Free Jake's Thief by A.C. Katt Page A

Jamie. He poked Jamie and whispered, “I’ve done your job for you.”
    “What do you mean?” Jamie looked at him like he had two heads.
    “I was complaining about the waste of good food. He stood up for Jake and told me that Jake never wastes food. It goes to the local homeless shelter before its expiration date. He was even a little huffy about it—like how could I even think Jake could do such a thing.”
    Jamie nodded and cackled.
    “Yes, he likes him and he’s ripe for the plucking. Davey may already be in love with Jake,” Robbie said sagely.
    “In three days?” Jamie was skeptical.
    “Brian and Bear knew within three minutes. You started chasing Bull as soon as you met him and I was in love with Tom Martino before I even got out of the hospital.”
    Brian, who was standing behind Jamie, came forward. “I think that when loves comes to those in the BDSM community, it hits fast and hard because they’re not expecting it. Look around the Dom’s dining room. How many of those men love their subs? Sure, they lavish them with gifts and show them off, but they get rid of them like yesterday’s tissue if they see something better, it’s a fact of life. But our men are different. They wanted to care about someone. That’s how the love came so quickly. They were open to the feeling.”
    Jim stood behind Brian. “Brian’s right. Reed didn’t learn to care about me until he realized he wanted my love and needed me to make his life complete. It took a while,” he said, sarcasm apparent.
    “He is a sub,” Jamie interjected. “He followed our example like he was born to this life, just saying…”
    § § §
    The new house rules stated that no Doms were allowed inside. The Doms had to knock on the door of the sub room. Tom had discussed it with Robbie, Jim and Brian. “We need a place for subs to go and be able to speak to other subs, when they wouldn’t come to me,” Tom had told them. “They need to be able to tell you or Jim or one of the others about abuse or neglect somewhere they won’t be frightened to be overheard. That’s why the sub room is off limits to Doms and always should be.” Tom said he was satisfied with the result of his lobbying Bear and Reed. The sub room was a resounding success. The Doms sent their subs there when they wanted to talk business or to say something the subs shouldn’t hear and the subs had found two cases of neglect and abuse from those who had sought refuge in the room. Robbie and Brian thought that Tom was more than pleased with himself with the innovation he instigated.
    Brian and Robbie went to the door. It was Bear. “It’s time to go home, cub.’
    “Yes, Papa, I’ll tell the others.” Brian gently closed the door.
    § § §
    Bear sat back down at the table while Jake went to get Davey and retrieve their jackets.
    Reed looked around at the seated Doms. “What’s the line and how much?”
    “The usual hundred…?” Bear asked.
    “I take five weeks, he’s stubborn.” Gary put down his money. “I’ve got to go get Danny.” He got up and went to the coatroom.
    “Six weeks, here’s mine.” Cisco placed his money next to Gary’s. “I don’t know why I bother, Bear’s going to win it all as usual, the only upside for me is that he’ll donate it to St. Mary’s,” Cisco said with part annoyance and part satisfaction.
    “Reed?” Bear asked.
    “I’m in, I say it takes them three weeks, Jake’s a cautious man.” Reed smiled.
    “They don’t even know each other, I say a month.” Tom took his money out from its clip and slid it next to Reed’s.
    “He’s pigheaded, comes from being a lawyer…seven weeks.” Bull threw in five twenties.
    “I agree with Reed. Jake’s cautious, I’m giving him two months.” Caden laid his money down. “If I win it goes to the LGBT youth center.”
    “All right, Bear, what do you think? I don’t know why I ask, we should just make him hold the money,” Reed said with disgust.
    “One week and he’s