By Jack Llawayllynn

Silentcrowstudio @aol.com

Chapter 23: A New Master

Sin's voice was all Matt could hear now. Those commands that he had planted within Matt's mind. Matt knew what they were. He knew from Miss Sylvia that he could resist any of the commands that he wished to resist, but of the commands he wished to obey those would be steel hooks inside of him, pulling him to comply. No man was to lay hands on Matt and torture him. Sin had said so. Only Sin had the right to do such things to Matt. With any other man Matt was to fight as if for his life. Adrenaline pumped into Matt's veins, his vision blurred and he felt sick with power. His body went into autopilot, muscles straining, and the buckle on the padded shackles snapped. The leash was whistling down again but this time Matt twisted and caught it in his open palm, jerking the leash from Razor's hand. Snarling Matt lunged, caught his fingers under Razor's arm band and ripped it away. Razor stumbled back, shocked. For a moment there was only silence.

"Rogue!" someone in the room finally shouted. Others took it up, chanting, "Rogue! Rogue! Rogue!"

Matt stood panting, his leash in his hand, glaring at Razor. "You will never own me," he growled defiantly. The chanting continued, quieter now, insistent. Trev pushed his way through the crowd then stopped dead, staring at the torn Skulls band in Matt's hand.

"Dammit!" Trev cursed. "You've let him go rogue already?" He shook a finger at Razor. "I expected more from you than that! Another twenty four hours I told you! Oh well. It's done and a deal is a deal. Sin said if he went rogue he was free." Trev turned toward Matt and held out his hand. "Your collar please."

"No," Matt said and tossed away the shredded remains of Razor's armband. "No where in the bylaws does it state that I must remove my own collar. If I had gone rogue on Sin, my true master, then yes, or even Stan, to whom my master passed me to then I would have to surrender my collar to him. But Sin's not here and he hasn't taken it from me himself. Stan handed me over to Razor without my Master's knowledge and without my consent." Trev hissed through his teeth. This bit of news he obviously had not planned to become public club knowledge. Matt ignored him and continued. "Razor cannot force me to give it to him. He is not, never was and never will be my true master."

The chanting had stopped but Gunner pushed his way through the crowd. Matt recognized him immediately. A Skull, once a slave but he had gone rogue. Paul had told Matt on his first visit there that it had taken Gunner months to pass the rites to be a Master. Matt noted also that Gunner still had no leashed slave. He sure as hell hoped the small man wasn't setting his eye to take Matt as one. But he wasn't after Matt for a slave. What he said quieted the small mutters that had started up in the room.

"He has the right to a rumble if he wants to," Gunner said, eyeing Matt head to toe.

"No, no, no," Trev said, shaking his head. "He's not really rogue, not yet is he? No, no, not yet."

"Yes he is," Gunner argued back. "Since you obviously knew about his leash being passed then you must treat him as if Razor were indeed his master, despite the fact that he wasn't. Are you going to follow the rules Trev? You created them but already it's obvious you have broken one by allowing Razor to have Matt against his will to start with. How many more will you break? How long will the Club stand with no sound structure? I think you owe Matt an apology. And the rest of us too actually. How else will we ever trust you again? Trust that you won't do to us what you just did to Matt?"

Trev shifted uneasily, glancing around at the angry faces. Cornered. "Damn you Gunner. You've always been trouble!"

Gunner laughed, showing white crooked teeth. "I'm trouble? You cater to the likes of Sin and Razor and then call me trouble? You're a real piece of work Trev. I've paid my dues just like all the other Masters. I follow the rules. I haven't collared a slave because, so far, these little pussies don't want what I'll dish out and I've respected that, being gentle when I take a lucky little creeper to the couch. No Trev, don't call me trouble. You've brought this on yourself."

Trev threw his hands up and rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, the boy is right. I apologize, to everyone. I was in the wrong and broke my own rules. It most definitely will not happen again! Not for any amount of money!"

"So if Matt wants to rumble and can pay his dues then he can rumble for master status, right?" Gunner pressed. Matt wondered why Gunner was standing up for him. He couldn't fathom it but he appreciated it. The idea of a rumble was even better than his original plan had been. He had only intended to free himself from Razor and still be able to retain his collar but this would work to his advantage as well. He had read the book carefully. Nowhere did it say that a Master could not choose to be a slave, in fact it said that a Master may play out any fantasy he chose. If Matt wanted to continue to sport Sin's collar he could, and no one would have the right to take it from him or to try to collar him for themselves. He would be a Master in his own right and could do as he pleased.

"My dues can be paid," Matt said, giving Trev a meaningful look. He suspected that Trev didn't want the news out that Sin had already paid Matt's dues, that Trev had helped Sin set Matt up in more ways than one in an attempt to break him.

