galley would tamp down the lingering feeling of a threat waiting around every damn corner. Hopefully, his approach with Rhodey’s boy would prevent any hurt feelings.
Pike hooked an arm around the back of Quint’s neck and flashed Avery a warm smile. “Seriously, it’s all good. Quint’s right, you’ll have a blast with Reed.” He wrinkled his nose a little like a thought had just occurred to him. “Even though he’s a tease.”
One hip stuck out, Avery only pouted a little. “I was gonna have a team, but Jamie and Connor are off sucking face, Reed’s being weird, and I think Dallas is trying to get Rhodey to let him be one of the assassins in the...” He pressed his lips shut, shaking his head. “Nevermind. I’ll be a one-sub stealth snake.”
“Gee, thanks a lot.” Reed huffed as he gave Avery a playful shove, the sparkle in his eyes still showing he was trying to have fun, but there was something in his tone that was a little strained. “It’s all good. We’ll both go solo.” He held his hand out to where the netting had been raised, waiting to trap the next participant—or participants. “You first.”
Avery executed a roll that brought him under the netting and immediately disappeared into the shadows. It was difficult to tell what might be lurking beyond, with all the dry ice fog and occasional blinding strobes of colored lights in pinks, purples, and whites.
“Well, hello.” Seth’s voice rumbled in Quint’s ear.
Turning, Quint adjusted Pike in his arms, smiling at his Dom.
Before he could get a word out, Reed slid up to Seth’s other side. “Your timing is perfect, sir.” He lifted his gaze, blue eyes full of earnest pleading, and let out a heavy sigh. “I think Quint was close to pulling rank on Avery. Not to tattle or anything, but one, that ain’t cool, and two, Pike already agreed to go through with me. Your sub kidnapping your other sub instead of letting him have fun? Also not cool.”
One side of Seth’s lips quirked sideways. Not quite a smile. It was the expression he wore when he tried to decide if he was being played, and one that was difficult to read for anyone who didn’t really know him because they usually interpreted it as exactly what they wanted to see.
“Oh, he has, has he?” Holding out his arms for Pike, Seth forced Quint to relinquish his grip.
Pike slipped into Seth’s arms, not surprisingly missing the interplay between the two. He glanced from Reed, to Quint, then scowled. “Okay, yeah, I said I’d go with Reed. But Quint don’t want me to and he wasn’t being bad. He offered to bring me for snacks. I always need snacks. And he does outrank Avery so why is that even a thing?”
“No one has been naughty, pixie.” Seth adjusted Pike’s position so he could see both him and Quint at the same time. “Tell me what’s bothering you, smiley.”
Nudging his chin toward the escape room, where random screams sounded—more than from the last few Core members who’d gone in. Like Avery was intentionally setting the little coffins off. Quint’s jaw hardened. “This whole thing was set up well, and I’m sure everyone’s having fun. But there are too many risks and—”
“Quint, Jared helped plan this. Actually, it was all his idea. And Pike knows where everything is.” Reed paced away, then back, throwing his hands in the air. “You know what? How about this? Curtis has been busting his ass, trying to make sure Pike feels included. This is part of it. Even Pike knows that, which is why he put so much time into it. We love him. We want him to feel that, to just…be part of the Core.” He gave Quint a hard look. “Excuse my language, but you’re fucking that up for him by not letting him do anything. Just…stop. Seriously.”
Seth held up a hand, moving slightly to separate Reed and Quint. “Reed, you can be part of our group. Quint, Pike, and I will go through together.”
“Fine.” Reed looked a little uncertain for a second, but finally, he just nodded. “I mean it, though. I’m all for being protective. But, like, maybe get that the rest of us are, too. We’re not the enemy and it really sucks when you treat us like we are.”
Lips parted, Quint stared at the younger sub. He shook his head, closing his eyes to back down from the intense urge to see Reed’s words as a challenge to his place as Pike’s protector. It would be best if Pike had more than him. Safer.
But damn it, giving up any part of that role was…hard.
“I know you’re not the enemy, Reed.” Quint rubbed his hand over his mouth, at a loss for words. So he said the only thing that might repair some of the damage he’d caused by holding on much too tight. “I can’t promise I’ll do better tonight. Or tomorrow. But…I’ll work on it. I want Pike to have that connection with…all of you. That trust.”
“On my back, pixie.” Manhandling Pike a little, one palm under his butt, Seth lifted him in an acrobatic movement that Avery would’ve enjoyed. “And, Reed? Thank you. We want Pike to be close to you as well. You’ve very important to Curtis, which naturally makes you important to us, too.”
