Free Caged Sanctuary by Tempeste O'Riley Page A

mugs.
    “Of course it is. It’s eleven-thirty.”
    “Right.” He hated that she knew him so well. “I’m heading out actually, but I will be back in time for my two o’clock.”
    Lina looked up with her big brown eyes that always made him think of the term doe eyes . “You don’t have a lunch appointment today, Mr. James.”
    A snicker slipped out as he grinned down at the petite little woman who guarded him and his office better than any soldier could. She was fierce, protective, and loyal, but she was also meddlesome at times, and of course, today had to be one of those. “I am allowed a social life, yes?”
    “Well, yes, of course. I didn’t mean it that way, but you usually note on your calendar when you’re going to be out of the office. That’s all I meant.”
    Getting her flustered was one of the joys of having a personal assistant. “Last minute. I will be back in time, so just be the happy, polite woman you always are and keep all the rabid annoyances at bay while I go have lunch.”
    At that, she smirked and nodded. “Of course. Have a good time.”
    Twenty minutes later, Deacon sat at a small table at Fierce, a local BDSM club, sipping coffee as he waited for his best friend and old college buddy, Sam Skyler, to join him. Pulled out of his thoughts when the chair across from him scraped against the wood floor, he looked up.
    “Hey, Deacon. What brings you here for lunch? Your message was a little cryptic.”
    “Change of scenery?”
    Sam snorted. “Pull the other one, man. Seriously, what up? You never come by the club, so….”
    “It’s Kade.” Deacon hated going to another Dom for help, even if it was one of the best men he had ever known. “I have some ideas and have done some research, but I’m worried about how far and how fast to take things with him. You think you would be willing to stop by tomorrow evening and bring Jake with you? Another sub might be able to feel out what Kade really wants as opposed to what he thinks I want.”
    “I’ll talk to Jake. I won’t make him if he’s not comfortable though.”
    “Of course not. I don’t know him as well, so I didn’t want to ask him, plus I wouldn’t do that without you in on it anyway.” Deacon rubbed his temples.
    “What’s got you so freaked? You’re usually the calm, cool one.”
    Yeah, usually, as in before he’d had the kindest, sexiest sub counting on him to want him no matter what, to know how to push him without breaking, to give pleasure in his pain without hurting him…. “Kade’s so scared I’m going to tire of the modifications he needs that I don’t trust him to use his safe words or speak up about anything right now.”
    “That’s… I would say that’s not right, but you told me about his chair and all. That’s got to be hard on him.”
    “That, and it seems the community, well, the Doms he knew at the time didn’t seem interested in him once he was in the chair. I haven’t pushed too much yet about the attack and subsequent changes in his life, but if you saw how skittish he is at times….”
    “We’ll support you and your boy. Well, I can promise I will, though I can’t imagine Jake not wanting to help. You know he takes the wellbeing of the house subs personally.”
    Deacon nodded, having heard over the last year or so how dedicated Jake was to protecting others. The boy had gotten himself badly injured helping one of the other subs who worked for the club when he found out the kid was being abused at home.
    Sam clapped his hands together, the crack loud enough to make Deacon and a passing worker jump slightly. “I’ll talk to Jake and, barring some bizarre meltdown of the universe, we’ll see you at your home tomorrow.”
    “Wonderful! And thanks, Sam.”
    “No worries. You know I’ve always got your back.”
     
     
    K ADE SAT on his porch, staring at the mountains that surrounded the area and the night sky beyond it, enjoying the slight bite to the evening air. Of all the places he