Miles high, p.18
Miles High, page 18
part #4 of Grimm Tales of Smoky Vale Series
I wiggled this way and that way, holding my hands under me, but he was too strong and yanked them out from under me. Hook tied one hand to the headboard, then the other, the rope biting into my skin. My legs were next so that I lay spread-eagled on the bed.
“Please, don’t do this,” I pleaded, thrashing on the bed. Oh god, Tempus wasn’t even planning on doing it alone. Hook was still in the room, and an official-looking one had just entered, carrying a black bag.
“Miles, this is Dr. Rhys Hosford, and he’s a doctor. It doesn’t matter where. Do you want to guess why he’s here?”
“I don’t want to play your stupid games anymore,” I cried. “I’m done playing them.”
“But you don’t call the shots, my pet. I do. I say when we’re done playing my stupid games.” He chuckled, the sound cruel. He pointed at my ass. “Is that normal?”
The doctor leaned over, frowning at my body. “I’d say it looks like your ward was spanked severely. And quite recently.”
Tempus brushed back the hair from my face, his stone-cold eyes boring into mine. “You had the biker spank you?”
“I was at a party,” I lied. “It was friends.”
“I’m not buying that.” He stroked my chin. “So help me if I find out that you’ve been fucking anyone after I’ve left you untouched for this long. You’ll live to regret it. You think we’ve started playing games, eh? You haven’t seen anything yet. I can drive you out of your mind.”
“What are you going to do?” I whispered, my stomach roiling. Why hadn’t I stayed with Rubble, worn his shirt, or even walked naked around him? Anything would have been better than landing into this hellhole.
“Dr. Hosford here is my consultant. He will be checking my property to make sure that it hasn’t been damaged.”
“Damaged? I’m quite fine.”
“We’ll know that for sure once Dr. Hosford is finished.” He nodded at the man. “Hook, pull his pants down.”
“What? No!”
But no amount of protesting got me out of it. My jeans were pulled down to my knees, as was my underwear, leaving me naked from the waist down on the bed. Completely humiliated, I buried my face into the pillow and clenched my eyes tight, fighting against my tears.
“Now stay still,” the doctor said. “I’m just going to poke around a bit to ensure nothing’s been up your bottom.”
The image of Rubble fucking me with his tongue and finger hit me. Would they know?
“You can’t do this. Not without my permission.”
“I’d suggest you stay relaxed.” The doctor placed his bag on the bed and opened it. “I’ll be using lube so nothing gets torn, but if you’re a virgin, as Tempus says, this might feel uncomfortable.”
For the life of me, I couldn’t follow his instructions to relax. I lost the fight and tears seeped into the pillow as he probed with a cold metal instrument. Thank god I couldn’t see what he was doing, but I was all too aware of Tempus and Hook watching.
The object was removed, and I let out a deep sigh, utterly humiliated at what he’d just done to me.
“Well?” Tempus demanded.
“No sign of penetration as far as I can see,” the doctor said. “He has preserved himself for you, just as you had hoped.”
“He has?” Tempus sounded surprised. The bed dipped as he sat beside me. “Don’t try to make me feel bad for what just happened,” he said. “You’ve been hanging around with the biker. Of course, I’m going to assume he’s fucked you, but I’m pleased to find that you’ve kept your word. You’re full of surprises. The best of my possessions.”
I raised my head, my eyes blurry from tears, and glared at him. “I wish I had. I wish I had let him fuck me all the times that he’d wanted.”
“Hmm, I think you need another lesson tonight in why it’s in your best interest to obey me. Hook, supervise him in the shower. We go to my place and from there to tonight’s event.”
I was silent as Hook untied my arms and legs. I stumbled to the shower, his eyes lingering on me. As they were as I got dressed. I went through the motions, dead inside.
When I was dressed, he led me to the car waiting outside. I sat in the back between Tempus and Hook, my back ramrod straight.
“Tell me, Miles. What is it about this biker that fascinates you?”
I didn’t answer him, clenching my teeth shut.
“Do you dream that he’ll come to your rescue? Is that it? Because you wouldn’t really want one more life on your hands, would you?” He sighed when I didn’t respond. “Suit yourself. Maybe you don’t deserve to join me tonight then. You can stay home and sulk that you didn’t get your own way. I give you enough freedom as it is. Don’t I allow you to go gallivanting all over town with that biker? How do you think that looks to my associates? I look like a fool, having my possession in another man’s hands.”
We continued the rest of the drive in silence. Once we got to his home, he hustled me inside straight to his bedroom. At least we were alone this time.
“Strip,” he said. “Take everything off.”
I didn’t move.
“You can do it yourself, or I can have Hook assist you. What will it be?”
“I hate you,” I growled at him.
He shrugged. “That’s why I keep you around this long, to be honest. All the others, even those who came after you, have caved by now, but not you.” He cupped my chin. “You have an indomitable spirit I want to break. I’m going to humiliate you and break you, make you beg for my cock. But I won’t fuck you when you beg for it. I’ll have my men do it for me, and I’ll watch.” He spat in my face. “Remember your place. Now strip.”