Trev rolled his eyes again and his shoulders slumped. "Is that what you want Matt? To rumble?"

Matt nodded once, decisively. Cheers poured out around him and the chant of "Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!" replaced the earlier one. It was Gunner who took Matt's elbow and steered him toward a hallway and down, the entire population of the lounge following and more, alerted by the chanting, joining the throng from rooms and stairways. Gunner thrust Matt through a door and let go his arm so quickly that Matt nearly stumbled on the cold tile. Matt turned and was pressed by the crowd to back up against the far wall. The room was indeed white, the floor hard and cold under his feet. Falling would hurt a lot, especially seeing as he was naked. Matt looked down at himself and realized for the first time that he was still sporting an impressive hard-on. He smiled. There were viewing windows set high in the walls for those on the floor above to watch the action and faces peered down at him through them. His audience. Matt looked up as the creepers slipped into the room, every shape, size, age and color of man he could desire and all of them with hopeful eyes. Matt spotted Paul's slim form among them and frowned, pitying the man for not having been collared yet. Matt considered collaring him himself when this was over then shook his head. Paul was far too fragile to withstand the anger inside of Matt. No, not Paul, but he might be able to shake some sense into Bernard, the man Paul longed to have as a Master. Matt's thoughts turned away from what he might do after the rumble to trying to figure out how in the hell he was going to make it through the rumble. He hadn't eaten lately and he was hungry, weaker than he should be but he knew he was no pussy. Still when Razor and Stan pushed through the crowd Matt began to sweat. Of course they would be the first to try to stop him from attaining Master status. They both had something to lose, Razor his pride and Stan his word to Sin. Well, Matt thought, I have two more chances after them, so long as I don't lose my hard-on. He couldn't beat them, there was no way they would let him get passed them and he wasn't even going to really try, he would save his energy and lay his bets on someone with no vendetta against him.

Matt set himself into a boxing stance and watched as Razor and Stan advanced to about the middle of the room. Matt kept his eyes on Razor, knowing that Razor was going to more than try to hurt him, he'd try to take him out of this rumble completely. He would try to knock him cold on the first swing. Matt lunged as if to try to break between the two of them, careful to skirt closer to Stan than Razor. Stan's big arms engulfed him and Matt felt himself falling. The floor was even harder than he had imagined. Thankfully he was expecting Stan to throw him and had been able to keep his head up off the floor. His shoulders though would sport some impressive bruising. Stan laughed and turned, obviously relieved and believing that Matt was too green for this sort of fighting. There were boos from the watchers, obviously sourly disappointed in Matt so far. Razor glared pure hatred at Matt, his eyes saying quite loudly that he could see that Matt had just fucked him again, that he had never intended to try to get past the two of them. Razor was shit out of luck though. His turn in the rumble was over and he hadn't even been able to lay a hand on Matt, thanks to that damned dumb gorilla Stan.

Matt was on his feet again. His dick bouncing as he flexed his ankles. No worries yet on losing his stiffy. Matt was beginning to actually have some fun. He could see the creepers shaking their round little asses and suggestively opening their mouths towards him, teasing. Matt shook off the fall and faced the next pair of Masters. He had seen only one of them before, a dog fucker named Blame. Blame didn't look very entertained right at the moment though, only huge and solid and evil-eyed. Beside him was a bleeding heart, grinning ear to ear, his hands fisted. Matt sighed. He was pretty sure he couldn't make it past these two either but he was damn sure going to try. He sprang forward to take on the bleeding heart. The man was strong. Very strong. Matt wrestled with him, trying to throw him off while reaching out and trying to snatch a creeper around the waist. That little black ass was close but Matt's hand never made contact with the creeper's teasing body. Blame snatched him away from the bleeding heart and again Matt crashed to the floor, this time his head smacking it with star blazing force. Matt wheezed for breath, waiting for the bright lights to leave his eyes. The crowd was laughing at him, some booing again. He only had been in this room for a few minutes and already he was facing his last chance to win this rumble.

