The Virgin Next Door (Stud Ranch 3)

“What’s up, Sammy?”

But it wasn’t Sammy’s face he saw on the other end. It was some fucking meathead.

“Who the fuck are y—”

“Bone’s got a message for you,” the meathead said.

Mack’s blood went cold. The screen shifted like the guy was moving the phone around. It settled on a computer screen that was obviously some kind of camera feed.

And what Mack saw almost made him lose his breakfast.

There was just enough light to see Sammy, naked, bloody, and strung up on a hook like he was a slab of meat at the butchers. He was screaming in agony.

“Please! Please, don’t—”

Mack almost dropped the phone. “Sam!” he shouted.

And then came that evil fucking laugh that haunted Mack’s dreams.

Bone’s face filled the computer screen a second later. He grinned, showing off his stained, yellow teeth. “Baby boy, I heard you been asking around about me. You wanted to arrange a reunion all you had to do was ask me direct.”

Bile rose up Mack’s throat

“Instead, I learn you got one of our own playing snitch for you.”

Bone moved out of the way and Sammy’s body took up the frame again. Some of the blood and grime on his chest was dark, but some was bright red like Bone had slashed him right before placing the call. Mack’s stomach bottomed out at seeing his friend like this.

“Gotta say I didn’t mind having the excuse to get me a little plaything,” Bone’s voice came over the video of Sammy. “It’s so goddamned boring on the outside. I miss having my pick of the fresh meat.”

Bone circled one of Sammy’s nipples with a sharp hunting knife. “Remember the first day you walked the block, baby boy?”

“Fuck!” Mack yelled when Bone sliced Sammy’s nipple off. Sammy screamed and writhed on the hook. Mack dropped to his knees, staring at the phone.

“Foreplay just gets me so excited,” came Bone’s voice again. “Maybe you have missed me all these years and that’s why you sent this fucking idiot to try to learn about me. So I’d know just where to come and find you. Because Sammy here? He sang like a songbird as soon as I pulled off the first fingernail. Wyoming, huh? I didn’t make you out for a city boy.”

Mack sat paralyzed, eyes glued to the screen.

“Feel free to stay and watch the show. I’ll be seeing you soon, baby boy.”

Sammy whimpered something Mack couldn’t make out. There was another five minutes to the video and Mack wanted to throw the goddamned thing across the fucking parking lot. But maybe there was some deal he could make with Bone. Maybe he could offer to exchange himself for—

Sammy’s scream filled the phone speakers and Mack could only sit helplessly by for the rest of the video while Bone raped his friend and then slit his throat.

Bone’s demonic laugh was the last thing Mack heard before the phone call was ended.

29

LIAM

Liam felt like shite as he pulled in to the arena parking lot.

“Fuck,” he swore as he swerved to miss an oncoming car in the lot. The loud honk only had him swearing more as he grabbed his head and stomped on the break.

Driving around last night hadn’t done shite for his head and neither had coming back to the hotel and emptying the minibar.

He should have gone to Calla or Mack. But seeing Da and then all that bullshit with Brigid—it had him feeling exactly like nothing had changed in the last t

wo years. That he was the exact same spoiled little cunt that had run away from his daddy issues with his tail between his legs—