A Trial of Strength

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH - PART 405 By Rob Williams

CHAPTER 405 – "MIGUEL TAMES FINN, A DEFIANT HUSTLER"

IN THIS CHAPTER:

Tough, handsome musclehunk Miguel wants a boy of his own and takes a chance on Finn, a defiant, resentful hustler who's been traded between men. He's a big challenge ("I only go with guys for money") and Miguel sets out to tame his rebellious attitude. First, the awestruck Finn watches Miguel sexually dominate leather-master Zack. But Miguel tells Finn, "I don't pay for it boy, so no sex – we sleep in separate beds." _____________________________________________________________________

************ In the previous chapter *************

Bob, the charismatic leader of the tribe was having a quiet conversation with Miguel, a rugged Hispanic who had recently joined the tribe. Miguel was the lover of Zack, the boss of the tribe's construction company, but now it was Bob he opened his heart to.

"I seem to have it all, buddy – a great lover in Zack, great home life with him and his boy Darius, great job as executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton in L.A., plenty of money. But something's been missing ... something I barely felt at first but I guess it's been growing in me deep down.

"See, up to now I've always been with guys my own age. I've loved that macho, man-on-man testosterone where I only had myself to take care of. Then I watched you with your twins and the other boys of the tribe and suddenly it was clear as day – I want a boy of my own to love, nurture and protect. I can't get over the thought that somewhere out there there's a kid feeling alone, confused and afraid, and I want to wrap my arms round him and tell him he's safe now."

In the ensuing days Miguel received a lot of advice from other members of the tribe, including the tribe's boss Randy and even the boy in the wheelchair, Brandon.

Randy said, "Great kids like Brandon are easy to love, but there's another kind of guy out there, a kid who's lost and survives abuse by becoming mean and arrogant, picking fights with everyone. A guy like that needs a real man like you, bro. You are a tough, macho son of a bitch like me and you could handle a young guy who's had it rough and sees everyone as the enemy. You need that kind of challenge."

Young Brandon put it more simply and his words moved Miguel. "I feel sorry for guys who take a wrong turn in life and fuck everything up. They pretend to be tough but they often end up in real trouble, even in prison. Nobody cares about them, but they're people too and everyone needs love, don't you think, sir?'"

Miguel's lover Zack was very supportive. "I'm right there with you, dude. But if you're looking for a boy you gotta get out more, meet more guys. This Saturday there's one of those big leather events they put on in a warehouse on the east side. Darius and me don't usually go to those things `cos there's all kinds of crazy stuff goes on. It's mostly for show, though some of it crosses the line and makes me mad. Still, it can sometimes be amusing for a while."

"Sounds like fun," Miguel grinned. "Sure, we could drop in for a while."

And so a few days later they put on their leather gear – Zack in leather pants and black tank top, Darius in leather chaps over jeans and a leather harness crossed over his chest, and Miguel in black jeans and an open leather vest displaying his muscled chest.

They caused quite a stir when they went into the cavernous space, two stunning black muscle-studs and a handsome Hispanic with a body that wouldn't quit. Heads turned as they walked through the crowd, though the three guys themselves were less impressed by what they saw.

Zack and Darius met a few guys they knew, but pretty soon they were ready to leave. They were wending their way slowly to the exit when Miguel happened to glance over at a dark corner they hadn't noticed. He squinted through the gloom at a guy standing against a chain-link fence, arms stretched upward tied to the fence. He wore a collar and there was a sign on the fence"

"Is that for real?" Miguel said incredulously. "It says `For Sale'."

"You never know," Darius said. "A lot of the time they're just playing out a fantasy, but there is this kind of sub-culture where young guys are passed around from one older guy to another – kind of trophy-boys, fuck-boys."

"But what kind of guy would submit to crap like that?"

"You'd be surprised," Darius said. "It's low self-esteem – young hustlers who have been so abused they think their only value is to be traded from one guy to the next, mostly for money. I've come across a few guys like that. They're usually bitter and defiant, trying to act tough in spite of their degrading life. A hustler's life can be pretty lonely `cos, like Brandon said, nobody really cares about them. They're on a downward spiral with no way out."

Miguel frowned. "But look at that guy – real nice body and a kinda handsome face under that scruff of beard and long scraggy hair. Get rid of those slutty clothes and I bet he cleans up pretty good. I'm gonna take a look." He walked casually to the fence and faced the guy, who wouldn't make eye contact at first, either through shame or defiance Miguel couldn't tell.

"Look at me, boy." Miguel's deep, accented voice was arresting and the man at last looked at him. Yes, definitely defiance, but mixed with ... hard to tell ... weariness, defensiveness, loneliness like Darius said ... but mostly defiance, toughness as a shield against abuse maybe.

But then Miguel saw something else. The man broke eye contact for a second and glanced down at Miguel's body, then back up to his face with a flicker of ... something Miguel had seen before in men who admired him but looked quickly away, faking disinterest.

"How old are you?" Miguel asked. A pause, then "Twenty two."

"What's your name?"

"Finn," he said impatiently. "Look, I only do this for the money and I don't come cheap. Take it or leave it."

"Hm, attitude like that, I guess I'll leave it." Again that flicker, this time a hint of disappointment.

Miguel made as if to turn away and came face to face with a heavyset bearded guy of around fifty – no oil painting, Miguel thought.

"Interested in my boy are you? Good looking stud ain't he? He'll do anything if the price is right. Bit of an attitude but I knocked that out of him. Only reason I'm putting him up for sale is I get bored easy. Trading him in for a new model ... like a car," he said with a throaty cackle.

Miguel frowned. "Last time I checked selling guys was illegal. But I guess you've given him room and board and want some return on your money. How much do you want for him?"

