Bobby went to the pick up point across the foyer. He had waited until he knew the other slaves would have been picked up. He didn't like to socialize with these people, but appearances had to be maintained. Angel and Jerry flanked him on either side, both of them wearing plain black masks that matched his own. They went to a lot of trouble to ensure the privacy of their customers and trainers. They all knew each other's names, but without faces it was hard to prove anything even if someone was able to sneak a camera past the tight security.
"I cannot believe you dropped a hundred thousand, Bobby. What were you thinking?" Jerry had to walk quickly to keep up with Bobby and Angel.
"I'm not going to tell you to shut up again, Jerry." Bobby approached the desk and handed the masked attendant his room ticket.
"Thank you for your business, Michigan. Victor will bring out your purchase shortly." The dark haired young woman handed the ticket off to a blond haired man who disappeared behind the curtain.
"So, you are the chap who outbid me. I had a feeling it was you, Michigan. You like them young ones." The graying man approached Bobby and clapped him on the back. "I guess there are worse people to be outbid by than the Michigan Mauler, eh?"
"How are you, Don Vito?" Bobby shook the man's hand respectfully but said no more. He looked from the Don to young woman standing behind him. The diamond studded leash he held glittered in the warm chandelier light. Bobby wanted to vomit.
"I'm good. I'd have been better if I'd have gotten the young one, but she is pretty to, yeah? She's going to be a present for my son. He's turning twenty-five tomorrow. Victor trains them well. You won't have to worry about that." The Don clapped Bobby one more time on the shoulder and moved on to someone else.
"I swear I want to rip that guy's face off every time I see him." Angel's voice was a harsh whisper in Bobby's ear.
"Tell me about it." Bobby looked at his watch, he really wanted to get out of here. When he looked back up, Victor was leading the young man out by a plain black leash. The woman at the desk slipped a necklace box across the counter and Bobby pulled the collar out of the box. He reminded himself that appearances had to be made if he wanted to keep doing what he was doing. It would do no one good to think that the Michigan Mauler had gone soft.
Victor stepped out from behind the curtain with the young, half naked man in tow. Victor held out a dark hand to Bobby. After shaking Bobby's hand he pulled a manila envelope and handed it to him. "His papers. Let me say first that it is an honor to have the Michigan Mauler buy one of my trained performers."
"Pleasures all mine." Bobby's voice was dry. He had no desire to socialize with scum like Victor Sweet.
Victor laughed heartily at the joke. "He'll please you, I guarantee it. He loves what he does, and he does it well. He's been trained not to eat, not to sleep, not even piss without your permission. He does not speak unless spoke to. His only flaw is that he's curious. He likes to touch things." Victor tugged on the leash, pulling the young man forward. "Show your master what happens when you touch things that don't belong to you."
The man held out both hands, palm down. His knuckles were badly scarred.
Victor held out a small black pointer. "A few good whacks to his hands and he learns his lesson. Other than those, there's not a mark on his body."
Bobby grabbed the expensive looking stick. He knew the questions that were expected from him. "Has this touching things gotten any better?" Bobby studied the young man as he retracted his hands.
"Yes. He's never broken anything, I wouldn't sell him if I didn't think he was ready to live up to the best expectations."
"He's a virgin, yes?" Bobby had to force the words out of his mouth and they left a bad taste. He stepped closer to the pale man and took off the paper collar with his number and replaced it with the one he had pulled from the necklace box. It was plain black leather and he hated the way it looked on a person's neck.
"Yes sir. Over the years I have perfected my method. I teach them to enjoy what you do to them. I break them completely, without ever having to destroy that priceless commodity." Victor offered Bobby the leash.
