Angel and the Assassin

hands Daddy peeled the hood up over his cheeks and forehead and
    lifted it off. The soft leather had become a second skin, and when it was gone, he felt
    naked. Slowly Angel opened his eyes and looked up. Daddy tossed the hood onto the
    sling and ran his fingers through Angel‟s hair, rubbing hard. The sensation of the
    strong fingers massaging his scalp brought it back to life.
    Euphoric and at the same time exhausted, Angel gazed up at him with all the
    love that soared in his heart. Daddy grasped him under his armpits. “Come here,”
    he instructed and lifted him.
    At the same moment Angel sprang up, wrapping his arms around Daddy‟s
    neck and his legs around his waist. He dropped his head onto Daddy‟s shoulder,
    resting there like an infant. “I dreamed of a daddy like you,” he said softly. Daddy‟s
    big hands cupped his buttocks as he carried him to the door, took down the key and
    unlocked it, then strode out of the dungeon and along the hall to the kitchen.
    “Get down, boy.” Reluctantly Angel dropped his legs and stood while Daddy
    took bottles of water from the cupboard and handed him one. “Drink all of it.
    Between the enema and all the sweating you did, you‟ll get dehydrated.”
    Angel obeyed, realizing as he drank how thirsty he was. “Daddy, are you going
    to feed me? I‟m starving now. My belly thinks my throat‟s been cut.”
    Daddy chuckled. “Yes, you‟ve been very patient, boy, but remember what I
    said. Call me Sir now.”
    “Yes, Sir.” Disappointment washed through him, but he obeyed. “Can we go
    out, Sir?”
    “No.”
    “Can we have pizza, Sir?”
    “No. There‟s a great Indian place close by. They do a nice beef curry, or you
    could have chicken if you prefer.”
    “I‟ve never had curry.” Angel looked doubtful.
    “You‟re in England now; we eat more curry than they do in India. Go and get
    something on. I don‟t want you sitting on my furniture with a bare arse. I‟ll phone
    in the order.”
    “Sir, are you ever going to spank me?” Angel asked.
    “I‟m definitely going to spank you. It‟s just a matter of when. One thing at a
    time, boy. You‟ve learned a lot tonight. Now scoot.”

    46
    Fyn Alexander

    Chapter Six

    It was the middle of the afternoon when Kael woke up feeling wonderfully
    rested. Images from the night before floated through his mind, bringing back all the
    pleasure and perfection of it.
    Angel had shown a resourcefulness that had impressed him. The boy had
    courage and strength, good attributes in a slave, but also in an assassin. Kael had
    deliberately left him hungry to see if he would whine, and while he had reminded
    Kael more than once that he needed feeding, he had been patient. But the courage
    he had shown when Kael insisted he wear the hood, even though everything in him
    had cried out against it, made Kael wonder just what it would be like if he allowed
    himself to fall in love with Angel.
    He had lost count of the number of slaves of all ages he had mastered over the
    years, but he had never loved them. Some he had respected when they were brave
    under the whip or proved their stamina by enduring pain over a long period. Others
    he had liked because they were funny or sweet, even if they had lacked
    determination and spirit. But he had never loved any of them. Not one had ever
    been allowed to spend the night or have his phone number, even though some had
    begged. If a slave got clingy or needy, he was dismissed and ignored the next time
    Kael bumped into him.
    Rolling onto his back, he stretched out his arm to pull the boy into his chest. A
    moment of unease followed; all his senses went on alert. Angel wasn‟t there.
    Listening carefully, he heard the rushing of water in the bathroom and sank back
    with relief.
    Kael got up and slid the book out from under the mattress. Grabbing the
    pillows that always seemed to end up on the floor by morning, he threw them back
    on the bed. While the boy was showering, he would take a minute to write. He was
    not going to end up dying in obscurity like Misha, her body never returned to her
    family. Listed forever as a missing person. He had never known what drove her into
    the work they had chosen. But she was good. As good as him. But if he died on the
    job, like she had, there would be something left for his mum so she would
    understand what had happened and why he had chosen his line of work. Kael had
    never thought he could be friends with a woman, but he and Misha had been