Trevor walked down the stairs. “Maybe next time, don’t get your friends involved in your shit.”
He never meant for this to happen. Yes, it had been selfish of him to get Jay involved in the first place, but he had been desperate, and he never expected Jay to offer such generous help.
Chris forced his legs to carry him forward, noticing the small and angry cuts across Jay’s naked body, some still seeping blood. Needles poked from his flesh, his arms and chest adorned with them. Three were stuck deep inside his right nipple, the flesh red and swollen.
“He doesn’t make much noise,” Andy said in appreciation.
“Then why the hell did you gag him?”
“He called me names!”
Chris knew he should control himself, but fury overtook his body, pushing logic out of the way. He jumped on Andy and shoved him down from the chair, sending him crashing to the floor with a cry of pain. Before Chris could kick his head, Trevor pulled him back, his arms holding him tight.
“Calm down,” he hissed. “You think that hitting Andyis a smart idea?”
When Chris began to process what he’d done, fear replaced his rage. He should have known better.
Andy pulled himself up and adjusted his glasses. “That hurt, Daniel! You’re mean.”
“I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry.”
“Sorry, huh?” Trevor held Chris tighter, breathing down his neck. “Andy, I think you’ve been taking it too easy on our friend here.”
“Easy?” Andy squinted at Jay. “I guess I can try harder.”
“No!”
“Calm down, Danny. I told you what I want—a short video, that’s all.”
Chris watched in cold dread as Andy brought more needles and a knife. He sat between Jay’s legs, which were tied firmly to the leg rests. Jay was too out of it to even stir.
“Trevor, please. No one will believe that video.”
“Let me worry about that.”
He wished to stand his ground, but this was a losing game, and Jay didn’t deserve any of this.
“Okay, I’ll give you what you want, but tell him to stop.”
“Of course you'll give me what I want—you always do. But Jay’s going to pay for your little tantrum while you and I step outside.”
“Trevor—”
“Shh. I bet a part of you loves this—how people do stupid things for you. Like you made my father obsessed with his new prodigy.” He moved his mouth closer to Chris's ear. “And just like you made the manager of the group home crazy for your ass. Poor guy didn't stand a chance. David, right? That was his name.”
Chris's chest hurt from holding his breath. He forced his lungs to suck in air. “Did you always know about that?”
“Of course. We needed someone… special, and David was more than happy to get rid of his dirty little secret. Robert expected to pay a lot more, but we got you for a bargain.”
Chris couldn't deal with this now. The past was the past, and his future was at stake.
“Now, let’s go record your little video and let Andy work in peace.”
*
“Isn’t this a lovely day? It’s warmer than it has been in days, and that damn fog’s finally over. Oh, mind your step—that’s Dima you’re walking over.”
Chris jumped aside and almost lost his footing, using a nearby tree for balance. The grave was hard to spot, even knowing it was there. A long line of ants made their way down through the dirt. Despite Chris’s hatred toward Dima, something about the man ending his lifein an unmarked grave sparked an unexpected sense of wrongness.
