Shattered Dreams

"You wished to see me, Master Jaak?"

At the sound of Lance's voice, Jaak raised his head and nodded. He allowed a faint smile to touch his features, and he gestured to one chair.

"Yes, I did, Lance. Please. Have a seat."

The golden-haired man sat down, his trademark scowl in place. Jaak knew it bugged Lance to take orders from anyone, though he had yet to find out the reasons why. Lance was an enigma to Jaak, much like how Fen was turning out to be as well, but the platinum blond decided not to dwell on such issues. Whatever secrets Fen and Lance wanted to keep, Jaak would let them, so long as such secrets did not pose a threat to his business. He folded his hands and rested his chin on top of his fingers.

"Excellent job tonight, Lance. Beyond exceptional, really."

"Thank you, Master Jaak."

"Since you are here now, I am guessing Fen is in bed."

"He was reading a book when I left. I believe he may still be a little wound up from the evening's activities."

"I see," Jaak murmured. He straightened his back and lowered his arms. "At least he is not on the floor trying to work."

"Correct, Master Jaak. Why did you want to see me?"

"Direct to the point as usual, Lance. I like that about you." Jaak's smile grew. "I was thinking about how well you and Fen worked together tonight."

"He's not been demanding, like some of the newer ones have been," Lance admitted with a begrudging tone. "And it is somewhat refreshing to know he's paying attention to what the clients have paid for instead of letting them walk all over him."

"Unusual, but not unpleasant, for sure. I am sure you will find that quite to your liking then," Jaak commented, his eyes on Lance.

"You are assigning me to him then?"

"I am," Jaak confirmed with a nod. "He seems to like you."

"He's young yet. He'll lose that over time."

"I doubt it, Lance," Jaak replied with a chuckle. "Call it a hunch of mine, but I can tell. The boy likes you. If he didn't, he would have complained about you right away. Isn't that how it usually goes?"

"Usually," Lance murmured, his scowl deepening.

"Of course." Jaak paused before he continued. "I expect you will take very good care of him, Lance. I've looked over your records for the night, and I'm very impressed with his endurance. Ten clients is no small feat. He has a great deal of potential, and I do not want anyone breaking him. You are the only guard I'll be able to trust with him."

Lance raised an eyebrow at his last statement and leaned forward some. The other blond's curiosity was piqued.

"It's been a while since you've said something like that," Lance observed. "I think one of the last times I heard you say such a thing was after you hired me."

"It's been a while since someone has done something to impress me without meaning to impress me," Jaak said. "You and Fen, you are both alike. It's uncanny, it's a bit scary, but it's true at the same time. I can't ignore such facts, and I can't let his potential go to waste. When he wakes in the morning, I want him in my office. I need to find out how far he is willing to go in order to please his clients. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Master Jaak, you are."

"Good. Please return to Fen's quarters and inform him of his orders. If you'd like, you can stay the night with him, or I can set up another room for you. It's your decision, though."

"I'll stay with him," Lance replied with a stiff tone, rising to his feet.

"Very well then. I'll see you both in the morning, Lance. Have a good evening."

"Yes, Master Jaak."

"Oh, and Lance . . ."

"Yes, Master Jaak?"

"If he asks, tell him I said it's all right."

"Of course, Master Jaak."

Without another word, the golden-haired man left his office, and Jaak leaned back in his chair, releasing his breath. For some reason, Lance scared the hell out of him, and Jaak was not one to scare easy. It was something in Lance's blue eyes, an icy professionalism that reminded the platinum blond of a well-trained assassin.

'As long as I treat him and the others right, I won't have a problem with him,' Jaak told himself. 'That's all I've got to do.'

He shook his head then returned back to the numbers at hand. There were still clients in the building, and the best of his prostitutes were in action. It was going to be a wonderful night.

* * *

Luther let out a growl of frustration once he was out of Jaak's hearing range, and his hands clenched into fists. He had not wanted a permanent assignment, and he still could not figure out how his boss figured he needed one. Luther knew not all of Jaak's prostitutes cared for their assigned bodyguards, and those particular individuals often sought out new ways to irritate the ones chosen to protect them, especially when someone new entered the picture. Nearly all of the bodyguards assigned to a prostitute on a permanent basis lived in the same small apartment, and some of the prostitutes delighted in forcing his or her protector to sleep in the bed he or she used to service clients. Luther heard the talk when the days were starting all over again, and he vowed he would not allow himself to be demeaned in such a manner, especially by a seventeen-year-old boy.

