Sex & Mayhem 02 The Devil's Ride (41 page)

He opened a can of coffee and pulled a sandwich
out of his bag. Harlow would never hurt another boy. Rick
was next. A deep-seated sense
of justice settled in Tooth’s gut with each bite of the sandwich.
He would deal with this quickly, without police involvement. Those
bastards didn’t deserve the courtesy of a warm cell and prison
food.

As he washed his whole body in the icy-cold water
he
’d brought in two huge
bottles, he couldn’t help but wonder what the odds were of him
being so deeply involved with two boys targeted by the same gang of
organ snatchers. Close to none, but it was happening nevertheless.
He wanted to howl in frustration. But even knowing that Rick, and
whoever else was participating in this, were out there, alive and
well, he couldn’t bring himself to hope for anything else than
kissing Luci and seeing the boy was safe at their
headquarters.

Getting into the car and starting the motor was
like a warm blanket on Tooth’s nerves. He couldn’t wait to see
Luci’s sweet, smiling face and tell him the demon hovering over him
was gone. Tooth
would
never be able to erase the abuse his beautiful boy had to suffer
through, but he could get rid of one more thing that haunted
Luci—get rid of the photos. Harlow had confessed to only having
hard copies for security reasons. And as much as Tooth didn’t want
to see any of them, he would have to.

He stopped at a retail park on the way to buy new
clothes. In the cheap hoodie, a pair of jeans that was too big for
him, a baseball cap and a striped bandana, he returned to the car
and headed straight to Detroit, determined to not leave the car
until he got the job done. The warm coffee purchased at a
fast-food place in the retail
park did its job of keeping him aware of the road. He couldn’t
afford a good night’s sleep just yet, not until he could cradle
Luci in his arms.

Harlow’s home looked just as he described. A
two
story house with a
balcony in a secluded area. No neighbors, just a crumbling house
down the road and hundreds of yellow leaves dancing along the
street. Tooth entered through the back door, using a key hidden in
the seat of a rusted bike in the garden. Being here was the last
thing he wanted, but he wouldn’t expose Luci to having photos of
his ordeal revealed, even if only to the police. The police would
find them once someone realized Harlow was gone and his house would
be searched to find any clues. The police would then seek the boys
in the pictures, question their relatives, but they wouldn’t find
anything on Luci, and the case would remain unsolved. There would
be no body, he’d made sure to cover his tracks well enough, and had
covered himself up not to leave any traces of his presence in the
house, which was as tidy as he had expected.

What struck Tooth from the moment he entered was
the
number of new
gadgets, which included a state-of-the-art sound system with large
speakers and an extensive collection of music in all formats one
could imagine. Who knew the vermin was an audiophile. Tooth
couldn’t help but look through all the merchandise. He was no
expert, but some of the things he found in the living room, a few
of them in display cases made of thick glass, looked like expensive
collector’s items. Nausea rose in Tooth’s throat, and he wanted to
kill Harlow all over again. So this was what he killed all those
people for without any guilt? Elvis’s comb? A fucking magazine from
the 1920s? Tooth was no angel himself, but he never killed anyone
just for monetary gain. It seemed like such a waste of
life.

He looked into the kitchen and scowled at the
brand-new stove, at the expensive Japanese kitchen
knives
, and a trendy
smoothie maker. A teacher could have never afforded all this
without an extra source of income. Tooth swallowed as he looked at
the damn Kitchen Aid mixer and re-imagined it as One-Eyed Betty’s
eyeball. How much were organs worth on the black market anyway?
Would Luci’s heart be worth enough to get Harlow a new car from his
commission? Tooth would have spat on the pristine floor if it
didn’t mean leaving his DNA in this shithole.

His next
step was up the old, creaking stairs and into Harlow’s
bedroom. According to his confession, the photos were hidden in the
closet, behind a fake wall. Tooth planned to leave it open. When
the cops found evidence of who Harlow actually was, he was sure
they wouldn’t be all that eager to find the fucker’s
body.

