An Unlocked Mind (Secrets #2)(111)

“Tomorrow we’re going to the club,” Vic announced.

“Okay. Any particular reason?”

“There is, but that’s going to be a surprise.”

Rob huffed a sigh. “Back in the tank?”

Vic smiled. “No, not this time.”

They’d bought the suit Vic told Rob about, and they’d already used it several times. After each scene, Rob clung to Vic, sometimes so overwhelmed with emotion that he’d sob while Vic stroked his back. Other times he’d emerged in a heightened state of excitement, begging Vic to fuck him.

Vic was always there for whatever Rob needed.

“Give me a hint?” Rob pleaded.

“Does it bother you that I know and won’t tell you?”

“Uh, yeah.”

Vic grinned. “Then, no, not telling.”

“Bastard.”

“That’s Sir Bastard to you.”

Rob laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”




SATURDAY NIGHT Vic strode through the door, Rob at his heel. When they stepped onto the main floor, he breathed in the scents he loved most about Secrets. Leather. Sweat. Sex. Men. That last one made Vic smile. They came from all walks of life, but they all shared a common bond—the desire to live their lives by rules of their own choosing.

He turned and glanced at Rob, who kept his gaze trained on the floor. Vic was so fucking proud of him.

He led Rob to the lift, where they went up to the lockers, and Rob wordlessly stripped out of his clothes. The trust Rob showed was remarkable. Vic knew what he was about to do would shock him, but that was half the fun.

When Rob stood before him, naked apart from his collar and boots, Vic regarded him with a smile. “Ready?” Rob nodded. “Good. Then let’s go.” He stroked Rob’s head. “Thank you for this.”

Rob gave him a glance. “I’d still feel better if I knew what ‘this’ was, but I trust you.” As they descended in the lift, Vic curled his hand around Rob’s.

When the doors slid open, Eli called out to them. “Vic, good to see you!”

“Same here. Is everything ready?”

“It is. I have to say, we’re excited.”

Rob cleared his throat but didn’t say anything. Vic was enjoying teasing him too much to let him off the hook now.

“Jarod is waiting in the back. If you’ll follow me.”

As they entered the group room, Vic saw many familiar faces. Sam and Aaron were there, and both men raised hands in greeting. When he turned his gaze in the other direction, he saw the people he’d been looking for. He got a nod of recognition, satisfied that everything was ready.

“Rob, I want you to go to the center of the room and kneel, please.” He leaned forward and whispered into Rob’s ear, “You and I are the only ones here that matter.” He knew it might be a little off-putting to find himself in the middle of a group of twenty or thirty men, all gathered in a circle, clearly waiting for them.

To his credit, Rob moved to the middle of the room without complaint or comment, and did as Vic instructed. Vic followed and stood behind him before addressing the crowd.

“Gentlemen, thank you for coming,” Vic called out. “A while back, my cheeky boy here did something that’s probably unheard of. He gave me a collar to give to him.” Amused chuckles greeted his words, and Vic grinned. “Yeah, I know. Not something we generally see, right? As you can see, he’s wearing it now. The thing is, he bought and paid for it with his own money. Now, while that is admirable, it does give me pause, because he needs to wear something of mine.”

He wasn’t surprised to hear the murmurs of agreement.

“So tonight I’m going to give that to him, in front of our friends.” He knelt behind Rob, and with deft fingers, removed the chain. Rob’s breathing hitched, and Vic leaned in to reassure him. “It’s okay, I promise. You’ll get it back shortly.” He glanced across the room and nodded, his heartbeat racing as he anticipated Rob’s reaction. Vic rose and came to stand at Rob’s side, gazing down at his boy. “Rob? Look up. There’s someone here to see you.”

Rob glanced up at him, and then his eyes widened when he saw the figure walking toward him. “Alex? What are you doing here?”

Alex knelt down and hugged Rob. “I couldn’t let this moment pass without being here. I’m so very proud of you.” He smiled over Rob’s shoulder. “And I brought friends.”

Rob followed his gaze, his brow creased into a frown as Alex stood, pointing. “That’s Peter, Thomas, Scott, and Ben. They’re my family too. I wanted them to be here to share in this, because this is definitely an occasion for family.”

Rob turned back to Vic, his confusion obvious. “Permission to speak?”

Vic nodded.

“Okay, why is Alex proud of me, and exactly what occasion are we talking about?”

Vic held out the chain to show Rob what he’d added, a thin platinum heart that fit perfectly around the twin beats Rob had initially bought. Vic had gone online to find the company Rob had used and specially ordered the new part.

“As you said, our hearts beat as one, but this also signifies that you own my heart.”

Rob’s lower lip quivered and he swallowed hard. Alex put a hand on his back and rubbed gently.