Date: Sun, 28 Feb 2021 18:31:31 -0500
From: Tripp Savidge <trippsavidge@gmail.com>
Subject: Bacchus Springs: Chapter 20, Bad Men

This is a work of fiction and contains scenes of explicit gay sex. Any
resemblance to actual places, persons, or events is coincidental. If you
are not of the legal age to read adult stories, or are uncomfortable with
gay themes, please stop reading now and close this document.

Bacchus Springs, Chapter 20: Bad Men, Copyright 2021 Tripp Savidge. All
rights are reserved. Do not duplicate or distribute in any form without
express permission of the author.


Bacchus Springs
Chapter 20 Bad Men
by Tripp Savidge


*   Scene 1   *
David Martinez

"Mr. Martinez, Ms. Campbell is here," Kelsey said as she fidgeted at the
door.

I had to assume Jo made her nervous. "Please send her in, Kelsey. Thank
you."

Jo Campbell, my son's future mother-in-law and the COO of Bacchus
Industries, strode in looking as stunning and professional as ever. Her
charcoal suit was tailored to perfection, and she didn't have a single
strand of hair out of place. I could admit that if she were available and
I didn't have Dean, she'd certainly catch my attention.

"I must say I'm so glad Mrs. Cokesbury is gone," Jo said as she glanced
back at the closing door.

"Me too and hello, Jo."

She laughed, a deep velvety purr. "Sorry, I'm not always the best at
pleasantries when I'm distracted."

"The meeting this afternoon?"

She sat on one of the leather side chairs and grinned at me. "No,
sweetie. It's all you. But anyway...before Paul shows up, we need to talk
and get a few things ironed out."

"Okay...I'm listening."

"Can you turn it down a little? It's hard to think."

I felt the heat rush to my face and took a calming breath. "I'm locked
down as tightly as I know how. Um, I don't think it's my mojo this time."

"Huh... Well, you are hot as fuck." Jo shrugged, teasingly fanning
herself. "Guess it's just me then. Anyway, Paul..."

"Is there a problem?"

"Eh, not really. But we do have to humor him. You'll need to keep your
powers in check when you're around him, so he doesn't freak out. He's
been avoiding you, but don't take it personally. He avoids most of
Bacchus's people, and even for the leadership team, he tries not to meet
with any of us alone. And most especially not Bacchus."

I couldn't stifle the laugh. "He does realize that having other people
present is irrelevant, right? Bacchus loves a good show."

"Yes, well, that's why I'm talking to you. Paul is brilliant CFO and
excellent at his job, but he's also got control issues. We try not to
poke any holes in his delusions. It makes it better for everyone
involved."

"He's not one of Bacchus's inner circle?"

"Sort of?" Jo shrugged. "Bacchus claimed him and made him a servant so he
'is,' but Paul doesn't remember, and we make a point not to remind him.
So, the connection is there; Paul just doesn't know it."

"Wow." I sat back and let that filter for a bit. "I'm surprised Bacchus
would be hands off with one of his servants." I really didn't mean
"hands," but it was more polite than saying "Bacchus not fucking the man
senseless" since I didn't know Jo all that well and I hadn't met Paul.
Maybe he wasn't attractive?

"Pfft. Of course he's not. He just makes sure that Paul doesn't remember
it."

I sat stunned for a moment. I wasn't surprised that Bacchus "could" do
that, but I was surprised that he would. But then Jo's earlier comment
clicked. "That's part of letting Paul believe what he wants." I had to
wonder if Paul truly had no idea or if he was pretending like everyone
else.

"He's tuned in enough to know that you're a love god. That's why you, in
particular, make Paul nervous. Word has spread pretty quickly that you
have an effect on people, and there's more than a little water cooler
conjecture on who might get lucky." Jo winked at me, and her smile was
positively evil.

"Have I not been discreet enough?" I really thought I'd kept it low-key,
but who knew what lies Mrs. Cokesbury spread.

Jo laughed again. "Oh, David, it's nothing to worry about. It's natural
that they fantasize about you and talk about how attractive you are. It's
not about what you've done; it's mostly about your looks. They may have
all heard that you're a love god, but most of them don't take it
literally. Paul, on the other hand, knows what that means, and it makes
him nervous."

I let out a sigh of relief. "What do I need to do to put Paul at ease?"

"Lie?" Jo smirked. "Seriously, promise him you won't use your powers on
him and don't share any of the experiences you've had with Bacchus. Let
him stay in the dark, and all will be good in the world."

"You realize Bacchus doesn't always give me a choice?"

"Please, David. I've worked for him for years. Of course I know. That's
why I said, lie to him."

"Is there anything else?" I asked.

"If Paul gives you financial advice, take it. The man is gifted and has
been raking in the money for Bacchus since he started. Which is why we
humor his delusions and let him think he has more control than he does.
He's a perfectionist and as OCD as they come."

"And on the personal side? Married? Kids?"

"Nope. Confirmed bachelor. He doesn't talk about anything personal. I'm
sure Bacchus knows more if you're curious."

"That's okay, I don't need to know, and sometimes asking questions has
undesirable outcomes," I admitted.

"You're learning. That's good. Paul should be here in a few minutes. He
wanted to explain how we do contributions since you'll be part of the
team. As you might guess, he keeps a very tight rein on every cent, and
we don't just write checks."

"How much of this will I need to know for this afternoon's meeting?"

"Not much. I'll do most of the talking. You're there to mind-fuck any of
the detractors and nay-sayers. Just bat your pretty eyes at them, and
you'll be good."

"Wow, good to know I have a purpose." I wondered if I should be offended.

"Look at it as a challenge. These are Mrs. Cokesbury's people. Expect
them to be equally opinionated and backward."

"Sounds like fun. Not." But I could take pleasure in messing them up, so
I guess there was a silver lining.

That was when Kelsey knocked again and opened the door for Paul Attwood.
And of course, my first thought was that there was no way that Bacchus
wasn't fucking the man every chance he got.

"Paul, David Martinez, I'm pleased to finally meet you." I stood and
walked over to greet him. "Somehow, we keep missing each other." I
extended my hand, and he shook it firmly, but I could already feel his
apprehension. I pegged him at maybe late thirties, early forties, but I
was admittedly terrible at guessing age. Didn't matter, because even with
the suit, I could tell he was in excellent shape with a build and size
similar to my own. He had chocolate brown skin with gold undertones,
short-cropped hair, and royale beard. Handsome enough to turn heads.
Which made me wonder about the not married or attached piece.

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Martinez." Paul had a deep baritone voice that
seemed to fit.

"Please, call me David." I gestured to one of the chairs and sat back
down at my desk. Maybe having a little separation would make him more
comfortable.

"Sure, and please call me Paul. Hello, Jo." Paul turned back to me and
gave me a discerning look. "You're not what I expected."

"Is that good or bad?" I wasn't picking up Paul's thoughts which was
unusual.

"Time will tell..." Paul said, letting the response hang.

"Paul, I told David that you'd give him a briefing on how you like
contributions handled and what the process would be."

"Perfect." Paul sat stiffly in the chair and wasn't scowling, but he
wasn't smiling either.

"David, could you give Paul some assurances?" Jo asked.

"Oh, right. Paul, I'm sure you've heard the rumor that I'm one of the
Erotes-"

"Love god," Jo interrupted.

"Right. And I assure you that I will keep my powers locked down tight
whenever I'm around you. You have nothing to fear from me, I promise." I
gave him my sincerest smile, but I could still feel the skepticism.

"Good. Then let me explain how we do things..." Paul began.

I only paid partial attention to what he was saying as I opened up
further to get a read on the man. Still nothing leaking through. It made
me wonder if he'd been taught how to shield or if it came to him
naturally. He had walls upon walls built up around his thoughts and
emotions. Maybe Jo wasn't understating things when she said he had
control issues. On the other hand, while I couldn't get thoughts, his
lust was another story, as were the occasional telling glances. He was
attracted to me, but whether it was a general feeling or he was into
guys, I couldn't tell.

Since Bacchus had claimed me, I had that effect on both men and women,
regardless of orientation. Without being able to read his thoughts, the
only other way I'd know was to drink in his lust, which I'd just promised
not to do.

I zoned back in on Paul's explanation and tried to show that I was paying
attention. I watched the man closely as he went through what he expected
of us, or mostly Jo, since I was an observer at today's meeting. Yeah, no
way was Bacchus not tapping that. Which raised a bunch of other
questions, not the least of which was the potential lack of consent. I
reminded myself of my own dealings with Bacchus and Aphrodite and had to
admit that it probably wasn't high on their list of concerns. So far, the
Greek gods had done what was in their best interest, and I could count
myself lucky that they seemed to like me.

"Any questions?" Paul asked.

"Not from me. David, did you have anything else for Paul?" Jo asked.

"No. As you said, Jo, I'm primarily an observer."

"Bacchus did have some other concessions he wants me to get from them,"
Jo began, and Paul snorted.

"Not surprised."

Jo smiled at Paul. "Nothing that will upset you too much, Paul. He wants
us to include volunteer involvement as part of our offering. The pitch is
that having people put time and effort into Portersville shows our
commitment."

"Am I missing something?"

"He wants our people volunteering. Chaperones, coaches, extra hands...
Putting Bacchus Springs people in roles that let Bacchus influence and
keep tabs on the Portersville folks."

"You think they'll go for it?" I asked.

Paul rolled his eyes but didn't add any comments.

"They will once you do your magic," Jo said.

*   Scene 2   *
Jon Martinez

"You're very distracted today," Kristen said as she checked over the open
reservations for the day.

"Yeah, sorry."

"Weekend with friends didn't go the way you planned?" Kristen gave me a
knowing look.

"You could say that." I wondered how she'd guessed.

Kristen shook her head and sighed. "This was the first time you saw them
after your..." She paused as if thinking. "Indoctrination to the Bacchus
Springs elite?"

"Is that what they call it? But, yeah, this was the first trip out of
town since."

"Not sure what you expected, Jon. Everyone knows he turned you into a
love god. Or I guess anyone in town who pays attention. You're not the
same guy you were when you moved here. Goodness knows I have to endure it
every day I work with you. Everyone who walks up to the counter stares at
you like you're the answer to their most secret sexual fantasy. They can
barely answer basic questions."

"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. Besides, I feel the same on the
inside."

Kristen rolled her eyes. "It's kind of adorable how oblivious you are at
times and also irritating. I'm sure you'll adjust over time. Anything
happen that can't be fixed?"

"Huh? No. I didn't mess up or anything, and it wasn't my mojo that caused
problems. I just uncovered some shit, and Bacchus's and Eros's solution
was a little unorthodox."

Kristen laughed so hard it brought tears to her eyes. "Oh, Jon. It must
have been a doozy if they both got involved. And I feel confident in
saying that Bacchus's solutions are never simple or straightforward. If I
can say that as a townie with no connection and only my interactions with
him from working here...yeah, you're so screwed."

"Geez, thanks for the pep talk." Movement caught my attention, and I
looked up to see Grant coming through the staff door. He didn't look
good. As he walked closer, his face was puffy, and I'd swear he had tears
in his eyes.

"Uh-oh," Kristen whispered.

"What?" I turned to see if she knew something I didn't.

