“I found him in the club’s parking lot last night. He had nowhere to go. His parents kicked him out. I got him a room last night, then I picked him up when you were sleeping. I told him he can stay here until he gets settled.”

  “You’re really a good Dom. I’m glad he’s not on the streets.”

  “Why don’t you go out back and tell him you’re okay with him being here. He was afraid to move in because he said you hate him.”

  “I’ll go now before work.” Clancy got up and walked to where Tristan was. He’d never told Tristan he hated him, but he certainly didn’t want him for a friend.

  “Hey, what are you doing here?” Clancy asked.

  “Master Dunn took me in like he did with you. Do you have a problem with that?”

  “Did your parents kick you out?”

  “Something like that.”

  “That sucks.” Clancy said it to Tristan but he meant it sucked for himself.

  “I thought you were Master Flanagan’s sub. Why are you here?”

  “Not yet. I hope to be his sub soon. We’re going away this weekend.”

  “You’re lucky. He’s hot in bed and in the dungeon.”

  “I bet you’ll find a Dom soon just right for you.” Leave it to Tristan to mention sex with Liam, making Clancy angrier than he already was when he found out Tristan was staying here.

  “Hope so. Master Dunn is taking me to the club tonight.”

  “He is?”

  “He said he might play with me if no one wants me.”

  “Really? He’s too old for you.” Looking at Tristan’s annoying face set his nerves on fire. Master Dunn said he didn’t want a twink. As far as Clancy remembered, he had never seen Master Dunn with a young sub. He played with older men like himself. So, what made Tristan think he had a chance with Master Dunn? Probably lying or just delusional.

  “Are you worried because Master Dunn was your backup for when Master Flanagan dumps you like he did me?”

  “Not worried about that. I don’t need a backup. Master Dunn made it clear he wasn’t interested in young subs. And you fall into the group of young subs.” Clancy wanted to say Tristan was part of the group of young and stupid subs. What did Liam ever see him?

  “I’ll be in Master Dunn’s bed before the end of the weekend.” Tristan grinned.

  “I doubt that.” Clancy figured there was not much more he had to say to him, and he needed to go to work.

  “You’re just trying to justify why Master Dunn didn’t want to play with you.”

  “No way. Plus, I’m going to be Master Flanagan’s sub very soon. Maybe this weekend when we’re in Dublin.”

  Tristan returned to weeding the row of flowers and ignored Clancy’s comment. Clancy made his way back into the house. He stopped in the kitchen and waited to get Master Dunn’s attention.

  “Is everything okay between you and Tristan?” Master Dunn asked as he was mixing a batter for chocolate chip cookies.

  “He thinks I stole his Dom.”

  “Neither of you have a Dom at the moment.”

  “That’s true. I hope Liam will collar me soon, so I don’t have to worry about all these guys who want him.”

  “I thought you said you needed time. Did that change?”

  “Yes. I’m tired of worrying about him. Do you think I’m rushing it?”

  “Some might think you’re rushing it, but I suspect you emotionally left your last relationship when Rory joined. Things went downhill.”

  “I thought it was me losing my grip and desire to be a sub.”

  “Being a sub isn’t for everyone. Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  “I want to be a sub to Liam. He gives me the attention I need. He meets my needs and he’s there when I need him.”

  “So now you’re in a rush. Normally I would suggest you wait, but I like Liam and think he’s a good fit for you. I made you an appointment to see Doctor Murray to be tested and I’ll take you there. I was hoping not to have to tell you this bit of information. I found out that your last Dom was cheating on you and Rory.”

  “He was?” Clancy closed his eyes for a moment to control his emotions. He avoided Master Dunn’s for a moment, but it was useless. The man could read him better than his mother could. Shocked was a mild description of what he was feeling. He had told himself it shouldn’t matter now. They were no longer together. Plain and simple, it hurt more than it should at this point, but Master Clarke cheated when they were under contract. How could he? Master Dunn was well meaning though. If he confronted Master Clarke, it would only result in Clancy’s feelings more hurt than he already was. He didn’t need to gather more pain and sadness to add to the list.