********************* CHAPTER 405 **********************

The bound man avoided looking at them, staring into space as if he wasn't part of this degrading scene. "I said how much?" Miguel growled.

The grungy, self-styled `owner' of the captive stroked his beard. "Well, let's see. I like the look of you, man, so I'll give you a deal. Tell you the truth this one's a stud but a real handful – mean, arrogant – but you look like you could beat that out of him. So let's say – five hundred."

"Five hundred bucks?! What planet are you from, man? You're crazy." Miguel looked at the young man who finally made eye contact again. "What about you, Finn? You think you're worth five hundred bucks?"

With a beaten but still defiant look Finn said, "Go to hell."

"Moron," the guy barked and slapped the captive's face. "Is that any way to talk to a customer?"

"OK, that's it," Miguel snarled, clenching his fists. "Forget it. I don't deal with assholes like you. I'm going back to my buddies." He glanced at Finn one last time and saw a flash of panic in his eyes, a begging look of desperation. He went back to Zack and Darius, and Zack asked, "What's going on, bro? Who is that guy?"

"The one tied to the fence is called Finn. It's like Darius said, seems he's a hustler who that asshole mother fucker says `belongs' to him. They're not playing fantasies either– it's for real. And get this. He wants five hundred bucks for him."

"Darius sputtered, stifling a laugh. "Sorry, sir, but that's ridiculous."

Miguel scowled, "I feel like going back there and busting the asshole's face. One thing's for certain, I can't leave the kid there."

"I know how just you feel, buddy, but rough stuff here could start a riot. Randy would tear the place apart, but we can come up with something less messy. How much cash you got on you?"

"Oh, a bit over a hundred."

"Right, united we stand guys. Let's intimidate the hell out of the son of a bitch. You go first, bro."

Miguel sauntered back and thought he caught a flicker of hope in the boy's eyes. "OK, I'll take the kid off your hands. Hundred bucks."

"Now that's just downright insultin' brother."

"I'm not your brother and that's my final offer, take it or leave it."

Zack and Darius came up and Zack said, "What's going on, buddy? I thought we were leaving."

"Gimme a minute dude. This character here claims to be `selling' his boy. Some kinda slave ring they got going."

"Phew, the cops would sure like to hear about that." Zack turned to face the thug who took a step back, intimidated by the tall, muscular black leather-master with the steel-gray eyes and shaved head. "Assholes like you make my skin crawl," Zack snarled. "I could call the cops but stuff like this I prefer to settle myself. Care to step outside, dude?"

"OK, the sale's off," he said nervously. "I'll just take the boy back with me and we'll forget all about it."

"I don't think so," Miguel said, "unless you wanna tangle with the three of us."

Darius was having a blast. He loved times like this where Zack got tough and dominated assholes, and he couldn't resist joining in. He whipped out his cell phone and said. "I'll call for backup, sir."

Facing the three macho leathermen the brute caved. "OK, OK. I don't want no trouble. A hundred then, and he's yours."

Miguel pulled out five twenties and peeled off four. "Minus commission," he grinned and stuffed the remaining twenty in the jeans' pocket of the captive."

The man started to protest but Zack and Darius took a step forward. Miguel said, "OK, asshole I'll take it from here. Get lost." The man slunk away, Miguel turned his attention to the prisoner and grinned, "Looks like I just bought you, kid."

Finn's default look of defiance came back, unnerved by the sight of these three leather guys and scared that he may have been liberated from one malicious master for another. But he was surprised by Miguel's next move. "First of all we won't be needing this." He unbuckled the collar and stuffed it in his back pocket. Then he untied the boy's wrists.

"You got a home of your own to go to?"

"I can find something," Finn growled.

"I'll take that as a no. OK you're coming with us." Zack went first, Miguel and Finn came second, with Darius behind them so the boy was pretty much penned in. In any case he seemed in no mood to bolt. When they reached Zack's truck, Zack got in the front with Darius and Miguel rode in the back seat with Finn.

Zack and Darius were still high from their encounter with the thug. "Sir, you were great back there. Demolished the asshole ... even scared the hell out of me."

Zack chuckled. "But what the fuck was that `I'll call for backup' bullshit?"

"You didn't like that, sir? Sounds great when Mark says it."

"Mark's a cop. He can get backup. What if the guy called your bluff?"

"But he didn't, did he, sir? He caved, didn't he? See, it just takes this ..." he tapped his temple ... "brainpower."

Zack roared with laughter. "I'd trust my muscle-power over your brainpower any day, dude. But I gotta say we do make a pretty good team."

In the back seat Finn sat silently next to Miguel trying to work out what he had landed in this time. When the fooling around in the front seat died down he glanced sideways at Miguel and mumbled, "What are you guys gonna do to me?"

Miguel looked at him hunched down in the seat and realized that, despite his bravado and insolence, his overriding emotion was fear – and for the first time the boy moved him. "OK, time to get a few things straight. First, no one's gonna hurt you, I'll see to that. Second of all, I didn't buy you and I don't own you. I just shelled out the money to get rid of that goon. And no one's gonna want sex from you either. I don't pay for sex and, as you say you only do it for money, that's out."

"So what the fuck do you want?"

"Number one, you drop the attitude. No one talks to me the way you did, with that `go to hell' stunt you pulled. I don't give a shit if you don't like me but you will respect me. So what I want right now is for you to look me in the eye and apologize."

Finn looked at the strong handsome face, with his heavily stubbled jaw, dark eyes and black hair, and he mumbled, "OK, shit ... whatever ... sorry."