"Pretty sure dickwad struck again. I saw him drag Grant back to his
office earlier."

"Shit." I watched as Grant walked by without even looking our way.
"Should I check on him?"

"Yeah, maybe he'll respond better to you. All I can do is welcome him to
the 'Dara Fucked me Over Club.' You're one of the few employees who's not
a member."

"How does he get away with it?" I couldn't believe Mr. Dara would hurt
Grant like that, but then I'd heard enough stories that it was a logical
assumption. I still didn't understand why Bacchus would keep a Resort
Manager that did stuff that seemed to go against his rules.

"Ask your buddy. He has to know, being a god and all." Kristen had venom
in her voice and turned her back to me as she pounded on her keyboard.

"I'll be right back." I stepped outside and saw Grant leaning up against
one of the posts. He heard the doors and turned to look at me.

"Did you need me?" His voice was shaky, and I barely heard him.

"Hey, you okay?" I walked up beside him but gave him space as I looked
off in the same direction he was.

"Not really," Grant muttered.

"You want to talk about it?"

"Not sure I can..."

"YOU CAN TRUST ME, Grant. TELL ME." I felt a little guilty for pushing,
but if I didn't know what happened, how would I determine if there was
something I could fix.

Grant looked back at me; his eyes still wet with tears. "He said I had
to."

"Had to what? Why not start at the beginning?"

"I was just coming back from delivering some luggage, and Mr. Dara said
he needed to talk to me in his office. When we got there, he closed the
door and backed me up against his desk. He grabbed my crotch and said if
I wanted to keep my job, I'd do what he told me."

I pulled Grant over to one of the benches and sat him down, sitting close
enough that we were touching. "Go on." I wasn't very good at it, but I
tried feeding him calm, relaxing energy. Not nearly as easy as the sexual
lust thing, but he was breathing better.

"Mr. Dara pushed me to my knees and took his dick out and said to suck
him. I tried to argue and say no, but he gripped me around the throat and
said to do it or leave. Fuck... I need this job, or I can't pay for
school. So I closed my eyes and pretended he was you."

"I'm so sorry, Grant. Did he do anything else?"

"Shit, yeah. I sucked him for a while then he told me to stand and drop
my pants. He turned me around and pushed me down on his desk. He wasn't
like you. He didn't prep me or any of that stuff you do. He poured some
lube on his dick and shoved inside me. Fuck, it hurt. I asked him to slow
down, you know, so I could adjust. He laughed and fucked me harder. When
he came, he ground into me so hard I know I'm going to have bruises. He
pulled out, dressed, and told me to get out. When I got myself together
and got to the door, he called out telling me to do a better job next
time. He'd call me to his office when he wanted another go."

"Fuck, Grant. I am so sorry. What can I do?"

"Find me another job? Hell, I don't know." Grant went quiet and stared at
the ground.

"Don't worry; I'll get this fixed. Do your best to avoid him, and if he
comes for you again, text me right away."

"What can you do?"

"Grant, just TRUST ME." I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a hug.

When I got back inside, Kristen raised an eyebrow but didn't say
anything.

"Just what you expected. Fuck." I put my head down on the counter for a
second then turned to look at her. "I've got to do something."

"Like I said, you're one of his favorites. Tell Bacchus."

I was about to tell her it wasn't that simple when a couple of guests
walked up.

"Welcome to the Bacchus Spring's resort. How may I help you?" I
responded.

"My husband and I are checking in. Reservation for Bailey-Parks." The man
was attractive and staring at me like he wanted to strip me right there.
He was maybe five-ten with a dark blond fade and a beard that was a
little darker. He looked pretty fit in his polo and cargo shorts.

"This place is amazing, babe. Did you see the lobby?" Another man came
up, putting his hand on the shoulder of the guy checking in. He turned
his brown eyes on me and his mouth fell open. "Well, shit." His gaze went
to my name tag then back to my face again.

"What's up, Drake?" The other guy turned the new dude's face toward him
with a finger under his chin.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude, but you look so much like my new boss
it threw me for a bit. Maybe you're brothers or something-David Martinez,
Bacchus Industries? Oh, I'm Drake Bailey-Parks, by the way, and this is
my husband Ross."

If he was going to be working for Dad, there was no point in hiding it.
"Pleased to you meet you, I'm Jon Martinez, and David is my dad."

The guy's jaw dropped again, and I could tell he was at a loss for words.

"I know, we get that all the time. My dad looks really young for his age.
Good genetics, I guess. So, I'm guessing you must be one of the new
attorneys."

"Yeah..."

"I'm sorry, normally Drake is much better spoken than this. I think the
reservation should be under his name," Ross said, giving his husband a
glare.

I checked the system and took my time to hopefully give the guy a chance
to recover. Drake was also good looking, a couple of inches shorter than
Ross with a brown pompadour, dark beard, and nice body. Definitely
someone I could see Dad taking in. I glanced up and looked at the couple
again. Okay, I could see him feeding from both of them, and from the lust
I was picking up, they'd be all for it.

"Here we go. A suite with a king bed, through the weekend?"

"I guess. Mr. Martinez said they would make the reservation, but I wasn't
expecting a suite," Drake said.

"You'll love it. It has a great view of the pool and gardens. You also
should have a package if you'll give me a moment." I could hear them
whispering to each other while I bent over to check the cabinet for the
various welcome packages. The ones for the new attorneys starting at
Bacchus Industries were pretty distinctive. I had to guess that Drake and
his husband weren't the only ones checking in this week since there were
several packets. I found the one with Drake's name and turned to find
them both staring at me.

"Here you go, and do you need more than two keys?"

"No, that will be fine," Ross said.

I went through my standard spiel of how to get to their room, times for
breakfast, the restaurants, amenities, and spa options. They both looked
a little shell-shocked, so I paused and gave them a moment.

Ross leaned across the counter and whispered. "Can you tell me, how safe
is it for PDA. I really don't want to get threatened or lynched before we
even move here."

I laughed and noticed that Ross and Drake both relaxed a little.

"You'll be fine. Nothing X-rated please, but Bacchus Springs prides
itself on being LGBTQ welcoming, and it won't take long here before
you'll see other couples from the community."

"Thank God. That will be a nice change," Ross said.

"Welcome, and I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Yeah, wish us luck finding a house," Drake added.

"Your agent will steer you right, I'm sure. But you'll want to make sure
you're in Bacchus Springs. Some of the other nearby towns aren't as
friendly."

"Got it," Ross said, holding up the folder. "Thanks."

Kristen spoke as soon as they stepped out of sight.

"And you're going to tell me you didn't notice them both checking you
out?"

"No." I didn't need to see it. I could feel and taste their lust, and I
was pretty sure that Ross and Drake were a married couple with an open
relationship. Probably a good thing since they were moving to Bacchus
Springs.

I'd barely finished the follow-up to Ross and Drake's check-in when
another couple stepped up. By the time I had finished with them, I heard
Kristen speaking to someone on the phone.

"...yes, sir. I'll let him know." Kristen put the phone down and turned
to me with a frown. "Mr. Dara has requested that you come to his office."

"That's not good," I muttered.

"Be careful, Jon," Kristen said, putting a hand on my arm.

Shit, how should I handle this, I thought as I walked to Mr. Dara's
office. I had powers but wasn't quite sure how to use them in reverse. I
wish I could talk to Dad. Definitely need to get his take before I
approach Bacchus. I'd reached Dara's office and the door was open.

"Mr. Dara?"

"Come in, Jon. Close the door behind you, please."

I took a deep breath and let my power flow. No reason not to use every
advantage I had. I stepped into his office, a gray and drab utilitarian
space, nothing like the public spaces of the resort.

"You asked to see me, sir?"

"I did. You've been here a while now. Should be all settled in and
understand how things work here." Mr. Dara leaned back in his chair and
steepled his fingers.

Since I wasn't trying to hold back my powers, the man was pitifully easy
to read. I'll need a shower and detox after this, I told myself. It was
really too bad. The man was handsome and had a great body, but the
personality was a festering cesspool. At least I didn't have to worry
about feeling guilty.

"I guess."

"I realized you'd never thanked me properly for this opportunity," Mr.
Dara said.

"I'm sorry, sir. I thought I thanked you when you offered me the job."

"That's not a proper Bacchus Springs' thank you, son. I think you can do
better."

"I don't understand," I hedged. My power had already hit him, and I was
somewhat impressed with his self-control. I knew how to increase a
person's attraction to a particular individual, but I'd never tried to
take it away. It seemed as though it should be possible, if I poured lust
in to increase an attraction, then logically, I should drain it away for
the reverse. I found his attraction to Grant and emptied it. I whispered
into Mr. Dara's mind as I finished. 'You don't want Grant, and even the
thought of him, drains your arousal.'

Dara shook his head as if he'd felt the touch of my mind. "Well then let
me spell it out for you, Jon. I want your ass. Your dad's cunt was pretty
awesome, so I figure yours ought to be decent. Get undressed."

Geez, this guy had a swelled opinion of himself. I resisted the "fuck
you" that immediately sprang to my lips, knowing that I needed to string
him along just a bit longer. Anger wasn't going to help me, but no one,
and I mean no one, got to talk about my Dad that way. I didn't have a
choice about letting the lust flow back into him with no one else
present. However, I did make sure I channeled it into his need to have a
full ass. Bet that would confuse him.

"Sir..." I removed my morning coat and cravat, carefully folding them and
setting them on his guest chair, then began unbuttoning my vest. When I
started on my shirt, I pulled it back and played with my nipple, watching
his eyes as he focused on me. I moved over to him, around the desk, and
straddled his chair, leaning in close to whisper in his ear.

"NO MORE SEX WITHOUT CONSENT." I used every bit of compulsion I could
muster. "If you don't have clear consent, your dick won't get hard, and
you'll lose all interest." I watched as his eyes glazed for a moment, and
I could feel the command take hold. Sadly, it wouldn't last forever, but
it would give me time to talk with Dad and Bacchus to find a more
permanent fix.

"What? What did you..." Mr. Dara shook his head and looked up at me in
confusion.

He'd already unzipped and pulled out his dick, so I gripped it and looked
into his eyes. "WHEN YOU WAKE UP, FIND A QUIET SECLUDED PLACE. GET THE
BIGGEST DILDO YOU CAN FIND AND USE IT IN YOUR ASS AND JACK OFF UNTIL YOUR
BALLS ARE DRAINED. THEN JACK OFF FIVE MORE TIMES." Just for good measure,
I thought.

I leaned back in, still gripping his cock, and whispered in his ear.
"SLEEP."

I felt him try to resist for a few seconds, and then he was gone. I did
another quick check to make sure the suggestions I'd made were still
there. Yup, still good. At least Grant should be safe.

I tucked away Dara's dick, somewhat sad the guy was such a piece of shit.
It really was a waste of man-flesh. Once he was presentable, I left him
to sleep it off. I knew I should feel a little guilty but couldn't get
too worked up about it. With the lust I'd given him and the compulsion,
he'd stroke his dick raw before he was sated.

Kristen watched with concern as I walked behind the check-in desk.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Thank you for asking. He got a phone call, so I guess I dodged a
bullet, right?"

"Oh, God. That's not funny, Jon. Please be careful."