  “I didn’t know at the time he was cheating. If I had I would have told both you and Rory. He put on such an honest and faithful front to everyone, but he was never who he claimed to be. I’ve told you now for a couple of reasons. First, I want you to make sure you don’t have a sexually transmitted disease. The other reason is to make sure you never give him a second chance with you.”

  “Thank you for making the appointment for me. Don’t worry, I’ll never go back to him. Never. I have to leave for work.” Clancy had to adjust to this new information about Master Clarke. Where was Rory? Just when he was working on getting rid of his hurt feelings, this crap came up. Clancy turned around to leave, but Master Dunn pulled him into his arms.

  “I stayed up all night trying to find words that wouldn’t hurt you and they did anyway. I’m sorry I had to tell you about this, but you needed to know.”

  “I know you had to tell me. It shouldn’t hurt me at all. I want to be with Liam now, but it still hurts. Nothing like learning I was discounted as a sub and was never worth loyalty. I wasn’t enough.”

  “You’re more than enough and much more. The Dom who collars you will be a lucky man. If you need me for anything, call me.”

  Tristan was in the doorway watching them. That was all he needed now.

  “Thanks.”

  Master Dunn said, “If you were older, I’d have you as my sub, but I could be your grandfather. You’re that good of a sub.” He kissed him on the head.

  Clancy left as fast as he could, so he didn’t have to deal with Tristan.

  Chapter 16 Liam

  Liam went to the front desk after receiving a message from the desk clerk. Someone had asked to speak to him. No one ever visited him at the hotel, and he hoped it wasn’t William again. He’d had it with him. What had Clancy seen in the man? As he drew closer to the front desk, he saw Clancy standing there in his work clothes. Hopefully, nothing was wrong.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Liam asked.

  “I need to talk to you if you can,” Clancy said.

  “Let’s go into the dining area.”

  They walked through the hallway to the dining area. Clancy’s face was flushed, which was a sign he was upset. Did he want to end their relationship? Maybe William had gotten to him. They sat in a booth away from others.

  “What’s going on?” Liam asked, hoping it wasn’t about them. Clancy looked so disturbed. He was doing so well and now he’d regressed, undoing some of the healing.

  “Tristan moved into Master Dunn’s house.”

  “Why would he take him in?”

  “Master Dunn said his parents kicked him out.”

  “And does that bother you?”

  “It does, but I can live with it.” Clancy’s voice trembled.

  Liam was sure something else must have happened. “You can always stay with me.”

  “I’m not here to beg you to take me in. I have something else to tell you.” His pale face turned bright red, accompanied by a concerned expression.

  “Tell me then.” Liam thought Clancy was a bit touchy about moving in out of need and not want. He drew a sharp line there, and Liam would have to respect how and why he’d moved in with him. Clancy was different from all the subs he had been with. Usually, they were ready to move in with him right off. He’d never allowed anyone to move in though because it would have meant he had to come out to his friends. Somehow, he didn’t care about that anymore. It was more about what he wanted, not what others demanded from him.

  The server stood by their booth. “Can I get you anything?”

  “I’ll have a coffee. What do you want?” Liam asked.

  “Coffee with milk and sugar.”

  As soon as the server left, Liam reached for Clancy’s hand. “Tell me. Trust me to understand your pain.”

  “Master Dunn told me that Master Clarke cheated on Rory and me. He made an appointment with Doctor Murray for some tests. He said he’d take me there. So, if you don’t want to see me anymore, I understand.”

  “When is your appointment with Doctor Murray?” There was no way John was going to take over this job. Clancy was his responsibility, not John’s.

  “Tonight, at six.”

  “I’m going to take you. I’ll pick you up at John’s.”

  “Are you sure you still want to be with me after this?”

  “This isn’t on you. We both should have been tested when we began our relationship. So don’t blame yourself.”

  “I can’t believe you’re not pissed.”