His stomach plummeted when he saw a framed picture
of a young blond model with long hair, as for a horrible moment his
mind let him to think it was Luci. But no, it was just some
underwear ad hanging above the bed. Having swallowed his anger to
acceptable levels, Tooth walked through the modern bedroom, with a
wide bed that no doubt sometimes hosted Harlow’s sick masturbatory
sessions. He looked away and went straight for the closet. The
hideout
was hidden quite
well, but knowing it was there allowed Tooth to find it easily. He
faced shelves of thick photo albums ordered by year, and it took
him much longer than he would have wished to find the right time
frame.

Even looking inside had him feeling like a
deviant. So many boys. All of them young, or at least far too young
looking to be able to get a beer on their own.
He sought the familiar face, but when he
found it, his mind didn’t want to believe it was there. There were
three photo albums with Luci alone. Tooth hated looking through
them and wished he wouldn’t have to, but he could leave no photos
behind. The photographed scenes were utter filth, nauseating Tooth
in a way the sight of Harlow’s cut-off ears never could. But no
matter what depraved act Harlow had forced Luci to perform, one
thing was constant—the boy’s big blue eyes always spoke of such
depth of sadness Tooth hardly believed anyone could get dipped in
it and survive. He packed the albums into a paper bag he had on
himself and only left after making sure there was no trace of Luci
in the other albums. The latest one, still in progress, had him
almost run back to the woods and uncover the body only to piss on
it. It seemed that Harlow’s fantasies had progressed over the years
to something much more sinister. Tooth could only hope the boys in
them were still alive and well.

He left the house with a heavy heart, eager to get
rid of the albums as soon as possible. He drove to an abandoned
factory and burned them all in a trash can along with his
brand-new clothes, watching the
flames until all that remained was ash and scraps of burnt plastic.
Only then he could drive home and face his lover.

It was already afternoon, and he wasn’t sure what
to think about the sight heencountered in the garage. Luci was on
his knees, whistling as he washed each visible part of Tooth’s
bike. Priest and Bell stood behind him, smoking cigarettes with
grim expressions that told Tooth nothing. It was a
stomach-churning
sight.

“That’s a surprise,” Tooth said cheerfully.

Luci looked up with that bright smile that in no way
reminded Tooth of the sad-eyed boy in the burnt photos. “You’re
back!”

“You let him do your bike?” Priest eyed Tooth with a
suspicious glare.

Tooth sighed and rolled his head to untangle the
stiff muscles. Watching Luci handle his bike was as intimate as
letting him handle his dick. Yeah, he wanted him to polish the
bike.

“I let him groom my beard, don’t I? Why not the
bike?” he asked, strolling over to Luci. He rustled his hair with a
small smile, already appreciating the job well done. “Good job,
kiddo.”

Tooth didn’t miss the little sneer on Bell’s face,
but instead of a comment, Bell took a big swig of smoke.

“I just wanted to make sure you really did let him
do it.”

“I told you so,” Luci moaned at his dad, standing
even closer to Tooth.

“Yeah, but it didn’t seem very probable.” Priest
shook his head.

Tooth smiled at Priest and hit his arm with a fist.
“Your boy’s no liar.”

Only now that it was all over fatigue was getting to
him. All he wanted was rest and Luci in his arms.

Luci snorted and put one of his hands up with the
other over his heart. “All truth and only truth. Scout’s
honor.”

Bell laughed so hard he choked on smoke.

Tooth sighed. “Okay,
Brothers, I’ve been up all night. Time to
bed.”

Luci’s smile widened and he washed his hands with
wet wipes.

Priest finished his last drag of the cigarette and
squinted at Luci. “Why are you so happy? It’s not like you’re going
there with him. I still remember what you told me about Tooth.”

Tooth turned on his heel, instantly
hyperaware of his surroundings.
Would he have to fight again, a worthy opponent this time? His eyes
darted to the frown on Bell’s face. “What did he tell you,
prez?”

“Oh jeez, dad, stop it,” Luci hid his face in his
hands.

Priest poked Luci’s elbow. “He told me you look like
a ‘sexy murderer’.”

Tooth howled inside. Luci needed to shut his pretty
mouth. But he grinned and gently slapped the boy’s shoulder. “Oh,
did he? Sounds about right.”

Bell groaned. “Jesus Christ. Get out of here.”

