He stood in the kitchen for awhile longer and then went to the hall to bring all his purchases into the house. The ones from the kitchen store, he left in their bags and boxes for Meer to put away. He put away the few clothes he’d bought for himself, put all of Meer’s new shoes into the front closet, and then very quietly knocked on Meer’s door.Meer didn’t answer.Ken walked in anyway. Meer wasn’t asleep, but his back was to Ken. Ken hung the clothes up in Meer’s closet. When he turned around, Meer was sitting up, glaring at him.“Well?” Meer demanded.“What?”“I hate you.”“So you said before. What am I supposed to do about that?”“You are so frustrating,” Meer said and flung himself to the bed.Ken sighed, trying to understand Meer’s thoughts. “Are you hungry?”“No. I’m never eating again. I’ll starve myself.”“You love food too much to do that.”“I don’t care.”Ken sighed again. “What do you want me to say, Meer? What do you want me to do? Apologize? I wasn’t there. I didn’t—”“Bu
“I’m not here for me, Yong. I don’t know if rumors have circulated yet, but I bought a slave and he needs clothes.”The man’s eyes narrowed. “There are stores for—”“Considering his status as my first slave, I decided that he should only have the very best. I can’t have him running around looking like an uncivilized foreigner.”“This is completely unprecedented.”“Yes, I realize that. But I’m sure you can find a way to compensate the inconvenience.”“Of course, Might Ken.” And Ken was certain there’d be a hefty “service charge” on this final bill. “We’d be happy to supply you with everything he needs.”“Thank you, Yong. He needs everything, all the way down to socks and underwear.”He called over a couple of other associates.“Hero, stand up,” Ken said, voice shaking when he said ‘Hero’. Meer stood immediately. One of the others took Meer’s measurements and Yong shouted at the other one to start taking clothes to the dressing room.Ken and Meer locked eyes. Meer had that look again, t
“What?”“Justin. It’s Justin.”“What’s Justin?”“Bosy’s …”“You know Bosy’s new slave?”He nodded. “We were … not friends. More like rivals, I guess.” Meer sighed and sat up. He played with the buttons on Ken’s shirt, not looking him in the eye. “Our families were allies. Our kingdoms shared a border. Justin and I are First Sons, heirs to be king.”Ken gasped.Meer smirked. “I know, right? Hence the irony of life, thing. Anyway. Our rivalry mainly stemmed from our birth status. Technically, we were the same rank, but Justin was a First Child, First Son, and I had eight older sisters. But I am older than he is. It seems stupid now, but then, it mattered a great deal. We competed in fairs and mock battles and for women.”Meer stopped, finally met Ken’s eyes and then climbed off his lap. Ken followed him into the kitchen. “I always mocked him. Told him one day, he’d be my slave and he’d have to wash my feet while I sipped champagne from his family goblets.”When he started making tea, Ke
Meer woke him up at five-thirty.“Fuck, Meer, it’s Saturday.”“I’m sorry, Master. Is there a different time you’d like me to wake you up on Saturdays?”Ken squeezed his eyes shut. “Just later. Eight or nine.”“Very well, Master.”And then it registered. Ken sat up. “Meer?”Meer turned at the door and lowered his head. “Yes, Master?”“Stop it.”“Stop what, Master?”“Stop that. What is wrong with you?”“I don’t know what you mean, Master.”Ken growled, stood up and stalked over to him. “Knock it off.”“If Master would tell—”Ken grabbed his shoulders and pushed him against the wall. “Don’t do this, Meer.”“Do what, Master?”Ken pulled him back and then slammed him against the wall again. “Don’t.”“Why not?” That defiant look was back in his eyes. “Because you said so. Master?”Ken sighed. He moved his hands from Meer’s shoulders and then put them against the wall. He let his arms bend until his forearms rested against the wall. Their bodies aligned. Ken let his head fall to one of his a
They finished the run in silence, Ken contemplating that. It wasn’t until they returned and Meer dropped to the floor to stretch that Ken asked, “Why haven’t you killed me and made a run for it?”Meer had his legs spread, almost in splits. He leaned his upper body to the floor and stretched his arms out. “That would be dishonorable.”“Why?”“Okay, so it wouldn’t be. But it’d be stupid. Because honestly, where am I going to go?” He lifted his legs off the floor, moaning, and Ken had to swallow against a sudden dry mouth. He could only imagine how stretched Meer’s quads were right then.“You’re staring.”“You’re flexible.”“Part of the training.” Meer sat up, winked at him and then lay on the floor. He pressed his hands flat by his head and then pushed his body into an arch. “You should be stretching after a run like that.”“Probably.”He kicked his legs up, effortlessly moving into a handstand. He held it and then bent his knees. He did a couple of pushups and then let his feet fall to
God, he hated the Senator’s parties. It was less a dinner and more of an excuse to get drunk, show off and trade slaves.At precisely nine, Yoona buzzed him. “Ken, I’m sorry, but Lee Sungmin refuses to talk to me anymore.”“Patch him through, NaNa.”Ken lost himself in work.At eleven he was considering going home and taking a long lunch. And then Yoona buzzed him again. “Bosy is here to see you.”Ken shut his eyes and sighed. “Send him in, Na.”Bosy sauntered in, once again dragging the tall Doushiten named Justin behind him. Bosy flung the kid onto the floor, and hooked the handcuffs to the arm of the chair.“Hey, Yunnie,” he said.“Bosy. What do I owe the pleasure?”“Just bored, thought I’d visit. I’m going to go use your bathroom.”Ken studied Justin. He didn’t look up, head lowered. More bruises and cuts covered his back and neck and chest.Ken spared the bathroom a glance and then rose. He moved around his desk and sat in the chair. Justin flinched, but didn’t pull away, when Ke
The guy clicked his tongue at him. “You’re a terrible liar.” The drink arrived and the guy sipped at it. “My name is Aiden.”“Now who’s the liar?”A hand settled on Ken’s thigh. “What if I told you I wanted you to fuck me? Would you think I was lying?”“No, but no thanks.”“Oh, come on. Let me be your angel for the night.”Ken froze, and then shut his eyes in defeat before turning to look at the guy. He smirked and downed his drink.“Come on, Might Michael,” he said, proving he knew exactly who Ken was. “Let me take you to heaven.”Ken let him take his hand. He led him through the club, past drugged out bodies moving to a steady beat. They entered a dark hallway, and as they turned corner after corner, went down a set of stairs and then turned more corners, Ken started getting nervous.Finally, he stopped and opened a door.Ken entered a sparsely furnished room lit by a single bulb. Couch, table, a couple of chairs. As soon as the door shut, the guy was pressed against him, laying bit
Ken groaned when something dug into his side.Someone chuckled above him.And then lips pressed against his neck, traveled down his shoulder.“Ken, you have to get up. I already have coffee ready. Don’t you want coffee?”“What time is it?” Ken mumbled.“Eight fifteen.”“Fuck.”“Like I said, you need to wake up.”Ken rubbed his eyes and forced himself to sit up. His whole body hurt. “Fuck,” he said again. He tried vainly to remember what appointments he had today.“Where’s my cell phone?”“Nope. You are not calling in,” Meer said. “Yoona already called when you weren’t there at eight. She told me to remind you about the Choi deal.”Ken shut his eyes and feel back to the bed. “I hate dealing with the Choi’s.”“Do you like dealing with anyone?”Ken opened one eye and grinned. “You.”Meer blushed and looked away.Ken tugged on his arm and Meer let himself be pulled. He curled up against his side. Ken leaned down for a kiss. Meer smiled against Ken’s lips. Ken’s fingers found the hem of Me