"I'll try to figure out a way to let Bacchus know." I stared at the
screen, trying to decide if I should be proud of myself or horrified. I
couldn't believe what I'd just done to Mr. Dara.

Kristen gave a skeptical humph and turned back to her work.

*   Scene 3   *
David Martinez

Oh, gods, just shoot me now. I'd now had an hour with these people, and
it was an hour too much. How does Jo do it? I know each of us were
supposed to do community service as part of our job, but seriously?
Wasn't there a better way I could do that? I'd be no good to Bacchus if I
started killing the people I was supposed to win over.

I looked around the table to see if I needed to beef up anyone's
"distractions." Stay at home mom was still looking very glazed. Her big
hair and clothing that might have been popular fifteen or twenty years
ago making her stand out. But only I knew she was caught in a very
realistic daydream about her son's best friend and his impressive dick.
How she knew the guy was so well endowed was a mystery, but it certainly
worked in my favor. She hadn't interrupted or said a word in the last
forty-five minutes.

Next check was on the nerdy accountant type who was having very naughty
fantasies about his new son-in-law. If the son-in-law looked half as good
as the nerd pictured him, he might be worth investigating. Big and portly
was caught up in a fantasy about Jo - I wasn't planning on telling her.
The lead board member was a woman who looked like she'd been sucking on
lemons for most of her life. She was one of the first I'd neutralized,
but I'd had to use compulsion because surprise, surprise, she didn't have
any lust. It had worked out well because the superintendent, John, had
jumped in to take over the meeting. I had to guess it wasn't the first
time.

"Even if you've all lost your minds and are okay coming up with a list of
projects, I think it's a mistake to let her type anywhere near our kids!"
my other pain-in-the-ass-man shouted. Jo had warned me about him before
we arrived and said it would raise suspicions if I silenced him too
early.

"Now, Aaron, calm down. There's no call for insults and name-calling,"
the superintendent said.

"Yes, Aaron, explain it to me; are you concerned about women or business
professionals when you're referring to my type? What do you mean? It's no
wonder Adrienne left you."

"Leave my personal life out of this! Adrienne has nothing to do with this
conversation!"

"You're right. She lives in Bacchus Springs now, and 'her' son has
excellent opportunities, including drama, music, the arts, as well as a
fully-funded sports program that includes dance. He's very good, you
know," Jo said with an uncharacteristic smirk.

"Everyone, please. Let's stay on topic," the superintendent pleaded.

"Was I mistaken when I said you were having trouble getting parents to
volunteer, and you're short on coaches, chaperones, and volunteers?" Jo
asked.

"No, Ms. Campbell, that is correct," John said.

"John, what the hell? You don't need to answer her!"

"God, Aaron, would you stop yelling. What is with you today? Let the
woman speak and stop being such a jerk."

"I was elected just like you, Della. I have to speak for those people who
wanted my voice at the table."

"Oh, please. They voted for you because you're pretty. Not because they
thought you had a brain, which you've repeatedly shown you don't," Della
said dryly.

I liked her. I wasn't sure how she got on the board with all the other
losers, but the woman was about the only bright one among the crew. Well,
I guess John, the superintendent wasn't too bad. Jo and I had spoken with
him when we first arrived, and it hadn't taken much to win him over. I
wondered if it had been long enough that I could now deal with Aaron. I
didn't get a lot of details from Jo, but she was best friends with
Aaron's ex-wife, Adrienne, and seemed to have some kind of history.

"I think we all need to acknowledge that we're in a bad spot. Ms.
Campbell is right. We don't have enough money to cover the basics and a
community that doesn't want to get involved. You may each have your own
reasons for not wanting to accept gifts and help from a company outside
Portersville, but what better options do we have? We're talking about our
children's quality of life," John said.

I saw Aaron opening his mouth and decided I'd waited long enough. I
coughed, drawing his attention, and once I had his eyes on me, I smiled,
letting my power wash over him. Aaron was pretty, just as Della had said.
He had curly chestnut hair that fell just over his collar, brown eyes,
and a pleasant face with a bit of scruff. He wasn't a big guy, maybe
five-nine with a runner's build. He was also one of the youngest members
of the board.

From the glances he'd been sending my way, I was pretty sure he'd noticed
me right away, but I'd avoided using my powers on him since Jo wanted me
to wait. The guy was pitifully easy to read, which was good and bad. His
current thoughts would have created quite a stir if the rest of the room
knew what he was thinking. I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud.
For all his vile words and protests, Aaron was imagining me bending him
over the conference table and fucking him senseless. While it might be
what he needed, I didn't think it would help our cause in getting the
board to trust us with their kids.

I had no problem with men staying in the closet or not being ready to
face the grief or scrutiny of coming out - especially in a small town
like Portersville. Probably one of the reasons his marriage failed.
However, the hypocrisy of Aaron attacking his own kind and actively
working and speaking against them made my blood boil. He was causing
harm, and that wasn't okay. I had to pause to question if I was also
channeling Bacchus's and Aphrodite's feelings. I had no doubts about how
my patrons would want me to respond.

For now, I was taking the easy path of keeping him distracted. I'd have
to do more with Aaron eventually, but this wasn't the right time or
place. I fed on his lust, pushing it back into him and enhancing his
daydream. His eyes dilated, and his breathing changed as he got caught up
in the fantasy. I didn't think he'd be able to manage any more
interruptions for a while.

I glanced at Jo, and she smiled, giving a subtle nod toward Aaron. Not
sure how, but she somehow realized I'd shut him down. The other school
board members glanced at Aaron as if expecting him to jump in but didn't
ask. Conversation returned to coming up with a list of what they needed
most for the school. Jo had explained that we wouldn't just write them a
check. They would need to give us a wish list, and Bacchus Industries
would choose which items to provide.

So far it looked like a new floor for the gym, lights for the intramural
field, remodeling of the school auditorium, and a new activities bus were
at the top of the list. They were struggling with coming up with some
music and arts' items. Jo made it clear that we would pick and choose a
balance of items to benefit all types of students, not just the football
team.

I continued to monitor the other members and distracted them as needed
when they were going to derail the conversation. Who knew the
Portersville school board had so much pent-up sexual frustration. It made
my job easier and bode well for Bacchus's plans. The amount of time and
energy these people put into their facades was boggling, especially when
I got glimpses into the reality they hid.

As Jo began to wrap things up, she gave me a meaningful glance, letting
me know it was my turn to speak.

"Thank you again for your time. We appreciate that you will give this
some thought and consider whether or not to ACCEPT OUR OFFER. I know it's
difficult to not be able to do it on your own. But if you WELCOME OUR
PEOPLE AND THEIR PARTICIPATION IN YOUR COMMUNITY, you'll see that it's
all good." There was more than enough lust in the room after I'd worked
them all up to put serious weight behind my compulsion. It should last
long enough to get everything in motion and publicized before any doubts
crept back in. I was also pretty sure several of them would have an
interesting remainder of the day. The lust I'd fed back into them had to
work its way out somehow.

I stepped out into the hallway and around the corner after saying my
goodbyes and waited for Jo. I needed some quiet time after dealing with
the whackos. Jo was having a last-minute conversation with the board's
executive and the superintendent. I glanced around and couldn't help but
note the differences between Portersville and Bacchus Springs. The town
hall was pretty run down and looked like it hadn't been updated in
decades. I guess you could say it was solid if nothing else.

"I know you're up to something," a voice said behind me, and I turned to
find Aaron glaring at me. "You may have won this round, but it won't
happen again. I will not let Bacchus Springs' perversions take over my
town. I'm going to be watching you."

"Yeah? Watch me like you were through most of the meeting?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Aaron took a step back.

I stepped up to him backing him up against the wall, but stopped short of
touching him. I leaned closer, putting my face beside his. "You know.
That whole fantasy of me bending you over the conference table."

"Fuck you. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not like you!"

I laughed and let my powers flow over and around him. "How do you think
your fellow board members would react if they knew about your secret. No
one would care in Bacchus Springs, but then you helped make it this way,
didn't you, Aaron? So much hate bottled up inside. Trying your damnedest
to keep any temptation as far away as you can. That's why you don't like
Bacchus Springs' people. You're afraid you'll be tempted. We both know
what you really want, Aaron."

"Get the fuck away from me," Aaron rasped.

"With pleasure. But you'll find me when you're ready." I ran a finger
over his lower lip and could feel him almost panting at the arousal
building.

"I'd never..."

"Keep telling yourself that, Aaron. See, you're going to start
fantasizing about me more and more. It's going to get so bad that you'll
do absolutely anything to get me to fuck you. You'll beg, you'll plead,
you'd even sell all your worldly possessions and betray your own mother
if you thought it would help." I pushed the lust into him, filling up his
need for me. Not only would it bring him back to me eventually, it would
also make it impossible for him to deny what he wanted.

"No..."

"Yes, Aaron. But so we're clear, I'm not going to do a thing. You're
perfectly safe from me. I won't even spare you a glance until you reach
that point of absolute desperation."

"Well, it's going to be a long wait. That's never going to happen!" Aaron
tried to put some power in his voice, but his body language and eyes
betrayed him.

"Remind yourself of that when you've got your fingers up your ass and
your hand wrapped around your dick. Maybe it will help."

Aaron glared, and his mouth hung open, but he couldn't form any words.

"David, there you are. Ready?" Jo called

"Sure am." I moved away from Aaron and wondered if he had the strength to
keep standing. I turned and didn't spare him another glance as Jo and I
headed out.

"Thank you. That went so much better with you there," Jo said.

"Glad I could help. I didn't say much."

"No, but you did what I needed. We've never had a meeting go that
smoothly, so I'm taking it as a win. What did you do to John? I've never
known him to be so solicitous of me."

"You remind him of his daughter. I just played that up, and don't worry,
there was no lust involved, just love and protectiveness. He was
surprisingly one of the few in the room without sexual secrets or
repressed desires. I siphoned off some lust from big-hair-lady to make
some tweaks. Lord knows she had enough to spare."

"You know what, I don't think I need to know any of the details." Jo
patted my arm and frowned.

"Well, you might at least want to know that Aaron is gay. Not Bi, not
Pan, full-on, one hundred percent, dick-loving gay."

Jo stopped and turned, her eyes wide and mouth open in surprise. "Oh, my
God, that explains so much." Jo turned and powerwalked back to the car.

I slid into the passenger seat and buckled the seatbelt. "Does that mean
you aren't surprised?"

Jo turned and gave me a discerning look. "No. I never would have guessed.
But it also means he's a bigger piece of shit than I thought. You better
tell Bacchus. He is very touchy about hypocrites and especially ones who
hurt the LGBTQ community."

"Already working on it."

*   Scene 4   *
Jake Donaldson

I stepped into the house, and it struck me that this was home. I'd
gradually ended up moving most of my clothes and stuff into Jon's room
and only kept some essentials at my folks' place. I slept here most
nights and only stayed with my parents when Jon was away.

"Hey, Jake. How was your day?" Dean called as he poured himself a glass
of water.

"Good, but I'm tired."

"Jon already went up to bed, so you must not be the only one. Did you
eat? Can I get you anything?"

"Nah, I'm fine. We ordered in subs. Dad always springs for food when I
work closing shift."