Hands stuffed in the pockets of torn jeans, still covered in glow-in-the-dark green paint—though the rotting bits of theater makeup had been shedded during breakfast—Reed looked down at his sparkly pink sneakers. “I appreciate that, sir. I get it, you know? You guys are mercs. You’re dealing with different stuff. But the whole Core? We’ve lived, you know? We’ve faced some pretty intense…ish. And we look out for one another. I really…hate it when that’s not enough. I hope we can get there with the three of you.”
Stepping back a pace, Seth motioned Quint and Reed, with him and Pike, toward the gym. “Why don’t we sit this one out and have something to eat and drink. We can talk.”
As far as Quint was concerned, that was a very good idea. Not only would it avoid Pike getting near any of the boobytraps he could make hazardous, no matter the intention—it was something he’d come to accept, his co-sub was creative like that—but it would help them all sort through issues that could become serious if left unresolved.
Instead of obeying, Reed made a frustrated sound and tipped his head back. “I’m not cut out for this shit. Damn it, why couldn’t I have picked up something interesting from Noah, instead of more daddy issues? He’d have this done already.” He raked his fingers through his paint matted curls. “I just really need you to leave Pike with me. Just trust me, okay? Please?”
Opening and closing his mouth a few times, Seth searched Reed’s face, then met Quint’s eyes with a confused frown. “Why do I feel like we’re being set up?”
Reed’s lips drew into a thin, stubborn line. “I’m not answering that, sir. I’ve already fucked this up enough. Help me out here? I swear to you, I won’t let anything happen to Pike. And…it’ll be worth it. That’s all I’m gonna say.”
“You’re still talking to a Dom, boy.” Quint held the other sub’s gaze, letting him know exactly how unimpressed he was that apparently he felt Seth hadn’t earned the respect of watching his damn language. “Just because he gives you some leeway, doesn’t mean you should keep pushing.”
“Quint.” Seth’s tone was sharp. “I’ll decide what lines to draw. Stand down.” He handed Pike to Reed with a look that promised they’d speak later, but it didn’t seem like he was offended by the conversation. Maybe a little worried. “Thank you, Reed. We’ll take your advice. And mine to you, Quint’s Toppy behavior notwithstanding, is that you don’t allow any of the other Doms to hear you talking like that.”
Reed slipped his arm around Pike’s shoulders, meeting Seth’s eyes. “I wouldn’t, sir. And unlike what Quint might think? I’m not disrespecting you. I was being real and I know how important that is to you. Yeah, there’s more going on. But I think…you’d know if I was full of shit. I’m not. I’m saying this as a man who cares about the man you love. About a few of them.” He inhaled roughly. “That’s all I’ve got. I don’t want to play games. But I don’t want to let anyone down.”
Between Seth and Reed, Quint was forced to reevaluate his whole approach. His Dom’s command stopped him short, and made him really listen. To both men. He’d been honest himself, when he’d said he couldn’t change overnight, but he needed to give the people around him a lot more credit.
It wasn’t only Pike, or Seth, he wasn’t being fair to when he started drawing his own hard lines. It was the entire Core. The men who he, and Pike, and Seth needed to be able to count on when there were issues that could be a very real threat.
“I’m sorry, Reed.” Quint shook his head, ashamed over his own behavior. “And thank you, sir. I’ll…keep working on this. I’m aware it’s become an issue.”
Seth inclined his head. “We’ll work on it together, my boy.” He turned to Reed. “Go on, before I rethink this myself.”
The edge of Reed’s lips twitched. He feigned a whisper in Pike’s ear. “If you think they’re bad, just wait until I tell you about Noah, Lawson, and Curtis when I first wanted to join the club. I went to a strip club to force the issue. Got my first spanking for it.”
Eyes wide as he moved with Reed past the now raised net, Pike held Reed’s hand tight. “Yeah? What did you do? You always get in…like, the ‘good’ kinda trouble. I figure it was just your thing.”
“Not even close.”
When the net fell, Quint ground his teeth, pressing his eyes shut tight so he didn’t give in and test just how sturdy it was. This wasn’t about trust. It was…he just… “Damn it, sir. I’m not thinking straight. I’m…I apologize. Maybe I should go see Stephan. I think I’ve lost my damn mind.”
Taking Quint’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, Seth forced him to open his eyes. When he did he met his Dom’s very steady blue gaze. “Your concern, and your only concern, for the next hour, is to make me absolutely, one-hundred-percent happy. You may do that by remaining by my side, helping me to navigate this gauntlet with as few missteps as possible. Can you do that, soldier?”
The last brought Quint back to a different time. When life had both been that complicated. And that simple. Not a place he wanted to go back to,—he didn’t want to imagine a world where he didn’t have both Seth and Pike—but he remembered his submission being so much easier to sink into. His lips curved. “I can do that, sir.” He glanced at the nets again. “But I need you to know I’m…conscious of the fact that I’m not being fair to you. Or him. And he needs me to not be…smothering him with my concept of love.”
