My Forever (3 page)
“Are you going to fire me?”
His boss stilled, face expressionless. “No, I’m not going to let you go, but I do want you to take my card. You have a cell phone, right?”
Kyle nodded, confused but not willing to push his luck by asking the man why he would hang onto an employee with obvious issues. Lucas pulled a business card from his back pocket and pressed it into Kyle’s hand.
“My personal phone number is on the back. Call me if you need anything.” He discarded the used towels in the trash then placed both of his hands on Kyle’s knees. “Anything, Kyle. Do you understand?”
No, but he nodded anyway, unable to deny the power of the man’s gravity. Lucas paused for several seconds, piercing him with those searching blue eyes until Kyle had to look away. He heard his boss sigh and a moment later he was left alone. He wasn’t sure what had just happened, but if there was even the slightest chance that he still had a job, he didn’t want to give Lucas any more reason to doubt his worth. Straightening his shirt, he left the sanctity of the bathroom and did his best to blend into the background as he finished his duties.
* * * *
Five minutes before closing, Jake laid on the horn of his Mercury Milan in the front parking lot—one of the many luxuries Craig had bestowed upon him throughout the years. Kyle hadn’t finished sweeping the floor, but he knew his brother would only come in and cause another scene if he didn’t leave right then. He flashed Amanda a bright smile, hoping to dispel the concern written on her face. So far, he'd avoided her attempts to pull him aside and ask him about his busted lip.
Just one more minute, then the day would be over.
He found Lucas in his office, squinting over a document covered with more digits than letters. Kyle rapped on the door, his apology for having to leave so soon on the tip of his tongue, but Lucas cut him off.
“You have my card, right?”
Kyle creased his brow. “Yes.”
“Then I’ll see you on Monday.” Lucas went back to his paperwork without another word.
Kyle couldn’t tell whether the man was frustrated at him or the paper. Another long beep told him it was past time to go. As he left the store and climbed into the back of Jake’s car, a blonde seated next to his brother twisted around to get a closer look at him.
“Who’s this little cutie?”
“No one. Just the kid I get paid to chauffer around every so often,” Jake replied.
The blonde gave Jake a curious look but turned back around in her seat. The response didn’t bother Kyle. He was used to it. Jake had found out long ago that women didn’t exactly fall at his feet once they found out the type of relationship he ‘allowed’ his younger brother to be in.
Twenty minutes later, Jake parked at the front of the mansion and all three entered with Kyle trailing behind.
The blonde let out the appropriate ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ at the impressive expanse of the foyer, requiring Jake to take her arm and steer her towards the pristine sitting room where Craig reclined on a brown, leather armchair beside a lit, stone fireplace. Kyle supposed that once upon a time he had also been awed by the strategically placed, austere decorations and paintings that cost more than his father’s yearly income.
The house was designed in a classic, Victorian style with all of the comforts and amenities of modern day civilisation. But now, it resembled nothing more to Kyle than a prison that had long ago sucked away any dreams he might have harboured for his future.
Kyle hurried over and knelt beside Craig’s feet with his head bowed, prepared to wait until acknowledged. Jake told the blonde he wouldn’t be long and left her standing in the doorway while he walked over to Craig. Bending down so that he could whisper in Craig’s ear, Jake calmly reviewed his perception of the scenario involving Kyle and the frisky customer that afternoon. But the truth wasn’t enough for his brother. He embellished every line, making it seem as though Kyle and the stranger had been carrying on an affair for quite some time.
Kyle broke his subservience and looked up in horror. The anger on his boyfriend’s face grew as the spiteful grin on Jake’s lips widened. Yes, his brother had coerced him into a relationship with Craig, and yes, he enforced Craig’s rules with anything and everything at his disposal with a little too much relish, but he had never told an outright lie to get Kyle into trouble. By the time Jake was done, Craig was fuming, and Kyle was too stunned to speak up for himself.
Not that it would have mattered.
