Page 13 of Tracker
As Tracker climbed into his car, a sense of peace settled over him. A weight lifted he hadn’t realized he carried. He had been so desperate to hold on to his secret friendship that he hadn’t noticed it was killing him. No wonder he had gotten pitiful enough for Zeus to offer to sleep with him. Tracker snorted. Truth be told, he didn’t even care that was how he had ended up having the greatest night of his life. He had no regrets.
Tracker was a little worried about Zeus’ text, though. Zeus never asked him to come to the club. His message seemed kind of terse or something. There was definitely a vibe behind the oddly worded text. Tracker tried not to panic. Sometimes he could be his own worst enemy.
By the time he reached Affinity, Tracker felt a little sick. He parked close to the door and headed straight in. Tracker never made it into the actual club area.
Zeus waited in the hall leading to the dance area. He looked serious. Zeus didn’t smile as Tracker approached.
Tracker’s nerves stretched to the limit. “Hey. What’s up? Your text was kind of vague.”
Zeus snagged his waist and claimed his mouth without saying a word.
Tracker melted. He recognized this would be the only part of Zeus he would have again. Kissing people was like a hallmark of the guy’s personality. Now that Tracker had let it happen more than once, it didn’t seem Zeus planned to stop. Tracker was strangely cool with that. They had spent the day gaming, just as comfortable with each other as ever. This was affection he needed. Tracker would take it.
Zeus pulled away. “I need a favor.”
Tracker didn’t hesitate. “Sure, anything.”
“You might regret that offer.” Zeus was still too serious for Tracker’s anxiety.
“Okay.” Even Tracker heard the confusion in his voice.
Zeus motioned toward a nearby door. “I have a private session. Would you join me?”
That was an odd request. “What would I have to do?”
Zeus held his stare in a way that made Tracker slightly uncomfortable. It was as if he watched for something only he knew. “I need you to look hard and answer in a stern tone if I ask you anything. That’s it. Observe and be firm. Don’t show any emotion.”
That response did not clear up a single thing, but it was Zeus. “Lead the way.”
A slight smile touched Zeus’ lips, as if he was proud of Tracker. That was all it took for Tracker’s shoulders to relax. Zeus led the way inside the room. A nearly nude man waited. He stood in the center of the room with his arms chained above his head.
Zeus transformed. His expression turned cold. “I have a note telling me you’ve been extra bad this week. Is this true?”
The dark-haired man with vivid blue eyes looked unaffected by Zeus’s demeanor and tone. “Yes, sir.”
Zeus stepped aside, leaving Tracker a clear view. “I’m at my wit's end with you, Marty. You’ve been punished beyond measure, and you just can’t stay in line, so I’ve brought a witness. It seems you won’t be satisfied until you’re completely humiliated.”
“Yes, sir.” Marty never looked away from Tracker. “He’s pretty.”
Something about him made it easy for Tracker to stay emotionally detached.
Zeus opened a case on a nearby table. After pulling out a crop, he quickly turned and slapped Marty’s bare thigh with the tool. “Naughty boys don’t get to have opinions. Tracker isn’t here to be sexualized. A man like him would never touch someone like you. You’re pathetic.”
“Yes, sir.”
This was some shit he had never seen. Tracker hadn’t pictured Zeus doing this for a living.
“What’s your safe word?” Zeus sounded bored as hell.
“You should know it by now.”
Zeus moved so fast, Tracker had to fight to keep his bland expression. He snagged Marty by the hair and forced him to hold his stare. “Try again.”
Marty licked his lips. “Yellow. It’s yellow, sir.”
With a satisfied nod, Zeus released Marty’s hair. “Then let’s get started.” Zeus set aside the crop and pulled out a paddle. As Tracker looked on, Zeus pulled no punches. He fought not to flinch as each loud thwack landed across Marty’s ass. Theintense way Marty stared at Tracker was the only thing keeping Tracker from showing emotion.
Tracker couldn’t believe this guy wanted this. He had to be in epic pain, and Zeus kept pulling things from his case, hurting Marty in ways that had Tracker wide-eyed and eyebrows at his hairline inside his head. The program had taught him never to show emotion. Those lessons paid off now. When the metal nipple clamps and some sort of whip came out, Tracker fought not to squirm. Zeus said cruel things and turned up the pain. While Tracker had known—in the past—Field had paid Zeus to whip him bloody and raw, that was different. Field was a fully programmed agent and needed the pain to help him know what was real. A lightbulb moment hit. Zeus was also a fully programmed agent. Like Field, Zeus had graduated from the program. More than that, Zeus was older than Field. He had already been sent out into the world to work. Tracker had no idea how Zeus had achieved freedom. That seemed way too personal to ask. But Tracker saw everything crystal clear now. Just as Field had needed the pain to keep him from falling into a crazed killing machine, Zeus needed this club as his outlet. Nothing about this job was sexual. Zeus had created a healthy space to keep him sane. The program had turned him into some sort of sexual robot. This club kept him from becoming a deviant. In the process, he helped other people achieve whatever it was they sought from this place. He was proud of Zeus. He could have simply stayed the course, ruining lives and breaking the hearts of everyone he encountered. Instead, he had chosen kindness.