Miguel caught sight of Zack's sardonic grin in the rear view mirror. He almost grinned back, but instead stared fiercely at the defiant boy. "OK, crunch time. Now you have a choice here, Finn. Either ... you treat me with respect, call me sir, apologize like you mean it and I'll take you home with me. Or ... I give you another twenty bucks, ask my buddy to pull over, and you're on your own ... free to go. It's your choice, boy."

Miguel was betting the kid had nowhere else to go and he was right. Finn took a deep breath and said, "I'm really sorry, sir. Thank you, sir."

"Good, that's settled. OK, Zack ... straight home."

Zack glanced at Darius with a wide-eyed grin and Darius mouthed a silent, "Impressive."

When Zack had bought his home some years ago it had been a small attractive house set amid mature trees, but over time he and Darius had remodeled it into an impressive property.

The addition they had been building as an apartment for Miguel was almost completed. The living room and bedroom were habitable and Miguel had partially furnished them already. The bedroom contained a king-size bed and a smaller bed he would eventually transfer into the adjoining guestroom when it was finished. .

Now, when they arrived home and Finn got his first look at the place he was impressed, though he would never admit that to Miguel. His usual attitude to all the men he had previously lived with was a surly defiance as a hedge against their almost certain demeaning treatment of him. His various stays in jail had taught him that if he maintained a tough macho image he would not be as vulnerable as a meek bottom boy would be and become jailbait.

Miguel took Finn through the separate entrance to his apartment. "It's not quite finished as you can see. Especially the second bedroom which will be yours for as long as you stay here. In the meantime you'll sleep in my bedroom ... in a separate bed, don't worry."

Finn stood uncomfortably waiting for instructions as he always had done with men who took him home after paying for his sexual services. But his time was different. Miguel too was feeling his way, and he knew that his first priority was to make Finn feel less of a stranger.

The first thing was to clean him up and find him some different clothes. Finn was wearing the raunchy, crudely sexual clothes of a hustler – a too-tight sleeveless T-shirt torn at the neck, ragged jeans and boots. They had to go.

"OK, Finn, I need you to take a shower, then I'll get you some other clothes. Take those off."

A smug grin crossed the boy's face and Miguel guessed his thoughts. The first thing guys told him to do when they got him home was to get naked, ready for sex. So, Finn was thinking, this guy was no different from everyone else after all. It always came down to that – all they wanted from him was sex. He was on familiar ground at last. Or so he thought.

With a lecherous, self-satisfied smile he proceeded to strip, which came naturally to him, slowly pulling off his shirt. Miguel stifled a smile, half expecting him to twirl the shirt round and toss it to him like a stage stripper. But he surprised the boy by ignoring him, busying himself tidying the room, then the bathroom. Finn pouted, bummed out by Miguel's apparent lack of interest, and wondered if he should continue. He shrugged, pulled off his boots, then his jeans and shorts.

Unobserved Miguel looked at him through the half-open bathroom door – and he was impressed. As soon as he pulled off his shirt Miguel could see that the boy worked out a lot – a lithe, well-developed upper body. And now that he was naked Miguel could see that the rest of his body was equally ripped – a long sexy waist, slim hips, muscled thighs, nice tight butt and a decent-size cock swinging between his legs.

Miguel came out of the bathroom and smiled. "Nice body, kid. You work out at the gym a lot?"

"At the park. They have chin bars, parallel bars and a few weights."

"Well it's paid off – quite impressive. Ripped and fat free. How's your diet?"

"Don't eat much." Miguel guessed that was because he wasn't fed much.

"Er, I seem to recall telling you to call me sir. I haven't heard too many `sirs' yet."

"OK, sir," came the sneering reply.

Miguel sighed, held Finn's chin and stared into his eyes. "Boy, if you and I are to get along you gotta follow a few ground rules. When I say do something I mean it. Look at me." He stepped back and spread his arms wide making the vest pull back, displaying his chest. Do I look like the kind of guy who takes no for an answer?"

"No sir. Sorry, sir."

"Hey, you guys," came Zack's voice from the garden. "Darius and me are having a nightcap out here – bottle a' brandy. Do you two guys wanna join us?" The phrase `you two guys' registered fleetingly with Finn, an inclusion he wasn't used to.

"Sure, Zack," Miguel called out. "Just give us a few minutes. Finn's gonna have a quick shower." He asked the boy, "You hungry? When did you last eat?"

"Had breakfast," he shrugged. Miguel knew that the surly expression on the boy's face was a sign of his insecurity and bravado, pretending that not eating all day was no big deal.

"OK, I'll make sure there's something to eat out there. Put those dirty clothes in the hamper here. There'll be boys coming from across the street to clean house and do our laundry but I'll expect you to help out eventually."

Finn picked up his clothes and, before throwing them in the hamper, pulled out a sheet of paper from the pocket, put it on the table and murmured, "You should read that ... sir."

Miguel perused the paper ... and he was suddenly overwhelmed with sympathy for the boy. It was a list of dates from a medical testing site in West Hollywood where it seemed he had regularly been tested and had come up negative for infection. "I go regular, sir. I want guys to know I'm healthy and they won't catch anything sexual from me."

Miguel realized that this piece of paper was the one thing he had to be proud of, the hustler's proof of good health, probably one of the few worthwhile things he did for himself, his only shred of respectability. In a strange way it was a sort of badge of honor, and it moved Miguel.

His voice softened as he said, "Good for you Finn. I'm glad you've been keeping this up and have a clean bill of health. It's especially important in your line of work." Miguel regretted that phrase as soon as it came out.

"Well, sir, it helps that I'm a top man ... actually more into chicks than guys. Only do guys for pay and never take it up the ass." He faltered. "Except a couple a' times when I got raped."