Still, Luther reasoned he at least should wait to see how Fen would react to Jaak's orders before he passed judgment on the youth. Fen did not really strike him as the rebellious and prankster type, and the boy had accomplished more in one night than most new prostitutes could in three days. Fen intrigued him, and Luther had wanted to be assigned permanently to the boy in the first place. Becoming Fen's personal and permanent bodyguard allowed Luther to find out why Fen had come to Aquariana. He really had no reason to be upset with Jaak's decision.

'Still, I can at least pretend this displeases me,' Luther thought as he quickly climbed the stairs to the second floor and the room where Fen was staying. New prostitutes like Fen had to earn their way to the fifth and sixth floors with the luxury rooms, and Lance did not doubt the youth would re-housed before his twentieth birthday. 'It is expected, and I can have a little fun with those fools.'

Luther reached Fen's room and pressed his hand into the code box. He did not need to re-enter his palm signature into the system since he had already stood outside the room for the evening. The system would recognize him and allow him entry long enough for Jaak's technicians to make the access to Fen and his room permanent, which would be before the sun rose. Jaak was thorough that way.

Upon entering the room, Luther saw the light in the one bedroom remained on, and he frowned. Was Fen still awake? If he was, why? Fen had to be exhausted after servicing ten clients. Curious, Luther walked into the small room and stopped. Sitting up in the bed was Fen, and he was writing something onto a pad of paper. Luther folded his arms and frowned.

"What do you think you're doing? You should be sleeping," he said.

At hearing his voice, Fen jumped a little, his eyes widening for a moment. Then he saw Luther and offered the blond a faint smile.

"I know," he replied. "I couldn't sleep, though."

"And why's that?" Luther asked. He closed the distance between he and Fen, sitting next to the youth. Fen shrugged his shoulders a little.

"I got to thinking about something."

"Like what?" Luther prompted. Fen's cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

"About how hungry and thirsty I was after you and Master Jaak told me to quit for the night," he answered.

"So? Sex is physical activity," Luther pointed out. "It is an activity that will make you hungry and thirsty no matter what."

"I kind of figured that out," Fen replied, frowning a little at Luther. "That's why I couldn't sleep. I never counted on that so I was thinking of how I could keep myself from feeling that hungry again and to keep myself hydrated."

"You can't stop yourself from feeling hungry after sex," Luther retorted. "It is a fact."

"Maybe not, but I can keep myself nourished and hydrated in between clients," Fen shot back. Luther paused, realizing once again Fen had thrown him for another loop and was displaying an intellect unusual to a new prostitute. He nodded.

"Please continue," Luther said. Fen lowered his notepad.

"It's simple, really," he murmured, averting his gaze. "It just requires the right amount of carbohydrates and proteins and the proper amount of water in between each client. That's all."

"I see." Luther watched Fen for a moment, trying to discern who it was he was really seeing. "I am guessing that is your list of what you will require."

"Yes . . . if Master Jaak will allow it."

"Oh, I am sure Jaak will allow you to do damn near whatever you want. All you'll have to do is ask," Luther said. "You've impressed him. That hasn't happened in four years, Fen."

"Is that what he wanted to talk to you about?"

Luther nodded. Since Fen had asked, it was as good a time as any to let him know of Jaak's orders.

"Part of it was, yes. He also wishes to see you first thing in the morning," Luther replied. "I'm sure he wishes to train you personally. He believes you have a lot of potential."

If it were possible, Fen seemed to shrink, no longer looking like a confident adult but an uncertain seventeen-year-old. Then it passed quickly, and the youth nodded.

"Okay . . . what was the other part?" Fen asked, setting his notepad to one side. He then yawned widely.

"He has assigned me to be your bodyguard. He doesn't trust anyone else with you," Luther replied.

"Good," Fen murmured. A light smile graced the youth's face. "I was hoping that he would."

"What? Why?"

Fen's reaction was not what Luther had been expecting. The youth shrugged as he stretched out to sleep.

"I just was," he mumbled. "Are you going to stay with me tonight?"

"I am," Luther confirmed, still baffled that Fen would want him as his guard. None of the new prostitutes ever liked Luther. Then again, most of the long-term ones did not like him, either. For Fen to do so was simply unimaginable.