  “There’s no reason to ever think I’d be angry enough to let you go. I’ve told you numerous times I want you. I don’t know what else you need so you know you’re safe with me.”

  “That means so much,” Clancy said.

  “I have something to tell you, too.”

  The server brought their coffee.

  “Thank you.” Clancy poured milk into his coffee. “Is it good or bad, sir?”

  “Not so good, but it won’t change anything between us. William showed up here today. We left to talk at a coffee shop.”

  “Why would you go anywhere with him?” Clancy continuously stirred the sugar in his coffee cup. The sound of stirring was louder than usual.

  “He wanted to discuss you with me, and I wanted to know what he had to say, but not at my place of work.”

  “What did he say about me?” Clancy finally finished stirring his sugar and leaned across the table as if he didn’t want to miss a word from Liam.

  “He believes you are still his sub because you didn’t sign the release contract. I mentioned you verbally told him you were done, but that didn’t change his mind at all. He spewed a bunch of lies about you and Rory. None of which I believe.” Liam was relieved to get it off his chest.

  “What are we going to do about that problem?”

  “There is no problem. What William thinks or believes is not our concern. If you agree, I’ll collar you at the club so he can watch. The owner has already told John you’re not William’s sub anymore. What do you think about that?”

  “Master Dunn said he was going to talk to him again. I was hoping you’d collar me sooner because I not only want to be your sub, but now I need to be for many reasons. I’m not sure about being collared at the club with him present. I’d prefer something more private.”

  “We can have the collaring in my backyard, the same way Darragh had Brett’s in his. I need you as much as you need me. We’ll have our weekend in Dublin, then plan for your collaring on Friday next week. You can invite anyone you want.”

  “Will I be able to live with you after you collar me?”

  “Of course. John’s house is getting crowded.”

  “Tristan thinks Master Dunn is going to collar him.”

  “He wants a Dom at any cost. He doesn’t seem to care. John is too old for him.”

  “I told him that, but he said he’ll be in Master Dunn’s bed by the weekend.”

  Liam laughed. “He talks crazy like that. He doesn’t mean half of what he says.”

  “I’m glad he won’t be sleeping in my room.” Clancy’s expression darkened as his thoughts went to a place Liam couldn’t identify. The tone of his voice suggested Clancy had left the conversation.

  “You won’t be sleeping there for much longer. Be polite and friendly to him. You don’t want to abuse the hospitality of John’s home.”

  “I would never do that. I love him like a grandfather.”

  Liam had wondered what type of relationship they had and was relieved to hear he saw him as a grandfather. Yet, Clancy seemed too upset Tristan might hook up with John. Tristan pushed himself onto Doms. It would make Tristan’s life easier if he had a Dom, but not John.

  “I had another visitor today,” Liam mentioned.

  “Who?” Clancy began stirring his coffee again without adding sugar.

  “Jake.” Liam’s eyes widened as he watched Clancy stirring again. This was the first time Clancy had displayed this annoying habit.

  “What did he want?” Clancy didn’t stop when Liam signaled to stop by glaring at his coffee cup.

  “I think your sugar is stirred.”

  Clancy snapped out of wherever he was and stopped, then he set his spoon on the table. “Oh, sorry, sir. I didn’t realize I was doing that. My parents used to ban me from stirring loudly at the table.”

  “I’ll have the same rule. Only I might hang a paddle on the kitchen wall to remind you.”

  A schoolboy grin appeared on Clancy’s face. “What did Jake want?”

  “Closure. I hurt him when we were together. He asked me questions, and I answered them. We parted as friends, or at least I hope so.”

  “You’ve had a lot of visitors today.”

  Clancy’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it out to answer it.

  Liam hoped it wasn’t William. That’s all they would need. He wanted the weekend so they could leave all of them behind.

  “Liam said he’d take me, sir. Okay. Thanks.” Clancy ended the call.

  “Master Dunn said the appointment was changed to five.”

  “I’ll pick you up earlier then.”