Again that surge of compassion as Miguel glimpsed the desolate life the boy had led. No wonder he was hard and bitter. It would take a lot of work to turn this kid around – a real challenge. Which is just what Randy had said he needed.

"Well done, Finn. I'm impressed by your regular checkups. I'll take you to our own doctor for the next one – great guy called Doctor Steve, psychologist really, gives counseling too."

Miguel shrugged. "Not that any of this makes any practical difference to us as we won't be having any sex `cos, like you say, you're into the ladies and only do guys for money and I never pay for it." Miguel grinned. "Hell, you already cost me a hundred bucks so I'm pretty much tapped out. OK, get your ass in the shower and I'll see about food."

Finn gave him a lingering look that he couldn't figure out, then went into the bathroom. Miguel went out to the garden where Zack and Darius were sitting at a table with a bottle of brandy. They looked up and Zack asked, "How goes it bro?"

"Hmm, too soon to tell. He's still wearing a suit of armor to protect him from a vicious world and can't yet accept that my world ain't so vicious. After being treated as a sex object for so long he thinks of man-on-man sex as a gross act he's been forced to perform with dirty old guys for money. However," Miguel grinned, "I do see occasional glimpses ..."

"That's all it takes, sir," Darius smiled. "With me and Zack it was just a look in the eye to clinch it. Anything I can do to help?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, Darius, I think you can help a lot. Don't take any garbage from the kid, but you're just the one to put him at ease ... I mean, you're closer to his age so ..."

"So just be my loveable self, eh, sir?"

"Pretty much," Miguel laughed. "The kid hasn't eaten for a while either, so d'you think there are any leftovers in the house?"

"Yeah, tuna casserole the twins made yesterday. Plenty of that left, I can bring it out. Tell you what, though. Zack and me ain't hungry but Finn would feel kinda weird eating all alone. So why don't I bring four plates, we can eat a bit and heap up his plate. He'd feel more like one of the group like that."

Zack leaned over and kissed him. "Kiddo, that's why you're my boy ... that kindness and generosity of spirit – and not just because you're totally gorgeous with a ten-inch dick."

"Though that helps, don't it, sir?" With a roguish smile he went into the house. Miguel went back into his apartment and carefully picked out some clothes for Finn, always with an eye to making him feel like one of the group.

Finn came out of the shower with a towel wrapped round him and once again Miguel was impressed. "You know, kid, you're a really good looking guy when you're cleaned up and out of those slutty clothes. Have you ever worn leather?"

"A whole lot, sir. Guys lent me outfits often for sex scenes, though I never got to keep them."

"Well these leather pants and shirt should fit. Try them on." They not only fit, they looked very sexy, the pants hugging his thighs and butt, the short-sleeve leather shirt unzipped halfway down showing off his pecs. Reflexively he looked in the mirror and Miguel noticed a slight change in his stance – less hunched, more confident.

Finn followed Miguel out to the garden and Darius said, "Hey, dude. Cool outfit – suits you. The name's Darius. Come sit with me." Finn looked at him warily but did as suggested. "Look, dude, this casserole is delicious and we're gonna have some. I'll dish up. He put a small spoonful on three plates and a much larger amount on Finn's, which he attacked hungrily.

It was a longish table and Miguel chatted with Zack at one end, deliberately leaving Finn to Darius at the other. Darius looked him over. "You look real hot in leather, dude, but we gotta do something about that scraggly hair and mangy beard. I got a pal, Eddie, who knows how to cut hair – he should have a go at yours. You got a good body too but we could beef it up a bit. Our buddies across the street have a fully equipped gym so I'll take you there tomorrow if you like."

Darius's gift of the gab – second only to Eddie's – came in very useful. His cheerful optimism overcame Finn's wary coolness and he slowly eased him into conversation. He lowered his voice confidentially. "Anything you wanna know about this clan, you come to me, kid, `cos I know everything there is to know."

"Clan?" Finn asked between mouthfuls of food.

"The tribe, dude. Didn't Miguel explain that? There's a whole group of us – couple a' dozen guys, masters and boys – like Zack and me. Only one without a boy is Miguel, which is where you come in, kiddo, if things work out."

"Is he ... I mean how does he treat guys?"

"Can't you tell? You haven't worked that out yet? Dude, you gotta lose that chip on your shoulder and you'll see stuff clearer. Well, apart from being drop dead gorgeous – at least even you can see that – he's a really cool guy, great with the boys. It's why he wants one of his own."

"Yeah, but I gotta get one thing straight, dude," Finn said, warming to Darius a bit. "I'm really into chicks. I only do it with guys for money and even then I'm strictly a top man. A lot of guys say they bought me, like your pal did, but that's all about the money and it don't make me a bum boy, no way. I sure don't take it up the butt – never bottom for anyone, that's my rule."

Darius gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well, to each his own, but I'm real sorry to hear that, dude. You don't know what you're missing. Hell, most guys would walk over glass to get fucked by that stud, and most of them have – not the walk over glass bit, but he's fucked a bunch of guys in the tribe, even the big boss Randy and that ball-buster stud don't give his ass up easily, let me tell you." He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper and nudged Finn.

"Look at Miguel and Zack now, talking real intense ... and believe me, they ain't exchanging recipes, bro. Those two go back a long way, though they lost contact until recently and now they're crazy in love with each other – two hot, macho alpha males, oversexed like hell, they fuck all the time. Huh, you talk about being top or bottom. These guys don't give a shit about that, they do the old switcheroo all the time. I have a blast trying to guess which one's gonna fuck the other – like right now, for example."

"You mean Miguel takes dick up his butt?"

