Brat

by makeshiftdraco

Summary:

There are benefits to being the pampered brat of a dangerous mob boss, but Elrond is no longer content keeping their relationship a secret. The younger man has ambitions outside the bedroom, and he's not afraid to take risks to get what he wants...

Adar grapples with his growing affection for the beautiful younger man, still haunted by the scars of past heartbreak. He knows it is only a matter of time before one of his enemies uses his feelings for Elrond against him, and when a rival syndicate kidnaps Adar's brat in the name of a territorial dispute, retribution is swift and bloody.

Notes:

I just couldn't resist writing more of this particular dynamic... Apparently my brain has an endless supply of brat taming and mafia tropes that overflows if I don't put it in a fic, so I hope you enjoy this smutty sequel to Creep.

I was planning on a one shot, but as usual, the fic kept expanding until I decided it would be wiser to divide it into chapters instead.

Also, I decided to keep the song lyrics theme going, so if you'd like to listen to the track that inspired the title, you can find it here: BRAT by DEZI

Chapter 1: Punishment

You think I'm a brat, I think you're full of it

What's that? I'll show you how I throw a fit

On the attack, go on and talk your shit

I stopped listenin', blame it on conditionin', call me a-

 

***

 

Elrond gracefully wove through the crowd of writhing bodies, confidently dodging drunk dancers. He had once felt out of place in this dark and dangerous club, but he was a stranger no more. Mordor was as much his territory as it was Adar’s. Belonging to the owner gave Elrond a certain power that others were denied. A captive songbird reigning over his gilded cage.

 

He could feel eyes upon him as he made his way toward the bar. That familiar sensation creeping up the back of his neck had unnerved Elrond the first night Galadriel had dragged him onto the dance floor, but he welcomed that attention now. He craved it even. 

 

The bartender’s gaze landed on him almost immediately, and the young woman hurried over to take his order before he even slid onto his barstool.

 

“A glass of champagne, please,” Elrond shouted over the din. “You know the kind I like.”

 

She nodded with a smile, retreating to retrieve the expensive beverage. Hair tangled from dancing, Elrond ran a hand through his curls and let out a sigh. His thin shirt clung to his slender torso, the fabric slightly transparent with sweat. A cold drink was just what he needed.

 

“Hey there, gorgeous…” 

 

Elrond turned to find a stranger leaning against the bar beside him. The man’s thin lips curled into a smile slick as oil. 

 

“Buy you a drink?”

 

Elrond let out a condescending chuckle. “I’m flattered, but that won’t be necessary.”

 

The bartender returned promptly, a glass of sparkling wine in hand. Elrond plucked it from her grasp with a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

 

“Put it on my tab,” the stranger told the bartender. “I insist.”

 

She looked baffled by this demand, brow furrowing. Before she could reply, another patron called from the other end of the bar, and when she turned to meet Elrond’s gaze, he dismissed her with a subtle wave of his hand. 

 

Once the bartender departed, Elrond studied the man beside him with a curious smile. “First time in Mordor?”

 

The man seemed offended by the question. “Of course not, I come here all the time.”

 

Elrond found this falsehood quite amusing. He ran a finger around the rim of his glass, listening to the sonorous hum of crystal as he replied. “Really? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here before.”

 

The man took a swig of his beer. “Are you calling me a liar?” 

 

“Maybe you’ve been here before, but you’re certainly not regular.”

 

“What makes you say that?” the man inquired. He clumsily set his empty bottle on the bar.

 

“The regulars know better than to try and buy me a drink,” Elrond explained. “They know the owner keeps a tab open for me.”

 

He tipped his head back as he took a sip of champagne, and the stranger’s gaze trailed down his body with obvious desire. 

 

“How about a dance then?” This novice patron was either too thick or too arrogant to heed Elrond’s warning.

 

“A dance is even more dangerous than a drink.” Elrond leaned toward the man and tilted his head. He knew the pose would look flirtatious from a distance even as he spoke a rejection aloud. “And even if I didn’t already have a boyfriend…I wouldn’t be interested.”

 

The stranger was undeterred by this revelation. “Your boyfriend’s a fucking idiot for leaving you all alone at the hottest bar in town.”

 

“You’re right…he is a fucking idiot for leaving me alone, but I have a feeling he’ll be along shortly.” Elrond was counting on it.

 

He took another sip of his wine. His smile vanished when the man’s fingers wrapped around his wrist. 

 

“Just one dance, gorgeous,” the stranger insisted. “Ditch your loser boyfriend and have some fun with a real man.”

 

Elrond’s anger gave way to pity. “I’d strongly advise that you take your hands off me before my boyfriend shows up. He really doesn’t like it when other men touch me.”

 

“I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” The man’s grip tightened. “Don’t be such a te–”

 

His sentence was cut short as a familiar hand ripped the unwelcome fingers from Elrond’s wrist, slamming the man’s arm onto the edge of the bartop with ruthless efficiency. Elrond heard the bone break before he saw it. The man’s arm was bent at an odd angle when he toppled to the ground, crying out in pain. 

 

A pair of hulking cronies lifted the handsy customer from the floor and hauled him toward the exit as the indifferent crowd watched. Violence like this was expected in Mordor, especially when someone was stupid enough to flirt with the owner’s favorite. Not long ago, such a display of brutality would have disturbed Elrond, but he had grown accustomed to it. 

 

Elrond felt an arm wrap around his waist, fingers coming to rest on his lower abdomen. The gesture was possessive yet comforting…and dangerously close to where Elrond wanted to be touched most. Despite this burning desire, he didn’t acknowledge the firm body behind him. He took his time finishing his drink.

 

I’ve been waiting all night. It’s his turn to be patient.

 

Elrond could feel Adar’s breath against the back of his neck, warm lips brushing his ear as the older man uttered one tantalizing word. 

 

“Brat…”

 

Elrond’s body shivered at the sordid epithet. There was something so alluring about Adar’s attention. Elrond craved the strange intensity of his lover’s desire, eager prey yearning to be caught. 

 

“This reminds me of the night we met,” he said calmly. “You kicked a man out of your club for trying to dance with me that evening as well.”

 

Adar lips ghosted along the curve of his throat. The hand on Elrond’s stomach held him firmly in place, and he could feel his lover’s hard length against his back. 

 

“If I might recall another similarity from the night we met,” Adar murmured. “You put on quite the performance to lure me in.”

 

Elrond closed his eyes to savor that tantalizing rumble of Adar’s low raspy voice. “Are you accusing me of luring in that man?” 

 

He could sense Adar’s frown even if he couldn’t see it. “I’m accusing you of using that man to lure me in. He must have been new. Everybody knows to keep their hands off Adar’s brat.”

 

Elrond should find his lover’s sense of ownership offputting, but his body responded to it, heat unfurling like a flower in bloom. “I tried to warn him, but he just wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

 

“Don’t play coy with me, Elrond. I saw the way you were smiling at him.”

 

Elrond leaned his head back against Adar’s chest, looking up into those striking blue eyes with a smirk. “Am I not allowed to smile at anyone but you, Adar? That seems rather controlling even for you…”

 

He licked a drop of champagne from his lips, and Adar’s focus shifted to his mouth. 

 

“Did you expect your brat to sit in a corner all night while you ignored me?” Elrond inquired.

 

Resisting the urge to smile, Adar’s jaw clenched, his scar twitching as the muscle tensed. “Oh, I see. This little display was for my benefit.”

 

Elrond’s lips formed a pout. “I thought maybe I’d get you to notice me on the dance floor earlier…but apparently, I’m only worth your time when you think another man is moving in on your territory.”

 

“I noticed you on the dance floor,” Adar purred. His fingers tensed against Elrond’s stomach, and the younger man arched his back, knowing the movement would entice his lover. He had learned quickly how to wield his body as a weapon. His beauty was the surest way to penetrate Adar’s shields.

 

The older man seemed torn between irritation and arousal as he gazed down at his defiant lover. “Always putting on a show when you want Daddy’s attention…”

 

Elrond’s breath hitched at this particular epithet, and he didn’t resist when Adar’s other hand moved toward his mouth, thumb dragging along his lower lip with a careful control that promised pain and pleasure once they were alone.

 

“I like your attention, Daddy.”

 

A growl percolated in Adar’s throat at this confession, and his gaze darkened. “You flirted with that man to make me jealous. I should punish you for that, you little slut.”

 

Elrond laughed even as a hand closed around his throat. He knew other patrons at the bar were undoubtedly watching this interaction, but their lingering glances only heightened his desire. 

 

“I didn’t flirt with him. I just…took my time discouraging him.”

 

Adar’s expression was dubious, but he didn’t dispute Elrond’s claim.

 

“I did want to make you jealous,” Elrond admitted. “And if you wish to punish me for that, then I will gladly submit, Daddy… ”

 

Adar cursed under his breath. Judging by the conflicted look in his eye, he had left an important conversation to intervene on Elrond’s behalf.

 

“Why don’t you take me upstairs and let me make it up to you?” Elrond suggested. He was determined to win this battle. “Unless you have more important business matters to attend to?”

 

“Nothing is more important than you, El.” The firm and swift delivery of this statement caught Elrond by surprise, and a part of him preened at the older man’s vow.

 

“Then what are we waiting for?” he teased, teeth digging into his lower lip.

 

Adar’s eyes tracked the movement, and Elrond sensed his lover’s teeth would be leaving behind some delectable marks soon enough. 

 

“Are you in the mood to try something new tonight?”

 

Elrond smiled. “Always.”

 

***

 

Take my gummies with champagne

Collar bones in gold chains

Walk the halls in lingerie

Tell me, why is that a problem?

 

***

 

Adar had never been a morning person, a trait that had been greatly exacerbated by running a nightclub. He had only been in bed for a few hours when the leader of The Southlands syndicate showed up at his door demanding a meeting. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Adar had gone to bed well before the club closed, but he certainly hadn’t been sleeping…

 

Adar glared at the fledgling mob boss seated across from him. Judging by the sneer on the smarmy bastard’s face, he wasn’t impressed with Mordor’s daytime hospitality. Adar was tempted to slap the condescending smile off the younger man’s face.

 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit…” he trailed off, uncertain of his guest’s name.

 

The snide grin faltered as the other man replied. “Kemen.”

 

“Ah yes,” Adar said, leaning back in his chair. “We don’t usually receive visitor’s quite this early in the day, Kemen .”

 

The young mob boss shifted in his seat. His unease was painfully obvious as he glanced at his underlings. Adar doubted Kemen’s men held much respect for their insecure leader.

 

“Yes, well, we were supposed to meet with you last night, but one of your men informed us that you had some urgent business matters to address.”

 

Memories of said “urgent business matters” immediately arose. Adar’s bed was occupied by his beautiful lover at this very moment, Elrond’s slender limbs tangled in the duvet, curls unruly from sex and slumber…the scent of his floral cologne clinging to silk sheets in the soft morning light. 

 

Adar’s resentment toward his guest intensified at these sordid thoughts. This smug upstart was wasting time that would be better spent in bed tasting Elrond’s warm mouth and soft skin, but Adar had already chosen sex over business the night before. The sooner they got this over with the sooner he could get back to what truly mattered. 

 

“An unfortunately common occurrence when one’s business serves a rather unruly crowd,” Adar stated, his tone taking the shape of an apology even if his words did not. “Once I acquired Mordor, I soon learned that dealing with the drunk and disorderly came with the territory.”

 

Kemen sat up a little straighter at this explanation. “Speaking of territory…the manner in which you acquired Mordor is precisely what we wished to discuss with you, Adar.”

 

The older man’s gaze darkened, already sensing where this conversation was heading. “Is it?”

 

Kemen took no notice of the shift in energy. “I believe Mordor used to fall within The Southlands’ territory, did it not?”

 

Adar remained silent. This young mobster was foolish indeed. 

 

“I understand that The Southlands have been without leadership for some time,” Kemen continued. “And no one can deny you’ve been running Mordor quite effectively in our absence…”

 

“There’s no need for empty flattery,” Adar interjected coldly. “Get to the point.”

 

The younger man seemed startled by his harsh tone. “I won’t judge you for your…business strategies, Adar, but…well, I just don’t see how you can consider your claim over Mordor legitimate.”

 

“I see,” Adar replied. A tense moment of silence followed. He could see the other man trying not to fidget in his seat. “You think you are better than me because I used violence to gain my territory.”

 

Kemen’s brow furrowed. “I don–”

 

“Tell me,” Adar interrupted him again. “How did you become the head of your syndicate, Kemen?”

 

The fledgling mob boss turned a flustered shade of pink. “I was appointed.”

 

Adar glanced at the other Southlands mobsters with a knowing look. “Let me be perfectly frank, young man. Power is earned through blood. Some of us claim it by spilling the blood of others, and some of us…” His gaze shifted pointedly to Kemen. “Some of us have it handed to us because we share the blood of those who are already powerful.”

 

There was a dangerous glint in the younger man’s eye. He was a coward, but his ambition could make him a real threat. Kemen’s father, Pharazon, led one of the most powerful syndicates in the city, and if Adar wasn’t careful, he might end up in a territorial dispute with two rival organizations.

 

“You have no right to that club,” Kemen insisted. “You stole it.”

 

Adar chuckled. “I did…just as the previous owner stole it from his predecessor. No one has a right to anything in this business. If we want something, we take it. Simple as that.”

 

The man across the desk looked like a lost child for a moment, out of his depth and eager to prove himself. “But I–”

 

“Sulking and temper tantrums may have worked when you were a school boy,” Adar told him. “But your father’s wealth and position entitle you to nothing in this business. Respect is something you must earn yourself, so why don’t you worry about managing your own territory and leave me to handle mine as I please?”

 

Kemen’s face contorted in obstinate rage, and Adar got the impression that the young man would gladly put a knife in his back, even if he would never muster the courage to openly challenge him.

 

“I had hoped to negotiate an arrangement that would benefit us both,” Kemen told him. “Perhaps we might be willing to let you keep Mordor in exchange for a percentage of your profits?”

 

Anger churned in Adar’s gut, but he had learned long ago to mask the true depth of his emotions. “You dare to insinuate that I should work for you?”

 

Kemen’s lips curled into another sneer. “A rather generous offer considering your…humble origins.”

 

Adar’s hand clenched, itching to feel the weight of his pistol in the palm of his hand.

 

“I’m willing to overlook this insult out of respect for Pharazon and let you leave my turf unharmed,” Adar continued after another moment of fraught silence. “But question my sovereignty over Mordor again…and I will not be so forgiving.”

 

Kemen’s expression hardened. “Is that a threat?”

 

They locked eyes, resentment simmering as the loaded question went unanswered. Adar’s hand crept toward the holster at his side. Perhaps a bullet would communicate what words could not.

 

The dangerous tension between the two mobsters was broken by the soft sound of a door opening, and Kemen’s gaze shifted just as Adar felt a familiar hand upon his shoulder.

 

“Sorry to interrupt,” Elrond said, voice still slightly raspy from slumber. “I didn’t realize you were in a meeting.”

 

Adar placed his own hand atop the one caressing his shoulder, eager to touch his lover despite his irritation. “El…”

 

“I brought you coffee,” Elrond announced, ignoring the warning in his lover’s tone. 

 

He deposited a piping hot mug onto the desk as if it were a peace offering. The domesticity of this gesture caught Adar off guard, and the younger man surprised him further by sliding into his lap before posing a question. 

 

“Should I make another cup for your guest?”

 

Adar’s jaw clenched as Elrond’s pert rear nestled against his groin, and he felt his cock instantly harden. His body always betrayed him in the younger man’s presence, unable to resist those long legs and tousled curls. The combined smell of fresh coffee and that maddeningly floral cologne had his mouth watering.

 

“That won’t be necessary,” Adar grunted in response, wrapping a possessive hand around his lover’s hip. “My guest was just about to leave.”

 

Kemen seemed just as astounded by Elrond’s entrance as Adar, eyes wide and thin lips forced into the shape of a smile. “Yes, I can see that you are still preoccupied with those urgent business matters from last night...”

 

Kemen’s gaze briefly descended, studying the beautiful man perched on Adar’s thighs. Elrond seemed oblivious to the other man’s scrutiny, absentmindedly twirling a finger in a strand of Adar’s hair as he sipped his coffee. Adar knew his lover was a compelling sight, especially this fresh out of bed. He had tried for so long to keep Elrond away from this part of his life, but his secret had finally been exposed.

 

“Yes, and I’m sure you’ve got a busy day ahead of you as well…” Elrond interjected, pausing to allow the other mobster to supply his name.

 

Kemen looked annoyed by the ongoing ignorance of his identity. “Kemen.”

 

“A pleasure to meet you, Kemen,” Elrond replied. Lies sounded so sweet rolling off that tongue, and Adar’s grip on his waist tightened.

 

“The pleasure is all mine…” Kemen tried to implement the same tactic, waiting for Elrond to supply his name. 

 

This expectation was met with silence. Unlike the young mob boss, Peredhel was wise enough to keep that information to himself.

 

After a few moments of awkward silence, Elrond shifted in Adar’s lap like a cat settling in. The older mobster realized with a pang of desire and distress that Elrond was clad only in a thin silk robe which revealed a scandalous amount of pale skin. The fabric slipped off one slender shoulder when Elrond lifted his mug up to his lips, providing a glimpse of delicate collarbone. 

 

“Aren’t you going to drink your coffee? It’s going to get cold.”

 

Adar noticed his lover’s rosy mouth curling into a knowing smirk. Elrond knew exactly how torturous this position was, and suddenly all Adar could think about was getting the younger man alone in order to torment him in return.

