Fully naked, he stands quietly as they make demeaning comments. They tell him to turn around, to flex, and to touch himself. They discuss things they did to him and things they are planning on doing tonight, sharing ideas and recommendations of how to make the best use of their time with him.
He lets their words pass him by as much as he can, telling himself that soon they’ll face consequences for their actions and shady dealings. He’d be wise to hide one of the recording devices in this room, but since he can’t see a way to do that, he’ll focus on the mayor’s office.
“I told you to go down on your knees,” Hal barks.
Will obeys, facing the guests as they sit with their wine.
“I’ve been waiting to unwind after this shitty week,” Hal grumbles.
“Everyone can be replaced,” Doctor Levi says. “Especially those so low on the food chain. I wouldn’t let that little drama bother you.”
The mayor clears his throat in a warning. Will keepshis face blank as though he doesn’t know they are talking about the two drug dealers who were supposed to murder Owen.
A crooked smile stretches across Hal’s lips as he watches Will. “You like how I put you in your place, don’t you?”
The only right answer is a lie. “I do, sir.”
Hal nudges the lawyer next to him. “He’s even prettier when he lies.”
“And is he pretty when he’s in pain?”
“Oh, Will looks fantastic when he’s in pain,” Doctor Levi says, swirling the wine in his glass. “But don’t take my word for it.”
Hal stands up. He kicks Will onto all fours, then pulls out his leather belt. “Look at your betters when I whip you.”
Hal doesn’t believe in gaining momentum—he goes hard from the get-go. Will makes sure to keep eye contact with the men in front of him as he grunts in pain with every lash of the leather belt against his skin. They take turns whipping him until the pain feels like another layer of skin covering his back and his ass. He needs all his self-control to keep from snatching that fucking belt and throw it into the fireplace.
Finally, the mayor puts a stop to it, telling his guests to get on with the rest of the evening.
Hal lands a final lash across Will’s ass and tells him to go take a shower. “I’ll be up soon to make you feelbetter.”
It hurts to move and to climb up the stairs, but he manages. Inside the bedroom, he walks toward the side bathroom and glances at his backpack on the floor. He halts, then crouches next to the backpack. He remembers leaving the zipper fully closed, but it’s now hanging a few inches above the bottom. He easily would have missed it if he hadn’t given it an extra look before leaving the room. He carefully opens the bag and looks inside. His clothes are there, and so is his wallet. Nothing was taken, but someone clearly checked his things. He rises to his feet. With his heart beating fast, he opens the closet and reaches past the pile of sheets, searching for… he lets out a sigh of relief. The two devices are there, safely hidden. If he hadn’t thought to hide them, Veronica would have learned about his plan and ruined everything.
“What are you doing?”
He jolts and pulls his hand back. “What?”
Hal takes a step inside, shutting the door behind him. “I asked what you were doing. Couldn’t have used plainer words.”
“Just looking for a towel.”
“Hmm.”
He’s going to check.Maybe the mayor has mentioned to him Will’s relationship with the man they almost got killed. Maybe they agreed to keep a closer eye on him tonight. And maybe he’s not the only one who’s looking toset up a trap.
Trying not to show his distress, Will reaches into the closet and pulls out a towel. He’s sure there’s at least one towel waiting in the bathroom, but the lie has already left his mouth. He should go shower, but he can’t leave Hal alone to look inside the closet.
The man watches Will through narrow eyes, and Will isn’t making things better by standing like a dummy.
“You used to like fucking me sweaty,” he says, his mouth braver than his heart.
Hal cocks his head. “Come again?”
“Just something I remember. You liked licking the sweat from my skin.”
Hal crosses his arms, his eyes traveling up and down. Without his cowboy hat, his head is almost bald, with sunspots decorating his scalp. “That hasn’t changed.”
Will drops the towel. “I’m not going to get any sweatier than this, Hal.”
