Robert's POV

It was weird to look at my club when it was empty. With the glow of red lights replaced by LED white ones, the large space looked oddly naked. The stages were boring when they were empty, the bar looked like any average bar, and the tables and booths off to the sides reminded me of a diner.

It needed revamping. I wanted a club that was classy, exclusive, and for experts in the lifestyle. The fact that Jerry could wander in off the streets proved that something needed to be changed.

Speaking of the little devil boy. My phone vibrated and I answered in record speed.

"Hi, my Lord and Master Sir," Jerry drawled. I smirked. It may be sarcasm, but I wasn't going to turn my nose up at honorifics. "You called...eight times?"

"I'm having a personal crisis," I said. "I need a young and hip person to help me."

"...Ohhhhhkay."

Brat.

"I don't like my club," I admitted. "It's more of a party nightclub scene than...BDSM."

"Dude, two nights ago someone came in fully wearing a latex dog costume!"

"Really?! That gives me hope."

"The fu—"

"I need your advice." And to spend time with you. "You're young and go to clubs. You can help me make mine better. Please be here in ten minutes, boy."

"I have an actual life, thou—"

"Ten minutes? Thank you, demon boy."

"Bru—"

I hung up.

It took Jerry eight minutes to drive over. He arrived looking as adorable as usual, with his curly blonde hair a total mess and wearing his cute name-brand items of clothing.

Jerry always kind of walked like he was on a runway. He stopped in front of me and crossed his arms. "I have a bone to pick with you."

I fought inner irritation at his disrespectful glare. He wasn't my submissive. He wasn't even a submissive at all, technically.

"Yes?"

"Dude! You are literally more needy than a kitten stuck in a basket mewling for its mama!"

I blinked, the urge to take him over my knee rapidly dissipating. "That was random."

"—You contact me more than the radio repeats Shawn Mendes songs!"

"Are you having some sort of descriptive language crisis?"

"Yes." Jerry huffed and tugged at his hair. "Actually, I am. I'm sorry, I'm stressed today for many reasons. All I'm saying is I can't just drop everything and hurry to your side."

I decided not to mention that he actually did do that.

"I'm sorry," I said, because that was the safer, less cocky route. "You're right. I wasn't thinking."

Jerry's feathers instantly unruffled. "...Thank you. So, uh, what's the issue?"

I dropped my hand onto his shoulder affectionately. "Well, I don't like my club. I want it to be a hub for people in the lifestyle, but it's ended up being a place for people to dance and gawk at the freaks."

Jerry hummed and nodded. "Yup, that's why I came at first."

I glanced at him in surprise. "And why do you come now?"

Jerry rolled his eyes. "Oh, you know. The music and shit."

I grinned. This boy was a handful.

Whenever Jerry came to the club, I invited him to come and sit with me to watch performances. He would always watch, practically drooling.

He was interested in the lifestyle. That's why he came.

"And I'm supposed to help you?" Jerry asked. "Like, change your club?"

His pocket glowed a faint white and irritation shot to the core of my soul. "Yes, please. I could use a friend's advice. And I'd be willing to offer some advice myself, with whatever's going on in your life right now."

Jerry gave me a deadpan stare. "I have nothing going on in my life right now. C'mon, what's wrong with your club? Let's do this fast so I can re-write my writing assignment."

I gave Jerry a quick tour of the place, pointing out what I hated and what I liked. Explaining briefly what I wanted to be changed. And when I decided I'd given enough fluff to hide my true motives, I stopped the tour and smiled.

"Okay, I do hate my club," I said. "However, that's not why I—"

"KNEW IT!" Jerry screamed, launching backwards and stumbling into a wall of hanging floggers. "Jesus. I knew it! You—you liar. This has been the most normal interaction I've ever had with you and that's saying a ton. I knew it was fake."

I awkwardly focused my attention on the swing that was dangling from the ceiling. "Well. Not fake. I just wanted time to talk to you, to figure out what was going on this morning."

"Dude! You are such a stalker! Why is everyone I know a stalker?"

He tossed his hands up into the air, because Jerry lived and breathed dramatics. But I couldn't ignore what he'd said. "Everyone...are you talking about the Abraham Lincoln guy?"

"...Adam Lincoln?"

"Ah. Yes."

Jerry's eyes went wide and he looked away. "Nope. Hey, is that dildo shaped like a horse's penis?"

I grabbed his wrist gently and turned him towards me. "Stop talking about the private ro—"

"So Aidan actually rents out one of these rooms, so he and Finn can have freaky sex?" Jerry continued. "Wow. I didn't realize how committed they were to the BDSM cause."

"Jeremy McQueen," I snapped. Jerry shut his mouth. "Is Adam the one sending you all of those texts?"

He fidgeted under my stare, but I'd practiced this aspect of dominance thoroughly. Even other Doms at the club wavered under my stare and obeyed my Dom voice.

He gritted his teeth and squeaked out, "Yes?" I grabbed his phone from his pocket and Jerry squealed, "Don't touch my body!"

Sure enough, his screen was filled with texts from the asshole. Jealousy tightened in my chest and I had to bite back childish rage. Jerry wasn't mine. Not even close.

It was rewarding to see that Adam's name in Jerry's phone was 'mistake'.

Mistake: don't tell Aidan about what happened

Mistake: ignoring me again? you're such a rude kid

Mistake: wow. I've finally made it all the way through your paper from last week. you actually wrote the words 'despite the seemingly straightforward title, there was not a single vengeful grape in this book' ????

Jerry grabbed his phone. "Dude! Stop looking at my things."

"What happened that you shouldn't tell Aidan?" I snapped. I was going to murder Adam if he even touched a single hair on Jerry's head. "Why does he even have your number?"

Jerry threw his hands between us like they were some kind of barrier. "I seriously don't like your negative energy right now. Also, that's not your business. Also, you should know that you're a very large man, and when very large men get angry it can sometimes be stressful for those who are smaller."

I bit my tongue and tried to relax, uncrossing my arms and letting my shoulders sag a little bit. "I'm sorry." This time I meant it. "I didn't mean to seem...mad at you. I'm not mad."

"Boundaries," Jerry growled, holding his phone possessively.

I ruffled his hair and smiled. "Sorry."

"...That's okay."

"It's time for you to leave so I can murder Adam," I decided. "There are many places in this club that I could use to hide a body, so it shouldn't be an issue."

Jerry groaned and leaned forward, slamming his head into my shoulder in defeat. My breath stilled and I tried not to move, because if I moved I might scare him away. "I hate you."

I took a risk and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. I used my other hand to ruffle his hair again, but secretly I was enjoying the way he felt in my arms. "I'll take care of him for you."

"You're not going to touch him, psychopath."

Okay, demon child. Sure thing.