Archive of Our Own

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In the Coils of a Snake

 Link to fic on AO3 ; LJ MasterPost
Link to art: Look at the pretties!

Jared ducked behind a couch as a bullet whizzed over his head yet again. At this rate, it would take nothing short of a minor miracle to get out of this alive... and if he died on a botched operation like this, all his years of hard work would be for naught. There seemed to be a lull in the firing and he took the opportunity to dash from his position behind the couch to the room on the left, praying to a God he was losing his faith in everyday that said room would have better defensible positions than his current location. A hail of bullets followed him but his jagged path ensured that they missed him. He ducked behind a conveniently placed table and took a second to collect himself.

The first thing that struck him once he’d got his heart-rate under control was the unholy stillness in the room he had just breached. While he appreciated the breather, silence during a gun-fight never meant anything good and he peered from behind the table’s legs as he took in the room. What caught his attention primarily him was the sheer number of bodies littering the floor, the second thing to catch his attention was the unpleasant discovery that he recognised the outfits on the corpses- those had been his teammates. Cursing himself and hoping his discovery just meant that the opposing gang had cleared out this room and he was alone in here, he cautiously rose into a half-crouch to peer over the table. ... And found himself staring up the muzzle of half a dozen assault rifles.

He peered up the muzzle to the arms holding it and found the entire team outfitted in black. They had the latest bullet-proof vests and were all wearing balaclavas. He furrowed his brows as he tried to factor them- they did not look anything like the men he had just gone up against in the other room.

“Step out, Sweetheart. ... Surely you can see there’s no way for you to escape?”

Jared jumped at the whiskey smooth voice, eyes scanning the room widely to locate the speaker but he couldn’t place who had spoken. The sound of the safety being clicked off had him surfacing from his musings and recognizing the truth in the words, he raised his hands- standing up from his crouch and feeling his vertebra pop as it relaxed from it’s stressed position.

“Front and centre, c’mon.”

Swallowing, he cautiously stepped forward. He froze when the men pointing their guns at him parted to make a path for him and continued stepping forward till he was before a man –also in all black- but conspicuously different from his teammates: the man had on a black trench-coat buttoned up to his neck and a balaclava. His eyes were startlingly green as visible from the gaps on the mask. His hands were in the same black gloves as his team, but his shoes were polished monk-straps instead of the assault boots of the rest. The room’s sole armchair might as well have been a throne for the way the man sat on it, confident and relaxed.

He offered his gun but was waved away, “You may as well keep it till this is over.”

Jared felt his eyes widen in shock.

“Turn around, kneel and face the door. Do not try to shoot me; you’ll be dead before you pull the trigger.”

And strangely Jared found himself obeying.

The fight continued right beyond the doors but the team was efficient enough that the doors were not breached save one instance when his (ex) team-mate accidentally stumbled in. Eric’s brown eyes widened when the man noticed him on his knees, but before he could question the situation, Jared shot his (ex) teammate. As the round-faced man crumpled to the ground from the brand new hole in his head, Jared found himself questioning on whose side he was on.  Before long the ‘men-in-black’ were ushering in the raggedly bunch of survivors, Jared’s old ‘boss’ one among them. He tried to act cowed, not wanting to give away that he had switched teams.

“Shurley,” The man behind him- the one with the whiskey smooth voice, greeted as Jared’s ‘boss’ was shoved to his feet before him. The alpha took in his hunched form and shot him a baleful look before looking up and meeting the eyes of the man in the chair.

“Alpha Ackles,” The man acknowledged sullenly.

Jared felt all his senses snap to attention at the name: while everyone knew Jensen Ackles was the ‘Boss’ around these parts, there had never been any incriminating news about him and Jared had found himself questioning the truth about the rumours regarding the tycoon.

“Fergus?” Ackles called, turning to one of the other kneeling men at gunpoint.

“Alpha,” Adam Fergus grumbled the honorific, shuffling forward awkwardly on his knees.

“Why do the two of you do this?” Ackles sounded frustrated, more like the exasperated teacher of a rebellious class than the city’s top crime-lord. Neither gang-lord seemed to be able to meet the alpha’s eyes at the reprimand.

“The next time I have to intervene, you’ll both regret it.”

Jared bit his lip to hide his smirk as he watched the two alphas be chastised like school-children.

“Fergus, you owe me fifty-”

Jared furrowed his brows: the men had some sort of bet going?

“Alpha, please! Pickings have been slim, this season. Give me another month and I’ll have your money...”

“Shurley?”

“...”

“Do you have my money? Or do you want another month as well?”

“A month would be very helpful, Alpha...”

“Right, how about a trade? What would you say, Shurley; if I told you I’d be willing to waive this quarter’s payment in favour of one of your men,”

“Of course, Alpha! Did one of my boy’s catch your attention?”

“Maybe,” Ackles commented noncommittally before pointing a gloved finger at him.

Jared froze in surprise, uncertain whether this development was positive or not.

“Are you sure you want him, alpha?” His boss asked hesitantly.

Jared furrowed his brow- he was fairly certain that Shurley had not been remotely interested in him till date, so this reluctance to let him switch boat was something from the left field.

“Are you questioning me, Shurley?” Ackles asked stiffly. Then the man seemed to mellow as he explained his choice, “Kid looks like he has a good head on his shoulders. Good survival instincts and quite a fighter given what I saw of him today... Plus, he’s not hard on the eyes either...”

Jared felt himself choke in surprise: he hadn’t realized the man had been scrutinising him from behind that balaclava.

“Of course not... it’s just...”Shurley hesitated. Jared wondered if the man was trying to press his advantage and demand a better deal for handing him over (despite not having interacted with Jared personally).

“Oh for heaven’s sake spit it out!” Ackles grumbled irritatedly.

“He’s a cop.”

Jared felt himself freeze: his cover had blown? How?! When?!

He threw a panicked glance towards Ackles: caught between three mobsters was definitely not the best place for an undercover cop with his cover blown to find himself...

Jensen Ackles- who had removed his balaclava once Shurley had greeted him- raised an eyebrow, “A cop? That’s interesting...”

“I was waiting to see what he does...” Jared’s boss confessed but trailed off when he noticed the appraising look in Ackles’ eyes.

Jared fidgeted uncomfortably as he kneeled on the floor next to his former ‘boss’. He was as acutely conscious of the SIG Sauer 716s trained on him as he was of the assessing green gaze. He was resigned to being made into an ‘example’, that was the fate of cops whose cover got blown and he hoped his team would have the wherewithal to keep the worst of the descriptions of his fate from his sister when they told her of his passing.

His thoughts were broken by the clear voice of the mob-boss, “Come here, Officer...?”

“Padalecki,” Jared answered crisply- no point in pretending now that the cat was out of the bag. He straightened to his full height, determined not to cower before these low-life criminals. If this was how he died, he’d do it with his head held high. “Jared Padalecki.”

“Nice to meet you, Officer Padaleski,” Ackles greeted, still deceptively calm.

“Lecki. ... It’s Padalecki. No s.” Jared corrected reflexively then bit his lip. What exactly was going on here?

“Right, Padalecki. Did I get it right this time?”

Jared nodded curtly, “Yes.”

“Awesome!” Green eyes glittered with mirth. “I’ve never had a cop on my crew before.”

Jared felt his eyes narrow, surely he couldn’t mean...?

As if reading his mind, the mobster grinned and Jared had to grind his teeth to keep from smiling back in response. “Yes, I still intend to have you on my team-”

“I’m not on sale,” Jared growled, hackles rising at the thought anyone could consider him less that honourable.

“Of course not,” The man reassured; smiling enigmatically. “I didn’t mean to insinuate that your loyalties were purchasable.  ... but I like your spunk. And I do want you on my team. Unfortunately for you, before you can be welcomed in, I need to see if you’re wired... and I’m afraid it’s not gonna be a pleasant experience for you... But after... you can come to my place, okay? In fact, I’m going to have to insist that you do.”

The mobster hadn’t been lying when he’d said it was going to be ‘unpleasant’- his humiliation at being publicly stripped and having his asshole probed publicly was a thing of the past by the time the goon at his back folded his thumb and forced it into Jared’s already over-taxed sphincter. He clenched his eyes as he felt the man curl his hand into a fist and bit his lip bloody to keep from screaming in agony. He was completely frozen, his knuckles white with strain as he tried to breathe through it. Callused fingers wound through his hair, scratching at his scalp in a surprisingly gentle move that was so out-of-place under the circumstances that it immediately snapped his attention from the complaints of his body to the man with his hand in his hair. His hair was lightly tugged at again and he raised his head obediently, following the direction of those gentle tugs till he was peering up into the greenest eyes he had ever come across.

A finger touched the centre of his forehead and anticipating a gun, it took a moment for him to recognize that that hadn’t been the case. The hand inside him suddenly did something again that had him tearing up and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood to keep from screaming in response.

“How bad does it hurt?” Ackles asked with faux pity.

Jared glared as best as could from his bent over position.

“How ‘bout I distract you from the pain?”

Jared felt his glare dissolve into an incredulous stare- was this man even real?

“I am serious about wanting you on my crew,” Ackles told him, apparently taking his silence as assent. “I have a proposition for you.”

The whispered words were breathed close enough to his face that Jared let out an unwitting gasp. He wanted to respond, but he was terrified that if he spoke now he would start screaming and lose that final shred of dignity his stoic silence was affording him.

“Just blink if you can understand me ... I don’t think you’re in any position to actually respond at the moment.”

Jared blinked.

“Good boy.” His scalp was rubbed at gently again. It suddenly dawned on him that while the man was actually showing him kindness; it was looking like he was yanking on his hair to the others. The realisation sharpened his focus and the skin around those mesmerising green eyes crinkled like they had noticed his renewed attention.

“Your... stoicism is commendable. As is your dedication to your mission... and I’d hate to see such... potential... destroyed.”

Jared’s brows furrowed even more than they had been from the pain.

“So... Are you interested in hearing me out?”

He blinked.

“Hmmm... good self-preservation instincts, I like that... And your skills with a gun are commendable. It’d be a pity if such proficiency were to go to waste...”

Jared opened his mouth to scoff at the pretentious language when the man behind him took that instant to withdraw his fist, earning a grunt from him. His knees threatened to give away but the hand in his hair tightened its grip till he was being held up by it. The tearing pain at the roots of his hair had his eyes stinging and he tried to lock his knees so that he could save more of his hair from being torn out.  The grip relaxed a fraction making Jared release an involuntary breath but the man behind him was grabbing at his wrists with a grip his shoulders like steel clamps and wrenching them off the chair’s arm-rests, yanking it painfully behind his back to hold him in position.

“Fuck. You,” He snarled.

Instead of the expected anger, green eyes crinkled in amusement, “Seriously? I had hoped for a better comeback from you, Officer Padalecki.”

“Free my hands and I’ll show you a better comeback,” Jared snarled, grunting when the grip on his wrists tightened further.

“Hmmm... I think I have a better counter offer for you,” Ackles replied, still apparently unflappable- either the man was truly a heartless monster who felt nothing or he was better at his masks than Jared had thought. Given how the WBPD had nothing on the man, he suspected it was the latter.

“So what would you give for a chance to infiltrate my team?”

“Why? You want to see what life behind bars looks like that desperately, Ackles?” He growled. Hopefully the man would not realise how interested Jared was in the offer- he would literally do anything for such a chance.

“Let’s just say it’s an experiment for now.”

 “What do I have to get in return?” He managed to croak out.

“Your life, for one... but okay, I’ll sweeten the pot for you- if... And it’s a big ‘IF’ mind you, if you can find anything on me that’ll stand in court you are free to report back to your boss,”

Jared chuckled at the absurdity of it, he couldn’t help it. “You’re nuts!”

“Maybe,” The mobster grinned enigmatically, “Guess you’ll just have to find out, won’t you?”

The words were ominous, but it wasn’t like he had a different choice. The hands released him unexpectedly and he bent over, hands planted on his knees as he panted harshly. While the Sig Sauer 716s remained trained on him, Jared took the momentary respite to catch his breath as he glanced around covertly: despite Ackles’ tempting offer, the smart way lay in escaping. He debated the wisdom of trying to get away with the number of armed men surrounding him, but before he could put his plan in action, he was being dragged away to one of the waiting SUVs. He was thrown in rather forcefully and it was immediately apparent that the harsh handling hadn’t been an accident when he was pushed off the seat and turned upside down till his face was facing the ground before he could get stock of his surroundings. There were too many pairs of hands on him and then there was a sharp pinch at the meat of his left ass-cheek and he realized with a sinking feeling that he’d just been drugged. The realisation put new vigour into his struggles but there were simply too many of them and he was soon running out of steam. Someone else climbed into the already cramped space, Jared was only aware of the new arrival because the others seemed to give the newcomer space.

“Fighting?” A deep voice inquired.

Jared recognized the smooth whiskey and gravel drawl and something in him automatically relaxed. He struggled anew to get a glimpse of the man and his eyes caught on familiar green a moment later.

“Your men drugged me!” He complained- part of him uncertain about why he was telling the other man. “I thought you were against drugs,”

“Calm down, PIggy” Ackles told him with a soft chuckle. “It’s just a muscle relaxant. A mild one at that...just a bit something to help you on our journey, okay?”

Jared stopped struggling at the words, taking a moment to take stalk of his body... his skin felt bruised and his muscles were aching, although the pain seemed to be ebbing slightly; which while not exactly reassuring, matched with what he had been told. The interior of the car cleared a bit as the majority of the men left and then he was being re-manoeuvred till he was being held upside down by his legs alone. Blood rushed to his head, making him dizzy and then his legs were being moved till they were splayed wide. The grip on his ankles loosened and instead of vertical, his legs were getting pushed to one side still in their awkward sprawl, then something tightened around his ankles, something else (this one strangely softer in feel in comparison to his ankle binders) tightened around his waist and then a pair of pointy-toed, black, double Monk-strap leather boots appeared in front of his face.

“Hands flat on the floor, please.”

He recognised Ackles’ voice and obeyed mutely. Truthfully he was exhausted, the drug made it difficult for his body to cooperate and as humiliating as the position was, he would take it if it meant a chance to get dirt on the gangster. He debated the wisdom of obeying without a fight and winced when a pair of booted feet landed on them almost immediately. It wasn’t harshly done as he’d seen from the autopsy reports of the bodies left by Martinez. No, these boots lowered on his hands almost gently, simply immobilising them (and obviously with the wordless threat of pulverizing them if provoked, but without damaging them).

The car had started moving by the time he understood the extent of his vulnerable position- his legs held up and apart, he was apparently balanced on someone’s lap with his knees resting precariously along their sides and their legs acting as natural barricades as they sat at the space created between Jared’s splayed thighs. His hands, already rendered useless by his position unless he wanted to avoid landing face-first into the shoes in front of them, were additionally trapped by the booted feet resting upon them. Something touched the sore rim of his anal sphincter and Jared jumped, much to the laughter of the SUV’s occupants. He knew then that he was both captive and – and entertainment- for the duration of the journey.

“I like spit-shined boots,” Ackles’ voice announced a short while later and Jared knew it was a test. He tried to pretend he hadn’t understood, but a playful (but stinging) hit on his rear had him reconsider.

“Go on, Pig,” A different voice ordered.

He still resisted but the pressure on his hands increased slowly and Jared clenched his eyes at the threat. Broken fingers or his pride, he knew those were his only options at this point and the answer should have been obvious, but it still took him a long minute to choose. While damaged hands might be more painful, and his current position had already been a significant blow to his dignity, the ding to his pride as he stretched his neck forward felt like the straw that threatened to break him. Still, he persevered ahead; grimacing as he lowered his face a few scant inches more and stuck out his tongue to lick at the dusty leather of the shoes.

“Smart boy,” The whisky voice praised as a hand patted his bare bottom condescendingly. Jared wished he had a gun to shoot the infuriating alpha.

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He was blindfolded before being allowed to sit up or step out of the van. He shivered as the cool air hit his bare skin and desperately wished he could cover himself as he was made to walk to whatever building in his birthday suit.

The smell of antiseptic hit his nose the minute the pneumatic hiss of the door closed behind them and Jared knew they were in some sort of medical facility. His height and weight were recorded and someone collected a few vials of his blood. Then he was forced through a whole battery of tests including an MRI, an ECG, an EEG and a few others he didn’t even know the names of. His x-rays were taken and he was forced to undergo a colonoscopy and an endoscopy. They even gave him what he suspected was a USG... and through it all, his blindfold stayed in place.

Then he was restrained on what he suspected was a gynaecological chair and someone took his penis in hand. Jared jerked, of course he did. A gag was forced past his lips and then something was forced into his penile slit. Jared struggled hard enough to make the person lose their grip on him. Then a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder and a warm breath whispered against his right ear.

“Please settle down,” Jared stiffened at the infuriatingly mild toned familiar whiskey rough voice. “You are getting your bladder probed. It will be uncomfortable but will not injure you unless you struggle. You don’t actually want the probe to get stuck in your dick, do you, Piggy?”

