Page 6 of Memories of the Dark
“You are a great guy, Xavier, the best friend I could wish for, and I can’t thank you enough for all the times you’ve been there for me. Sometimes, however, impulsiveness gets the better of you, and I...” The young man’s voice died down, and he started to quietly sob into his friend’s shirt.
“Damn, Dehaan. I’m so sorry, but the phone was ringing, you weren’t there to pick it up, and I imagined the worst. You’re right. I should work on self-control more, especially since there’s a big chance for me to get admitted to one of the most prestigious clubs in the city, maybe even get a sub of my own. How cool would that be?”
The short-haired man smiled at the excitement in his friend’s voice, but it didn’t reach his ice-blue eyes. “Whatever makes you happy, Xavier. If this BDSM thing helps you to become a better version of yourself, so be it. On the other hand... we’ve had this discussion before.” Dehaan plopped down the couch, head in his hands.
“And I’ve told you before that the sub is the one who has the greatest power in this kind of relationship. He decides how much control the dominant has over his body and life. He’s the one who sets the limits and negotiates the terms and conditions of the contract. I was offered the opportunity to perform a demo scene, and I thought of inviting you to see what it’s really about.”
“I’ll go, but only because I know how much my presence there means to you. I need about half an hour to take a shower and put some unappealing clothes on because I don’t want all those buff, arrogant Doms thinking I’m some naive, vulnerable, inexperienced boy they can prey on.”
Dehaan left the living room before Xavier could tell him that most likely the Doms would be accompanied by their respective subs and decided to not bring the subject into discussion once his friend was back. He had an unexplainable aversion against everything BDSM-related, and his best friend’s insistence of demonstrating there was nothing wrong with the lifestyle when practiced safely and responsibly risked him changing his mind about accompanying him to the demonstration.
Xavier shook his head, sighing in defeat. He’d known Dehaan for eight years but couldn’t decipher the enigma behind the man, and he didn’t dare to ask him about his past. All the man knew was that his best friend had a twin brother, Dunbar, who had been imprisoned and died in a fire started during a riot.
Roger Mills, also known as Sarge, a former US Navy sergeant, Xavier’s father and the president of Steel Riders MC—a biker gang formed almost exclusively from ex-military men—had the answers to all the Dehaan-related questions. However, over the eight years since the then-kid appeared in their life, Roger obstinately refused to talk about the past of the one he loved like a son.
Xavier shook his head again, making a mental note to be less impulsive over the coming days as it was the commemoration of Dehaan’s twin’s death, and his friend tended to isolate himself even more than usual. However, he couldn’t help worrying about his best friend, who often skipped meals and didn’t stay properly hydrated during that time of the year.
The bikers in Roger’s gang were very protective of Dehaan, and he was friendly with everyone, but when it came to interacting more closely, the young man kept them at arm’s length, his whole world reduced to the MC’s president, his wife and their son. In those eight years, Xavier hadn’t heard his best friend laugh, only a pale smile brightening his face on the happiest occasions during that time.
“I’m done, we can go. Here, you ‘re going to need this once the scene ends.” Dehaan stepped into the room, throwing a small bag in his best friend’s direction. “A fluffy, warm robe, a towel, body wash and a washcloth, a basic aftercare kit. Oh, and I also prepared a lotion to rub into his skin. It will make the discomfort more bearable.”
“Thank you. I completely forgot about that aspect. Sometimes I’m so scatter-brained!” Xavier left the couch, draping his arm around Dehaan’s shoulders. “You’ve thought about everything, even if you don’t like this lifestyle.”
“It makes you happy, and as long as no one is hurt, that’s all it matters to me. Here, take the keys, you need a car to impress your fellow Doms. I’ll support you with whatever you may need, but please don’t come to me with stories about the scenes you’re involved in. I’m not interested in finding out the details of your sex life.” Dehaan handled the car keys to his friend, sliding into the passenger’s seat. “You can keep the car, consider it an early Christmas present.”
“That is crazy. Thank you very much for thinking of me, but I just can’t accept it. You’ve done so much for me and my parents over the years, from finding a cure to mom’s cancer and taking all the expenses upon yourself, to paying the mortgage and all the debt dad got into. I just can’t...” Xavier started the car, driving out of the parking lot.