It wasn’t the first time that he’d spat on me. He’d urinated on me a few times too in front of his men. It was all a part of his sick twisted game of whatever he hoped to achieve by “breaking me.” I wiped my face with the back of my hand, my stomach in knots from touching his bodily fluid. I stripped out of my clothes and stood still.
He collared me and attached a leash to it, then smacked my cheek. “Look how fucking useless you are. You can’t even fight back, can you? Now kneel, and don’t look at me, or I’ll kick you in the ribs.”
We had reached a new level. He’d never been physically threatening before. I got down on my knees, and he yanked at the collar, choking me.
“Keep up.”
I crawled after him, almost tumbling down the stairs, but every time I faltered, he tightened the leash, holding me upright but also choking me in the process. But he didn’t care and led me to the living room, where the fighter who won him the most of his money stood nursing a scotch.
“Heel.” He sat on the couch, and I remained on my knees—which hurt like hell— by his side while he patted my head like I was a dog.
I tuned out their conversation, worried about what Rubble would think when he woke up and found me missing. He was injured, but that wouldn’t stop him from coming after me if he knew I was in trouble. But I didn’t want him to get involved in this. Angel was dead because of me. If Rubble got involved, then the other bikers would too, and what if it was Grimm the next time or Mort who got hurt?
No matter how much I longed to be rescued, I didn’t want Rubble to be my hero. I would have to find a way to free myself.
Raised voices startled me, and I glanced up. The collar pulled around my neck so tight I grabbed at it to ease the pressure.
“That’s not what we agreed on, Black,” Skull Crusher growled. “This is supposed to be my last fight. I’ve paid my dues.”
“You’ve paid your dues when I say you have. I don’t know why you want out of our deal so badly either. We make a good team, don’t we?”
The pressure on the leash loosened, and I gulped in some air.
“I don’t want to do competitive fighting anymore. I want to work at the gym, perhaps train kids to do better than me.”
“That’s a fucking pipe dream, man. There’s no way that’s going to happen. We can’t lose the momentum. Now I suggest you go prepare yourself. Tonight will prove an interesting fight.”
“That’s another thing, man. You keep bringing these untrained boxers to the ring and expect me to fight them.”
“Let’s get this straight. You fight whoever I tell you to fight.”
“It’s not good business, is all I’m saying. People come to watch me go up against a real opponent.”
“When I want your opinion,” Tempus snapped, “I’ll ask you. Now get out. I need you to teach tonight’s opponent a lesson for me.”
The two men got up and marched out without another word. I waited, bracing myself for whatever came next. Liquid trickled in front of me, and I stiffened. I hated when he did this to me.
“Lick my boots,” he said. “Come on. Do it like the bitch you are.”
Tears burning my eyes, I licked at his boots, wishing the piss was poisoned so my torment could end.
When I was done, he pulled on the leash until my head was angled up in his direction. Even so, I kept my eyes averted.
“A pity you couldn’t be good earlier,” he said. “Imagine you might have saved your dad from fighting tonight. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you have his body to patch up after.”
My eyes flew to his face. “I won’t choose him. I’ll never choose him to fight.”
“Too bad you don’t get to choose this time. You should have thought about that before you forgot your place. Now let me get your hood. Wouldn’t want to miss the fight.”
Chapter 20
Rubble
The most frustrating thing about using crutches until my leg had healed was being unable to ride my bike. Unable to drive over to Miles’s house and find out what had happened in the last forty-eight hours. Everything between us had gone so well, and then I’d woken up to find him gone without a note or anything. I’d been calling him since yesterday, but he hadn’t answered. Now the phone had been turned off as the calls went straight to voicemail. The prospects I’d sent to cruise by his home yesterday and the day before had all reported the same thing: nobody was home. But a minute ago, one of them had texted me that Miles stepped out of a black sedan. I’d asked them to stay put at his house until I got there.
If he so much as moved, I wanted to know where he went.
Next, I dialed Mort’s number.
“Yeah?” he answered the call.
“I need a ride to Miles’s place. How soon can you get here?”
“In an hour.” He didn’t even question me. As much as we bickered, when it came down to it, I knew he would have my back because I would have his too. It all boiled down to what I’d explained to Miles. Family didn’t get left behind. We did for each other what was needed, putting personal feelings aside.
“I’ll be waiting. Thanks, man.”
“Is there anything else I can do?” Mort asked.
“Do you know if Cass spoke to him since yesterday?”
“I don’t think so. I vaguely heard him mention that Miles didn’t participate in their chat group. Why? Is everything all right with Miles?”
My pride wanted me to shut down. For him not to know how much I was failing at this Daddy business. We were supposed to protect our boys, and I couldn’t help feeling I wasn’t doing a good job of that. But how could I when he wouldn’t tell me who I was up against?
“I haven’t heard from Miles since the day before yesterday,” I said. “But he’s done this before where he disappears and then he shows up okay. He swears he won’t be physically hurt, but I can’t trust that anymore, Mort.”
“I’ll be there soon,” Mort said. “And you’re going to tell me everything. I knew there was more to it than you not knowing who shot at you.”