This time when the technician touched him, Jared held still. Tears rolled down his cheeks as his bladder was violated, but he didn’t move a muscle.

“Good boy, so proud of you.”

He hated that the praise helped to calm him. He held still as he was released and then moved willingly as he was led to a table across the room and bent over. His arms were stretched across its surface and bound to something while his ankles were tied to the table’s two legs. Something cold touched the meat of his bared right butt-cheek and then the buzz of a tattoo gun started. The pain was acceptable, but the knowledge that he was branded for life by the mark of a criminal made him want to curl in on himself.

“Be glad you’re not getting branded,”

“Hmm?”  He asked, dazed that someone was actually speaking to him after the silent way in which the tests were conducted.

“Pellegrino and Cortez both prefer brands,” Ackles’ voice told him conversationally.

Jared winced. He wished the man had continued talking because despite how annoying and morbidly frightening his words were, they helped to distract from the horror of being marked against his desires.

“You’re really very pretty, you know that?”

The tattoo-gun had gone silent moments before and he hadn’t expected the man to speak to him again. Jared swivelled his head towards where the sound came from, “Why don’t I like the sound of that?”

There was a chuckle and then another pin-prick and then darkness.  He came to, just as something forced itself through his already tender hole. Still groggy from the effects of the drug they had injected and in pain from his ‘medical check-up’, the pain of the intrusion felt unbearable. He couldn’t help it, he screamed.

“Didn’t take you for a screamer,” Ackles told him, tone conversational as his hips continued to piston in and out. It took a moment for Jared to understand exactly what had penetrated him.

“Didn’t take you for a rapist,” Jared snarled back. The agony of the violation made it hard to speak and Jared hated the wheezy quality of his voice.

Ackles stilled behind him, “You’re telling me you don’t want this, Piggy?”

“I don’t want this.” He choked out, fighting the nausea that threatened as the full impact of what was being done to him registered.

“Are you sure?” The whiskey drawl asked just as the man did something that had pleasure skittering across his body.

He groaned, light-headed from the sudden switch from agony to pleasure. A hand reached beneath him, cupping him gently in a mockery of a lover’s hold and Jared reared back (unintentionally letting the man penetrate him deeper) as he realized that he was hard.

“Well?”

Jared groaned, unable to decide whether moving forward (and into the hand) or backward (and into the dick splitting him open) would allow him to escape. The worst of it were the random jolts of pleasure that had him clenching on the intrusion filling him up.

It took everything he had in him to force out a reply, “I. Do. Not. Want. This.”

“Oops,” Ackles whispered- voice a honey-sticky drawl that had Jared wanting to give in, his rhythm abruptly uneven, “Too late now.”

And suddenly Jared was aware of warmth filling him. He groaned as Ackles retreated from his body, leaving  his hole tender and gaping from the abuse the alpha had put it through and his cock an unpleasant hard line against his belly that served to taunt him that he may not have hated the encounter as much as he pretended.

“I’m sorry ‘bout that,” Ackles voice was deceptively sincere as the alpha apologised, “It’ll not happen again without your consent.”

“Is that a promise?” Jared asked, voice wrecked from his screams.

“It is,” The gangster confirmed.

“Good,” Jared breathed. He held still for a moment, trying to force his exhausted muscles into utilizing the momentary reprieve as Ackles’ gathered his breath from his orgasm but realized his folly when his hands stayed glued to the bed. Peering up at them he groaned when he noticed the handcuffs securing him to bed.

“You didn’t think I was stupid, did you?” Ackles asked lazily from beside him.

Jared glared at him.

“Get some rest,” The man patted his sweaty back as he left the bed, ostensibly to clean up.

Jared lay there, listening to the shower come on and tried to take in the room he was in. Unfortunately it was too dark in the room and the only thing he could make out from his prone position was the bedside table that was empty bar a night-lamp  and a bottle of water.

He flinched when the door opened and he swivelled his head wildly to watch Jensen emerge from his shower in a cloud of billowing steam. The man continued on as though he wasn’t aware of Jared’s scrutiny even though Jared knew that to be a lie. A straw was held before his lips a few moments later and Jared tried to glare but was simply too thirsty to refuse the water. He drank as much as he could and was slightly taken aback by the patience the gangster was showing.

“Sleep, now. You will require your strength tomorrow.”

“Wha-…?” He tried to ask, but something was sapping his strength and he felt himself begin to panic as his tongue became thick and unwieldly.

“Sshhh… you’re okay, you’re safe…” That nauseatingly unflappable whiskey-smooth voice murmured as a hand brushed through the sweaty tangle of his hair- he had let it grow out from its usual military short length to help with his cover and now it reached his nape in long leonine locks. He didn’t feel about it either way but given the way Jensen’s fingers were playing with it- sorting through the snarls and brushing them into some semblance of order; he suspected the man liked his long-ish hair. If it felt incredibly comforting as well, that was something no one else needed to know. “I gave you a soporific with that water you just consumed.”

That would explain the man’s patience with the straw.

“It has a mild pain-relieving agent as well, so it’ll help with the pain from the intercourse as well as your tattoo and medicals. Get some sleep now,”

And despite fighting his leaded eye-lids, Jared felt himself surrendering to the welcoming darkness.

Jared’s eyes snapped open as he heard the door open. The arm around his waist tightened instinctively and Jared knew the alpha behind him had come awake at the sound as well.

“Wait outside,” The words were clipped and a moment later, Jared heard the door again behind him, telling him that the command had been obeyed.

Caressing fingers trailed up his torso and over his arms and Jared stifled the urge to pull away from the unwanted touches. The man rocked forward and Jared felt the hardness that had been pressing against his rear for some time now move more insistently. He barely bit back a sob as he was manhandled underneath the other’s heavy weight and he felt fingers pry his cheeks apart as the man settled between them.

He clenched his eyes in resignation, biting back the tears that threatened to escape at this fresh humiliation. “You- you promised,”

There was a rumbling laugh at his pleading words and two callused fingers pushed into his abused anal orifice without preamble, making him flinch and hiss at the intrusion.

“Sore, huh?”

Jared could only nod, knowing there was nothing he could do if the man chose not to keep his word.

“Oh, I don’t break my promises, Sweetheart.” The man chuckled as if reading his mind. “Don’t worry; I’m not going to fuck you again, not till you ask. Doesn’t mean we can’t have fun,”

Jared groaned as the man continued thrusting lightly, a hand working under him to pinch and pull at his nipples. A hand patted at his hip, “Spread your legs, Darlin’,”

Jared felt his face flame but obediently opened his legs wider- too exhausted to keep fighting these futile little battles, feeling the man settle in more comfortably. The thrusts continued and Jared closed his eyes, trying to tune out what was being done to him. A few minutes later he felt a warm wetness spreading between his cheeks as the man groaned in satisfaction and it took everything in him to swallow his bile.

The man slumped back on his side and Jared relaxed, totally unprepared for the harsh shove that pushed him out from under the blanket and landed him on the cold marble floor. Jared blinked dazedly- when had Ackles undone his cuffs?

“C’mon, Sweetheart. Up! Kneel for me, show me what you’ve become.”

This time Jared couldn’t stop the tears from leaking out as he shuffled onto his knees, aware of the picture that he painted. He had become the lowest of the low: an alpha who had taken it up the ass, as evident from liberal white smears around his thighs. He briefly debated attempting to escape but he already knew that two of Ackles’ men were waiting just beyond the door … and who knew how many more were on the premises. Besides, a part of him wanted to find out what Ackles had meant by his offer to take him on in his crew… so far he’d been humiliated and hurt, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle… dare he risk obeying and finding out more? If he succeeded, it would be the victory of a lifetime- no other cop had managed to get so close to Ackles… what did he have to lose after all?

He was brought out of his thoughts by Ackles’ voice: “C’mon, Piggy… didn’t you have a good time?”

When he stared back blankly, the alpha huffed and explained himself further. Apparently it wasn’t enough humiliation for the man because he was ordered to play with himself.

 Jared wanted to punch the bastard in his smug lips, but his humiliation was not as important as his mission and now that he had the opportunity to get up close and personal with Ackles, he was going to do whatever it took to stay for as long as he could. If that meant debasing himself like this, then so be it.

He wrapped a fist around himself and watched enviously as the man tightened the blankets around his shoulder, only his arm reaching across the space between them, and down to gather up some of the disgusting fluids between his legs and paint them across Jared’s lips. He couldn’t stop the growl that escaped but continued working himself furiously; scrunching his nose in disgust as the man proceeded to wipe his hands on Jared’s stubbled jaw and his shaggy hair. Despite the situation, his body eventually responded to the stimulation and he was hard and dripping a few minutes later.

“Enough,” The man whispered; Jared dropped his hand in relief. He didn’t care how his body clamoured for release, his mind was happy to not have to achieve pleasure before this man.

“Olson!”

Jared scrambled back reflexively as the burly guard stepped in and moved towards him instantly.

“Well, this has been nice, ini’t?” The alpha laughed as he was hauled up and dragged away stark naked-dried whitish streaks clinging to his inner thighs and pained hitching steps leaving no doubt about what had transpired the night before.

Just before the door closed, he saw the man blow a kiss at him, “See you later, Piggy.”

He was granted a few minutes of ‘privacy’ to finish his business in a door-less bathroom while Olson stood at the entryway, facing outside and then dragged-still naked and dirty;  out into the front-yard.  Jared cringed, aware that everybody was witness to his humiliation out in the open like this. No one spoke to him or even tried touching but everybody smirked at the captive cop and Jared wanted to disappear into the earth when the newspaper delivery boy stumbled to a stop on his way to the porch at the sight of him. The boy could not have been more than sixteen, fresh into his knot and with the last hints of baby-fat visible still; and Jared hurried to cover himself with his hands. Olson gave him a light push and Jared stumbled forward, cheeks flushed and unable to meet the teenager’s curious eyes.

“Do your job, Kid.” The guard grumbled and the boy moved off, walking to drop off the day’s paper at the doorstep; but eyes still riveted on Jared’s nude form.

He was handed a spade and ordered to weed out the rows of in-bloom begonias; the intent behind the order unmistakable. Jared stared in wordless horror till the guard dropped his smirk and raised an eyebrow; then squatted down to get to the task, aware of how his position opened up his reddened hole for view. Knowing he’d shatter if he allowed himself to feel the humiliation of his current position, Jared forced himself to ignore his surroundings till he was only aware of the flowering shrubs and the stray weeds at their base.

“No. You can watch but you’re not allowed to touch, Kid.”

The words broke through his intense focus and Jared risked a glance behind himself to confirm that it was the newspaper-boy behind him, his outstretched hand in Olson’s grip. The boy made a petulant face but didn’t protest, staying for long humiliating minutes to enjoy the view before sighing and returning to the rest of his deliveries.

By the time Jared finished with the weeding, it was high noon and he was itchy from the dried ejaculate sticking to his skin and pink and sweaty from staying out in the sun for the long hours, but more than anything; he was thirsty. When he finally straightened after pulling out the last weed, he found Olson waiting for him in the cool shade of the porch. Scowling, he waited for the burly man to approach him, risking his wrath by requesting some water.

“I’ll bet you’re hungry to, huh?”

And the hunger pangs he had been struggling to rein in also made themselves known. He lowered his eyes submissively (even though it galled him to be so subservient) and nodded.

“In a bit,” The man answered, “You have one more task to get through before you’ll be allowed food and water.”

“Yes, Sir,” Jared forced himself to respond.

The man chuckled at his docile act- obviously seeing through it, and led him back into the house (which felt like heaven after the afternoon sun)and then right through it (making him walk slowly enough that everybody got a good, long look at the sweaty, captured cop) and out into the backyard. Jared tried to learn the layout of the house as he was walked through it, but his thoughts disappeared like mist before the sun when he was walked right into a nettle patch.

“Sit,”

“What?!” He whirled around to face the smirking alpha.

Olson stood at the edge of the nettle-patch in knee-high boots and thick elbow-gloves holding a plastic basket. “If you choose, you can crouch instead. Your task is to gather enough stalks to make a thin broom.”

Jared nodded, “Gloves?”

“Oh, you’re going to do it with your bare hands, Sweetheart.”

“Don’t call me Sweetheart!” He snapped.

 The alpha just smirked with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Jared shuddered and bent to his task.

 “Squat lower,” The man ordered, continuing conversationally: “Want you to get really up-close and personal with the lovely little things, you know?”

Jared swallowed and obeyed, keeping his legs tightly closed to minimize the area of contact with the nettles.

“Oh, that won’t do, no... Spread you legs, Sweetheart... wider... wider... yeah...”

Jared whimpered as he felt the pointy leaves press right against his crack at the new position. He clenched his eyes as the tip of one poked at his already swollen hole and hurried to gather as many of the horrible itchy things as he could manage. He was panting as he made his way over to the basket and dropped his collection, wincing when he saw the skin at his calf already beginning to rise to form nasty welts where the stinging barbs had brushed his skin. His hands were no better, the skin red and raised into weals from where he’d gripped the nettles... But the worst was the condition of his sensitive nether-zones; which already sensitive from the night’s abuse were now so swollen that he found just simply walking was a whole new torture in itself.

He was nearly in tears by the time they reached the porch which wrapped around the whole house.

“On your knees,”

His knees hit the floor instantly- in far too much pain to even think of objecting.

Olson lowered two wide-mouthed bowls before him, “Here.”

Jared stared, one held water and the other a thick, whitish, grainy paste of some sort.

“Eat up,” The man mumbled, “You are not allowed to lift the bowls off the floor, but otherwise; go wild.”

The man sauntered away, opening the door to step inside back into the welcome air-conditioning when Jared spoke up, “If you’re not going to watch then how would’ya know if I listened or not?” If I ran or not?  went unsaid but not unheard.

“Who says I’ll not be watching?” The man returned with a laugh, gesturing at the blinking security camera mounted near the roof.

He felt silly for not noticing the two blinking red dots earlier; and blushed as he realized that given their positioning, all of him was bared to whoever was watching. Sighing in defeat, he pulled out the spoon from the mush and licked it clean- it was as lacking in flavour as it looked- and dipped it into the water bowl. He tried to spoon up the water and drink that way, but found himself far too thirsty to have the patience to quench his thirst that way. He debated lifting the bowl up to his mouth despite his orders not to, but ultimately decided it was not worth the risk and forced himself up on his knees and then lowered his head to lap at the water like an animal. It was only after he was done that he realized that he had inadvertently put on a show for the camera behind him.

A part of him wanted to refuse the tasteless, bland gruel; but the trained police officer in him reminded him that he needed the strength, if nothing else and forced himself to ingest spoon-after-spoon-after spoon of the horrible paste.

Olson appeared the moment he was done, leaving no doubt about the fact that he had in fact, been watching Jared. “C’mon, up! Break’s over, Sweetheart.”

Jared, in far too much pain to really be bothered by his nudity anymore limped silently behind the burly alpha, following him through a maze of corridors into what appeared to be a study. The stale smell of cigarettes and alcohol permeated the air and Jared found himself struggling to maintain the unflappable calm exterior he prided himself in at the sudden laughter that followed his entrance.

“Oh. My. God! What’ve you been doing to reduce him to this?”

Jared glanced at the guard and found him basking in the praise, “Nothin’, Boss... just some gardening.”

“Gardening!” The Alpha hooted in delight, then quirked a finger at him. When Jared failed to move, Olson pushed him forward, making him stumble forward straight into the Alpha’s arms. He winced when he was unceremoniously lowered on his stomach across the table, the alpha stepping up between his legs. He felt himself go crimson when he was spread ‘down-there’ and the alpha chuckled at the sight of the itchy-swollen-  weals that criss-crossed the tender region. He braced himself for some pinching or simple touching of the abused skin and couldn’t stop his surprised yelp as he was flipped onto his back instead. His eyes zeroed in on clear green almost instantly and he felt his breathing speed up as the other alpha leaned over him, stealing a chaste kiss and twining their fingers together.

“You can’t tell me that sharing my bed’s worse than this, Jared...”

Jared turned his head away so that he didn’t have to look into those deceptively gentle eyes.

“Oh, Sweetheart... this was just gardening... Imagine how much worse it’s going to get once my men get started on you for real... You’re sure you don’t want to revise your opinion on my offer?” The alpha cajoled.

Jared just reared his head back as much as he could in his given position and spat at the alpha. If he had expected violence and anger at his reaction, he was sorely disappointed because all Jensen did was let out a throaty roar of laughter as he wiped the spit from his cheek with his forefinger and pushed the slick digit into Jared’s mouth, forcing him to suck it clean or choke on it as he petted the cop’s sweaty hair, “Oooh...you’re a feisty one, aren’t you? I like that. ... I really like that, Darlin’... We’re gonna have so much fun!”