Jake sent him an evil smirk then sauntered back to the blonde. Kyle didn’t have time to react before Craig grabbed a fistful of his hair and threw him to the side. He tumbled across the carpeted floor, coming to rest only when his shoulder hit the hard edge of the ornate, oak coffee table.
Dazedly, he heard the fading voice of the blonde asking, “Should we do something?”
“Oh no,” his brother replied offhandedly. “They’re into the whole BDSM thing. This is normal. Let’s get out of here.”
Kyle opened his eyes to see Craig stalking towards him. Fear seized his heart at the promise of punishment on Craig’s face. “No, no please,” he begged. “It’s not true. I didn’t…”
Craig kicked him in the ribs twice, stealing his breath. “What’s not true? The fact that you were out whoring yourself instead of working a real job?”
Kyle was lifted from the floor by a steel arm around his neck, cutting off his air supply, and dragged to their bedroom on the other side of the house. It was a fairly long distance and by the time Craig tossed him onto the bed, he could do nothing but gasp for breath.
“I gave you my trust.” Craig ripped the clothes from him, leaving deep scratches in his haste. “I gave you freedom.” Kyle’s arms and legs were stretched until he was lying spread-eagle on his belly, tied at the wrists and ankles by thick cords of twine. Craig wrenched his hair back so that he was forced to look the man in the eye. “And this is how you repay me?”
Kyle fought to hold back the sobs threatening to break free while Craig disappeared to the back of the room. “Please, Sir, please. I love you. I would never do that.”
The first lash that whipped like fire across his backside cut off the rest of his pleas. He let out a high-pitched scream, but they kept coming. Craig landed a series of strikes from his shoulders to his thighs, each one splitting his skin open so that it felt like he was being flayed alive. Kyle couldn’t stop crying out until his hair was pulled back again. Tears obscured the vision of Craig’s face but he instantly gave up on sight when a hand repeatedly slapped him over his eyes, mouth and ears.
He could hear distant curses and threats, but his head was ringing too much to make sense of them. The lashes began again and he screamed until his voice gave out. By the time Craig invaded his ass, Kyle had given up his fight for consciousness and slipped into blessed oblivion.
Chapter Two
Lucas dragged himself in to work on Monday with an espresso in one hand and an energy bar in the other. He’d taken most of yesterday off but it hadn’t been filled with the relaxation he was hoping for. The images of fear and shame on Kyle’s face, along with his busted lip when Lucas had found him talking to his brother, would not leave his mind.
At a young age, he’d been forced to join The Order—an elite group of soldiers among his race chosen for the rare powers they were born with and trained to uphold the laws of his people. So he wasn’t exactly keen on the dynamics of family, but he was certain they shouldn’t involve abuse among siblings. And where was this boyfriend that Kyle had spoken of? From the young man’s behaviour, Lucas would venture to guess it wasn’t the first time his brother had hit him.
“Hi, boss! How’s it going?”
Lucas squinted at Cassy over the rim of his cup while he headed for his office. Her hair was purple this week and pinned atop her head with a myriad of mismatched barrettes and clips to hold it in place. She was a lot like Kyle. Barely of age to work in a liquor store, but more dedicated and ambitious than most of the older people he had hired over the years.
“Are you sure you can’t work evenings?”
“Why? Is something wrong?” She leaned on one elbow and plopped her chin on her open palm, worry creasing her brow.
“Yeah. It’s unnatural to be so perky in the morning. It disturbs me.”
Cassy just laughed and went back to cleaning the counters.
“Is Kyle here yet?”
“No. He was supposed to show up an hour ago but he hasn’t called in. He might have caught the same cold I had.”
Possible, but not likely.
Lucas closed his office door and sat at his desk, debating the wisdom of calling Kyle’s cell phone to check in on him. Employers did it all the time. Alarm clocks failed. Cars died. Accidents happened. But Lucas wasn’t calling merely to see if the kid could work his shift. He couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Kyle was in danger.
After ten minutes of staring blindly at his paperwork, he swivelled his chair around to the filing cabinet and pulled Kyle’s employment folder. After flipping open his phone, he dialled Kyle’s listed number and got his voicemail after the second ring. Frustrated, he hung up and took note of the time. One hour, then he’d try again.
