The Aviators

There’s a commotion outside my room. I can’t really hear what’s going on, but I can sense it. The tension is absolute. Robert was here moments ago, telling me that things were looking up and for me to just sit tight – I’ve heard that before – I’ll be out of here soon. I don’t know whether to believe that, or not. My luck, it won’t happen. I’m a slave after all; at the end of it all nothing much good ever happens to me. And, that’s not being down on myself or anything, it’s just a fact of life.

Sure, Matt happened, but even that seems to have gone ass over heels. I know pinning my hopes on something as fleeting as a single master is probably the silliest thing I’ve ever done. I guess I got complacent, living with him…and the fact that… damn it, I love him….

Pressing the heel of my left palm over my eyes I rub furiously as the familiar sting of tears begins to overwhelm me. My breath catches as I fight not to succumb.

“Please,” whispering out loud, wishing someone will come, hoping someone is listening. “Please…”

And then it’s as if there is really someone up there who hears me because my door seems to just swing open – Robert mustn’t have locked it when he left. There’s no one there, but I can hear what’s going on now. Loud, angry voices are echoing along the corridors and the sound of what might be fighting reach my door. I don’t dare to get up to investigate. The whole self-preservation part of me at work. Instead, tucking my hands beneath my thighs, sitting frozen on the edge of the bed, I just listen.

Running feet approach and then Robert reappears, red in the face, shock in his eyes. He grips the edge of the door frame and looks in at me. I blink at him, wondering at the confusion in his expression.

“Val.” He frowns faintly, glancing back over his shoulder then back at me. “Come with me.” He disappears again without waiting for me to react.

I shake my head and gingerly get to my feet going to the door and leaning out into the corridor. Robert is at the end peering up and down an adjoining hallway. Stepping out of the room, I wrap my arms around myself as I head to where he’s standing.

Robert casts his gaze down at me as I come up next to him. “They’re here.”

It’s all he says, but it’s all I need to hear. Swallowing hard all I can do is nod in response. My stomach drops to somewhere in the vicinity of my nether region and my heart rate increases. It’s almost too much to hope for. That Matt, and the others, whoever they may be, are here…at the Guild. To… rescue me?

“You fucking son of a bitch!”

I gasp at the voice, as there’s this sudden blur of motion.

Next I know I’m on the floor on my ass and Robert is being swung away from me and against the wall. The heavy thud as his body hits the solid plasterboard reverberates under me and I shudder. Warm hands grasp me by the shoulders and urge me to my feet. I look up into the anxious blue eyes of Jimmy. Biting my lip, I can’t find words so just nod to him and let him pull me back out of the way of the other figures that are filling the corridor.

JD is standing to one side a dark scowl on his face. Then there’s Robert against the wall, arms up covering his face. Blinking hard I recognise the man that Robert is attempting to shield his head from.

Matt…

Matt has a fistful of his shirt in his hand and is pounding him, fury evident in each blow he manages to connect. No one is moving to stop him, not JD, not any of the officials who have appeared at the end of the hallway. Even Robert isn’t really trying to fight him off, just wanting to minimise the damage. He grunts as a particularly hard punch gets through his ineffective defence and glances across his left cheek.

I can’t stand to watch anymore, and turn away hiding my face against Jimmy’s chest. He obviously senses my discomfort and leads me away from the scene into one of the offices at the end of the corridor. He closes the door over and steers me over to the large desk that dominates the space. I plop myself down on the swivel chair behind it and look up at him, still unable to voice the thoughts speeding through my mind.

Jimmy leans against the edge of the desk and tilts his head at me, lifting his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth curving into a soft smile. I flush and look down, fiddling with my hands in my lap.

“Val, you okay?” his question sends a jolt through me, and I peek up at him. There’s real concern in his eyes. And that breaks my heart. Matt’s friends really do care about me. I swallow hard wiping the back of my hand across my eyes and nodding.

He raises his eyebrows, but before he can ask anything further the door swings open and an extremely dishevelled, angry looking Matt stalks in.

“Fuckin, ay. That bastard,” he growls, but then cuts his words short when his gaze settles on me. “Val.” My name comes from him in a strangled tone.

I peer up at him, unable to speak, feeling too much. Matt blinks then strides over and before I know it he has his arms around me, pulling me into a bone-crushing embrace. I gasp softly then just lean into him wrapping my own arms around his waist. He’s muttering unintelligible words into my hair, his breaths harsh and filled with an emotion I can’t fathom. Clinging to him, I inhale his unmistakeable scent, a mix of masculine odour and that spicy cologne he always uses. It brings more tears to my eyes.

Matt shivers then steps back a little, holding me at arm’s length a deep frown creasing his brow. “Are you hurt?” His voice is hard, promising pain to anyone if I have been. I shake my head and look down. “Are you sure?”

I nod slightly, “I’m sure. Nothing hurts…” Peeking up at him I try a smile. “Just glad you’re here.”

Matt’s lips twitch as he pulls me close again and exhales roughly. “Me too, Val.”

Jimmy speaks up then, drawing both our eyes toward him, “What happened with Robert?”

Matt grumbles and shakes his head, but then he obviously decides he has to say something because he grits out, anger still clear in his voice, “I hope I cracked a rib or two…bastard deserved it.”

“Yeah, well you might have got your wish there, Sanders,” the gruff voice that comes from the doorway causes me to jump a little. Matt’s arms tighten around me, but I’m still able to peer around him to see JD leaning against the doorframe.