Jared spent the rest of the day suspended from a hook in one corner of the study. There was a table on his right, barely in his field of vision and Jared felt his breath hitch as a tawse was laid out on it. A few minutes later something green joined the tawse and Jared craned his neck as much as he could to see what the implement was; horror freezing his veins as he realized that it was the ‘broom’ they had made from the nettles Jared had collected in the morning. The lower branches had been trimmed and enough tape wrapped around the base to form a smooth harmless handle for the one wielding it, while causing agony for the victim. Too busy watching the hand-made torture device, Jared failed to notice two alphas step up behind him, adjusting the chains drawing his arms overhead till Jared was balancing on tip-toes. His arms were going to give out soon, he knew; forcing him to dangle like a helpless puppet and willed himself to hold on and not provide more  ‘entertainment’ for Ackles and his men. He watched, like a prey in the eyes of a predator as one of the men tightening his chains snapped on latex gloves and began rolling a couple of the larger leaves from the discarded nettle branches into a cylindrical shape; it weirdly reminded him of a cigarette. When the man behind him suddenly grabbed his legs and began forcing them apart, Jared renewed his struggles even knowing they were futile.   His legs were raised and body twisted so that he was presenting his abused hole to the man who had been rolling the nettle into a joint and Jared couldn’t stop his terrified attempts to get away when it became evident just where that nettle cylinder was going to end up. Unfortunately, his struggles didn’t mean anything when the green joint was jammed up his arse unceremoniously. They left him alone for awhile after that, content to watch him dance in his futile attempts to dislodge his anal intruder and laughing at the way his muscles flexed and twitched at the irritant.

 Facing the dull walls with nothing to take his mind of the awful itching, Jared was unaware of the passage of time. It could have been hours or minutes before he heard footsteps behind him. Praying with everything in him for the stranger to remove his herbal anal-plug, Jared missed the man picking up the tawse. He howled at the first hit, losing his feet and dangling helplessly from his chains; struggling to not bawl like a child as loud laughter greeted his reaction. The rest of the strokes, though no less painful; were easier to endure because he was prepared for them. In the end he just hung limply, muscles twitching from pain and exhaustion. 

Jared didn’t know how long they left him like that, facing the wall and dangling from a chain as anybody and everybody was given the option of whipping him either with the tawse or the nettle-broom. The voices quietened as less and less people came with the waning day and eventually it was all silent. He tried to look behind himself to check whether the room was empty but the slightest of movements ignited his flayed back, leaving him gasping for breath and whimpering from effort. He had lost all feeling in his arm hours ago and his voice had been reduced to a hoarse grunt by the time someone came to take him down from the chain.

He was led back to the same door-less bathroom from the morning to do his business, but the limited water consumption made even that basic bodily function a painful affair. Once he was done, they took him to a neighbouring stall, this one without the toilet bowl, but equipped with a hose. The nettle-plug was brutally yanked out, drawing a scream from his abused throat and then is knees were kicked out from under him. The second he hit the floor, someone aimed the hose at him, drenching him in ice-cold water. He struggled to escape the forceful torrent, but they moved the hose in whichever direction he tried to escape in and ultimately he gave up; staying on his hands and knees as he was thoroughly washed without anyone laying a hand on him. No towels were offered but he was ordered to shake off as much water as he could. Moving his stiff and cramping muscles was a new torture but he did the best he could under the circumstances, not keen on staying wet longer than necessary. Anticipating some new punishment, he was pleasantly surprised when he was led back into Ackles’ room.

The Alpha was in bed, reading a paper-back when he arrived and a part of Jared wanted to surrender to the deceptively gentle looking man, even as the rest of him wanted to cringe away from what he knew the man expected from him.

So, despite the goose-bumps arising on his flesh as the wet skin came into contact with the air-conditioner chilled air of the room;  it was almost a relief when he was led to the foot of the bed and his hands cuffed in front of him. A thick leather collar reinforced with slender steel links running artfully through its centre was fastened on and leashed to a chain welded into the frame of the bed itself. The leash wasn’t long enough for him to move away or even stand, but it was enough for him to lie down on his side. When nothing happened for long minutes after his handlers left, Jared gave in to his exhaustion and curled up on his side.

He stiffened when he felt a finger tracing the dip alone his spine, breathing getting harsh and ragged instantly.

“Sshhh... it’s just me,” Ackles’ sinful whiskey and gravel voice murmured.

Jared bit his lip hard enough to draw blood as he struggled to keep in the whimper.

“On your front, c’mon...” The hands shoved lightly.

Jared rolled into the demanded position, praying that the other alpha wasn’t actually going to go back on his word. It was somewhat awkward with his bound hands but he managed it eventually. He twitched when something cool landed on the abraded skin of his back, but was too weary to react more than that.

“How was this better? Easier?” The alpha demanded softly, as he continued to rub the soothing gel into the welts littering his body.

Jared just sighed and relaxed into the first non-painful touch he had experienced in the day. He must’ve been more exhausted than he’d imagined because the next thing he was aware of, was a dark room and someone’s deep, relaxed breathing. ... His back felt better and even the insistent throb in his swollen and ruined hole had gone down to a manageable level... He let out a relieved sigh and closed his eyes again.

Jared found himself woken to the sound of the door opening for his second day with Ackles as well. The only difference was, unlike last time, this time he was physically exhausted to match his mental state and wanted nothing more than to be granted a few more hours of rest. He was still blinking away sleep when gun-callused hands gripped him from under his arms and hauled him to his feet. He struggled reflexively, but worn as he was after the previous day; his resistance was futile. He glanced at the bed to find Jensen watching the scene impassively.

“Jensen...” The call escaped his lips unbidden.

The alpha raised a hand and the men holding him up immediately relaxed their grip. Jared watched as the man pushed off his blankets and grabbed at the dressing gown neatly folded on the nightstand, tying a knot on its silken ties as he approached Jared.

“Changed your mind about my offer?” His voice was soft, a seductive whisper that promised sin as green eyes bored into his.

“N-no,” He rasped, throat dry just from watching the strange seduction: Jensen might have been an alpha, but Jared was a pure red-blooded male himself and the promise of temptation, no matter how impossible; was still alluring.

The green eyes seemed to brighten with pleasure at his refusal. “Then I wish you luck,” The Alpha murmured, stretching up on his toes to brush a close-mouthed kiss against Jared’s lips before sauntering away.

He was immediately dragged out and suspended from a ceiling hook in one of the sprawling house’s rooms. The rest of day continued much as his previous afternoon with people coming in to whip or cane or paddle him as their fancy struck. Sometime near midday, someone fed him five pieces of sugar-free whole-wheat nutritional cookies and a glass of water before the punishment continued. By evening he was reduced to sobs, not that anyone had mercy on him; and by the time night came and he was pulled off the chains, Jared had, once again screamed himself hoarse.

Once more Jensen cleaned his wounds and slathered medicated salve over his abused skin before leaving him -still chained and cuffed like the previous night- at the foot of his bed.

The next morning saw a repeat of the previous day. As did the next day... On the fourth night, when Jared was chained to the foot of the bed again; Jensen was not in his room as was the norm. He waited for the alpha to return home and come with the healing salve as he had for the past three nights- and if he dared to admit it to himself, he had begun to almost look forward to those few minutes of quiet peace; but though he waited for the whole night, Jensen didn’t come.

The next day he was not taken to his usual room for torture; instead, he was led down a long flight of stairs down into the bowels of the house and thrust inside a tiny concrete room whose dimensions couldn’t have been more than five-feet by five feet and the door slammed behind him. He had wondered why they were using torches instead of normal lights and now, sitting in the pitch black bare concrete cell where he couldn’t even stretch out comfortably, the reason was blindingly obvious. He inspected the cell by touch and apart from the small circular grate in the far corner and the thick reinforced steel door he’d entered from, the room was pure concrete.

He stayed alert for a few minutes, wondering what was supposed to be his next torture, but then nothing happened for long minutes and bit by bit he began to relax. He jerked awake, unaware of when he had dozed off or how long he had slept... The room felt cold against his bare skin and he was hungry. Disoriented by the all-encompassing darkness, he tried listening for ... well anything, but there was no sound either. It was as though he had fallen off the face of the earth itself. Forcing himself to focus on the brighter side: at least he wasn’t getting beaten every few minutes, he tried to relax, aware that someone would be coming for him soon.

No one came.

He went through two more cycles of sleep and mind-numbing boredom before there was a creaking sound and a pale sliver of rectangular light lit up a tiny portion of the floor. Jared moved back from the light on instinct, but then four slices of bread were tossed in, followed by four half-litre plastic pouches of water. And the small opening clanged shut again.

Jared grabbed for the water first, tearing the pack open with his teeth and downing the first packet in one go. Satisfied to have at least his thirst quenched, he reached for the bread next- there may not have been a plate, but discovering that the thick slices were buttered and still slightly warm from being toasted felt like he’d been granted a little slice of heaven itself. Belly finally full, he slipped into peaceful slumber for the first time since he’d been ‘gifted’ to Ackles.

He’d hoped to get an idea about the passage of time from the delivery of his meals, but his plans were thwarted there as well: sometimes he got the (now standard) four buttered slices of toast and two litres of water before he’d finished the last of the previous delivery’s water and sometimes he went through four cycles of sleep and wakefulness- hunched over in pain from the hunger pangs assailing him; by the time the food arrived.

Despite the nightmare of using the grate (which he found was actually - thankfully detachable) as his ‘privy’, the absence of physical abuse made his time in the pitch black room into something of a relief. He knew that Ackles hadn’t just left him here, that there had to be a ploy in this, but eventually, lulled by the monotony of his days with nothing to do; Jared began to relax.

Jared scrambled awake at the ear-splittingly loud fog-horn that woke him, opening his eyes reflexively and regretting it instantly as the brilliant floodlights (that should’ve been ideally used to light up a stadium) that lit up every nook and cranny of his tiny cell. It was a shock to his system and Jared found himself cowering on the floor, eyes clenched shut and arms covering his head in an effort to reduce the sound. He didn’t know how long the assault continued, but his heart was still jack-rabbiting even hours after everything had gone dark and silent again. He found himself on guard after the experience, unable to relax the way he had before. His body was exhausted from the constant vigilance, and he began to question if he would ever actually see the light of the day again.

And despite everything, he was still unprepared when the door finally clanged open, a powerful stream of water hitting him almost instantly. He could do nothing but whimper as they hosed him down, cleaning away the sweat and grime and other unmentionables that the days of isolation had left on his skin.

He found himself disoriented and weak when they led him back up to the main house, his cheeks heating in shame as he was ushered in - still naked and wet -in a room full of fully dressed -and possibly armed- alphas. Jensen glanced up at his arrival and pushed his chair slightly away from the table, patting at his lap; Jared’s handler’s had no trouble reading the unspoken command and shoved him towards the other alpha... which was how he found himself completely naked, sitting in Jensen Ackles’ lap and staring at the computer-screen before him in undisguised horror.

Jensen Ackles’ fingers traced the lightly visibly outline of his ribs as he breathed and nudged his feet wider, settling him more firmly on his lap as he nosed in the sensitive hollow behind his ears, but these were all things that Jared catalogued absently; his focus on the computer screen which had a crystal-clear, high definition image of the inside of what Jared and his colleagues jokingly called the ‘underwear room’ because it was where they were given their briefs about their assignments and mission.  The time stamp at the bottom had a date (which Jared wasn’t sure about after his isolation), but the time matched the wall-clock on the wall facing him. He recognized the faces staring back at him from the screen, and the silver-peppered dark head of the man with his back to the camera. Tuning out everything else, he focused on the words and realized that they were planning a raid in the shipping districts to the north of the city later tonight.

Despite his wandering fingers, no one spoke till the assembled servicemen cleared the room under surveillance and it was only when the last person left and the room was plunged in darkness that Ackles pressed his lips suggestively to Jared’s nape and cleared his throat, “You know those people?”

Jared heard the muted click of his throat as he swallowed, “Ye-yes.”

“They’re planning a raid on Cortez.”

Jared shifted around till he could see the alpha.

“I’m sending my men there tonight: Cortez himself is not leaving that dock unless it’s in a body-bag.”

“Why’re you telling me all this?” Jared asked.

“So impatient...” Jensen teased, leaning forward to nip at his lips teasingly before he answered, “I’m not particularly interested in killing your friends, Jared ... but if they get in my way...” He trailed off with a shrug.

“Your problem is with Cortez,” Jared countered, thinking quickly, “Why not just let the cops handle him for you?”

The Alpha’s lips quirked into a tiny,pleased smile at his question, “Because the cops don’t have enough on him to really put ‘im away... He hurt children,” -green eyes went cold and dark as he finished- “And I don’t let no one get away with something like that on my turf.”

Jared hated that a part of him liked the righteous anger Ackles appeared to be capable of. “What...” He licked his lips, “What do you want me to do?”

“Who said I want you to do something?”

“Well, you got me here for a reason...”

“Maybe I just wanted to let you know which of your friends you were going to lose tonight?”

“No!” The protest escaped him unbidden and Jared flushed, knowing he had given himself away, “Please...”

“You want to save them?”

“Yes. Yes, please!”

“And what’d you do, if I let you?”

“I’ll be grateful! I’ll be so -so- grateful...”

Green eyes seemed to consider for a moment before nodding, “You still have your contacts, Piggy?”

Jared grudgingly acknowledged that yes, he did.

“Good. I want you to call ‘em. ... Tell them that you’re with me now and that you just overheard me planning a strike on the docks tonight. And that I told my men that I didn’t want  to hurt cops but to think of them as collateral if they interfered.”

He nodded.

“Say anything else and your friends will all be dead.”

Jared swallowed nervously at the threat, perfectly aware that Jensen had the means to actually carry it out.

Green eyes stared at him for an interminable minute and then the man held out a hand. Jared watched as someone wordlessly pressed an android phone into his waiting palm.

“Leave,” Jensen’s voice was calm, eyes still boring into Jared’s.

Jared was barely aware of the room emptying out, mind occupied with framing his ‘report’ properly. He grabbed the phone eagerly, fingers flying over the keys as he dialed the number he had memorized back when he had first taken up this assignment. He rattled off his code when prompted and couldn’t help his sigh of relief when it was Chad that answered. He and Chad had partnered a few times and despite the blonde’s inappropriate jokes, Jared had found that their ‘team’ worked.

“Jaybird!” The cheerful voice was tinny over the speakers and Jared glanced at Jensen to find the alpha’s mouth thin with displeasure.

“Don’t know how long I’ve got, so listen up Murrey-” Jared interrupted.

“You bastard, we all thought you were dead in that Martinez bloodbath!” His friend responded, ignoring the urgency in Jared’s voice.

Jensen’s lips twitched a little and Jared flushed as the alpha’s fingers returned to his skin, this time moving leisurely up his bare thigh. He focussed back on the conversation, “I’m with Ackles.”

“Shit, that’s crazy! You want us to bail you outta there?”

Jensen’s hands tightened on his leg.

Jared placed his hand over the other man’s in silent reassurance, “No-no... I’m okay-”

“Your cover’s intact? He doesn’t suspect anything, does he? ‘Cause lemme tell you man, Ackles is one sadistic asshole!”

Jared glanced at the man and watched him shake his head minutely.

“No, I’m good. But I can’t check in as usual, okay? Man’s a paranoid bastard... I’ll call when I can.”

“Sure, okay. How’d you jump teams anyway? No one’s been able to get close to Ackles, man’s more slippery that a stick of butter on a hot day!”

Jared snorted, couldn’t help his reaction- he had missed Chad’s unique descriptive talents... Jensen’s hands began inching upwards again and Jared refocused on the conversation in a hurry. “Look dude, I know all that, alright? But I didn’t ring you to make a social call-”

“Fine,” Chad returned snootily before turning serious again. Few people thought the blond cop capable of the emotion, but Jared had been with the man long enough to know better. “Just be careful, ‘kay?”

“Yeah-yeah I will. Thanks, Chad. Look, I dunno how long I have, I wanted to tell you that I overheard something-”

“Yeah?”

“Something’s ‘bout to go down at the docks tonigh-”

“Yeah, we know. We’ll be there,”

“No! No you can’t, okay? I just heard one of his men ask about what to do with the cops... He told ‘em to clear the collateral.”

“We’ll be armed and prepared, Jaybird.”

“Not like ‘em. C’mon Chad... ask them to pull off, ‘kay? Trust me on this... besides its between Ackles’ and some other group. Let them fight and kill each other off, I say. Good riddance. Why should we care? Let’s not waste good men on such a pointless mission. Please.”

“It’s not pointless, Jaybird. ... but yeah, I get where you’re coming from, I’ll talk to Morgan,” His friend conceded.

Jared heaved a sigh of relief, “kay, thanks.”

Jensen’s hand tightened on his leg and Jared closed his eyes, “Hey, I uh, I gotta go. Can hear someone approachin’,”

He disconnected the call before Chad could respond, handing it back to Jensen.

They stared at each other silently for a few seconds, before Jared lowered his gaze, “Thank you...Really,”

“Tonight,” The alpha cracked a smile, “tonight you’ll show me how grateful you are...?”

Jared swallowed, having no trouble reading between the lines. “Yes,” He conceded.

“I look forward to tonight, then.”

