17
TREVOR
He slept like a king, the best sleep he had in weeks, although the bed was lumpy and still dusty, no matter how many times he’d tried to clean it. He glanced at his watch and was surprised to see it was already past noon. He had forgotten how exhausting sex could be, but naughty Daniel couldn’t get enough. Well, when he’d been conscious. There was just so much alcohol a man could absorb without slipping into a coma.
Trevor got up and put on the same clothes he’d worn yesterday. When he stepped out of the bedroom, the dire state of the house became apparent. It wasn’t bad enough to compel him to do any cleaning, though, since they were only meant to stay here a few more days.
Andy wasn’t in the living room, and the basement door was slightly open. They kept that door hidden behind a closet when the basement wasn’t being used. Trevor stepped down the creaking staircase, instantly feeling the drop in temperature.
“Morning.”
Andy turned around. “Good morning! I remembered that I didn’t lock the back door like you told me to when we left the house. Is that bad?”
“It’s not great, but it's too late to change it now. I hope no one steals your comics.”
Andy gasped.
“Relax, I’m joking.”
Trevor walked closer to the examination chair. It had been a freaking headache getting that big thing down here all those years ago, but definitely worth it. Naked and pale Daniel sprawled on the chair, his legs high and tied to the leg rests. The view of his exposed hole was erotic as fuck. With his arms bound to the sides, it reminded Trevor of a crucifixion. His head was slumped to the side with his eyes shut.
Trevor examined him closely, searching for any bruises other than the small needle puncture marks across his smooth skin. He had made it clear to Andy that bruises were a big no-no this time.
Andy had been right last night; it was great having the three of them back together, despite the circumstances. Trevor would have given a lot to go back to the years when Daniel had lived with them.
“I need to go get food,” he told Andy. “Danny had two hundred bucks on him, so it’ll be his treat.”
“Is there anywhere close by to get food?”
“About a fifteen-minute drive. Do me a favor and give him a break, okay? I need him to record that video.”
Andy twisted his lips. “I don’t think that Daniel would like that.”
“Yeah, ‘cause he just loved everything else so far.”
“I don’t think he did.”
Trevor sighed. His wit was wasted on Andy.
“Anyway, give Danny some rest.”
“Okay, Trevor. Can you bring me some Doritos?”
“Will do.” He turned around and started climbing up the stairs when his phone rang. He recognized Dima’s number, and a pang of panic hit his chest. He wasn’t supposed to call; they had been crystal clear about that.
He climbed up the stairs to have a better reception. “What is it?”
“There’s a problem.”
Trevor rubbed his face. Of course there was a problem. “Go on.”
“Jay was on to me, so I had to hit him. He’s unconscious in the garage.”
“Hold on. Is Jay the other guy who was protecting Daniel?”
“Yes, protecting Chris. I came to his garage because of my car, and he asked me questions like he knew I was lying.”
“Can’t you get rid of him?”
“My boss knows I came here to see him. If he disappears...”
Trevor pinched the bridge of his nose. Well, fuck. He was tempted to tell Dima to figure it out by himself, but their fates were intertwined, like it or not. Dima may not have known where Trevor was keeping Daniel, but he did know everything else. No point in having an alibi if there was a witness who shit all over it. Feeling out of options, he found himself saying, “Bring him over here.”
“What?”
“I’ll send you directions to the area. Once you’re close, I’ll give you the exact location. Bring him over, and we’ll figure something out.”
“I... okay. I’ll tie him up and put him in the truck.”
“Do you know if your boss has a way to track your car?”
“He does, but I’ll take care of it. We’ll talk once I’m close.”
They hung up, and Trevor sent Dima directions to a place twenty minutes away. He couldn’t risk sending him the exact location just yet, in case something happened on his way over.
With that out of the way, he slammed his palm against the wall. He did not need this shit to deal with, not with his plan going so well. But he would keep his cool, weigh his options, then do whatever it takes to get the job done.
No fucking mechanic would stand in his way.
Since he still had some time to burn, he put on his coat and went to buy some food with Daniel’s money.
*
“Why do they need to come here?” Andy asked again.
Trevor rolled his eyes and put down his half-eaten sandwich. “I’m not going to answer if you keep asking the same damn question.”
“But what if they take Daniel away?” He looked down at sleeping Daniel, slumped on the couch with his head on Andy’s lap. He had struggled when they brought him up to eat, but a few shots of vodka mixed with Xanax helped calm him down.