 

When he finally mustered enough self-control to speak, Adar turned his attention back to his unwanted guest, only to find Kemen watching them far too closely.

 

Adar didn’t like the fledgling mobster’s discerning look. Lust would have been troubling enough, but there was a cold, strategic glint in the younger man’s gaze. He was trying to figure out how best to leverage this situation in his favor…how best to use Elrond against Adar.

 

“That’s your cue to fuck off, Kemen,” Adar stated bluntly. “You’ve wasted enough of my time, and my coffee is getting cold.”

 

Kemen looked offended by the abrupt dismissal but rose to his feet. “This isn’t over, Adar. I intend to reclaim Mordor with or without your cooperation.”

 

“You may not understand this since you’ve never had to fight for anything in your life…” 

 

Adar gestured to his guards who began to usher The Southlands contingent toward the door. 

 

“But I fought to claim Mordor as my own, and I will fight to defend it. If you insist on threatening what belongs to me, you will pay dearly for that mistake. Am I understood?”

 

Kemen met his gaze with grim resolve. “Ambition has a heavy price, especially for a man with a lot to lose, Adar …”

 

The silence that followed these parting words was ominous. Adar waited as his men cleared the room, and once they were finally alone, he let his hand slither up Elrond’s body, fingers finding their way into those disheveled curls. Elrond relaxed against him at first, but he let out a whimper when Adar’s grasp on his hair tightened.

 

“What have I told you about interrupting important meetings?” Adar growled into the shell of Elrond’s ear, tugging his head back to expose his neck. 

 

The younger man’s back arched as Adar’s teeth grazed his throat. “Spending the morning alone in bed was boring…I missed you, Daddy.”

 

Adar’s cock twitched at Elrond’s confession, however performative it might be. He liked when his stubborn beauty was desperate for his attention, and they both knew it.

 

“I can’t drop everything the moment you get bored, El.” His hand snaked between Elrond’s thighs, palming the hard length hidden beneath that flimsy robe. “How many times do I have to tell you that patience will be rewarded?”

 

A moan spilled from Elrond’s lips as Adar stroked him through the silk. “What if it isn’t a reward I desire?” There was a mischievous glint in those gray eyes. “What if it is punishment I seek?”

 

Another growl rumbled in Adar’s chest, enticed by his lover’s ongoing defiance. He had never met a man that struck such a perfect balance in the bedroom. Elrond was always eager to resist but just as eager to surrender. Adar had expected the younger man to grow weary of this dynamic eventually, but Elrond seemed to crave the seductive push and pull as much as he did. He always knew just how to keep Adar guessing.

 

“Is that why you came waltzing in here without permission?” Adar inquired. “Crawling into my lap half naked like a desperate little slut?”

 

Elrond turned to face Adar, straddling him with a shameless smile. “I was under the impression that you enjoy having me in your lap…” He glanced down at the obvious bulge in the older man’s trousers. “...but if my presence is unwelcome, I can leave.”

 

He started to rise, then grinned triumphantly when Adar pulled him back down with a scowl.

 

“You’re not going anywhere, brat.”

 

Elrond let out a gasp as Adar tugged him forward. Their mouths collided in a kiss that was rough and possessive, and the younger man melted against him. Adar could taste the lingering flavor of coffee as his tongue swept into Elrond’s mouth. Bitter and so very sweet.. .

 

Adar’s hunger for the younger man had only grown since he first laid eyes on Elrond, but he was no longer in a rush to sate his appetite. Despite keeping his own apartment, Elrond slept most nights in Adar’s bed, a willing captive in the mobster’s realm. Keeping the stubborn beauty close at hand allowed Adar ample time to enjoy his prize. A delicacy like Elrond was meant to be savored slowly and as often as possible.

 

Elrond squirmed in Adar’s lap, desperate for friction as the kiss intensified. Adar could feel his lover’s hard length against his stomach, undeniable evidence that Elrond was just as aroused as he was. Still he resisted the urge to touch the younger man’s cock. If he wanted to teach his brat to be patient, he would have to make Elrond wait a little longer.

 

As if he could sense these thoughts, Elrond rolled his hips, grinding down against Adar’s erection with agonizing precision. His robe slipped off his other shoulder and silk pooled around his waist. Adar broke the kiss, pausing to admire the bruises scattered across Elrond’s bare torso. 

 

“I like seeing my marks on you,” Adar confessed. He reached out to trace a fading imprint of teeth on his lover’s side. Elrond welcomed his touch, shivering as the older man’s hand descended to caress the curve of his ass.

 

“I seem to have neglected leaving my mark on one of your best features,” Adar murmured. Elrond moaned as firm fingers began to knead his soft flesh. “Why don’t we remedy that?”

 

It was Elrond’s turn to be surprised as Adar lifted him out of his lap and rose to his feet. He didn’t resist as the older man turned him around, casting the silk robe aside.

 

“What did you have in mind?” Elrond inquired. His breathless tone revealed just how far gone he was, throbbing cock on display as he bent over the desk.

 

Adar admired the view before him, gently palming the younger man’s rear as he considered his reply.

 

“You came here seeking punishment, so I think a thorough spanking is in order.” 

 

Elrond tensed beneath his touch, and he knew his brat was aroused by the suggestion. 

 

“I wonder how many strikes it will take until your cheeks turn the perfect shade of pink…”

 

He let his fingernails lightly drag across Elrond’s skin, and the faint touch elicited a muffled curse from his lover.

 

“Would you like that, brat ?”

 

Elrond’s voice was unsteady when he uttered a hasty reply. “Fuck…yes…”

 

Adar smirked. He had barely touched the younger man, and yet Elrond seemed on the verge of unraveling already. “Yes…?”

 

“Yes, Daddy,” Elrond replied without hesitation. “ Please. ”

 

The older man chuckled. “Please? I didn’t even have to ask you to be polite. You’re even more desperate than usual, my little songbird…”

 

Elrond glanced over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “Songbird? I’m not much of a singer…”

 

Adar shifted aside, determined to find a better angle before he began. “I promise you will be singing for me soon enough…”

 

Elrond met his gaze in a wordless challenge. “Is that so?”

 

Adar welcomed the younger man’s combative grin. “The way you moan my name when I finally let you come…it’s always music to my ears…little songbird .”

 

Elrond’s lips parted to utter another retort, but his breath caught in his throat as Adar’s palm connected with his bare bottom. The smack of flesh against flesh was lewd and satisfying, and Adar savored the way the younger man’s pupils dilated as pain and pleasure intermingled.

 

“That’s one,” Adar murmured, gently rubbing where his hand had struck. “Let’s start with five per cheek and see if that will be sufficient to teach you the value of patience.”

 

Teeth dug into Elrond’s lower lip as he gave a quick nod, and Adar raised his hand, bringing it down to strike the other cheek. 

 

“Fuck…” The curse word slipped from Elrond’s mouth, voice ragged with desire. Adar took advantage of his momentary lapse, delivering two more slaps.

 

The younger man’s knees buckled, but he managed to brace himself against the desk. Adar paused to admire his work and was gratified to discover the outline of his handprint visible on both cheeks.

 

“This is definitely going to leave a mark,” he murmured. “You won’t be able to sit down for days without thinking about your Daddy.”

 

Elrond keened as Adar spanked him two more times. “I guess I’ll just have to spend more time on my hands and knees instead…”

 

This suggestion was tempting. Adar let out an irritated grunt. This was supposed to be a punishment, and Elrond was enjoying it far too much.

 

“Or on your back…” He delivered two more blows, taking a moment to caress his lover’s tender rear. Elrond’s flesh was hot to the touch. 

 

“Fuck, yes…”

 

“Or maybe…I should make you sit in my lap for the rest of the day…” Adar told him. “Keep my cock warm in your bruised bottom until you’re begging me for mercy.”

 

“Are you so certain that I would be the one in need of mercy?” Elrond teased. The rough quality of his voice undermined his playful tone. “I find that usually you’re the one begging once you’re inside me…”

 

Adar’s cock twitched in his trousers, aroused by the younger man’s arrogance. He knew Elrond was trying to goad him, but he needed to remind his brat who was truly in charge.

 

Elrond moaned as two final strikes landed, and Adar took a step back. 

 

“That’s five,” he announced. “Now let’s see if we’ve achieved the shade of pink I desire…”

 

Elrond wobbled momentarily but managed to remain upright as Adar drank in the charming sight before him. A cluster of pink palm prints covered the younger man’s pale rear, vibrant marks that would fade by morning. 

 

“So beautiful…” Adar gently rubbed the inflamed flesh as he uttered this praise, and Elrond’s trembling body relaxed ever so slightly. “You always take your punishment so well…my stubborn little brat.”

 

The younger man’s hips thrust backwards to meet Adar’s touch, curly hair obscuring those stormy eyes as he looked over his shoulder. “Do I get my reward now that I’ve taken my punishment, Daddy?”

 

Adar raised an eyebrow. “As I said before, rewards are granted to brats who are patient.”

 

“I’ve been patient.” Elrond’s lips formed a rosy pout. “I want you to fuck me.”

 

The older man grabbed his lover by the hips, holding him firmly in place. “I know you want me to fuck you…which is precisely why I’m not going to, brat .”

 

Elrond’s brow furrowed, offended and surprised. “What?”

 

Adar unzipped his trousers, pulling out his aching erection. “Your punishment isn’t over yet. Only patient brats deserve Daddy’s cock…”

 

The younger man watched as he began to stroke his shaft, pupils wide and mouth agape. “But Adar–”

 

“Turn around and keep that pretty pink ass in the air,” Adar commanded. “Gonna come all over  these bruised cheeks while you consider the virtue of patience…”

 

Elrond let out a frustrated huff but complied with this request. “There’s nothing virtuous about this.” 

 

Adar ignored this petulant reply, thrusting into his own hand with a brutal rhythm that soon had him on the verge of release. Elrond’s earlier teasing had diminished what little stamina the older man possessed.

 

“Touch yourself,” he grunted. “Wanna hear you sing my name when I paint these cheeks.”

 

Elrond’s hand lept to obey, wrapping around his neglected cock and giving a few rough pumps. Evidently, his younger lover was just as worked up as Adar, and his legs trembled when he whispered.

 

“Fuck, I think I’m gonna come…”

 

Adar felt heat spike low in his gut as Elrond uttered this breathless confession. “Come for me, Elrond…you’re so beautiful when you fall apart like this.”

 

The younger man cried out at this reverent command, voice straining in a wanton melody as the orgasm struck. “Adar…”

 

Adar followed close behind, his cum splashing across his lover’s rosy backside as he rutted into his fist. When he was finally spent, he stilled, hands reaching out to steady Elrond as they both struggled to catch their breath.

 

“Fuck,” Elrond murmured. “That was…”

 

“Too much?” Adar inquired.

 

“...perfect,” the younger man finished, shooting a grin over his shoulder.

 

“Even though I didn’t fuck you?”

 

“Somehow the fact that you refused to fuck me made it even hotter,” Elrond admitted. 

 

“You just like it when I put you in your place,” the older man stated.

 

Elrond chuckled. “Perhaps…” He started to stand upright, but Adar held him in place.

 

“Don’t move just yet.”

 

Elrond blushed when he noticed Adar pulling out his cell phone, but he didn’t argue as his lover took a photo of his debauched state. The splash of white against pink flesh was a sordid contrast that Adar couldn’t resist.

 

“I wanna remember this,” Adar told him, voice simmering with desire. “My needy little slut…thoroughly spanked and covered in cum…”

 

“You just enjoy making a mess,” Elrond accused as he put the phone away. “On me…inside me…”

 

Adar smiled as his lover turned to face him, pulling him in for a tender kiss. “How can I resist when you make such a pretty mess? Plus, half the fun of making the mess is cleaning it up afterwards…”

 

“Does this mean you’ll be joining me in the shower?” Elrond inquired. He bent over to retrieve his discarded robe, and suddenly all Adar could think about was lathering up wet skin.

 

The mobster shook his head to clear his thoughts. They needed to have a serious conversation before he let the younger man distract him again. “Gladly, but first we need to talk.”

 

Elrond looked perplexed as he wrapped silk around his lithe frame. “About what?”

 

“You cannot barge into another meeting like this,” Adar told him. “When we started this arrangement, I thought I made it clear that I like to keep my personal life and my work separate.”

 

“Before our arrangement, I was under the impression you didn’t have a personal life…” the younger man teased. His smirk faded when he realized Adar was serious.

 

“Perhaps I could help with your work,” Elrond said. “Diplomacy has never been your strong suit, and I think–”

 

“Absolutely not,” the older man interrupted sternly. “The less you know about my business the better.”

 

Somehow Elrond managed to make a frown charming. “Why do you insist on keeping me hidden away? Are you ashamed of me…of us?”

 

“Of course not.” The question was unexpected, and Adar realized how Elrond might perceive his caution as control. “I’m not hiding you from my rivals out of shame, El. I’m doing it for your protection.”

 

The younger man pulled away as Adar reached out to touch him. “I may call you Daddy in the bedroom, but I am not a child, Adar. I can take care of myself.”

 

“I know that,” Adar replied wearily. “But your reckless behavior will put us both at risk.”

 

Elrond looked offended by this claim, but he didn’t resist when the older man drew him into his arms. 

 

“Today, you revealed my greatest weakness to a dangerous man,” Adar explained. “And now that entitled bastard knows that the surest way to hurt me…is to hurt you.”

 

Elrond’s expression was strangely vulnerable as Adar cupped his fair face. Despite their frequent physical intimacy, they rarely spoke of deeper emotions. Adar chose his words carefully, fearful of scaring off his young lover.

 

“You are very…precious to me, Elrond,” he murmured. “I haven’t let myself care for someone in a long time. Not since… him …”

 

The younger man’s scowl softened momentarily. He knew all too well the scars left behind by Adar’s former lover.

 

Adar’s thumb caressed the other man’s cheek delicately as if he feared such fragile beauty might shatter in his grasp. There was no mirth in his blue eyes when he held Elrond’s gaze, only earnest concern.

 

“Promise me that you will be careful…if not for your own sake then for mine.”

 

Elrond looked stunned by this plea, and after a hesitant pause, he pulled Adar’s mouth against his own in a reassuring kiss. His voice was gentle when he pulled away to utter a reply. “If it will set your mind at ease, I promise not to take any unnecessary risks.”

 

Elrond distracted Adar with another kiss before he could fully decipher the wording of this promise, and for a few moments, the rest of the world faded away. There was only the beautiful man in his arms, Elrond’s soft mouth forming a summery smile when their lips finally parted.

 

“I believe I am still owed a reward,” Elrond remarked, their disagreement already forgotten. His fingers tangled in Adar’s shirt, and he began to pull his lover toward the door. “And if we make another mess in the shower…clean up will be very convenient.”

 

Adar didn’t resist as Elrond dragged him out of the room. “Rewards have to be earned, brat.”

 

Elrond’s laugh was far too enticing. “I’m sure I can find a way to prove how deserving I am…”

Chapter 2: Risk

Summary:

After ditching his security detail to visit his friends, Elrond learns the hard way that breaking the rules has consequences, but he knows Adar will come for him.

Notes:

Thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting on this. Love to hear that others enjoy this little brat taming mafia au...

This is my first time writing Durin and Disa, and man, they were so much fun! Very tempted to feature these two in more of my fics.

Took a trip, 'cause I could afford it

You need a job, well, I could employ ya

Built a bank, so I could be spoiled

Why is that a fuckin' problem?

 

***

 

Thunder struck in the distance as Elrond dashed across the puddled sidewalk, seeking refuge on the front porch of a large craftsman style home. He glanced over his shoulder before knocking on the door. The rain had provided ample cover, but he had to be certain no one followed him here. 

 

After a few tense moments, he knocked again, and he heard a ruckus within. When the door finally swung open, a woman looked out into the gloom warily. The suspicion melted from her face when she laid eyes on her soggy guest, and a warm smile erupted.

 

“Elrond!”

 

He grinned, unable to resist such a hearty welcome. “Disa, you’re looking radiant as ever.”

 

The boisterous matriarch ushered him across the threshold with a laugh. “My how I’ve missed your shameless flattery…it’s been too long.”

 

“My apologies,” Elrond replied. “Life’s been a bit hectic recently, and I just haven’t had a chance to visit.”

 

Disa gestured impatiently, and he obediently removed his wet coat and slipped off his shoes, placing them on a mat near the entrance. 

 

“Hectic?” Her brow furrowed as she stashed his coat in the closet. “Is everything alright with you and this mysterious beau of yours? He treating you well?”

 

Elrond blushed. His friends knew he was seeing someone, but he had yet to divulge any details about his relationship…if he could even call it that. His arrangement with Adar seemed to occupy a gray area, and he wasn’t quite sure how to explain it to others.

 

“He’s great,” Elrond replied. He elaborated when she gave him a discerning look. “I assure you he pampers me like a prince.”

 

Disa raised an eyebrow. “Spoils you rotten more like…”

 

“Who’s spoiled rotten?” A gruff voice echoed down the corridor, and Elrond followed Disa into the kitchen. He smiled when he caught sight of Durin hunched over what appeared to be a large pot of stew.

 

“Are you cooking?” he asked incredulously.

 

His friend scowled. “Obviously.”

 

Elrond looked to Disa. “I’m surprised you’re letting him near the stove. Remember what happened the last time?”

 

Her grin was infectious. “How could I forget? His beard’s only just grown back.”

 

Durin dropped a clove of garlic into the bubbling liquid with a scoff. “That was an accident. I’d never used a gas stove before!”