Jared reflexively jumped up to his feet when the door to Jensen’s room finally opened sometime after midnight; watching as the man came in, acknowledging him with a nod as he slipped off a trench coat and undid the laces of his shoes and slid them off. Ackles continued undressing casually, till he was just standing in his tight, black boxer-briefs. Jared swallowed as he took in the defined muscles under lightly freckles skin, wondering if the man wanted to get to ‘business’ immediately... but Jensen simply gathered some loose, worn-in pyjamas from his closet and headed to the en-suite. Jared was still rooted to his spot when the other alpha emerged a few minutes later, casually towelling his hair dry and rooting through the a different cabinet and emerging triumphantly with a tattered teeshirt.

A knock on the door startled him and he watched mutely as a matronly beta, whom Jensen introduced as Miss Loretta Devine brought a loaded tray with sandwiches and salad and a plate of chocolate treats. The beta looked towards him once the tray was safely placed on the coffee-table in the corner of the room and Jared was suddenly self-conscious, reflexively tightening the belt of Jensen’s black silk robe that he had borrowed without permission.

“Well?” The woman demanded.

Jared blushed at the reprimand, “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Devine.”

“Oh, call me Etta,” she waived off, “Why didn’t I see you downstairs at lunch, boy?”

“I-...” He glanced helplessly at Jensen, but the mobster just raised his eyebrows.

“Don’t lemme catch you skipping out on more meals, ’kay? I’m very efficient with a wooden-spoon.” She informed him in what he was coming to understand was her normal no-nonsense tone, as she pointed a finger at Jensen, “Just ask that one there.”

The alpha laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender, “She’s not lyin’, dude.”

She snorted a laugh as she left the room in the same brisk way that she had entered, pulling the doors shut behind herself.

“You really didn’t eat anything all day, Piggy?” Jensen asked as he sank down on the couch with a soft exhale and patted the spot next to him.

“Did you ask your men to send me food?” Jared countered.

Jensen smirked at his retort and quickly dished out some salad and a burger onto one plate before offering it to him, “My apologies. Next time, ask okay? You’re far too skinny as it is.”

Jared snorted in disbelief as he took a hearty bite of the burger and groaned in appreciation as its full flavours burst upon his tongue. He closed his eyes as he savoured the first bite: it was heavenly after surviving on nothing but sugar-free, whole-wheat biscuits and plain buttered toast for days.

Half the burger was gone before Jared could bring himself under control and finally look up to watch the alpha, “So, how did it go?”

“Good,” Jensen mumbled with his mouth full of burger. He swallowed before speaking again, “It went perfectly.”

“Body count?”

“Seven,” Jensen answered.

“Yours?”

The gangster grinned disarmingly at his perceptiveness: “Zero.”

Jared nodded as he finished the last of his burger and started in on the salad.

“Cortez himself and six of his men.  Mick caught a stray bullet, but he’ll be alright. Your tip-off  worked; none of the cops interfered,” Jensen continued.

Jared smiled slightly at that as he speared some lettuce.

“So it was a good day... “

Jared glanced up, finding the other man’s eyes trained on him hungrily and straightened.

Aware of being watched, Jensen Ackles very consciously licked his lips, “And it’s about to get even better now...”

Jared felt ice slip through his veins but forced himself to nod.  His body for the safety of his team was a small price to pay...

He was taken aback when Jensen held up a tart to Jared’s lips and sank his teeth into the sweet confection, watching the alpha’s eyes darken hungrily as his lips closed briefly around the fingers. Taking a page out of the other man’s book, Jared picked up an éclair and offered it to Jensen, feeling himself unexpectedly harden when the other man held his gaze and very deliberately closed his plush lips around Jared’s fingers, sucking lightly. The buttery crust and soft chocolate confection touched his lips again and Jared opened his mouth wide to accept the treat, enraptured by the sight of the mobster sucking his own fingers clean. When Jensen leaned forward for a kiss, Jared opened readily; making out like eager teenagers on the couch for long minutes before Jensen finally pulled away and climbed to his feet, holding out an expectant hand for Jared.

Jared had to remind himself to remain calm as he accepted the offered palm and rose to his feet, feeling his cheeks heat as the slip-knot was undone from around his waist and the satin slid off his shoulders.

“I-I hope you didn’t mind me borrowing your coat-”

“Not at all. Rather like watching you in my things, Darlin’,”

Jared blushed at the possessive words but obediently spread out on his front when prompted. Jensen crawled up the bed to hover over him, nipping at his skin with his teeth and lips and tongue. “So gorgeous,”

Jared gasped when a thick finger sank into him without warning.

Above him, Jensen froze: “You prepped?”

Jared glanced behind him, “Wasn’t I supposed to?”

“Huh? Oh, no-no-no... that’s fine... It’s just... well, it’s really hot thinking about you doing that-”

Jared faced forward again, unable to formulate a reply.

“Did you watch yourself?” Jensen’s voice dipped an octave.

Jared thought about staring at his face in the bathroom mirror as he used the lotion he’d found on Jensen’s dresser to open himself up for the mobster. He gave a stilted nod.

“Wish you could see yourself now... So pretty...” The alpha murmured, pressing a wet kiss on the swell of his ass. “How many fingers?”

“What?” Jared asked faintly.

“Fingers. How many did you use to open yourself up for me?”

“O-one.”

Jensen guffawed, “Gonna need way more than that if you’re hoping to take me, Darlin’. Hold on, I’ve got an idea.”

Jared twisted to see what the man was doing when he left the bed: The alpha rifled through a drawer, picked up his laptop, hastily detached the screen and hurried back to reclaim his spot between Jared’s spread legs. A warm palm patted his hip, “Lift that pert ass... gotta set this up.”

Jared swallowed but obeyed, twitching when a pillow was shoved under his hips and a light weight settled in the dip of his back.

“Ooh, this is gorgeous...”

Jared craned his neck to try and see what was happening behind him but a light smack against his right butt had him facing forward again. It wasn’t long before Jensen placed something in front of him and Jared felt his eyes widen when he saw that it was the laptop, a naked arse on the screen before him. For a second he thought Jensen wanted to watch porn while fucking him before realizing that the ‘naked arse’ on-screen was his own.

“Gorgeous, aye?”

Jared couldn’t help it, he twisted around to see how the alpha had managed to set this up; and choked back a gasp when he realized that Jensen had clipped a wire-tap camera to the front of his shirt and somehow hooked it up to broadcast the feed to the laptop screen before him- Jared had used those cameras numerous times for his missions, always pleased with the clarity of the video feed they provided; knowing the same model of camera was going to be used to film his humiliation made him want to throw up.

“Watch,” The alpha breathed as he parted Jared’s tightly clenched cheeks; baring the shiny, winking hole that lay hidden in between.

Jared closed his eyes, not wanting to watch anymore and let out a squeal when a finger breached him without warning.

“Closed your eyes, did’ya?” The man chuckled behind him.

Jared ground his teeth together to keep from cursing.

“Want you to keep those cat-eyes open, Darlin’; watch how beautifully you open up for me...”

“Fuck you!” Jared growled.

Instantly a cruel hand wound through his sweaty hair and pulled till he was staring at the ceiling- eyes stinging from the painful hold on his hair; a tongue flicked at his right ear before teeth closed on the soft cartilage, making him yelp. He swallowed convulsively, acutely aware of the bob of his adam’s apple as Jensen’s breath ghosted warm  and moist over the smarting skin of his ear, “Oh, you’re the one getting fucked, Darlin’... and I want you to keep those pretty peepers open so that you can watch yourself...I can tape ‘em open, you know...”

Jared opened his mouth to respond but all that escaped was a groan when Jensen took that moment to twist the finger he’d used to impale Jared.

“Besides, knowing what’s comin’ is bound to make it easier, no?”

Jared really hated it when his abuser started making sense.

“So, what’ll it be, Darling? Want me to go get the tape?”

“No,” He gasped, involuntarily trying to move away from the finger exploring his insides.

“Good boy,”

He watched, still gasping for breath as his butt came back into focus on the screen before him. Jensen used his free hand to pry him open again and he grimaced at the sight of the now, clearly visible- finger making little fucking motions.

He clenched reflexively when Jensen started teasing a second finger around his rim, gasping when there was a movement too fast to catch on the camera, but his left butt-cheek now sported a clear pink handprint.

Something cold was drizzled over his crack and there was an obscene ‘pop’ as Jensen yanked his finger out, rubbing his fingers through the wetness he’d poured on his arse. He whimpered when two fingers forced themselves inside him, the video catching the way his rim stretched around the intrusion. A part of him wished the man would just hurry up and get it over with, but the rational part of him was glad for the careful prep... Soon though, three fingers had him pushing back into them, the unexpected stretch halfway pleasurable.

“Ready?”

Jared could barely nod before Jensen was filling him, making him mewl at the burning stretch despite the extensive prep. He lay there gasping, absurdly grateful that the other alpha was giving him the time to accommodate to the unbearable fullness. Jensen unclipped the camera and removed the screen to the side-table- the slight movement for the action making Jared whimper and clench reflexively- before stroking his sweaty skin soothingly and hushing the soft sounds of pain.

“Easy... just breathe; all right? It’s get better soon.”

Jared opened his mouth to gulp in a lungful of air and shuddered as the fresh oxygen supply only served to increase his awareness of where he was split open on Jensen’s wide girth. His rolling eyes caught on the sealed condom packets the alpha had left on the bedside table and his panic increased, “Pro-protection?”

“I’m clean.” Jensen told him. “You?”

“S-same...”

“Good.” And Jensen swivelled his hips slowly.

Jared scrambled to grab the bedspread. Jensen continued moving slow and careful till the sharp pain settled into a dull throb and then he was snapping his hips in the earnest. “Want my knot, Darlin’?”

Jared froze, every muscle tightening instinctively at the threat- it already felt like he could taste Jensen at the back of his throat, he didn’t want to know what his knot would feel like... and yet, he had the lives of his friends to consider... He finally settled on a submissive, “If-if you want me to...”

Jensen only laughed, the vibrations lighting up every nerve of Jared’s body and continued thrusting. It wasn’t long before he felt the already stretched rim of his hole struggle to expand even further and then something forced it’s way inside, making him scream and black-out from the white-hot agony. When he opened his eyes again, he was aware of still being impaled and of the gentle twitches as Jensen released his load inside him.

“Knew you were a natural,”

The whispered words had him pulling away reflexively, drawing a strangled yelp as the movement tugged at his sore rim where they were still tied together.

Jensen chuckled, “Confused?”

The other man entangled their hands without waiting for a response, guiding it down and between his legs. Jared felt the tears spring to his eyes as he encountered the wetness there.

“You’re a natural, Darlin’...” Jensen repeated, adding, “came without a hand on you.”

Jared closed his eyes: he had never been so humiliated in his life... not only was he an alpha who took it up the ass, but he was one that apparently liked it.

He was still coming to terms with the shameful revelation when he felt Jensen slide out, the obscene squelch of him escaping Jared’s body loud in the quiet room. He shuddered as he felt the cool air brush his empty hole, trying to gather his faculties enough to curl himself so that he could hide his shame; but then a hand on his hip stalled him and before he could so much as ask ‘what', something cold and long and hard filled him again.

He was still lying there, frozen with surprise as Jensen pressed a kiss to his shoulder and left the bed- ostensibly to clean himself, “Want you to be ready for round two, Darlin’.”

'Round two' blurred with 'round three' and after that Jared was too exhausted to even care if further rounds happened. 

The alpha followed him into the shower the next morning, and barring the fact that he refused to let Jared remove the plug, continued to act for the entire world like they were boyfriends and not captor and captive. Having no clothes to call his own, he stepped out with a towel wrapped firmly around his hips. He was offered a pair of sweatpants and a loose tee, which he gratefully accepted. ... and though Jared had never thought he would be grateful for the alpha’s possessiveness, he found himself grateful for it because when Jensen got him tattooed later that day, it was only the mobster’s possessiveness that kept him from having to strip completely for the tattoo-artist.  Instead, Jensen had the ‘artist’ cut off the cloth covering his right butt-cheek. The plug he had been forced to wear was still obvious through the thin sweatpants, and Jared hated how the three loads filling him added an uncomfortable outward curve to his stomach as he lay on his front for the tattoo: The man had refused to allow him a chance to empty himself during his shower, claiming he wanted everyone to know that Jared was ‘his’.

While his ass was being tattooed, Jensen petted his head and made soft shushing noises, ostensibly, to 'calm' him. Jared growled in reflexive impatience, ‘don’t need you to mollycoddle me, Ackles!’

But the alpha only laughed, 'I’ll mollycoddle you if I want, Darlin’, and continued playing with his hair.

After, he had been given a hoodie that was large even on his frame to cover the cut-off gap in his pants as they walked out.

---

A fortnight later, Jared found that his days had settled into a rhythm - him trying to gather evidence against Ackles while the alpha teased him mercilessly with innuendos and kept him close, carrying on with his business while he had Jared either perched on his lap or bent suggestively over some piece of furniture in the room.

Jensen had not touched him sexually since that night, though he had been infuriating and dropping double entendres in nearly every conversation. At night they still shared a bed and though they started the night at opposite ends of the bed, morning always found Jared cuddled against Jensen’s chest. Jared wanted to stay awake one night and figure out who made the first move, but it was such a small thing that he gave in to his need for sleep every night...the lines were getting blurry with each day and Jared hated it.

“Jared!” A tiny blur collided with him and Jared wanted to put his fist through the wall when he realized that it was his little sister.

Jensen had asked him along on a shopping trip, apparently tired of loaning his clothes to the captive cop and was currently perusing a selection of tee shirts in the opposite aisle after instructing Jared to choose some denims for himself.

“Hey,” He managed, voice a strangled croak as he watched Jensen’s keen eyes watching his interactions with her from across the aisle.

“You working?” She asked in a hushed whisper.

“...”

She continued before he could respond, “I wasn’t sure, so I waited to come up till there was no one near you.”

“Thanks,” He tried and failed to hold up a smile as his mind helpfully provided technicolour pictures of all the ways Ackles could hurt her just to get to Jared.

“Hello,” A whisky-smooth voice interrupted.

Speak of the Devil...

Margaret turned within the circle of his arms to face the newcomer.

“Jensen,” Jared began before either of the other two could say something, hoping the other man would take the hint, “This is the little sister I would do anything for-”

Ackles’ eyes held laughter but underlying the warmth, there was a spark of victory as he met Jared’s eyes over Margaret’s head.

“Margaret, this is Jensen; my boyfriend.”

“It’s so nice to meet you, Margaret. Jared has spoken so much about you...” Jensen said smoothly, taking the hint and kissing the back of her hand in an outdated gesture of chivalry.

Margaret giggled, apparently as easily charmed by the gangster as everyone else, “You’re cute!”

Jensen smiled benignly, “Why don’t you join us for lunch?”

Margaret glanced at Jared for permission before agreeing. Jared felt as though he would have a coronary as he watched them interact- the invisible steel bands around his chest growing tighter by the minute; but gritted his teeth and nodded politely. They finished making their purchases- Jensen paying for both Jared and Margaret’s stuff; and trooped into the nearby diner. Jared wondered where the rest of Jensen’s men were, but at some unseen direction from the alpha, the entire team of body-guards had melted into thin air... didn’t mean Jared was going to risk doing something stupid.

The meal passed surprisingly companionably- at least once Jared finally managed to get himself to relax some and he found himself wondering why his family had never gotten along so well with any of his real dates. Jensen shared anecdotes from his ‘work’ which had them in splits throughout the meal. They ended up just sitting and chatting over coffee for almost two hours after their meal- once again paid for by Jensen; and by the end of it Jared was resigned to his fate as his sister shared enough personal details that someone like Jensen would have had no problems in hunting her down. There was no Chris waiting for them by the car and Jensen slipped into the driver’s side himself, and contrary to Jared’s expectations given how he was always chauffeured by Chris; drove with a confidence that could only come from long hours behind the wheel... Jared wondered what else he didn’t know about the gangster. They dropped Margaret off in front of a bookstore where she was supposed to meet her friends and Jared exhaled tiredly.

Later that evening he stared out of the window at the gentle drizzle; dressed in just a tee and with his ass hanging out (Jensen wanted to see the tattoo), struggling to accept that this was what his life would be from now if he wanted his sister safe. He flinched when warm arms wrapped around his waist from behind.

“So this is how it's going to be, is it ?” He asked.   “I am supposed to be your whore...am I? My only value as a bed warmer...”

“No.”The alpha returned with an easy chuckle, “The only valuable thing about you is your tight ass!”

Jared turned, suddenly furious, “So, getting raped everyday... that's what I have to look forward to for- for the rest of my life.”

“I never  raped you.  Well,” Jensen returned hotly, then seemed to re-consider and amended, “not after that first time.”

 And that’s supposed to be better?  Jared wanted to demand. Instead he forced himself to hang to his composure as he responded, “You coerced me.  That counts as rape.”

“You offered!” Jensen growled. 

“Yeah,” Jared laughed, sounding hysterical or unhinged he didn’t know- maybe both? “offer my body or have the blood of my colleagues on my hands.  Some choice.”