"I really need to get back to the gym. It's been too long," Dean said,
running a hand down his abs.

His washboard abs, on his perfectly muscled body that would have been
right at home on the cover of a porn video. Yeah, he might want to go to
the gym, but he sure as hell didn't need it.

"If you ever need a spotter when I'm working, just give me a shout."

"Hey, c'mere." Dean opened his arms and pulled me into a tight hug.

"What's this for?" I asked as I relaxed into his grip.

"You're family, and you looked like you needed it."

Maybe I did, but I was a little embarrassed as Jake Jr. took notice and
tried to get Dean's attention.

Dean pulled back and tousled my hair. "Don't sweat it. I think you and I
need to get used to having no control over our libidos anymore. It's all
good."

I hadn't even thought to ask Dean before. "So...when David feeds, do you
get an almost image of what he's doing and..."

"Get horny as all hell? Yes. He said I'd get the overflow of the lust he
takes in. Wouldn't be surprised that it works the same between you and
Jon. I'm afraid you and I are just along for the ride, buddy."

"Yeah, but what a trip, right? I never thought I'd love anyone the way I
do Jon so I'm okay with that."

"Me too. Maybe you and I should stick close. Not many out there who are
going to understand what we're going through."

"I'd like that." I'd also like to spend the night in his bed, but maybe
it was best to hold off on that confession.

"Have a good night, Jake. I think your man is waiting for you," Dean
said, lifting his glass of water like a toast.

"You too." I winked and then blushed again, realizing what I'd implied
without even thinking.

"Oh, and Jake..."

"Yeah?" I turned back to see a smirk on Dean's handsome face.

"We've got Ethan tonight, so it's just you and Jon."

"What? He's not with Dan? I didn't think you could pry those two apart."

"Not sure we would if it were up to them. His parents said he was
spending too much time here and was making himself a pest. I told Ethan
to give it a couple of days, and if they didn't give in, David would fix
it."

"That's rough. I hope it works out and thanks." Not that I didn't love
Ethan but having Jon to myself after he'd been gone all weekend, yeah,
that was a bonus, and I was pretty sure David or Jon could get Dan's
parents to ease up if necessary.

I walked into the family room and saw David lounging on the couch with
Ethan's head in his lap as they watched a movie.

"Hey, buddy," David called, waving me in. He puckered his lips and
winked.

I leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek, and he grabbed my head,
pulling me to his mouth. His tongue swiped across my lips, and I opened
to him with a sad little moan. It felt strangely natural to kiss him like
this, and I went with it, flashing back to our night together.

"Much better. I heard Dean tell you Jon's upstairs." He released me, and
I stood and bumped fists with Ethan, who didn't even bother looking my
way. "Lusting after my man, huh?"

"What?" I turned back to David and saw that at least he was smiling.

"Can't blame you, and don't worry, it won't be too long before you get to
try each other out. 'Night, Jake."

"'Night, guys." I grinned the whole way up to our room. Yup, weird as it
was, this was home. And having your future sort of "father-in-law" be
able to read your mind and know every one of your dirty thoughts was just
the average Monday. I slipped inside our room, and the lights were turned
low. Jon was sprawled on the bed on his back, his head nested in his
hands.

"Mm...something smells delicious," Jon said, opening his eyes and lifting
enough to look at me.

"Hey. Sorry I'm running late. We had a couple of slow-pokes who took
forever to finish up."

"No problem. I haven't been home long."

"I need a shower. Care to join me?"

"No, go ahead, and I'll be waiting for you when you're done." Jon's voice
didn't sound quite right.

"You okay?"

"Not really, but we can talk about it once you get cleaned up," Jon said.

"You sure?"

Jon nodded, and I figured there was no point in arguing. I quickly
stripped, throwing my stuff in the laundry bin. I hit the button to turn
on the shower and gave it a minute to warm up. I loved the large shower
with multiple jets, a rain head, and even steam options. The one in
David's bath was even bigger. I quickly washed, thinking about how
spoiled I was now. Luxury bath products, an amazing shower, heated
floors, and towels. And best of all, the most gorgeous man in the world
waiting for me.

Once I was dry, I stepped back into the bedroom, turning off the bathroom
lights. There was no point in getting dressed, so I pulled back the
covers and scooted underneath naked.

"You know it would work better if you were naked too. And under the
covers with me."

Jon was still staring at the ceiling.

"Today sucked."

"What happened?" I rolled onto my side and watched him.

"Mr. Dara blackmailed Grant into letting him fuck him."

"That's pretty awful. Isn't there something you can do? Maybe let Bacchus
know?"

"It gets worse. I talked to Dad. Aphrodite wants us to punish Mr. Dara-
not for what he did to Grant-but for all he's been doing. I knew from the
other staff he was a problem-"

"Why doesn't Aphrodite deal with him herself?" She was a goddess after
all; why would David and Jon need to do it.

"It's kind of a test," Jon said.

"Oh, like when the bad guy tells you to shoot your bestie to prove you're
loyal?"

Jon laughed and reached out a hand to smack me. "No, stupid. She wants us
to show that we can use our powers for something more complicated. And
maybe to prove we can handle unpleasant jobs, not just making people fall
in love."

"But didn't you just do that with Kris's dad and his friends?"

"I guess... Not sure that it matters anyway."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Dad's going to talk to Bacchus and try and come up with a plan. I think
I've made it so Grant is safe for a while, and I compelled him to get
consent. Problem is if he's blackmailing or threatening them, he can get
around it."

"Fuck. That sucks."

"I'm not sure I'm cut out for this." Jon sighed.

"Hey, I think you're perfect for being a love god." I scooted closer so I
could lay my arm over his chest and share his pillow.

"Thanks. It was bad enough dealing with Kris and his friends, then
seducing Adam's dad. I didn't need Mr. Dara on top of it all."

"Hm...careful, babe. Pretty sure you enjoyed Kris and his friends and
Adam's dad, even if you didn't like how it happened. From the backwash of
lust I got, it had to be good. Dad had to take a half-day off on Sunday.
Poor guy couldn't walk."

Jon chuckled and turned his head enough to give me a quick kiss. "You
went hard on him?"

"He didn't complain. Benny was supposed to be there, but Bacchus sent him
on a job at the last minute so that left Dad to handle it on his own.
You've never done that to me so I gotta guess it was good."

"Busted. Yeah, you're right, I fed well. Several of the guys were pretty
hot, and I want to see you fuck Ricky. Actually, I'd kinda like watching
you fuck Adam's dad too. Bet he'd love this big beast." Jon reached down
to grip my bulge through the covers.

"You said he was hot, right?"

"Very. Looks young for his age, and he's in good shape, nice dick, firm
round ass, and loves taking a cock."

"Yeah?" I leaned over Jon, somewhat pinning him and captured his mouth.
"Then I bet you made him very happy." I tugged on Jon's bottom lip with
my teeth as I pulled away.

"Eh...he seemed okay with it."

I couldn't help but laugh as I dropped back beside Jon.

"So how was your day?" Jon asked.

"Uneventful. Mostly the usuals, though we do have appointments later in
the week for several new clients. Several people starting at Bacchus
Industries-I think they'll be working for your dad. They get a paid
membership for working there, so they are doing the intro tour and
orientation."

"I didn't know that. Cool. I met one of the new hires today. He and his
husband checked in at the resort."

"And?" I poked him in the side.

"Both good looking," Jon admitted.

"And?" I prodded.

"Okay, so I tasted them a little and yeah, I'd do both. Remember Dad told
us that Bacchus made him pick people he could feed from so it's not that
surprising."

"Sort of like your harem boys?" I teased, knowing Jon was still touchy
about it.

"Ugh. Yes..."

"Maybe your dad will share?"

It was Jon's turn to roll on top of me. He gripped my wrists and pinned
them above my head as he licked along my jaw. "Yeah? I thought you
volunteered to be Dad's backup fuck? Ethan can't be the only one, and you
know Dad won't go near Emma."

"True." I felt the heat rush to my face and other places thinking of the
kiss David had given me just minutes ago. Jon was right, I'd let his Dad
fuck me anytime he wanted.

"Thought so." Jon nipped at the skin along my collar bone. "Tonight,
would you mind topping? I need to feel you inside me. I miss being
fucked, and don't be too gentle either. I need to feel it."

"Anything for you, babe. But you know I prefer bottoming. I mean, I'm
willing to sacrifice but you gotta promise to make it up to me." I was
pretty sure that every one of the guys he'd taken over the last few days
would be thrilled to get a chance at Jon's ass. And I honestly didn't
mind, but a guy's got to use his leverage where he can, even if Jon did
have one of the hottest and best asses around.

"I will, promise." Jon climbed off the bed and pulled off his tee, then
slid down his sweatpants. I bit my lip when I saw the flash of black as
he bent over and pulled the sweats over his foot. I was surprised for
sure. Jon had bought me the plug so it didn't take me so long to get
ready for him, and it hadn't occurred to me that with Bacchus's
adjustments, it might help Jon as well.

"I'll be right back," Jon said as he trotted to the bath.

He really didn't have to do that or hide that he was taking out the butt
plug. I'd have been more than happy to help. Then it struck me that for
being a love god and even with his wild orgy-filled weekend, this was all
still new for Jon.

Hell, a year ago, I was in the same place. Jon returned and climbed into
bed, giving me an embarrassed smile.

"I'd have done that for you."

"Ew. What if it was gross?" Jon grimaced, and I grabbed him, pulling him
in for a kiss.

"Don't worry, babe; I'll get you there." I deepened the kiss and enjoyed
how well our bodies fit together.

"I don't need a lot of foreplay, Jake. I want you to fuck me."

"Well!" I laughed. This was so unlike Jon, and I had to wonder if he was
picking up my bad habits because it was so like me. I couldn't get enough
of Jon's dick and would bend over for my man in a heartbeat.

Jon broke the kiss and threw the covers back, rolling over onto his
stomach. "Ready."

I smacked his ass, and he turned to glare. "What was that for?"

"You, being a brat." I smoothed my hand over his ass cheek and then moved
so I was kneeling between his legs. I took a globe in each hand and
squeezed, pulling them apart to appreciate the tight crack and tight
opening waiting for me. Jon's ass was a work of art. Not as big and round
as mine or Benny's but perfectly formed.

Jon was leaner than me and his back tapered to a narrow waist. A
prominent valley followed his spine right down to his crack, and the
mounds of his ass created a perfect "v" at the base. His glutes were
round enough that he had a tight crack and then it opened again forming
an upside down "v" behind his balls with his perfect dark hole right in
the center. It was opened more than usual from the plug. I teased over it
with my thumb, and Jon let out a sweet moan and lifted his hips. I
slipped my thumb in and out, watching Jon writhe.

"You are hungry for it, aren't you?"

"Yes. So stop messing around and get to it!"

I leaned down and let my tongue trail down his spine and over the curves
of his ass before I pulled apart his cheeks and licked his trench. The
moans started again immediately, and I had to restrain myself from
laughing when I was almost to his hole and his hips raised. I took mercy
on him and used the flat of my tongue over his taint and hole.
Hmm...strawberry. He must have been thinking ahead to use the flavored
lube with the plug.