The floor was still spinning a bit when Matt turned to face his last pair of Masters. He blinked his eyes and forced them to focus. He knew the names of both of them. Gunner and Cooper. Gunner was small but Matt knew he would be quick and cruel with his hands. And he would be damned determined not to let Matt get passed him. Gunner had worked too hard and too long to become a Master to let some brand new up-start rogue get by him. Matt finally figured out that was why Gunner had spoken up for him to start with. He had only wanted to rumble himself. He wanted to prove he could stand with the big dogs and Matt had no doubts at all the small man could do just that. Trying to get passed Gunner would be folly. Now Cooper, Cooper was another matter altogether. He was a massive man, heavily furred and gruff of voice but his arm band showed the grinning grizzly of a teddy bear. He was a good friend of Stan's but he really had nothing to lose or gain by stopping Matt. He was just in this rumble for fun, and probably for the chance to get a grope on Matt's ass. He'd seen Cooper staring at him many times. Cooper was his only chance now. Matt couldn't let anyone read that in his eyes though. He had to be careful about not letting a single thought show on his face, at least not the real ones. He focused squarely on Gunner and grinned, looking him over as if he were nothing, a feather-weight. Gunner bared his teeth and spread his feet, ready, eager even, for Matt's attack. Beyond him Matt made a mental note of the creepers, which ones were closest to Gunner and which ones were lurking behind Cooper. Matt let derision enter his eyes and locked gazes with Gunner. The crowd was making all sorts of noise, some cheering Matt, others mocking him. Matt didn't hear them. He glanced to Cooper, noted his lumbering bear stance then leered back over at Gunner and sprang. Gunner moved to meet him, fists ready, but he met nothing, only empty space, thin air, and stumbled forward. Matt had already changed directions, plunging to his knees and making a less than graceful dive between Cooper's massive legs. Matt's hands snagged naked flesh and he pulled the Creeper under him, plunging his dick in hard between the pale ass cheeks, not sure at all who he had managed to capture. Cooper's big hands were on him, starting to lift him off but the Creeper yelled out "Master!" and Matt was released. The reactions in the room varied from cheers to disappointment that the rumble had lasted so little time and with so little blood shed. Matt didn't hear any of it except the word "Master". This was it. He was in. Cooper was cursing loudly and laughing at the same time. Matt didn't bother to finish. He just let the Creeper up and stood, searching for Trev in the crowd. Trev pushed through with a tray in his hands.

"Damn you, Matt! I could lose Sin as a customer over this!" Trev hissed under his breath. "I damn sure didn't expect you to make pussies out of those boys, and they call themselves `masters'. Hmumph!" Trev stuck the tray under Matt's nose. "Which will it be boy?" he asked dryly.

Matt looked down at the tray. It contained armbands, neatly laid out. Matt eyed them, not sure exactly what some of them stood for but he already knew what he needed. He chose two, a skull and crossbones band and a heartbreaker band. He slid one up each arm. Trev humphed again and turned, taking a length of black satin from someone in the crowd. "Cover yourself. Masters don't run around totally naked."

Matt wadded the material in his hands for a moment not sure what to do with it. It was just a long length of cloth, no cut to it. Finally he just wrapped it around his waist like a large towel, or a long black skirt. Reluctantly Trev motioned to someone in the crowd and they came forward to slap some leather into his hand. Trev in turn slapped it into Matt's hand then walked away grumbling. Matt looked down at what he held. A brown leather collar and a leather leash, both blank. He need only go to the shop and have it personalized. A gift for a slave he might never choose to take.

"Sneaky son of a bitch," Gunner grumbled as he sauntered past but he slapped Matt on the ass as he did so. No hard feelings there then. And no jealousy either for Matt's success on his first attempt. Matt let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. For some reason he couldn't explain he really had not wanted to have Gunner as an enemy. Men were moving away, clearing the room and leaving the windows. Matt turned and started back when he nearly ran into Paul.

"You didn't finish," Paul said shyly, giving him a meek grin. His eyes touched the skull and crossbones band then skipped away. He seemed both nervous and hopeful. Matt felt sorry for him. Paul was tired of being a Creeper. Despite the fact that Matt wore the skull he knew that Paul would bend his knees for the collar in Matt's hands.

"How do you know I didn't? Was that you I grabbed?" Matt asked, staring down at Paul with gentle eyes. Paul just nodded, blushing a little. The blush was so unexpected and out of place that Matt chuckled. It made Paul look childish and innocent, something he surely wasn't. "You don't want this collar," Matt said quietly, bouncing it in his hand. Paul eyed it again though and his color rose higher.

"Maybe I do," he countered, not sounding very sure.

"No Paul, you don't. I'd collar you in heartbeat if I thought you liked, even a little, to have a lash across your pale lovely backside, but I know you don't like it. You've told me so yourself." Matt had noticed Bernard in the shadows, watching, waiting to see what Matt would do. Bernard's face was haggard. He was torn. Matt knew his story. He knew that Bernard's slave had died in a car wreck and that Bernard had been madly in love with the boy. His grief was still raw. Still though it was obvious that Bernard desired Paul but was too afraid to try again.

"You don't understand how it feels though," Paul's voice had taken a whiny quality, "I'm so tired of being alone, of being a creeper!"

"Tell you what Paul," Matt said, his voice turning suddenly hard, "why don't we just try it out and see." Matt spun Paul quickly and shoved him against the wall, his big hand splayed hard against the frail white back. Matt threw the collar Trev had given him up onto his own shoulder and looped the leash, drawing it back for a swing. He wasn't surprised when the leash was caught in mid-swing.