"Sure he does. Oh don't get me wrong, the guy is one big tough alpha top man, fucks like a stallion. But that's the point. A guy as secure in his masculinity as that can take it up the butt without losing one ounce of his top-man image. They let me watch and, man, that is a sight you don't soon forget, one hot stud master fucking the other. Well, I know you're not really into stuff like that but ... it always makes me bust a load I can tell you."

It was obvious that Miguel and Zack were heating up and suddenly Zack put his hand behind Miguel's head and pulled him into a churning kiss.

"Uh-uh, looks like we're off to the races, dude. And dressed in that leather gear it could be quite a scene. See those ropes hanging from that tree branch with wrist restraints at the ends? Oh shit, sorry dude. I forgot, this kinda stuff don't turn you on. If you don't wanna watch, you can go back indoors and hit the sack. Miguel won't mind. I mean it's not as if you and him are gonna fuck or anything," Darius chuckled.

"I er, no I'm not tired yet so ... I guess I might as well stick around for a while."

Darius smiled to himself. He may have been shooting off at the mouth but he was really shrewd when it came to sizing guys up and breaking through their bullshit. Which is exactly what he had been doing with Finn, who didn't suspect a thing. Darius grinned, "OK, fair enough, dude. Here, have a brandy."

Darius poured them both a drink and prepared to watch the show. "When things get this hot between these two studs it usually gets competitive. Thing is, deciding who fucks who. Hell, I've seen them wrestle naked and the first one to submit loses his ass to the winner. I've usually busted my nuts even before they fuck, then again when they cum. See, told you. Look at that."

The men had stood up facing each other with raunchy grins. Mesmerized Finn watched Zack pull off his black tank top and Miguel shrug off his leather vest. With a penetrating gaze the bare-chested men ran their hands sensuously over the other's pecs, shoulders and abs. "Fuck, man," Zack breathed, "you are one hot son of a bitch. Can't wait to get my rod in your ass."

"Not so fast, big guy, we ain't settled that yet." Miguel sat down, planted his elbow on the table, his forearm raised, fingers curled." Zack grinned, sat opposite him and, forearm to forearm, locked hands. "Sudden death eh?" Zack said. "No best of three. Darius, give us the count."

"OK, sir. Ready guys? One ... two ... three!"

The fight was on as their gleaming eyes met and their muscles flexed in arm-wrestling combat. Darius glanced sideways at Finn and grinned at the intensity of his gaze as he stared at the homoerotic sight of the two shirtless contestants – the rugged black leatherman and muscular Hispanic. "Awesome, eh dude?" Darius said. "Sudden death, too, winner takes all."

The men were so evenly matched that at first their arms barely moved – a few inches one way before being repulsed by equal effort in the other. "Wanna take bets, dude? My guy or yours?"

The concept of Miguel being `his guy' was new to Finn, but as he watched the struggle intensify he dropped his pretense of indifference and rooted silently for Miguel. He held his breath when Zack forced his arm back, and exhaled when Miguel retaliated and regained the advantage.

The end came suddenly with a triumphant roar as one arm was slammed flat on the table. Darius turned to Finn. "Congratulations, buddy. Your guy won." Finn looked at him with the first smile Darius had seen on the boy's face since they met.

The men stood up and Miguel grinned, "Your ass is grass, leatherman." Darius knew that Zack was not disappointed at the prospect of getting fucked by his lover. In fact he suspected that Zack may have thrown the match deliberately so Miguel could show off to the boy as top man.

Zack conceded gracefully, walked over to the tree branch, stood under the hanging ropes and let Miguel pull his arms up, loop the restraints round his wrists and buckle them tight. His body stretched tight, ebony muscles straining as he tugged at the ropes, his leather pants hugging his slim hips, the shirtless black leather master was a stunning sight.

"Damn, that always gets me, dude," Darius said to Finn. "Straight out of a porn movie. I don't expect you to understand, kiddo, `cos you're not into all this, but I gotta do what I gotta do. He reached down to his crotch at the opening of his leather chaps, yanked open his jeans and pulled out his cock.

Finn's jaw sagged at the sight of the ten-inch black club, stiff as a pole. Darius wrapped his fist round it and stroked it slowly, staring at his master straining in bondage. It was all so overwhelming that Finn had the feeling he was somehow being seduced by it all, so he forced himself back into a defiant mood of indifference. Or tried to.

Miguel was walking round his bound lover, stroking his face, neck and chest like a captor examining his prisoner. "Not such a stud now, eh – big black leatherman stretched in bondage?" Zack played his part and growled at Miguel, "Fuck you, man."

"I don't think, so, big guy. You lost ... and you pay with this ..." He unzipped Zack's leather pants and yanked them down to his knees, then went behind him and cupped his hands over is ass. That's the prize, man, a beautiful black ass that is gonna get so fucking reamed."

His defiance collapsing again, Finn gazed in awe at the hunky Hispanic, stripped to the waist in black jeans and boots. Miguel slowly unbuttoned his fly and Finn got his first sight of his long hard cock. In a daze he knew he could never take that up his ass, then dismissed the alien thought as irrelevant. Miguel had made it clear that would never happen.

Miguel walked behind Zack, spat on his cock and pressed it between his ass cheeks. He reached round to his chest and tweaked his nipples hard. "Brace yourself, big man."

"Aaaagh!" Zack howled and his straining body bucked as if tortured on a rack as Miguel's shaft pierced his ass. Miguel lowered his hands to Zack's hips, pushed them forward, then yanked his ass back on his cock that drove down deeper than before.

As the onslaught began on the helpless captive, Finn was in a daze. First he stared at Zack, and Darius had been right. The powerful master lost none of his alpha masculinity even as his body was bound and stretched and his ass plundered. Then Finn gazed in awe at his captor, the triumphant Miguel, his muscles flexing hard as he pounded ass.