 

His wife rolled her eyes. “He insisted on cooking his famous beef stew when we learned you were coming to visit…said it was a favorite of yours when the two of you went camping together.”

 

Elrond grimaced at the memory. “I think my admiration of his stew may have been exaggerated. It was my favorite on that particular trip because it was the only meal he made that could pass as edible.”

 

Durin shot him a dirty look before dumping a concerning amount of seasoning into the pot. “Spoiled rotten indeed. Our food’s not good enough for you now that you’re drinking champagne and eating caviar with that rich boyfriend of yours?”

 

Elrond felt his cheeks heat at this accusation. “First of all, Disa’s food is fit for the gods themselves. I would never speak ill of your wife’s cooking by lumping it in with your…questionable culinary efforts.”

 

Disa nodded sagely.

 

“And second of all, how do you know he’s rich? I’ve barely told you anything about him, and third…I don’t even know if he is my boyfriend.”

 

The two spouses had contrasting reactions to this series of statements. Disa’s expression softened with concern, and she reached out to touch Elrond’s shoulder. Durin’s face hardened into a protective frown, and he set his ladle down on the counter with a thud. 

 

“It’s really fucking obvious that he’s rich,” Durin told him, wiping his hands on an embroidered tea towel as he crossed the kitchen. “That feathery shirt you’re wearing must cost hundreds of dollars, and that watch on your wrist? Thousands.”

 

Elrond glanced at the timepiece in question, stunned by his friend’s assessment.

 

“Let me guess,” Durin continued. “They’re both gifts from him ?”

 

“They are,” Elrond conceded.

 

“So why don’t you know if he’s your boyfriend?” Durin inquired. “Is this a sugar baby situation or something?”

 

Elrond blushed furiously. “What?”

 

Durin ignored the warning glare from his wife. “A man only spends money like that for two reasons…he either wants a hot boy toy he can fuck with no strings attached…”

 

“Durin!” Disa smacked her husband’s arm. 

 

“...or he’s madly in love and wants to lock you down for good.”

 

His wife shook her head. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

“I do too,” Durin protested. “Why do you think I sent you flowers and jewelry every day for a month after we met? I knew I had to overwhelm you with gifts long enough to trick you into marrying me.”

 

There was an affectionate glint in Disa’s eye even as she scowled at him. “You did not trick me into marrying you.”

 

“That’s what you think,” Durin teased, giving Elrond a conspiratorial wink.

 

Disa gave an exasperated sigh, but she leaned over to kiss her husband on the cheek.

 

“So who is this rich bastard anyway?” Durin asked, turning his attention to Elrond once more. “Did he make you sign an NDA of some sort?”

 

Elrond shook his head. “No, nothing like that.”

 

“Well then, what’s with all the secrecy? Tell us something about this man of yours,” Durin persisted. He walked back over to the simmering pot of stew and began dropping in knobs of butter. “What’s his name?”

 

Elrond hesitated, uncertain how much to disclose. “Adar.”

 

His friend paused to look at him. “Just Adar? This guy doesn’t have a last name?”

 

Disa interjected her own question when she noticed Elrond’s discomfort. “How did the two of you meet?”

 

She leaned against the counter and gave him a reassuring smile. Her gaze kept drifting over to her husband’s bubbling concoction, and Elrond could tell she was resisting the urge to intervene.

 

“We met at his nightclub.”

 

“A nightclub?” Durin scoffed. “Since when do you go to nightclubs?”

 

“Galadriel dragged me there after one of her many break ups with Halbrand,” Elrond explained.

 

“Ah,” his friend gave an understanding nod then resumed his interrogation. “Which club?”

 

Elrond answered reluctantly. “Um…Mordor.”

 

Another knob of butter fell into the pot with a loud plop, and Durin and Disa shared a knowing look. 

 

“Mordor has a bit of a shady reputation, doesn’t it?” Durin said cautiously. “Heard rumors it was run by the mob.”

 

An awkward pause ensued when Elrond didn’t deny this.

 

“You sure it’s wise getting involved with that crowd again?” Durin asked him. “Could be dangerous…”

 

Elrond fiddled with his watch, unable to meet his friend’s gaze. “Adar takes care of me. I’ve got a security detail and everything…”

 

Disa looked startled by this revelation. “You brought some mobster thugs to our home?”

 

He reached out to take her hand. “No, of course not. I would never put your family at risk like that. I ditched my bodyguards and came here alone.”

 

This statement hardly seemed to comfort his friends. “You ditched your security? Are you sure that’s wise?”

 

“It was the only way I could come see the two of you,” he told them. “I’ve missed you terribly, and Adar can be a bit…overly protective. So I snuck out before he could object…”

 

The couple shared another troubled look. 

 

“This man of yours sounds rather controlling,” Disa said gently. 

 

“He only controls me when I want him to,” Elrond told her. His face flushed slightly, and he hoped she didn’t pick up on the sordid meaning behind his words. 

 

“Does he make you happy?” Durin’s question came out as a growl, but Elrond could hear the concern behind his friend’s grumpy demeanor.

 

Elrond remembered waking up in Adar’s arms earlier that day. The intimidating mobster had seemed so much younger and less guarded, his normally sharp features somehow soft in the morning light. They had laid there just staring into each other’s eyes for several moments, and then Adar had wrapped a hand around the back of Elrond’s neck to pull him in for a kiss, the possessive touch comforting him without words. For the first time, Elrond dared to hope that maybe there could be more to their relationship than just sex. Sex was never complicated between them, but this new intimacy felt dangerous. Still, Elrond was ready to take that risk.

 

“He does,” Elrond confessed. “He makes me feel safe.”

 

Durin and Disa glanced at each other again, but they seemed reassured by his words.

 

“He better,” Durin grunted, stirring what was turning into an alarmingly viscous stew. “Cause if he ever hurts you or lets anyone else hurt you, he’ll have to answer to me and Disa…and Disa won’t be as nice about it as I will. That woman’s capable of war crimes, I swear!”

 

His wife gave an unnerving smile. “Scorched earth…”

 

Elrond laughed as her expression softened once more, and she scurried over to the sink, straining to reach a high cabinet.

 

“Now that Durin’s interrogation is over, I think we are in need of some wine.”

 

“Allow me,” Elrond offered, opening the cupboard and retrieving a bottle on her behalf. He eyed the pot on the stove with trepidation. “Although we might need something a tad stronger…I’ve learned that a healthy buzz makes Durin’s cooking much more tolerable.”

 

Durin gave an outraged huff, but his wife chuckled.

 

“We better break out the whiskey then,” she teased. “There should be a bottle of bourbon behind the Shiraz.”

 

“If you’re going to keep insulting my cooking,” Durin barked. “Then next time you’re bringing the booze.”

 

“Gladly,” Elrond countered. “Perhaps I’ll bring some of that champagne and caviar you keep harping on about.”

 

“I wish you would!”

 

***

 

“Are you certain you don’t need a ride?” Disa inquired as Elrond shrugged into his coat. 

 

“It’s fine,” he told her. “My ride share is already on its way. Besides, neither of you is in any condition to drive.”

 

Her crooked smile revealed just how tipsy his friend had become. They had drunk far too much and had eaten as little of Durin’s horrid stew as possible which made for a lot of alcohol in an otherwise empty stomach. Elrond himself was feeling a bit flushed from all the whiskey, but he felt composed enough to venture home on his own. Durin was passed out on the sofa, blissfully snoring away.

 

“Alright,” Disa relented. “But text us as soon as you get home safely.”

 

“Of course,” Elrond assured her. “Goodnight, Disa.”

 

“Goodnight, Elrond.” Disa lingered on the threshold a moment as he stepped out into the cool night air, and then she gently swung the door shut, plunging him into darkness.

 

He walked toward the street, suddenly weary and longing for bed. A car pulled up just as he drew near the curb, and before he could glance down at his phone, the driver rolled down the window and called out to him.

 

“You Elrond?”

 

His brow furrowed. “Are you with Uber?”

 

The driver didn’t acknowledge the question, but his tone was friendly. “Get in.”

 

Against his better judgment, Elrond slid into the back seat. “Take me to Mordor, please.”

 

He froze as the opposite car door opened, and a stranger crawled into the back seat beside him. His heart dropped when his eyes landed on the pistol in the intruder’s grasp.

 

“I’m afraid our employer has a different destination in mind for you tonight, pretty boy,” the driver told him, his friendly demeanor vanishing in an instant.

 

Elrond was surprised by the calm that came over him in the moment of his abduction. His usual survival instincts had been dulled by whiskey, but the alcohol also seemed to give him an immunity to fear. 

 

“I see,” he replied. “And where exactly are you taking me?”

 

The man beside him gestured for Elrond to hand over his phone, and he reluctantly complied. 

 

“The boss would like to meet with you,” he said gruffly. “And he’s asked us to take you somewhere that Adar won’t be able to find you.”

 

Elrond smirked at this bold assertion. “Good luck with that.”

 

The man pulled a sack out of his pocket. “I’m afraid I have to put this on you, pretty boy. Can’t have you figuring out where we are along the way.”

 

Elrond eyed the fabric dubiously. “Really? Burlap? You couldn’t acquire something less abrasive…like a cotton pillowcase at the very least.”

 

His captors seemed unsettled by his casual acceptance of the situation.

 

“You should probably put the handcuffs on me first,” Elrond suggested, holding out his hands. 

 

The man blinked in confusion and retrieved a bundle of zip ties from his jacket instead. Elrond raised a brow. This operation was even more amateur than he initially suspected. 

The other man carefully wound the makeshift restraints around Elrond’s wrists. Thankfully he didn’t cinch them tight enough to cause any pain. His captive’s casual demeanor seemed to unnerve the hapless thug.

 

“You do realize we are taking you hostage, right?” he asked. “You seem very chill about all this…”

 

Elrond’s lips curled into an amused smile. “It’s cute that you think I’ve never been kidnapped before.”

 

He gestured to the burlap sack impatiently. “Now hurry up and get that bag over my head. At the rate you’re moving, Adar will get there before we do.”

 

Too stunned to respond, the man obeyed this command in silence. Elrond settled back in his seat as the burlap obscured his vision, determined to preserve his energy for the confrontation to come. At least the drive would give him ample time to recover from Durin’s stew…

 

***

 

Your jealousy kinda looks good on me

 

***

 

“Make sure we have plenty of tequila on hand,” Adar instructed the bartender. “Shelob will be here tonight, and you know how particular she can be.”

 

The bartender gave a nod of understanding before heading into the back to retrieve more of the agave based liquor. 

 

Magrot eyed Adar dubiously, trailing behind as the mob boss continued his nightly rounds. Mordor was due to open any minute, and Adar liked to ensure everything was up to his standards before customers arrived. 

 

After several moments of awkward silence, Adar turned to his second in command with an ill-tempered glare. “What is it, Magrot? I can tell something’s got you on edge, so out with it.”

 

The other man didn’t react to his harsh tone, accustomed to Adar’s tempestuous nature. Still the mobster could sense his subordinate was nervous. “Shelob’s coming tonight? Do we really want to invite that kind of trouble into the club? For all we know, she might still be working for him. ”

 

“All the more reason to keep a close eye on her,” Adar replied. “Besides, we owe her payment for that last job she pulled for us.”

 

Magrot’s expression darkened further. “Can we afford that? Last I heard, her rate was pretty steep these days.”

 

Adar felt a flash of guilt but quickly snuffed it out. “She offered us a discount in exchange for a less…monetary form of compensation.”

 

Understanding dawned on Magrot’s haggard face, and he leaned in close to whisper a hesitant reply. “You’re going to let her use Mordor as a hunting ground? We have a hard enough time keeping the cops off our backs.”

 

“Relax,” Adar murmured. “I told her she can find her prey here, but she has to take them elsewhere if she wants to play with her food.”

 

Magrot frowned. “Have you at least warned the men about her? We’re gonna be fucked if she starts picking off our own.”

 

The mob boss clapped a hand on the other man’s shoulder. “You think The Spider is going to lure one of those ugly mugs into her web when this place is packed full of hot drunks every night? She won’t settle for our guys unless she’s desperate, but feel free to warn them if it sets your mind at ease.”

 

Magrot shook his head gravely. “I don’t like this, boss. You’re playing with fire.”

 

“No risk, no reward, Magrot. Trust me.”

 

His second in command didn’t look convinced but held his tongue. Adar’s eyes narrowed when he caught sight of a particular guard over Magrot’s shoulder.

 

“Druv, what are you doing here? You’re not scheduled to work at the club tonight.”

 

“I’m not? I must have gotten my days mixed up.” The guard gave a nervous shrug, and Adar stalked down the corridor, a sense of foreboding creeping up on him.

 

“You were supposed to be guarding Elrond today,” the mob boss stated. “Where is he? Why aren’t you with him?”

 

“I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.” Druv gasped as Adar seized him by the shirt and slammed him against the wall. 

 

The mob boss pulled his pistol out of its holster with a snarl. “Fucking lie to me again, and I will paint this fucking wall with what little brains you possess.”

 

Druv panicked when Adar pressed the end of the barrell between his eyes. “Vrath and I accompanied Elrond to the bookstore earlier, but he gave us the slip. Vrath is still out looking for him. I thought he might have come back to the club by now, but–”

 

“When?” Adar growled.

 

The other man stammered his reply. “I–I just got here a few m-minutes ago.”

 

“No, not you,” Adar snapped. “When did Elrond give you the slip?”

 

Sweat glistened on Druv’s forehead. He winced as the pistol dug into his flesh.”I don’t know…around 5 o’clock?”

 

The mob boss was simmering with rage. “You mean to tell me that Elrond has been missing for hours , and you didn’t think to tell me about it?!”

 

“I’m sorry, boss.” A lengthy and meaningless series of excuses followed this whimpered apology, but Adar heard none of it, mind reeling.

 

That fucking brat…  

 

Once again, Elrond had intentionally disobeyed Adar. His stubborn lover still didn’t understand that this wasn’t a game. Adar might tolerate defiance in the bedroom, but the consequences for breaking certain rules were much more dire. In Adar’s line of business, disobedience was dangerous. 

 

Druv’s babbling halted as the pistol withdrew from his forehead. Adar cut his momentary relief short, striking him across the face with the weapon. Druv crumpled to the ground with a cry, and blood gushed from his nose. The violent outburst seemed to soothe some of Adar’s anger, and he calmly slid his gun back into its holster. 

 

“Clean yourself up,” he told the man cowering on the floor. 

 

“You’re not going to fire me?” Druv asked timidly.

 

“Since you’re fucking worthless as a guard, I’ve got another assignment in mind for you tonight,” Adar stated ominously. He turned to his second in command with a meaningful look. “Give him some cash. Tell him to buy Shelob a few drinks tonight…show her a good time.”

 

Magrot nodded in grim understanding. “You got it, boss.”

 

“And you know what to do if Vrath dares to show his face again.”

 

Another morbid nod.

 

“Can you spare Damrod and Lurka?” Adar asked. He ran a hand through his hair, steadying his nerves. “Apparently I have to play bird catcher tonight, and I need some help tracking down my runaway.”

 

“We’ll make due,” Magrot assured him, roughly hoisting Druv to his feet. 

 

Adar straightened his suit. “Tell the cleaner to be on standby. I have a feeling things might get messy tonight.”

 

“How messy?” his second in command grunted. 

 

Adar’s gaze landed on the drops of blood on the floor. The splash of crimson felt like an ill omen. “That depends on how much trouble my little songbird has gotten himself into…”

 

“Elrond has a knack for finding trouble,” Magrot said.

 

“That he does,” the mob boss conceded. “That he does…”

 

He started down the corridor toward the armory, beckoning to Lurka and Damrod as he passed. The two thugs fell in behind their leader without question. They could sense that violence was forthcoming, and he knew they would not hesitate to shed some blood if things went south.

 

Adar focused on his anger to keep the fear at bay. He couldn’t let himself consider what kind of danger Elrond might be in, so he forced himself to imagine all sorts of lewd punishments he would inflict on the unyielding beauty upon their return to Mordor.

 

Perhaps he would have to lash his lover to the bed, keep him as a pretty captive until he learned to obey. No, Elrond would enjoy that too much for it to truly be a punishment.

 

A hopeful epiphany struck. Perhaps this was just another cry for attention, and Elrond had merely snuck off to provoke a reaction. That was the most likely scenario. Elrond was probably upstairs at this very moment, waiting for his daddy to call.

 

Adar pulled out his phone and dialed Elrond’s number, cursing himself for not trying this sooner. The call went straight to voicemail, and dread pierced the mobster like an icy blade. Even when they argued, Elrond always answered his calls, and he was obsessed with keeping his phone charged. Adar knew something must be amiss.

 

The phone beeped as he held it to his ear, signalling that the voicemail had begun to record. If someone had taken Elrond as he suspected, then the mobster would need to send them a message.

 

Adar’s voice was raspy as he uttered his ominous warning. “Touch my brat, and Eru himself won’t be able to save you. Watch your back, motherfucker. Death is coming.”

 

***

 

I think you're full of it

(What's that?) I'll show you how I throw a fit

(On the attack) go on and talk your shit

I stopped listenin', blame it on conditionin', call me a brat

 

***

 

Elrond had sobered up considerably by the time they reached their destination. He was now seated upon a rickety chair in what sounded like a cavernous space–most likely a warehouse of some sort. The long wait was agonizing.

 

Finally after what felt like hours of solitude, he heard a door slam and the echo of footsteps drawing near. A hand took hold of the burlap sack, snatching it from his head with a flourish.