“No, Jared,” Jensen returned, this time his voice was controlled instead of blatantly furious, “I know it is easy to play the victim.  But no, you don't get to do that... Understand? You chose this. So own up to it!”

“So you’re saying you have been ok which me just thanking you? Talking to you?!”Jared demanded hotly, unable to reason calmly with the gangster the way he should.

“I always appreciate a good conversation,” Jensen conceded.

Jared’s brows furrowed, “But-?”

“No ‘buts’... Offering sex was your choice. I was just the idiot who fell for it.” Jensen’s voice had a note of finality that Jared found impossible to refute.

“...”

Jensen stalked forward, making him back up instinctively: “And if you don’t believe me, then let me prove it to you: I’m not going to touch you till you ask for it. So next time? Next time be very very sure, Darlin’... be sure that it is something that you want and not just something you are getting coerced into doing. Clear?”

Jared had thought Jensen would give him some space after the declaration, but nothing happened; he still continued using those annoying innuendos and fondling Jared at every opportunity. ... and they continued to share a bed.

It was frustrating because Jensen wasn’t doing anything he could call him out on, and even the business meetings Jared attended (mostly on Jensen’s lap, reduced to a pretty toy for the alpha to play with) were a bust. The only times he actually enjoyed were the brief minutes he was allowed to spend in Etta’s company.

Two days after their argument, Jared returned to their room to find all his trousers gone and replaced with knee-length (or shorter) skirts. Breathe hitching, he checked his underwear drawer instantly and groaned as he found all his comfortable boxer-briefs replaced with G-strings.

“Like them?”Jensen drawled, smirking from his spot by the door.

“Didn’t know you had a fetish for hairy legs,” Jared shot back.

“I don’t,” Jensen returned as he tossed something towards him.

Jared caught the object reflexively and nearly dropped it when he realized that it was a tube of hair-removal cream, “I hate you!”

“Keep telling yourself that, Darlin’,” Jensen laughed as he sauntered out.

Jared hated that he didn’t hate the skirts and his smooth legs as much as should.

-*-*-

It was a fortnight later that Jared finally got his opportunity: he was perched on Jensen’s lap with the alpha’s hand under his skirt and fingers slowly tracing the stylized snake on his butt-cheek when Olson stormed in, saying something about intercepting Pellegrino. Jensen retrieved his hand and pushed Jared off, dismissing him as he focussed on the discussion.

 Jared sneaked a call to Chad before going to Etta for some of her coconut macaroons.

Jensen lost two of his men that night and took his belt to Jared’s skin.

Jared only laughed as the flimsy skirt tore under the assault, satisfaction at having done even this tiny bit of damage to Jensen thrumming though him even as Jensen raised welts across his skin. It was only when Jensen dragged him-limping- to the study; where the families of the two men were waiting, that his laughter left him.

Jared felt ice bloom in his veins as Jensen strung him up from the same hook that he had hung from on his first day with the alpha and offered the belt to the widows of the deceased. If he had thought Jensen was bad, then the widows were a hundred times worse as they vented their grief and ire on his skin. He hoped for a reprieve when the blows began to slow some two hours in; but then the teenaged alpha – apparently the son of one of the deceased- asked for the belt and Jared was sure he was going to die that night.

Some dormant self-protective instinct flared to life within him as he pleaded with Jensen, blubbering out promises to never do something like this again and apologising for making the call to Chad in the first place; but the alpha was unflappable, watching silently as the teenager shredded Jared’s back with the belt. Jared could feel something warm trickle over his burning skin and knew that the boy had drawn blood. His stoicism a thing of the past, Jared screamed at every lash, struggling to twist away from the merciless blows. Darkness began to cloud the edges of his vision and he fought to stay conscious, terrified of the horrors that might be visited upon his body if he lost consciousness; but eventually the pain became too great for him to endure and he slipped into the welcoming darkness.

Jared awoke in Jensen’s bed; his entire back throbbing with his heartbeat like it had a life of his own. He peered blearily around and found the room empty and surrendered to darkness again. The second time he woke, there was someone behind him smoothing a cool substance over the bleeding welts on his back. He tried to twist and find out who it was behind him but the slightest motion had his injuries flaring so badly that he gave up with a low moan. He stared at the wall he was facing through wet lashes and became aware through his peripheral vision of a bowl set by his side. The cooling substance was taken away and Jared gasped at how fast the heat returned to his fiery injuries, watching blearily as the cloth was dipped in the bowl, turning the water a dull pink. The process repeated a few more times and then a pill was held up to his mouth. He opened up without protest and accepted the pill and later the straw from a glass of water. Soon though, the tumbler was taken away and the bowl with the bloody water removed as well. He wondered if he had been left alone but then the bed dipped behind him again and there was the snick of a cap opening. Something touched his back again and instead of relief, this time, it burned the open cuts littering his skin, making him realize that it was an alcohol swab. There was the sound of a cap again and then the bottle of peroxide caught his attention as it was placed beside him. He barely had time to brace for the pain before the swab touched his back, lighting a line of fire that had him whimpering quietly. He wondered if he needed stitches on some of the cuts but fortunately, there was no needle pulling through his muscles to hold the flesh together.

The hand touched the waistband of his trousers, ostensibly to reach the welted skin hidden beneath his sweats but Jared found himself panicking anyway as he tried to roll away. “NO! Please, No...”

The individual didn’t respond, but a minute later there was the snick of a cap closing.

“Thanks,” He muttered with some effort, sleep weighing his eyelids as the pill began to take effect and while once again there was no response, a hand squeezed his shoulder reassuringly before the person left the room.

He was woken twice more that night as someone spread healing gel over his ruined back.

 It took two days for him to attempt to stand (-and wasn’t that another exercise in humiliation to be so reliant on others...) but sitting was still a nearly unimaginable dream. He barely saw Jensen while he recouped even though the alpha spent every night in bed next to him... and the one time Jensen offered to apply the ointment, Jared flinched so hard that it was only Jensen’s swift reflexes that kept him from toppling off the bed.

The episode broke something inside Jared: the tiny kernel of hope that had begun building in him that Jensen might not be as bad as he’d thought crumbling to dust as remembered that the first lash that fateful night had come from Jensen’s own hand.

Jared stared down at himself as he stood under the warm spray of the shower, amazed at his body’s resilience...amazed that despite everything, his body was still capable of feeling pleasure. It had been so long since he had cleaned the pipes, he thought to himself; his hand automatically reaching for the turgid flesh between his legs.

His breath escaped in a soft gasp as a hand encircled his wrist- never having heard someone join him in the bathroom, stopping him from touching himself. Breath coming in fearful little pants, his eyes raked up the hand holding his captive till he met the narrowed viridian gaze. “Je-Jensen!”

Something in the alpha’s expression shifted, making him seem softer- more approachable- somehow. The man cocked his head to the side, peering up at his terrified gaze thoughtfully. “You’re scared of me...?”

Jared just stared back like a rabbit caught in a wolf’s gaze, heart pounding as the alpha continued holding his hand captive.

A careful finger traced a contemplative line down the sharp jut of his cheek-bones and to his parted lips. “I think I liked you better when you were being contrary...”

Jared just blinked, shaking his head minutely to escape the water still pouring over him. With a tug, Jensen had him pressed against his front, the alpha apparently not bothered by the moisture seeping into his crisp white shirt from Jared’s wet body and making it transparent. He trembled where he was held against Ackles’ body but didn’t protest as he was walked out into the room, his flesh goose-pimpling as the air-conditioned air hit his wet skin. Not missing the minute shakes overtaking his gangly frame, the alpha ducked back into the bathroom to fetch the striped blue towel Jared had taken with him but had not had the opportunity to use. Instead of handing it to him though, the man held it lengthwise and slipped it over the cop’s neck and vigorously rubbed his back-strangely careful of the healing welts despite his briskness; the gangster used the short length of the towel as an excuse to step close enough that they were virtually breathing into each other’s mouth. Jared didn’t protest the treatment, just held still and let the alpha have his way.

“So gorgeous...” Jensen whispered as he sneaked in a kiss. Jared opened obligingly but didn’t reciprocate. The mobster pulled back and regarded him pensively, “Is this how it’s going to be from now on, Jared? Because frankly, I absolutely despise those life-sized blow-up sex-dolls... and right now, Darlin’? You’re acting just like one.”

“Wha- what do you want me to say?” Jared asked, his voice gone raspy from days of silence.

“Oh, he speaks!” Jensen teased, nipping lightly at the captive cop’s lips again, before answering: “You’re free to say whatever you want, Darlin’,”

“And risk having you hand me back to your men as a chew-toy? No, thanks” Jared shot back.

Jensen felt his lips curl up in a smile at this fresh evidence of Jared’s fire- banked for the moment, but definitely far from extinguished.

“You’re angry that I let those betas whip you...” Jensen breathed in sudden understanding, “What I don’t understand is ...why? I mean, your initiation was far more difficult and you weren’t bothered by that...”

“My... initiation, as you call it,” Jared growled, “was handled by alphas... not- not two betas and a child!”

“Huh,” Jensen breathed, “So you think that you somehow lost your honour?!”

“...”

“Oh, Darlin’, trust me... no one thinks any less of you... Besides, my men are well aware that I believe in making the punishment fit the crime, Jared,” Jensen explained, “And the way you handled yours has only earned you admiration...”

“Yeah, right.” Jared scoffed.

“It’s true,” Jensen argued back, his hands becoming more forceful where they were towelling off the cop and lingering longer than necessary between the man’s legs.

“Jense...” The bitten off call escaped plush lips, “Unfair...”

“You weren’t really expecting me to play fair, were you?” The man laughed, pushing the other alpha prone upon the mattress and grabbing the healing salve.

Jared huffed, but stretched out obligingly; his shame at being naked before the other alpha a thing of the past.

“I’m not going to touch you sexually till you ask for it,” Jensen continued, “but that doesn’t mean you can touch yourself, okay? You are mine!”

Jared wanted to toss the one-fingered salute over his shoulder at the words, but Jensen’s hands felt too good on his back where they massaged the ointment into the healing welts and he could only purr in approval.

“And coming back to your punishment, you’re lucky it was me and all I did was hand you over to those who were affected by your actions...”

Jared made a disbelieving sound even as he leaned into the gentle caress.

“It’s true,” Jensen insisted, “Heyerdahl would have taken two fingers as compensation for losing two men- whether from your hands or feet would depend on your importance to him... Lehne would have made you choose two amongst your family and Pellegrino... well; he’s a bit of a wild-card... He could have you whipped or turned you over to one of his whore-houses. Or simply made you watch as he mutilated your sister... so forgive me for thinking I’m far nicer than I have to be.”

Jared’s muscles had tightened with each word out of the mobster’s mouth and he was rigid by the time Jensen finished, “Not Margaret... please...”

“Of course not,” Jensen assured, “I don’t involve innocents in my business, Darlin’, besides; your punishments’ over and done with. Okay? I promise that she is safe. For now, at least...”

Jared hastily turned over to face the other alpha at that, “What d’you mean ‘for now’???”

“It was something I wanted to talk to you about, actually.” Jensen answered easily, leaning back against the headboard and watching him sombrely as he put the lid back on the pot of salve, “I’m slightly worried about the company she’s been keeping lately and I think you should have a talk with her about it.”

“You had her watched?!” Jared demanded in surprise.

“Of course I had her under surveillance! ... We both have many enemies, Jared. I’d rather not have my family -or yours, for that matter- targeted. After all, not everyone in the business shares my scruples.”

Jared sagged, the hopelessness of the situation sapping his strength. Jensen’s word was the best he could hope for, under the circumstances, “You promise? You’re not going to hurt her?”

“I promise that neither I nor my men will ever do something to harm her. I cannot say the same for your colleagues or others who might target her because of her relation to you.”

Jared swallowed, “My... my colleagues?”

Jensen pursed his lips as he regarded him for a second before nodding. “Pull on some clothes, I’ve gotta show you something.”

Jared complied hastily, following after the shorter alpha as he led the way to his study. He hesitated at the doorway, remembering what had transpired the last time he had come here; but then Jensen offered him an upturned palm and Jared allowed himself to be pulled inside.

Jensen fired up his computer and clicked open a few tabs before turning the screen towards Jared. There were profiles of two officers, one a recent recruit from what Jared could see of his age and the other an older cop. Jensen tapped the image of the younger male, “This one’s been tailing your sister...”

Jensen had arranged for Jared to spend a day with his sister and even with all the pending questions and worries regarding her security status, there was no doubt that Jared enjoyed the day with her. She seemed happy, cheerful as always. Perhaps what made the day even better was that Jensen wasn’t there to scrutinize his every move. Chris, his ‘handler’ as Jared had come to think of the shorter alpha; was sitting unobtrusively a few tables away and Jared appreciated the faux- privacy.

They were cleaning the plate of stray chocolate crumbs when Jared broached the subject: “Hey, Meggy?”

She glanced up at his tone, “Yeah?”

“You’d tell me if someone was bothering you or something, wouldn’t you?”

She sighed.

“I’m a cop, Meg. I-I-I ...  I see a lot of shit, you know? Just want to know that you’re safe.”

“Honestly, the only problem I’ve had is with the guys you sent to watch o’er me-”

“Guys I sent?” Jared repeated; a hint of panic leaking into his voice.”Meg, I didn’t send anyone!”

“Well, he was a cop, so” She shrugged, blushing a little, “I uh- I assumed you’d sent ‘im because of that. Anyway, he uh- he tried to come on to me.”

“Shit.” He whispered, face white as his breathing increased with his panic.

“Jared?” Chris was at the table.

Jared looked up, he wondered how bad he looked for Chris to break cover and approach him.

“Oh, hey!” Margaret greeted the handler cheerfully. “How’re you doing?”

Jared looked between his sister and Jensen’s bodyguard. “You two know each other?”

Margaret nodded easily, “He was the one who helped me get rid of that creepy cop. Dunno what I’d have done if it hadn’t been for him. How do you know him?”

“He’s uh-”

“Through Jensen.” Chris answered easily. “He introduced us.”

She nodded her understanding.

“Was he back? Did the a-hole bother you again?” Chris asked, turning towards the girl.

Jared just sat numbly as Chris dragged a chair from the next table and joined them, wondering what his life had come to that the mob was better than the cops.

Margaret shook her head mutely in response to Chris’ question, brows furrowed as though she was picking up that everything was not as simple as the men were making it seem.

“Okay, so thing is, I looked up your admirer” Chris started matter-of-factly, obviously coming to the same conclusion as Jared and working to put the beta at ease. “He’s on Pellegrino’s payroll.”

Jared’s eyes widened. “Shit.”

The older man nodded. “So, given that information, I don’t think it’s wise for Margaret to live alone-”

“Guys, you can’t expect me to-”

“I agree with Chris.” Jared found himself saying.

The diminutive alpha nodded, “Great, I know just the place!”

“Chris, wait-”

“I know a girl who’s looking for a room-mate, I think you’ll be perfect.”

“Chris, she’s not staying with one of your hook-ups!”

“Dude! Mackie is not a hook-up. She’s a student over at UT Austin-”

“Doesn’t mean she’s not a past flame. How do you know she’s looking for a room-mate?”

“Uh-... She’s like my kid sister, actually. Known her forever.”

“No harm in checking out the place, right?” Margaret piped up, gaze conciliatory as she glanced between her brother and Chris.

Jared nodded resignedly.

The two room set was beautiful and while ‘Mackie’ was not in, the landlady was. Margaret was immediately enamoured by the little apartment with its view of the neighbourhood park. Best part was it was barely a block away from her college, had other amenities like stores and budget-friendly eateries within spitting distance and was itself well within her house-rent allowance.  While Jared was uncomfortable about letting her pay the lease without meeting this ‘Mackie’ first, both Margaret and Chris were sure that such a prime housing option wasn’t going to be on the market for long and decided to pay a booking fee then and there.

“You can help me move in,” Margaret whispered as she leaned into his side, “That way you can meet my roommate for yourself and-”

But Jared was already shaking his head, “I don’t think I’ll get leave, Meggie.”

She pouted but nodded sadly.

“I could help, if you’d like,” Chris piped up, unashamedly eavesdropping on their conversation.

Before Jared could refuse, his sister was nodding eagerly, “Yeah? That’d be great. Thank you!”

Jared jerked back in surprise and regarded the beta carefully, noting the slight blush painting her cheeks whenever Chris spoke to her and bit back his desire to scream: of course his sister would be the one to develop a crush on a gangster!

As he headed back to Jensen’s manor, he wondered if he should warn Chris away, but then thought about how the man had actually saved her from Pellegrino’s men and held his tongue. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have him watching out for her ...at least for now.

Later that night, he voluntarily told Jensen everything that had transpired over dinner, and found himself agreeing when the mobster suggested having Chris to keep an eye on Margaret and whoever this ‘Mackie’ was.  When Jensen leaned in for a kiss that night in bed, Jared opened without protest; his gratitude over having his sister protected making him softly submissive.