And next to him Darius was stroking his cock and groaning, "Oh, fuck. That looks so damn hot. Can you imagine what Zack is feeling right now, boy? That gorgeous man's dick pile-driving his ass. The guy is a spectacular fuck, such a stud. Man, if I was his boy he could tie me up and ream my ass all night. Damn, he could make a man cum again and again. Any boy of his would ..." He winced. "Oh, sorry dude – you're different. Don't worry, he knows you're not into that so he'd never try anything like that with you."

From then on Darius focused on the spectacle before him, pounding his cock in his fist faster and faster as Miguel turned up the heat. His rod pistoned in Zack's ass and his muscles flexed and gleamed with sweat, the expression on his dark handsome face as intense as his rippling body and pounding shaft.

He reached round Zack from behind and grabbed his rigid cock as it bounced from the attack on his ass. "Damn, you're close buddy. Can't let that happen. Hey, Darius, get your ass over here, dude, and help out our man here."

"Thought he'd never ask," Darius grinned, leaping out of his chair. He ran forward, fell on his knees at Zack's feet and gazed up at Miguel who said, "OK, kiddo, he's real close already but you know what edging is – bringing a man to his climax, then pulling back, again and again, driving him wild so he's begging to cum. Can you do that?"

"Duh!" Darius grinned. "Leave it to me, sir." And so Finn was treated to the ultimate homoerotic spectacle. The macho black leather-master, stretched in bondage, his leather pants round his knees, was getting his ass ploughed by the Hispanic muscle-god and his cock sucked by their leatherboy. And not just sucked ... teased mercilessly as Darius licked the head, caught the thread of pre-cum on his tongue, then took the whole shaft in his mouth, before suddenly pulling away right when Zack was on the edge of his climax.

"I'm gonna cum ... I'm gonna cum," Zack panted repeatedly, but then groaned, his orgasm denied by his expert boy. Finn could hardly believe his eyes watching the powerful master pulling desperately on the ropes, his body writhing in torment, shaved head thrashing from side to side as his lover's cock pounded his ass and the boy brought him to the edge of orgasm time after time.

"Please – I gotta cum ... I'm begging you. I can't take anymore. Let me cum ..."

Miguel grinned. "OK Darius, the man's begging – let's put him out of his misery. The coup de grâce. Bring it home, boy ..."

Darius was a master of the visual image and knew how to stage the big climax. Still kneeling he leaned back on his haunches, reached up and grabbed Zack's cock in one hand and his own in the other. He didn't have to pump Zack, merely squeeze his cock while he stroked his own. Miguel yelled, "Here it is, guys ...I'm gonna cum ... I'm gonna cum ... Aaaagh!"

The roar of all three men was deafening and Finn had never seen a more spectacular sight. With a final thrust Miguel's whole body tensed as he blasted his load in Zack's ass, while Darius looked up and took the full force of Zack's jizz in his face and his own cock exploded over his heaving chest. It seemed like the triple eruptions would never stop but at last the heavy panting breaths subsided and they were still.

Miguel pulled out, reached up to free Zack's wrists and they fell into each other's arms, kissing, licking and gazing into each other's eyes. Darius stood up and went back to Finn who was sitting in a state of shock – and a state of denial that his cock was stiff in his pants. He willed it to go down, dismissing it as just the heat of the moment, nothing to do with lust.

Darius wiped Zack's cum off his face with the back of his hand and flashed a gleaming smile at Finn. "Welcome to the group, kiddo – nothing like throwing you in at the deep end. Luckily you're just an innocent bystander `cos this kinda thing can be exhausting."

He stuffed his huge dick back in his jeans with some difficulty and grinned, "One of the drawbacks of being well hung. Hope all this didn't offend you, dude, it's just that us guys play hard. But don't worry, it's nothing you'll ever have to do. Nobody pays for sex around here – we don't have to as you just saw. And anyway, one of the house rules is that no boy is forced to do anything sexual he don't want to so you're off the hook, bro."

Zack and Miguel finally pulled apart and Zack said, "Jesus, I'm bushed, and it's getting cold out here. Darius my man, I'm gonna take you to bed and for once it'll be straight to sleep – no fooling around." He draped his arm over his boy's shoulder and said, "Welcome to the house, Finn. Sleep well."

Miguel was still pumped from his sexual triumph and grinned at Finn. "That goes for us too, kid. Except I need a shower first. Come on." He slung his vest over his shoulder and Finn followed him into the house."

Finn stood in the middle of the bedroom, still dazed from the extraordinary scene he had just witnessed, unsure of what he felt. He told himself that he shouldn't have watched it – had nothing to do with him, after all – and that defiant set to his jaw was back.

Miguel understood all this. Even while he had been immersed in his lustful attack on his lover Zack, Miguel knew that the spectacle must be having a profound effect on Finn – for better or worse. He was glad that Darius was with him, with his easy-going banter and welcoming smile.

So now what next? Miguel realized that Finn was dazed and confused and it would take some effort to help him relax again. But he was also aware of another important fact – there were two sides to that effort if it were to be successful. Just as the goal was to make Finn comfortable with the concept of being a man's boy, it was equally important for Miguel to ease comfortably into the role of master, with authority and kindness in equal measure.

It was a challenging tightrope to walk and Miguel said casually, "OK, Finn, you'll sleep in the smaller bed like I said. But before we hit the sack there's things a boy usually does for a man. My body aches after all that exercise out there so I'll need you get in the shower with me, soap me up and give me a neck rub. Oh, don't worry, I won't touch you. It's just a shower. But first you can take my boots off."