Pressing his palms to Quint’s cheeks, Seth continued to listen to every word he said, gaze unwavering. When he finished, Seth made a thoughtful sound. “I don’t know who you think it was who gave you the order to keep him safe at all costs, but I’d say you’ve followed it as perfectly as you do everything else. Now it’s time for a different order. And that is to work with me to find some balance so I can enjoy having two subs as fully as possible.”
“Yes, sir.” Quint wrinkled his nose, giving Seth a rueful grin. “I’ve been following your orders by being more…some twisted hybrid of a soldier and a merc. Which works sometimes, but I think I might be exasperating the other subs.” His lips twitched. “It’s an impossible standard to live up to, if I may say so myself.” The net raised and he tensed. “They got through it. Pike…he’s okay. I should have known he would be, but…” A heavy sigh escaped him. “I’m going to take a page out of the other subs’ books and ask for a free pass. It’s fucked up, but sometimes…when he gets hurt doing something simple? It’s almost a relief. It’s something I can fix and I…feel useful.”
“Free pass granted, and I do understand. That his needs are so simple to fulfill, and your need to please me is so strong, are the only reasons I feel at all worthy of you both—of being your Dom. I’m glad to dirty you both up, and to cuddle you after.” Seth laced their fingers together, bringing Quint’s knuckles up to kiss each one.
After squeezing his Dom’s fingers, Quint slipped away, past the net, holding his arm out so it wouldn’t fall before his Dom could join him. This conversation wasn’t over, but he doubted anything Pike had come up with couldn’t be worked out while they had it. Not taking anything away from his co-sub, but Pike didn’t have a sadistic bone in his body.
If anything, the challenges would be messy and cute.
Strobe lights spiked the air in jagged flashes above, splitting the darkness to show a path of stone-like platforms on heavy springs above a river of bubbling water that they were clearly meant to avoid. Seth held out one hand to Quint to steady him, though he didn’t really need it.
“I think that whatever’s in that water is going to be uncomfortable, if Pike had anything to do with designing this?” Seth sniffed the air. “Does that smell like honey and orange gelatin to you?”
Quint snorted and nodded as he looked over at one of the signs along the path. ‘Don’t fall in, it’ll ruin all your dry cleaning bills.’ “Yes, sir. And likely a lot of food coloring.” He frowned as he looked at the next sign. “‘Subs do this, but don’t, or you’ll go blind’? It’s in Jared’s writing, but it sounds like Pike. What in the world is he talking about?”
“Masturbation?” Shrugging, Seth frowned. “I mean, what would I want to jack off in a pool of food coloring for?” The artificial lightning flashed again, and a few yellow rubber ducks with sinister looking red horns floated by. “Why do I feel like I’m only just now seeing what the inside of Jared’s mind really looks like?”
A laugh escaped Quint, even as something swung in their direction. On instinct, he dropped to his knees to evade it, catching the sweep of a foam blade as it flew over his head. And a stream of green goo slapped into his face.
Swiping it away, he groaned. “Kneel. Subs kneel. I should have jumped.”
Helping Quint up, one hand under his arm, Seth waited until he was steady before he stripped off his T and held it out. “Wipe your face. Knowing Pike, it’s edible, but—”
“Heyo!” Dropping down from a vine, Avery held a blindfold out to Quint. “You’re blind. Gotta wear this for the rest of the challenge. Or run the gauntlet.”
Grumbling under his breath, Quint took the blindfold. Clenched it in his fist. “Why is that, exactly? You and I both know we need to see what’s coming at us.” You’re a sub now, not a merc. Seth has you. All that was true, but Seth also needed him to hold his own. And he couldn’t if he lost some of his strongest senses. “You shouldn’t be here. I don’t understand this game.”
“I already did the course once, then did it again blindfolded.” Avery swung on the vine now, using it as a way to get across the goo pond, where he leaped lightly to his feet. “Too bad you didn’t just climb over everything. There’s no rules...except not getting hit in the face.”
Breath catching, Quint looked at Seth. “What if Pike…he knows the course, but if he tripped? What if he’s hurt? Sir, we need to check on him.”
Seth started to pull his own phone, but Avery held up his own, cutting him off. “These don’t work in here, but he already made it through with Reed. They’re eating coffee fudge sundaes in the oasis. If you make it through the escape room before the next decade, there might be some left. And he might not be out of the labyrinth already.”
All right, so all Quint had to do was get out of this room and to the labyrinth. He’d be closer to Pike. He could make sure he was okay.
