Page 3

Ryker

“Ryker,” Steel greets as I walk into his office. “Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat.”

“Steel,” I say, shaking his hand.

“It’s good to see you again,” Blaze says from beside his brother. I know he’s Blaze because he’s smiling. Something Steel only does around their woman.

Or, if he’s pissed off.

“This is Taylor,” Blaze says. “He runs security.”

I’ve seen him around before, but this is the first time we’ve officially met.

Shaking Taylor’s hand, I walk over and take a seat on one of the many chairs in this room. Blaze, Steel, and Taylor all join me. A small table sits between us. They on one side, me on the other. If I were a lesser man, I’d be intimated as hell.

But I’m not.

“Can I get you a drink before we start?” Steel asks.

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Well, let’s get into it,” Blaze claps. “We’ve agreed to allow you to build on. But, under one condition. You use the same security team that we use.”

I take a moment to gather my thoughts before answering. “I can agree to that,” I nod. “I think it would be a good investment on my part, but I do have questions.”

“Fair,” Taylor says.

“My main priority is safety,” I start. “I want men I can trust to run security.”

“I have you covered,” Taylor says. “I would trust my team with my husband’s life.”

“And that’s saying something,” Blaze says, glancing over my shoulder.

“Taylor has plenty of men who work for him to cover this club, the Cage, and your club if you choose to accept our arrangement.”

“What are your rates?” I ask.

“Rates depend on the level of security you need,” Taylor says, his voice calm and steady. “We can go over the details based on your club’s requirements. For a place like Oasis or The Cage, we run a full-scale operation. Bouncers, camera surveillance, and background checks on all employees. If that’s what you’re looking for, I’ll provide a comprehensive package.”

I nod, leaning back in the chair. “I want something similar. My club is... different, but the risks are the same. The people who come through the doors need to feel protected, and my staff needs to know they’re working in a safe environment.”

Steel folds his arms across his chest, his intense gaze locked on me. “We wouldn’t have made this offer if we didn’t think they could handle it. Taylor’s team is the best. You won’t find a better security expert than the one we use for all of our clubs. Including the Obsidians MC.”

“Not me,” Taylor grins when I raise a brow in question. “I know a guy.”

Blaze laughs. “And neither of them comes cheap. But you get what you pay for.”

I glance between the three of them, considering their words. “I’m not concerned with the cost,” I start. “I own several businesses and have plenty of money. It all comes back to trust. I don’t cut corners when it comes to security. I’ll need contracts in place. Non-disclosures, liability agreements, the whole nine yards.”

“Already drawn up,” Taylor says, sliding a folder across the table toward me. “Take your time going over it. If you have changes or additional clauses you want added, let us know.”

Opening the folder, I skim through the neatly organized documents. It’s thorough. Exactly what I was hoping for. Still, I’d have my lawyer give it a once-over.

“I’ll review it,” I say, closing the folder. “If everything looks good, we’ll move forward.”

Taylor leans forward slightly, his expression serious. “If you’re in, and once construction is complete, we’ll start with an initial sweep of your club. Once we know what we’re dealing with, we’ll tailor the setup to your needs.”

I appreciate the no-nonsense approach. “Sounds good. What about timelines? How many men can you spare each night?”

“I have enough men for full security at all three clubs and then some,” Taylor replies. “I already have a team set aside for you. They’re just waiting for the go-ahead.”

“Efficient,” I remark, a faint smirk tugging at my lips. “I like that.”

“Your clientele will too,” Blaze says, his grin widening. “Nothing screams professionalism like a seamless security operation.”

I glance back at Steel, who keeps glancing behind me. As a matter of fact, all three men have looked back there at least once. Turning, I see a mounted TV. On it, there are two people sitting on the floor in a brightly colored room. Must be the area for Little’s. I’ve been here countless times but never went into that section. Most of the Little’s that come to places like this are women. And I have zero interest in women. “And you’re confident this partnership will work?” I ask, bringing my attention back to the three men. “No surprises?”

Steel’s lips twitch into something resembling a smile. “The only surprise will be how smoothly things run with Taylor’s team in place.”

I chuckle. “Alright, gentlemen. I’ll take this to my lawyer and have an answer for you by the end of the week.”

“Fair enough,” Taylor says, rising from his seat. “Let us know if you have questions.”

Blaze and Steel both stand as well, Steel extending his hand. “Welcome to the family, Ryker. Whether you take the deal or not, we’ve got your back.”

I shake his hand firmly. “Appreciate it. I’ll be in touch soon.”

“PAPA.”

“Fuck,” Taylor says, rushing from the room.

Sighing, Steel follows.

