6. Chapter 3
Chapter 3
L ex was still reeling by the time he managed to get up and leave the office. The shit in his head wouldn’t line up. At least he’d gotten his hands to stop shaking and he wasn’t trapped in that beige nightmare anymore .
His head hurt like hell. It was either from the fact that he was definitely overheated or Morgan’s constant barrage of words playing in his mind. One of the two. Or both.
Morgan was intense. He’d always been intense, but this? This was on a separate, fucked-up level.
Jesus, this wasn’t what Lex planned for. He didn’t need to figure out how to tell his boss he was quitting, or how to break his lease without screwing over his credit. And what was he supposed to tell his friends?
Hey, give me six months and I’ll be a millionaire, baby.
That sounded like a line from a bad romcom or some bullshit he’d try at the bar.
Lex had one hand on the front door, the other searching for his keys, when he heard Kate’s voice behind him.
“Are you leaving? Already?”
He looked back and her face—Kate looked heartbroken. What had he said? What had he done ? Was she upset because of Morgan? Losing Mr. Delacroix?
“I have a reservation at a motel,” he said, flashing his best smile. “Plus, I need to find somewhere more…uh, long-term? I guess. I’ll be in town for a while.”
Kate looked like she was seconds away from bursting into tears.
Shit.
“It’s not you,” he added quickly, too loud. “I think you’re very nice. Pretty. Very pretty. Ethereal.”
Oh, god. What the fuck, Lex?
It spilled out like word vomit, each worse than the last, and he cringed. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he was making a move. He just needed her to stop looking so damn sad . He hadn’t kicked her puppy or anything.
How he’d managed to swing two different girls back home without sounding like some awkward twelve-year-old was beyond him. Kate made him uncomfortable as hell.
Kate’s lips twitched as if she was going to smile and thought better of it. “That’s sweet, but… have you talked to Morgan about this?”
“Excuse me?”
“Morgan. Have you spoken to Morgan about,” she paused, waving her hand at the door, “this?”
Lex had no clue how long he stood there, willing his brain to make sense of what she was asking.
Since when did he have to request to leave?
“There’s plenty of space here. We’re in the main suite but if you wanted to stay in your old room or Morgan’s, you can. The guest bedroom is available too.”
The longer Lex stared, the more Kate fidgeted. She pushed her hair behind her ears, her eyes going from him to the living room, and back again.
What the absolute fuck.
“I think Morgan can deal,” Lex muttered, forcing a laugh. “Everyone’s an adult.”
Kate’s fidgeting didn’t stop. She clasped her hands together, then let them drop to her sides, then crossed her arms over her chest. If it wasn’t so awkward, Lex would’ve found her cute—embarrassed, maybe unsure — but right now it was unnerving .
“Morgan prefers when people check in with him,” she said, her voice quieter now, giant eyes stuck on the living room.
“I’m not his kid. I don’t have a curfew.”
“I know! I know. I wasn’t…” she trailed off, her shoulders falling as she sighed. “I wasn’t saying that to sound dismissive. It’s easier for everyone if he knows what’s going on.”
The hell it was.
Lex shook his head, trying not to let the irritation show. He wasn’t about to start running his entire day by Morgan like some damn subordinate. The guy already had a god complex—he didn’t need anyone else to stroke his ego.
“I don’t think Morgan’s gonna lose sleep over me crashing at a motel,” he said, tightening his grip on the doorknob.
“You don’t know him like I do.”
There it was again. That sadness in her tone—almost like she was pleading with him not to go. It made him pause.
And for a second, one second , he considered if she was in actual trouble.
But that wasn’t his problem, was it? If she needed help, Lex wasn’t the one to ask. No. She could go to the cops or her family—someone that wasn’t him. He had enough to deal with.
“Thanks for the heads-up, Kate.”
He shouldn’t have expected more from a motel with a half-star rating .
The room smelled like stale cigarette smoke, there was hair in the shower drain, the television didn’t work… the list went on and on.
Even the carpet was sticky in spots when he took off his shoes. How did that happen? Why did that happen? On second thought, maybe he didn’t want to know.
Lex groaned, pulling the pillow under his head. The mattress wasn’t that bad—too soft, but fine—and the Wi-Fi was, shockingly, good. Not that he’d done much aside from scroll aimlessly on his phone before chucking it aside. He couldn’t remember the shit he saw.
It wasn’t what he wanted to see.
Maybe his friends were right. Maybe he was turning into a spoiled rich kid, even if he didn’t think so. Just because his mom married into money didn’t mean he did.
He’d grown up piss-poor, being evicted from apartments… trailers… all of it. They’d been living with his aunt and annoying-ass younger cousin when Mom met James—hooking or dancing, whatever seedy way she tried to make money—and everything turned around.
Big house in the nicest part of town. A stepdad that wasn’t his own abusive, alcoholic asshole that forgot to pay child support. A stepbrother that Lex had really, really looked forward to meeting.