He held out the blindfold to Seth. “Sir, can you please…put this on me? I know I can’t shoot my way out, but I’m wanting to.”
Smirking, Seth nodded. “Happy to, smiley. I know how to follow Jared’s directions, don’t you?”
Quint made a face at his Dom. “I didn’t hear it from him, so it doesn’t count.” He arched a brow at Seth. “Are you sure these aren’t Pike’s orders? If I hadn’t knelt, I wouldn’t need this. And I’ll be honest. I might spank him myself for not warning us.”
As Avery climbed one of the nets, clearly choosing to go over the top, rather than navigating the room according to any rules other than his own, Seth let out a soft laugh. Lifting Quint’s arm, he tied the blindfold around it. “There. You put it on.”
“Fucking sadists.” Quint narrowed his eyes, blinking to clear his vision. “Yes, you’re right. This is all Jared. But…” His expression softened. “He made it easy for Pike. He used what he was comfortable with. I should have…given him more credit.”
Swooping Quint up into his arms, albeit with less grace than he might have if he were carrying Pike, Seth trod straight through the goo pool to the other side. The sound of flexing plastic said it was one of those kiddie wading pools that Ana forcefully maintained were only good for drowning idiots who didn’t know how to swim in a bathtub, before she’d stomped toward the lake that summer.
“Easy for Pike, and messy just like I enjoy it.” Seth ducked them under the next net, stumbling when he kicked one of the coffins and the scream echoed like it had been attached to a loudspeaker.
A foam wall dropped in front of them, stopping Seth short. On it was a sign. A riddle.
Quint read it, his brow furrowing as the wall began to rise to reveal a path of stones over a slick red pool. “‘Steady footsteps will get you where you need to be’.” Jared had said that to him once, out in the field, while they were following a dog specially trained for detecting bombs. Quint had wanted to go ahead. He was afraid the dog and his owner would become a target. But Jared reminded him they were doing their job. And he needed to do his. Looking down, he saw the gray stones were different shades. Some darker, like sand when someone had stepped in it. Some light, like it had been bathed in the sun.
But it wasn’t that simple. Stepping along another’s path meant moving like them. A little off and you might hit a trigger they’d missed. Quint met Seth’s eyes. “We need to make sure each step is level. Jared pointed that out when I wanted to run after the one leading our team. I could put us all at risk, trying to be the hero.”
Seth set Quint down. “All right, smiley. I trust your steady head. And feet.” His lips quirked, expression barely visible as the lights dimmed and then brightened, then dimmed again, making it clear that they didn’t have all the time in the world to navigate the puzzle. Eventually, they’d have to do it without the light if they took too long. Seth swept his arm toward the netting. “Lead the way.”
With how clumsy Pike was, Quint couldn’t help wince at the idea of his co-sub going through this. But as he took in the other stones, he realized two people could walk through it together. If Reed had known what the task required, he could have steadied Pike. Kept him calm.
And now, Quint did the same for his Dom. “Those darker rocks over there? Walk on them. Step with me. Don’t try to tip-toe onto them. Just put your full weight on each step.” He breathed out a laugh. “Go with it. Don’t hesitate. Like Pike does when he runs down the stairs. Because he knows if he slips, someone will be there to catch him—or at least pick him up and dust him off. Something he didn’t have before, but he’s…fully embraced.” He blinked, a tear trailing down his cheek. “He came up with this because of us, sir. I almost kept him from…something he was trying to show us. That ultimate leap of faith he makes every single day.”
As he’d done when they’d been in the field so many times, Seth gave Quint’s hand a quick, steadying squeeze that said, no matter the task, he was capable. They would get through this together, then discuss it in a quieter moment when he had all of Seth’s focus. The way that steady gaze seemed to hold him across the operating table, even when they weren’t able to touch, had been something both of them counted on. Seth gave that to Quint, so he could pass that steady energy to Pike. Some of his own and his Dom’s, combined.
“We could use the vines if it gets too hairy.” Seth pointed in the direction Avery had retreated, already moving toward the rocks. He navigated them with ease, then awaited Quint on the other side.
Emotions in check, exactly like they were during surgery, Quint got through the obstacle and moved on to the next. Each task was set up in a way that could be done as a team, or cleverly worked out alone. Apparently blindfolded, if Avery’s bit of bragging was anything to go by. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought of the younger merc. He was skilled, disciplined, but he had a playful side and somehow managed to make the entire club into his personal jungle gym.
This escape room had been exactly that, with a few more messy features added just for fun. As much as Quint had worked it up in his head, nothing was incredibly dangerous. Hell, most of the structures had rounded edges.
Curtis knows his cousin well.