"You have every right to do to your slave as you wish," said a soft voice behind him, "but you haven't collared him and I really don't think he enjoys the attention of Skulls much."

Matt turned to face Bernard who had come into the room. There were still a few bored men hanging around to see if this room would offer any more entertainment and now they perked up but Matt knew they were going to be disappointed.

"Paul came to me," Matt said, making his voice sound haughty. "Maybe you are mistaken about his tastes." Matt painted a leer on his face and slowly put pressure on the leash until the man reluctantly released it, letting it slip away to dangle from Matt's fingertips. Paul had turned around, his back to the wall now, his mouth slightly ajar.

"Can't we at least settle this by asking the boy?" Bernard asked, his eyes going from Matt's to Paul's. "I mean, you haven't collared him yet after all."

"No, no I haven't. I was just going to try him out for size."

"Seems you already did," Bernard muttered. So, the man had seen which Creeper Matt had caught.

"Ah, but I didn't finish, now did I?" Matt waved a hand downward where his dick was still quite perky, making a tent in his skirt of black satin toweling. "But still," Matt shrugged, "I'm willing to let him go, even though I know I could still collar him right now, quite willingly, torture and all. That's what he wants more than anything else, a collar. He's even willing to accept a skull if that's all he can get. Seems to be the way of things too doesn't it? I've seen you with him several times and still he's uncollared. What if I give him over to you? Are you going to collar him or will I come back in five minutes and find him crying in the floor, ready to crawl to me at a beckoning?"

Bernard's eyes flashed. He unhooked a collar from the belt at his waist and held it out towards Paul. Paul was on his knees in a flash, his pale hands clutching Bernard's leg. Bernard looked up at Matt in triumph before placing the collar around Paul's slim throat.

"Hmph," Matt grunted and shrugged. "Seems he'd rather be with you. Congratulations." Matt let his fake attitude go and bent to kiss Paul quickly. "There ya go kid. I wish you happiness." Matt straightened and beamed at the confused Bernard. "You're a fool old man," Matt said quietly, the bitterness in his voice now very real. "When you find a man who wants to commit his soul to you, who freely offers not only his body but his soul, his loyalty, then you are only a fool if you close him out. And Paul there has such a pretty face to go along with the package and one hell of a fine tight ass. You got lucky old man. I could have walked out of here with him in my pocket."

Bernard's face paled with rage at Matt's tone but when he turned his head to watch Matt leave there was grudging respect there too. Paul watched him, his eyes wide and sincere when Bernard turned back to face him.

"Was that a total set up?" Bernard asked warily, eyeing the collar he had placed around Paul's neck.

"No. I don't know. I mean, if it was I had no knowledge of it. I want to stay with you though Master. Truly I do."

Bernard smiled sadly. "You're honesty is endearing. That asshole of an upstart well...maybe he is wearing the wrong armbands. Seems to care an awful lot about others to be a Skull."

Paul shook his head. "He's hurting, like you have been hurting. His though comes with such rage you cannot imagine. Sin simply walked away. He didn't take his collar, he didn't leave him any hope though either. I know your lover died, but he didn't mean to leave you. He didn't do it to hurt you."

Bernard swallowed hard, fighting back tears but suddenly he knew, knew it for a fact within himself that Paul was a damn good choice in trying again. He reached down and swept the smaller man off his feet, clutching him easily against his chest. "I'm taking you to a private room. I'm not sharing even the sight of you again tonight, and maybe not for many nights to come. You're mine now."

"Yes Master, I am," Paul said quietly, snuggling against Bernard's shoulder, smiling and silently sending many thanks Matt's way.

Matt's set face, stony and hard, cleared his path easily. He headed first for the Shop. He wanted his initials burned into the leather now. Feeling the warm letters in the leather when the man handed them back gave him satisfaction. Matt was laughing like an angry maniac as he headed straight for the exit doors, eager to prove he was a free man. He pushed out of the lounge into the locker room. Trev was back at his desk.

"I want my god damned..." Matt began but Trev just threw a key at him. He didn't toss it, he threw it. Matt snatched it out of the air barely in enough time to keep it from hitting him in the face. Whatever small amount of twisted humor that had remained died and he was raging again inside. There was a number on the key and Matt found the locker to match it. His clothes were there, along with the keys to his new motorcycle. Matt dressed quickly, tucking his dick to the side, still hard and angry, like his soul. Matt could easily have found a man in the club to satisfy his desire but the man he had in mind was not in the club, nor any other place that Matt knew to search. No, Sin was out of his reach. Out of his life in fact. Sin had dumped him, had allowed him to wind up in the hands of Razor no less. Things could have gone very badly indeed for Matt if he hadn't kept his head. Now there was only one person in town he could think of to slake his lust. First though there was a certain lady he needed to see. He gritted his teeth and turned the bike north.