It should’ve been the break they were waiting for. And it was, for Mom. For him? It was just…
He didn’t want to think about it.
After the calls to his boss and landlord were done, there wasn’t anything left to do except lie there feeling restless. Bored. The fucking water stain above him looked like a lopsided fish when he tilted his head.
Man, he’d really lost his mind.
Six months. That’s what it came down to. He could do this.
And when he was finished? When he had won?
Then all of Morgan’s secrets were going to be laid bare to the world. Their family wouldn’t get to look down on Lex, no, not after witnessing the shit Morgan got up to after dark.
Finally— finally— they’d be equals.
He felt lighter just thinking about it. The look on Morgan’s face when he realized he bit off more than he could chew? That fuck him Lex was a whole lot more resilient than he thought?
That would be worth it.
Or, at least, that’s what he kept telling himself.
But the phone was calling to him again.
He knew he shouldn’t be thinking about it. Memorizing it was bad enough. Knowing he wanted to watch it again ? Exactly why he wanted to watch it again?
It was screwed up.
And the worst thing? The lawyer interrupted his favorite part of the video and now it was stuck looping in his head.
Rolling over to unplug the phone from the charger, his thumb hovered for just a second before he swiped into the video folder. Two files stared back at him—two friends who knew too many of his own secrets. His favorites. The others were stashed on a thumb drive; the only gift he’d received from Morgan.
Cutting out the best parts of the video and splicing them into a macabre collage would’ve been a smart idea. Listening to someone whine and cry about how pitiful their life was? That didn’t do anything for him.
What mattered was Morgan’s voice . The way he’d flip between razor-shape and consoling, the way his tone dipped into something almost seductive when he’d hurt someone just right… that’s what kept Lex coming back for more.
The Morgan on his phone was nothing like the one who treated him like a nuisance. They were the same person, yeah, but it was all so unreal when he thought about them next to each other. This Morgan— phone Morgan—treated people like he wanted to consume them, not ignore them.
Swallowing hard, he clicked the first video.
Begging spilled out of his earbuds—muffled, choked—and his stomach flipped. He settled back against the pillow, closing his eyes instead. The noise was enough. The images were already seared into his brain.
“Shh, there it is,” Morgan murmured, his voice dripping with silky warmth. “You’re finally letting go. Doesn’t giving in feel better than fighting? I’ll take care of you now.”
Lex shivered. His hand drifted to his stomach, telling himself over and over that this wasn’t turning him on. That he’d moved past all of this. He was older, more mature. Less naive.
This was just a… release, that was all. A mental release. It shut his brain off for a little while.
But these videos? They gave him ideas. Ideas he didn’t ask for. Ideas that sent all the blood rushing straight to his dick. His hand gripped his cock through his jeans, slowly stroking .
“I know it’s hard. But you’re doing so well for me. Keep going. Don’t stop now.”
Morgan sounded like heaven.
Listening with his eyes closed, Lex could imagine Morgan was talking to him. Coaxing him on. Watching him for once.
“That’s perfect. Giving me what I need? This is all I could ever ask for.”
“Fuck,” Lex whispered to himself, sliding his hand under the waistband. His breath caught as he reached his cock, slowly wrapping his fingers around it.
That expression on Morgan’s face earlier—it was burned into his memory now. The way Morgan’s entire body seemed alive as he watched the video… god. If Lex got to go into the woods with him? If he were the one under Morgan’s hands, taking whatever Morgan wanted to give…
Would Morgan talk to him like this?
“Come on. You’re not done yet, are you? I have… such high hopes. A little more. For me.”
Lex spit on his hand, fisting his cock faster. It didn’t matter that it was sick, twisted, and everything he’d spent years trying to convince himself he didn’t want.
He needed it.
The pleasure hit all at once. He couldn’t stop the moan, the tension curling up his spine before it broke and he came… all over his goddamn shirt.
Of-fucking-course.
Sucking in a shaky breath, he yanked the earbuds out, but that didn’t help. The thoughts were burned into the darkest parts of his mind now. He rubbed his free hand over his face, grounding himself just enough to keep from unraveling completely.
It took a few minutes of blinking at the ceiling fan, watching it stir up dirt—not air—in the stifling room before he could move.
This was bad.
He was beyond fucked up this time. Deeper than before.
Sun-baked asphalt and gasoline hit him as he stepped into the motel parking lot, the traffic of the highway white noise inside his frazzled head.
Food. Food would fix this. Or at least distract him long enough to stop spiraling.
And somewhere with people. Real people, not the people on his phone screen, even if it was some greasy-haired guy at the burger joint.
Anything was better than being alone, trying not to watch the videos again. Maybe he could find a shrink while he was at it. Or somewhere that still did shock therapy. A lobotomy even. Something to get his head screwed on tighter than it was.
But the second his eyes locked onto his car, he stopped dead in his tracks.
His car. His new car. Maybe not brand new, but it was new to him. Or at least, it had been new before someone decided to use it as a goddamn punching bag.