Past the second weighted netting, out past the exit, into the parking lot-turned-maze, Quint’s confidence that the impending doom had all been in his imagination waivered. The hairs at the back of his neck stood on end as he lifted his gaze to take a measure of the visibility within from the surrounding rooftops, where Vani’s men were stationed as an extra layer of protection.
Within the maze itself, picking off a mark with any precision would be virtually impossible. Putting himself on the other side of the scope mentally, he frowned as he took in the high, narrow pathway between what looked like hedges. On closer inspection, they were made up of haystacks mounted high and covered in fake foliage, or metal partitions with hyper-realistic skulls and skeletons attached to make them look like a solid wall of bones. There was a chance someone high enough could target someone who walked right in the middle, but he couldn’t tell from here.
Tugging a few ribs off the closest skeleton, Quint hauled himself up to bring his head above the elaborate labyrinth, created from a mix of Pike and Jacks’ visions, and Curtis’ muscle and craftsmanship. Other Core members had leant a hand whenever possible, but the bulk of the labor had been the switch’s own gift to Wren.
Quint didn’t see him overlooking any risks, but just in case…
A sharp whistle brought his attention to the fire escape stairs, where Rhodey surveyed the maze, forearms rested on the black railing, his brows raised. “Down. Now. Seth, keep your boy in line or I will. There’s no cheating your way through the labyrinth.”
Face heating, Quint narrowed his eyes. “I wasn’t cheating, sir. I’m still part of the security detail.”
“Not right now you aren’t.” Rhodey gave him a level look. “In case you missed it? That was an order.”
Standing below Quint, Seth mouthed, “Bossy bastard,” and rolled his eyes as he held out his arms to encourage Quint to jump into them. “Come on. There are some rubber swords in a bucket. We’re supposed to take one and fight our way through this maze, I think?”
Carefully jumping down, without putting too much weight on Seth so he didn’t end up knocking him over, Quint steadied himself, then inclined his head. “That seems likely. I didn’t get a good look at everything, but I think it’s out of range. For the shorter subs at least.”
“Ah.” Understanding softened Seth’s expression, the usually firm line of his mouth curving downward. “You don’t need to worry, my boy. We both know Rhodey and Vani’s defenses combined are unbreachable without using some heavy artillery and an army. Pike, thankfully, doesn’t have enemies with that kind of power.”
Quint made a face, inhaling slowly. “I know, sir, I just…” He sighed, picking up a sword. “I do know. But I’m suggesting a five legged race next time. I’m finding it impossible to stop from slipping back into… Anyway, let’s finish the maze. Too many people went to too much effort not to at least attempt to enjoy it.”
Choosing and testing his own sword with a rubbery swish of its tip, Seth nodded. “And unlike Jared, I know better than to order you to try harder.” He assumed an en garde position with Quint, holding the sword at the ready. “Let’s practice, and if I win, you will get on your knees and start this maze by getting nice and messy.”
“Are you ordering me to lose, sir?” Quint faced his Dom, his lips slanting as he circled so his back was to the closest sharp turn, where they could continue navigating the maze. “Otherwise, you may be setting yourself up for delayed gratification.”
Seth executed a testing jab toward Quint’s chest, quickly stepping back. It was clear he’d had fencing lessons since his time serving in the desert. “What I want? Is for you to do whatever it takes—sort of shooting me—to win.”
Without having had lessons with this particular weapon himself, Quint was forced to fall back on how he’d fight with a knife. Which, thankfully, he was pretty damn good at, or he wouldn’t be breathing. The sword was only a bit longer than a machete, so he used it as one, making his attacks a lot less graceful than Seth’s. The sound of metal lacking was strange, but oddly welcome.
Along with the fact there was no blood when the blades connected with skin. He laughed as he caught Seth’s inner thigh in an awkward move, while ducking under his Dom’s sword. “That would’ve made you pretty messy.”
“True...” Seth’s breathless laugh morphed into a piratical argh as he began hopping around on one foot, pretending he’d lost his leg. “I’ll finish you, then make you walk me plank.”
Quint snorted, dodging Seth’s next jab and shifting around behind him, enjoying his silly side— a side that usually only came out when they were alone with Pike in the loft. Outside of it, among the members of the Core, his Dom tended to keep his game face on.
Sliding his sword under Seth’s chin, he brought his lips to his Dom’s ear, using his teeth along the soft flesh before whispering. “You spoke too soon, sir. But I wouldn’t waste you to the sharks. You’re much too pretty.”
Spitting out a breathless laugh, chest heaving, Seth set down his foot and faced Quint. “My last request before you vanquish me is for a kiss.”
