Gray holds my stare for a moment before he finally nods and motions for me to follow him. He opens the door again and I sigh loudly before he glares at me over his shoulder.

  Seems I misunderstood.

  I thought he was trying to get rid of me again, but as I follow him out into the hallway, I realize there’s a staircase at the other end of the building, and that’s where we’re headed.

  He takes the stairs two at a time, and while I do my best to keep up, I’m damn near out of breath by the time we get up to the third floor.

  “Jesus Christ. Isn’t there an elevator in this place?” I ask him when I finally reach him. He’s waiting at another door, arms crossed firmly over his chest, an amused smirk on his face. Alright, so I may not be as in shape as he is, but I don’t train like a fucking muscle-head either.

  “Took you long enough,” he quips, looking me up and down.

  “Yeah, whatever,” I reply as I wave him off. I bend over and rest my hands on my knees for a moment to get my breathing normal again, when he begins to fiddle with his key ring.

  “Make sure you stay in line,” he warns me when I stand back upright. I shrug and nod as he pulls the door open and I follow him in.

  The room is dark until he flips a switch on the side of the wall. He slides the keys back into his pocket and makes his way toward a large steel table in the center of the room.

  There’s something under a large tarp … and it’s moving.

  Gray walks to the head of the table, lifts the tarp slightly and smiles kindly at what’s underneath.

  “Are you sure?” he asks, glancing up at me.

  I nod, “Yeah; let’s boogie.”

  He takes a deep breath as he moves to the other side of the table and begins to gently pull the tarp down until I can see what’s underneath.

  It’s a young guy and a younger gal laying next to each other. They’re watching him with wide, frightened eyes, and now I’m even more curious than I was before.

  Well, that’s some freaky shit, I think as I step into the room and head over to the opposite side of where Gray is standing and watching me. I peer over the two and wonder why it looks like they’re mended together, but decide that my eyes must be playing tricks on me.

  There’s no way in hell that would be possible, after all.

  Seven

  A Masterpiece

  Gray

  I’m watching Lakyn carefully as he continues to inspect Penn and Aiden. I can see in his eyes that he doesn’t quite believe what he’s seeing, and that honestly makes this easier on me.

  "So, what did you say this was?" he asks again, taking a step back from the table and sliding his hands into his pockets.

  "It's my lover, Penn ... and my best friend, Aiden," I reply softly.

  I don't know how else to explain this beautiful piece of art I've created, so I decide that the truth is the best way to go.

  "Hm," he says, tilting his head and glancing from Penn to Aiden and back again. He runs a hand down Penn’s arm and I reach over and slap it away. He grins at me as he mimes an ouch then reaches for Penn’s leg this time. I watch horrified, as he slides his hand up his thigh and grips him just below his cock.

  I can see it in his eyes.

  I know what he wants and I refuse to let him do it.

  "And you're sure I can't fuck it?"

  I knew it, I think angrily.

  He didn’t want to meet Penn because he was curious. He just wanted another hole to shove his dick into.

  I can feel my blood starting to boil. This bastard doesn't seem to be interested in anything that can't satisfy his obvious carnal desires, and I have to fight the urge to lean across the table and backhand him.

  "Positive," I reply through grit teeth.

  Lakyn smirks at me and I sigh. He seems to like me better when I lose my temper and I fall into his trap each and every goddamn time.

  "Sorry," I grumble.

  "No you're not, and that's okay because neither am I," he replies conversationally.

  His tone makes me slightly skittish and the way he begins to rock back and forth on the heels of his feet only adds to my nervous disposition.

  I reach for the large down blanket I use to keep Penn and Aiden warm when I take time away from being with them, then run a hand affectionately over each of their heads, before I lean down and kiss Penn gently on his lips, then Aiden on her forehead.

  "Idea!" Lakyn suddenly shouts, causing me to almost jump out of my skin. I turn my gaze toward him dangerously. I don't want him to frighten my creation any more than it already is, but the smirk on his face tells me that his idea probably won't make anyone in this room happy that isn't him.

