Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Clint

Vacation.The word was practically poisonous—and even worse than a nightmare wrapped in broken limits. He hadn’t taken a vacation as a nurse, and he certainly didn’t need one from the club. But Maddy’s suggestion of therapy had been even worse. If I let a therapist in, I’ll be committed for sure.

“I’m so excited for you,” said Maddy, grasping Clint’s smaller bag from the trunk and tossing it over his shoulder. Clint grabbed the second one, pushing out a sigh as he let it thud to the gravel road. There were weeds growing through the road in large patches, some stretching higher than his waist where they’d burst through the crushed rock.

And the potholes had made Maddy crawl along in the car, barely getting over walking speed as they’d rocked back and forth. It was made for a truck with big axles and more testosterone than dick.

Clint let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. Where the hell am I? There was no way that a vacation was what he needed, but it was only slightly better than the alternative of Derreck’s first choice.

Maddy had insisted on driving, too, leaving Clint no way to escape the trip to their destination. There was a butterfly that was nestling on a nearby flower and a high-pitched sandpiper sounding the alarm as it zoomed down a dusty section of the path. He knows me too well.

If it had been Clint’s choice, he would have turned for the city as soon as the lane had come into view. Of course, he loved the new home in the middle of the woods, but it still wasn’t the same as the thrum of the city and the lights that could guide him, no matter what the time of night.

It wasn’t that far from the club—maybe fifteen minutes tops. But it was off the beaten path, for sure.

“I’ve heard so much about this place,” said Maddy, shielding his eyes before looking at the cabin. “It has five stars on all its ratings, and a few members have been out here, too. Apparently, the owner is a great guy, but I doubt you’ll see him much.”

Clint was doing his best not to look toward his future stay, his gaze firmly affixed on the suitcase that was now coated with dust. He hadn’t even owned the bags before the move.

“Uh-huh.” Clint crossed his arms and leaned against Maddy’s car. Derreck must’ve buffed the exterior, because it was slippery to the touch and shiny except for the few bugs they’d hit along the way.

He’d never thought he’d be caught dead in a bed and breakfast, especially not a privately owned cabin that was somehow up for rent on a few popular websites. The concept was ridiculous.

The main house they’d passed hadn’t looked half bad—for a hundred-year-old farmhouse—and the fenced paddock he caught sight of had almost caught his interest. The cabin, though? Um, does it even have heat?

He took a quick glance and wasn’t impressed.

It wasn’t that cold yet, but the nights were starting to get chilly. He hadn’t thought to pack any extra blankets or mouse traps, for that matter.

“Do you like it?” asked Maddy, a smile touching his lips as he looked around. “I can’t believe it’s so quiet. I can hardly even hear the road.”

“What road?” Clint chuckled at Maddy’s glare. “That path was not a road, kid. But, yeah, I like it.” Even after everything Clint had said, Maddy had still tried his best to find something when Clint had agreed to a vacation. The kid was gold, and he wasn’t going to hurt him again. That’s a promise.

Biting his lip, he looked back to the cabin. The exterior was made of wood logs that were slightly pleasing to the eye with a burnished stain that was nearly red. The deep green door with white trim seemed to suit, as well, and a few windows were spotted along the small exterior.

It was the inside he was worried about. “Don’t places like this usually have mice?”

He’d had rat problems a few times in the old club, which seemed to come with the territory. The last one had taken him three sleepless nights to catch, and the thing had almost been as big as a house cat. He hadn’t meant to kill it, either, but when it had run right by him while he’d been carrying the baseball bat while on the prowl, he’d struck out automatically.

“I think so?” said Maddy, scrunching up his nose. “If you have any problems, just contact the owner. I printed everything off for you.” Maddy rushed over to the car, grabbing a piece of paper from the front seat before folding it and zipping it into Clint’s bag.

“And what am I supposed to do out here?” Listen to crickets, that was for sure. There must’ve been a thousand of the things. The new Unkinked had its fair share, but not nearly so bad. There was always music there, though, and people. Even when the club was closed, the regulars were sometimes in the few rooms meant for overnight stays. He was never alone.

Maddy scratched the back of his head, squinting at the sun. “Relax, put your feet up, read a book. Those kinds of things.”

He snorted, shaking his head. “Kid, I haven’t read a book in twenty years. I live in a kink palace. No book could be better than that.”

“Then the other stuff.” Maddy pulled at the collar of his T-shirt before hiking the bag up again and heading to the door of the cabin. “I honestly didn’t check to see if there was a television.”

Wait…no kink and no television? Clint glanced at the car. The keys were still in the ignition.

“And how long do I have to stay in this place?” Clint rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away from the car. “I’m not trying to sound like an ass. I appreciate you planning this trip and all, but the whole cabin in the woods thing is pretty boring when you aren’t starring in a horror movie.”

“You’ll be fine,” said Maddy, pointing to the keypad at the door. “The code is 3-4-5-6 to get inside. The door locks automatically, so make sure you remember the code.” He typed the code on the small keypad, twisting the door handle as soon as there was a click. “Wow, this is really nice.”

Kill me now.Clint looked back at the car. If he made a run for it, he could probably make it before Maddy. But then Derreck would kill him for real for leaving Maddy here and for possibly breaking the car during his rush out of the lane.