“You may have it.” Quint smiled at his Dom, lowering his sword. “Anything you want from me. Always, sir.” His lips quirked on one side. “Well, until you’re vanquished, of course. I don’t know how much you’d get out of kissing me after that.”
“Even in death, Dread Pirate Smiley... Even in death.” Seth threaded his fingers through Quint’s hair, tugging just enough so that the pressure became erotic rather than painful, and slanted their mouths together in a kiss that narrowed the maze to just the two of them. Backed into a corner, he felt the prickle of hay, but little else beyond the touches and sweeps of tongue and lips that Seth offered. Head lifting, Seth met his gaze, blinking slowly. “I love you, my boy. So fucking much sometimes it hurts.”
Brushing another kiss over Seth’s lips, Quint tried to sooth the pain in that statement. The distance that had caused it, that they still worked on crossing, even though it had gotten easier over time. “I know, sir. And I love you. I always have and I always will. It means so much that it can be from this close now.” He grinned to lighten the mood. “It’s much harder to kiss you from across the globe.”
“Well, I mean, these lips are talented...” Seth’s gaze dipped to Quint’s mouth. “But even pirates have their limits.” He stole another kiss, then another, hips shifting to press his arousal against Quint’s thigh.
Faint laughter in the distance registered as some kind of spooky soundtrack at first, easy to ignore with his Dom’s lips so hot and slick, a distraction he couldn’t allow when there was real danger, but Quint kept reminding himself there wasn’t. This was a game. And Pike was safely out of the maze.
Only…the laughter was his.
Stiffening, Quint looked around. He couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from.
“It’s basically jello, Reed.” Over to the left, Pike snickered, sounding like he was brushing against the hedges. “Try a bit.”
No reply from Reed, but then Pike’s voice came again, from the other side.
“Oh fuck! Shoot, I didn’t say that, I’m being good…” Another laugh. “Okay, thanks, man. I know you ain’t all uptight, but I don’t want Seth to think I ain’t trying, you know. Like—Oh fuck, that came out of nowhere. Dude, did you notice a lot of the bodies look like they’re dressed in Jacks’ clothes? It’s cool how he’s all into fashion. Not like, you know, shallow and shit. It’s art. I don’t know him that good, but I get it.”
The other side again, a bit further.
“You messed around with him and Shea? Fuck, when we get out of here, you gotta give me all the deets. Careful for the…is that a real head?” The very distinct sound of Pike licking something almost made Quint groan. “Nope. Corn syrup. Do you have any candy? I need a snack.”
Gaze scanning either side of the maze, Quint pressed his eyes shut and groaned. “How is this possible? I’ve tracked targets through crowded cities with less difficulty. But I have no idea which way he went.”
“It’s a maze. It makes sense you wouldn’t be able to track him if he were wending through it.” Seth turned his head left and right, a furrow between his brows saying he tried and failed to pinpoint Pike’s location, too.
Nodding, Quint stared at the two options in front of them. Going backward was technically a third, but he could at least eliminate that as one of the places he’d find his co-sub. He finally met Seth’s eyes. “We’re going to have to split up, sir. I think Avery got bad intel. And I think…we’ll both be more comfortable once we get him out of here. I’m all for games, but…he’s going to end up choking on a glass eyeball or something.”
“You do realize that he managed to stay alive without us for, what? Nineteen years?” Seth didn’t seem all that convinced of his own words, however, if the way his lips pulled downward was any indication.
Quint inclined his head. “I know, sir. And he was…constantly on high alert. We’ve made him feel safe enough to do the complete opposite. It didn’t start with us, though. Being away at college, with Ezran? He was…exploring his freedom. Letting go of what was expected of him. But…” He gave his head a little shake. “You know that. I’m sorry, I need to remind myself, sometimes, aside from Curtis, you’re probably the only one who really does.”
“I do...” Seth pointed toward the north. “I’ll go this way. You go the other.” He pulled out a tuft of hay from one of the bales and bent a piece of straw into a Z shape. “If you make a turn, drop one in a shape you choose. This is mine. You’ll know I’ve been there.”
Quint managed a bit of a smile as he glanced at the straw. “Z for Zorro? We should’ve asked Jacks to make you a costume like that. It would suit you.”
Slashing the air with his rubber sword to make a quick ‘Z’, Seth winked. He leaned in to claim another kiss. A slight breeze hit Quint’s cheek, then the pressure of Seth’s lips was gone. When he opened his eyes, it was like he had imagined the whole thing. Because Seth was nowhere to be found.
He was alone in the maze now.
Throat tightening, he went down another section of the maze. His pulse raced as it hit him that not only was his co-sub without him there to protect him, but his Dom was isolated as well. In a potentially hostile environment. He called out, sounding a bit more desperate than intended, understanding now, more than ever, why personal attachments were such a detriment on missions.