"Oh, God. I want your cock!"

"Oooo...I got a promotion," I teased as I gripped his hips and went to
town on his sweet pucker, using my tongue and my fingers to stretch him a
little more. After Bacchus's changes, my dick was as thick as Jon's, even
if not as long. It still required prep when I didn't have my mate's love
god powers to open up my partner.

I got him a little more relaxed, then grabbed the lube from the
nightstand and began working my fingers in and out, scissoring him so I'd
slide in easily. He was already slick from the plug, but more lube
wouldn't hurt.

"You're fingers feel so good, but I want your dick."

"Such a bossy bottom you've become. Gone for one long weekend, and you
think you get to call the shots." I smacked his ass again for good
measure. "What if I wanted to play with your cock first?"

"Too bad. You can do that later. After you've fucked me." Jon turned
back, burying his face in his pillow again.

I pushed my fingers in harder and faster, finding his p-spot and pegging
it each time.

"Ughhhh..." Jon groaned.

I pulled him up to be on his knees and slid in behind, letting my cock
nudge his balls. I reached around and gave his monster a nice slow pull.
He was slick with his precum and I palmed his head until he whimpered
while running my cock up and down his crack at the same time.

"FUCK ME!" Jon growled.

I felt the tingle of his power, and it made me snicker. "Oooo, such a bad
boy. You know that won't work on me. Maybe I'll just have to wait a bit
longer. Bad boys have to be punished, you know."

"Please, baby!" Jon begged. "I'm sorry. I need it so bad."

Eh, good enough for me and who was I kidding? I wanted in his ass as
badly as he wanted me there. I gripped my cock and slowly put it to his
hole. My intent was to go so slow it drove him crazy. I hadn't counted on
him shoving his ass back and taking all of it when I got past the outer
rim.

"Fuck!" Jon groaned. "You're so damned huge."

"Well, shit for brains if you'd have let me, I woulda gone slow and got
you used to it." Geez, what did he expect but before I could say more, he
started fucking himself. "Hey, that's my job." I gripped his hips and
held him in place as I took over.

"So full. You can fuck me harder, baby. I need to feel you."

"I'm pretty sure you're feeling me already." I'd say it was like his
tight ass was made for me, but it was-literally by Bacchus-or maybe it
was that my dick was made for his hole? I needed to get my shit together,
or this was going to be a really short fuck. Jon fit me like a silky
glove.

"God, I needed this," Jon moaned, still trying to move even as I held him
in place.

I thought about making another smart comment, but he squeezed just then,
and I couldn't hold it. I slammed into him and knocked him forward onto
the bed, collapsing on top of him and driving my cock into his ass as far
as it would go. Sandwiching his legs between mine and pressing him into
the bed with my weight. I began grinding into him. He wanted to feel me,
well, he was going to feel me real good.

"Your ass is so fucking good," I whispered as I nipped at his collarbone
and up his neck.

"And your cock is perfect."

I pushed in tight and gave a nice slow grind. "Bacchus made it just for
you, remember."

"FUCK!" Jon's ass squeezed and his muscles tensed.

"Did you just cum? Did I say it was okay for you to waste your load when
it could have been in my mouth?"

"Ugh...sorry..."

I snorted and pulled out, flipping him over so I could at least get a
taste. Yup, huge wet spot and a notable puddle that I scooped up and
fingered into his ass as I licked his stomach clean and then began on his
cock.

"Mm...so good."

"Aren't you going to keep fucking me?"

"Patience. Bad boys who don't listen don't get to make demands."

"Come on, Jake. It's not my fault you feel so good."

"Mm-hm." I finished licking him clean, then pushed his knees aside as I
lined up and slid inside him again. A couple of good thrusts and he
spread his legs to the side as he pulled me down for a kiss. We hit a
good rhythm, and then he leaned up and latched onto my nipple like he
expected to suck something out of me.

"Fuck." It was my turn to groan, and then he moved to my other tit, and
that was it. I was coming so hard I thought I'd pass out. Jon continued
to chew on my nipple until I was whimpering and my dick was spent.

"Nice. Do it again," Jon said when he licked gently over my abused tit.

"But..." Then I was getting hard again. I looked down at my smirking man.
"You did something?"

"Oh, baby. I may not be able to use all my powers, but keeping you going
and getting a few more loads in my ass? That's child's play."

"I'm not a child," I huffed.

"You don't want to fuck me again? There are several other positions we
could try," Jon teased, and he probably knew damned well he had me. I
wanted to try all of them.

*   Scene 5   *
David Martinez

"Morning, Jake. I take it you're working early shift today?" I asked as I
poured another cup of coffee.

"Yeah."

I looked back at him and noticed he was moving pretty slowly and every
once in a while he'd cringe and make a whimpering sound. It was
noteworthy enough I opened up to him and tried to get a read. Then the
challenge was not to laugh.

"Want me to suck on your nipples?" I asked.

"Ugh. No!" Jake put his hands protectively over his pecs and stared at me
in horror.

"Just teasing. Had a good night, did you?"

Jake chuckled. "Damn, can't hide anything in this house. Jon may have
gotten a little carried away. Fuck they are so sensitive every time I
move..."

"Yeah, been there. A tight compression shirt works better than the loose
tee you're wearing. Jon still in bed?"

"He's in the shower. He's also working the day shift. Thanks for the
advice," Jake said as he turned to head up the back stairs.

Before he got away, I stepped up behind him and wrapped my arms around
him, letting my thumbs find his angry, swollen nipples. I licked the
ridge of his ear as he let out a loud moan. "You sure you don't want some
more attention before you go? If Jon's too busy..."

"God, you guys are going to kill me."

"Never, Jake. You're going to be around for a long, long time." I took
pity on him and let him stumble up the stairs. I was just teasing him but
was surprised when he considered it for a minute and really thought about
dropping his pants right there. Damn, but Jon and I were lucky we found
such perfect men.

I returned to my home office and settled in to work. I was supposed to do
a number of hours of pro-bono community work, and I'd fallen behind.

"Hey, Dad. You working at home today?" Jon asked from the doorway. He was
wearing his morning suit and looked very dapper.

"Yup. I have several clients stopping by. I'll try to get a message to
Bacchus about Dara so at least he can start thinking."

"Good. I'll keep an eye out today and use my compulsion if I have to. Did
you happen to say something to Jake? He came back up to change shirts,
and I swear he was so horny he was going to beg for another go."

I laughed and then got myself under control. "Just a little teasing.
Sorry, I didn't mean to make him uncomfortable."

"Oh, I don't think he was complaining. I think you should keep it up."
Jon winked and headed out.

I turned back to my computer with a smile. Having Jon's explicit
permission made a world of difference to me. Fuck, what was I saying? I
leaned forward, resting my head in my hands. How had I gotten to the
point that sex with my son's boyfriend was not only a thing but accepted
by everyone around me? Encouraged even?

"Oh, quit whining."

I let out an unmanly squeak and jerked up to see Eros sitting in one of
the guest chairs. Should I point out that I hadn't said a word?

"No. 'Cause you were thinking it. You should be happy you have a house
full of willing partners. I think it's perfect. Not to mention every one
of them would love to spread their legs for you." Eros winked. "You
should fuck them every chance you get. You do know Emma would gladly-"

"Stop! I don't even want to hear it. Ugh, no, just no. Bad enough, I'm
fucking her dad and brother. And you say this is normal?"

"For an Erote? Definitely. If anything, I think you and Jon are holding
back too much. Probably going to come back and bite you in the ass if you
don't just accept your powers and go with it. It might get Aphrodite a
little testy, but there's a reason we're sometimes compared to the
incubus. Anyway, it's about time you guys start making matches. That's
why I'm here. You're already traveling and have a decent handle on your
abilities. Jon might need a bit more time, but he's close behind you."

"Great. Do we work from a list like all the romance authors write about?"

"Eh...not really. Sometimes we'll get a special request, or Aphrodite
will give us a target, but that's not the usual. We try to frequent
places where groups and especially, couples congregate and let the magic
tell us who needs paired off. Or even threesomes if that's what they
need. Can't say I've ever done more than three." Eros stared off as if he
were lost in thought. "Though, I guess it could happen."

"Did you think any more about what Jon asked about his partnering with
Jake?"

"I did, but it's going to be tricky. You're battling conflicting
interests between two very stubborn gods. Bacchus wants Jon and Jake to
make babies, and Aphrodite wants them to be together. I'd suggest
approaching both and maybe even suggesting that Aphrodite handfast them.
That would take precedence over any 'legal' marriage that happened in
this realm."

"But it would still leave them with problems..."

Eros shrugged. "It's your people who made up the stupid rules on
marriage. I'll check with Jon and Jake on when they want me to adjust
their girlfriends. I don't think the weddings are impending, but the
sooner we get that sorted, the less hurt feelings we'll have to deal
with."

"I think it's primarily Kennedy. Ashley is about the most pragmatic girl
I've met."

"Hot too. Let's be honest, Jon wins no matter what way this goes. Jake,
eh... she's not bad looking but Hera's tits, that girl is dense."

"Do you have more than one partner?" I wondered if he could zap me or
something for asking such a personal question, but since he seemed to be
constantly reading my thoughts, I didn't figure it mattered.

"Not really. But it's a little different since Psyche is a goddess. Image
and all. But I've got a fuck-ton of lovers. Some of whom I spend more
time with than I do Psyche. We've got a complex relationship. I assure
you she avails herself of some of my favorites regularly."

"And you're not bothered by that?"

"Why should I be? Her current favorite is this gorgeous young woman I
found in Delhi, and we've been known to share many of my lovers on a
regular basis."

"So both men and women?" I hadn't really thought about it, but most of
the ones I'd surrounded myself with so far were men.

"I have a mix. Over the centuries, I've gone through stages where I
preferred one gender or the other and just went with it. At the moment,
I'm gender indifferent. I focus more on the person and their personality,
intelligence, and ability to hold a conversation. And I don't have your
issue with taking pleasure where I find it when I just want a good fuck.
I love all the bars and nightclubs that have become popular. There used
to be a few large clubs around the world where I could be guaranteed of
getting at least a half a dozen good hook-ups in and just as many matches
made in one night."

"Okay..."

"Don't worry, you'll get there.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to, but then again, I was pretty sure Eros knew
that as well. Hence, why he was always pushing me.

"Exactly!" Eros said with a huge grin. "So get out there and spread the
love and fill as many holes as you can. You do realize the love god thing
is just a public relations spin? Before they tried to sugar coat it, I
was the god of lust. And don't even get me started on the babies with
wings phase. UGH! Do I look like that?"

With a flash Eros was standing and completely naked. The lust hit me like
a wave. The man could have posed for Michelangelo's 'David.' He was
stunning, and the power that rolled off him was stronger than Bacchus's
in its own way.

"Thank you. Now, get to it!"

And he was gone. I shook my head and took a couple of deep breaths. It
took a while to get my head back into work and for my dick to calm down,
but I managed. By early afternoon, I'd seen four clients, handled two
wills, resolved a breach of contract, and helped someone get everything
set up as an executor for his mother's estate. I didn't have any other
appointments, but I did have several inquiries to go through.

My phone buzzed on the desk, and I answered without looking.