Letting out a sigh of resignation, he stepped inside, squinting in the lower light.

“Wow,” said Clint, letting his heavy bag slide to the floor as he blinked and looked around.

“I know,” said Maddy, making a slow turn before grinning. “And it’s all yours. You are going to have so much fun!”

It didn’t look like fun, exactly, but modern appliances and one hell of a stylish interior certainly helped. The floors were spotless hardwood, and the kitchen countertops looked like granite, from what he could tell. The couch was a plush, leather-looking thing that appeared to recline, but it was only a two-seater.

That’s going to be a trick to sleep on.

“It’s nice,” said Clint, slipping off his shoes and taking another step inside. He spied something along the far wall. “Oh, and thank God there is a television.” It wasn’t huge, but it was there, nestled between two bookshelves that were surprisingly full.

“You like it? Really?”

He didn’t deserve someone like Maddy in his life, plain and simple.

“I love it.” The smile was real this time. When he touched the back of the couch, he let out a groan. At least it would be comfortable. It smelled clean, too, with that fresh smell that came from something new.

“Perfect, because I’ve got you booked for the month,” said Maddy, letting out a sheepish grin as he dropped the bag and took a step toward the exit. “I should go check on the club now, Clint. Bye.”

“Now wait just a second.” Clint was only a step behind and closing the distance fast. “There is no way I’m letting you run Unkinked for a whole month by yourself, Maddy. A week tops.” He was already going through withdrawal. He hadn’t seen a single nipple yet today. Shit like that took its toll.

“Derreck wanted three months, but I got him down to one,” said Maddy, his smile looking a tad more forced as he took another backward step. The edge of the small porch was right behind him, and Maddy took a glance before making his way down the stairs.

“You can’t just leave me out here,” said Clint, motioning to the fridge which was probably empty. “I’ll starve to death.” He couldn’t walk to town from this far, and it would take him a good day to hike back to the club unless he managed to hitch a ride with someone. That’s a good plan.

But even if he got back, Derreck would no doubt be waiting with a shovel and a pre-dug hole somewhere.

Maddy shook his head. “You don’t have to worry about a thing. The owner of this place had the option to have all your meals provided to you, and I’ve already let him know about your allergies. You’ll be fine.”

I am so not going to be fine.

“Bye, Clint.” With one last step, Maddy turned, hightailing it to the car.

“What the hell just happened?” He had to laugh as Maddy stumbled just before he reached the car, catching himself on the trunk and probably scratching up the wax job as he caught it with his nails. “Karma’s a bitch, kid.”

As the car pulled out of the drive, swaying and thumping along the pitted road, a finality crept in that tugged something in his chest. For the first time in years, he was away from the club and well and truly completely alone.

But what the fuck was he supposed to do in a cabin for a month? Kink was his thing, and without it he was…

He shook his head, cutting that thought off before it could sink too deep. He’d been without kink for a long time, even if he immersed himself in it every day.

He strained his hearing, but the sound of Maddy’s car had disappeared, replaced with crickets, wind and a few birds that were probably hopping around in the trees that surrounded the property.

His stomach grumbled, pulling him away from the door. He padded across the space, jerking the fridge open. It was only eleven in the morning, and he would be out of luck if meal time wasn’t until after lunch. His breakfast had consisted of a cold coffee and glares from Derreck.

“What the hell?” his mouth flopped open against his will as he pushed the door wider, scanning the interior.

It was packed with everything from carrots to bacon and a few other things he didn’t recognize. There was no way he could eat everything before it went bad, especially not on his own. Is it the fucking apocalypse? He kept his fridge fairly stocked at home, but often went for precooked meals for simple ease and time. There was no joy in cooking. Not anymore.

He stumbled to the cupboard, pulling the door wide. It was in a similar state, with boxes of crackers, chips and even the soup packets that he secretly got cravings for every few months. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen so many varieties of canned beans before, and someone had obviously found out about his secret love of black licorice.

A white scrap of paper on the counter caught his eye, and he reached for it, flipping it over to read the scratched lettering.

~To get you started.

S.

“What in the ever-loving fuck?” This couldn’t be just the start. He was going to gain fifty pounds in a week if someone expected him to eat this much. And who the fuck was S?

Something shifted in his gut as realization struck him like a force. Maddy had been so eager to pick the spot and had booked it without even letting Clint vet the place. He’d mentioned that he knew the owner, only to backtrack a moment later and claim that a friend of a friend did.

And leaving him without a car? It was like a final nail in his modern wooden prison.

He scrambled for his bag, reefing the zipper open and grabbing the folded paper that Maddy had tucked inside so casually. Clint hadn’t even thought to ask for it or read it, so in denial of his fate.

“Maddy, you little brat.” Clint fell back on his heels as a laugh pushed through his lips. It wasn’t even funny, but he couldn’t stop. Oh, this is going to be hell.

On the paper was information about the place like the Wi-Fi password and the door code, along with the owner’s name and number. There was even a little quote from the bastard, which had presumably been done up by the host site.

If you need anything at all during your stay, just let me know. I always have a steak on the grill.

~Scotland