 

Elrond blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the harsh fluorescent lights hanging above him. The rest of the expansive concrete room was dark, and steel support beams cast sinister shadows all around.

 

“Well, well, well…” A smug voice emanated over Elrond’s shoulder, and after a moment, a familiar figure stepped into the light. “It seems we’ve captured quite the prize tonight.”

 

Elrond was hardly impressed by this dramatic entrance. “A pleasure to see you again…” He tilted his head, feigning confusion. “Sorry, what was your name again?”

 

His captor’s arrogant grin faded. “Kemen.”

 

Elrond gave a sarcastic smile. “Ah yes, Kemen…of course.”

 

The young mob boss circled around the chair, trying in vain to appear intimidating. “So glad you could join us on this lovely evening, Elrond .” He spoke the name like it was a triumph.

 

“It’s not like I had much choice in the matter.” Elrond glanced around the empty warehouse. “I must confess your hospitality leaves much to be desired.”

 

Kemen stopped in front of him with a sneer. “Yes, I suppose you are accustomed to more luxurious accommodations as Adar’s little pet.” 

 

Elrond got the distinct impression that the other man was trying to loom over him, but Kemen couldn’t quite pull it off, his air of intimidation almost as ill-fitting as his flashy suit. Inexperienced mobsters were always easy to spot based on their gaudy apparel. Men with real power didn’t need to advertise their wealth. Adar’s wardrobe was expensive but understated. All the black and leather was hot as fuck, but it was also practical in this line of work. One splash of blood and Kemen’s fancy suede shoes would be absolutely ruined, a clear sign that the novice mob boss had yet to get his hands dirty.

 

“I certainly don’t expect luxury during a kidnapping, but surely you could have found some place slightly less damp to carry out this misguided plan of yours?”

 

Kemen’s eyes flashed in anger. His insecurity was what made him truly dangerous. “Misguided? You don’t even know what my plan is!”

 

“I thought it was fairly obvious,” Elrond replied, already bored. “But by all means, feel free to enlighten me with whatever monologue you had planned.”

 

Kemen’s face went red, his captive’s snark clearly getting under his skin. “I assumed Adar taught his sluts some manners, but apparently not…”

 

Elrond gave a flirtatious smile. “I assure you that I am Adar’s only slut, and his lessons on manners have been thorough but ineffective.”

 

The innuendo in Elrond’s tone seemed to fluster his captor further. “Then let me provide further instruction on his behalf.”

 

The mob boss backhanded Elrond across the face. He took the blow in silence, biting his tongue to stifle his cry. He would not give this man the satisfaction. 

 

Kemen took a step back, flexing his hand and grimacing. “Perhaps you just need a teacher with a firmer hand…”

 

“I think that hurt you more than it did me,” Elrond replied mockingly. “Is this your first time interrogating someone? I suspected as much since you haven’t bothered to ask me any questions.”

 

Kemen surged forward to seize Elrond’s jaw as he snarled his reply. “I don’t need information from you. I brought you here as bait.”

 

Elrond twisted in his grasp, but Kemen’s fingers dug into his flesh. 

 

“When I first saw you flounce into Adar’s office the other day, I assumed he kept you around for  a bit of fun, but then I saw the way he looks at you.”

 

There was a disturbing glee in the young mob boss’s eyes as he forced Elrond to meet his gaze.

 

“That old bastard actually cares about you,” he said in disbelief. “Which makes you the perfect bargaining chip…”

 

“If you think Adar will give up his territory for my sake, then you are gravely mistaken,” Elrond told him matter of factly. “He will not surrender an empire years in the making quite so readily.”

 

Kemen’s eyes trailed down his body in a cold, calculated assessment. “No, I think you are mistaken, Elrond. I suspect Adar might be willing to barter away more than you think…in order to protect that which he holds most dear.”

 

Elrond flushed at this statement but remained silent. 

 

“If I agree to spare your life, Adar will give me whatever I desire,” Kemen continued. His hubris was astounding. “And Mordor will be mine soon enough.”

 

Elrond held his captor’s gaze without fear. “When Adar comes for me, there will be no bartering, Kemen…only bloodshed.”

 

A muffled crash echoed in the distance, and Kemen released his hold on Elrond, standing upright with a frown.

 

“What the fuck was that?” he snapped at the guards. He gestured angrily toward the door when they didn’t answer. “Well, go find out, you fucking cretins!”

 

The two men scrambled to obey, dashing to the exit with guns drawn. Several tense moments followed, but neither of the guards returned.

 

Elrond smirked as the sound of a commotion drew nearer, shouts and gunfire growing louder. “You are absolutely fucked.”

 

The fledgling mob boss glanced at him, torn between anger and fear. Elrond winked and artfully leaned back in his seat. 

 

“Uh oh, Kemen…Daddy’s here, and you are in serious trouble.”

 

***

 

I made a home, gettin' under your skin

I think it's time you took a look within

Play me the world's tiniest violin

Looks like we got a fuckin' problem

***

Blood dripped down concrete walls as Adar ascended the stairwell. The gruesome sight was reminiscent of a red horizon, the kind that harkened an oncoming tempest. Adar was the storm that would wipe all of The Southlands from the face of the earth tonight. 

 

He paused at the top of the stairs, stepping over a fallen guard and shouting to Damrod and Lurka on the floor below. “You finish up down there. I’ll deal with Pharazon’s boy myself.”

 

“You got it, boss.” Lurka’s reply was muffled by the sound of a skull hitting concrete, and Adar continued down the empty corridor, confident in his men’s abilities.

 

He caught a glimpse of the barrel of a gun in a darkened doorway, and his adrenaline spiked. Without hesitation, he raised his own pistol and fired into the shadows. A sharp cry followed, and another guard tumbled into the corridor, dead before he hit the ground. 

 

Adar paused when he reached the corpse, snatching the gun from his lifeless grip. Another weapon might come in handy. Kemen certainly hadn’t employed skilled security, but there was no telling how many guards awaited the invading mob boss.

 

Adar placed the purloined weapon in his holster then continued toward the unmarked door ahead. He hesitated a moment, listening closely. Two voices were audible through the heavy steel, and he recognized Elrond’s immediately. Judging by his snarky tone, Adar had arrived before any serious harm had befallen his kidnapped lover.

 

A shot resounded from the floor below, and the voices beyond the door went silent. Adar wrapped his hand around the doorknob, holding his gun aloft with the other. He inhaled slowly to steady his nerves, and then he swung the door open. He could see the panic in Kemen’s eyes as he burst into the room, and the younger mob boss hauled his captive onto his feet, using Elrond as a human shield to ward off his rival’s attack.

 

“Stay back!” Kemen shouted. He clumsily drew his gun, pointing it at Elrond’s temple. 

 

Adar’s momentum slowed. He desperately wanted to look at the hostage in Kemen’s grasp, but he forced himself to focus on the weapon instead. “Put the gun down, boy. Return Elrond to me, and you might just get out of this alive.”

 

“You must think me a fool,” Kemen retorted. His knuckles were white as he gripped the collar of Elrond’s shirt. “We both know you’ll kill me as soon as I release him. This slut is the only leverage I have.”

 

Darkness flashed in Adar’s blue eyes at the other man’s derogatory words. “Call him a slut again, and I’ll put a bullet between your teeth before you can finish the word.”

 

“Bold talk for a man with so much to lose.” The fledgling mob boss glared over Elrond’s shoulder. His captive grimaced as the barrel of the pistol dug into his cheek. “Kill me, and my father will destroy you and your pathetic syndicate. We both know you don’t have the muscle for a war with Numenor.”

 

Adar noticed a bruise just below Elrond’s cheekbone, and he realized with a sudden, savage clarity that Kemen had struck him across the face. This faint mark sealed the young mob boss’s fate in an instant. Anyone that dared marr Elrond’s beauty with violence would pay with his life. This murder would surely lead to further conflict between rival syndicates, but Adar cared little for the repercussions that would follow this bloodbath. He would protect his songbird at any cost.

 

“Fuck Numenor, and fuck your father.”

 

Kemen’s eyes bulged, and in his outrage, he pointed his gun at Adar with a shriek. “Fuck you, old man! You’re nothing but a washed up old street thug pretending to be a mob boss…”

 

Elrond took advantage of his captor’s distracted state and sprung into action. He hastily raised his hands up to his mouth, cinching the zip tie around his wrists tight with his teeth. Adar watched, stunned as Elrond’s arms swung up then slammed down on his knee. The sudden pressure between his wrists snapped the taut zip tie, freeing his bruised wrists in one fell swoop.

 

Kemen was too arrogant and too oblivious to realize this surprising development. “My father–”

 

Elrond ended this tirade with a fist to his captor’s face, then disarmed him with an expertise that intrigued Adar. Kemen stumbled backward in shock, and his expression soured when confronted by his own weapon in Elrond’s deft hands.

 

“Do you ever shut up about that father of yours?” the vengeful beauty quipped, pointing the pistol at the novice mob boss with a look of disdain. “And here I thought I was the one with all the daddy issues…”

 

Adar studied his lover with newfound appreciation. His curly hair was a tangled mess, the usual kindness absent from those sharp gray eyes as he assessed their enemy. This glimpse of Elrond’s skill with a weapon only seemed to enhance his beauty. 

 

“Where did you learn to handle a gun like that?” Adar inquired, voice raspy with arousal. 

 

Elrond glanced at him, lips quirking into a secretive smile. “My foster father taught me.”

 

The older man’s brow furrowed. This cryptic reply intrigued him. “Foster father?”

 

Elrond’s gaze shifted back to Kemen, avoiding Adar’s discerning stare. “Maglor ensured that my brother and I were proficient with most firearms.”

 

This seemingly simple confession was staggering. Adar took a few steps forward. “You’re one of Maglor’s boys? Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

Elrond kept his expression guarded, but a faint blush dusted his cheeks. “You never asked about my family. I didn’t think you cared.”

 

This statement cut Adar deeper than any knife, guilt undermining his vigilance. “El, of course, I care–”

 

Kemen lunged suddenly, a knife in hand. Elrond lowered the pistol and fired a single shot into his attacker’s foot. Kemen howled in pain, but he barrelled forward, trying to pry the weapon out of Elrond’s hand. 

 

Adar felt a surge of panic as a scuffle ensued, uncertain how to intervene without hurting his lover. Two more shots rang out in the cavernous room, and Elrond staggered backwards, grasping his side with a gasp. 

 

That pained inhalation triggered something deep within Adar. Blinded by rage and terror, he dashed into the fray, tackling Kemen with a snarl. The younger mob boss hit the concrete hard, and the gun was knocked out of his hand, skittering across the floor and into the shadows.

 

Fear flashed in Kemen’s eyes as Adar pinned him to the floor. He frowned when Adar cast his own gun aside. “You’re not going to kill me?”

 

“Shooting you would be too merciful,” Adar told him darkly just before his fist collided with the other man’s jaw.

 

Blood spattered from Kemen’s mouth as Adar struck him again, and the splash of red only seemed to heighten the mobster’s wrath. Kemen whimpered as Adar delivered blow after blow, turning his rival’s face into a gruesome mess.

 

After several minutes of this violent frenzy, Adar felt a hand upon his shoulder, and he looked back to see Elrond standing over him, gray eyes wide with concern. 

 

“Adar, that’s enough.”

 

The older man blinked a few times as he regained his senses. 

 

Kemen spat blood and glared up at them with disdain. “Listen to your pretty little slut, old man. At least one of you has some fucking sense.”

 

Adar snatched the stolen pistol out of his holster and shoved the barrel between Kemen’s teeth. 

 

“I warned you not to call him a slut again,” he growled. “You should have had the sense to keep your fucking mouth shut.” 

 

Kemen started to protest, but Adar pulled the trigger before he could utter another word. Killing Pharazon’s boy was reckless, and yet he didn’t feel an ounce of regret. He had shed blood for far less worthy causes. He would kill for Elrond again without remorse.

 

After several moments of staring at Kemen’s lifeless body, Adar stood and holstered the gun. When his gaze finally found Elrond’s, he was surprised to find concern rather than fear on the younger man’s face. Then again, if Elrond had grown up in Maglor’s keeping, he had likely seen his share of violence.

 

Adar stumbled over the corpse, rushing forward to pull his lover into his arms. Elrond welcomed his embrace, and a little sob escaped his rosy lips when Adar cupped his face. Blood speckled Elrond’s pale skin, red freckles dotted across his delicate jawline and slender throat. Adar’s eyes descended to his lover’s ribs where a patch of red stained his white shirt. 

 

“You’re hurt,” he rasped. 

 

Elrond did not resist as Adar lifted the hem of his shirt to check the injury. “It’s just a scratch. Kemen is almost as abysmal with a knife as he is with a gun…or was I suppose…”

 

Adar swallowed a lump in his throat, studying the blessedly shallow cut. “I thought…I thought he shot you,” he confessed, voice ragged with grief.

 

Elrond looked astounded by his raw reaction. “I’m fine, Adar. I swear it.”

 

“Are you certain?” Adar asked. His hands caressed his lover’s body, possessive and protective. “Did that bastard touch you?”

 

The younger man stilled his frantic fingers, clasping them in his hands. “He roughed me up a little, but nothing more nefarious than that.”

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner,” Adar told him. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

 

Elrond gave a soft smile, looking up at him through those maddeningly tousled curls. “I knew you would come for me, Adar. I never doubted that for a moment, and as you can see, I am not some helpless damsel in distress. I’m quite capable of taking care of myself when necessary.”

 

Adar remembered the ruthless glint in Elrond’s eye earlier, the confident way the beauty wielded a gun. “Indeed, it seems you are full of surprises, little songbird…”

 

Elrond gasped as Adar closed the distance between them, hungry mouth colliding with those rosy lips in a savage kiss. Relief and arousal were a tangled knot in Adar’s belly as his lover surrendered to his embrace. His hands latched onto Elrond’s hips, pulling him flush against him with a possessive moan. The younger man blushed when he felt Adar’s hard length against his thigh, and his hands wrapped around the other man’s neck, tangling in his hair as if he needed an anchor. 

 

Elrond felt so fragile in his arms, his soft beauty belying a hidden resilience. When his lips parted, Adar’s tongue delved into his panting mouth, devouring the sweet sounds spilling from his throat. Adar took his time savoring the prize he had reclaimed. When their mouths finally parted, Elrond’s eyes were glassy, bloodspattered and beestung lips bearing the evidence of lust and violence.

 

“Adar…” Elrond murmured his name like a prayer.

 

Adar started to pull him in for another kiss, but Lurka burst through the door, breaking the spell between them. 

 

“We gotta go, boss.”

 

Anger and fear returned as reality set in, and Adar’s expression hardened. He grasped Elrond by the arm, escorting him toward the exit with little of the tenderness from their earlier embrace. The younger man didn’t resist as the mobster led him through the blood drenched corridors, but his eyes were wide, clearly shocked by the sheer amount of carnage Adar and his men had left in their wake.

 

When they finally reached the ground floor and stepped out into the night, Adar hesitated. He could feel the shock that always crept up after a kill was fast approaching, and he needed to get Elrond to safety before the cops arrived. Given the amount of gunfire, it was only a matter of time.

 

Elrond tensed as Adar dragged him down the sidewalk toward the awaiting car. The older man released his iron grip on his lover’s arm, prying the vehicle door open with a stern glare. 

 

“Get in the car, El.”

 

The younger man hesitated, shocked by Adar’s harsh demeanor. When he didn’t obey, the mob boss repeated the order in a low rasp.

“I said get in the car, brat. ”

Notes:

Killing Kemen in all my TROP mafia au fics lol...justice for Valandil!

Not much smut in the chapter, but there will be an abundance in the final chapter I promise!

Chapter 3: Reward

Summary:

Adar brings Elrond back to the safety of Mordor. Truths both troubling and tender are revealed as the mobster punishes his stubborn brat, but Elrond knows his Daddy will reward him soon enough.

Notes:

As usual, I got a little carried away, and this final chapter turned into quite the beast. I've always struggled with brevity, but I didn't expect this chapter to double the word count of the entire fic! Hopefully you don't mind a very lengthy conclusion to this smutty mafia au...

There were several moments while writing this chapter that I had to pause and think, "What the hell is wrong with me?" I guess you're getting a glimpse into my depraved mind, so proceed with caution if blood isn't your thing...

Your jealousy kinda looks good on me

 

***

 

The car ride back to Mordor began in tense silence. Elrond could feel a dark energy radiating from Adar who glowered beside him. The harsh expression on his face was illuminated each time they passed under a street light, the eerie glow revealing splashes of scarlet drying on scarred flesh.

 

After several minutes of this uncomfortable quiet, Adar muttered a low, rumbling command. “Take off your shirt.”

 

Elrond blushed, surprised by this request. “My shirt?”

 

The older man leaned forward to retrieve a first aid kit stashed under the seat. “I need to clean and dress your wound.”

 

“Oh…” Elrond turned his attention to the bloodsoaked garment, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. 

 

His fingers trembled as he worked the buttons loose, and he felt a flash of embarrassment mixed with relief when Adar jumped in to assist him. Evidently the older man was too impatient to deal with the delicate fastenings, opting instead to rip the shirt open with a scowl. Elrond stifled a laugh as buttons went flying in the enclosed space, the sound dying on his tongue when he saw Adar’s serious demeanor. The mobster pushed the tattered garment open to reveal the wound hidden beneath, and Elrond shivered, suddenly feeling exposed under his intense gaze.