“Sir? Seth?” Another dead end. Quint tested the haystacks with a shove, cursing under his breath when they didn’t budge. “Seth!”
A slight rustling from above was the only warning he had before the netting swooped around him, lifting both him and the hay beneath his feet several inches off the ground. The world became a roped constriction that no amount of struggle would release. In fact, the more he fought, the tighter the ropes around him became.
Stilling to give himself time to think, Quint rested his head back against the ropes, doing his best to steady his breaths so he could clear his head. Somehow, he managed a level of calm as he spoke, sure that Rhodey or one of his crew must be listening. “I’m caught. You win. Now let me the fuck out, I’m done.”
“Heyo. Can’t let you go.” Flipping his dagger in one hand, he threw Quint a rueful grin. “Yet, anyway.”
Giving the younger man a hard look, Quint twisted a bit, only succeeding in getting himself more tangled. “I like you, boy. Let’s not change that. Give me the knife and walk away. I’ll return the favor one day when one of these games trips you up.”
Standing far enough away so that even if Quint managed to somehow get his hand through the rope netting he wouldn’t be able to make a grab for him, Avery shook his head with an apologetic look. “Sorry, Quint. You’re not a Dom last I checked, and you’re not my Dom. My loyalty is and always will be to him, just like yours should be to your men. Stop trying to fill their shoes and relax. They’ve got this. I promise.”
“I’m loyal to my men, don’t fucking go there. I could remind you I damn well outrank you.” Quint blew out a breath and dropped his head back again. “But this isn’t a mission. It doesn’t feel like a scene either. I’m not sure what it is.” He swallowed and pressed his eyes shut. “Could you…at least tell me where Pike is? Is he safe?”
Avery nodded readily. “Yeah. He’s with Drew, setting up the cake and sundae party in the basement. Only, he might have taken a slice of Wren’s birthday cake already, so Keiran had to turn it to hide the hole.” His lips twisted on one side, eyes squinting with his rare smile. “They fooled you with that recording. Had it all set up ahead of time and everything.”
Tipping his head a little to the side, Quint managed an exasperated smile. “Well, then. I guess I might be a bit off my game.” If this was some kind of test, he’d epically failed, but he was all right with that, so long as Pike was safe. And more grateful than he could express to Avery for telling him. “As for the cake? That doesn’t surprise me. And it’ll teach the Doms for leaving him unsupervised.” He worked his hand between the ropes, giving himself some nice ropeburn, but needing to let the other sub know there were no hard feelings. “Thank you, Avery. I’m sorry for trying to turn this into…something it’s not. I still have a lot of work to do to adjust to…well, not normal life, but as close to it as we can get here.”
“I get it.” Sheathing his knife, Avery held out his hand to Quint. “Jared’s got Seth.” He tipped his head as if he listened to their conversation, then smiled. “They’ll take care of you. Together.”
“So I’m being kept contained until they figure out what to do with me?” Quint’s lips twitched with amusement. The knowledge that this was actually part of his Dom’s plans—one of them, at least—made it easier to relax into his strange restraints. He clasped Avery’s fingers, the warmth of them, strength there, yet also something delicate in that smaller hand, fulfilling something inside him. His tone softened. “I’m glad you’re here. I believe…you do get it. More than anyone.”
Tongue flicking a bit nervously over his lip rings, Avery met Quint’s gaze. After a moment’s hesitation, he took his ear piece out and clenched his fist around it to muffle sound as he stepped closer. “I’m not a great sub. Rhodey’s just a great Dom. He gets me, so I don’t have to guess. You need that, too. That’s all. And you’re a great sub.”
“Avery, that’s not true.” Quint tugged Avery a bit closer, holding his gaze, his thumb brushing back and forth over Avery’s knuckles. “You’re the perfect sub for Rhodey. Not for anyone else, but that’s kind of the point. Keep that in mind, all right? If he wanted you to be more like the other subs, he’d help you get there. But you’re perfect, just the way you are.” His lips twitched. “And I’m not going to lie. I get some pleasure watching you frustrate the hell out of anyone else who tries to control you, while you’re already slithering away, anticipating your Dom’s needs. It’s beautiful, in the most perfectly twisted way.”
As he spoke, Avery’s rare smile widened his lips, making his youth apparent in a way that anyone seldom saw. “It helps that I get pleasure out of it, too. It’s even more fun now I know you’ve seen it... Seen me.”
“Good. Because if you ever need a reminder? I’m here.” Quint smiled back at Avery, letting his hand go and reaching out to brush some hay from his hair. “We merc subs have to stick together. We might be a little trickier to handle, but that’s because our Doms are on a whole different level.”
