Behind the Lens (Behind the Lives) (39 page)

“What?”

“Tyler
told me you’re only seventeen, which means you lied about your age on the
contract.”

“B-But,
I wouldn’t have done that.”

“Well,
you did, it’s in black and white, so be ready or I’ll be showing it to the
police.” The man hung up, leaving Corey staring into nothing, his vision
blurred by tears. He flopped back onto the bed, not knowing what to do, because
if he went with the man Sledge would go nuts, but if he didn’t the cops would
arrest him AND his parents would find out he’d posed nude. No matter what he
did, he was fucked either way.

He
reached for the bedside cabinet, wanting to smoke so much weed he didn’t have
to think. He opened the top drawer, then went still, his gaze locking on the
stack of cash inside. He pulled it out and started counting the red bills, his
eyes going wider as he reached a grand. Stunned, he put the money back into the
drawer, and lay down, knowing he’d definitely done something illegal now.

The
sound of a car pulling into his driveway made him bolt upright. He pushed out
of bed and peeked through the curtains, fear seizing him as two big men got out
of a black Maserati and headed for the house.

Corey
got into bed and pulled the covers over himself, praying that Juliet would tell
them he was too sick to see them. A knock came from the front door. He heard
Juliet walking through the house, then a few seconds later talking started up,
though he couldn’t hear what they were saying—

Juliet
screamed, making Corey shoot up in bed. Feet trampled down the passage. Corey
pushed the covers off, grabbing for his crutches just as his door banged open.

A
big man with leather-like skin entered the room. He was dressed in camo pants
and a muscle shirt, showing off his bulging biceps and a large tattoo of a
naked woman on his forearm. “Ooh, a little cutie,” the guy said.

Corey
lifted one of his crutches. “Back off!”

“That
won’t stop me, little girl.”

“I’m
not a girl!”

“Well,
you look pretty enough to fuck, so I say you’re a girl.”

Corey
jabbed at the man with his crutch, screaming as it was yanked out of his hand.

“You
sound like a girl too,” Leather Face said.

“Leave
me alone!” Corey scrambled over the bed, his cast making it difficult.

Leather
Face rushed to the other side, causing Corey to scream again.

“Mack,
stop scaring the boy,” a voice came from the doorway.

Corey’s
eyes shot to a man with a huge afro. The guy had a hand over Juliet’s mouth and
a gun to her head.

“Let
her go!” Corey yelled.

Afro
Man pushed Juliet onto the bed. “We have no interest in the girl, but you, boy,
you’re coming with us.”

“No!”

“Yes
you are, because you promised to work for our boss.”

“I
don’t remember promising.”

Afro
Man pointed the gun at Juliet again. “If you want her alive, I say you do.”

Juliet
crawled across the bed and latched onto Corey, who grabbed her back just as
hard. “Why you doin’ this?” he said.

“I’ve
already told you, and once you’ve finished the job we’ll bring you back, so
don’t get your Bob the Builder knickers in a twist.”

“I’m
still not goin’!”

“Get
him,” the man said, nodding to Leather Face.

Corey
kicked out at Leather Face with his good leg, trying to get him in the balls,
but the guy grabbed it and yanked him down the bed. Juliet flung herself over
Corey, screaming at the man to let go.

Afro
Man moved over to Juliet and placed the gun to her head. “Get off him!”

Juliet
instantly scrambled off Corey. Leather Face grabbed Corey and lifted him up.
Corey screamed for help, the man cutting it short with a kiss.

Leather
Face pulled back. “The next time you scream, I’m gonna fuck you.”

“Only
the boss gets to fuck him,” Afro Man said. “And I thought you were straight.”

“What
the boss doesn’t know won’t hurt him, and cutie here looks like a girl to me.”

“He’s
got no tits, so stop sampling the goods and take him to the car.”

