Page 44 of No Rules

Ryan’s heart went soft. Alex was such a good sub, even now seeking his Dom’s permission to respond.

“You may answer, Alex,” Mark said.

“I did consent.”

“What did he tell you?” Ryan wasn’t taking his word for it.

Alex shuffled his feet, staring at the floor. “He was gonna p-parade me around like this. Then offer me to others.”

Fuck, that was hot. Seriously hot. And right up Alex’s alley…in the future. It felt like too much at this stage. And knowing Alex had agreed didn’t make much of a difference in how Ryan saw it, but what could he do? If Alex had consented…

“Consensual or not, you’d better not take things too far,” Ryan warned. Fuck, he hated the idea of Alex being humiliated in front of strangers. It felt wrong. Ryan didn’t know why, but it wasn’t right. Mark shouldn’t be doing this.

Mark studied Ryan. “Your concern is touching but unnecessary. Alex knows what he signed up for, and he’s more than capable of handling himself.”

Ryan’s jaw tightened at the dismissal, but he refused to back down. “Humiliation play can be tricky, and I don’t want Alex getting hurt. You can’t blame me for wanting to make sure everything’s above board.”

Mark tugged on Alex’s leash. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have some…preparations to make.”

With that, he turned on his heel and pulled Alex down the hallway, leaving Ryan alone, his chest heaving with barely contained fury. Ryan clenched his fists, knuckles turning white as he stared at Mark’s retreating back, Alex meekly following him. The hallway seemed to stretch on, the dim lighting casting shadows that danced along the walls.

A gnawing worry clawed the pit of Ryan’s stomach. Interfering in their dynamic wasn’t his place, but could he let this go forward, even though it felt so wrong? He’d always trusted his instincts, and the one time he hadn’t, he’d paid a high price.

“Dammit…” He raked a hand through his hair. Should he follow them? There was nothing more he could do without overstepping his bounds. With a heavy heart and a surge of resentment, Ryan walked away, his mind racing with conflicting emotions.

He couldn’t shake the image of Alex, naked and vulnerable, being led away by Mark.

Wrong.

Everything about it felt wrong.

He couldn’t let this happen. Every cell in his body was screaming at him to interfere. He had to speak up, had to say something.

Fuck it. He turned on his heel and hurried back. If Mark intended to offer Alex to others, they’d be in the living room. As he approached, muffled sounds reached him—laughter, low murmurs, and an unmistakable moan.

He threw open the door. Wander and several other team members stood with their eyes fixed on the scene before them. Mark had positioned Alex over the back of a couch while Lowell was unbuckling his belt. Apparently, he had taken him up on his offer to use Alex. The sight of Alex bent over the couch, vulnerable and exposed, ignited something fierce within Ryan.

“Red!” he barked, his voice booming like a gunshot. Everyone froze, turning to him with wide eyes. “I’m calling red.”

“Ryan, what the hell are you doing?” Wander snapped.

“Putting an end to this scene.” Ryan strode across the room to stand between Mark and Alex. The air shimmered with tension, but he refused to back down. “You’re not doing this to him.”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Mark growled, his eyes spewing fire. “I’m his Dom. I decide what happens to him.”

“Ryan…” Alex’s small voice almost got lost in the heated exchange between the two men. His eyes were wide and pleading. “Don’t… You can’t…”

“Yes, I can. And I will. I’m taking over.”

“Are you seriously challenging me?” Mark sneered, taking a step toward Ryan.

“Damn right I am,” Ryan replied, his tone ice-cold. “And if you have a problem with that, you can take it up with Wander.”

“Enough, both of you!” Wander slapped one hand on Ryan’s chest and the other on Mark’s. “This isn’t a pissing contest.” He shot Ryan a piercing look that would’ve made lesser men pee their pants. “You serious about this?”

“Yes.”

“You understand this is a nonrefundable deal, yeah? If you do this, you can’t back out again. I will not permit it.”