Snickering, Avery nodded, leaning closer so their noses almost touched. “Dude. Have you ever seen one of Jamie’s rare temper tantrums? Do not talk to me about trickier, then. Diva drama is next level.” But the point was probably that each of their Doms knew exactly how to handle their own boys and met them where they were. “Gonna let you go now. Even if I’m not supposed to. You take a right out of here, and every right you come to after. Jared’s dragon cave is set up at the center of the maze. He’s got something special waiting for you.”
Quint’s eyes widened slightly and he lowered his voice, wishing he had a better view of the area instead of ropes surrounding him. “Don’t if it’ll get you in trouble, sweetheart. But I appreciate the tips. I need to get the fuck out of here, as soon as possible. I don’t think this is my kind of…fun.”
“Yeah. Most everyone hated this part after making it through the escape room. I think it was too much.” Since Avery’d been planning the maze with Curtis for a while, that had to be disappointing. “We won’t do so much next time.” He reached over, hitting a button that had been behind Quint just out of reach all along, and the netting slowly lowered to the ground before it fell away. “There you go.”
Rising to his feet, Quint stretched a little, then impulsively pulled Avery in for a hug. Probably a good way to get himself stabbed, but he had a feeling the younger sub needed it. “Hey, I’m sure some had a blast. I can see Wren having gotten a kick out of it, and it was his party, so that’s the point, right? Thankfully, he’s not the same kind of merc we are. And his survival training apparently included happy endings.”
Unexpectedly hugging him back, Avery snuggled in just like Pike—as if he’d been thirsty for this type of contact all along. “Endings only come at the end, and so far they’ve all been happy because we’re all here.”
“That’s a very good point, little one.” Quint pressed a kiss to Avery’s temple, huffing out a laugh at the throat clearing, somewhere not too far, telling him Rhodey still had a good eye on his boy and was warning him not to get too familiar. “Don’t worry, sir. I won’t attempt to seduce your sub.” He winked at Avery. “Not today, anyway.”
Taking a dutiful step away, Avery placed his comm back in his ear. “It’s a good thing you found that button all on your own, Quint. Or you could’ve been here all day.”
There was no way Quint was letting the other sub take the fall for helping him out, even though he doubted either of them would fool Rhodey. For now, the best he could do was play along, but if needed, he’d speak to the Dom himself. “It wasn’t easy, you’ve got a damn good setup. If we ever end up out on a mission, needing to set traps? I want you on my team.”
“You got it.” Flashing him another grin, Avery hopped up, and scaled the hay bales before he slipped out of sight.
Following Avery’s directions, Quint continued through the maze, actually able to take in more of it and truly appreciate the work that had gone into the structure now that he wasn’t on high alert anymore. Aside from training in the military, he’d never had the opportunity for any kind of experience like this. Part of him almost needed to treat it like a training exercise. It would take being home for a lot longer to get rid of that mindset.
Buying himself that time might have its own repercussions, but he’d leave that, as Pike would say, as a ‘problem for future me’.
The sound of his Doms’ voices reached him at the end of the next section. Quint inched closer to the edge of the hedges until he could get a good view of both men, without letting them see him.
What he saw made his breath catch. Still shirtless, muscles slick with sweat from the effort to free himself, Seth was bound by iron chains to a wall of what looked like lava rock. Before him, Jared was dressed like a Dom straight out of some kind of fantasy realm. The costume showed Jacks’ skills had reached a whole new level in leatherworking, because there was no way this had come from anywhere besides the man’s extremely creative mind.
Dark red leather covered Jared from head to toe in a mouthwatering, form fitting display of artistry and strength, what looked like dragon scales adding another dimension to the outfit. Somehow, it appeared to put a spotlight on the power he wielded so effortlessly, but usually kept a bit understated, not needing to prove what everyone already knew about him.
He was a force to be reckoned with. One most did not want to.
But there were some exceptions. Rhodey, obviously. Noah danced in time with Jared, finding a careful balance between his own need for control and this man’s, in a way that was stunning to watch play out, a harmony with one another that created discord with most.
And Seth, who unlike the other two, tended to challenge it at every turn. It was hard not to feel a bit poetic when watching them, loving them both the way Quint did. Like being caught in the middle of a clash of the Titans, not quite enemies, no longer lovers…
If they went there again, if they let themself have that…
Quint’s lips curved slightly as he took in the scene again.
Which was very fitting, come to think of it. Neither of his Doms could see it in the past, but he always had. The fire between them would be hot enough to melt rocks.
Hopefully, that included the ones they’d stacked up between them to create a wall neither could see past.
If not?
I’m more than willing to do my part. And knock it down.
Whew hot 🔥.
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