“He’s a bit worse for wear, but it’s nothing he didn’t deserve,” the big man is surprisingly amused by the fact that his friend got beaten on by Matt. Matt blinks at JD then looks down at me in his arms.

He murmurs, “Guess there’ll be trouble?”

“None that we can’t handle,” JD promises with a grin. Matt seems about to protest, but he goes on in a firm voice, “Rob and I have had to deal with everything in our line of work. You and Val are not the first.” He grimaces. “And you sure as shit won’t be the last.”

Matt snorts, “Has he been beaten to a pulp before?”

JD laughs as he answers, “We’ve both gotten shot at a few times. Rob’s had one bullet miss a lung. So, a broken nose and a couple of cracked ribs are nothing.”

“Just a couple?” Jimmy interrupts scathingly, “He deserves more than that.”

The atmosphere becomes heavy once more after his statement. JD looks at the drummer and tilts his head in acknowledgement, expression grave. I can see he actually agrees with Jimmy’s sentiment. I know I do. Or at least, I think I do. Being a slave, I can’t really have an opinion on that. Or, I shouldn’t. Matt can, though. And judging by the darkness in his eyes, he probably is thinking along those lines.

He scowls then sighs, as he absently runs his fingers through my hair. “So, what happens now then?” His eyes are trained on JD again.

“Take her home. I’ll clean up the mess here.”

Matt’s brow furrows, “But won’t the Guild insist she stay here? Technically what I’m doing now is illegal.”

JD grunts, barely disguised disgust in his voice as he answers, “No, technically what the Guild did, by taking Val from your place, is illegal.”

“What?” I can’t stop the word from flying out of my mouth. The three men look at me, all of them with expressions of surprise. Obviously, they think I’m too out of it to say anything. And I guess I still am, JD’s revelation just shocks me. Trembling, I repeat my question, but in a lower voice, “What do you mean, sir?”

JD crosses his arms as his eyes narrow at me, probably gauging how much he can say without confusing me. “Well, for them to lawfully remove you from your Master, the Guild is actually meant to produce paperwork stating their intention and for him to sign you over to them. They can’t just snatch and run. Everything is meant to be documented.” He glances at Matt as he adds, “Just in case the Courts need to be involved at any stage.”

There’s quiet for a moment before Matt growls, “So, you mean, I could sue the Guild for not following protocol?” I feel the tension in his body increase; his arms tighten around me. I wriggle a little and he relaxes his hold, muttering, “Sorry, Val…” I just turn and nuzzle into his chest. He strokes my hair as he asks again, “You’re saying they could be in the shit for this?”

I turn my head back around curious to hear the other male’s answer and catching JD’s lips twist in a cold smirk as he nods slowly.

“Very much so.” He chuckles the sound holding no mirth whatsoever. “Rob and I have actually been waiting for them to make a slip-up like this. Gives us some ammunition against them.”

Matt nods, but then frowns more, “But, they know about the whole love issue, right?”

“There is that,” JD murmurs, “but, the Guild still has to do things by the letter of the law, even in that regard.” He pushes away from the doorframe, entering the room to lean against the edge of the desk. Jimmy shifts to give him room. He flashes a smile at him before he sighs and continues, “Of course, we’ll still have to sort things out concerning…that. But, you don’t need to worry about it for now. Just take her home, Shads.”

“Alright…” Matt’s not happy but I can tell that he knows there isn’t really anything he can do about it. The tightness of his muscles is still very evident to me though, and I have a feeling he’ll want to relieve himself once we get home.

Home. That word has never meant much to me before, but right now… it means everything. I mean, of course I’ve always wanted to have a home, but it has never rung so true as it does now. Peeking up at Matt, I watch as several different emotions struggle for domination, his eyes are dark as he works his jaw furiously. Then he groans as he squeezes me, meeting my gaze.

“Come on, Val. Let’s get out of here.” He takes my hand, stroking his thumb along the back of it as he says over his shoulder to Jimmy, “You can drive.”

The drummer rolls his eyes as he moves away from the desk, nodding to JD as he follows us out of the room.

* * * * *

Matt is silent the whole way back to the house; I can’t help but think he is being unusually quiet. Of course, it’s probably partially due to exhaustion. I can tell you I’m absolutely beat. Leaning into his side, I’m fighting to keep my eyes open. I don’t want to sleep until we get back. Matt’s obviously battling the same thing because he keeps blinking hard as his arm tightens around my shoulders.

Jimmy, who’s driving, is also quieter than normal. He’s only said about five words since we left the Guild. All of them to do with how much he thinks the Guild are dicks and need to be castrated…or something like that. I’m not really listening…

Before too long we’re home and Matt is bundling me out of the car and inside. I can vaguely hear Jimmy talking, saying something about going back to Brian’s to tell them I’m back, but it all fades in the back of my mind as I’m just about falling asleep on my feet.

Next I know, Matt is setting me down on the bed and pulling the cover over me. He must’ve carried me in at some stage, I can’t even remember. He collapses next to me not bothering to undress; just wraps himself around me and mutters something about sleep and dealing with shit tomorrow and stuff...

Tomorrow… the fact that we even have a tomorrow together to think about… my mind can’t wrap itself around that thought…and I’m too out of it to really think on it… tomorrow… tomorrow we can deal with it all. My mind flickers as I drift off, snuggling in closer to Matt’s big body, warm and safe.

Notes