 

Adar retrieved disinfectant wipes from the kit and began to dab the shallow cut just beneath his ribs. Thankfully the bleeding had stopped, but Elrond’s abs tensed when the damp cloth made contact with his skin, wincing from the cold sensation. Adar’s eyes darted up at his sharp inhalation, and Elrond tried to give a reassuring smile.

 

“It’s just a little cut,” he said breathlessly. “Nothing to worry about.”

 

“Just an inch to the right, and the blade might have pierced a vital organ,” Adar replied darkly. “I think I’m well within my rights to worry when my reckless boyfriend decides to go and get himself stabbed…”

 

Elrond’s pulse jumped when the older man referred to him as his boyfriend, but the sting of disinfectant cut short his celebration. “Kemen only managed to stab me because someone was distracting me.”

 

Adar let out a noncommittal grunt, setting aside the disinfectant and ripping open a package of gauze. 

 

“How did you find me?” Elrond inquired after another stretch of loaded silence.

 

Adar pressed the gauze to the wound. “Hold that in place for a moment.”

 

The younger man obeyed, watching as his lover retrieved a bandage roll from the kit. He lifted his arms up to allow easier access when Adar began to dress his wound, those strong hands wrapping the bandaging around his torso with the same patience and skill he employed in other intimate activities.

 

“You haven’t answered my question,” Elrond murmured.

 

Adar quirked an eyebrow but still didn’t meet his gaze. “You said earlier that you knew I would come for you.”

 

The older man secured the bandage in place, then put the medical supplies back in the kit, stowing it away as Elrond tentatively lowered his arms.

 

“I did, but I’m still curious as to how you managed it.”

 

Adar leaned back, reaching out to take Elrond’s hand. His thumb caressed bruised knuckles, and his eyes landed pointedly on the watch adorning his lover’s wrist.

 

“I made sure I would always be able to find you.”

 

“You put a tracking device in my watch?” 

 

Elrond’s blood warmed as Adar’s fingers wrapped around his wrist. Those striking blue eyes finally met his gaze, that familiar possessive glint stirring something deep within.

 

“Does that bother you, songbird?”

 

“It should,” the younger man admitted. “If you’re going to be such a controlling boyfriend, then at the very least you could be honest about it.”

 

Adar tugged on his arm, pulling Elrond into his lap with a hungry look. “I was under the impression that you like it when I control you.”

 

Elrond felt his cock harden as he straddled his lover’s firm thighs. Adar smirked when he pulled the younger man flush against him, reveling in the undeniable evidence of this claim.

 

“That may be,” Elrond countered, voice unsteady. “But I don’t like it when you use lies and deception to do it.”

 

He caught a glimpse of regret on the older man’s face, but the grip on his waist tightened. 

 

“Dishonesty seems to be a flaw that we share…” Adar’s accusation came out as a rasp. “If you wished to visit your friends, why didn’t you simply tell me instead of deceiving your guards and sneaking off?”

 

Elrond flushed, ears turning pink at this pointed question. “I…I didn’t think you’d let me.”

 

Adar looked up at him, expression stern and severe. “So you decided to break the rules and deceive your guards based on an assumption ? You would rather put yourself in danger than have an open conversation with me.”

 

Elrond squirmed in the mobster’s lap, suddenly feeling foolish and ashamed. 

 

“If I have ever given you reason to believe that you cannot be honest with me about something you desire, then I am sorry,” Adar told him gravely.

 

“That’s not…I didn’t…” Elrond struggled to articulate his thoughts. “You have every right to be angry with me.”

 

The older man’s gaze softened ever so slightly. “I’m not angry with you, El.”

 

This confession caught Elrond off guard, and the dynamic between them suddenly shifted. He felt Adar’s fingers dig into his hips, and he realized the mobster was afraid to let him go. Elrond’s fierce protector was not as impervious as he seemed.

 

The younger man decided to distract his savior from this inner turmoil with his surest weapon–desire. He rolled his hips, letting his erection grind into Adar’s stomach with a tantalizing smile. “Are you going to punish me for ditching my security, Daddy?”

 

Adar frowned, hands grasping slender hips as Elrond rocked against him. “Rest assured, you will be punished as soon as we get home, brat , but not until I have you locked inside our bedroom…not until I am absolutely certain you are safe. Tempting as it might be to let you ride my cock for the rest of our drive home…”

 

Elrond’s erection throbbed at the suggestion, but he could sense the real fear behind Adar’s words. “I’m okay, Adar. Really. You don’t have to worry.”

 

The mobster wrapped his arms around Elrond, gingerly avoiding his injury as he pulled the younger man against his chest. His startled lover instinctively relaxed into this embrace, sensing that his savior needed comfort rather than lust.

 

“You have me. Kemen is dead. I’m safe.” 

 

Some of Adar’s tension seemed to ease, but he clung to his reclaimed lover for the remainder of the ride home. Elrond continued to murmur reassurances into the curve of Adar’s throat, knowing the mobster bore wounds that only one phrase could heal.

 

“I’m safe…I’m safe…I’m safe…”

 

***

 

I think you're full of it

(What's that?) I'll show you how I throw a fit

(On the attack) go on and talk your shit

I stopped listenin', blame it on conditionin', call me a brat

 

***

 

Adar shrugged out of his jacket as the car pulled up to the back entrance of Mordor. “Put this on. If I bring you into the club covered in blood, you’re bound to draw attention, and that’s the last thing we need tonight.”

 

Elrond eyed the garment dubiously but didn’t resist when the older man draped it over his shoulders. The lining of the jacket was still warm from Adar’s body heat, and the familiar scent of his cologne clung to the fabric, enticing and comforting as Elrond slid his arms into the sleeves.

 

“What about you?” he asked. “You’re wearing quite a bit of Kemen’s blood yourself…”

 

Adar gave his shirt a cursory glance. “Yes, well, I’m not the one wearing white…besides, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but people rarely pay attention to my grisled face when they can admire yours instead.”

 

Elrond frowned at this self-deprecating reply. “I happen to be quite fond of your face.”

 

The older man didn’t acknowledge this compliment, turning instead to open the car door and slip out into the cool night air. He scanned their surroundings for a moment then reached in and wrapped a hand around Elrond’s upper arm, pulling the younger man out of the vehicle. Lurka and Damrod flanked their boss as he escorted his troublesome lover toward Mordor. 

 

Elrond was uncertain of the hour, but judging by the thumping bass emanating from the closed door, the club was still busy. He supposed their entrance would be more likely to go unnoticed in a large crowd. Then again, more people meant more eyes, and even one overly observant patron could pose a problem.

 

Elrond stumbled briefly as Adar dragged him inside. The door shut behind them, and his eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden lack of light.

 

“Unhand me,” he snapped when the older man started to pull him further into the darkened corridor. “I am perfectly capable of walking without your assistance.”

 

Adar came to a sudden halt, leaning in close to snarl in his ear. “You’ve proven yourself a bit of a flight risk tonight, and unlike your negligent guards, I’m not about to let you give me the slip.”

 

Elrond hated how eagerly his body responded to the older man’s admonishing tone. “I’m not going to give you the slip, Daddy. I’ll be good. I promise.”

 

A growl rumbled in Adar’s throat as Elrond’s fingers descended, teasing the buckle of his belt and flashing a sultry smile. For a moment, the mobster’s gaze dropped to his lover’s mouth, but then those blue eyes sharpened.

 

“You can’t flirt your way back into my good graces quite so easily, brat,” he said, his grasp on Elrond’s arm constricting. The pain sent a jolt of arousal through the younger man’s body, and his teeth dug into his lower lip as Adar glared down at him.

 

“You’re going to be on a short leash for a long time, little songbird.” Adar’s breath caressed Elrond’s throat as he murmured this warning. “I’m not letting you out of my sight until you’ve proven I can trust you again. Is that understood?”

 

The younger man felt his knees go weak when Adar’s other hand wrapped around his throat. He could sense Damrod and Lurka watching them in silence, and the shame of this humiliation was a strange aphrodisiac.

 

“Is that understood, brat ?” Adar repeated the question, either oblivious or indifferent to their audience. 

 

Finally, Elrond managed a reply, his own voice breathless with want. “Yes…”

 

Adar’s ownership of the younger man was unquestionable, asserting his dominance with a single word. “Yes…?”

 

“Yes, Daddy ,” Elrond gasped, suddenly hard as a rock. 

 

This eager reply was rewarded with an arrogant smirk. “Good…”

 

Magrot emerged from the shadows just as Adar’s hand withdrew from Elrond’s throat. “I see your retrieval was a success.”

 

“Successful enough that we have quite the mess to clean up,” the mob boss replied grimly. “Did you send the cleaners?”

 

“They’re on their way as we speak,” Magrot assured him.

 

“Excellent.” Adar gave a stiff nod. “And Druv?”

 

“Left with Shelob about an hour ago.”

 

“Any sign of Vrath?”

 

“Some of the boys found him trying to sneak out of town,” Magrot replied. “They’ve got him downstairs. Figured you’d want to handle him yourself…”

 

These ominous words cut through the haze of lust surrounding Elrond, and he tensed in Adar’s grasp. “My guards?”

 

Adar started to drag him down the corridor once more, ignoring this question. 

 

“Let Damrod take care of him,” he told his second in command. “He’s earned a little fun after tonight, and get Lurka a bottle of that scotch he’s been eyeing. Their loyalty should be rewarded.”

 

Elrond felt a stab of dread as Damrod’s lips widened to reveal a sinister smile. The hulking enforcer’s penchant for violence was infamous, and his look of glee did not bode well for Vrath.

 

“Don’t punish my guards for my transgression,” Elrond insisted. “I am the one to blame, not them.”

 

Adar’s eyes were cold as he uttered his reply. “I pay Vrath and Druv to protect you. They failed to do so, and then they tried to hide that failure from me.”

 

“And you think they are deserving of death for one mistake?”

 

“If you are so concerned about the well being of your guards, then perhaps you should have considered how your actions might impact those around you,” Adar told him. “Did you think that your reckless behaviour wouldn’t result in consequences for Vrath and Druv as well?”

 

Elrond was dumbfounded. He truly hadn’t taken such a possibility into account. “I…”

 

The sound of a commotion erupted further down the corridor, and Elrond trailed off as a familiar voice cut through the thrumming cacophony. 

 

“I’m not leaving until I see him!”

 

Durin’s stout figure was obscured by the bouncers swarming around him, but Elrond caught a glimpse of red hair as a scuffle ensued. Despite being outnumbered and the size disadvantage, Durin was holding his own against Mordor’s well trained security staff.

 

Elrond called out in disbelief when his friend finally came into view. “Durin?” He started forward, but Adar’s grip on his arm prevented him from interceding on Durin’s behalf.

 

“Elrond!” His friend perked up, trying to push past the guards with renewed vigor. One of them staggered as Durin’s fist collided with his face. “Let me in, ya daft bastards!”

 

The bouncers glanced at Adar who signalled his consent with a gesture. Durin glared up at the three men upon his release then strutted toward the mob boss. 

 

“Adar, I presume?”

 

The mobster nodded in confirmation. “And you must be Durin.”

 

“Ah, so Elrond has told you about me,” Durin replied gruffly. “I’m surprised since he’s told me nearly fuck all about you, lover boy…”

 

Elrond bit back a laugh, and the surrounding bouncers looked astounded. Clearly no one had ever referred to the mob boss as ‘lover boy’ before.

 

Adar’s lips quirked into a momentary smile. “Sorry to disappoint you, but Elrond hasn’t been particularly forthcoming about your friendship. However, I took it upon myself to do some research of my own.”

 

Durin glanced at the hand encircling Elrond’s arm, and his expression soured. “That makes two of us then…well, three of us technically…my wife has probably found your blood type and baptismal records by now. She can be quite the tenacious detective when she sets her mind to it.”

 

The mobster’s smile turned into a frown. “Can she now?”

 

“What are you doing here, Durin?” Elrond asked, desperate to shift focus. The last thing he wanted was for Adar to perceive his friends as a threat.

 

“Disa and I started to worry when you never texted that you got home,” Durin explained. “We tried calling, and when you didn’t answer, I decided I’d better come down here to check on you…”

 

The redhead’s eyes honed in on Elrond’s abdomen, immediately noticing the bloodstains and bandages. Elrond steeled himself as Durin scowled at Adar.

 

So much for avoiding attention…

 

“Is that blood ?” Durin growled. 

 

“Perhaps it is best we continue this conversation in private,” Adar advised, meeting the shorter man’s glare without fear. “Why don’t we step into the security office?”

 

Durin started to protest, but Elrond gave him a pleading look. “Fine, but just you, me, and Elrond. Tell your thugs to wait outside.”

 

The mob boss frowned then nodded in assent, giving his men the order to remain with a curt gesture. Glûg looked startled when the door to the security office swung open, eyes wide in the glow of countless video feeds.

 

“Get the fuck out,” Adar barked. Glûg leapt to obey, and the relentless pounding music became a faint rumble as the door to the corridor clicked shut in his wake.

 

Adar relinquished his grip on Elrond, and Durin immediately lunged forward to inspect his friend’s injury. 

 

“What happened? Did this shady bastard put his hands on you?” 

 

To Elrond’s surprise, Adar took this accusation in stride. “I may be a shady bastard, but I would never harm Elrond.”

 

Elrond gave his friend a reassuring look. “I’m fine, Durin. It is only a minor injury, and not one of Adar’s making.”

 

“That’s a lot of blood for a minor injury,” Durin retorted, gesturing to the red stain on Elrond’s torn shirt.

 

“The knife barely broke skin,” Elrond lied. “And Adar made sure to tend my wound as soon as it was safe to do so.”

 

His friend’s eyes widened. “Care to explain how you ended up on the wrong end of a knife?”

 

Elrond glanced at Adar, uncertain how much to disclose. The older man’s expression remained indecipherable. 

 

“I got kidnapped by another syndicate after I left your house,” he confessed, hastily continuing before Durin could interject. “ But Adar came to my rescue before my captors could inflict any serious harm.”

 

His friend glanced down at the wound, brow furrowing. After a moment of tense silence, he turned to look at Adar, and his suspicious glare lost some of its edge. “Is this true?”

 

Adar leaned against the wall, brooding as he held the shorter man’s gaze. “Yes.”

 

Durin studied the mobster for a moment before grunting another question. “You took care of the bastards that put Elrond in danger?”

 

A morbid understanding passed between the two men, and Adar gave a nod. 

 

Durin eyed the mob boss with reluctant respect. “Good. This boyfriend of yours can be a little too kindhearted sometimes, and he needs someone who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.”

 

Adar moved to stand behind Elrond, hands latching onto his hips and pulling him back into a protective embrace. “I’m always willing to get my hands dirty on Elrond’s behalf…”

 

The younger man blushed at this suggestive statement, and he caught a glimpse of a smile on Adar’s stern face. 

 

“And while I cannot keep Elrond out of danger entirely…trouble always seems to follow him as you probably know…but I promise that I will do everything I can to protect him from harm.”

 

Elrond tilted his head back to look up at his lover, and to his surprise, Adar leaned down to bestow a kiss upon his forehead. The chaste brush of lips was unexpectedly endearing.

 

Durin watched this tender exchange in silence. After a moment, he cleared his throat to break the spell between Elrond and his protector. 

 

“See that you do.” He straightened up and started toward the door with a shrug. “And if any harm does come to Elrond, my wife and I will be paying this little establishment of yours a visit…and Disa won’t be nearly as understanding as I am.”

 

Adar glanced down at Elrond, one eyebrow lifting in a silent inquiry.

 

“Seriously, don’t fuck with Disa,” he whispered up at the older man. “Nicest woman you’ll ever meet…and truly terrifying if you cross her.”

 

“I see…” Adar mused.

 

“Well, I best be taking my leave,” Durin said. “I’ll inform Disa that you’re safe and sound, but she’ll probably call you first thing in the morning just to make sure.”

 

Elrond chuckled. “Tell Disa I’ll call her. I’m afraid my phone is still missing after the kidnapping.”

 

“Of course it is.” Durin shook his head in disbelief. “But I’m sure this rich bastard will buy you a new one soon enough.”

 

“ Goodnight , Durin,” Elrond interjected before his friend could embarrass him further.

 

“Yeah…yeah…goodnight.” Durin gave a dismissive wave then stepped out into the corridor.

 

Elrond felt his body go slack as the door shut behind his friend, and he ran a hand through his hair to dispel his nerves. “Sorry, Durin can be a bit much…but he means well.”

 

“Rather hot tempered,” Adar agreed. “But he came here to protect you…a move that I respect.”

 

“Perhaps we could invite him and Disa over for dinner sometime,” Elrond suggested. “Give you a chance to get to know my friends under better circumstances.”

 

Adar’s smile was soft and genuine. “I’d like that.”

 

“You would?” Elrond couldn’t mask the uncertainty in his voice, and Adar reached out to caress his face.

 

“They’re important to you,” he replied gently. “Of course I want to get to know them better. Besides, if I want to avoid the wrath of this fearsome Disa, I should try to get in her good graces as soon as possible.”

 

Elrond let out a shaky laugh. “A wise strategy indeed…”

 

***

 

The fire burning inside Adar had lost some of its heat after Durin’s departure, but the embers had not cooled entirely. His anger and fear would not be quelled until he knew Elrond was truly safe which meant he needed to get him somewhere safe as soon as possible. 

 

The younger man was less reluctant when Adar took him by the arm and led him back out into the corridor, moving toward the stairs that led away from the vibrant nightclub and up to his private stronghold.

 

“Increase the perimeter patrols until dawn,” Adar told Magrot as he swept past with his prize in tow. “I doubt The Southlands will retaliate tonight, but I’m not taking any chances.”

