Page 29 of There’s a Way (Mythic Beast #2)

Four months later

Will

I hadn’t slept in nearly three days, riding high on making new material, but I suddenly hit a wall and told my bandmates, “I need a nap. Give me at least three hours, unless ya’ll think you need some sleep, too.”

“I want to finish this song,” Silver said, “but you should hit the hay before you fall asleep sitting up.”

“Go,” said Hailey. “We’ll finish this one and you can help tweak it later.”

Animal had gone to his room about thirty minutes earlier, but I wasn’t going to make it up four flights of steps to mine, so I crashed on the daybed just outside our practice room.

No one woke me for nine hours, and when I finally sat up, I found a bottle of water along with one of my favorite electrolyte packets beside it, and a note from Davy that he’d put a roast in the slow cooker that morning, and it should be ready to eat by around three or four.

I looked at my watch but it was dead, so I reached for my phone, which someone had plugged in so it would charge while I slept, and saw that it was nearly three in the afternoon.

I dumped the mix in the water, screwed the lid on, shook it, took the lid off, and drank over half the bottle in one long swig.

No one was in the practice room, so I stumbled to the toilet for a piss and then made my way upstairs and checked the roast. It needed a little longer, but it was close.

I hit the stairs again and went to my room because I was in desperate need of a shower. My phone told me I had seventy-three unread texts because I’d silenced it when we started working. Whatever was waiting for me had waited this long, it could wait until I was clean.

The hot water felt so good, I just stood under it a while, soaking in the heat.

When I finally sat down with my phone, there was nothing from Drake Security, meaning Micca was fine. Nothing from Micca either, but that wasn’t unusual — she often has to go completely dark when she travels for work.

So, I checked texts from Davy first, where he’d kept me up to date on his days, much as he’d been required to do back when I was on tour.

I hadn’t told him to, but my boy is smart and figured out on his own what I’d want.

He was deep in a project today and he warned it might be as late as seven before he got home.

I was disappointed, but it wasn’t like I could bitch about his hours when he was running tight to get a project finished on time. It’s important to Davy to deliver when he promises, and that’s part of what makes me love him so much.

I didn’t know when Micca would return from wherever Drake Security had her, nor did I have any idea what part of the world she was in. I hated it, but it was the reality of being in love with someone who works with the most elite private security company on the planet.

I texted Davy before I looked through all my other texts. I’m up after a long sleep. I’m going to down some carbs and then work out before I scroll through and listen to the songs we’ve been working on.

Sometimes I hate new stuff after a long sleep, other times a song is so good I can’t believe we came up with it.

My phone rang with a video call request from my boy, and I accepted it with a smile.

“I should be finished in a couple of hours unless something goes wrong,” Davy told me before I had a chance to say anything. “I’ll let you know if that changes, but I might be home by five thirty or six instead of seven.” He gave a shy smile and spoke lower. “I’ve missed you, Master.”

“I think it was a good session, but it’s good to be back to reality, and I’m happy with what you accomplished on your own, without me standing over you to make you work out properly.”

“Enough for maybe a reward, Master?”

I smiled. “Possibly.”

“Did you hear from Micca, Sir?”

I shook my head. “It’s normal when we don’t. Drake Security would let us know if there was a problem. She’s fine.”

He spoke a little louder, in a normal tone to say, “I know, but I hoped. If you aren’t in the mood for a roast, I can cook something else when I get home.”

I shook my head. “The roast is perfect. Now get back to work so you can get home.”

He gave me a huge smile. “I love you. Can’t wait to see you.”

“Ditto, boy.”

I disconnected before he could say anything else, and then dealt with the other texts while I ate potato chips and dip, which took over an hour. Well, the chips and dip were gone sooner, but the texts took longer.

I hadn’t worked out in days, other than pushups while we all worked on lyrics and rhymes together, so my muscles complained at the start, but once everything was warmed up, my routine was second nature, and I ended with laps in the pool.

Davy was in the kitchen wearing nothing but an apron and his ankle cuffs while making gravy when I went back downstairs, so I merely held him from behind rather than turning him around to give him the kiss he needed.

He’d have gladly burned the gravy and started over, if I’d kissed him, but I was starving after my workout, so the kiss could wait.

“Smells wonderful. Thanks for thinking of it.”