"David Martinez."

"It's Rufus. We've got a problem. Daniel and Caleb are missing and in
trouble. I'm at their house now. Mrs. Ward is unconscious, and I've
called for EMTs. There are signs of a struggle."

"Okay." My head was spinning a bit because I wasn't sure why he called
me. "Did you call the sheriff?" I knew Rufus was a hellhound and more
than Bacchus's driver and bodyguard, but exactly what, I wasn't sure.

"Of course but you need to help me find them. Pretty sure their uncles
took them. I have a...connection to them, but there's something
interfering. Bacchus is out of town."

"Right. Give me a second." I grabbed my shoes from the back door and
pulled them on while I stayed on the phone. "I'm kinda new at this, but
I'm going to try..." Fuck, fuck, fuck. I knew their uncles were going to
be a problem from the time Jon and I fixed things with their dad, and now
it was too late.

I concentrated on an image of Dan and Caleb and pictured myself with
them. Seconds later I found myself sprawled on the grass with an
incessant buzzing in my ears and a whopper of a headache. My skin itched
and tingled like I was covered in spiders. I put the phone up to my ear.
"You still there?"

"I am," Rufus replied.

Once I got my eyes to focus. I read off the house number. Fortunately I
recognized the street so Rufus could put the address together.

"Got it. I'm on my way. Wait for me."

Yeah, like I was in any shape to do anything. Once I had it together
enough to stand, I moved away from the house, and surprisingly, the
buzzing, itching, and pain receded. It wasn't long before a black limo
pulled up and parked in front of the house. Rufus wasn't alone, he'd
brought Jamal with him. I was pretty sure Jamal was a hellhound like
Rufus-but even bigger.

They both came toward me, and the only way to describe Rufus's expression
was a snarling grimace. "What the fuck?"

"You feel it too?"

"Not strong, but something's making my fur stand on end," Jamal said.

"I'd take that over the buzzing, itching, and splitting headache. Can you
sense if they're in there?"

Rufus lifted his nose and took a deep inhale. "Yeah, they are, but
something's interfering with our bond. I can smell both of them, though.
It hasn't even been an hour since they came through."

"What do we do? I'm way out of my comfort zone." I looked at both of
Bacchus's guards and waited while they seemed to have a silent
conversation.

"You've got compulsion, right?" Jamal asked.

"Yes."

"Use it," Rufus added. "We'll take care of the physical stuff. Get in,
see if you can determine where the boys are then we get them out. If
we're not sure, Jamal will start at the top and work down, and you and I
will go to the basement and work our way up."

"Got it." I turned and led the way up to the front porch. The closer I
got, the louder the buzzing and the more intense the headache became, the
spider feeling was incredibly unnerving. The door was locked and appeared
to have multiple dead-bolts. I glanced at Rufus and nodded to the door,
then pictured myself on the other side.

"Fuck," I groaned when I found myself sprawled on the floor. At least I
was on the other side of the door. It took everything I had to crawl to
the door and throw the deadbolts and unlock the handset. Thank God there
were no keyed deadbolts. The pain was excruciating. It felt like someone
had a blade driven into my skull and they were turning it slowly and the
spiders weren't just crawling, they were biting.

I was more than a little embarrassed that Rufus and Jamal found me
whimpering on the floor when they came in. Jamal knelt beside me and put
his hand behind my neck, forcing my eyes open with his other hand.

"Look around; there's got to be something," Jamal said as he checked my
eyes.

"Damn, think I found it. Look at the mantel-that vase-is it glowing?"
Rufus asked.

I tried to turn my head and saw the old-looking urn immediately, and yes,
it was glowing as bright as the sun. How could they miss that? "Yesss..."
I rasped.

"Get it out!" Jamal ordered, and I heard bootsteps as Jamal rubbed my
temples. "Hang in there. It should get better soon."

I don't know how long it was, but as if someone threw a switch, the
headache passed, and the buzzing and itching stopped. I gasped for
breath, and Jamal helped me sit up.

"Better?"

"Thank God, yes."

"I put it in the trunk. We'll need to get a warded strongbox for it
before we leave," Rufus said.

"Did you call Bacchus? If they've got a spelled object that strong,
there's more going on."

"I did. He's um...a mite pissed." Rufus sounded more than a little
concerned, and I had to wonder what else was said. "With that thing gone,
I can feel the boys. They're downstairs, likely the basement,"

"I should still clear the second floor. We don't want any unwelcome
surprises. You gonna wait or just storm in?" Jamal asked.

Rufus laughed. "Storm in, of course."

Jamal shook his head and then helped me to my feet. "Stay behind Rufus
until you're sure it's safe. Use your powers to hold them or put them to
sleep. And David..."

I turned to look up into his dark eyes. "Be careful not to put Rufus to
sleep with them? Don't go in shouting."

"Right." I had to guess that had happened a time or two if Jamal felt the
need to warn me. But it was good that he did because I could see myself
yelling "freeze" and taking my protection out at the same time.

Rufus went through the first floor like a commando, clearing one room at
a time with me on his heels. When we got to the basement door, he put his
fingers to his lips, telling me to be quiet. I wasn't sure what the point
was since they likely heard us when we came in.

The door opened quietly, and for being as big as he was, Rufus moved as
silently as a cat. The stairwell was enclosed and at the bottom there was
another door-also unlocked. He eased it open and gestured for me to stay
back.

"What the fuck?" someone shouted.

"Rufus!" another younger voice called out.

"How'd he get in here. You said we were protected! You said they wouldn't
find us!" a third voice.

"You boys are in a shit load of trouble. Back away and no one gets hurt,"
Rufus commanded.

"Careful, Rufus, Uncle Phillip has a gun," Dan called out.

"Shut up, kid!"

"Oh, shit! We are so screwed!" another man's voice cried.

I slipped behind and tried to take everything in at once. It looked like
a cheap version of what Bacchus was doing to my basement. A sex dungeon
of sorts with a few slings and other equipment scattered around. A beat
up old couch in the center of the room and at first glance, all three
uncles, Dan, Caleb, and four others: three boys and a girl. No sign of
their dad, James.

Fortunately Dan and Caleb were still mostly dressed, but they'd been tied
up with rope and were currently on the couch. The three boys and the girl
were all as naked as the day they were born and strapped into swings.
Things were not looking good.

"Best you leave before someone gets hurt," Phillip said, brandishing a
gun.

I concentrated and found the guy with the gun. Slipping into his mind was
as easy as breathing. 'SLEEP' I said directly into his mind, and the man
toppled to the floor. I then turned my attention to the other two uncles.
I didn't care what their plans were or what they were thinking; that
could be dealt with later. I gave them both a simple 'DO NOT MOVE'
command and tapped Rufus's shoulder.

"They should be out of commission for now."

"Those two are still standing," he whispered back over his shoulder.

"It's okay. I told them not to move."

"You untie the boys; I'll restrain the uncles." Rufus found more rope and
tied both men's hands behind their backs, then a looser rope around their
ankles to hobble them.

I felt a tingle on my skin like static electricity and felt it building
until I thought my hair must be standing on end. Rufus turned to me with
a frown.

"He's here."

There was a loud crack like thunder, and the air smelled like it did
after a lightning strike. Bacchus now stood in the center of the room
behind the couch, and damn, he looked pissed.

Jamal barreled down the steps and came to a dead stop when he saw
Bacchus.

"Lord Bacchus," Jamal and Rufus said in unison while bowing.

I finished untying Dan and moved on to Caleb. As soon as his hands were
free, Dan wrapped me in a death grip.

"You guys okay?" I whispered, trying to avoid drawing Bacchus's
attention.

Dan and Caleb both nodded, but the tear stains and puffy eyes worried me.
They'd obviously been crying, and I needed to know why. Had they been
hurt? I pulled Caleb into my arms once I had him free. Rufus took the
ropes I'd just undone and used them to secure Phillip.

"Jamal?" Bacchus growled.

"They had some type of spelled or ensorcelled object, Lord Bacchus. It's
in the trunk of the car."

Bacchus walked over to the two men still standing. "Explain!"

Both men stayed silent, and Bacchus turned to me with a raised eyebrow.

"I compelled them not to move. They should be able to talk." I managed to
separate myself from the boys because I thought I really ought to check
on the ones strapped into the swings.

"Doesn't matter, they'd likely lie anyway." He wrapped his large hand
around the throat of the guy on the left and let out a low growl. "How
dare you! Did you really think you could hide from a god?"

"Phillip said-" the man squeaked out before he gasped and went silent.

"Phillip?" Bacchus turned and looked at the man on the floor. "And you
were stupid enough to believe him? Well, it's over now. I hope you
enjoyed yourselves and that it was worth it."

Bacchus released the man, and he dropped to his knees. Bacchus grabbed
the other man and stared at him, lifting him slightly until he was on
tip-toe. He dropped him as well, and since he also toppled, I had to
assume that Bacchus had removed my compulsion.

I knew as soon as I looked into the young man's eyes strapped into the
sling that he was drugged. The second thing I noticed was that he hadn't
been cleared and didn't have Bacchus's mark. That was so not good. It
should have happened years ago.

"Jamal, take them to Hades. David and I will follow up with him but for
now, ask him to put these three in the kennels. That will soften them up
until we come up with a long-term plan."

I glanced over at Bacchus. He'd said two things that worried me; one that
I was part of following up with Hades, and two, the bit about kennels as
if that was an explanation all on its own. I was surprised when a doorway
opened out of thin air. Rufus lifted Phillip over his shoulder and
carried him through the glowing opening. He returned moments later, then
he and Jamal practically dragged the other two uncles behind them through
the portal. Moments later, Rufus came back, and the doorway winked out.

"Damn," Bacchus growled as he moved up beside me.

"He's been drugged, and he's not wearing your mark. By his age, he should
have been cleared."

Bacchus reached out his hand and cupped the young man's cheek. "Sad. So
much damage." He let out a deep sigh and moved onto the next. He turned
back with a frown. "This one is the same."

"Should we call social services?" I asked.

Bacchus snorted. "This is far beyond them, David." He had moved onto the
girl and unfastened the restraints, and helped her out of the sling. He
tipped her head up and stared into her eyes for a minute. Another deep
sigh, and he helped her to the couch.

"Are you two okay? Did they hurt you?" Bacchus asked Caleb and Dan.

"We're okay. Maybe some bruises, but they didn't have time to do more,"
Dan said.

"Uncle Oscar said they were going to drug us and turn us into whores.
Uncle Ron said guys would pay a lot of money for us," Caleb said, his
voice breaking several times as he got the words out.

I sat down on the side of the couch and rubbed Caleb's back. Instead of
lust, I tried to fill him with love and comfort. He looked up as if he
felt it and leaned his head against my hip.

"Uncle Phillip said we should have been working years ago and that Dad
would regret keeping us away," Dan added.

"Do you know the others?" Bacchus asked, pointing to the young men Rufus
was helping out of the slings.

"Those are my cousins, Jer, Ron Jr., and Tad, the girl is Carly, she's
Uncle Phillip's daughter," Dan answered.

"Do you have any more cousins?" Bacchus asked.

"Yeah, Uncle Oscar has two sons, and Carly has a younger brother."