---

Jared woke up to find himself thoroughly entwined with Jensen. In the pale light of the dawn, it felt surprisingly comfortable to be so close to the mobster. Still, he didn't want Jensen to wake up while they were so close and gradually started to pull away. Unfortunately, his movement woke the Alpha who tightened his arms instinctively.
“Stay”, Jensen murmured groggily; his arm curling possessively around Jared.
Jared froze.

“Calm down, darling...not gonna do anythin’ to you, you know?” The alpha added when Jared failed to unclench his tensed muscles.

“Then le’me up, Jensen. Please!”

“Hush...” the man murmured, fingers stroking absently along the fine hairs along Jared’s treasure trail. The cop instinctively clenched his legs together, praying he wasn’t going to be penetrated and was unable to help his whine when he was rolled onto his stomach and Jensen’s playful fingers pressed against his hole.

He groaned, breath escaping in harsh gasps as he struggled to accept the intrusive fingers. They homed in unerringly on his prostrate and he cursed his traitorous body.

“It’s strange, isn’t it? All my life I was waiting for that person who would give me that spark- lost count of the number of omegas and betas I dated in hopes of finding it... and then I find it in an alpha! In- in you- the cop who despises me!” Jensen chuckled, rubbing his morning stubble against blanket warmed skin of Jared’s shoulder. “I dream of the day when you’ll realize that I’m not so bad.”

“I dream of the day you are led away in handcuffs and put behind bars for the rest of your life,” Jared growled, struggling with his unwanted arousal as his prostrate was stimulated by practiced fingers.

“Still so feisty,” Jensen chuckled at his threat, “Hush, relax... I like that!”

Jared let out a frustrated breath as his body was expertly manoeuvred right to the brink of orgasm and then abandoned.

“One of these days I’m going to convince you to have sex with me,” Jensen chuckled, not put out in the least as he got up.

Jared groaned, tugging at the blanket to cover himself and squawking in outrage when Jensen pulled it off without so much as a by-your-leave. For whatever reason, Jensen seemed to have decided that he had given Jared enough of a recovery time since his whipping and insisted Jared resume his grooming. Jared nodded resignedly and retrieved the tube of hair-removal cream as well as his meagre toiletries kit from the drawer; groaning when he realized that Jensen intended to sit in and watch. He started with his face, choosing the safest and least sexual region of his body. He lathered up and used the straight razor to get rid of the five-o’clock stubble that he preferred to sport in his regular life. Still, it was every bit as humiliating as he’d imagined it to be because the mobster’s rapidly darkening eyes were glued to the smooth lines left by the razor... but then things got infinitely worse when a tattoo-covered, slender young man entered the room with a perfunctory knock. He hurried to find his wrap- not keen on prancing around in his boxer-briefs in front of a stranger- and watched as Jensen stripped off unselfconsciously and stretched out on the bed. The slender alpha followed him and proceeded to oil and massage the mobster. As pornographic as Jensen’s moans of pleasure were, Jared found himself adjusting himself discretely; hating that he could find aesthetic beauty in the clean lines of the alpha’s body despite his fervent dislike of the man. Jared rose to exit the room, but Jensen insisted on his stay- he was tempted to attempt leaving despite it, but didn’t want to tempt another punishment while he was still healing from his last ordeal. So he sat and watched as Jensen was massaged and groomed to perfection, the older man obviously enjoying everything that was being done to him given the state of his dick. Once everything was done, the masseur lowered his head over the turgid length that Jensen sported and brought him to completion. Jensen never offered to reciprocate.

Jared relaxed when the young man straightened, sure Jensen was finally done playing with him, but the alpha ordered the man to cater to Jared and the cop found himself stripped of his robe before he could protest. He wanted to object, but aware that there was nothing that could be done now, he swallowed down his complaints and allowed a stranger to ‘groom’ him under Jensen’s watchful eye. The massage-oils felt good, the waxing hurt something terrible but the most humiliating part of the whole affair was to have his lush pubic brush trimmed down to a narrow strip.

“I have something for you,” Jensen rumbled once the beautician had left.

Jared’s eyes flew to the mobster’s face in surprise.

“Here,” And a small pouch was dropped in front of him.

Jared reached for it with trembling fingers, and swallowed nervously when he saw the two delicate clamps and the slim gold chain. He glanced up uncertainly, “You got me earrings and a necklace?”

“Nipple clamps and a chain to suspend between them,” Jensen returned, lips pressed together to stifle his laughter at Jared’s misinterpretation of his gift.

“Oh,”

“Want to try it?”

“I... uh... yeah, okay.” He agreed, acutely aware that the question was actually a thinly veiled order. If a part of him was curious about how the items would feel on his body, then nobody needed to know about it.

He watched as Jensen left the room to retrieve some ice-cubes and then pressed one against his chest, waiting till his nipples pebbled from the cold. The clamps were tight and drew an initial yelp from him, but they weren’t anything he couldn’t handle.

“So gorgeous,” The mobster whispered.

Jared leaned down to press his lips against the gangster’s instinctively. He wasn’t sure why he was being so welcoming of the other’s advances today, but something in him had changed when Jensen had gone out of his way to protect his little sister and then his early morning confession had made Jared wonder at the possibilities if only the man hadn’t been a mobster.

Jensen smiled into the kiss, surging up and licking into Jared’s mouth to seize control of the kiss immediately- the competitive bastard. Jared gave back as good as he got and then ended the kiss with a punishing nip to the other’s plush lower lip.

“Ow!” Jensen yelped as he reared back, one hand coming up instinctively to check if he was bleeding.

“You bit me!” He accused sullenly, looking for all the world like a toddler who had been denied his favourite toy.

“I know I did,” Jared returned easily as he pulled on a shirt and picked out one of the shorter skirts from his collection. “And I’ll not let you off as easily the next time you bring someone else to our bed.”

Jensen’s eyes darkened with arousal at the threat and Jared shook his head inwardly- of course the man had to be perfect here as well, preferring a headstrong partner instead of simpering bitches who would agree to everything he said....  It was almost unfair that he would be everything Jared looked for in his romantic encounters if only he hadn’t been a gang-lord. He exhaled noisily as he brushed his hair; debating with himself briefly before picking up the liner and darkening the rims of his eyes- he had wanted to do it the first time he’d noticed it, back when Jensen had gotten him the skirts; but had held off because it was unseemly of a cop to give in so easily. He eyed the heels left for him contemplatively before choosing the gladiator-style thigh high boots because they contrasted the vivid red of his skirt beautifully. The boots reminded him of the hooker-heels sported by that beta, something-or-other-Roberts in that movie he had watched with his sister awhile back, but he couldn’t deny how much he liked the feel of the soft leather against his skin.

Etta squealed like a pre-pubescent girl when she saw him, “You’re gunna make ‘im so happy, Boy! How didja know it was his birthday anyway?”

“I didn’t,” he replied honestly, although now that he thought about it, it did explain why Jensen had chosen today of all days to treat himself to a massage when the man usually took about five minutes to get ready for the day and didn’t indulge in any products –at all- apart from his after-shave and cologne... “You think he’s going to approve?”

“Oh yes, definitely. Although... wait, come with me a moment,” She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him up the stairs to what was presumably her room. He stood at the door awkwardly as she rummaged through her closet before pulling out something with a lot of rope dangling forlornly from its free ends.

“What is it?” Jared asked nervously, peering over her shoulder.

She turned to face him with a wide beaming smile, “Ta-da!”

And now that he could see it, it was clearly a corset.

“That’s...” He gulped, looking from the black corset to Etta and back again. “That’s for betas.”

“Oh hush!” She laughed, “You’re going to look fabulous in it. I know it!”

“I don’t... How do I-?” He trailed off awkwardly; not wanting to waste time arguing with her because there was no way the woman was going to give up her idea. And if she went to Jensen with it, the gangster was liable to make it into something even worse.  Besides, he was hungry.

“Take off your top,” Etta commanded briskly. “and lose that skirt.”

Jared’s eyes widened, but given he had been paraded naked through the hall enough times to have given everyone an eyeful by now, he complied wordlessly;  blushing when she gave a appreciative whistle at the sight of his boy-cut lace panties. He was just glad that he had chosen to wear the wife-beater underneath his top.

The corset was cinched tight around his waist, making his already slim waist appear positively tiny and then Etta was helping him back into his clothes. He glanced at the mirror on her dresser once, unable to deny that the corset had increased his appeal.

“Just one more thing,” Etta declared, hurrying to her vanity kit and pulling out a tube of ruby-red lip gloss with a triumphant ‘aha’.

He pouted as directed and felt the sticky gloss coat his lips. When he glanced back at the mirror, he could barely recognize himself in his reflection. He looked nothing like the capable cop that he was, but there was something definitely alluring about the stranger that stared back at him from the mirror.

Jensen’s jaw dropped open when he stepped into the dining hall; literally- a disgusting piece of half-masticated toast falling off before he realized and closed his mouth.

“Jared?” The gang-lord asked in a strangled voice.

He just smiled, unable to hide his delight at the alpha’s reaction. Feeling strangely confident, he sauntered up to the side table and quickly filled a plate with whatever struck his fancy before moving to the head of the table where Jensen sat and plopping down on his lap.

“Miss me?”

The alpha whimpered and nodded; Jared couldn’t help but grin as he felt how hard the man was just from the sight of him. The rush of power was addictive and Jared wondered if this was what had driven Jensen to become a crime-lord. He stayed with Jensen as the man conducted his business, some of it legal, some not so much. He fetched files and arriving fax as required to make himself seem more useful, making sure to add an extra sway to his hips whenever he felt Jensen’s eyes on him. In the brief interludes when it was just the two of them, he planted himself in the mobster’s lap; teasing the man till he was thoroughly distracted. Naturally it meant that he had to straighten his skirt whenever the next knock sounded, but it was worth it to see Jensen’s dazed expression and the alpha needing a few seconds to compose himself. He wondered why he hadn’t thought of doing this earlier, especially since Jensen had made no secret of his desire. This was so much better than playing the victim and he was around for all sorts of discussions, giving him that much more information about the shady deals that Jensen was involved in. Jared smiled in satisfaction to himself, it looked like his desire to play with Jared had blinded him to the dangers he was opening himself up to by letting a cop hang around. Well, he was going to enjoy feeding the rope to the gang lord- just enough give for him to hang himself with...

Jensen was nearly out of his mind with arousal by the time they retired for the night. Jared only smirked that cat-that-got-the-canary smile of his and retreated to their room, leaving the older alpha to make his excuses and follow behind.

Jared debated how he wanted to play this and then decided that it was too much fun to give up this control. He pounced on Jensen the moment the alpha stepped through the door, locking their lips together and stripping him of his three-piece suit. With both of them as on-edge as they were, they kept coming back for kisses after discarding each article of clothing while Jared- unable to keep his hands off, continued mapping every inch of the man’s ridiculously attractive body. It was a struggle to keep his head in the game but Jared succeeded- for the most part. When Jensen tried to gain control of the kiss for a few seconds, Jared pulled back and announced that if the man wanted him he was going to have to play by his rules. Jensen looked adorably startled by the demand but when Jared went to kiss him again, stayed admirably pliant. He stripped the alpha the rest of the way as sensually as he knew how, making sure to rub up at every opportunity to make sure Jensen wasn’t losing his interest,  before pushing him down on the bed and tossing the tube of lube.

“Prepare yourself, honey.”

That seemed to sober the man up: “I’m not bottoming!”

“This time? Yes, you are.” Jared grinned, confident of his allure.

“Jay... Sweetheart...” Jensen protested, “I- ... please?”

“Nope!” Jared grinned, calculatingly planting his booted feet on the coffee table and then seductively tugging down the zipper holding the thigh-high boots one tooth at a time. “Besides, I thought you didn’t say no without trying something at least once. What happened, Ackles? Chickening out on me...?” He teased with a saucy wink.

“I- I have tried bottoming before. Thrice, to be specific.” Jensen grumbled with a shrug, “Didn’t like it. At all.”

“Seriously?!”

“Yeah,” Jensen shrugged, “I don’t exactly believe in that bullshit about alphas not bottoming, you know? And like I told you, I’ll try anything once before making up my mind.”

“But-”

“Never worked for me, Jay.”

“Well, you haven’t tried it with me, have you?” Jared countered.

“What if I don’t like it still?” Jensen argued.

“You get to tell me ‘I-Told-You-So’,” Jared murmured, walking his fingers up Jensen’s hard pectorals with each word.

Jensen laughed at the tickling sensation of Jared’s fingers on his skin before conceding the argument with a put-upon sigh as he picked up the bottle of lube and opened the cap with a snick, “Well, that’s something at least, I guess.”

Jared drew back to watch as the alpha prepped himself efficiently; then offered the bottle to him and spread out on his front. The cop took a moment to appreciate the visual before him before he coated his finger in the lube, warming it slightly by rubbing them together and pressed it tentatively against the older man’s furled opening to check if the man had prepared himself enough to accept Jared’s not inconsiderable length. A frown flickered over his face when he registered how tiny –and tight- Jensen looked down there. The clenched opened was glistening, and the sphincter looked red and irritated, proving that the alpha hadn’t faked his preparation. Brows drawing together in confusion, Jared pressed his finger with a little more strength. He had barely inserted the tip of his finger before Jensen made a strangled gasp and clamped down like a vice.

“Easy,” He shushed, rubbing the older man’s heaving abdomen in a futile effort to calm him. He could see that Jensen was beginning to lose interest in the proceedings if his dick of any indication of the same.

Jensen breathed deeply a couple of times before visibly forcing himself to relax. Unfortunately, he was still tight enough around Jared’s finger that the cop was afraid of moving it either way for fear of tearing the sensitive sphincter.

“C’mon, relax for me...” Jared whispered, continuing to rub soothing circles on the man’s stomach even though Jensen had gone completely soft by that point.

“It’s not going to get better than this, Sweetheart. C’mon, you can push in.”

“What?!” Jared hissed, “Are you nuts?! I’m not going to take you like this, Jensen- that’d be... that’d be rape!”

“You do realize that that’s exactly what you’re condemning me to when you send me to prison, don’t you?” Jensen countered; eyes narrowed and angry. In one fluid move, he yanked himself off Jared’s finger; hissing as it lit a line of fire in his most intimate opening and glared at the cop.

Jared stared, taken aback by the sudden darkening of the gangster’s mood. He gaped at the man as he tried to make sense of the words- Jensen was the kingpin of crime, surely he wasn’t afraid of other criminals?... but maybe he wasn’t used to dealing with the petty ones at ground level- that had to be it. He reached out a hesitant hand in an attempt to reassure, “Hey, it’ll not be like that, okay? There’ll be cops around; they’ll ensure that the other prisoners do not assault you.”

“Pigs, yeah right!” Jensen spat angrily, jerking away from Jared’s hand and grabbing the ever-present silk robe from next to the bed and pulling it on with jerky movements as he mocked, “Pigs will protect me.”

Jared sat up as well, eyes narrowed defensively, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It was cops who caught him, Piggy. And cops who had fun with him for two weeks before throwing him away like trash.” The older male glared as he began to stumble his way to the liquor cabinet, stubbed his toe against the edge of the bed and collapsed on the floor with a curse.

“Jensen?” He questioned uncertainly, giving up on salvaging the mood. He had never seen the alpha so... unhinged. Sure, Jensen had a temper and Jared had found himself on the wrong end of it more than once to be wary of it, but this- this was new.

“What? You think I liked finding him like that?!” The man rubbed at his injured foot for a minute before awkwardly climbing to his feet again.

“You’re not making sense. Find whom?  Like what?!”

“In the trash, naked. Blood and puke and – and other fluids marring every inch of skin. They had knocked out his teeth, you know? Maybe he’d tried to bite them, I don’t know. But they had done it so overzealously that they had shattered his jaw-”

“Oh God,” Jared breathed. He still didn’t know who the man was talking about, but it didn’t matter- nobody deserved to be treated like that.

“You think that’s the worst of it?”

“It isn’t?” Jared asked, his voice sounding pitiful to his own ears.

“They had pushed a baton up his ass... but before that, they had fixed him. Like a fucking dog!”

Jared felt sick. He must have looked it too because Jensen mercifully fell silent after that. Mood effectively ruined- and his foot apparently feeling better, the mobster stomped his way to the liquor cabinet, pulled out a half-empty bottle of whiskey, poured a quarter of an inch in his tumbler and sat nursing it silently.

Jared watched him go through two more glasses as he tried to figure how to express his sympathies for whomever Jensen had lost so tragically. When Jensen started pouring himself a fourth glass, he gave up- there would never be enough words to make up for whoever Jensen was mourning; so he rose from the bed and went to crouch before him, hoping his sincerity would make up for the inadequate words he had to offer: “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Jensen nodded but didn’t say anything. But when he reached to pour himself another glass, Jared reached out and grabbed his arm, “Stop. ... You’ve had enough for one night, man. C’mon.”

“Did I tell you that I found him on my birthday? I had prayed that I find him when I blew the candle on my cake that morning ... wishes do come true, huh? Maybe I should have been more specific.”

“Hush... no, don’t do that to yourself, okay? It’s not your fault.”

Green eyes snapped to him contemplatively, “Are you saying that you blame the cops?”