 

His second in command followed them to the private entrance. “I’ll double the security, boss.”

 

“Elrond and I have much to discuss.” Adar paused at the base of the stairs to utter this cryptic statement, and Elrond blushed, anxious and intrigued as the mobster continued. “We are not to be disturbed for the rest of the night.”

 

Magrot eyed the two of them with grim understanding then retreated with a deferential nod. Adar began his ascent, impatient to get Elrond alone. The younger man struggled to keep up with his brisk pace, and when Adar scooped him into his arms, his brat let out an irritated huff. 

 

“Are you seriously carrying me to the bedroom like some sort of caveman?”

 

“You’ve been through a lot tonight,” Adar said calmly. “And I thought perhaps you might be tired.”

 

As always, Elrond was far too captivating when he glared up at the mob boss. “I am not quite so tired that I cannot manage a flight of stairs.”

 

“I am pleased to hear it,” Adar replied. “But you’re going to need that energy when we reach our destination…and I’d rather you not waste it on climbing stairs.”

 

The younger man’s anger was undermined by his flustered expression, and whatever argument was poised on the tip of his tongue vanished in an instant.

 

“Why is it you ignore the rules I put in place to protect your life…and yet you’re so eager to behave when there’s a chance I might fuck you?” the older man mused, reaching the top of the stairs and heading down the hallway.

 

“Only a chance?” Elrond teased. “I thought the infamous Lord of Mordor always made good on his threats.”

 

His rosy lips formed a tempting pout. Adar knew he should resent the blatant attempt at manipulation, but he was too aroused to care. 

 

“I believe I told you that you would be punished once we got home,” the mobster replied. “I never promised I would fuck you, brat.”

 

Elrond’s pout drooped into a frown. “But I–”

 

Adar set his stubborn songbird back on the ground as they reached the bedroom door, and he glared down at his lover, hand poised on the doorknob. “Tonight, I am going to remind you who is really in charge, El. I will be the one calling the shots, and if you want to prove that you learned from your earlier mistake, you will obey my commands and take whatever punishment I deem necessary. Have I made myself clear?”

 

Elrond’s gray eyes were wide with shock. This harsh order lacked the usual playfulness of their dynamic, and the younger man seemed to sense that this was not a game. “Yes, Daddy.”

 

“Good.” Adar swung the door open and gestured toward the threshold. “Now get inside…unless you’d rather I take you back downstairs and teach you the error of your ways in front of my men?”

 

The defiant beauty’s face turned an enticing shade of pink, and Adar filed this reaction away as something to decipher at a later date. He had long suspected his brat was a bit of an exhibitionist, but he wasn’t in the mood for an audience tonight.

 

After a moment, Elrond seemed to regain his composure, breezing past Adar and into the bedroom. The mobster followed him inside then turned to lock the door. He felt a wave of relief as the deadbolt clicked into place. His songbird was back in his cage, slightly battered but safe at last.

 

Elrond was already peeling off clothes by the time Adar turned around, pale shoulders coming into view as the jacket and bloodstained shirt fell to the floor. The older man was tempted to kiss the freckles dotting his lover’s exposed shoulder blades, but he resisted the urge.

 

“Did I tell you to take your clothes off, brat?”

 

Elrond stilled, head tilting as he cast a glance over his shoulder. “I wasn’t aware that undressing required your permission, Daddy. Am I allowed to breathe or do I need your permission for that as well?”

 

Adar’s jaw clenched. He should have expected this from Elrond. His obstinate lover was testing boundaries already. “Breathing is permitted. However, when I want you naked, I will undress you myself.”

 

There was a rebellious gleam in Elrond’s eyes, but he gave a resigned sigh and bent down to retrieve the discarded garments.

 

“Leave those,” Adar barked. “No sense in covering up what has already been revealed.”

 

Elrond let out another irritated huff but stood upright, keeping his back toward the older man. Adar eased toward him, admiring the younger man’s lean frame. The muscles in Elrond’s back tensed as the mobster drew near, but Adar took his time, knowing the anticipation was driving him mad.

 

“Enjoying the view?” his brat inquired after several moments of silence.

 

“Immensely…” Adar confessed as he circled around Elrond, letting his gaze scrape down the other man’s body with blatant desire. 

 

Elrond tried in vain to hide how much this praise affected him, but the telltale dusting of pink on his cheeks revealed the truth. His chin tilted up in a silent challenge as Adar closed the distance between them. “Is this how you plan to punish me? Keeping me in suspense while you leer at me like a creep.”

 

“If I recall,” Adar purred, fingers unfastening the buckle at Elrond’s waist. “You didn’t seem to mind me leering at you the night we met…”

 

The younger man remained silent as Adar tugged the belt through the loops of his trousers, tossing it aside without hesitation. 

 

“...in fact…” the older man continued, working the button fly open and slowly pulling down the zipper. “...I think you found my leering flattering enough that you stumbled into my bed and never left…my needy little attention whore…”

 

Elrond’s pupils dilated as Adar spoke this degrading epithet. “Can you blame me for never leaving? It is a very comfortable bed.”

 

Adar’s fingers slid under the waistband, and he slowly knelt, dragging Elrond’s trousers down with him. “Is that the only reason you stayed? The quality of my mattress?”

 

The younger man’s lips curled into a playful smile. “I must confess there have been other perks to sharing your bed…”

 

“What other perks?” Adar inquired once he had divested Elrond of everything but his underwear and the watch encircling his thin wrist. “Enlighten me.”

 

Another flash of defiance crossed Elrond’s face as he looked down at the man kneeling before him. “Is that an order, Daddy?”

 

The older man’s hand slid up Elrond’s thigh, palming him through his underwear. The younger man let out a ragged moan, and Adar felt Elrond’s cock harden in his grasp. “Answer the question, brat.”

 

“I stayed because you fucked me so thoroughly that first night I knew no one else would ever compare…” Elrond’s hand latched onto Adar’s shoulder, steadying himself as he panted this confession. “...and also because I could barely walk the next day…”

 

Adar smiled up at his lover triumphantly, withdrawing his hand and rising to his feet. 

 

“Is that all it takes to keep you from running headfirst into trouble, Elrond?” 

 

His fingers tangled in Elrond’s hair, pulling wild curls taut as he nuzzled into the curve of his throat.

 

“If so, I will gladly fuck you hard enough to ensure you are bedridden for the foreseeable future.”

 

Elrond trembled as Adar’s tongue dragged along his collarbone, smearing the blood and sweat that coated the younger man’s skin.

 

“I should probably shower,” Elrond murmured breathlessly. “I’m absolutely filthy.”

 

Adar’s hand grabbed onto the younger man’s slender waist before he could escape. His voice came out in a low rumble. “No.”

 

He could sense Elrond’s trepidation as he issued this firm command, but his lover did not resist when the mobster drew him back into his embrace.

 

“You could join me,” Elrond suggested cautiously. “Help wash off all this blood before you have your way with me…”

 

Adar’s mouth retreated from Elrond’s throat, but his grasp on the younger man remained firm.

 

“I want to see his blood on you. I want to taste it on your skin while I fuck some sense into my stubborn brat.”

 

Horror and arousal mingled on Elrond’s fair face when Adar spoke this dark confession. His gaze was drawn to the mobster’s mouth, his lips undoubtedly stained red with the evidence of Kemen’s death.

 

“You made quite the mess tonight, little songbird,” Adar rasped, hand wrapping around the back of Elrond’s neck as he drew him in for a kiss. “And now you’re gonna lie in it…”

 

The younger man let out a whimper when Adar’s mouth collided with his, but his lips immediately parted, allowing the older man’s tongue to plunge into his mouth. However intractable Elrond might be, he was quite pliable now, clinging to Adar like a man lost in a tempest.

 

Another strangled moan caught in Elrond’s throat as Adar’s teeth snagged on his lower lip. His hips rolled reflexively, grinding his erection against the older man’s thigh in desperate pursuit of friction. Suddenly, Elrond’s knees buckled, and Adar felt a twinge of panic as the other man went slack in his embrace.

 

“Are you alright?” He hastily broke the kiss, stepping back to study the bandages around the younger man’s torso. “Did I bump your wound?”

 

“No,” Elrond told him, voice unsteady despite his reassuring smile. “It’s just…I lost quite a bit of blood earlier, and I’m afraid the blood I retained has descended to one particular appendage…which has left me a bit lightheaded.”

 

Adar inwardly chastised himself for not considering the effects of blood loss. He had been too preoccupied by fear and lust to properly care for his injured lover, but he was determined to make up for that oversight. 

 

Elrond let out a beleaguered sigh as the older man scooped him up once more and carried him toward the bed. “Once again, the bed is only a few feet away…I could have walked.”

 

Adar ignored the younger man’s protests, depositing him on the edge of the mattress. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

 

Elrond must have been more tired than he was letting on because he complied without a snarky retort. Adar retrieved a bottle of water and a protein bar from a dresser drawer. He always kept a stash of food in his quarters, a habit that lingered long after the threat of poverty had waned. For once he was grateful that he hadn’t given up this particular practice.

 

“Eat and drink,” he said as he offered Elrond this meager sustenance. “You need to hydrate and replenish.”

 

Despite his obvious fatigue, there was a hint of mischief to Elrond’s grateful smile. “Is that an order, Daddy?”

 

Adar grappled with conflicting urges as his lover’s pretty face looked up at him. His need to care for Elrond was tangled up with baser desires. He would gladly attend to all of Elrond’s needs if the younger man would let him.

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

Elrond looked like he was tempted to argue, but he reluctantly lifted the bottle of water to his lips, taking a few experimental sips. Adar sat beside him on the bed, watching patiently as the other man nibbled on the protein bar.

 

“Sorry,” Elrond muttered after a few minutes of quiet consumption. “I didn’t mean to ruin the mood like this.”

 

Adar’s brow furrowed at this apology. “Your wellbeing is more important than the mood, El. I know our arrangement has mostly revolved around the bedroom until now, but I want more than sex from you.”

 

Elrond eyed him skeptically as he took another swig of water. Some color had returned to his pale face. “I thought you wanted to keep your business and your personal life separate?”

 

It was the mobster’s turn to sigh. “It’s a little too late for that now. I thought I could protect you by keeping you in the dark, but this kidnapping proved just how foolish that plan was.”

 

The younger man set aside the empty bottle and wrapper and reached out to take Adar’s hand.

 

“Perhaps there is a silver lining to this situation. Before tonight Mordor was just a minor syndicate…but with Kemen out of the way, you could claim The Southlands territory for your own. If you let me help you, we could leverage his death to increase Mordor’s power.”

 

Adar shook his head in disbelief. “I’m not letting you get involved in this business, El. I don’t think you realize the danger you were in tonight. If I hadn’t arrived when I did, Kemen might have killed you.”

 

Elrond squeezed his hand, soft gray eyes somehow sharp as he met Adar’s gaze. “I am not as naive as you think, Adar. I spent much of my childhood surrounded by dangerous men, and I know a true killer when I see one. Kemen could barely figure out how to hold a gun.”

 

Adar lifted the younger man’s hand up to his mouth, lips pressing a kiss into his palm. 

 

“Kemen’s ambition was undeniable,” Elrond continued. “But he wasn’t clever enough to realize the repercussions of his actions.”

 

He gently pushed the older man down onto the bed, moving to straddle him with a sultry smile. 

 

“Any experienced mob boss would understand there are certain lines you do not cross…and everyone knows you don’t fuck with another mobster’s loved ones, especially a civilian.”

 

Adar glanced at his lover’s injury, protective instincts flaring once more. “True…”

 

“I knew Kemen wasn’t a real threat as soon as I met him,” Elrond stated calmly. He leaned forward, thighs clenching Adar’s waist. The slight pressure was intoxicating, and his hands wrapped around the younger man’s hip bones, anchoring their bodies together.

 

“Seeing the two of us together planted the seed in his mind…and now his failed attempt to grasp for more power has worked in your favor.”

 

Once again, Elrond’s ruthless tone awakened a fierce yearning in Adar. The cunning beauty looked down at him, innocent smile not quite reaching his eyes. A strange suspicion began to pierce through the lust clouding the mobster’s thoughts.

 

“Wait,” Adar rasped, mind reeling as clarity struck. “You didn’t ditch your guards just so you could visit your friends. You were using yourself as bait… ”

 

Elrond’s teeth dug into his lower lip, and he gave a coy shrug. The older man let out a growl, flipping his brat onto his back. Elrond looked far too pleased with himself as Adar pinned him to the mattress.

 

“You intentionally put yourself in danger because you wanted Kemen to kidnap you,” Adar snarled. “Why the fuck would you do something so fucking stupid?”

 

“You should be thanking me.” Elrond writhed beneath him, his triumphant expression hardening into one of defiance. “I gave you the perfect excuse to eliminate a rival syndicate.”

 

“Do you honestly believe that I would gamble with your life on the slim chance it might gain me a little more power?” Adar’s careful control had started to crack, his voice ragged at the thought of losing the beautiful, reckless man beneath him.

 

“Sometimes you have to take risks to reap the benefits.” Elrond looked confused by his lover’s reaction. “I saw this as my chance to prove that I’m more than just a pretty accessory in your life, Adar. I wanted to show you that I can help you with the business. I thought–”

 

“I don’t give a damn about the business!” Adar snapped. “Your life is more important than that.”

 

The younger man fell silent, stunned by the mobster’s outburst. 

 

“When I learned about your disappearance, do you know what my first reaction was?” Adar inquired.

 

“Anger?” Elrond murmured tentatively.

 

Adar shook his head as he tried to fight his own emotions. “It wasn’t anger that I felt in that moment, El…it was fear . I was afraid that I might lose you, and I knew I would never forgive myself if you died before I could tell you…”

 

Elrond reached up to wipe the tears forming in the corners of Adar’s eyes. His expression was baffled and concerned. “Tell me what?”

 

Adar pressed a palm to Elrond’s face, thumb caressing the bruise left by his fallen enemy. Even in his fragile state, there was an understated strength to the younger man. His beauty moved Adar in ways he hadn’t fully understood until this moment. Finally, the jaded mobster took a deep breath and let the confession spill from his lips.

 

“I love you, Elrond.”

 

***

 

I'm buildin' legacies (I'm not mad)

But I like makin' enemies (call me a brat)

Between you and me

I stopped listenin', blame it on conditionin', call me a-

 

***

 

“I love you, Elrond.”

 

Stunned silence followed this sudden confession.

 

Elrond looked up at Adar, his pulse skipping a beat as those fateful words etched themselves on his heart. When Elrond did not speak, the older man seemed to take this as a rejection, and he started to withdraw, a fleeting glimpse of pain visible as his armor slid back into place.

 

Elrond immediately realized his mistake, and his hands seized the front of Adar’s shirt before he could retreat entirely. 

 

The mobster glanced down at the fingers grasping his bloodsoaked attire. He seemed unwilling to meet Elrond’s gaze, and this uncharacteristic timidity was gutwrenching.

 

“I understand that you may not feel the same w–”

 

Elrond cut him off with a kiss, pulling the older man’s mouth down to meet his own in a desperate collision. Adar stiffened at this abrupt contact, but he soon melted into Elrond’s embrace, a low moan rumbling in his throat as he pressed the younger man down into the mattress.

 

“Are you daft?” Elrond gasped between frenzied kisses. “Of course I feel the same. I love you, Adar.”

 

The genuine surprise on the other man’s face made his heart ache. 

 

“I have for a while now. I was just too afraid to tell you because I thought…”

 

Elrond hesitated, feeling vulnerable and giddy as Adar peppered his jaw with kisses. 

 

“I thought you didn’t want anything serious with me. The sex has always been phenomenal, but you never seemed to want more from me. I was afraid if I demanded more from you…you might discard me. I was a welcome distraction but ultimately disposable…”

 

“What a pair of fools we make…” Adar pulled back so he could meet the younger man’s shining eyes. “I thought there was no possible way a man of your youth and beauty would want a grumpy old gangster like me, and I was just grateful to have you share my bed until you found someone more deserving to claim your heart.”

 

Elrond rose up, pressing his lips to the scar that ran along the side of his lover’s face. Adar’s breath hitched at the delicate touch. His pupils were blown wide when Elrond fell back upon the mattress, mussed hair framing his smiling face.

 

“The truth is I fell in love with you the night we met,” Adar murmured, reaching down to push some of those errant curls aside. “I knew I had to make you mine the moment you stole that cigarette right out of my mouth. The audacity of it made me want to bend you over the railing and fuck you right then and there…”

 

The younger man chuckled. The sound drew the mobster’s hungry gaze to his lips. “I’d be more than willing to reenact that moment if you’d like to carry out that particular fantasy…”

 

“Don’t tempt me, brat,” Adar growled.

 

Elrond smirked up at him, arching his back in a shameless display. “Is that an order, Daddy ?”

 

The older man rolled his hips, and Elrond could feel every inch of his lover’s impressive length harden between them. “Fuck, you drive me crazy, El…”

 

A sultry laugh spilled from Elrond’s lips. “And you love me for it.”

 

“I do.” Adar returned his smile. “I love you so much.”

 

“You love me.” Elrond felt those words deep within, a warmth that had nothing to do with lust kindling in his heart. “And I love you.”

 

“You love me…” Adar echoed this statement back to him. His voice was breathless and tinged with disbelief, and when he leaned down to capture Elrond’s lips with his own, the kiss was staggeringly tender.