"Damn. They intentionally hid this from me. That shouldn't be possible,
and I have to assume they had help. You don't just stumble across those
kinds of artifacts. Fuck, I'll have to tell Father as well."

That didn't sound good because I assumed he had to mean Zeus. "Why?"

"An object that can hide their actions from one of the pantheon is not to
be taken lightly. I have to assume it would work on Zeus as well. He
needs to know and perhaps figure out where it came from and how they got
it. It is a threat to all of us. I assume you sensed something wrong when
you arrived?"

I gave him a quick recap, and he frowned even more. "Not good. We need to
find the other cousins as well. I have to assume they're in a similar
state."

"If social services can't help, what do we do? What about their mothers?"

I glanced at Dan and Caleb, and both turned, refusing to meet my eyes.
Okay, that doesn't bode well.

"We'll get to the bottom of this. I expect the mothers are complicit and
act accordingly. The others...I'll take across the veil, my servants can
care for them. It will take time to ween them from the drugs, and then we
shall see."

"You don't sound hopeful," I said, glancing at the young men who acted
more like zombies than older teens.

"I'm not. But they'd have no hope of any kind of normal life if we don't.
They're far too gone for some counseling and drug rehab. It would take a
lifetime. At least across the veil, I can play with time. David, please
take the boys outside while I deal with the others. We'll be along
shortly."

I gave a last glance at the girl staring blankly as she curled in on
herself. It was as if she didn't even acknowledge we were there or that
anything had happened. It was one of the most disturbing sensations I'd
had. I took Dan and Caleb's hand and led them up the stairs.

We sat on the grass in the front yard and waited.

"Is Mom okay?" Caleb asked. "They did something to her when they took us.
We all tried fighting, and Mom screamed and yelled, then Uncle Phillip
did something, and she got weird."

"Weird how?"

"She acted dizzy at first, then clutched her head and dropped to her
knees. Then she started moaning and a couple of seconds later collapsed,"
Dan said. "Uncle Phillip said she'd be fine, but I didn't believe him."

"Rufus might know. He said he called an ambulance."

"Lightning and thunder, I can feel its taint already," Bacchus said as he
joined us.

"I think they put it in the trunk of the limo," I said.

"I know they did. I can feel it from here. Rufus went to get a
containment chest that should quiet it enough that we can deliver it to
Father." As soon as the words were out, Rufus came out of the house
carrying what looked like a small iron treasure chest. He went to the
curb and set it down, but before he opened the trunk, he signaled to
Bacchus.

"He'll be quick but might want to prepare yourself for a headache,"
Bacchus warned.

As soon as the trunk opened, the buzzing and itching started again, and
the pain returned. I watched as Rufus grimaced, placing the urn in the
chest and closing it with an audible thunk. As soon as the lid was down,
the pain and buzzing went away. Rufus placed the chest in the car, and
just as he closed it, the sheriff's patrol car pulled in behind him.

"Now what?" I asked as Rufus walked back up and knelt down, giving a hug
to both Dan and Caleb. He started a whispered conversation with them that
I couldn't quite catch.

"Could you please take Caleb and Dan home with you for tonight? I'll go
to the hospital and check on Tabitha. Healing isn't my specialty, but I
still may be able to help. We'll talk after I know more. You and I will
also need to speak with Hades, but that can wait until tomorrow. I'll ask
Jed to do a sweep and lock up until we figure things out."

"What about the uncles? You said something about kennels."

"The kennels are where Hades keeps the stock for his hellhounds and where
the newly turned hounds live until they adjust to their dual nature. It
isn't a pleasant place for humans," Rufus said.

"Hellhounds aren't bred, David. Hades takes hounds and melds them with
souls of humans, both male and female. Though the hellhounds are only
male. It takes a year or more for the newly formed hellhounds to adjust,
and some don't make it. Hades keeps humans on hand to make sure the stock
is used to being around them, and then for the newly formed hounds, they
help them adjust to their new form. Even if we do nothing else to the
uncles, spending time there is the worst of the waiting rooms in hell."

I was missing something.

"The humans who are in the kennels are treated with canine pheromones, so
to the hounds they smell like bitches in heat," Rufus said, raising his
eyebrows like I should get it now.

"Oh...maybe don't tell me any more." I said, holding out my hand. If the
headache hadn't made me nauseous, that certainly did. No, I wouldn't even
think about it, just put it out of my head as if I never heard.

"Rufus will take you home. I'll let you know about what time tomorrow and
give you a status on Tabitha." Bacchus walked over to Jed and gestured,
and I assumed he explained what happened. A moment later, Bacchus
vanished. No thunder or fanfare this time, he just disappeared.

*   Scene 6   *
Dean Jensen

I pulled into the drive and parked by the garage like usual. I wasn't
sure why I resisted parking in the garage, not counting the boxes of
equipment Ford was storing there. That was temporary. Maybe it was an
unconscious symbol that I'd moved on, accepted that Kelly was gone, and
the horrors were real.

I felt a chill run down my spine and leaned my forehead against the
steering wheel. I still couldn't believe I'd had a panic attack at work.
Everyone had been super nice and understanding about the whole thing, but
God was it embarrassing. And all of it over flowers.

"Ugh," I groaned out loud.

I'd come back from having lunch with Emma and Ethan, and it had hit me as
soon as I stepped into the bank lobby. My brain knew it was just a large
bouquet of flowers, but something inside of me snapped when the
overwhelming scent hit me. I couldn't breathe, I got tunnel vision, and I
visibly started to shake. Thank goodness one of the tellers knew what to
do and got me into a small conference room and talked me down. Lucky for
me, she had a daughter with anxiety and handled me like a pro. I still
wasn't even sure why.

A tap on the window startled me, and I turned to see Ethan giving me a
questioning look. I turned off the car and unbuckled before opening the
door.

"You okay, Dad? You were just sitting there staring."

"Yup. All's good." We stepped through the gate into the backyard, and I
squeezed Ethan's shoulder. "Looks great, kid. You did a good job."

"Thanks. I planted the flowers you picked up too. I did the lawn at the
old place. Dad, how long are we going to pretend?"

"Pretend?"

"We're not going back. We live here now with David and Jon. I don't ever
want to go in that house again. I got all my stuff boxed. Emma had Ashley
and Kennedy over today, helping her finish up too. She won't even go in
the place by herself."

"I know." I let out a huge sigh. Ethan was right, it was time to move on.
"I'll talk to David about it and see what we can do. I don't know what
the timeline is and whether we have to wait for the divorce to be
finalized. Maybe he can help me sort through the other stuff, and then at
least we'll be ready. Everyone else already home?"

"Nope. Emma's still over at the old house, and I'm guessing Jon and David
are both still at work."

"What? But David was going to work from home today. Are you sure?" I was
about to turn and check the garage to see if the Audi was there when I
heard a car on the gravel drive. I turned and walked back to open the
gate and saw Bacchus's limo. What the...

"Thank you, Rufus. I owe you one," David said, climbing out of the car,
followed by Dan and Caleb. They all looked...upset.

I waited as David guided the guys through, and Ethan pounced on Dan,
pulling him aside and into his arms. Caleb looked up at David, and it was
obvious he'd been crying. I turned to David, but he spoke before I got
the words out.

"I'll explain once we get settled. Can you give us a couple of minutes?
Come on Caleb, I think you need some junk food and gaming."

I followed, wondering what had happened because it had to be big. I went
up the back stairs to our room and pulled out some jeans and a t-shirt. I
figured by the time I got back downstairs, someone would tell me
something.

By the time I got there, my son was in full care-giver mode. I recognized
the tone in his voice as he sat on the couch between Caleb and Dan. They
had the game system up and controllers in hand. I didn't intrude and
headed right for the kitchen.

"...yeah, and an order of cheese sticks. Perfect, thanks, that will be
great," David said, ending the call and sliding his phone back in his
jeans' pocket.

"Hey."

"Hope you don't mind; I opted for pizza. It should be here in about
forty-five minutes. I texted Emma to let her know, but she's going out
with Kennedy and Ashley."

"Okay, so are you going to tell me what's going down?"

"I screwed up," David crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.
"Bacchus told me to do something, and I kept putting it off. Fuck, they
could have been hurt."

"Back it up, love. I'm lost."

"Dan and Caleb's uncles. I was supposed to follow up since they'd been
threatening and harassing them. I didn't. Today, they kidnapped them.
Like fucking drugged their mom and tied them up and threw them in a van,
kidnapping. Fortunately, they've got some connection to Rufus, and he
knew right away. He called, and we found them."

"In time?" I hated to ask, but from what he'd told me before about the
uncles, I didn't think it would have gone well if they'd had any time
with the brothers.

"Yeah." David let out a sigh. "What a fucking mess. There's something
more going on too. They had some ancient relic that kept Bacchus from
seeing or sensing what was going on. They've been hiding right under his
nose. To say he was angry would be the understatement of the year. He
didn't share what he got from them, but I have a bad feeling we're not
done with the Ward brothers."

"But Dan and Caleb are okay, right?" I leaned against the counter beside
him. I was tempted to put my arm around him but he was giving the "I need
my space" vibe.

"Scared, traumatized, worried about their mom. But yeah, they'll be
okay." David pulled his phone out and answered.

"David... Hey. Yeah? Okay that's good to hear. ... No, they can stay here
until we're sure. ... I wouldn't want them there either. ... What about
their dad? ... Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks, Rufus." David slid the
phone back in his pocket. "Tabitha is going to be okay. Bacchus was able
to help and she should recover just fine. Hospital wants to keep her
overnight to make sure. Rufus said that whatever Phillip gave her almost
caused an overdose. Bacchus is going to question their dad before he lets
him anywhere near Tabitha or the boys."

"Shit, that's really messed up. What happened with the uncles? Did the
sheriff pick them up?"

David visibly shuddered. "Bacchus took care of them. I'll tell you more
later...I just can't right now, okay?"

"Of course. What do we need to do?"

"Nothing for the moment. Could you get the table set and drinks while I
let them know about their mom?" David asked.

"Yeah, I got it." My little panic attack didn't feel nearly so important
compared to what Dan and Caleb went through. I pulled out plates and
glasses and set everything out in the dining room. It wouldn't be long
before Jake and Jon got home from work, and we'd need the extra elbow
room.

The rest of the evening went fine, a little tense but all things
considered, not too bad. Was it bad that even with as fucked up as things
were, I was still happier than I ever had been in my life? I sat beside
my man with Caleb lying across our laps while we watched a movie, and I
wouldn't have changed a thing. Jon and Jake were on the love seat making
out, and Ethan and Dan were in the big chair doing the same.

"Caleb, do you want to stay in the guest room tonight, or would you
rather stay with me and David? It's your choice. What would make you the
most comfortable?" I asked.

Caleb's fingers trailed up my thigh and teased my cock through my jeans.
"Hm...if I stay with you and David, will you take care of me?"

"Ha ha, little minx. If that's what you want and you're sure, then yes,"
David said.

"Wait. Is that a good idea with what happened-" I started and David put
his fingers over my lips.

"Trust me, babe. It will be fine," David said as he threaded his fingers
through Caleb's blond hair.