* * * *

Matt sat in Miss Sylvia's kitchen, waiting impatiently for her to mix up her green "magic" potion.

"I want this to scar as little as possible," Matt said, letting his fingers stray near the double cuts Razor had given him but not touching them.

"Who was it this time?" Sylvia asked grumpily.

"They call him Razor," Matt responded absently.

"I don't think I need to ask why." Sylvia spooned the goop into a tin and set it aside to cool, taking out a small amount in the spoon itself and blowing on it gently to cool it faster. After a few moments she spread a small amount from the spoon onto Matt's sliced brow. "That should help. It will scar, some, but not as badly as it would have if you hadn't come to me. Was this some sort of revenge against Michael?"

"Not on my part, I assure you. Sin set me up, the bastard, and this is only part of the result. When I catch up with him we will probably both be in need of your services. I intend to make him pay...dearly." Matt spoke through gritted teeth.

"I can't stop the two of you from acting so childish though I sure wish I could. But, as usual, I'll do the patching up after you two do the shredding. I just hope you don't wait too long to find him."

"It's going to take time. He has a hell of a head start. He had me...confined...you might say, to prevent me following him right away. That's alright though. I'll find him, don't you worry. He obviously wants some time to himself though and after thinking it over I think that might be right. Some time apart might do us some good. Let's give him his space for a couple of weeks. He has left a lot of people in the lurch, not just you and me. There is his band to think of as well. They have gigs lined up for weeks and no singer. I can step in and take on Sin's duties. I've done it before and I'll do it again. Yes, I'll give him a little time. He thinks he's running away to end it but he's wrong. Of course I'll follow. After this though he won't be doing any more running away."

Miss Sylvia nodded her approval. "Good for you. Just keep me updated, please. You know I love him dearly. And you too."

Matt gave her a wane smile. "You're a great lady."

"Thank you Mathew. Now behave yourself tonight. You have a look in your eyes that I don't like."

"Sorry love, I have no intentions of behaving tonight."

Sylvia sighed and turned away as Matt gathered up his helmet and put his jacket back on. He pocketed the small tin when she handed it to him.

"Just promise not to be too stupid, alright?" she begged of him.

Matt just winked at her and left, ready to find some much needed release in another part of town.

* * * * *

Usually Matt just walked into the house but tonight there was a full moon and it shone with evil shadows across the sleeping land. Matt was feeling jumpy and didn't intend on scaring the hell out of Andy in the middle of the night. So this once he knocked. Not too loudly but insistently enough to wake Andy and bring him to the door, rubbing his eyes and blinking owlishly at Matt.

"Can I come in?" Matt's voice sounded harsh in his own ears.

"Yeah man," Andy muttered, looking confused. "You don't have to knock dude, just come on in. Everyone else does."

"And one silent night that "someone" will walk in and put a god damned bullet in your nearly empty brain pan," Matt growled, pushing roughly past Andy into the house. Andy shut the door and turned to reply angrily, mouth open. Matt covered Andy's mouth with his own, his tongue pushing forward boldly. Andy stood stock still as Matt kissed him. When Matt raised his head he could see the flames in Andy's eyes. He was turned on, alright. But he was terrified as well.

"I...I...thought...where is Sin?" Was all Andy could manage to force out.

"Do you really care where that bastard is right at this moment Andy? Do you want him to come charging in and drag me away? Or maybe bust in and join in the fun?" Matt had placed a hand each on the wall on either side of Andy's face, leaning in hard and close to the man.

Andy stared down at him, his thoughts obviously ordering themselves as he came more awake, more alert by the moment, assessing the situation. Matt had once mistaken Andy as a dull fuck, a backwoods idiot with a brilliant mind for music alone. He had already re-evaluated that assumption, and he could see more proof now as Andy's mind kicked into gear.

"I don't give a flying fuck where Sin is," Andy said at last, his eyes burning brighter. He surprised Matt by initiating another kiss all on his own, Andy's long fingers twining in Matt's hair, his tongue delving and plunging to meet Matt's own demands. Matt broke the kiss and chuckled.