“I’m just saying Luci needs to get his priorities
right,” Priest said. “Finish school and look for some proper man.
We could use some fancy shmancy lawyer tied into our family.”

As if Luci could be happy with a guy like that.
Tooth rolled his eyes and started a slow walk toward the building
his room was in. He hoped Luci would follow. “Later.”

Bell’s groan made him smile. “Dad, weren’t we going
to Don’s?”

Tooth didn’t hear the answer, too focused on the
combat boots stomping behind him. They got to the clubhouse in
silence.

As much as he wanted to grab Luci now, he climbed up
the stairs and walked all the way to their room without looking
back at him. He couldn’t risk it now with Priest suspicious of
Luci’s intentions. But he could sense that blue gaze all over him,
sweet and warm.

Tooth only looked back at Luci when the lock to
their love nest clicked. The blue eyes were big and expectant. He
smiled.

“It’s over,” said Tooth and pulled a small metal box
out of the inner pocket of his jacket. It rattled as he handed it
over to Luci. The silence made his knees weaken.

Luci took it from him and opened it in a silence
that made each of the rattling teeth sound like elephant steps in a
museum. Bile rose to Tooth’s throat when he noticed tears forming
in Luci’s eyes. Was this a bad idea? Should he have not brought
them? He
’d washed them
to make sure there was no blood that could make Luci queasy. There
was also a polaroid picture of Harlow’s face. Washed clear of blood
but bruised. It had been a struggle to make him smile with the
puffy mouth closed, but Tooth had made it happen.

Luci put a hand over his mouth and tears spilled
down his cheeks as his shoulders shook with sobs, preventing
him
from speaking
clearly. “This is the… best thing… anyone… has ever given
me.”

Relief was so sudden Tooth slumped against the wall.
He swallowed. “It is?”

“I hated him so much,” Luci whispered with the box
trembling along with his fingers. “Every time I have a nightmare, I
can now wake up and remember he’s gone.”

Tooth stepped closer and pulled the boy into his
arms, breathing in the sweet almond scent of his hair. “No one’s
gonna hurt you,” he whispered, squeezing Luci tight and listening
to the beat of his precious heart. Tooth would never allow for it
to become someone’s merchandise.

Luci wiped his eyes with a sniff. “You must be
tired. I’ll take care of you.” He meticulously closed the box and
put it away. The words were followed by a kiss and warm hands
sliding up Tooth’s sides.

It was like a soothing balm on Tooth’s aching
muscles. His nose and lips quickly found that smooth, lovely skin
behind Luci’s ear. “I probably stink.”

“I’ll run you a bath.” Luci smiled and kissed him
once more before skittering off to the bathroom.

Tooth noticed the room was spotless and smelled of
fresh linen. All his shoes were polished on their respective
shelves. He shook his head in amazement. Was Luci worried about
him? “Wow, my room looks more respectable than ever.”

“
It’s not gonna look respectful anymore when you’re
ready to go to bed.” Luci laughed from the bathroom as he turned on
the water. He took off his hoodie, presenting the
Mot
ö
rhead T-shirt
Tooth got him at the concert they went to together. “I think I
kinda went overboard with the cleaning. It kept me
occupied.”

“But you did get some sleep, right?” Tooth took off
his shirt and collected a fresh pair of jeans as he approached the
bathroom.

“
Yes, I’m fine. It’s not me who had to deal with
that piece of shit.” Luci bent over the bathtub and as the fabric
on his back slid up the skin, Tooth saw skin tape over the tattoo
he loathed so much, the ‘Drive-In’ sign on Luci’s lower back. It
reminded him of the one time he
’d put tape over it to teach the boy a lesson, but now
seeing the tattoo hidden made him realize he’d made Luci
self-conscious for no reason. Who the fuck cared what tattoos he
had?

Tooth rushed to join Luci in the bathroom and gently
brushed his fingers over the tape. “Why?”

“Hm?” Luci straightened up. “Oh, this… I remembered
you didn’t like it. I don’t want you to think I’m gross.”

A sinking feeling downed Tooth’s stomach. “No... I’d
never think that. You’re... you’re like a dream,” he finished
flatly, disturbed that he couldn’t find any better words than this
cheese.