“No one will take Daniel from us. Relax.” When his phone rang, he picked it up and asked, “Are you there already?”
“In a few minutes.”
He told Dima how to get to the house, then added, “Now turn off your phone and hide it on the side of the road.”
“You are a paranoid man.”
“It’s called being careful. You should try it.” He hung up.
Andy stroked Daniel’s hair, humming to himself.
“I need to tie him up. Hard to tell how much drama is heading our way.” Trevor got up to grab the duct tape. He carefully moved Daniel’s hands to the front and wrapped the duct tape around his wrists, then bound his legs as well.
A few minutes later, he caught the sound of an approaching car.
Here we go.
“Stay here,” he told Andy. “Don’t let Daniel move anywhere, although he should be out cold for a while.”
“Okay, Trevor. Be careful.”
The foggy air outside made the trees harder to see, like a thick blanket covering the earth. Dima seemed edgy as he stood next to his busted car, his face noticeably bruised. Trevor would have remained in a coma if he had suffered even half the beating Dima had.
“You drove all this way with the car looking like this? The police could have stopped you.”
“They didn’t.”
Trevor gestured with his head to the trunk. “You think he woke up?”
“He did on the way and started making noise. I stopped and made him quiet again.”
Trevor assumed he hadn't used his words. “Are you sure he was on to you before you risked this whole operation?”
“Yes. I saw it in his eyes.”
“Oh, of course. His eyes.” Trevor walked closer to the trunk and slammed his fist down hard. If Jay had been unconscious, he wasn't anymore. “Open up. Let’s see this nosy bastard.”
Dima pressed on his car’s remote, causing the trunk door to slowly rise. The man inside squinted in the weak light. His hands were tied behind his back with a zip tie, as were his legs. A piece of clothing poked out of his mouth. The fury in his eyes left Trevor speechless. This man can break my face.
Trevor liked him already.
He was also a sucker for bearded men with long hair, and wasn’t Jay a sexy motherfucker with how he huffed and puffed so close to Trevor’s crotch?
He turned to Dima. “How likely is your boss to care about this guy going missing?”
Dima came closer, both looking down at Jay, who was trying to speak through his gag. “Oscar will care,” Dima said with confidence. “He already tried to call me earlier.”
“Any idea what you can tell him?”
“No.” Dima looked troubled—no, outright scared. “He will ask a lot of questions, and he will figure out that I’m lying.”
“Is he dangerous?”
“He’s a silly man.”
“A dangerous silly man?”
“Yes.”
Trevor sighed. Of course he was dangerous if he made Dima scared. “Get the fucker out.”
“Stay back.”
Trevor did, watching as Dima roughly pulled Jay out of the trunk, still in his dirty coverall. Once on his feet, Jay was taller than Trevor had expected, almost the same height as him. Dima held him tight like the man might turn all Hannibal Lecter and chew their faces off.
Trevor moved closer, right in Jay’s handsome face. “Nice to meet you, Jay. I’m Trevor. I think Daniel told you all about me. Well, he’s technically Chris to you.”
Jay gave a sharp nod. His dark eyes darted around, taking in the foggy scenery and likely realizing they were in the middle of nowhere. Through the gag, he mumbled something that sounded like, “Where’s Chris?”
Trevor snorted. “A bit silly worrying about someone else right now, don’t you think? And that bruise on your head looks nasty. Does it hurt?”
Jay’s eyes hardened, his chest moving quickly underneath the dirty coverall.
“Mind if I take a look?”
Jay tensed but stayed still as Trevor leaned closer—close enough to smell the testosterone oozing out of his pores and the faint, metallic scent of dry blood. He observed the swollen bruise, enjoying the way Jay nervously edged away from him.
“What should I do?” Dima asked.
“About?”
“Him!”
Trevor shrugged. “You know what to do. If he gets free, you’re a dead man. Hell, maybe you are regardless. Do you have anywhere to lay low for a while?”
“I don’t know. Maybe here?” He glanced at the house, not looking impressed.
Trevor pursed his lips and nodded. “Could work. Got any money on you?”
“I stopped at an ATM. I have a few thousand in cash.”
“My kind of man. Wait here.”
“Where are you going?”
“Where do you think? To bring a shovel.” Behind him, Jay began to struggle.