It looked like someone had taken a bat to the front windshield; huge, baseball-sized holes and spider-webbed cracks catching the fading light. The passenger window was obliterated, glass crunching under his sneakers when he stepped closer.
This wasn’t even a bad part of town. It wasn’t The Hills or New York City, but it wasn’t break into your car bad either. He’d hung out around the corner as a teenager, skipping school and eating burgers with friends.
Stuff like this didn’t happen here.
Pulling open the driver’s side door, Lex braced for the worst. He expected the stereo to be ripped out, the couple of bucks he kept in the cupholder gone, but no. The shitty radio was still there—hell, even his pack of gum was right where he’d left it.
The only thing missing was the USB cord he kept for emergencies. And chances are? He probably shoved it in his bag on accident when he was rushing to pack last night.
So, if someone didn’t break in to take his stuff, then why did they smash…
His thought trailed off into stuttering, perfect clarity.
Morgan .
Lex scoffed, shaking his head as the pieces came together.
Who else would do something like this? God, Kate had warned him . That’s why she sounded so damn concerned.
“You unhinged, psychotic motherfucker…” he muttered under his breath.
The remaining shards of glass on the passenger side finally dislodged as Lex slammed the door. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, his other hand jamming the key into the ignition with more force than he needed .
These are my things. My fucking property. Who the fuck do you think you are?
That’s when he heard it . A soft, unmistakable creak from the backseat, like something was… moving.
Lex froze. He turned his head just enough to see the rearview mirror, his heart slamming against his ribcage, drowning out all sound. And there it was—a glimpse of dark hair, too familiar. Morgan.
White-hot panic ripped through his veins, every nerve awake and fucking screaming . He barely had time to blink—to process what he’d seen—before something slipped around his throat. The USB cord. It tightened, pulling him back against the headrest. All the air fled his lungs in one sharp, strangled gasp.
Alarms blared in his head but the world narrowed to a vice-grip. He couldn’t breathe .
“Here’s what’s going to happen.” Morgan’s voice ghosted against his ear, hot and heady. “And I need you to listen closely. You have about two minutes before things start going dark.”
Fingers scrambling uselessly for the cord, Lex’s nails scraped against Morgan’s knuckles. Desperate. Uncoordinated. His pulse hammered in his ears, the car’s interior blurring into formless shadows and light.
I’m going to die.
Morgan’s words sliced through the suffocating haze again, far too close, too intimate. “You are going to come back to the house, where I can keep an eye on you.”
I don’t want to die .
Lex’s chest heaved— he couldn’t breathe— his lungs burning. His vision dimmed at the edges, tunneling inward until the cord loosened enough for him to gasp. He nearly choked on the cough. Jesus . It felt like fire going down, his eyes watering as he struggled to inhale as much air as humanly possible.
“If you do something reckless,” Morgan continued. “That’s on my reputation.”
The cord jerked tight, and that brief bit of oxygen was gone again. Lex’s legs kicked out—beyond his control—his shin slamming into the steering wheel.
Morgan leaned in further, the scent of cologne and something bitter flooding what was left of his senses. “But here’s my suggestion, little brother: give up now. That parting gift is still up for grabs. I’m a man of my word, after all.”
He kept trying to claw at Morgan’s hands, but he couldn’t tell what was up or down anymore. The rushing sound in his ears threw everything into chaos.
“And when I say you won’t survive this, I mean it. If you keep going, there won’t be anything of you left.”
The cord eased once more, and Lex sucked in a ragged breath. His entire body shuddered with relief.
Gripping the steering wheel, fingers trembling, he launched himself away from the headrest as quickly as he could.
He sat there for a moment, waiting for the shaking to stop, but his muscles were still thrumming with adrenaline. Too fast, he spun around in the seat and the already tilted world rotated on its head.
“What the fuck , Morgan,” he whispered, the words scraping his raw throat .
Smiling, Morgan wrapped the USB cord around his hand like it was a toy. “I only said everything was fair play. I never said I played fair. You assumed again.”
The sheer normalcy in Morgan’s tone sent a fresh wave of anger coursing through him. This wasn’t a normal conversation. This wasn’t a normal day . They weren’t talking about dinner plans or the weather—Morgan had nearly choked him out in his own goddamn car .
Morgan leaned back and, despite the casual posture and smile, tension was written all over him. His shoulders were stiff, dark eyes fixed on Lex’s face. He wasn’t relaxed—he was annoyed. Irritated. Maybe even disappointed.
Disappointed?
“Get out. We’re leaving now.”
Lex opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
If it didn’t hurt so much—if he wasn’t so fucking terrified —he would’ve laughed. What did Morgan have to be disappointed about? What turned his mood so sour?
But buried beneath the anger and fear, beneath the bruising pressure he could still feel, something darker coiled in his gut.
That thing inside of him—the part he hated more than anything, the part he thought he’d outgrown— was awake again. And Morgan’s voice just fed the damn thing until Lex’s heart was pounding for a whole different reason.