  "What is it?" I ask tiredly.

  "I won't fuck the whole thing—I respect that you won't allow that. However, I think it could be so much fun if you take one, I take the other, and we have a go at them together, am I right?"

  He's fucking insane, I think angrily.

  And when I see the look in his eyes, I also realize that he's fucking serious.

  The only question now isn't if I kill him— it's when.

  “Is your curiosity satisfied now, little cat?” I snap at him. I walk around the table and grab him roughly by the forearm, drag him toward the door, and shove him into the hallway.

  “Not entirely,” he replies as he turns to face me. “Can I ask you something before I go?”

  I take a deep breath.

  If I lose control right now, I’m no better than he is.

  So, against my better judgment, I nod.

  Lakyn clears his throat as he takes a step closer toward me. “Who fucks you better? Me or your boy, Penn there?” he asks at the top of his lungs.

  I’m absolutely mortified.

  And behind me, I can hear Penn grunting in anger and the sound of the table shifting as he struggles to sit up.

  Lakyn lied.

  He promised he wouldn’t tell Penn and he fucking lied.

  ‘Tsk, tsk,” he says, waving a finger at me. “I told you that I’m about the truth, which is much better than keeping a secret if you ask me.”

  With a wink, he spins on his heel and starts to make his way down the hallway. Just as I’m about to give chase and shove him down the metal steps, the sound of a body thumping against the floor in the room draws my attention.

  I step back in, push the emergency lock button next to the light switch, then hurry over to where my masterpiece is glaring up at me with betrayed eyes.

  There’s nowhere for Lakyn to go anyway, and Penn needs me more right now than I want that bastard’s blood.

  Eight

  Let’s Play A Game

  Lakyn

  I heard something fall when I left Gray upstairs.

  To be fair, I knew it would piss off the thing under the sheet if I said what I did, but I can’t help it. The color-named kid is becoming boring and I’m really interested in what the boyfriend/girlfriend duo is capable of.

  If he’s not willing to share, then I’ll just keep riling him up until I get what I want.

  A satisfaction to my genuine curiosity of wanting to know if she’d feel it if I fucked her stitch pal or vice versa. It’s a fair enough thing to want to know after all, how do you show someone something like that and not expect them to want to have a go?

  Hm.

  The realization that Gray is starting to become nothing more than the “color-named kid” to me is disappointing. I had hoped that he’d hold my attention for longer than he has, but his chivalry toward that meat puzzle upstairs is killing my high for him.

  “Whatever,” I mutter as I head back into his home.

  I guess now that I know what he’s hiding up on the top floor, this big ass building makes sense. Lord knows I wouldn’t want anyone finding something like that either, but he needs to learn to let things go. Keeping pets around instead of discarding them when he’s done playing with them won’t do him any good.

  I glance around the main floor one last time before I decide I should probably make my way back to Arizona. Ichabod’s been left alone long enough at this point and Gray isn’t any fun anymore.

  With a shrug and a sigh, I shove my hands into my pockets and walk out the same way I came in. I get a little confused when I head into the hallway because the fucking thing is still dark and I’m wondering if I should leave him some money to pay for a light bill or two. Clearing my throat, I take a right and head toward the gate that he left open when we first entered only to find that it’s been shut.

  Fucking meat-head, I think with an eye roll as I crouch down and attempt to slide my fingers under the gate. I quickly realize that this goddamn thing isn’t going to give way any time soon and I’ll probably need ol’ Steroids upstairs to open this damn thing for me.

  I grit my teeth and kick the gate in frustration before I turn around and decide to go make nice again, when I damn near bump into the man himself. He’s standing there, big and burly, broody and moody, arms crossed over his chest and staring at me like he wants to rip my throat out with his bare teeth.

  I can dig it.