 

A strangled moan caught in Elrond’s throat as Adar’s hands began to explore his body. His touch was a tantalizing contrast to his usual bedroom demeanor, soft and reverent instead of rough and possessive. Still, beneath this unprecedented gentleness, Adar’s hunger remained.

 

“If that is true,” the older man rasped, eyes dark as his lips withdrew from Elrond’s mouth. “Then I need you to promise that you will not put the man I love in danger like you did today. Promise me you will not risk your life for the sake of power ever again, El.”

 

Guilt wracked Elrond as he looked up at the mobster. Adar’s long dark hair surrounded them like a curtain, isolating the two of them from the complicated world beyond. Confronted by the true depth of his lover’s pain, Elrond realized how selfish he had been. Adar’s earlier words still haunted him. Elrond hadn’t considered the consequences his actions would have on others, most of all on the man he loved.

 

“I’m sorry,” he told Adar. “I let my ambitions get the better of me, but I promise I will never intentionally endanger myself again.”

 

He felt the older man relax above him, relieved by this vow.

 

“But if this is going to be a real relationship,” Elrond continued. “No more hiding me away like a dirty secret. If you want me in your life as your partner, then you can’t shut me out when it's convenient…relegating me to the bedroom when you have more important matters to address.”

 

Adar studied him for a moment then relented. “I promise you will be my partner in all things, El. I thought I was protecting you, but I realize now that I was selfish and scared.”

 

Elrond’s palm came to rest on the mobster’s scarred cheek. Adar’s eyes fluttered shut as he savored this touch. When his gaze met Elrond’s once more, his expression was one of determination.

 

“You will be a secret no longer,” Adar purred, his hands cradling Elrond’s face. “I want all the world to know that Elrond Peredhel belongs to me …and I will personally inform all the syndicates that anyone who threatens my songbird will pay with their life.”

 

Arousal tightened like a knot in Elrond’s gut, his cock throbbing with sudden want. He could still see flecks of his kidnappers' blood on Adar’s face. This gruesome realization should have disturbed the prone beauty, but it awakened dark desires instead. 

 

“Does this mean you forgive me, Daddy?” he inquired, lips curling into an enthralling smile.

 

A moan rattled in Adar’s throat, a dangerous sound that had the younger man shuddering in anticipation.

 

“If you think your apology will convince me to spare you from punishment, you are sorely mistaken, brat.” 

 

Elrond arched his back, his aching cock brushing against the older man’s erection. The layers of fabric between them felt paper thin. “When have I ever asked you to spare me from punishment?”

 

The mobster’s jaw clenched at the agonizing friction, and his hands wrapped around Elrond’s wrists, pinning the younger man’s hands to the mattress as he reasserted control. 

 

“What’s your safe word?” he snarled.

 

Elrond made a half-hearted attempt to break free of his grasp. “Alfirin.”

 

“Good boy…”

 

The wild, possessive look on the mobster’s face provoked an urgent erotic need within Elrond. The expression was reminiscent of the stormy glare that had preceded Kemen’s death. That moment should have horrified Elrond, but it had only deepened his desire for the man. He knew Adar would not hesitate to pull the trigger on his behalf again.

 

“Normally I enjoy corporal punishment,” the younger man said, remembering the wound on his side. “But I’m not sure my body has recovered enough to endure much pain tonight…”

 

Adar chuckled, and the low vibration rippled across Elrond’s skin. “Don’t worry, little songbird. I am perfectly capable of disciplining you without violence.”

 

Elrond’s brow creased in confusion, but before he could inquire further, Adar was sliding his underwear down his legs, baring the younger man’s body completely. Elrond’s cock sprang free, rigid and aching from neglect. Adar looked down at his erection with lewd reverence but withheld his touch. This intentional refusal just increased Elrond’s desperation, but he knew better than to beg. Adar did not like to be rushed.

 

“Enjoying the view again?” the younger man teased.

 

Adar’s smile was a sordid promise. “Why don’t we enjoy the view together? I want you to see just how beautiful you are when I get you all worked up…”

 

Elrond didn’t quite understand this suggestion until Adar hoisted him off the bed and into his lap. The flustered beauty was confronted by his own reflection as Adar moved to the edge of the mattress, positioning Elrond to face a large mirror mounted on the wall. 

 

“Look at you,” Adar whispered, his breath caressing the shell of Elrond’s ear. “You’re exquisite…”

 

Elrond instinctively began to deny this praise, but he had to admit there was something bewitching about the sight before him. His pale body looked stark against Adar’s dark form, and he realized that while he was completely naked, his lover was still fully clothed. Elrond was so vulnerable in this moment, cheeks flushed and legs spread wide. His eye was immediately drawn to his own engorged cock, a glistening bead of precum dripping from the tip.

 

“Fuck…” Elrond cursed under his breath when he caught sight of Adar’s face in the mirror. The ravenous glint in his lover’s eyes was enough to drive him wild. He knew that whatever punishment the mobster had planned would be absolute torture followed by absolute bliss.

 

Adar took hold of Elrond’s wrists, pinning the younger man’s hands behind his back. “Since I know you require explicit instructions, let me make this as clear as possible.”

 

As sapphire crystal dug into his spine, Elrond realized the watch was still upon his wrist. Evidently, Adar didn’t trust him enough to remove the tracking device, but if the older man still needed reassurance in the form of that particular accessory, Elrond would permit it for now.

 

The feeling of Adar’s firm hands grasping his arms stirred a strange heat in Elrond’s gut, and he let his head fall back against the mobster’s shoulder, surrendering without a fight for once.

 

“You are not permitted to touch,” Adar continued. “That rule applies to my body as well as your own.”

 

Adar’s other hand slid up Elrond’s spine, and possessive fingers grasped the curls at the back of his neck, forcing the younger man to face the mirror once more. The sharp tug on his scalp had Elrond gasping.

 

“Don’t take your eyes off that mirror,” the older man commanded. “I want you to watch as I worship your perfection…want you to witness how your body responds to my touch…and perhaps then you will truly understand that you belong to me and me alone, brat .”

 

Elrond eagerly obeyed, hypnotized as Adar’s tongue swept across his taut skin. Blood and saliva left a crimson trail along the slope of his shoulder, and the morbid sight had his cock twitching.

 

“I’m curious,” the mobster purred into his lover’s bloodstained flesh. “You seem quite comfortable with a gun in your hand, but have you ever witnessed a murder before, songbird?”

 

Elrond squirmed as teeth teased his throat. The mixture of pain and pleasure was a much needed distraction as he answered this troubling question. “Unfortunately I have seen my fair share of death.”

 

One of Adar’s eyebrows lifted, intrigued. “And have you ever taken a life yourself?”

 

Elrond could feel the older man’s cock beneath him, and he rolled his hips, hoping the friction might entice the mobster into further exploration. He caught a glimpse of Adar’s smirk in the mirror. His lover would not be so easily baited.

 

“I have not,” Elrond confessed breathlessly. “I have wounded men in self-defense before, but I have never killed anyone.”

 

Adar’s grip on his wrists slackened, and his hand snaked downward to caress the younger man’s thigh. “And yet… you have been the indirect cause of several murders in our short time together, my love.”

 

Elrond always harbored suspicions, but hearing the mob boss confirm them out loud was unsettling. “How many?”

 

Adar let out a low hum, lips pressed to the younger man’s shoulder blade as he considered his answer.

 

“How many men have you killed for me, Daddy?” Elrond repeated the question, gaze fixed on the blue eyes watching him in the mirror.

 

“Tonight? At least half a dozen…although Lurka and Damrod took out far more guards than I did,” the mob boss replied with a hint of mischief. “Or were you wanting to know how many have perished at my behest since you first stumbled into my bed?”

 

Elrond knew he should be disturbed by the question, but carnal urges overshadowed this moral dilemma. Adar’s fingers dug into his inner thigh hard enough to bruise, tantalizingly close to the younger man’s erection. Just near enough to drive Elrond mad.

 

“Adar, please…” He knew he sounded pathetic, but he was too desperate to care.

 

“Answer the question, El.” The expression on Adar’s face was intoxicatingly ruthless. “Do you want to know how many men I have killed to stake my claim and protect the man I love?”

 

Elrond bit back a moan. His lover’s adoration was a strange and potent aphrodisiac that he could not resist. “Yes.”

 

“I’m afraid I’ve had to deal with quite a few of your unwanted admirers, my songbird,” Adar told him darkly. “Your beauty draws more attention than you realize.”

 

“You think every man that even glances my way is a threat,” Elrond countered, breathless as the other man squeezed his thigh. “And you still haven’t answered the question.”

 

Adar’s smile was wicked. “Perhaps you'd like to venture a guess? Choose correctly, and you’ll be rewarded.”

 

Elrond tried in vain to remember all the men that had drawn his protector's ire in the past several months. There was no telling what minor interactions might have triggered Adar’s jealousy–a bartender acting just a little too friendly…a drunk dancing just a little too near…a guard watching just a little too closely.

 

In the end, he offered up a rather conservative estimate. “Ten?”

 

Adar gave his hair another tug. “Is that your final answer, brat…or would you like to make a real guess?”

 

Elrond whimpered, fearful and aroused by the older man’s intensity. It was difficult to focus when all he could think about was the fingers ascending his leg. “Sixteen.”

 

“Oh Elrond,” Adar murmured. “I fear you have underestimated just how territorial I can be…”

 

The younger man let out a groan of frustration as Adar’s hand receded, denying him what he desired most. “No, please…”

 

“Sorry, my love,” the mobster replied. “Wrong answers don’t get rewarded.”

 

Elrond felt a flash of rebellion rising within him, and he met his lover’s gaze with a defiant glare. “Well, just how many murders have you committed on my behalf, Adar? If you must deny me my reward, then you should at least give me a straight answer.”

 

A shadow passed over the mob boss’s face, and for a moment, it felt as if he was peering into Elrond’s very soul. Adar’s voice simmered with danger as he uttered his reply. “Twenty-three.”

 

This number was startling. Elrond had been truly oblivious if so many people had disappeared during his time in Adar’s realm. Part of him was horrified to discover just how much death his lover had wrought, but another part of him reveled in the mobster’s dark, possessive desire.

 

“Aren’t you going to thank me?” Adar rasped into the crook of his neck. His lips were a troubling shade of scarlet. “For protecting you from the unworthy? For reminding anyone who might dare to touch you that the Lord of Mordor himself has claimed your body and your heart?”

 

The smell of sweat and blood permeated the air, salt and iron mingling like a macabre perfume. 

 

“You want me to thank you for committing cold blooded murder?” 

 

Elrond let out a shuddering gasp as Adar’s fingers wrapped around his cock. The sudden contact was overwhelming, and he bucked up into the other man’s hand reflexively.

 

“You didn’t seem to mind when I put a bullet into the back of Kemen’s skull.” Adar began to slowly stroke Elrond’s hard length. “It seems a bit late for a moral quandary now, my love…”

 

The younger man’s focus was torn between the reflection of the agile hand between his thighs and the cruel seductive smile on the mobster’s face. “I didn’t know…about the others.”

 

“Perhaps you didn’t know about all those deaths, but you must have suspected a few of them at least.” Adar’s pace increased ever so slightly. “And those suspicions never drove you from my bed, did they?”

 

Elrond could feel pressure steadily rising, Adar’s dark accusations and firm touch stoking an ember into a fiery blaze. 

 

“In fact, I think tonight revealed a truth you have long been denying…” Adar continued. “Kemen’s death turned you on, didn’t it, Elrond?”

 

The younger man shook his head, biting his tongue. He could feel an orgasm drawing near despite his lover’s depraved question.

 

“Does it arouse you knowing that you love a monster?” Adar asked, voice unsteady even as his hand kept its rhythm. “Knowing that I will always protect you…that I will not hesitate to kill for you?”

 

“Yes!” Elrond keened when Adar’s other hand wrapped around his throat. “I wanted you to fuck me right there on the bloody concrete as soon as you pulled the trigger.”

 

This confession elicited another growl from his lover. “I wish I had. I should have fucked you right next to his fucking corpse…bet your voice would have echoed so loud in that fucking warehouse that the whole neighborhood would hear you screaming my name.”

 

“Fuck, Adar…” Elrond thrust into the mobster’s grasp, drunk on his lover’s words. “I think I’m gonna come.”

 

Adar’s hand suddenly withdrew, and the loss of his touch was so jarring it made Elrond dizzy. 

 

“What? Why did you stop?”

 

Adar showed no sign of remorse. “Did you forget this was a punishment, brat? You don’t get to come until I feel you’ve learned your lesson.”

 

This revelation provoked intense anger and arousal simultaneously. 

 

“You’re such a bastard,” Elrond snapped. His jaw tilted up in defiance, but Adar’s hand remained around his neck, holding him firmly in place. 

 

“Careful with that sharp tongue of yours…” the older man warned. “You swore you would obey my orders and take whatever punishment I deemed necessary.”

 

‘I didn’t promise that I would be polite about it,” Elrond countered. “And you’ve never complained when I put my sharp tongue to use in the past, Daddy.”

 

Adar’s hand wrapped around the younger man’s cock once more, silencing the stubborn beauty with a gentle squeeze. “I promise you will get a chance to demonstrate just how skilled that mouth of yours can be, but not until I permit it.”

 

Elrond leaned back against his lover, too weary to put up a fight as deft strokes brought him to the edge of another climax then stopped short. Somehow Adar seemed to sense when he was about to come, and each time his hand would withdraw, leaving Elrond more frustrated and aroused as the ritual repeated.

 

Finally when he could endure this no longer, Elrond cried out in dismay. “Please, let me come!”

 

Adar’s expression was one of lewd triumph. “Look at you…so beautiful when you’re all worked up like this.”

 

Elrond studied the reflection before him, mesmerized by the mobster’s shameless adoration. His neck and shoulders were smeared red, curly hair damp with sweat and clinging to his neck. There was something liberating about seeing himself so thoroughly debauched, and any resentment he felt at his lover’s strict tactics vanished when confronted by the heat of Adar’s gaze.

 

“Please…” Elrond hated the pleading tone of his voice, but he was too far gone to pretend otherwise. “If you will not let me come or touch myself…at least let me touch you instead. Let me properly thank you for rescuing me earlier tonight.”

 

He watched a struggle unfold on Adar’s stoic face. The mobster seemed conflicted about whether to prolong this torture or capitulate to Elrond’s desire, but the hard length nestled beneath the younger man suggested that Adar was just as frustrated as he was.

 

“What did you have in mind, brat?” 

 

Evidently Elrond’s offer was too tempting to resist. 

 

The younger man smiled then slid out of Adar’s lap. He watched the mobster’s tongue sweep across his lower lip, mouth smudged red as Elrond turned to face him and dropped to his knees.

 

“Can I use my sharp tongue to show you just how grateful I am, Daddy?”

 

Adar’s gaze darkened, his fingers already moving toward his belt buckle as he uttered his hungry reply. “Open your mouth, brat…”

 

***

 

B-R-A-T, B-R-A-T

Your jealousy looks good on me

B-R-A-T, B-R-A-T

Your jealousy motivates me

 

***

 

Adar was far too aroused by the blood spattered on Elrond’s face. The younger man always looked delectable on his knees, rosy lips wrapped around the mobster’s cock, but there was something deeply compelling about all that gore on his fair face. Death and desire painted on the same beautiful canvas.

 

Elrond seemed to intuit the older man’s dark thoughts, and with a skillful stroke of his tongue, he dislodged the ragged moan caught in Adar’s throat. Despite his subservient position, they both knew who held all the power in this moment. His songbird was not the helpless creature he pretended to be.

 

“Fuck, I’ll probably be at war with Númenor by morning, but I would kill Pharazôn’s son all over again just to see you like this,” Adar muttered through clenched teeth. 

 

There was a ruthless flash in Elrond’s gray eyes as the mobster’s fingers tangled in his curly hair. He hummed around his lover’s cock, and Adar’s knees nearly buckled from the vibration.

 

“My pretty little mess…”

 

Adar’s hips thrust forward to work himself deeper down Elrond’s throat, but he knew he must proceed with caution. His desire had also been building as he repeatedly denied his brat release. If the mobster wasn’t careful, his own orgasm would sneak up on him, and he intended to finish this battle of wills on his own terms.

 

Elrond also seemed to sense his control unraveling, and the younger man’s hands hooked onto Adar’s hips, head bobbing and gaze sharpening with sordid intent. Drool pooled at the corner of Elrond’s mouth, and Adar reached down to gather the saliva on his thumb, smearing it across his lover’s cheek. The pad of his finger came away glistening and red.

 

Suddenly the heat of Elrond’s mouth was too much, and Adar issued a firm command. “Stop.”

 

The younger man faltered for a moment, but his mouth obediently withdrew. He looked up at Adar in confusion. “But why, Daddy? I want to make you come.”

 

Adar knew this petulant tone was crafted specifically to drive him wild, but he appeased his lover with a blunt reply. “When I come inside you, it won’t be in your mouth. Tempting as it might be to watch you swallow it down like a good little slut…”

 

Elrond’s eyes widened at this confession, too eager to hide his excitement. 

 

“Get on the bed, brat,” Adar rasped, suddenly impatient to claim his wilful prize.

 

The younger man hurried to obey. His compliance was a sure sign of desperation. Adar would have to remember this particular punishment for later occasions. Elrond responded quite well to edging it would seem.

 

Adar stood as Elrond clambered onto the mattress, and the mobster turned to face the bed, a domineering glare on his face as he loosened the harness that held his holster in place. Elrond watched in silence, rapt as the older man slowly discarded his various weapons, holsters, and sheaths. By the time he had finished, the bedside table looked like a small arsenal.