“Let’s go see what those two brats got themselves into this time,” Blaze laughs. “Knowing Knox, he’s probably tried to spiderman his way across the room. Come on, Ryker,” Blaze says, clapping my back. “Want to see a Little get the lecture of his life?”

Intrigued, I follow.

“What the hell were you thinking, Pup?” we hear Taylor say as we enter the room a few doors down from the office. “You could have fallen and broken your neck.”

“I didn’t mean to, Papa,” the Little one says. “It was an accident.”

“You accidentally made a tower out of blocks, climbed on top of it, and shouted, I’m the king of the world?” Taylor says dully.

“Yes,” he smiles. “I knew you’d understand. But then I accidentally gotted stuck. So, you’re my hero, Papa.”

“And did you accidentally bully Ollie into climbing up there with you?” he asks.

“Ollie’s a Baby,” he tells his Papa. “He cants climb this high. So, he was my spotter.”

“Your… Spotter?”

“Yeah, see. He had to keeps an eye out, and if anyone came in, he had to spot them and lets me know. You didn’t spot them, Ollie, but that’s okay. You tried your best.”

I try not to smile, but the Little one is so cute that I can’t help it.

“I hope you realize that when we get home, you’re going over my knee.”

“Rats,” he says.

Taylor steps out of the way, and I can finally see Ollie. His little body is sunk into the large bean bag chair. He’s rubbing the bottom of his lip with his thumb. I wonder if it’s a tik or if he wants to suck his thumb but isn’t comfortable doing so with a room full of Doms.

“Knox, this is Ryker,” Taylor says, nodding in my direction. “If everything works out, he’s going to be opening a gay nightclub.”

“Wow, really?” Knox says, running to me and looking up. “Can I come and dance?”

“If it’s alright with your Papa,” I smile down at him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Ollie digging himself deeper into the bean bag.

“Papa, are you going to be working there, too?” he asks.

“On rotation,” he says. “But I’m going to need you to set up the security system. We’ll talk more about it when you’re Big.”

“Your security expert?” I ask.

“The very best,” Knox smiles.

Ollie slides his thumb in his mouth but, just as quickly, removes it. I’ve noticed him glancing my way several times, but I try not to look over and scare him.

What’s his story? Why does he seem so lost?

“Alright, Pup,” Taylor says. “Part one of your punishment is to clean up all the toys by yourself. Including the mess someone left from before.”

“Ah, dang it. Wait, part one? What’s part two?”

“Ten pops on your ass,” he smiles. “Now, get to cleaning, or we’ll make it fifteen.”

Screeching, he rushes to clean up the toys.

“That’s Ollie,” Steel says quietly beside me. Instead of turning toward the frightened Little, I look at Steel. “He’s had a rough life. I won’t give you his life story, but if you’re going to partner with us, then you’ll need to know how to handle him in case he decides to come to your club. He’s a Baby. He had a Daddy at one point, but he died from Cancer. Since then, he’s been abused by two other men who said they wanted a Baby but couldn’t handle what that meant.”

“Who?” I ask, shocked by the anger coursing through my body.

“They’ve been dealt with,” he says softly. “Now, he’s having trouble regressing. The first person got angry that he used his diaper and the second one punched him because he wouldn’t talk when regressed.”

“What the fuck?”

“I know you’re a Daddy, and I know you’re looking for your Baby,” he says, a clear warning in his voice. “I’m not saying that Ollie is off limits. I’m just warning you that he’s family. It was my pleasure to deal with the last two pieces of shits who hurt him. I won’t hesitate to come after you. Partner or not.”

“I hear you, Steel,” I say, keeping my voice low. “If I ever give you a reason to doubt me, you won’t need to come after me. I’d deal with myself first.”

Steel studies me for a long moment before giving a single, approving nod. “Good.”

Blaze joins us, his grin a little softer now. “Let’s not scare him off before he signs the paperwork, yeah? Ryker, you’ve got the look of a man who takes care of his own. That’s all we ask for. Protect the family. That includes Ollie. I’m sure Knox will be dragging him to your side of the building quite often.”

“Understood.”

The plan is to build onto Oasis and add my nightclub, Eclipse. I brought the idea up about a year ago. Blaze and Steel were worried at first about the security of their members. Which is understandable. There’s a lot of high-profile clientele that come to Oasis. But, after many meetings, we think we’ve found a way for it to work.

I wanted to be attached to this building for a few different reasons. It’s a good part of the city and not surrounded by businesses and homes. But the main one was security. Gay clubs get hit too often. With my club in the shadow of Oasis, people may not even realize it’s there.

There is a building near the Cage that I can buy, but that area is too popular because of the club. Actually, come to think of it, I think Ghost already bought the place to set up Obsidian’s new base of operation after their last building collapsed.

