Every day he saw Ben for the next year and a half, the guilt ate at him. Till he finally made his play to get him free of Bone. Knowing even as he did it that Bone would just start up again with some other kid. Fresh meat arrived each week.
But it wouldn’t be him. And it wouldn’t be Ben anymore.
“Please,” Ben cried in the dark. “I need you. He made me— and I can’t—” Ben’s voice kept breaking off with sobs. “You saved me. You’re all I can think about. Just pretend I’m a girl. One hole’s as good as another. Please. I’ll make it good for you. I love—”
Before he could finish that fucking sentence, Mack went for him. He lifted him up off the floor and then shoved him face down into his bunk. “You want it?” he asked furiously.
“Yes,” Ben cried. “I need it. I need you.” Ben’s hand reached for him again but Mack knocked it out of the way.
Then he yanked Ben’s pants down, spit on his hand, rubbed it over his cock, and shoved home up Ben’s ass.
And just look how that had turned out. Just like all those years ago, Mack kicked the wall. And just like all those years ago, pain spiked through his foot. He didn’t fucking care. Mack kicked the wall again.
People walking by jumped back and scattered. The hotel wasn’t downtown, but there were still a few restaurants around.
“Fuck!” Mack shouted, kicking the wall one last time. That was when he saw a couple cell phones come out, their bright screens illuminated. Shit. Just his luck they were calling the cops. The last thing Mack needed was to get in trouble with the fucking law.
So he turned and limped as fast as he could down the sidewalk, hopefully in the direction of a fucking bar.
14
LIAM
“He’s a total arse,” Liam said as he washed Calla’s chest with a warm washcloth. “Forget about him.”
Calla’s eyes moved from the door Mack had slammed out of and then back to Liam. They were wide with bewilderment. And hurt.
The next time Liam got his hands on Mack, he’d fucking kill him. It was Calla’s first time. And then for him to just fuck off like that— Liam gritted his teeth.
“Did I do something wr—?”
“Fuck no,” Liam said, throwing the washcloth to the floor and gathering her in his arms. She was shaking.
“Shh,” he said, holding her head against his chest and rocking back and forth. “Shh, it’s all right. Don’t cry, baby.”
“I’m sorry,” Calla said, swiping at her eyes and trying to pull away from him. “I’m being stupid.”
“No ya aren’t,” Liam said, running his hand through her hair. “Come on.” Liam moved to the edge of the bed and tugged Calla with him. “Up we go.” He stood and pulled Calla to her feet.
She clutched for the bedsheet but Liam gently pulled it away from her and tossed it back on the bed. “You’ve a beautiful body. Be a shame to hide it.”
Calla’s cheeks went pink as she held one arm over her breasts to cover them. Cute. Didn’t she remember how not very long ago he’d had the nipples she was covering in his mouth?
He just shook his head at her, then took her arm in his like they were entering a movie premiere and led her to the bathroom. He didn’t let her go even when he reached to turn on the shower.
He eased her into the shower and then stepped in behind her. She swung her head around and looked at him with wide eyes, water beading on her lashes. Damn she was a striking woman. He felt like even more of a gobshite for not seeing it sooner. Then again, he was usually just looking to dip his mickey in easy pussy. Calla was a lot of things, but easy pussy wasn’t one of them.
Which made Mackenzie even more of a bastard, to use her like that and then leave.
Liam laid his hands on Calla’s shoulders as she faced the shower spray and started massaging. She sank back against him and his chest tightened. She was so goddamned trusting. Didn’t she know she’d get flattened in this world if she kept that up?
Not if you protected her.
Liam blinked against the thought. He’d sure as fuck never been anyone’s protector. All his life he’d only taken care of number one—himself.
He frowned as he reached for the small bottle of hotel shampoo. “Close your eyes,” he said to Calla softly. He barely recognized his own voice. When he looked over Calla’s shoulders, he saw she’d listened and shut her eyes.
Liam angled her forward so the water soaked her hair. He turned her by her shoulders so that she was facing him. Her eyes were still shut. As water sluiced down her face, she looked like the most perfect, pure thing he’d ever seen. That clear, creamy skin. Her long neck and softly rounded shoulders.