Valentino

Daddy.

I've been called a lot of things in my life, but that's not something I thought I'd ever add to the list of ones I like. I'm used to hearing Sir, and even Master, from some of my regulars at the BDSM club I frequent, but never once have I accepted the name Daddy.

Maybe I just have my own father issues, and that's why I don't want to be someone else's even in play.

It's not like no one's ever brought it up before. A few sweet little subs have begged me to let them call me Daddy, but I'm not interested in signing up to be someone's sugar daddy.

I have the money, but not the desire.

I still don't, but the sound of the word coming from Nero's plush lips makes me want to slide my cock right over them and into his mouth.

Calm down.

I take a deep breath as I stare at the locked door in front of me, then punch in the code that lets me inside the room with no windows. My guest room, as Nero had called it, has seen more than its share of unwilling houseguests. He's just one of many.

So why is he affecting me like this?

I close the door behind me, glancing at him—and the cock that's still lying on his inner thigh from where I'd neglected to tuck it back into his pants.

Nero hasn't moved much from before I left. He's shifted enough to get his arms a bit more comfortable, but with his back still injured, he can't stretch out easily.

"Have I given you enough time to make a proper decision?" I ask. I know what he's going to say. Yes, I'll work with you; no, I won't betray you. But I'm not stupid enough to think that's enough of a guarantee. He'll have to give me something... or I'll just have to take it from him.

I squeeze the item in my pocket, considering it again. There are worse ideas, but it's up to the twinky little assassin in that bed.

Nero looks me in the eyes and nods. "Yeah. I mean, it's not like I have much of a choice, right? But I'd like to know who tried to have me killed too. I'd be stupid to turn down your generous offer."

"You would be," I agree, a smirk curving onto my lips. "But I would be stupid to trust an unknown assassin with a contract on my life. What kind of idiot would trust your word not to just complete the contract and figure out the rest later?" This would be easier for me if the would-be assassin wasn't so damn cute. If it was a big gorilla in the bed, I would probably just slit his throat and be done with it.

Which is probably part of the reason I couldn't find anything out about Nero. An unknown assassin is either one of two things: very inexperienced, or very good.

Nero snorts in amusement. "Okay, Daddy. What do you propose? Since we can't trust each other."

"Not marriage, that's for sure," I drawl. It shouldn't be so easy to get drawn into banter with a contract killer, but then, I can't say my hands are clean either. I'm allowed to have a sense of humor sometimes—especially when it's my only way of dealing with the fact that I almost died the day before. As it is, my arm throbs, reminding me of just how close I came to dying. "How do you feel about collars?" I pull it out of my pocket and dangle it out in front of me.

For what it is, it looks normal enough—like a dog collar, or maybe even something a collared sub would wear.

Nero's eyes narrow at me though. "I don't know; how do you feel about me biting your nose off?"

"You see," I say, ignoring him completely, "they're a symbol of trust in my community. Fidelity. Submission." I smirk at Nero. "They can also be a real pain in the neck." I cross over to him, standing just beside the bed and holding the collar out so he can see it. "Literally."

The leather is a bit thicker than most collars, but the really interesting bit is the small compartment attached to the back—and the metal prongs on the inside.

"Is that a fucking shock collar?" Nero sneers at me. "I thought you wanted a boy, not a dog."

"Who says those things are mutually exclusive?" I ask him. "You want me to trust you, right? So give me a reason to trust you." I smile at him, still dangling the collar in my hand so he can see every inch of it. "Don't worry. They're plenty safe for humans. Illegal to use on dogs, in some places, but completely legal for humans. Go figure."

Nero closes his eyes and doesn't say anything for a while. That's all right. I've got enough patience to wait for him to realize that he really has no choice. He either does this, or he's dead.

Finally, he nods. "Fine," he says, voice brittle. "But you'd better not be a fucking tease if you're putting that on me. I expect at least two orgasms per day."

That catches me off guard, and I can't help but laugh. "I'm sorry, what? I'm the one in charge here, not you. You can expect two orgasms a day all you like, but that doesn't mean you'll get them."

Nero smirks at me. "So you were pawing at my cock just to blue ball me? Guess you're more bark than bite."

"I've never been told I shied away from biting before," I tell him, returning his smirk. "I have the perfect idea." I reach down and grab his cock, squeezing lightly before I wrap the collar around it. "Let's test out the settings on this puppy." I don't know what I expect, but it isn't for Nero to spread his legs wider. Most men would be terrified of getting their cocks pinched, let alone shocked.

"Sure," Nero says. "I've never tried electrostimulation, but I know some guys who are really into it. I'm all about the new experiences."

"Happy I can oblige, then," I say dryly. "We're going to have lots of new experiences together, Nero. I can just see it now." I pull the remote out of my other pocket, and without preamble, I flip the switch to turn it on. The setting is relatively low, with plenty of room to be moved up, but it should still pack a punch. I'd tested the collar, and I know how much it stings against my arm. I don't even want to imagine what it feels like on something as sensitive as a cock.

"Fuck!" Nero cries, and his face screws up in pain while his hips jerk.

He writhes, his skin turns red, sweat trickles down his face...

And he moans.

Well. That was unexpected.

I turn the shock collar off, and Nero instantly falls flat onto the bed, panting heavily.

Even some of the self-proclaimed masochists I've played with have balked at the idea of electro-stim play on their genitals, and here I have a captive assassin who's getting off on what's meant to be torture.

What the fuck am I supposed to do now? My cock has ideas, but letting it do the thinking for me would get messy in all the wrong ways.

"You know," I say, as casually as I can manage, "I'm the one who's supposed to be getting off on this. Not you."

Nero gives me a dazed look. "Then why are your pants still on? Can't use that cock of yours while it's all covered up."

I laugh at him, incredulous at his audacity. "You think I'm gonna fuck you? You think awfully highly of yourself. I don't fuck needy little twinks who try to kill me."

"But, Daddy, please," Nero says, and he adds a moan. "You hurt me so good." Then he smiles. "Or whatever floats your boat. I'm just saying, it's a waste to collar me if you aren't even going to fuck me. We'd both be blue-balled for no fucking reason at all."

"So let me get this straight," I say, my voice dry. "Instead of using the shock collar to punish you, I'm going to have to use it to reward you for good behavior?"

"I mean, I'd rather no collar at all." Nero tries to reach his cock with his manacled hands, but the chains don't extend that far. "And I don't think the shocks will help me heal. But that wasn't too bad. I've dealt with worse."

I shouldn't be amused.

I shouldn't be aroused.

"I can turn it up," I say, barely resisting the urge to adjust my cock in my pants as the idea of hurting him even more plays through my mind. I just want to hear the sound of his moans, to hear him beg... to hear him call me Daddy.