at this shit. I don’t know any gay guys.”
Hyde grinned and opened his arms for a hug. “Poor you!”
“It’s not funny!” Jason hugged himself instead. “I’m not good with people.”
Hyde’s arms dropped. “If that’s any consolation, you’re pretty talented with cock. It was damn impressive for a first-timer. So there’s that.”
It wasn’t a talent Jason wanted to have. “I got carried away,” he muttered, wanting to hide.
Hyde stared at him with those piercing eyes.
“Just let it go, I’ll do what you asked for.” Jason broke the silence, too tense to bear it. Hyde wouldn’t understand. He was always the life of the party. “It was a one-time thing, and I’m done with that now.”
Hyde pulled out a pack of cigarettes and put one into his mouth. “You need to meet my guys.”
Good. The message must have gotten through to Hyde’s brain, because he finally changed the topic from dick-and-ass talk. Jason was ready to get back to his miserable, loveless life full of unresolved sexual tension first thing next week. He nodded.
“Come,” said Hyde, leading him through two more rooms and into a windowless weight room. Now they could hear voices and some music ahead, and Jason wasn’t sure what to anticipate.
He rolled his eyes at the way Hyde ordered him around. He took a deep breath and focused on the width of Hyde’s shoulders, on his own aching jaw, and the little scratch in his throat, all to avoid making eye contact with whoever was there ahead.
They walked through a door and into a well-lit room. The voices died down, only to erupt again.
“Motherfucker! I’ll bite your nose off!” shouted one, and when Jason looked up, he was shocked to see a mass of gauze and bandages over Titan’s face. The guy was wearing a leather cut with lots of patches sewn on at the front. One of them read “Sgt at Arms.”
Jason swallowed. What was he to say? That he’s sorry? That wouldn’t be good enough. He crossed his arms over his chest. Four other men got to their feet, but none of them tried to stop Titan as he charged straight at Jason.
Hyde gave a theatrical sigh. “Come on, it’s not like you were pretty before. Remember when you got drunk and complained about your acne scars? Isn’t the one big, badass scar you’ll have now more of a chick magnet?”
“You claim you have any control over this rabid motherfucker?” a bearded young guy asked, but Jason was too busy dodging Titan’s fist to listen.
“Titan, for fuck’s sake! You want the money back or not?” growled Hyde, grabbing the giant from behind.
“How is his head in one piece gonna help with that? You better put a shock collar on the fucker!” Titan yelled, spitting all over Jason’s face.
Hyde snorted, and with a strong push, he got Titan to back off. “Deal. Now can you not mess up our investment?”
“He’s right, Titan. Chill,” said a tan man with a buzz cut and a plum-colored birthmark spread over half his cheek.
Jason frowned at Hyde. Deal ? He couldn’t be for real.
Titan groaned. “But you’re putting it on that crazed mutt. He’s fucked in the head. Should get fucking isolated.” He walked over to the wall and got a collar from under a large flag of the Rabid Mongrels MC, along with its logo, a red-eyed dog laying on a pile of guns and human skulls. It was the club that organized that night’s fight, and he now realized they were also the ones to make the contract with him. All of the men but Hyde wore identical leather vests, with the same symbol on the back.
Jason swallowed. Would these guys really let him go with a slap on the wrist if he won back the money? Somehow he didn’t think that would be the case.
“He’s gonna get the fucking collar,” hissed Hyde, as if Jason wasn’t there at all. Typical. Hyde looked at the guy with the birthmark. “Spotty, help me the fuck out?”
Jason took a few steps back, his eyes wide. “I’m not wearing a fucking shock collar! You outta your
Larry Niven, Nancy Kress, Mercedes Lackey, Ken Liu, Brad R. Torgersen, C. L. Moore, Tina Gower