 

“Can I help you undress, Daddy?” Elrond inquired once he was unarmed.

 

“Stay right where you are,” Adar replied, fingers unfastening the buttons of his shirt. “I thought you might…want to enjoy the view…”

 

The mob boss had grown accustomed to eyes upon him. His scarred face often inspired curiosity and revulsion, but Elrond was the first person that looked at him with unadulterated longing. Adar had misinterpreted the younger man’s interest the night they met, but he understood the hunger in Elrond’s eyes all too well now. 

 

He shrugged out of his shirt then began to peel the undershirt from his torso under Elrond’s watchful gaze. The thin cotton was damp with sweat and blood, and he felt a slight chill as his skin was gradually exposed. 

 

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful,” Elrond murmured, gray eyes trailing down his chest with open admiration.

 

Adar felt himself blush at this unexpected praise. He knew his lover truly meant those words, but he couldn’t quite believe anyone would find his battleworn body appealing.

 

“You’re being so patient for me…” he purred. He bent down to pry the boots from his feet, savoring the way this praise flustered the younger man. “Keep up this good behavior, and I just might let you come while I’m inside you.”

 

This promise seemed to revive Elrond’s rebellious streak, and the younger man gave a sultry smile as Adar’s trousers and boxer briefs hit the floor, leaving the mobster bare before his mischievous lover.

 

Elrond’s gaze was drawn down to Adar’s cock which stood at attention, still achingly hard and wet from the younger man’s earlier efforts.

 

“The sooner you’re inside me…the better I’ll behave, Daddy.”

 

Adar reached down to grasp his erection, eyeing the beauty reclined on his bed with a predatory smirk. “My stubborn brat…so reluctant to take orders, and yet you are always so eager to take my cock.”

 

Elrond’s tongue darted out to wet his lips, eyes following as Adar retrieved a bottle of lube from the nightstand. The younger man scrambled onto his hands and knees, putting his pert rear on display without prompting. 

 

Adar placed a palm on one of Elrond’s cheeks, spreading him open with an appreciative groan. With his other hand, he applied a generous amount of lubricant, and he let his thumb press against the younger man’s tight entrance.

 

Elrond gasped when the mobster slowly pushed a finger inside, fists clutching the black satin sheets as his body adjusted to the long anticipated intrusion. “Fuck…”

 

Slick fingers began to stretch the younger man open, and Adar savored the soft, sweet sounds that escaped his songbird’s throat. Elrond buried his face in the mattress to muffle his own cries, but his hips thrust back each time Adar’s fingers pistoned inside him.

 

“Feels so fucking good, Daddy.”

 

Elrond’s cock hung hard and heavy between his legs, and Adar had to reach down and slap the younger man’s wrists before greedy fingers could reach their intended destination.

 

“What did I say about touching yourself, brat?”

 

“Please,” Elrond whimpered into the mattress. “Your fingers aren’t enough. I need your cock, Daddy.”

 

Adar loved the wild and wanton look on his lover’s face. “You want Daddy to fuck you, Elrond?”

 

The younger man gave a frantic nod, his teeth snagging on his lower lip as he bit back a moan. 

 

“You have to use your words, brat,” Adar told him. He could feel Elrond constrict around his fingers, and he basked in his lover’s immediate surrender. “If you want Daddy’s cock, you have to ask nicely.”

 

Elrond seemed possessed as he writhed beneath the older man. Tangled curls obscured soft gray eyes as he glanced over his shoulder to obey this request.

 

“Please fuck me, Daddy.” His voice was hoarse, pitching upwards into a whine as he uttered a petulant reminder. “You promised!”

 

Adar supposed that while this plea wasn’t exactly nice, at least the defiant beauty had managed to use the word ‘please’ which was more polite than his usual bedroom banter. The mobster decided to finally take pity on the man squirming in his grasp, letting out a hungry growl as his hand withdrew.

 

Elrond gasped in anguish at the sudden loss of Adar’s fingers, but his outrage was cut short when the older man flipped him onto his back with a snarl. Adar stifled further protest by pressing his lips against the younger man’s angry pout, and Elrond fell silent, stunned into submission by this savage kiss.

 

“I want to see your face when you come on my cock,“ Adar told him, coating his shaft with lube. “You’re always so beautiful when you fall apart for me, songbird.”

 

Elrond inhaled sharply at the lurid confession, and the fight seemed to drain out of his body, too weary and aroused to resist any longer. “Please, Adar…I need you.”

 

Adar wasted no time, lining up his cock with Elrond’s swollen entrance. The younger man sighed with satisfaction as Adar slowly filled him, and once he was fully seated, the mobster paused to savor this moment of utter bliss.

 

“You have me,” he assured the man beneath him. “I’m yours.”

 

“Mine…” Elrond let out a strangled moan as Adar’s hips retreated then thrust forward, his cock slamming deeper with each cry that poured from his brat’s rosy lips. 

 

Elrond’s fingers clung to the mobster’s broad shoulders, thighs wrapped around his torso like a vice. Adar felt intoxicated by the younger man’s tight heat, his slight frame always so impossibly accommodating. Despite the fact that Elrond had spent nearly every night in his bed since they met, it still felt like a gift every time–each torrid experience somehow new and addictive like a drug he could not build any tolerance against.

 

“Harder…” Elrond keened. 

 

Suddenly Adar was all too aware of the bandage encircling his lover’s abdomen. A savage part of him wanted to appease Elrond’s desire, but he feared the other man was still too injured to endure the rough treatment he was accustomed to.

 

“Easy, little songbird…” he murmured placatingly. “Daddy needs to be gentle with you tonight.”

 

This command was met with defiance, and Elrond glowered up at him, too desperate to tolerate any further denials.

 

“Do not treat me as if I am made of glass, Adar,” he told the older man. “I promise I am not nearly as fragile as you seem to think.”

 

“You are wounded, El,” the mobster reminded him.

 

Elrond bucked against him, trying to goad his lover with a taunting glare. “If I wanted someone to make sweet and tender love to me, I wouldn’t be here in your bed, Adar.”

 

The younger man was a vision of beauty, arms tangled in the sheets above his head. His pale throat was stained scarlet from Adar’s earlier explorations, but it was the sinister gleam in those stormy eyes that gripped the mob boss by his very soul.

 

“I want the monster that isn’t afraid to hurt people to get what he desires most,” Elrond told him. “I want the Lord of Mordor to fuck me hard and fast, and I want to taste the enemy’s blood on my tongue when you come inside me.”

 

“Fuck…” Adar cursed under his breath, shocked and enticed by his lover’s bloodlust.

 

“Show me that I belong to you,” Elrond entreated him, fingers leaving smudges of red as he caressed his own body. “Take me…I’m yours.”

 

A strange and feral sound emanated from Adar’s throat at the tempting beauty’s command, and he swiftly hooked the other man’s legs over his shoulders with possessive urgency. The new angle allowed him to thrust even deeper into the younger man’s intoxicating warmth, hitting the spot that had Elrond gasping in pleasure. 

 

Adar’s fingers dug into Elrond’s thighs as he began to rut into him in earnest. This new pace was evidently just as brutal as the younger man wished because a torrent of dirty words began to pour from his lips, vacillating between sweet prayers and foul curses as the mobster drove them both closer to the brink.

 

“Touch yourself,” Adar grunted.

 

Elrond immediately obeyed, his body tensing around Adar as the stroke of his hand matched the older man’s savage pace.

 

“You feel like a fucking dream,” Adar moaned, his control nearly threadbare. “Always so defiant until I get you in my bed, my pretty little mess…always so tame as soon as my cock is inside you.”

 

“Is that what you desire, Adar?” Elrond countered breathlessly. “A tame lover to keep as a pet? If so, I am afraid you have chosen most unwisely.”

 

The older man grinned. “I assure you I am more than happy to spend the rest of my life taming the stubborn brat that stole my heart. No matter how much blood I have to spill to keep him out of trouble…”

 

Elrond slid two bloodstained fingers into his mouth, painting his pink tongue red. “Harder, Daddy…”

 

“I’ll kill any man that tries to take you from me,” Adar growled, pressure building to the point of no return. “I’ll burn every syndicate to the ground before I let any harm come to you. You are mine, Elrond, and that means the power of Mordor is yours to command.”

 

The younger man bit down on his knuckles, head tilting back in ecstasy. Whether he was drunk on lust or power or both, Adar couldn’t say for certain. 

 

“Fuck, I’m going to come, Daddy.”

 

“Not yet,” Adar warned

 

An anguished sound escaped blood red lips. Elrond’s agony was delectable, all semblance of resistance vanishing at this refusal.

 

“You’re such a bastard,” Elrond panted beneath him as he tried to delay the inevitable. “Do I have your permission to come? I need to come.”

 

“And I need to hear three words before I’ll grant you what you desire, little songbird,” Adar rasped, knowing his own orgasm was imminent.

 

The younger man’s jaw clenched as he mastered his anger. “ Please, let me come … ”

 

“I do so enjoy hearing you beg,” the older man teased. “But that’s four words…and not the ones I had in mind.”

 

Elrond’s glare softened when he met Adar’s gaze, suddenly understanding what the other man wanted to hear.

 

“I love you.”

 

That sentence was far more arousing than any lewd vows uttered in a darkened room, and Adar felt himself tipping into the abyss as he murmured his reply. “I love you too. Come for me, Elrond…”

 

The younger man cried out as he finally surrendered to his orgasm. His pleasure had been building up with each of Adar’s earlier denials, and now it threatened to overwhelm them entirely. Elrond wrapped his arms around the older man’s neck, pulling him down for a passionate kiss as Adar’s seed spilled deep inside him.

 

“I love you,” he whispered. “I love you…I love you…”

 

When the climax finally subsided, Elrond went limp, sated and exhausted as Adar fell onto the bed beside him.

 

The mobster realized he was smiling like a lunatic, and his pulse quickened when Elrond closed the distance between them, capturing his lips in another kiss. Adar savored the bitter metallic taste that lingered on his lover’s tongue, and he knew his own lips must be the same vivid shade of red when their mouths parted. 

 

“Am I allowed to take a shower now, Daddy?” Elrond inquired, scarlet lips tilting into a smirk.

 

“Not yet,” Adar whispered, a pleasant ache growing in his chest as he caressed his brat’s beautiful face. “Stay with me just a little longer…we’ll shower soon.”

 

Elrond nestled against him, gray eyes looking at the mobster with candid reverence. “I’ll stay,” he murmured. “I’m yours.”

 

Adar wrapped his hand around the younger man’s neck, growling a single word as he drew Elrond in for yet another kiss.

 

“Mine…”

 

***

 

I think you're full of it

(What's that?) I'll show you how I throw a fit

(On the attack) go on and talk your shit

I stopped listenin', blame it on conditionin', call me a brat

 

***

 

Elrond awoke the next morning to find Adar watching him, feeling that familiar dark gaze before his own eyes opened. The mobster was clad in his usual black attire, and the younger man frowned, annoyed that his lover had denied him the pleasure of waking up naked beside him.

 

“Good morning, my love…”

 

Adar’s expression softened at this greeting, and Elrond felt a twinge of satisfaction, knowing he had the power to penetrate the mobster’s armor with just a few words.

 

“Get dressed,” the older man commanded. “Representatives from Númenor will be here soon, and I want you by my side for the negotiations.”

 

This unexpected request prompted Elrond to sit up in surprise. A pleasant ache flared in his loins, and memories of the previous night came rushing back. 

 

“You do?”

 

Adar studied him for a moment, and Elrond blushed under his scrutiny. He ran a hand through his hair in the hopes of taming what he assumed was a tangled mess of curls, but judging by the smirk on the other man's face, it was a fruitless attempt.

 

“I told you last night that I want you to be my partner in all things,” Adar reminded him. “However, your involvement in the business is contingent on certain conditions.”

 

“What conditions?” Elrond asked cautiously. He knew better than to blindly agree without details.

 

Adar drew closer to the bed, blue eyes fixed on Elrond’s face. “First, you will attend combat training at least twice a week, so that I know you can defend yourself with and without weapons. You have already shown that you are skilled with a gun, but I know you will benefit from further instruction.”

 

This demand seemed reasonable enough, so Elrond gave a nod of assent.

 

“Second,” the mob boss continued. “You will be escorted by bodyguards at all times when you are outside Mordor, and you must give me your word that you will never ditch your security detail ever again. Is that clear?”

 

The younger man flushed, ashamed by his recklessness the day before. “I promise, Adar.”

 

The older man stared at him for a few moments as if weighing the veracity of this vow, then seemingly satisfied, he offered up the final condition.

 

“And lastly, if you have strategies that you think would benefit Mordor, you will share your ideas with me before you act upon them. I understand your little scheme yesterday was motivated by mutually beneficial ambitions, but I cannot trust you as a business partner or a romantic one if you think you can go rogue like that again.”

 

Elrond liked hearing the other man refer to him as his partner, thrilled by the knowledge that Adar wanted to share more than a bed. “Just like you said last night, no more secrets. You can trust me.”

 

Adar’s scowl softened ever so slightly, relieved by Elrond’s words. His eyes darted down the younger man’s bare torso, landing on the satin sheets that pooled around his waist. 

 

“Good, then we must make haste. I’ll see if I can acquire a weapon for you while you get dressed.” 

 

Elrond paid little heed to his lover’s practical concerns. He moved toward the edge of the bed, a predator stalking oblivious prey.

 

“I doubt Numenor will try anything at our meeting, but I’d rather err on the side of caution…”

 

Words died on Adar’s tongue when Elrond stood, letting the black satin fall away to reveal his naked body. The mobster’s brow furrowed, but his pupils dilated when the younger man closed the distance between them. 

 

Elrond flashed a coquettish smile up at the man he loved, sliding his hands beneath Adar’s jacket to caress the firm muscles hidden beneath. 

 

“No need to acquire a weapon on my behalf,” he purred, rolling his hips to distract his stoic lover. “I’m certain I can get my hands on one quite easily.”

 

Adar’s palms found the swell of Elrond’s ass, his expression dubious. “Is that so? And just where do you plan to–”

 

Elrond waylaid this question with a kiss, silencing the mobster in an instant. The taste of cigarettes still clung to the older man’s tongue. Apparently Adar had felt secure enough to sneak out for a smoke while Elrond slept which was encouraging after last night’s paranoia.

 

When their lips finally parted, Adar’s mouth started to chase his, but this pursuit was halted by the press of cold metal against his skin.

 

“Turns out it’s very easy to disarm a man if you know how to distract him,” Elrond mused. 

 

Adar glanced down to see his own pistol in the stubborn beauty’s grasp, the barrel notched beneath his jaw. Elrond could feel the mob boss grow hard against him, and the expression on the other man’s face was impressed rather than fearful.

 

“I think you’ve proven your point,” Adar told him, voice simmering with desire. “Keep the gun since you clearly know how to use it.”

 

Elrond lowered the weapon with a smirk, taking a moment to feel the weight of it in his hand. “A bit heavier than I’m accustomed to, but I’m sure I can get the knack of it with some practice. It’s been awhile, so I’m a little rusty.”

 

“Now that there are no more secrets between us,” Adar murmured, watching him assess the weapon. “You’ll have to enlighten me about your past. You neglected to mention your connection to the House of Fëanor, little songbird.”

 

Elrond set the gun aside with a frown. “That is a complicated story, and one that we must save for another day.”

 

Adar gave him a concerned look, picking up on the hint of sorrow in his lover’s voice.

 

“I promise we can delve into my past when we have more time,” Elrond assured him. “But we are already going to be late to our meeting with Númenor as it is.”

 

Adar frowned, then glanced at his watch. “We are not running late quite yet. There is plenty of time for you to make yourself presentable. The delegation from Númenor won’t arrive for another thirty minutes.”

 

Elrond’s smile revealed his true intentions. “Then I’m afraid we’ll have to keep them waiting…because I plan to spend at least the next hour in bed with the man I love.”

 

Adar glared in disbelief as Elrond began loosen various buckles and buttons on his attire, and he seized the younger man’s wrists with a growl. “I am not fucking you right now, brat. The last thing we need is to piss off a rival syndicate by turning up late to our meeting reeking of sex.”

 

Elrond broke free of Adar’s grasp, rising up on his toes so their mouths hovered mere inches apart. “Fuck me, Daddy, and I promise I’ll be on my best behavior at the negotiations…”

 

The mobster’s expression was severe, but his hungry eyes devoured Elrond’s naked body. The younger man grinned, recognizing surrender was forthcoming.

 

“...and I promise you can punish me for our tardiness later tonight.”

 

The older man let out a growl of annoyance, but he pushed Elrond down onto the bed, his hands already stripping layers of black garb from his own body. “I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you that you would be nothing but trouble…”

 

Elrond smiled up at him, heart swelling at the adoration in his lover’s eyes. “And yet, you love me all the same.”

 

Adar crawled onto the bed, looming over his eager prey with a possessive grin. “I do love you,” he confessed.

 

“And I love you,” Elrond replied without hesitation.

 

Adar pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, and his gaze darkened as he prepared to claim his captured songbird once more. “You better… fucking brat …”

 

***

 

I'm buildin' legacies (I'm not mad)

But I like makin' enemies (call me a brat)

Between you and me

I stopped listenin', blame it on conditionin'

 

Call me a bitch, that ain't it, I'll admit

I love bein' a (brat)

Notes:

Thank you so much to everyone who has shown this fic love and support! I'm definitely contemplating a third installment to this series, so if you're interested in more Adarond mafia au, let me know in the comments.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of Club Mordor