“Anyone capable of doing the things you described is not fit to be called a human, let alone a friggin’ cop!” Jared rebutted hotly.

Jensen smiled tiredly, “Thank you for saying that.”

“Anytime,” Jared returned absently, “Now c’mon. Let’s get you in bed.”

“Not bottoming,” Jensen murmured stubbornly as he allowed himself to be guided to his feet.

“No, I’ll not make you bottom.”

The drunken man patted his cheek in wordless thanks, “You’re a good boy, Jared Pada-Padale-Padaleski.”

“Lecki”

“Huh?”

“It’s Padalecki, not Padaleski.”

“Padale...Pa- Pahda- Panda...” The mobster giggled at his own slurred attempts before shaking his head and giving up. “I-... I theeenk I’ahl  sti-i-cck tuh Jahred.”

“Okay.” The younger alpha murmured as he drew the blankets up and tucked the inebriated man, “You can call me Jared, or you can try again when you’re not drunk or hungover. Hum?”

A light snore was his only response and Jared found himself shaking his head fondly as he went to change and remove his make-up before joining the snoring alpha- today had been an eye-opener... he’d just have to see if he could use all that he’d learnt in his plans.

---

“Jensen… who were you talking about, last night?”

“Mppfff…” The alpha grumbled, still half asleep and battling the traces of hangover the night’s drinking had left.

“You need to tell me, Jensen. Please.”

“I was drunk, Piggy… and I didn’t want to bottom… who knows what I said?”

Jared narrowed his eyes, “I don’t think you were simply fibbing just to get away from bottoming. There were just too many details for that. And ‘b’, you are trying to avoid my question.”

Jensen sighed, “You not going to let this go, are you?”

“Just tell me.”

“My brother.” The alpha breathed, “I was talking about my brother,”

“Do you have any documentation?”

“Documentation?”

“Of – of the injuries your brother had suffered.” Jared tried to frame it as delicately as he could.

“Would an autopsy report suffice?” Jensen asked tiredly.

“Yeah- yeah… that’d be good.”

Jensen nodded and went to his walk-in closet, rummaging through one of the closets there and returning with a thick yellow dossier. Jared felt his bile rise at it’s thickness. “That’s- that’s the autopsy report?”

Jensen let out a hollow chuckle, “He had a lot of injuries.”

Jared settled for nodding his understanding as he accepted the file. And then he had to drop it and rush to the bathroom to throw-up : the opening page had a photograph of a man- who looked strikingly like Jensen- as he was first discovered.

---

“Chad, I need to talk to Morgan.”

“J-bird! You’re alive! We were beginning to think you’d been caught. Is your cover intact -”

“Chad. Morgan.” Jared interrupted, cutting off his friend’s rambling.

“He’s busy. Do you want me to ass him a message.”

“No, just- just tell him I need to talk to him.”

“Call you back on this number?”

“Are you that much of an idiot, Chad?” Jared retorted crossly.

“Who you calling an idiot?!” His friend shot back.

“Chad, just tell Morgan I’m meeting my uncle on the cafe at 5^th for breakfast on Saturday.”

“Uncle? I thought you didn’t have family apart from your sister? You’ve been holding out on me, J-bird?”

“Chad, did you get what I said?” Jared asked, pinching the bridge of his nose- Chad was a good guy, but he was too laid-back for comfort at times.

“Yep, breakfast with your uncle at the cafe on the 5^th, Saturday.”

“And you’ll tell Morgan?”

“Yeah, I-”

“Good.” And he cut the call; he just hoped Morgan understood the message.

---

Jared was relieved to find the police chief at the Hot Cuppa, sighing in relief that firstly Chad had transmitted the message and more importantly, that the man had interpreted it correctly. Dressed in baggy jeans and an oversized sweatshirt and with a beanie covering his short hair, the Chief could have been just about anyone’s uncle. The man greeted him with an uncharacteristic warm hug, obviously wanting to keep up appearances.

“Hey,” He greeted quietly.

“Hey, Kiddo. How’re you doing? It’s been awhile since I’ve heard from you... How’s your brother?”

“Sister,” Jared corrected with a chuckle, adding “It’s fine. We can talk freely. No one’s on me for the moment.”

A salt-and-pepper eyebrow curled up disbelievingly.

“Ackles knows I’m meeting with my uncle who is a cop. It’s fine.”

“And he trusts you to meet me alone?”

“Well, you have to take a leap of faith sometime...” He shrugged.

“You playing for the other team now, boy?” Chief Morgan’s brows furrowed as he tried to find the hidden meaning behind his words.

Jared threw his head back and laughed.

“I say something funny?” The police chief asked darkly.

Jared managed to get himself under control as he looked up to meet the grey-green eyes directly, “No, you’re right... Here’s the thing, I- ... how do I say this?”

“Just say it; you don’t need to sugar-coat stuff for me.”His boss suggested.

Jared smiled softly at the man’s words before blurting, “I need a favour. For Ackles.”

Jared had once thought there was nothing that could surprise his unit head, but looking at the gaping mouth, Jared figured he’d finally managed to shock the man. Shaking his head, he continued, “This thing... this favour is not exactly what you’d call kosher... but if I can pull it off, he’s going to trust me completely-”

“A favour,”

Jared smiled when the older alpha finally caught the pertinent word.

“I need names.”

“Cop names, I’m assuming? To give Ackles?”

Jared met the Chief’s hard stare unflinchingly, “Yes. It’s going to be my gift to him.”

“Right. ... to-to cement your position with him. But are you really willing to sell out your brothers in blue to get in the good books of a gang-lord? I mean, is it worth it?”

“It is to me,” Jared confirmed, “I need this, JD.”

“Isn’t your current position enough?” The man pressed, “I mean he clearly trusts you to meet a known cop without supervision. I’d say that shows your clout over him... Is it really necessary to paint a bull’s eye on your colleagues’ back? Will you be able to live with yourself once you do this?”

“This time? Yes, I’d be able to sleep like a baby.” Jared told the man. He appreciated the sentiment, knowing the man was only trying to watch out for him, but he couldn’t see the whole picture yet. And yes, Jared was aware that he had a limited viewing port himself, but still, he was seeing more than JD for the moment. “... Look, if it makes you feel any better, I think these guys deserve whatever’s coming for them.”

“There’s a reason the law exists, kiddo. ... And I don’t know what you think these men have done, but betraying those-”

“I think they’re on somebody else’s’ payroll as well if it makes you feel any better. And even if they weren’t, I’d still have no regrets.” Jared interrupted, reaching into the canvas backpack he’d brought with him to pull out a slim folder. He wordlessly pushed the file across the table in silent offering.

Narrowing his gaze, obviously still doubting Jared’s sanity; the older man pulled the dossier closer. He absently speared some of the pancake and shoved it into his mouth before opening the cover. Perfectly aware of the image that greeted the viewer on opening the file, Jared bit back a smug smile as he watched the older alpha choke on his food. The man swallowed it without chewing with obvious difficulty in lieu of spitting out the mouthful and Jared admired him for it, knowing how difficult it was to hold onto one’s appetite after reading the report. True to his prediction, the man pushed his plate away as he turned the page, his face gaining a greenish hue as his eyes rapidly flicked over the coroner’s report. The images enclosed followed the document (barring the one Jared had used for its shock and awe effect at the start) and Jared watched as the man flipped back and forth as he matched the images to the descriptions.

Fifteen minutes later the Chief closed the dossier and placed it back on the table before meeting Jared’s eye, “I know the baton is a clue, but that doesn’t prove the culprits were cops.”

“He was picked up on a speeding ticket,” Jared responded. “Never made it to court or on any lock-up record. ... The body was discovered two weeks later.”

“If there is no record, how do you know it was a speeding ticket?”

“He was with Ackles on the phone at the time, he overheard the initial exchange and then Charles excused himself and hung up. The man and the car disappeared, but the phone was discovered on the side of the road from where he’d been picked up.”

“And you’re sure Ackles is telling the truth? Not hiding facts?”

“Man was three sheets to the wind when he told me the story. I doubt he had the wherewithal to make up stories under the circumstances. ... even if he did, it’s somewhere to start.”

“Right,”

“Look, I know it’s not something I should be proud of,” Jared explained, “But I need to make sure the man trusts me completely if I’m to get deeper into his circle and this gives me the perfect chance,”

“And you’ll be able to sleep if Ackles strings them up by their balls.”

Jared shrugged, “My hands are hardly lily white, Chief. ... and given what they’re guilty of? Well, I’ll not be too cut up if something does happen to them.”

“Ackles will not suspect you if you can provide him names? I mean, I don’t think the man has tried not tried to find them before...”

“Even if he did, he hasn’t been successful ‘bout it.”

“Yeah, but this will be like declaring you have sources among the men in blue,”

Jared gave an enigmatic smile, “Let me worry about that,”

Jeff Morgan sighed, “You’re sure you’ll be safe? You don’t want me to pull you out?”

“I’m good,” Jared answered with a small smile, warmed at the older man’s concern. “And I know you guys have my back.”

---

Life for Jared had settled into a routine of sorts and he had grown to like the skirts Jensen had filled his wardrobe with. Over time, he had even grown to enjoy the feel of the skirts swishing about his body with his movement and ease of movement. He especially enjoyed the appreciative heat in Jensen’s eyes every time the alpha’s eyes caught his. No one else commented or even glanced a second time at him, especially not after he put Olson on the mat during one of their sparring sessions... which was why he was outraged when a hand grabbed at his rear and squeezed salaciously. When he turned to glare at the perpetrator, and was greeted with a suggestive smirk. “Hello, Sweetheart”

“Let go,” Jared growled, straightening to his full height.

The curly haired man raised an imperious eyebrow and grabbed the wrist of the hand he had used to push the unwelcome touch away, “You never said your bitch had so much spine, Ackles!”

Much to Jared’s delight, when Jensen looked up at his name, his expression resembled gathering thunderclouds, “Jared is not anyone’s bitch, Armstrong. And it would be in your interests to let go of his hand,”

Jared smirked triumphantly as Curtis Armstrong released his hand like he was being scalded. He kept his tone saccharine sweet as he murmured a polite ‘thank you’.

“Gloat all you want. Jensen will lose his fascination with you soon enough.”

Jared ignored the man’s threatening words and moved to Jensen, smiling when the man automatically removed his hand from the chair’s armrest for Jared to perch on. Jared rested his right hand on the alpha’s left shoulder as he peered forward to get a look at the computer’s screen. His eyes furrowed in confusion as he realized it was a list of chemicals. He opened his mouth to comment, remembered Curtis’ presence and shut his mouth with a snap again, choosing to stew in silence for the moment. Still, his curiosity had him looking at the chemical list over Jensen’s shoulder and it took him stumbling upon 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and re-reading amphetamine to realize that he was looking at a drug list. His eyes widened comically as he stared at the list in disbelief. Now that he knew what it was, he could see that there were prices mentioned next to the items and estimated sale projections.

Fortunately, before his imagination got the best of him, Jensen was minimising the document and straightening in his seat, “Curtis,”

“Looks good doesn’t it? Pellegrino is holding the market at the moment but I think six months would allow you enough time to grab a sizable share of that lucrative pie-”

“and fatten your wallet considerably.” Jensen interrupted.

The shorter alpha grinned and spread his arms wide, “What can I say, I’m a businessman at heart, Ackles!”

“Right.” Jensen chuckled even though Jared could feel the alpha’s lack of mirth in his corded muscles, “But doesn’t it seem counter-productive? Pellegrino’s the drug guy. If we all dipped our fingers in the-”

“Yes, and I dare say he’s doing very well.” Curtis Armstrong grinned like a shark, “What can I say, once you’re hooked, you’re hooked.”

“Right.” Jensen let a small smile twist his lips before sobering, “Do I look like Pellegrino to you, Armstrong?”

“Of course not!” The man looked affronted, “Do you think I would give him these prices for my goods?”

Jensen shook his head, frustration evident in every line of his body. “I don’t piss where I eat, Armstrong. I told you once before, and I’ll tell you again: I don’t deal in drugs, and my men don’t deal in drugs. I respect your quality of ammo. And we’ve had a successful partnership for the last five years. Let’s stick to that.”

“But this is a lucrative business, Ackles. You sure you don’t want to dip your fingers in Pellegrino’s pie?”

“Pellegrino is welcome to his pie, Armstrong. I don’t want any piece of it.”

“But it’s pie!”

“I’ve told you my decision. Please do me the honour of respecting it.”

---

Three weeks since his meeting with his chief, he received an email with five names and nothing else. He printed the names, and handed the envelope to Chris. It was two months to a day since his brunch with JD when Jared walked Jensen down to a room where five blindfolded men were awaiting them.

Jensen’s eyes were still gleaming with that maniac glow as Jared carefully undressed him and led him to a shower. A few minutes with a soft washcloth foamy with lather and all traces of the evening’s activities were sliding down the drain with the rust coloured water. Jared was wiping the older alpha down when he noticed the effect the adrenalin had left in the man.

He glanced up through his lashes to find that manic green gaze regarding him silently and flushed when his body responded. Holding that gaze, he reached behind the man for the scented oil and quickly poured a generous amount in his palms. Still keeping his eyes on the viridian stare, Jared pressed his teeth into the plump skin of his lower lip, grinning victoriously when the emerald darkened to jade. Without warning he grabbed the tumescent length in front of him and smirked when the man let out a ragged moan.

“Jared!”

The cop just laughed and kept up his measured strokes and only stopped when a hard hand grabbed his hair firmly. He froze uncertainly, hands falling back to his sides and the vulnerable length of his throat bared as he stared up at Ackles.

Jensen pulled him to his feet with the help of his grip on Jared’s hair and while the sharp tugs had him wincing, Jared made no move to escape the hold.

“Want to be inside you. Can I? Please?”

Jared’s eyes widened at the unexpected question: they had not gone ‘all the way’ since that long ago night and he found himself nodding permission before he thought about the repercussions.

“Thank you,” Jensen breathed and crushed their lips together.

Given the adrenalin still buzzing through the older alpha, Jared was sure it was going to be a hard fuck, and he was pleasantly surprised when Jensen reined himself in; taking the time to prepare Jared properly before claiming him. Even after he’d been breached, the man showed no hints of impatience and despite himself Jared founded himself responding to the languid strokes that brushed over that special spot inside him. He spilled without a hand on him and for the first time, didn’t feel guilt about enjoying himself.

---

Jensen had always been tactile around him, but it still surprised him how incredibly affectionate the alpha was ever since his ‘gift’. Jared sat in on most meetings now, both legal and those pertaining to Jensen’s ‘extra-curricular’ activities. Most of it was boring above-board stuff, but it was fascinating to see how adroit a business magnate Jensen was.

Back when he’d been in the academy, he had scoffed at how ‘Jensen Ross Ackles’ brushed shoulders with the city big wigs on a daily basis. Charity parties never seemed complete without the inclusion of his name in the guest list and the magazines loved to feature how the photogenic alpha ‘gave back to the society’. At the time, Jared had thought Jensen greased the right palms for all the positive media coverage... watching the man now, Jared figured that while Jensen did grease a few palms, he was genuinely involved with a lot of charities.  His legal business dealings and role in the multiple charities took up the lion’s share of the alpha’s time and Jared marvelled at how a sentence here and there was all that was required to manage his ‘other’ job.

He asked Jensen about it once and the alpha just laughed enigmatically.

---

“Piggy! Just the person I was looking for!” Jensen greeted as he sauntered into the kitchen where Jared and Etta were baking pies.

Jared rolled his eyes at the nickname, knowing there was little point in complaining about the name that had been bestowed upon him.

“Etta, can I borrow your helper, please?” The gangster batted his eyelashes at the stern housekeeper like one of those Japanese cartoons Jared had once seen on porn and he had to bite his lip to stifle his laughter.

“On one condition,”

“Oh?”

“You’ll have to tell me someday how this hunky alpha got piggy as a nickname.”

“That’s easy, Etta.” Jensen grinned. “He’s a cop,”

The woman’s eyes widened comically at the non-dramatic disclosure about Jared’s real job and she looked rapidly between the two of them. Jensen was not paying her any mind, busy sneaking a hand into the cookie jar, so Jared was the only one who caught her look.

“Is it true?”

He nodded.

“You hurt that boy and I’ll kill you myself,”

Jared raised a placating hand, “Jensen’s safe-”

“I know his family has a bad history with cops,” the woman told him. Jared shuddered, remembering Jensen’s brother. “And I don’t want him to get hurt, okay? Don’t ever let me catch you hurting him.”

“I won’t. I promise.” He offered a tremulous smile.

“Don’t think I don’t see you sneaking into my cookie tin, Boy!” The woman roared, effectively dismissing him and Jared laughed all the way to his room as Jensen grabbed his hand and ran with him.

They were both breathing hard and wheezing from grinning so had by the time the door closed behind them. Jared regarded the almost preternaturally good looking alpha contemplatively.

“You said you were looking for me?”

Jensen sobered immediately, “Yeah, I want someone picked up.”

“You have drivers for that,” Jared pointed out.