“Nonsense! I was going to give it to you anyway. I can’t forget how your eyes shone when you saw it. To be honest, I bought it for you. I’m not a fan of big cars. Starting from tomorrow, we’re going to look for a place to call your own because you can’t bring your sub to live with your parents, right?” Dehaan had the same flat tone as ever, the perfect camouflage that didn’t give away his feelings and emotions.
“Listen, there’s this guy, Zachary Jacobs, he’s a god of engines. I want to find the man and talk him into teaming up with me for creating custom bikes. With my metal-working skills and his knowledge about engines, we could make a fortune in no time. I’ll work day in and day out to repay the debt, so you don’t have to worry about...”
“I don’t. I believe in you, Xavier, in your skills. I know you are capable of great efforts and don’t give up, no matter how great the obstacles are. That’s why I decided to invest in your business, to become your partner. Everything will be put in writing, there will be all kind of legal stipulations. You just have to sign on the dotted line.” Dehaan gave his friend one of his rare, pale smiles.
Out of the corner of his eye, Xavier examined the younger man, sighing inwardly. Despite how long it had been since they’d met, he still wasn’t able to read his best friend. He couldn’t see past the surface and didn’t understand the reasons why Dehaan acted the way he did. Anyway, he knew one thing for sure: when it came to business, the man in the passenger seat was deadly serious.
On the other hand, Xavier wondered why his friend hadn’t come up with the proposition earlier but decided to not ask him. There was also the subtle but noticeable change in Dehaan’s attitude towards the lifestyle Xavier was attracted to. The harshness in his voice was completely gone, and he sounded sincere in his intention of helping his best friend finding a place of his own.
“You are beyond complicated for my power of understanding,” Xavier broke the silence that threatened to become uncomfortable. “Why are you doing this? Why are you so accepting of my choice after initially opposing it so much?”
“Because I forgot that, no matter the circumstance, you would never force yourself on another guy, never bully him into doing something he doesn’t want to. I don’t believe in BDSM rules, but I believe in you, and besides, like I said earlier, this thing makes you happy. Now you better keep your eyes on the road, or else we’ll get lost and you won’t make it on time for the demonstration.”
“That won’t happen. We are here. These people are very discreet. They always choose places like this, far away from prying eyes.” Xavier turned to Dehaan, who was a little uneasy at the sight of the building that looked like an abandoned warehouse.
“If you say so. To me, this place seems more like a drug dealer’s den. It sends chills down my spine.”
“Let’s get inside, and you’ll see how wrong... by Hercules, it’s pitch dark in here.” Scratching the back of his head, Xavier pulled out the phone from the pocket of his leather jacket. “Damn, you were right. This is not the place. The Headmaster just messaged me saying the demonstration was cancelled. So much for...”
“Did you hear that?” Dehaan cut his friend short, raising a finger. “It came from inside, a sort of muffled cry, like a trapped animal desperately trying to escape. Let’s go inside and release it, please.”
The tone of his friend’s voice, low, pleading and somewhat pained, like he never heard before, stabbed Xavier through the heart, and he nodded in approval. “Okay, let’s go.” Opening the door, he gestured to the other man. “Stay close to me and watch your steps. It’s pitch black inside, and we only have the phones as a source of light.”
“It smells like blood and something else, very familiar...” Dehaan sniffed the air, his face turning whiter than a sheet of paper. “It’s a version of Rohypnol, the rape drug, and judging by the smell, the formula was modified somehow. I think someone was recently raped or killed here... or both.”
“Wait... I can hear the noise too. It’s coming from there!” Xavier pointed to a heap lying on the concrete floor, a few feet away from where the two of them were standing. “That’s a body bag, and whoever is in it is still alive.”
The man rushed to the source of the weak noise, with Dehaan closely following him, and unzipped the body bag. Both men gasped in horror at the sight of the naked body inside, littered with scars of all kind, in various shapes and sizes, and covered in blood from head to toe. Dehaan checked the vital signs of the man in the bag and let out a loud sigh of relief when he felt the weak but steady pulse.
Using the items in the aftercare kit and his own shirt, he cleaned up the blood as good as he could, then, helped by Xavier, wrapped the man in the robe. At that point, the victim of the horrendous attack opened his eyes, casting a disoriented look around.