  A little pain every now and then makes life more bearable.

  “Gimme a hand with this, huh?” I ask him, jerking my head back toward the gate behind me. He doesn’t move—Hell, I’m not even sure if he’s breathing at this point, but he doesn’t seem to understand that it’s going to take a heck of a lot more than a stare down to shrivel my dick.

  “No?” I press with a smirk. “It’s okay; I’ll just find another way out then.”

  As I start to brush passed him, he grabs me by the forearm and shoves me back with such force, that I stumble and crash into the gate.

  “Careful,” I warn him with a laugh as I hold up a hand, “I don’t particularly like when people put their hands on me, and you won’t be able to handle me if I snap back at you.” I clear my throat, use my hands to smooth my hair back and grin at him, “You get a freebie this time, but only this time. You touch me like that again and I’ll have to show you what I can really do when push comes to shove.”

  Gray drops his arms from his chest, steps one leg back, and holds up his fists in some kind of boxing stance. He wants to fight me it seems. I glance down at the watch on my wrist and narrow my eyes trying to figure out if I have enough time for this, when the bastard lands a cheap shot across my face.

  I chuckle as I stand up to my full height and wipe away spit with the tips of my fingers. Gray is back in his little fancy position and he looks dangerously close to striking again, so I crack my neck and relax my body. This won’t be as fun as fucking him was, but if this is how I have to put him in his place, then so be it.

  “Come get some, bitch,” I snarl at him.

  He takes the bait like most men would when called such an endearing term, and I manage to sidestep his swing at the last minute, landing an elbow to his back as he stumbles by me. He’s using his brute strength to try and take me down, not realizing that some things just can’t be fought with the body alone.

  Gray lets out a chuckle of his own as he gets back into his little macho position and eyes me dangerously.

  “Do you wanna keep dancing? This is getting boring,” I tell him, inspecting my fingernails. “Let’s be friends again. If you’d rather not be, I can either leave without messing up that pretty face of yours, or I can put you through the fucking ground. Your choice, big boy.”

  The danger leaves his eyes.

  In fact, his entire body relaxes as he lets out a heavy sigh and turns his face away from me. Crossing his ‘roid rage arms loosely over his chest again, he chews his lower lip thoughtfully for a moment.

  “I haven’t fought anyone in a long time,” he admits in a quiet tone.

  I roll my eyes because I don’t care. He apparently thought that just because I’m not as beefed up as he is, that he’d be able to knock me out with one clumsy punch.

  Obviously, he’s wrong and now realizing it.

  “Listen,” I begin in a tone as bored as I’m feeling, “if you’re pissed off at me for asking you a simple question in front of your man/woman thing, that’s not my problem. I’m not one for apologizing, so don’t expect it from me. I did tell you that I’m about the truth and that I wouldn’t tell the meat puzzle that I fucked you, and I didn’t. I merely asked what was on my brain and you couldn’t handle it. Neither could that thing upstairs apparently,” I finish dryly.

  He grunts and I chuckle as I glance down at my watch again.

  “Got somewhere you need to be all of a sudden?” he asks, turning his gaze toward me.

  “Not really. Ever since a road trip I took a few years back, I have a thing for knowing what the time is. It’s kind of a bad habit I can’t seem to shake,” I explain, dropping my arm back down to my side.

  “Kind of like you,” he says softly.

  “Correct! Now, what are we doing? Anything good? If not, give me a hand with that gate and I’ll be out of your hair.”

  I walk passed Gray and crouch down by the door again, then glance up at him over my shoulder. He hasn’t even turned to look at me and I can feel myself starting to get ragey. Not his kind of ragey, but enough that he’ll see a side of me he’ll never be able to forget.

  Maybe if I bring Ichabod back on my next swing through this bullshit town, he’ll see what happens to his pretty skin if he keeps shooting up, I think irritably as I get to my feet.

  “Okay, I’ll stay then,” I say with a shrug as I suck my teeth and walk passed him again.