Leather
Face carried Corey outside, with Juliet and the other man following close
behind. To Corey’s horror, none of his neighbours were around, only the sound
of seagulls filling the air. His eyes shot to Nike as he got out of the
Maserati, looking like a killer with his scar and chauffeur’s uniform. Nike
opened the back door, his gaze moving to Juliet as she got in. Afro Man went
around the other side, while Leather Face slid Corey in, then followed, pulling
Corey onto his lap. Nike shut the door then jumped into the driver’s seat,
muttering something to another man next to him.

“Please
don’t do this, Nike,” Corey said.

Nike
started the engine and backed out.

“Nike!
You can’t do this! They’re kidnapping us.”

“No
we ain’t,” Leather Face said.

“Yes
you are!”

Leather
Face wrapped his arms around Corey’s chest. “Remember what I said about
squealing.”

“You
said screaming, not squealing, so let go!” Corey said, trying to loosen the
grip.

“Stop
wriggling about, you’re giving me a boner.”

Corey
went still.

Afro
Guy sniggered. “I don’t think he likes you, Mack.”

“Nah,
he likes me plenty, and I bet he’d love to suck my dick. Wouldn’t you, cutie?”
Leather Face said, sticking a finger into Corey’s mouth.

Corey
bit it, causing the thug to holler: “You son of a bitch.” He slapped Corey
across the back of his head, making him cry out.

“You
stupid bastard!” Afro Guy snapped. “You better not have marked the kid, the
boss said to bring him in unharmed.”

“He
bit me!”

“That’s
your own fault for sticking your finger into his mouth, you idiot.”

“Fuck
you! Everyone cock blocks me.”

“No,
your ugly-arse face cock blocks you. And stop hitting on the boy.”

The
guy next to Nike hooted out a laugh. “You’ve been hanging round Ant too long,
Mack.”

“What’s
that supposed to mean?”

“You’re
starting to get a taste for boys.”

“You
calling me a fag?!”

“If
he’s giving you a boner, then yeah.”

Leather
Face kicked the back of the guy’s seat. “Keep your mouth shut!”

Nike
bellowed, “No kicking the seat!”

Leather
Face swore under his breath, then gripped Corey’s throat. “Any more biting and
I’ll stick my finger up where you have no teeth, you hear me?”

Corey
squeaked out a “Yes.”

Leather
Face let go of Corey’s neck, then whispered into his ear: “And once the boss is
finished with you, pretty, I’m gonna stick something else up there.”

Corey
turned to Juliet and buried his face into her shoulder. She placed a hand on
his head, telling him it was going to be alright, although he didn’t believe
her, the man’s hard cock proof of that.

“Shit,
Mack, you made the li’l boy cry,” Afro Man said.

Leather
Face patted Corey’s back. “He’ll be fine once he gets his pay-check.”

They
drove in silence for the next half hour, until Nike pulled up to a gate, asking
to be let in. It swung open, then they were heading down a driveway, the house
at the end impressive, looking like something a movie star would live in. The
car pulled up to the door. Leather Face got out, yanking Corey along with him.
Afro Man exited the other door, then the car drove off with Juliet, leaving Corey
alone with the two thugs.

“Put
me down!” Corey yelled.

Leather
Face clamped onto him tighter. “Not until you’re in my bed.”

“You’re
not fucking me!”

“Oh
yes I am.”

“No,
you’re not,” Afro Man said. “Ignore him, li’l dude, you’re just getting
debriefed.”

“He’s
definitely getting de-
briefed.
”
Laughing, Leather Face tugged at
Corey’s boxers.

Corey
grabbed them. “STOPPIT!”

“Christ,
Mack,” Afro Man said. “What the hell is wrong with you? He’s Ant’s bit.”

“Ant
won’t mind.”

“Yes,
he will, and unless you wanna get fired, I suggest you stop mucking around with
the kid and take him up to Ant.”

Leather
Face flicked the guy the finger, then carried Corey through the doorway. They
headed across a large foyer, where people were cleaning and putting up posters.
Corey’s mouth dropped open at the huge poster of Dante being hung, Sledge’s
brother looking like he was in the throes of an orgasm, with his head flung
back and his expression hotter than hell.