I was still a little nervous when we all headed off to bed. I didn't want
to add to Caleb's trauma, and if David didn't stop pumping me full of
lust, I was in serious danger of losing control. His powers might not
work on me in the same way as it did other folks, but damn, he could take
me from zero to sixty in about two seconds. It made me wonder where he
was getting all the lust that he could be doing this...

"Go ahead and get ready, Caleb. Bathroom's all yours," David said and
then followed Caleb in. I assumed to show him how to work things. Not
every home had toilets and showers that required a tutorial.

I began to undress, carefully folding my clothes and putting them away
before turning down the covers on the oversized king bed. I felt David's
heat before he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the back of my neck.

"This is what he needs. He's one of Bacchus's already. The sex will help
him."

"Damn, where are you getting all this lust?" I was almost vibrating,
though it wasn't nearly as bad as when he was in New York. Damn, we still
needed to talk about that. We needed a plan if that was going to be an
ongoing happening. I was just lucky that Ethan and Troy were here and
willing.

"From Caleb, well and a little from Dan and Ethan. They were leaking
pretty badly." David nibbled on my ear as his hands slid down my abs.
"We'll do him like before. He's got a hungry hole and it will take both
of us to satisfy him."

I saw Caleb return and crawl onto the bed, already naked. I quickly used
the bathroom and returned and stood at the door watching as David buried
his face in Caleb's cute ass. I swear Caleb was worse than Ethan, and
that was saying something. I moved over to join them, crawling onto the
bed and getting in a 69 so I could suck Caleb while David got him ready.

His cock seemed bigger than I remembered but it tasted like I remembered
and it didn't take long until I was in the zone, sucking away while Caleb
took me into his mouth like a pro. I wondered briefly how many times I'd
get to enjoy his ass tonight.

"As many times as you want, baby," David answered and ran his fingers
down my arm.

Yeah, it was nice to have an understanding mate who knew how to take care
of you.

>>END CHAPTER 20<<


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CHARACTERS / GLOSSARY:

* Alexander "Zander" - student and soccer player, friend of Kris Walsh,
harem boy
* Austin - student and football player, friend of Adam and Kris, grew up
together, goes to the same university as Jon, harem boy
* Attwood, Paul - CFO of Olympus Holdings/Bacchus Industries.
* Bacchus - (As named by the Romans) Also sometimes known as Dionysus. He
is the Greek the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, food and
consumption, fertility, theatre, and ecstasy and is the protector of
those who do not belong in conventional society. His wine, music, and
dance free his followers from inhibitions, self-conscious fears, and
worries to allow them to break from oppressive restraints. Legend has
that he is the son of Zeus. His wife is Ariadne.
* Bailey-Parks, Drake - Attorney specializing in contract law. Married to
Ross Bailey-Parks. Interviewing at Bacchus Industries.
* Barker, Calvin - chef at the Resort and Spa
* Benz, Adam - college roommate of Jon Martinez
* Benz, Thomas - father of Adam Benz
* Brentwood, Jeff - Finance Manager at Bacchus Industries. Mid-forties,
married, three children.
* Brown, Debbie - Social Worker, sister of Megan Martinez, mother of
Oliver
* Brown, Oliver - Student, son of Debbie, cousin of Jon Martinez, nephew
of David
* Cabot, Cole - lawyer at Dickson, Ramsey, and Rider who has been
sabotaging the firm and is married to Richard Rider's daughter
* Campbell, Ashley - Student, daughter of Jed and Joanna, betrothed to
Jon Martinez
* Campbell, Blaze - A Satyr / Servant of Bacchus, brother of Ashley, son
of Jed and Joanna
* Campbell, Jed - Servant of Bacchus, Sherriff, married to Joanna, father
of Ashley
* Campbell, Joanna - Servant of Bacchus, COO of Olympus Holdings, married
to Jed, mother of Ashley and Blaze
* Carson, Trevor - Delivery man, bodybuilder. Moved to Bacchus Springs to
find a better home for his nephew.
* Carson, Tyrone - Student, nephew of Trevor.
* Castile, Marc - pediatrician, partner of Trent
* Castle, Paula - friend of Tabitha Ward.
* Cavanaugh, Brian - Attorney, nephew of Troy. Specializing in
Corporate/Contract law and interviewing at Bacchus Industries.
* Cavanaugh, Josh - Student, son of Troy Cavanaugh
* Cavanaugh, Kennedy - College student, daughter of Troy Cavanaugh.
Betrothed to Jake
* Cavanaugh, Troy - Servant of Bacchus, Mayor of Bacchus Springs, married
to Bobbie, father of Josh and Kennedy
* Cheswick, Taylor - college student, Jon's best friend from school
* Cokesbury, Edith - Former secretary/assistant for David Martinez at
Bacchus Industries. Long-term employee.
* Dara, Chetana -servant of Bacchus, previously a Satyr, daughter of
Rakesh, Sister of Sinha
* Dara, Rakesh - A servant of Bacchus, Manager of the Bacchus Springs
Resort and Spa, father of Sinha and Chetana
* Dara, Sinha, - 'Sin'- A Satyr / Servant of Bacchus, son of Rakesh,
Brother of Chetana
* Devon - A Satyr / Servant of Bacchus
* Dickson, Charles - founding partner at David's old law firm, Dickson,
Ramsey, and Rider. His assistant in Brenda.
* Donaldson, Benjamin, 'Ben', 'Benny' - A Satyr / Servant of Bacchus.
College student, brother to Jake, parents are Brad and Catherine
* Donaldson, Brad - Owns the health club Mufflers, married to Catherine,
father of Jake and Benjamin
* Donaldson, Catherine, 'Cathy' - A nurse, married to Brad, mother to
Jake and Benjamin
* Donaldson, Jake - A servant of Bacchus, college student, brother to
Benjamin, parents are Brad and Catherine, soul mate to Jon Martinez
* Enrique "Ricky" - student and soccer player, friend of Kris Walsh,
harem boy
* Ferrari, Elmo, MD - The primary family doctor in Bacchus Springs. He
assists Bacchus with assessments of youth after completing they've
completed puberty.
* Freyer, Jackson - Real Estate mogul from Albany, having a fling with
Ben Donaldson. Had intended to buy Bart's Barn.
* Grendle, Archibald, tailor. Older gentlemen with a socially
unacceptable taste in sexual partners.
* Hamlin, Barbara - Bacchus's secretary. Grandmother type with gray hair,
slender and well dressed.
* Harris, Ford - Servant of Bacchus, Owner and operator of Bacchus
Construction
* Heather - Nymph with a curvy build, thick blond hair and green eyes
* Jamal - Shifter and guard for Bacchus, one of Hade's junior hounds
* Jared - student and soccer player, friend of Kris Walsh, harem boy
* Jensen, Dean - Servant of Bacchus, Investments Broker/Banker, was
married to Kelly, father of Ethan and Emma, soul mate to David Martinez
* Jensen, Emma - Student, daughter of Dean and Kelly, older sister of
Ethan
* Jensen, Ethan - Student, son of Dean and Kelly, younger brother of Emma
* Jensen, Kelly - Teacher, soon to be ex-wife of Dean and mother of Ethan
and Emma
* Kapshaw, Martha - Executive Chef for Bacchus Resort and Spa as well as
Dion's.
* Kayla - Nymph with a voluptuous build, dark hair and pale milky white
skin
* Keller, Grant - Attorney specializing in Criminal Law interviewing at
Bacchus Industries.
* Ketler, Grant - Bellman at Bacchus Springs Resort & Spa, rising senior
in college
* Laurenzano, Grayson, candidate offered a job as David's assistant and
traffic manager for the law department.
* Luke - student and soccer player, friend of Kris Walsh, harem boy
* Martinez, Antonio 'Tony', Federal Employee, divorced, brother of David
and Bernardo
* Martinez, Bernardo 'Bernie', Architect, husband of Casey, father of
Liam and Noah, brother of David and Antonio
* Martinez, Casey - wife of Bernardo, mother of Liam and Noah
* Martinez, David - Servant of Bacchus, Lawyer, father of Jon, one of the
Erotes, soul mate to Dean Jenson
* Martinez, Jon - College student, son of David, one of the Erotes, soul
mate to Jake Donaldson, betrothed to Ashley Campbell
* Martinez, Liam - Student, son of Casey and Bernardo, cousin of Jon,
older brother of Noah
* Martinez, Megan - Deceased wife of David Martinez and mother of Jon,
sister of Debbie Brown
* Martinez, Noah - Student, son of Casey and Bernardo, cousin of Jon,
younger brother of Liam
* Matthew - A Satyr / Servant of Bacchus
* Miller, Trent Austin- Event Manager and partner to Marc Castile, a
Doctor, who attended the CE Conference at the Resort and Spa.
* Pappetti, Louis - Director of Corporate Real Estate for Bacchus
Industries. Married.
* Prentice, Drew - Accountant/Finance Officer at Bacchus Industries.
Reports to Jeff Brentwood.
* Ramsey, Gregory - founding partner at David's old lawfirm, Dickson,
Ramsey, and Rider.
* Rice, Kristen - front desk supervisor at Bacchus Springs Resort & Spa
* Rider, Richard - founding partner at David's old law firm Dickson,
Ramsey, and Rider.
* Rufus - Shifter and guard for Bacchus, one of Hade's junior hounds
* Russo, Bella - Baker and mother of Ronnie
* Russo, Ronnie - Servant of Bacchus, Baker and owner of Sinful Delights,
son of Bella
* Satyrs - Servants of Bacchus. Through an arrangement with Pan, Bacchus
has a version of the Faun's as servants. Similar to Pan's fauns but
without the goat's legs and tail and more human in appearance. They are
long-lived and have unusual powers of seduction. The satyrs are: Benny,
Blaze, Devon, Elijah, Jinho, Juan Carlo, Julian, Matthew, Sinha "Sin,"
and Victor.
* Simmons, Candy - neighbor of David and Jon. Married to Warren with two
teenaged children
* Simmons, Warren - neighbor of David and Jon. Married to Candy with two
teenaged children
* St. Anthony's - a hospital and insane asylum outside of Bacchus Springs
* Tanner, Brooks MD - doctor visiting Bacchus Springs for a Continuing
Education conference.
* Tanner, Tiffany - wife of Brooks Tanner.
* Walsh, Gary, Ph.D. - professor at the university, father of Kris
* Walsh, Kris - student, soccer player, grew up with Adam and Austin,
roommate of Xavier, harem boy
* Ward, Caleb - student, son of James & Tabitha Ward and younger brother
of Daniel.
* Ward, Daniel - student, son of James & Tabitha Ward and older brother
of Caleb. Ward's Furniture Store.
* Ward, James - Manager of Ward's Furniture Store, son of Bartholomew,
owner of Ward's Furniture. Brother of Oscar, Phillip, and Ronald Ward.
Father of Daniel & Caleb. Wife is Tabitha.
* Ward, Tabitha - office manager of Ward's Furniture. Mother of Daniel
and Caleb and wife of James.
* Xavier - student and basketball player, Kris Walsh's roommate, harem
boy
* Young, Aiden - student, son of Heath and Jessica
* Young, Heath - engineer and neighbor of Bernardo Martinez, father of
Aiden
* Young, Jessica - wife of Heath and mother of Aiden



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