"I knew I was right about you Andy. That's why I'm here. I want to fuck you. Right now. Very badly." Matt pressed his hardened cock against Andy to prove it. Andy didn't smile, he didn't shy away either. His face had simply gone blank but his eyes continued to flare, catching the dim light from down the hall like an animal's eyes. Matt grabbed Andy by the arm and steered him down the hallway into Andy's dirty room. The filth and clutter didn't bother Matt tonight. He didn't even notice it. He shoved Andy towards the bed. "Strip bitch," Matt growled and jerked the electrical cord to the lamp from the wall. The room was plunged into a dingy glow of moonlight streaming in through the window. Andy did as told, shedding his single article of clothing, a pair of cutoff jogging pants. His cock was large and stocky, like Andy himself. Matt threw off his own clothes quickly before letting his hands explore Andy's entire body. Andy allowed the exploration, encouraged it and then brought it to an abrupt halt by turning and grabbing Matt, throwing him off balance. Matt plopped down into a sitting position on the side of the bed, surprised by this sudden show of resistance. But it wasn't resistance. Andy was already going down on his knees, spreading Matt's own knees apart and reaching for his dick. Matt sucked in a glorious breath as Andy's mouth engulfed Matt's cock, taking him all in, down to his root.

"You rotten bastard," Matt moaned, propping himself on his hands and letting his head fall back. "You've done this before. Quite a bit it seems."

Andy chuckled and the vibrations were delicious. Andy raised his head. "Not recently enough, Matt. I've missed it, so much." Andy went back to his task with such vigor and enthusiasm that Matt had to grab a handful of his hair and pull him away.

"Don't make me cum too fast, fool," Matt growled. "I already told you that I want to fuck you. How can I do that if you suck me off as soon as I get here?" Matt pushed Andy away and stood, motioning for Andy to lay across the bed. With a moan Andy complied, raising his firm ass up into the air for Matt's inspection. Matt let his hands roam over the muscular ass cheeks, ran his finger lingeringly between them then spread them hard and pushed his cock deep inside Andy's tight hole. Both men groaned in pleasure. Matt remained still a while, buried deep, running his hands the length of Andy's broad back. Then he began to fuck, slow, sure strokes, Andy rocking with him. Matt brought his palm down hard on one of Andy's lovely white buns and a handprint bloomed there seconds after Andy's yelp of surprise. Matt continued to pump slowly but his hand came down on Andy's ass again and again until it shone rosy in the dim light. Andy began rocking back harder and Matt met him until they were slamming together relentlessly. Matt finally came, his long denied need for release exploding deep into Andy's bowels, Matt's breath rushing out with it. He flopped down over Andy's back, panting and sweating, aware that his own body smelled sour from his days of confinement but Matt didn't give a damn. He had gotten what he had come here for. As his breathing eased he realized that Andy had been panting too.

"Did you cum on your lovely sheets?" Matt asked sarcastically but with no real bite to his words.

"Couldn't help it," Andy mumbled into the mattress.

Matt clambered off of Andy and let him up. "So what was it? Some overly fond uncle, a horny old priest, the boy next door?" Matt asked.

Andy laughed but the sound was a mixture of both amusement and embarrassment. "All of the above," he admitted. "Up until I was about fourteen or fifteen. Then I spent all my time trying to prove I was into girls like all the other guys in my classes."

"And you've still been trying to prove it," Matt muttered, swiping at a bead of sweat that rolled down his brow.

"Until a few years ago. My last girlfriend, Jane, wasn't a girl at all. Damn sure looked like one. No one knew but the two of us. All she would let me do though was fuck her ass. She wouldn't let me touch her dick, kept saying she didn't have one. She was going for the operation and was already denying being a guy."

"What happened though, why did she leave?"

Andy shrugged as he reached for his underwear on the floor.

"I really don't know. The drugs I guess. I got rather wild for a while and she left me."

"Hmph," Matt muttered, his interest in the topic already waning. "I'm going to borrow your shower."

Matt showered quickly and Andy followed after him, finding Matt already tucked between the sheets of the bed when he returned.

"You can sleep in your own wet spot," Matt said laughing as he turned toward the wall. Andy's brows rose.

"What the hell happened to your back?" Andy asked then added, as if Matt's words had just hit his brain, "You planning on staying the night here?"

"Yep. I'm not done with you yet. Just resting for a bit," Matt informed him, his voice slightly muffled because he was facing the wall. "And don't ask me questions about my back. It's nothing."

"Really?" Andy asked, his voice partly outraged, partly amused and partly eager. He slid slowly into the bed beside Matt and Matt flipped back over, this time facing Andy in the dingy moonlight.

"There are some things we need to discuss Andy," Matt said seriously but his hand was traveling languidly over Andy's body again.

"Such as?"

"Sin's disappeared."

"What?" Andy sat bolt upright, staring over at Matt in horror. "Again? The bastard has skipped out on us again? We have gigs lined up for the next month!"

"I know," Matt said calmly, using his hands to urge Andy back down into the bed. "We'll have to get through some of them without him. You know I can get us through, temporarily at least. We'll put it about that Sin is sick, a throat infection, something."