“I’m serious about that. It could be anyone.” Including the person Miles was so afraid of. It could be anyone. The Grimm Reapers wasn’t the only club in town. For all I knew, he was entangled with someone from the Bloodlet club. That would explain why he thought he was in trouble and why he hesitated to talk to me. The two clubs hated each other. The internal struggle for power the other club was dealing with had them disappearing from the radar, but the slightest thing could trigger a blowup between the clubs.
If I’d touched a Bloodlet property, I would expect them to retaliate, just as we would do if any of them tried to get their hands on our boys.
But that didn’t make sense. Miles was a virgin and, based on his reaction to me, not by choice. There had to be more to it than that.
“I’m coming as soon as I can.”
Mort hung up the phone, and I maneuvered myself to my feet and hobbled over to the dresser to change my shirt. I was tugging on my vest when the doorbell rang. Mort couldn’t have gotten here already.
Miles.
I grabbed my crutch and hurried to the door. I swung it open and stared at my younger brother. I blinked at him.
“Luca? What are you doing here?”
He brushed the bangs out of his eyes. “Not even going to pretend that you’re happy to see me, are you?” he asked.
I frowned. “Of course, I’m glad to see you. I was expecting someone else.” I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Luca, not Miles. “Wait a minute. Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”
“School’s for losers.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit.”
He rolled his eyes. “My suspension ends tomorrow. I was hanging around and decided to drop by and see how you’re doing.” He nodded at my crutch. “What happened? Crashed your bike?”
“Actually, yeah, I did.”
“No fucking way. How did that happen?”
“That’s not important. Are you coming in?” I stepped aside. “A friend is coming in a few, and we’re gonna hit the road.”
He shrugged. “No sweat, I just wanted to ask you a favor.” He stepped inside, and I closed the door behind him.
“You can’t move in with me, Luca. I explained that already.”
“Yeah, because it’s too dangerous?”
“And Mom needs someone at home with her. We have a plan. You graduate high school and move on to college. Get the hell out of Smoky Vale.”
“See, that’s your plan. I kind of have a different version in my head.”
“Like what?”
“I want you to get me into fighting, man. Like I’m really good at it, and the guys at the gym say—”
“Hold up. You’ve been going to the gym to train?”
“Well, yeah. I’ve been going after school. It’s the only way I’m going to get better. The old man there lets me clean up for free practice.”
Fucking hell. Why was I just now learning about this? Granted, I only went in the morning to train, but someone should have told me.
“Wait a minute. You’re seventeen. You can’t go to the gym to train without adult permission. I’m sure as hell Mom didn’t sign you up.”
“I gave them a fake age.” He grinned at me. “What can I say? Being bigger than most boys my age comes in handy.”
“Luca, for fuck’s sake, you gotta think smarter than this. You’re getting suspended from school, signing up for fight nights when you’re still learning the basics. Is this really what you want to do with your life?”
“Do you even know anything about my fighting?” he spat at me. “I know way more than the basics, and it’s at least an honest way to make money.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He scoffed. “That tattoo shop is just a front, and we both know it. What do you think Mom would say if she knew all your money really comes from dealing?” He brushed past me toward the door. “You know a kid died last week at school from an overdose. Was that you?”
“You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about, Luca, and I’d be careful before you go around and spread rumors like that. You don’t know who the fuck’s listening.”
“Now you’re threatening me?”
“Of course, I’m not threatening you.”
“Gonna have your enforcer break my kneecaps or something?”
This fucking boy, though. I scowled at him. “You watch too many fucking shows. You’re still thinking like a kid. You are a kid, so don’t be too hasty to grow up. I had to do it, so you don’t have to. Why is it so hard for you to get that I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did?”
He opened the front door. “At least you got to make your mistakes. Let me make mine.”
“Luca!” He stalked out, and there was no way in hell I was going to catch him if he didn’t want to be caught. Maybe not even if I had two functioning legs.
Before I could close the front door, Mort appeared, frowning. “Who’s the angry dude who almost ran me over to get to the elevator?”
“My little brother,” I replied.
“Nothing little about him. He’s full of anger.”
“Aren’t we all?”
“What’s this thing between you and Miles?” He braced a hand on the door jamb. “I thought Cass said things were good between you two.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Him being in a relationship?”
“I don’t think it’s so simple. Someone is forcing him.”
“Have any proof of that?”
“Nope, just what he tells me, which is never fucking enough.”
Mort frowned. “I don’t know what to say, man? If you were poaching on my territory, I might have shot at you too. I mean, Miles is old enough to choose who he wants to be with.”
“But that’s the fucking problem. I don’t think he can choose. He hasn’t told me much, but he’s in some kind of danger, and I think a part of it has to do with him believing he’s responsible for Angel’s death. He’s trying to keep us out of it.”
“Well, I hope you’re wrong. You ready to go? I brought the truck.”
“Let me grab my wallet.”
Walking with a crutch was a pain in the ass, but unless I wanted to scrabble around like an old man, I had to take it with me to get around faster. I hauled myself up in the cab, and Mort drove out of the parking lot.
“Grimm’s pissed we’re getting involved in something potentially dangerous,” Mort said.
“Then I’ll handle it on my own, but I’m not going to walk away from this if Miles is in danger.”
