Page 30 of Lay It Bare

Sevastyan

His phone ringing was the first thing to bring him back to consciousness. Rei was still in his arms. Lisa’s eyes were fluttering, but he too appeared to have been sound asleep, sprawled across the other half of the bed. He still held Rei’s hand.

Sevastyan reached behind himself and grabbed his phone. Alexi. Fine. He could take this call.

“Sevastyan.”

“Alexi.” Sevastyan smothered a yawn. “What’s on your mind?”

“Apologies. Did I wake you?”

“Long flight.” Sevastyan rolled onto his back and rubbed his face. “Just getting in a few hours. What can I do for you?”

“How’s my slave?”

Sevastyan pulled the phone away from his ear and changed the call from voice to video. He turned the camera towards Lisa and Rei. The two slaves were face to face, both adorably mostly asleep.

Alexi sighed, then murmured, “He looks thin.”

Sevastyan switched the call back and put the phone to his ear. He put a hand on Rei and motioned at Lisa to stay as he swung out of bed. The covers slipped down Rei’s back. Sevastyan pulled them back up, making sure both slaves were covered, and found his robe. “One moment.”

He put the phone down to wrap the soft robe around himself, belted it, and then went out to the living room with the call, shutting the bedroom door as he went. On the couch in the living room, he returned the connection to video. “He was thinner when he arrived, before he was sick. Rei is supervising his diet.”

Alexi grimaced. “I received only good reports on his health in Morocco.”

“Then fire someone.”

“Noted. How is he? Details.”

“He’s put more than half a kilo of weight back on already, as of his weight check last night. I’ve only been back a few hours and we were all sleeping. I can call back in a while once I’ve checked him over again. He’s been so tired, I didn’t pull him out of bed early this morning when I arrived, still sleeping about twelve hours a day. It’s helping.”

“And you're certain you’re happy to have him?” Alexi sounded pensive. “You’ve always kept your bases private.”

“Rei’s been alone too much,” Sevastyan answered. “He did better on this trip with your boy to fuss over.”

“Perhaps your boy can tame mine in ways I cannot.”

Sevastyan gave his mentor a gentle look. “Lisa is never going to be like your others.”

“I know.” Alexi ran his fingers through what was left of his hair. “I should have sold him on, but he’s . . . he’s my lisa. Untamed, ill-mannered, and somehow utterly beautiful. I can’t bring myself to end things. Watch him, will you? Perhaps it’s time for a new perspective.”

“Morocco was bad,” Sevastyan said.

“The managers had nothing but praise for him.”

Sevastyan glanced towards the bedroom. “And perhaps that’s exactly what went wrong.”

Alexi held a moment of silence, eyes looking away from his phone. “You think he stopped fighting.”

“Rei pulled him out of the snow. He was lying there in nothing but a jacket. Played it off as a ploy for attention but . . . I’m not sure that’s the full truth.”

Alexi ruminated for several long seconds. “I’ll send funds to cover his upkeep, if you’ll look after him. I always said that I wanted you to train another slave but . . .”

“What rights do you wish to grant?”

“Full rights, no long-term modifications. You have my trust, you know that. Tell him he’s forbidden from traveling without our permission. Not till he’s stronger.”

“Understood. Can I send him on errands in the city?”