Andy grunted angrily. "Uh-huh, yeah, temporarily. Disappeared is what you said, so you have no idea where that sorry fuck has slunk off to this time. How do you know it's just temporary huh?"

"Because I'll go and hunt him down and drag him back. It will take some time though."

"So that's why you're here. You only wanted me to get back at Sin for running off." Andy sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Of course," Matt said harshly. "Surely you aren't the romantic type Andy."

"You're wrong Matt. I am rather. I like my lovers to stick around."

"Then go find you a girl."

"I had one, but I lost her."

"You mean the girl that wasn't a girl?" Matt asked laughing.

Andy nodded miserably. "I loved her. I truly did. I just fucked up is all. As usual. I hate always being alone Matt."

Matt shifted and thought of Paul. "Guess I had you pegged all wrong Andy but I'm not in the least sorry that I came here for a good fuck. You can't have me. I belong to someone else."

"Sin," Andy said angrily.

Matt started to agree then set his jaw stubbornly. "No, myself. I belong to myself. Sin thinks he owns me but he's got it backwards. I own him. He just hasn't figured that out yet. But I don't want to talk about Sin right now. He's not here. There is no telling where he is, the sorry son of a bitch." Matt snapped his mouth shut, suddenly hearing his own words, what he had called Sin. A son of a bitch. Was he? Matt didn't know and Sin didn't either. Sin had never met his mother, hadn't known a thing about her until they had gone to kill McKenna. So, Matt thought, it was a start at least. Find Sin's mother and maybe he would find Sin as well. Matt pushed the thoughts to the back of his head. He didn't have time to hunt for Sin right now. He had to save Chains first, then go find Sin. "Look, I intend to stay around for a couple of weeks at least before I go hunt him down. You have to teach me the Chains originals. I don't know them and we have only a few days for me to get them down right before Friday's gig."

"Me?" Andy asked dubiously.

"Well, you and the other two. You'll have to call them in the morning and tell them the bad news. In the meantime I intend to enjoy you. How long before you can go again?"

Andy laughed this time. "Matt, this is the first sex I've had in months. I'm already recharged." Matt slipped his hand to Andy's cock to check the verity of those words and found him to be honest. Matt began to stroke him.

"There is a club I belong to, one Sin introduced me to. I think you might enjoy it Andy. You might even find yourself an "ever after" there. You of course must go as my slave first though. Can you be a good little slave Andy?" Matt whispered against Andy's ear.

"What...whew, do that again, squeeze harder...what do you mean by slave?" Andy breathed heavily. Matt whispered it all to him, told him his own experiences at the Collar Club from beginning to end, all the while fucking and being fucked by Andy. Andy found the story exotic and erotic and begged Matt to tell him even more details as they started on their third round for the night. Matt obliged and by morning Andy was wearing Matt's shiny new collar.

* * * *

"What the fuck! Again?" Doboot screamed, waving his long arms in the air and pacing. "How could that sorry asshole run out on us again?"

The other members of Chains weren't taking the news very well at all. They looked dispirited, downtrodden and ready to quit altogether. Matt had to pull them out of their funk, and quickly.

"It's temporary," he assured them quickly. "I'll only have to take Sin's place for a couple of gigs. We'll get him back. He's had some major family problems lately."

"That sorry dog doesn't even have a family!" Heath roared.

Matt shook his head, wishing he hadn't said anything about Sin's family but he had so now he was left to explain as much as he could. "Yes he does. He only just found out who and where his real mother is. It hit him hard. I think he's gone to find her. Can you blame him? All these years as an orphan, an aimless wanderer and suddenly he finds out he really does have a family. Give him time. We'll get through this, okay? Just give him a little time."

"Are you making this shit up to cover for him Matt?" Doboot demanded fiercely.

Matt shook his head. "No, it's for real."

"You aren't good enough to carry a show alone," Heath said, his voice holding no venom, just fact.

"You're right," Matt agreed, not offended. "That's why you guys have to work so hard to whip me into shape. We don't have time to look for Sin right now if I'm going to pull this off and besides, we really should give him some time." Matt had come to that conclusion himself during the night and with it a lot of his anger had faded. Not all of it, no. There was no excuse at all for how Sin had handled Matt, just handing him off to another Master so that he could be held captive. All he had needed to do was tell Matt he needed some time alone. Matt bit his lip suddenly, wondering if he was lying to himself. Would he have let Sin go off on his own? Probably not. He would have wanted to go with him, would have insisted on it in fact. Might even have been driven to it by Sin's deep brainwashing, simply because it would have been something Matt would have WANTED to do and therefore irresistible to him with Sin's commands never to leave his side imbedded in Matt's head. Well, Sin had done that to himself as well as Matt. If Sin hadn't planted the thoughts there to start with...