"Is it . . . all right if we . . .?"

"Yes," Luther replied. "Now go to sleep. I will be here when you wake."

"Mm'kay . . ."

Fen's eyes closed, and his breathing evened out. Within a minute, he was asleep, and Luther watched him to be sure.

As he did, he reached over and brushed away some stray strands of hair, and the blond could not help but marvel at the angelic nature he saw in Fen. The boy had charisma and beauty. Luther saw as much, and he knew Jaak would try to cash in on Fen's natural abilities. It would be his duty to ensure the boy stayed safe from the more . . . interesting of clients, if Jaak planned to do what Luther believed he might.

"Fool of a boy," he whispered. "You shouldn't have come here. You're better than all of this."

With a sigh, Luther shook his head and shut out the lamp. Then he, too, crawled into the bed, wedging Fen in between himself and the wall. Fen's choices were made. Luther understood as much. He just hoped the boy would not come regret his actions later in life.

"Sleep well, Fen," Luther murmured. "You will need it."

* * *

Fayt inhaled softly then knocked on his boss's door, Lance standing behind him. His stomach kept churning from the anxiety he felt about this meeting, even though he already knew Jaak was impressed with him. However, knowing his boss was happy with him did not mean he could still end up in trouble, and the last thing Fayt wanted was trouble. He had no idea if he was even late for this meeting since he had dressed himself in a pair of faded blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a skull on the front after he ate some breakfast.

"Come on in, Fen," Jaak called out, his voice muffled. The man's voice cut through any worries Fayt was entertaining, and he pressed the button to open the door. Jaak smiled at him as he and Lance entered.

"Good morning, Fen," he said. "I trust you slept well."

"Yeah," Fayt replied with a nod. "I did. Thank you for asking, Master Jaak."

"Not a problem, my boy. Not a problem at all. Are you able to sit after last night?"

"I am," Fayt murmured.

"Good. Please, have a seat then. We have much to discuss before the working day begins. Lance, have a seat as well."

Both Fayt and his bodyguard complied with the request, Fayt shifting a little to be comfortable. His butt still ached from the abuse it endured the night before, but it was more bearable than it had been after his first client. Jaak watched him and Lance then he continued.

"I read over Lance's report from last night, Fen. I must say it is quite impressive. You brought in some healthy numbers last night."

"I was just doing my job," Fayt murmured.

"I know," Jaak said. "I know you were. However, most of the people you serviced last night were no ordinary clients. A couple of them are dignitaries of great importance, and you, my dear boy, have caught their eyes. Your first client wishes to set up weekly sessions with you."

"He does?" Fayt squeaked out, his heart leaping into his throat. He remembered his first client rather well. The man possessed a voracious appetite when it came to sex, and Fayt still thought of a wolf on the prowl when he thought of the man.

"Yes," Jaak said. "I'm already working with him on what days and times will be best for him and for you. From there, you will be able to plan your nights accordingly."

Fayt found he could only nod his head, shocked. He knew Gahnzah had enjoyed his company the previous night, had even said he would come back to him, but he had not expected the man to want to see him again, at least not on a weekly basis. He thought the other man's words were simply that. Words.

"You're speechless, Fen. You weren't expecting this from him?"

Fayt shook his head 'no', trying to find his voice. Jaak was a no nonsense kind of man. Eventually, Fayt believed, he would tire of silence.

"No," he finally managed to say. "I wasn't expecting that from him. He told me his usual preferences."

"I see . . . Honestly, I didn't expect this from Gahnzah, either. In the past, he has asked for a particular person but never the sessions he's requesting now," Jaak said. He folded his arms in front of him and leaned forward. "You will need training if you are to continue here, Fen. Don't get me wrong. You did wonderful last night, beyond what anyone could have expected, but I do not want you hurting yourself in an attempt to keep up some insane pace."

"I understand, Master Jaak," Fayt murmured, his throat feeling dry. "And I promise I will do my best."

"I know you will, Fen," he replied. "That is why I wish to give you some more training, to assist you in performing your duties."

"Of course, Master Jaak. I will not let you down," Fayt said. His stomach continued to churn and do flip-flops as Jaak spoke, and Fayt possessed a clear idea of what Jaak wanted him to do next. The man simply had not said the words yet.

"I'm sure you won't, Fen." Jaak smiled. "Now . . .let's begin this session, shall we?"