“What
the fuck?” Corey spluttered.

Leather
Face stopped and looked up at Dante’s image. “You want him, don’t cha, little
girl.”

“No!
He’s my boyfriend’s brother, and stop calling me a girl!”

“Yeah,
s’pose you ain’t, considering you’re flat as a pancake,” Leather Face said,
running a hand over Corey’s chest.

Corey
smacked him in the face, causing the man to drop him. He hollered as he hit the
floor, pain jolting through his broken leg.

“That
was a fucking stupid thing to do,” Leather Face said, scooping him up.

Corey
grimaced. “My leg hurts.”

“Serves
you right for smacking me, and by the way, you hit like a girl.”

Corey
wished he could smack him again, but instead held on tight as Leather Face
carried him up the curving staircase.

The
man veered into a passageway, stopping at the second door on their right. “Knock
on the door, unless you want me to use your head.”

Corey
knocked.

“Come
in,” a male voice answered.

“Open
the door,” Leather Face said to Corey.

Corey
did what he was told, praying he wasn’t going to get fucked. Leather Face
carried him inside. Asian furniture filled the room, surrounding a large canopy
bed, where a powerful looking guy sat—Ant Torres: the man behind the lens.

Ant
smiled at Corey, his eyes lighting up. “Hello, sweetheart.”

“I’m
not your sweetheart, so take me home.”

“That’s
not going to happen.”

“You
can’t just kidnap me!” Corey yelled, his anger now taking over.

“I
didn’t kidnap you, you silly little thing—”

“I’m
not a thing, you arsehole!”

Ant
laughed. “I’m definitely an arsehole, but it’ll be yours that will be getting
fucked.”

“You
can’t! That’s rape.”

“Not
under this roof.”

“Please,
just take me home,” Corey sobbed.

“You
really are a little baby, always crying.”

“I’m
not a li’l baby!” Corey wiped his eyes.

“Mack,
is he little?”

“So
little I bet his mouth would just reach your dick, boss.”

Ant
grinned. “The perfect height.”

“That’s
not funny!” Corey yelled. “And if you put your cock near my mouth I’ll bite it
off.”

“That’s
what open-mouthed gags are for.”

Corey
stared at him in horror.

Ant
laughed. “Don’t worry; I won’t use it, just as long as you’re a good boy.”

“Please,
just take me home,” Corey said, finding his voice again. “Juliet too. We won’t
tell anyone what you did.”

“Juliet,
as in your boyfriend’s twin?”

“Yes.”

Ant’s
gaze zeroed in on Leather Face. “I didn’t tell you to bring her here.”

“We
had to, boss,” Leather Face said, “the ugly bitch threatened to call the
coppers.”

Ant
rolled his eyes. “Those Ratas are the bane of my life. Just return her tomorrow
after Saul gives her a rundown.”

Nodding,
Leather Face carried Corey over to the bed, and sat him down next to Ant. “I’d
suggest you use that gag, he’s a biter.”

“No,
he’s my pussy cat,” Ant said, placing an arm around Corey, who shoved it off.
“Oh, come on, sweetheart, it was just a joke. I don’t understand why you’re
getting yourself so wound up when I’m going to pay you a lot of money.”

“Why
do ya even want me here?” Corey said, shifting down the bed, the man looking
like he wanted to eat him.

“I
told you, I need you to work my party. You’ll get to meet my clients. It’s a
breeze; all you have to do is look pretty and smile; the easiest five grand
you’ll ever make.”

“Five
grand?” Corey said, knowing he was gaping, but unable to help it.

“It’s
what the star models get, and if it makes you feel better, your boyfriend’s
brother will be sitting next to you tonight, so it’s not like you’ll be on your
own,” Ant said, flicking a hand at Leather Face, who disappeared out of the
room, closing the door behind him.