"If he's trained that well, then I won't need that, will I?" Bobby held out his arm and the young man obediently placed his hand on Bobby's forearm. Bobby led them out into the cool night air and the waiting limousine. Victor smiled, pleases that such a well-known name was trusted his training that completely. Bobby let out a deep sigh once they were all seated in the privacy of the car. They rode in silence until they reached the mansion. Bobby stepped out and held his arm out the young blond. Bobby could see him shivering in the cold air. "Angel, Jerry, you know the drill." They parted ways here as Bobby led the young man into the house. Angel and Jerry would go their own homes for the night and meet back here tomorrow morning. Bobby watched the young man's eyes search the new house curiously, while still keeping his head down. "When was the last time you ate, kid?"
"I was fed supper at six." His kept his voice quiet. He had to walk quickly to keep up with the taller man.
"What's your name?" Bobby turned on a few lights as they made their way through the house. All of the servants who lived here knew what night of the year it was and had been told to keep to their rooms as much as possible.
"What would you like it to be?" It bothered him that his new master wanted to know his name. No one had asked him his name in a long time; not since Master Victor had told him what his new name was.
"What's your real name?" Bobby turned the light on in the bedroom, bathing them in warm light. He shrugged off his coat and tossed it over the chair at the desk. He rifled through the closet for a robe.
"Jack."
Bobby stood and held his hand out to Jack. "It's nice to meet you Jack. My name's Bobby." Jack stared at his new master's hand for a moment before taking it. "The shower's in there. Get cleaned up and I'll get you something to eat." Bobby handed the robe to Jack.
"Thank you, Master Bobby." Jack took the robe and started towards the shower.
"Just Bobby will be fine." Bobby stood out in the hallway momentarily. When he heard the shower water running he went back into the kitchen and fixed a couple sandwiches. He grabbed a couple bottles of water and poured himself a shot of whiskey.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Bobby. I just came down for something to drink." Addie stood in the doorway with her robe drawn tight around her.
"You're not bothering me, Addie. We just got home." Bobby pulled out another bottle of water and handed it to her. "Is everyone else up to?"
She took a sip of the water Bobby handed her and brushed her red hair out of her eyes. "No one could sleep tonight. We're all down in Marie's room." She paused a moment before continuing. "What's he like?"
"His name's Jack and he's only nineteen. We just got home, Addie. I don't know anything else yet." Addie was pretty. She'd be even prettier if he'd managed to get the collar off of her. It was the one thing he'd failed with all of them. "Addie, it's been almost three years now. Don't you think it's time you let it go?"
Addie's hand went to the plain black collar around her neck and she shook her head. "Please, Mr. Bobby. Don't make me take it off."
"Addie you know I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do. It was just a suggestion. I have to get back to Jack now, okay?" He watched her nod her head and scurry out of the kitchen. Bobby put the sandwiches and the water on a platter and carried it upstairs. Jack was standing next to the bed when Bobby came back. "Okay, Jack. Let's get straight to the point." He set the platter on the night stand and turned back around to face Jack.
Jack shrugged the robe off his shoulders and stood naked before his new master.
Bobby blushed and turned around. "That wasn't what I meant. Put your robe back on Jack." Bobby went to his drawers and dug out a pair of running pants for Jack to put on. When he turned around Jack was holding the robe closed, his face slightly pink. He handed the pants to Jack. "What I meant to say was have a seat and grab a sandwich." Jack shrugged the robe off again, without any pretense and slipped into the pants Bobby had given him. Bobby handed Jack sandwich and watched him take a tentative bite. "Jack, I'm not like Victor. This house doesn't run like his does. Here you eat when you're hungry, you speak up if you have something to say, and you go to the bathroom when you have to. I'm not home enough to remember to tell you when to do that kind of thing." Bobby noticed that Jack had stopped eating his sandwich. "You'll sleep here tonight, with me. I can't have you taking off. Tomorrow you'll meet the others and you'll be bunked with someone. After I know you won't run away you'll get your own room. I haven't had a run away since I started going to that little function because people like it here. You will too."
"I won't run away." Jack had been told in detail what happened when you ran away. Only one person had attempted to run away from Victor. They had heard his screams echoing down the halls for days. When they stopped, he was never seen again.
"I know." Bobby stripped down to his boxers and laid down on the couch. "You can have the bed for tonight."
