Flix quirked a brow. “I literally just arrived?” He pulled Ani in even closer so that his warm lips were practically brushing against the rise of his cheek. “Tiny Terror, please explain to your brother that it’s rude not to at least offer a refreshment to your guests.”
Aneski opened his mouth to reply, but Russ didn’t give him the chance.
His brother scoffed and came over, latching onto Flix’s arm to forcefully pull him away from Ani and shove him toward the door. “Shut it, you menace.”
Flix laughed and sent Aneski a wink. “Catch you later, Ani.”
Russ paused in the doorway and turned to rest a serious look on him. “Don’t wait up.”
When Aneski’s face fell at that loaded statement, his brother chuckled and left.
* * *
He was groggy when he woke next, reaching up to rub at his eyes, only realizing he was able to move his arms and legs a second later. His energy was back as well, and he felt rested, like the stabbing had never even happened.
Even though he’d done it to himself, there was relief when he felt no pain in his side, and he sighed and turned to check the spot on the bed next to him.
The empty spot.
Aneski sprung up into a sitting position too quickly, his head momentarily spinning despite his earlier assumptions he was all better. He hardly noticed though, too busy panicking over Flix’s absence. Had he dreamed their conversation the last time? That would make the most sense, it’d been too sweet.Maybe he’d imagined the entire exchange and Flix had left him here from day one.
It was still his room, the one in his private residence. There was no denying that, though, it was a small comfort in the grand scheme of things. Hadn’t he been abandoned in Flix’s house once before, after all? Who was to say it couldn’t be done again.
Had he stabbed himself for nothing?
Admittedly, it’d been a tad on the dramatic side, but Aneski hadn’t been able to think of any other way. Flix had refused to give in, and Ani was sick of waiting for the other shoe to drop. He’d figured this way at least, he’d gain some semblance of control over the situation and over the Brumal member he so desired.
He should have known better. Should have known that even if Flix hadn’t left him there to bleed out, that didn’t mean he truly cared. Make him his Onus? What a joke. Even Aneski had internally cringed when he’d suggested it.
Who the hell did he think he was? Russ, who Flix had dated for at least a year, hadn’t stood a chance at achieving that position. What had made Ani believe, even for a second, that he did? His brother had been a strong leader and a business major with lucrative job prospects ahead of him.
Aneski was an artist. And a soon-to-be poor one at that, considering he’d slacked off these past few months and had yet to look for any work to take on after graduation.
He couldn’t just sit here and wallow or wait. He needed to get up and do something. He had to search the place on the off chance that he was wrong and Flix was merely somewhere else in the house at the moment.
That could happen, right?
Right?
Just because everyone had consistently abandoned him in the past, that didn’t mean he was fated to always be left behind. Damn it. He really thought he was on to something this time. Truly believed he’d gotten the right idea, and stabbing himself was the way to achieve all of his goals in one single move.
The rattling of chains when he tossed the comforter off himself caught his attention, and he glanced down, gasping.
His hand went up to his throat, feeling the thick strap of leather locked around it. A chain extended from the front center of the collar, with enough lead to pool in his lap a bit and hang off the bed. He followed it all the way to the end, which was bolted into the wall, at least five feet off the ground.
Stunned, Aneski tugged at it, even knowing there was no way it was just a prank or for show. The collar around his neck didn’t have a place where he could undo it either, his fingers feeling around blindly until he realized there was a tiny scan-pad right where the loop of the chain connected. It’d need a thumbprint to unlock, and not his.
He was shirtless but wearing loose white sweatpants that hung low on his hips, and when he risked checking beneath the band, he was a little surprised to find he hadn’t been given any underwear to go along with it.
The lack of a shirt allowed him to see the spot where he’d slid in the knife, and he turned slightly on the bed to get a better look, fingers brushing against the angry red scar there. Since the wound was already closed and mostly healed over, he’d guess he’d been given top-notch medical assistance. Crazy what high-quality medicine and advances could do.
The sound of footsteps came suddenly and his head snapped up toward the door just as it opened. The second Flix stepped in and paused beneath the doorframe, Aneski’s breath caught in his throat.
He hadn’t been abandoned. That was great.
But he was also currently chained to the wall which was…most likely not so great.
“You’re up,” Flix broke the silence first, busy drying his hair off with a towel. He’d changed out of his clothes from before and was dressed in a similar set of pants, though he also had on a tank top. He entered the room, leaving the door open, and tossed the towel into the corner where a circular hamper was set. “How do you feel?”