If this doesn’t work out, I might have to talk to him and see if he would be willing to sell before he gets started.

“He’s getting too thin,” Blaze says softly. “I don’t think he’s taking care of himself.”

“Maybe we should make him come and live with us and Raven for a while,” Steel says.

Blaze nods as he turns a worried eye to Ollie.

“Would it be alright if I talk to him?” I ask, wanting to be respectful.

“Heed my warning, Ryker,” Steel says carefully. “Don’t go after him unless you’re in it for life. Treat him with respect and gentleness. Don’t raise your hand to him in anger.”

I respect Steel. But right now, I want to punch him in the fucking face. How dare he even accuse me of shit like that.

Steel gives me a knowing look before I turn and make my way to Ollie. The closer I get, the more beautiful he is. He has shaggy brown hair, porcelain skin, and green eyes. He looks so young. Much younger than my forty. Why the fuck did I never come to this room?

When I’m a few feet away, I sit on the floor and cross my legs. His beautiful eyes are wide, and he’s, once again, rubbing his bottom lip with his thumb.

“Hello, Little one,” I smile.

He has a small toy container in his lap. On the bean bag are a few rattles, a toy duck, some soft books, and lots of stuffies.

Ollie glances up at me, his green eyes flickering with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. He doesn’t say anything, but I see the way his thumb slows its rhythmic motion across his bottom lip as if he’s trying to figure me out. I give him space, not wanting to push him too hard or too fast.

“Are you cleaning up or just... supervising?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light.

He hesitates, then nods, his gaze dropping to the duck as if he’s not sure how to answer. “I... I was just about to,” he mutters, his voice soft, almost inaudible.

I smile softly, trying to ease the tension I feel hanging in the air between us. “No rush,” I say. “You don’t have to do it alone. If you want, I can help.”

He looks up at me, his eyes meeting mine for a fleeting moment before quickly darting away again. He’s unsure. Maybe even scared. Steel’s warning is still fresh in my mind, but I push it aside for now. I’m not here to hurt anyone. Especially not him.

“You know, I’m good at cleaning up. I have a pretty decent track record with messes,” I smile, reaching out my hand.

Ollie hesitates again, his eyes flickering to my hand, then back to his lap. I can feel the weight of his uncertainty, the wariness that comes from being let down too many times. His thumb continues its anxious rhythm on his lip, but this time, it slows further, almost to a stop.

For a moment, I wonder if he’s going to pull away. But then, with a soft sigh, his fingers twitch, and he reaches out, his hand trembling slightly as he places it in mine. It’s tentative like he’s testing the waters, unsure if I’m going to yank away or drag him somewhere he doesn’t want to go.

I squeeze his hand gently, giving him a small, reassuring smile. “Good boy,” I say softly, my voice barely above a whisper. The words feel right. Too right. His hand tightens around mine just a little, and I can feel the small crack in his wall forming.

Ollie looks up at me with wide eyes as though the praise caught him off guard. He blinks rapidly as if trying to process my words, but I can see the subtle change in him. This Baby likes being called a good boy.

“Let’s get this mess taken care of, yeah?” I say, gesturing to the small mess around him. A few toys have spilled off onto the floor, but it’s nothing we can’t manage. “I’ll help you clean up the chair, and we’ll call it a win.”

He glances at the toys, then back at me, his expression unsure but still hopeful.

“I’m going to scoot a little closer, alright, sweetheart?”

I wait for his nod before I scoot up to the beanbag. He still has plenty of room around him, so I know he doesn’t feel trapped.

I let him set the pace. I’ll pick up one toy and wait for him to do the same. When all of the books are in the toy bucket, Ollie goes for the stuffies. Not once does he say a word. But I don’t mind a single bit. His fingers brush over the soft fabric of a bunny, and he looks almost... tender. Like the toys hold some kind of importance to him.

I watch him quietly as he begins gathering the small mess of toys, only focusing on the area around his body. I don’t push him. I let him do what he’s comfortable with, and I don’t rush him.

He pauses for a moment, glancing at me like he’s checking to see if I’m still watching. When I offer him a quiet smile, he goes back to his task, gathering the remaining toys into a small pile and placing them into the small toy bin.

When he’s finished, he sits back, wiping his hands on his pants and looking at me for approval.

I nod, stand up slowly, and look down at his small form. “Good boy,” I repeat, my tone firm but gentle, and this time, I see the faintest flicker of pride in his eyes. He’s done well.

Ollie doesn’t say anything, but the soft smile tugging at his lips is enough. He might not trust me completely yet, but we’re making progress.

I glance over at Steel, who’s been watching from across the room, and see a brief flicker of approval in his eyes. But I don’t need his approval. I only need Ollie’s. Because I’m going to make this Baby mine.