Miguel sat on the edge of the bed and leaned back on his elbows. Finn hesitated, with a vague notion that kneeling before a man was degrading, but as he gazed at the shirtless muscle-god, who only minutes before had dominated the powerful leather master, it seemed natural to kneel to him – an instinctive act that he found strangely satisfying.

He was actually trembling as he unlaced the boots, pulled them off one by one, and placed them neatly side by side on the floor. "Now the pants, kid." Finn flinched and inhaled sharply. He was actually being asked (ordered?) to undress the man. His hesitation this time was not so much a fear of being demeaned as of being turned on. That he had to resist at all costs.

So he clenched his jaw, leaned forward and unbuttoned the fly of Miguel's black jeans. He was wearing nothing under the jeans and as Finn slowly tugged them down his big cock became visible, stretching from a tangle of wiry black pubic hair and lying across the top of his thigh. For one crazed instant Finn felt an urge to clamp his mouth over the cock, but he silently cursed his impulse with an even stronger determination not to feel anything like lust for the man. He was a top man dammit. He only sucked cock for money – and always felt disgusted when he did.

Butt naked Miguel stood up in front of the kneeling boy and stretched his limbs, his cock swinging between his legs inches from Finn's face. Casually, nakedness being entirely natural to him, Miguel walked about the room, picked up his discarded pants and leather vest, and folded them over a chair. "Like I said earlier there are boys whose job is to tidy all the rooms but we can't just leave stuff all over the place. OK, you now."

Miguel stood and watched as Finn nervously took off his own boots, then the leather shirt and pants Miguel had given him. "Here," Miguel said, indicating a small chest of drawers. "This will be yours and we'll move it into your room when the room's finished. The leather gear is for you to keep – looks good on you – so put it in here."

Finn was confused again. The clothes were his, the chest was his, the adjoining room would be his. No one had ever treated him like this and he didn't know how to respond. But Miguel was waiting for a response so he said quietly, "Thank you, sir." And this time he actually meant it.

"Damn, it's chilly in here," Miguel said. "They haven't installed the furnace yet in this part of the house so there's no heating. Let's get in the shower." Finn hesitantly followed him into the bathroom and into the shower where Miguel turned on the hot water. "Don't be nervous, kid. Like I said, I'm not gonna lay a finger on you. I just want you to lather me up and massage my neck and shoulders like the other boys do for their masters."

Finn soaped up the sponge and ran it over Miguel's naked body, his muscles gleaming wet as water poured down them. He felt the muscles of his chest, back and arms ripple as he wiped over them, and then along the ridges of his washboard abs.

With increasing confidence the boy dropped to his knees to spread the suds on Miguel's feet, up his legs and over his ass, though he paused at his crotch. Tentatively he applied the sponge to his cock, careful not to touch it with his fingers or, god forbid, his face. Then he stood up and, as instructed, massaged the back of his neck and tense shoulders.

"Hmm, that feels good," Miguel groaned. "You done this before, kid?"

"I've given a lot of massages to guys, sir. You know ..."

"Yeah, I know, kid," Miguel chuckled. "The `full release' kind. Well I won't be asking for one of those. Just a quick neck rub in the shower will do. OK, that's enough. Let's rinse off, get dry and hit the sack."

He turned off the shower, grabbed the towels and offered one to Finn, which he yanked out of his hand and quickly wrapped round his waist. The cause of his haste was obvious as the towel stuck out like a tent on a pole. At least, Miguel thought, that was a better reaction than his usual defensiveness, even if Finn would never have admitted it, despite the evidence.

"I sleep naked, kid, but it's kinda cold in here so if you want a T-shirt, shorts or something I'll ..."

"No ...no thanks sir, I'm used to sleeping nude. The men always made me."

Miguel sighed. "Finn, in this house you wear what you want to wear – I won't insist on stuff like that – I don't `own' you like those other guys claimed to." He cupped Finn's face in his hands and stared into his eyes. "I only insist on one thing. In this tribe boys never, ever, lie to their masters, so I insist on the truth from you, as you are my boy – for now, at least. We'll see how it goes but ... let's try to make a go of it, uh?"

"Yes, sir," Finn mumbled, confused about what the `truth' actually was. It kept changing.

"Good. OK, your bed's all made up. Sleep well. Long day tomorrow."

Finn watched as the man with the handsome Hispanic features and body of a physique model fell into bed naked. The boy got into his smaller bed and pulled the covers over himself. His brain still buzzed with confusing thoughts and impressions but, without thinking, he said instinctively, "Sir ... thank you, sir."

"It's a pleasure, kid," Miguel said. He smiled to himself and thought, well that was progress of sorts – one small step at a time, I guess.

Unable to stop his thoughts racing Finn had trouble sleeping. For years his life had been a succession of homes where he was treated as a cheap hustler, which is what he was, he supposed. Whatever self-esteem he ever possessed had long ago been beaten out of him, replaced by a protective shell of defiance and resentment. But now he had a glimpse of a home where there was laughter and kindness, guys who had fun and seemed to love each other.

And then there was the man who had `bought' him, though he was no longer sure what that meant. He looked across at the other bed, at the handsome face on the pillow, his gorgeous body rising and falling under the sheets as he breathed steadily. Dammit, he thought as he felt his cock stiffen and he turned over and tried to put the man out of his mind.

But there was another problem. He was cold – he should have accepted the offer of clothes. He had been cold so often in his life that this was not new, but it kept him awake.

Miguel was in a shallow sleep and slowly became aware of the tossing and turning in the bed next to him. Groggily he said, "You OK, kid? Can't sleep?"

"I ... I'm a bit cold, sir."