"Are you okay dude?" Andy interrupted Matt's thoughts, bringing him back to the present and the room full of angry band members.

"Yeah, yeah of course. All I am trying to get across is that you guys have to help me out here if I'm to help all of you until Sin comes back."

Heath grunted sourly. "If he comes back you mean. He's screwed us before. And we were so damned close to that contract too!"

"He'll be back and he'll sign the contract. You have my word on that!" Matt growled, hoping he wasn't lying to them and himself.

"Matt's right about one thing," Andy said, piping up at last. "We have to do Friday's gig, Sin or no Sin and Matt is good enough to get us through, if we help him."

"What the fuck is that around your neck Andy?" Doboot snarled as he paced over to Andy and hooked a finger under the collar. "What the heck is MSD?" he demanded, looking at the initials burned into Andy's collar. He whirled and looked at the nearly matching collar around Matt's throat. "Trying to start some kind of faggot fashion?"

Andy slapped his hand away. "Mind your own business Do. It has nothing to do with the band. Are we going to just throw up our hands and quit like Der Munchies or are we going to do what we can to keep Chains going until Sin gets back?"

"What the fuck ever," Doboot grumbled but he turned to Heath, waiting for his decision.

"We go on. It's all we can do at this point. I'm not willing to give up on Chains, or Sin for that matter, not yet. Let's get some practice in, see what kind of vocals we can squeeze out of Matt. Think you can master a few of our songs by Friday?"

Matt nodded. "Three or four at least. I know the covers already but of the Chains songs, well, I'll have to work my ass off. By the next week though I should be able to master a lot more."

"Damn straight you will!" Doboot said as he picked up his guitar case and headed for the garage. "Damn straight."

* * * *

Matt was still tearing himself apart. He couldn't make up his mind whether he was so hurt and angry with Sin that he never wanted to see him again or if, as he had told the other band members, Sin deserved to have some time to himself, that he truly needed it. How could Matt expect the other guys to forgive Sin if Matt couldn't find it in himself to do so first? They all had something to lose where Sin was concerned. He played a vital part in the future of every one of them, though for Matt the ways were far different than for the others. For now though Matt was struggling, every breath he breathed was harsh and forced around the raw pain of being separated from Sin. He wanted him back and he wanted him back NOW. Even if only to strangle him to death, or better yet, fuck him raw.

The band members were pleased. Matt's angst rang out in every note he sang, every scream and groan that tore out of his throat to the bone numbing beat of Heath's drums. There had been no more time for games between Matt and Andy. Their days and nights had been absorbed in band practice, trying to get Matt ready. The grueling hours had paid off and now, with Matt on the stage, the audience was wild. There lacked that dark magic that hung over any room where Sin performed but Matt was keeping the crowd on their feet and screaming for more. Only a few grumbles were heard about the absence of Sin as front man but most of those were quickly quieted by the announcement that Sin would return after caring for an ailing family member. Even Silverman and Debroy were satisfied with Matt's excuses, believing as they did that Silverman had an unbreakable hold over Sin. Matt was careful not to let it be known that Sin could probably care less about any of them right now. Silverman with all his smug smiles would be floored to know that Sin wouldn't really give a shit at this point if Silverman spilled his guts to the president himself about what he knew about the attack on the McKenna house. Though McKenna himself would deny it all. So far McKenna was faithfully sticking to his original story, claiming his wife had tried to have him assassinated. Not once had he mentioned the visit from his illegitimate son and his friends.

Matt was more than relieved when the Friday night gig was over but he knew he had to do it all again on the following night. Instead of feeling giddy and hyper like the other guys after the gig he felt drained and hollow. Empty. He needed a diversion, something to take his mind off the ever absent Sin.

"Andy!" Matt called, getting the guitarist's attention and drawing him away from an overeager blonde fan that Matt knew had not really been to Andy's particular taste anyway. "Let's go out to the club tonight," Matt whispered, careful to let no one overhear him. He certainly wouldn't want to explain to Heath and Doboot why he could not invite them to his club after such a successful night on stage. Andy's eyes widened.

"You mean the club you told me about the other..." Andy glanced around and lowered his voice more. "...the other night, the Collar Club?"

Matt nodded, a sparkle finally lighting his eyes after a night of nothing but screaming out his pain and rage over a microphone to people who didn't give a shit about anything but the loud beat and whatever drug they'd had in their systems to amplify it.

"What about tomorrow night? Shouldn't you be resting up? You have to do this all over again you know."

Matt grinned this time. "And how better to relax my friend than to get a load off?" He looped an arm companionable across Andy's shoulder and led him toward the door.

You may now also contact me in Myspace @ http://www.myspace.com/jackllawayllynn