Out of the Dungeon Read Online Free Page B

with
Jeff?"
    Roman turned his back and held up a hand. Talk to the hand, he thought, which was stupid and rude. But
still. He needed a minute.
    Dare's hands brushed his shoulders, at first
softly, then kneading and comforting. Roman tried to talk, but
couldn't get any words out.
    Great. Way to be an über tough Dominant. He
took a deep breath and suddenly felt dizzy.
    "Sit," Dare coaxed, and pressed on Roman's
shoulders. "Just sit down on the floor."
    Roman did.
    "Now breathe with me," Dare commanded.
"In…two, three, four, five… out, two, three, four, five. Come on
Roman, long, deep breaths."
    The submissive commanding the Master. If they
had been in any other situation, Roman would have snorted with
laughter, but none of this was funny. So he listened to Dare and
let Dare help him breathe.
    After a couple of minutes, he felt like he
could talk.
    "Jeff was hit by a truck on his way to work.
We have to go to the hospital."
    "All right. Let's get dressed and go," Dare
said.
    Roman accepted the clean clothes that Dare
handed to him. His brain was still on freeze. He couldn't think
what order to put his clothes on.
    "Put on your pants," Dare said, and Roman
did. "Now the shirt." After Roman had managed that, Dare handed him
socks. "Put them on."
    In between Roman's slow movements, Dare
dressed himself.
    Dare took Roman by the hand and led him
toward the door. "Put on your shoes, and lock the door. I'll go out
and get us a cab."
    Roman just shrugged. A cab, a bus, a train,
whatever. So long as they got to the hospital.
    Roman joined Dare at the curb, and after a
minute or two, a taxi stopped.
    They rode in silence. When they arrived,
Roman had collected himself enough to ask about Jeff at the info
desk, and get them directed to the ICU.
    Roman felt nauseated on the elevator ride. It could be bad. It could be bad. And then he found himself
praying to a God he didn't even believe in. Please don't let it
be bad.
    Roman had to request entry to the ICU via a
telephone mounted on the wall outside locked double doors. "Roman
Preston to see Jeff Johnson."
    A voice came over a speaker. "Have a seat in
the waiting area, please. Someone will be out to talk to you
soon."
    Roman glared at the phone, then at the door.
"Motherfuckers. They're not going to let me in."
    "Roman, chill," Dare said. "Let's find the
waiting area. Be patient."
    "I can't be patient. My boy is hurting behind
those doors."
    "I know. And they're taking care of him. At
the moment, they know more about what he needs than you do."
    The words surprised Roman. They were rational
and logical, and… Dare was completely calm. Uptight Dare was not
freaking out. How many times had Roman seen Dare hesitant and
frightened and about to freak out? How many times had Roman been
the one to calm Dare, ease his fears, help him through?
    Practically every time. Roman realized he
didn't remember anything that happened in between getting the phone
call and walking into the hospital. Dare had taken complete charge.
He wondered how many other surprise hidden strengths Dare had.
    The waiting area had a couple of couches and
a couple of chairs. The couches were just big enough to seat three
– Dare and Roman and Jeff – and the fact that Jeff wasn't there to
take the third spot was an absence that felt bottomless, so Roman
chose a chair. He expected Dare to take the other chair, but Dare
surprised him by dropping to the floor and settling himself between
Roman's feet, his back flanked by Roman's calves. The way Jeff
would do automatically.
    Roman felt a rush of gratefulness for Dare
that just about took his breath away. He leaned forward and folded
his upper body over Dare, wrapping his arms around Dare's chest.
His lips brushed Dare's dark blond hair. "Thank you for getting me
here," he said
    Dare glanced up at him, eyes wide and
startled. Eyes that were a lighter blue than Jeff's, so different,
and yet so similar. "Of course. What else would I do?"
    "I don't know," Roman said, and he