‘No, I mean… put behind bars.”

“Oh?”

“It’s one of my men,”

“You’re betraying one of your own?” Jared couldn’t help but ask. Jensen had always seemed so protective of his crew...

“He betrayed me,” Jensen snarled, “Lured teens into the beds of the city’s rich and kinky to fatten his wallet,”

“Huh,”

“So, can you arrange it?”

Jared smiled, “Yeah. I think so... You got any proof of his activities?”

“Some,” Jensen answered as he offered him his phone and Jared obediently dialled the number he had learnt by heart. He rattled off his code and asked for Chad.

“J-Bird!” The cheerful voice of his former teammate was like a breath of fresh air. “What’s up?”

“I have a name. Can you grab him?”

“Sure, no problem-o… You got the proof to charge the guy with? ‘cause y’know he’s going to walk otherwise.”

Jared raised an eyebrow at Jensen but the man shook his head bitterly.

“No proof, circumstantial evidence… guy’s on Ackles’ payroll. If I snoop around anymore it’ll raise eyebrows.”

“Gotcha. We’ll handle it. What’s the dude done?”

“Human trafficking.” Jared told him baldly.

Chad choked on the other end, “Come again?”

“You heard me.”

“Yeah, yeah… I just- are you safe, J-bird? Ackles and human traffickers… you’re playing a very risky game, Kid.”

“It’s not that bad,” Jared sighed. “It’s just… they were underage, man… and this guy just sold them to the highest bidder.”

“You know the clients?”

Jensen nodded and waved his hand in a see-saw pattern at Jared’s raised brow.

“A few of them.” Jared translated. “I’ll send you the list.”

“Okay,” Chad agreed. Then; “Any chance we can nab Ackles in this sting as well?”

“Jensen doesn’t know, man. He doesn’t support prostitution, you know that… this guy’s sneaking it. I want him off Ackles’ crew.”

“Jensen huh?”

“C’mon Chad, don’t start. Not now.”

“I’m not starting anything, J-bird. You’re the one who’s strangely protective of the guy you’re supposed to be taking down. … just – you remember which team you are on, Jared.”

“I’ll never forget that, Chad. … but… Jensen’s not as bad as we’d thought-”

“He butchered five cops last week,”

“I know,”

“You don’t blame him,” His friend breathed, taken aback.

“Not this time, no.” Jared confirmed. “Things are complicated.”

“Simplify them for me.”

“They were on Pellegrino’s payroll.”

“Shit,”

“Yeah.”

“So you’re saying Ackles is actually a good guy?”

“No!” Jared protested before he remembered that said alpha was right next to him. “I mean, he’s … he’s like a snake, Chad. It’s bad if you get entangled in his coils… but he’s necessary to maintain the ecosystem.”

“Wow,”

“Shut up,”

“No seriously, that was beautiful. You sure you weren’t a lawyer in your last birth?”

“I’m hanging up, Chad.”

 “Fine, fine. … I look into what you told me. You just stay on your guard, J-bird, okay? You don’t want to get entangled in the snake’s coils...or worse, eaten.”

Jared hung up, only daring to look at the man as he returned the phone. “What?”

“So... You think you’re safe from this snake, Piggy?”

Jared grinned and shook his head, “Nah… it’s too late for me, I’m afraid.”

Jensen looked surprisingly sad at the words. “I’ll let you go if you ask me to,”

Jared huffed and didn’t bother with a verbal response, just leaning forward to kiss the alpha.

Chad contacted Jared on the encrypted line the next Saturday.  

Jared was alone at the time, Jensen busy at his office with his business even though he was due to return soon for a meeting with Curtis Armstrong. As much as Jared hated the diminutive alpha, he was unable to deny the man’s resourcefulness regarding all things chemical- be it drugs or ammunition. And despite himself, he was curious about the new ‘super-secret weapon’ the man had indicated he would showcase; if for no other reason than to warn JD about the new threat. So Chad’s call was a welcome break from thinking about the upcoming meeting.

Taken aback by the unexpected code on his mail, Jared rang back immediately.

“J-Bird!” Chad greeted as jovially as ever.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why does something have to be wrong?”

“Because you sent a flash mail with the emergency-contact code?!”

“Oh- Oh, that!”

“Yes, that!” Jared groused, fairly certain by this point that it wasn’t something ground breaking.

“I may have been a bit too hasty to send you that. But in my defence, I didn’t expect you to ring back immediately,”

“Chad.”

“Just wanted you to know that you can rest easy, we’ve as good as got your guy.”

“Jensen?”

“No, not lover-boy. Your guy, you know the one you wanted me to take care of?”

“Really?”

“Yup, and a few other fish as well. Apparently something’s going down today on Dock 8. … think you can lure in your li’l snake as well? That’d make this a truly good haul,”

Jared sat down on the bed as his knees gave way under him: Jensen was supposed to meet Armstrong at Dock 8.

“J-bird?”

“I’ll- I’ll see what I can do,” Jared told his friend, hoping the man wouldn’t notice the uncertainty in his voice.

“That’d be great, J-bird, you-”

“Gotta go now, someone’s coming.”Jared fibbed. He cut the call without waiting for the other man’s response. For a long minute he simply sat there, trying to decide on what his action should be…

When Jensen arrived some twenty minutes later, Jared was dressed in the shortest skirt in his closet (the one he’d told Jensen he would never ever wear) and sporting thigh-high heels. His eyes were done with smoky greys and his lips looked plump and kissable.

The alpha just froze at the sight.

“Uh…Jared?”

Jared didn’t bother with a verbal response, virtually throwing himself at the man as he attacked the other’s lips.

“Jared, wait!”

He pouted as he paused, looking questioningly at the older man.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Are you drunk? Drugged?”

“I’m fine. Would be better if you stopped asking stupid questions and fucked me.”

“Shit, Jared!” Jensen gasped as he grabbed at his painfully hard dick. “Give a man some warning before saying shit like that!”

“Want you. Need you to have sex with me, Jensen.” Jared told him, “Want your knot filling me up.”

“Jared,” Jensen growled, a hint of steel in his voice as he grabbed at the younger alpha’s wandering hands in order to stop him from feeling him up, “What on earth has gotten into you? We gotta meet Armstrong in a fifteen minutes-”

“Screw the meeting!”

“If I didn’t know better, I‘d say you’ve gone into heat-”

“You can say whatever you want, just want you to fuck me. Now!”

“But-“

“Fergus can handle it. Tell ‘em we’re gonna be late!”

“Okay- okay… gimme a moment,” Jensen gasped as Jared sucked a hickey just under his left ear. Awkwardly pushing him off, he waddled to the door, opening it a sliver and peering out: “Ty!”

The blue eyed blond alpha arrived promptly at the call. “You summoned?”

“Tell Fergus I’ve been- dammit Jared, let me finish talking!- held up. -Jared, gimme a moment Piggy, please!- he can- Dammit, Jared! I can’t talk if you-… he can take point. Make sure no one- Shit, F*ck!- no one disturbs me!”

Olson just rolled his eyes at his boss, under no illusion to what was happening on the other side of the partially closed door and walked off shaking his head.

Jensen locked the door and heaved a sigh of relief, turning to stare at an unrepentant Jared with narrowed eyes, “You little-!”

The younger alpha just stuck out his tongue cheekily and ran, vaulting over the side table as he tried to keep out of Jensen’s hands. He yelped and then grinned as he was eventually taken down over the bed. Instead of it dampening his spirits though, he just pushed his hips back and up into Jensen’s prominent bulge- smiling smugly like the cat that got the canary.

There was no talking for awhile as Jensen literally tore the clothes off Jared’s body before hurriedly removing his own. Then there was heavy breathing and wordless moans as the two men explored each other in a frenzy of feverish touches and passionate lips.

Jared wordlessly spread his legs wide as Jensen settled between them, still breathing heavily when the older man gripped his shoulders and peered down at him curiously. “Jared… tell me what brought this on?”

“Want you, Jensen… please!”

“That’s great, but tell me why. … if I didn’t know better I would have suspected that this was just a ploy to keep me from going out toda-”

Jared froze at the words, staring up at the gang-lord with wide eyes.

“Jared?” Jensen frowned.

“Punish me, alpha?” Jared tried, trying to smile but aware that he was failing miserably.

The older alpha’s eyes narrowed as he pulled away. Jared grabbed at his wrist desperately, “Jensen, please… don’t go… not today-”

“What’s happening today?”

“No-nothing… just… please don’t go?”

“You’re superstitious?”

“No!” Jared protested hotly before realizing he could have used the excuse to his advantage.

“Then what? You know how important this meet is. … Give. Me. A. Reason.” Jensen’s expression lightened slightly, “C’mon, Piggy... I was just beginning to trust you- don’t do this. Not now...”

“I- I have a bad feeling ‘bout it?” Jared offered.

“You know I need something more definitive than a feeling, don’t you?”

“It’s all I’ve got, Jensen. Please…”

“I- I can’t-…” Jensen sighed, exasperated. He glanced up at the cop, “My men- my men are out there, Jared-”

“It’s too late for them.” Jared told him shortly with a defeated sigh, “You can’t do anything about it right now, Jen- …”He froze as he seemed to realize what he’d let slip.

Jensen’s eyes narrowed and the man’s lips pursed. “Armstrong?”

“You really think I give a damn what happens to that bastard?”

“This was because he grabbed your ass all those weeks ago?!”

“What? No!”

“Jared.”

The cop lowered his eyes. A surprisingly gentle finger pushed his chin up to meet curious green eyes.

“Tell me,” The older man invited.

Jared shook his head.

“Tell me, Jared. C’mon.” The man wheedled.

“Chad just-just called me” Jared confessed in a whisper. “It’s- it’s an ambush.”

“Time?”

Jared shrugged, “Don’t know.”

Jensen nodded sharply, leaning over and grabbing his phone from the bedside table. He dialled a number and waited a tense minute as it rang. “Fergus.”

Jared watched with wide eyes as the alpha continued, “Just got a tip-off… so here’s what I want you to do: pick a fight with Armstrong… you could say something about his height, heaven knows the man is always touchy enough about it. Do it before the show starts, ‘kay? Then storm off.”

He paused for a moment, listening to what the man was saying before responding: “Yeah, I’ll call and apologise on your behalf if my tip is wrong, you don’t have to worry ‘bout it.”

And then: “Yeah okay. Be alert, okay? Bye.”

Jared swallowed as the call was disconnected, staring up nervously at the alpha. Jensen opened his arms.

Jared slumped in relief and leaned forward into the offered embrace. He sighed and relaxed as the strong arms closed around him protectively. It took a long minute for him to get his voce back, “Are you angry?”

Jensen shook his head.

“You promise?”

“Why did you do it?” Jensen asked curiously instead of answering.

“I didn’t! This wasn’t me, Jensen. Not this time!”

“No,” Jensen refuted, “I mean… why did you do this? Save me, I mean. … It should’ve been everything you wanted on a platter: me caught red-handed and put behind bars. Picked up from an arms deal no less, even my lawyers would’ve had a hard time getting me out of that one.”

“I don’t know,” Jared whispered, looking away.

“Jared… you- you just saved me, okay? Just tell me why…”

“I don’t know, okay?!” The cop snapped, and then mutinously turned his face away, “I really don’t know why I couldn’t let them catch you. It should be everything I want, but it just- it felt wrong.”

“I have a lot of red in my ledger, Jared. You know that. … and this could’ve been your only chance to put me behind bars,”

“Maybe you don’t deserve to be put behind bars,” Jared countered softly.

“You know what I’ve done,” Jensen whispered, “You cannot believe that,”

“I hadn’t been lying to Chad the other day, you know? You do more good than bad…”He chuckled as something occurred to him and he shook his head to clear it, “I’d hate to see what happens if Pellegrino becomes top boss.”

Jensen laughed with him but there was a strange fondness in his eyes.

---

The next day’s headline had a picture of Pellegrino, Armstrong and Heyerdahl being led from the docs in handcuffs along a petite female who was touted to be Cortez’ daughter. Lehne had succumbed to his injuries from a gunshot wound as he’d tried to escape. … It was being called the biggest operation ever conducted by the police force and Jared shuddered as he pictured Jensen’s face in the same line-up.

---

“Marry me,”

Jared froze. He hesitated, debating whether the man was serious or mocking him as he tied off his robe and slowly turned to face the gangster, “Pardon me?”

Jensen, who was nursing a tumbler of whiskey, didn’t bother to face him; still studying the rain-washed street outside as he spoke. “I said,” – and now the man flicked a brief glance at him- “Will you marry me?”

“You’re kidding!” Jared retorted, unable to trust his ears.

“I’m not, actually.” The alpha finally deigned to face him, green eyes sparkling as he regarded Jared contemplatively, “I really do want to marry you... provided you consent.”

“You were not concerned about consent the first time we met,” Jared responded, desperately seeking time to formulate an answer.

“If it’s any consolation, I didn’t enjoy our first time either. ... And I’m not in the habit of forcing people into my bed without their consent. In fact, I never do that.”

“You’re saying I was the exception?” Jared arched a brow.

“You’ve been the exception to a lot of things, Sweetheart. ... I don’t make it a habit to fraternize with cops either.”

“Has this got anything to do with today’s newspaper headlines?”

“Uhm.... not exactly? ... I’ve been meaning to ask you for awhile now,”

“Yeah?”

“It’s true.” Jensen answered, “It’s just... you protected me, Piggy. And you didn’t have to do that-”

“I suppose you’re going to say I seduced you...?”

“No, actually you didn’t. Not until my birthday.” Jensen replied easily. “In fact, you’re pretty much the only one I’ve had to work so hard to impress, you know? Made for a refreshing change...”

Jared narrowed his eyes, “Is this about that? The fact that I put on a skirt and shimmied?”

“Not exactly?” Jensen hesitated. “I have been thinking about this for quite a while, actually. That just cemented my decision... I mean, c’mon, you have to know how gorgeous you looked- look- in skirts. And you’re not just a pretty face, Sweetheart- you can handle guns with the best of them. So a  guy who can do all that and still look as glamorous as a model off the runway? Colour me impressed. ”

“R-i-g-h-t...” Jared cleared his throat self-consciously. “Are you going to promise to turn over a new leaf as well while you’re at it? Because I don’t think I can say that I’ve truly been... what was the word you used? ...  Impressed. Yeah, that.”

Jensen threw back his head as he laughed, “That’s what I love about you, you know? You know where you stand and what you want.”

Jared sobered at the reminder. Jensen, noticing his pinched expression stopped laughing as well, “What is it?”

“I’m a cop, Jensen.”

“I know,”

“And you’re a gangster...”

“I’m a businessman!” The alpha protested jovially.

“Okay, Businessman in cahoots with the mafia?”

“Guilty,” The man smiled.

“Exactly,” Jared waved his hands in a ‘you see’ gesture.

“I don’t see what my links to the... the ‘underworld’,” The man made dorky finger quotes around the word, “- has anything to do with our relationship...”

“I’m not giving up my job!”

Jensen furrowed his brows, “I never asked you to, Sweetheart.”

Jared rolled his eyes, “You really don’t see the contradiction here, do you?”

“We’ll make it work... we have been making it work, Jared. I don’t see where the problem is.”

Jared sighed, “What about the fact that I’m an alpha?”

“What about it?” Jensen spread his hands wide, the light reflecting of the cut-glass of his tumbler.

“I can’t give you a legacy...”

“Legacy? Dude, you can say ‘child’. Don’t be so pretentious.”

“Fine, a child then... I can’t give you sons.”

“Daughters?” The man asked mischievously, grinning unrepentantly at his own joke.

“Idiot!” Jared rolled his eyes fondly.

“Look, I’m not asking you to, okay? ... I know you’re an alpha. I like that you’re an alpha. I don’t expect you to bear me children, alright. My-my work, that’ll be my legacy.”

“And who inherits this empire after you?”

“Who cares? They can fight it out for all I care...”

Jared looked away for a moment before meeting the familiar green eyes again, “If you ever-ever- bring another person to our bed, I’m going to chop off your balls, Capisce?”

Jensen just grinned, not even remotely intimidated, “Is that a yes?”

“I’ll have to talk to JD about it,”

“But it’s a yes?”

“I’m not ready to marry someone just for that person to be killed in a police encounter, okay?”

“Wow, you’ve not said ‘yes’ yet and you’re already planning our lives...”

“Shut up, I’m serious; I’m going to have to speak to JD about this. I’m not jeopardizing my career for you.”

“Is that an ‘I love you’?” Jensen mocked, hand dramatically pressed to his chest and eyes wide like an anime character, “Jared, did you just confess to loving me?!”

“I hate you,” Jared pouted.

Jensen grinned, opening his arms wide as he beckoned Jared closer, “Aw, I love you too, Sweetheart.”

“I hate you. So much,” Jared reiterated, stepping forward into the embrace.

They stood like that for long minutes. Then, “You never answered... was that a yes?”

Jared swatted at his arm with a chuckle, “Oh My God, you’re incorrigible!”

“Jared, I want you to marry me. Can I please have a yes?”

“Yes,”

The End.