“I didn’t know how much longer ya’ll were going to go at it, but everyone needs to eat.”

“You seen anyone else?”

He shook his head. “Security says the band’s here but no one else.”

Meaning Ghost wasn’t here, which was normal. He tries to be with his club as much as possible when we’re in town.

“I’m making enough gravy so some can go in the fridge for the others when they get up.”

“Animal crashed before me so I’m surprised he isn’t up. I don’t know when the others went down.”

Hailey often crashes when the sun comes up, which would’ve been a little before eight, this time of year. Didn’t mean they did, but it was probably close.

“Someone made some hamburgers, I think, Sir,” Davy said. “I’m betting Animal woke up, ate, and went back to sleep.”

Sounded about right, and I kissed the top of my boy’s head from behind. “You want a beer?”

“Please, Master.”

I got bottles out for both of us and set them on the table, and then dealt with silverware, and set the plates beside the slow cooker.

He was pretty close, so I went ahead and pulled out as much beef, potatoes, onions, and carrots as I knew Davy would want before I made my own plate, and I carried both to the table.

Davy poured the gravy into a big glass bowl he could later put a lid on, removed his apron and hung it where it goes, put his wrist cuffs back on, and brought the gravy to the table.

He’s supposed to take them off while he cooks because it’s a pain in the ass to clean grease spatter from them.

There’s the fantasy of a twenty-four/seven slave, and then there’s the reality.

“Panda arrived at my work today and hung out with me,” Davy said. “He told me Aaron wants someone on me at all times for the foreseeable future.”

Before I could say anything, he said, “We have more people on us here, too.”

“Who?”

“Panda and Mira, the Trio guys, and our regular people. Panda says we’ll have people we haven’t met on us for the night shift, but he’ll bring them in and introduce us.”

I reached for my phone and called Panda. “Sounds like you need to come inside and explain what’s up?”

“Call Nathan, please. He’ll be handling explanations.”

I hung up and called Nathan, who said, “Aaron and I will be there before midnight tonight with Micca, and we’ll explain what’s happening then. Meanwhile, I’d like to request you all sit tight and remain on the premises.”

“Is Micca okay?”

“She’s fine, but that’s all I’ll say over an unencrypted call.

If we can make it earlier, we will, possibly as early as nine or ten, but no later than midnight.

You’ll meet Etta, Venom, and Josef as part of your night crew this evening.

They contract with me when needed but aren’t regular employees, but they are completely trustworthy and are committed to keeping the five of you safe. ”

“Six if Ghost is here, and as soon as he knows we’re at high alert, you have to know he’ll show up.”

“Right. I’ll give him a heads-up because we aren’t going to want anyone coming or going after dark, so he’ll need to arrive before then if he’s coming. Carry on as normal, but please follow instructions quickly if any need to be given.”

It was probably just another crazed stalker, but if that was the case, why not tell us now? Why did we have to wait to find out? I didn’t like it, but so long as we were all safe, I could wait five or so hours to find out the details.

I eyed Davy a few minutes, considering what Nathan had and hadn’t said. “You know what, if we’re at high alert, I’m thinking the safest place in the house is the playroom, and it’s been entirely too long since I’ve reminded you who’s boss.”

He smiled, “I love you, Master.”

He wasn’t due for maintenance for another two weeks since we were doing it the first Saturday of the month these days, or sometimes the Friday night before if it worked out better for our schedules, but we were absolutely due for a long-assed scene.

“What are you in the mood for? Cops and robbers? Professor and student?”

“Pirate and bar owner’s virgin son, maybe?”

I smiled, “Oh, that sounds fun. What year?”

He shrugged. “No idea, Master. Whenever the big-named pirates were famous?”

“Blackbeard was early seventeen hundreds, maybe late the previous century some, too. You want me to buy you from your dad or grab you when you leave the bar?”

Months ago, Davy would’ve told me whichever I wanted to do, but he’d learned that if I ask, I want to know the answer, so he said, “Grab me and stow me away in your cabin on the ship, Master.”

* * * *

Davy

I cleaned the kitchen after we ate, and Master left to set everything up. Sometimes he’s all over my scene suggestions while other times he isn’t interested, and that told me he wasn’t doing it because I wanted to, but because he did.

If I thought he was doing it to please me, it wouldn’t have worked. Part of the whole slave-mentality means Master does as he pleases with my body.