  Brett walked over to them. “Hi! Liam, is this your new sub?”

  “Brett, this is Clancy. I plan to collar him soon.”

  “Hi, Clancy. I’d like to invite you to our sub meetings at Master Cleary’s Pub. We meet on Thursday nights. You’re welcome to come. We begin at nine.”

  “That sounds fun.”

  Brett handed him a card with his phone number. “Call me anytime you have questions. You don’t have to be collared to join us since you will be getting collared soon.”

  “Thanks.” Clancy pulled out his business card and handed it to Brett. “We’re busy this weekend.” Clancy looked at Liam. “Next Thursday sounds good if it is okay with you, sir?”

  “That’s a great idea. I’ll hang out with the Doms.”

  “Oh good. Nice meeting you. I have to get back to the bar,” Brett said.

  When Brett left, they both stood since Liam had to work and Clancy had to return home.

  “How about dinner after the doctor’s appointment?” Clancy asked.

  “Sounds like a good idea.”

  “Can I surprise you with where we’re going?”

  Liam’s smile widened with approval. “Yes, you can.”

  This was the first time someone had asked him out. It was different, but he liked it. Clancy was full of surprises.

  When Clancy left, Liam returned to his office and finally sat down to take care of the work he should have been doing. He’d been working for two hours when Darragh walked in.

  “Hey, how is it going?”

  “Okay, now. Today was the day of visitors. No one ever came here to visit me before.”

  “That one dark-haired woman did.”

  “I forgot about her for a minute. Irene never took no for an answer.”

  “She was a looker though.”

  “I hope she finds someone, so she doesn’t come on to me anymore.”

  “When are you going to collar Clancy?” Darragh asked, changing the topic.

  “This weekend we’re going to Dublin, then next Friday I’d like to collar him in my backyard like you did.”

  “And move him in after the collaring?” Darragh asked.

  “Day of the collaring.” Liam paused and grinned. “I know it’s soon, but I don’t see any reason to wait. This is what we both want. At first, he wasn’t sure and needed time, but now he wants me to collar him.”

  “I hope we’re all invited.”

  “Of course. Brett invited Clancy to the sub meetings at Cleary’s.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Oh, and Tristan moved in with John. Clancy wasn’t too happy about that.”

  “Isn’t he too old for Tristan?”

  “Tristan’s parents threw him out, so John took him in to help, not to collar him, but he thinks he has a chance with John.”

  “Poor guy. Hopefully, he’ll find a good Dom.”

  “He will if I have anything to say about it.”

  “Did anything else go on today?”

  “Jake showed up too. He is seeing a new Dom. His name is Marcus. I couldn’t help thinking it could be Sean using his Marcus alias.”

  “Sean could be out of jail by now. They didn’t have a case that would stick. I figured he might go back to Dublin, but I would check on it.”

  “I will.”

  Chapter 17 Clancy

  When Clancy finished talking to Liam at the hotel, he drove home and went to his room to plan for Liam’s dinner date while avoiding Tristan. Clancy had never taken any of his Doms out, or boyfriends either, for that matter. Liam would be his first. He didn’t always want to be the one receiving things from a Dom. Why shouldn’t he reciprocate?

  He called up the local restaurant and made reservations. Then he showered and dressed. When Clancy left the house, Tristan was sitting on the couch beside Master Dunn. Clancy didn’t know what to make of them, but it was whatever it was. He doubted anything would happen between them, and why did he care so much about it? He was too invested in Master Dunn’s business for his own good. It made absolutely no sense until he analyzed his feelings and recognized the issue. Tristan had replaced him with Master Dunn the same way Rory had replaced him with Master Clarke.

  Liam told him to drive to his house and pick him up since he wanted to make this a date after the doctor’s appointment. Clancy parked his car in front of Liam’s cottage. He opened his glove compartment to check if his insurance card was there. There was a faded card from Master Clarke so he pulled it out and opened it. He had given Clancy this card with a note and money. He reread the note.

 

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