Twenty minutes later, his cell rang. Lucas felt his chest expand with a sigh of relief when he saw Kyle’s number on the screen. “Matthews.”
Several seconds passed then a hoarse voice came on. “It’s Kyle. I’m quitting my job. I’m s-sorry, but I have to go.”
“Kyle, what’s—” But the line was dead.
His instincts screamed at him that something was wrong. He jotted down Kyle’s address and marched out of his office. “Cassy, can you hold the fort for a while?”
“Yeah sure, but—”
“Be back later.” He didn’t wait for a response.
Once in his Dodge Avenger, he hit the highway, thankful that the lunch rush hour hadn’t hit yet, and took the exit leading to Kyle’s neighbourhood. It was on the ‘rich’ side of town—the street he turned onto full of nothing but mansions and estates. He pulled into the driveway of the address written on Kyle’s application, hoping the kid hadn’t lied about it. After turning off the engine, he got out, proceeded to the ornate front door and rang the doorbell. A short time later, a man with a slightly smaller build than his answered the door with a sneer on his face.
“Can I help you?”
It wasn’t Kyle’s brother, and the man looked to be in his late thirties. Too old to be Kyle’s boyfriend, by human standards at least, but stranger things had happened. Lucas took in the expensive threads and cropped brown hair over flat, brown eyes. The guy reeked of money without a touch of class.
“Does Kyle Jennings live here?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
“His boss. I need to see him.”
The man gave him a condescending onceover. “He’s indisposed at the moment. Besides, he told me he quit his job this morning.”
“That would be the consensus. However, it’s imperative that I see him now.”
The man narrowed his eyes and started to close the door. “Sorry, but I’m afraid that’s quite impossible. Goodbye.”
Lucas stepped forwards and placed his boot in the crevice of the doorway before forcing the door back open. “And I’m afraid I’m not going to be that easy to get rid of. Are you his boyfriend?”
“Yes, Kyle is mine. Now if you don’t leave immediately, I will call the cops.”
Lucas had had enough of the man. “Craig, right?” He shoved past him and walked into the house. Kyle wasn’t in sight and from the look of the layout, it could take him too long to search every room for the man. “Kyle!” he shouted. Lucas spun around and ducked the punch Craig threw at him. He grabbed the man’s fist and used his forwards momentum to twist it behind his back. “Where is he?”
Craig struggled in his hold, spouting out invectives and threats. Lucas would have laughed if he weren’t so concerned about Kyle’s welfare. He’d been trained to kill creatures a lot tougher and meaner than the pathetic human in his arms.
“I’m only going to repeat this once. Where is Kyle?”
Craig did as expected and cursed louder. Lucas kicked his feet out from under him and slammed him down to the floor on his chest. He brought one boot down over the back of the man’s neck and yanked on the arm he was still holding. With a vicious twist, he bent Craig’s wrist until the cords of his neck stood out in hollow relief. The scream that followed was almost high enough to pierce his eardrums.
“In the room! He’s in the bedroom!” Craig cried.
“That’s better. Now show me where that is.” Lucas hefted the man up and grasped his neck in a bruising hold. The house had very few walls, which he supposed was meant to give it an airy appeal, but the furnishings and decorations simply made it feel cold and uninviting. After twenty or so open yards, Craig stopped at a tall door. Lucas opened it and pushed the man inside. Craig stopped at another door which looked to lead to a closet.
Lucas was confused but decided to play along for now. “I’m still waiting to see Kyle.”
“It’s locked,” Craig ground out.
Lucas arched a brow at him and Craig mumbled under his breath as he pulled a gold key from his pocket with his good hand then turned it in the lock. The door swung open and Lucas felt his breath catch at what he saw inside. Craig cried out beside him and Lucas had to forcibly remove his fingers from around the man’s neck before he crushed it. He curled his other hand and smashed it square on the bridge of Craig’s nose, the crunch of cartilage not even close to satisfying the black fury that suffused him.