  Gray doesn’t follow me.

  Not with his eyes or that brute body of his.

  Nope, he keeps his tight ass firmly planted in the same place as he whispers a little warning while I breeze by him.

  “I’m going to kill you before the night is over.”

  A grin spreads slowly across my face as I wander back into his home.

  Let’s play.

  Nine

  Misery Loves Company

  Gray

  I don’t know why I just haven’t snapped his neck yet. The more the night goes on, the more I’m wondering if I’m enjoying his bullshit in some weird way.

  I guess it’s because I’ve been feeling lonely lately, but even that doesn’t explain why the hell I let him come in.

  I could have stopped him at the front door. I could have even stopped him outside the bar, but there was just something about Lakyn that held my attention—even if it was just for the slightest of moments.

  It makes me feel sick, honestly.

  It makes me feel like I’m betraying Penn more than I already have by letting this maniac fuck me.

  I did it for us, though.

  So that he would leave us alone after he got what I thought he wanted and I could go back to wallowing in my misery while I take care of my masterpiece.

  No. Penn doesn’t deserve this shit and neither does Aiden, I tell myself as I shake my head and finally walk into my home again.

  I find Lakyn lounging on my couch like he owns the place, feet up on my fucking coffee table, and arms crossed behind his head. As I begin to make my way toward him, I can see the smirk starting to curve up the corners of his mouth, and it makes me angry.

  He thinks this entire thing is a joke.

  That he can just walk into someone else’s life for a night, fuck it up, and keep moving.

  Not this time.

  Not anymore.

  “Get up, you piece of shit,” I growl as I reach down and pick him up by the collar of his shirt.

  The grin never leaves his face—if anything, it widens and I can feel myself starting to sweat.

  With the nonchalance of a nun picking up her rosary, Lakyn reaches a hand forward and grabs my dick.

  To my surprise it makes me hard again.

  No way.

  “Fuck off,” I grunt, giving him a shake, but he doesn’t ease up. Instead, he tightens his grip and licks his lips.

  “You need to learn to loosen up, kid. This could all be over if you’d be willing to let me play with your toys.”

  “I gave you what you wanted,” I shout at him, giving him another shake. “I let you fuck me! You said that you would leave after that!”

  Lakyn scoffs, sucks his teeth, and let’s go of my dick. “Yeah, well I changed my mind when I saw what you had upstairs. Let me play with them, Gray. I’ll even let you watch,” he says with what I assume he thinks is a sexy smile.

  I see red, then black.

  The world seems to be caving in around me so I do the only thing I can to keep myself in the moment.

  I headbutt the fuck out of him and drop him back on the couch, bruised, a little bloodied, and barely clinging to consciousness.

  Instead of throwing him out like a normal person would, the artist in me feels like creating.

  I turn Lakyn over, face down on the couch, and proceed to pull his pants off. If he wants to see a fucking monster, then I’ll just have to show him one.

  * * *

  I had to knock Lakyn out to keep him from fighting me once he realized what was happening. It was nice to have some peace and quiet again, and even nicer still to see what I’d been missing.

  I’ve always been the kind of guy that enjoyed a good fuck, and that was something I only ever wanted to share with Penn after our first time. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

  I hadn’t had anyone since I made my masterpiece. I had become a self-appointed celibate because I felt that was the right thing to do.

  Until tonight.

  As I raise the cool gallon jug of water I keep in the fridge to my lips and take a drink, I chuckle. The big bad bastard that thought he had the upper hand is going to wake up mighty sore and a little worse for wear.

  Maybe now he’ll fucking leave, I think dryly as I replace the cap and put the jug back into the fridge.

  I hear a grunt in the living room, a shout of surprise, then a loud sigh. I chuckle and walk back toward the doorway dividing the two spaces, cross my arms over my chest, and glare at him with the same grin he’s been giving me almost all night.

 

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