Page 26 of Bondage Play

Phil returned his attention to the detective who, sure enough, had helped himself to the swiveling stool reserved for the doctor’s use.

“Hello, Mr. Watts. I’m Detective Wilson.” The detective extended his hand and Phil begrudgingly took it. “I’d like to go over your statement with you, make sure I have all the facts. I also have a few questions for you.”

Phil arched his eyebrows. “Oh yeah? Well I have a few hundred of them myself.”

Wilson nodded. “I’ve no doubt. This has to be shocking for you and your, er, partner.”

Phil managed to keep his eyeroll at bay. “Very. I need to know, is my boy safe? Are those guys locked up?”

To his credit, Wilson’s eyes had barely widened at Phil’suse of the term ‘boy’. Phil wasn’t ashamed of what they were to each other, and given the circumstances, there wasn’t much point in hiding.

“Yes, Mr. Watts. They’re definitely locked up and I don’t think you have much to worry about in terms of their release anytime soon, if ever.”

Okay. This is intriguing. “Call me Phil. Now, why is that?”

“After searching their van, and checking on their many aliases, we have strong evidence that these are the two men who’ve been the subject of an intensive manhunt for several years across the state, with several agencies involved. I don’t want to upset you, but they’ve been capturing, torturing and murdering young men, typically seeking them out in BDSM circles.”

Bile rose in Phil’s throat and he struggled to force it back down. His stomach twisted, tears burning his eyes at the thought of what almost happened to his Terry, to his baby. “Jesus. I…” He choked back a sob. “This is incredible. I’ve never read anything about it.”

Wilson nodded. “We’ve tried to keep as much info as we could about the murders out of the media. We were able to primarily keep it limited to warnings that young men remain aware of two guys suspected of attacking and killing subs in the BDSM community. We circulated flyers to as many clubs as possible.” The detective sighed. “No one’s survived to give descriptions, so that’s made our job more difficult. We have, however, also apprehended some accomplices who helped those two psychos search out specific prey—” The detective coughed into his fist. “What I mean, is that on occasion, a particular man would catch their eye and that person would be targeted by them.”

Phil swallowed without any spit.Prey.“Like my boy, right?”

Wilson met his eyes. “Yes. Like your boy. Anson, the man being coerced by them, had given them a description of Terry. He said they’d wanted a man who was into BDSM, but perhaps on the naïve side when it came to practicing it.”

Phil couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He also knew how upset Gerard would be to find out his home had been infiltrated by such filth. “Terry and I have never been to a public club, we’re fairly new in the lifestyle. I suppose that’s part of the reason we hadn’t heard anything about all this. But being safe was part of the reason I wanted to take Terry to a private space.At least, initially.” He chuckled with no humor. “That didn’t work out so well as it turns out.”

Phil didn’t want to hear too many details, but at the same time, he needed to know. “Was the, uh, other man there, Anson, you say he was coerced? So that means he wasn’t a part of their…” Phil struggled for the right words. It wasn’t a subject he’d ever been compelled to know that much about.

“No. As a matter of fact, we suspect that once he’d done his job and obtained an agreeable target…” Wilson cleared his throat. “I apologize. The job can cause us to sometimes dehumanize the victims we try to help. What I meant to say was that once Anson had obeyed their orders and helped them to gain access to your, uh…” Wilson flushed. “…boy, he would’ve been killed like all the others before him. Apparently, since Terry hadn’t gone willingly with one of them at the party where they first approached him, they enlisted Anson’s further help.”

“So sick.” Phil shook his head, still unable to accept it was all real. Another thought jumped into his head. “I feel the need to mention something about that party, and Gerard, the host and homeowner. I’d like to go on record in saying that I’ve never witnessed any abusive behavior there, and in the case of those men, they tricked their way in somehow. They werenotinvited. When it became clear that somethingwas off, the doorman stepped in and made sure they were escorted out immediately.” Phil wasn’t sure if he should be the voice for the community, but he felt it needed to be put out there. “Just because those degenerates claim to be a part of the BDSM community, doesn’t mean that’s what it’s like.”

Wilson set down the small notepad he’d been writing in. “We know they weren’t invited there, that they gleaned the information from a family member’s friend. And I want you to know that while I don’t personally understand the appeal of BDSM, I do know one thing I’ve absorbed from all my years working homicide. Predators are everywhere and in every walk of life. It’s easy to place blame on something that’s outside our comfort zone when anything bad happens, but I’ve arrested more murderers and rapists who presented themselves as conservative, and in some cases, very religious men, than I ever have anyone living an alternative lifestyle.”

Phil didn’t love the alternative lifestyle label, but he could see that the detective was legitimately attempting to be non-judgmental. “All right, thank you for that. My boy has all the power in our relationship, and you’re more than welcome to discuss that with him if you need to.”

Wilson smiled, and Phil was surprised by its sincerity. “That’s not necessary. The love and care between you both at the scene was quite obvious.”

Huh.

The nurse peered through the gap in the curtain. “There are two men here who are desperate to see Terry. I tried to tell them that he was resting, but they’re adamant.”

Phil narrowed his eyes. “Who wants to see him?”

“A Gerard and Marco.”

Phil swallowed down the emotion clogging his throat.They actually give a shit about him, about us.It looked like they might have made new friends in the community after all.Phil regarded the detective. “I’d like to let them know he’s okay.”

Wilson nodded. “Why don’t I follow you out there? That’ll give me a chance to speak with them too.” He grinned. “Save me a trip to their house.”

Phil rose, but glanced at Terry. “I need to make it quick. I told him I wouldn’t leave him alone and I don’t want him to wake up and not see me here.”

When he looked at the detective, the smile was back. “I’d say he’s a lucky man.”

Phil gave the detective a lopsided grin. The guy didn’t seem so bad after all. “Nah. I’m the one with all the luck.”

And with that, he headed out to the waiting room to speak with their new friends.