"Yeah I was afraid of that. OK, climb into this bed, that'll keep you warm." Finn hesitated and Miguel said, "Dammit, boy, I'm not coming on to you, you should know that by now. I won't lay a finger on you. Get your ass over here and let's get some damn sleep."

Finn scrambled out of bed, crawled into the warm king-size bed, pulled the covers over him and clung to the edge of the bed. He needn't have worried because Miguel turned his back to him and fell asleep again. So Finn slowly relaxed and stopped clutching the bed's edge.

But now he had a problem that was new to him. Up to now he had always disliked the men he lived with and he hated it when they made him sleep with them. Now it was the reverse. He was sleeping next to a man he couldn't stop thinking about, his face, his smile, his body, and how he had arm-wrestled, tied up and fucked the black leather master. It had been spectacular, he now had to admit, and here he was sleeping inches away from that gorgeous man.

So when he did finally fall asleep he dreamed of Miguel, dreamed of things he would never admit later even to himself. Several times in the night he woke touching Miguel and recoiled instinctively, but then found himself longing for just one touch from him. And he had given up denying his own boner. It was there, permanent, and there was nothing he could do about it.

It was there too in the morning when he struggled to wakefulness, unsure where he was at first until it all came flooding back and he heard the steady breathing of the muscle-stud beside him. Fuck, he thought, he had to get rid of his hard-on – maybe go to the bathroom and jerk off. But just then there was a knock at the door. Miguel stirred and shouted hoarsely, "Come in."

The door opened and in walked two young guys with trays – not just two young guys but two identically gorgeous twins with matching beautiful smiles. "Good morning," Kyle said grinning at the newcomer. "You must be Finn. I'm Kyle." "And I'm Kevin," said his brother.

Miguel sat up. "Hey, guys what's this? Oh, no, you didn't bring breakfast, you didn't need to do that. Room service is not part of the plan, dudes."

"It is this morning, sir. This being Finn's first morning we didn't think he should have to deal with the breakfast mob across the street, not before he's got his bearings."

"That's real thoughtful, guys. You're the best." Miguel jumped out of bed and helped them set the trays on the table by the window, and they didn't bat an eye at his stunning nakedness. They had seen it all before.

"Oh, and another thing," Kevin said. "Darius suggested that Finn would be needing a haircut and a shave and he mentioned it to Eddie who, as you know, cuts a lot of the guys' hair and does a great job. He's across the street right now and said he's ready to come right after breakfast if that suits." Kyle chuckled, "In fact he's real eager – you know how Eddie can get."

"Sounds like a plan, guys. I'll run it by Finn and if he's up for it I'll give you a call, OK?"

"Perfect, sir," Kyle said. They both smiled at Finn and said in turn, "Welcome to the tribe, Finn." "We're glad you're here."

They went out, leaving a stunned Finn sitting up in bed. "Now that," Miguel grinned, "was a ringing endorsement from two of the most important and respected guys in the tribe. They're Bob's boys –we'll get into all that later. Right now let's eat." He pulled the sheets off Finn who gasped and covered his erect cock with his hands. Miguel grinned, "Don't worry about that, kid. Just a piss hard-on, everyone has one in the morning. It'll go down as soon as you take a leak."

Miguel pulled on a pair of boxers and a T-shirt and tossed the same to Finn. He got out of bed, put them on and went to the bathroom.

A few minutes later they were sitting facing each other across the breakfast table. "Wow," Finn said, staring down that the spread of oatmeal, toast, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, yoghurt, fruit, juice and coffee. "Dig in, kid, you must be hungry, and I'll tell you our plans for the day. I'm the chef in a hotel in town and I've got a few days off which I plan to spend with you.

"After breakfast, as the twins said, young Eddie will come across and take care of that scraggly hair and beard which I'm tired of looking at. He knows just how to make a guy look good – hell, he's surrounded by gorgeous guys all day. It'll be a transformation, you'll see.

"While he's doing that I'll leave you with him and go across the street to talk with two guys named Randy and Bob. They are the founders of the tribe and as a courtesy to them I should fill them in on everything. I mean, there's a chance that you could even become a member of the tribe if things work out that way, so I have to run it by them first.

"After that I'm gonna work out at the gym in their basement, and I'd like you to come work out with me if you want to. And maybe later, at dinner across the street, we'll take the plunge and introduce you to the tribe, a great bunch of guys. In a couple of days we'll go visit Doctor Steve. He's great at sorting out whatever problems a guy has. How does all that sound?"

Finn stopped eating, put down his knife and fork and stared at Miguel. After a long silence tears came to his eyes and began flowing down his cheeks in a steady stream. He tried to sob them back ... "I'm sorry, sir, I ..."

"Hey, it's OK, Finn. Everything's OK." Miguel suddenly realized that the boy had not encountered much kindness in his life, never expected it, and now here it was coming at him in spades. His emotions welled up and his spontaneous reaction was to cry.

Miguel reached forward and brushed the tears from his cheeks. "It's gonna work out fine, kiddo. And I promise you one thing. You don't have to repay all this with sex like you have in the past with all those other guys. You've made it clear that you're not into sex with guys, you only did it for money, and I respect that. You're a good looking guy, Finn, real sexy, but I've never forced myself on anyone. So it's a deal, no sex. Just friends eh?"

"OK, sir," Finn stammered, staring at him across the table. And the tears kept flowing.

TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Chapter 406

Hey guys, this is Rob Williams. I hope that chapter got you off, and I welcome your comments and suggestions, which can be very helpful in planning future chapters. E-mail me in confidence at rw6789@aol.com.

ALSO, I invite you to visit my own Web-site www.atrialofstrength.com. You can read the whole story, with extras including pictures and biographies of all the characters.

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