Beneath the Neon Moon (4 page)

He looked at the blood soaking the bottom of Mal's faded jeans. "I want to know what they want, that's all. Maybe we can make it easier on ourselves if we know."

Kane followed Zach's gaze and started to grin. "He doesn't like how we've chained Mal." He looked at Aaron, amusement clear in his eyes, then back at Zach. "Tell you what, Zach—you don't want Mal hurt? When we bring you back down, all you have to do is stay close to him. Don't pull on the cuff, don't try to get away. We're not going to hurt him unless he tries to escape. We're just keeping him for a little while."

"Zach, I'm okay. They're just taking you to the bathroom. You'll be back down here listening to me and wishing I'd shut up again before you know it."

Zach looked at Mal, considering. "I haven't bitched about how much you talk."

"You don't have to." Mal gave him a small smile, and it did something to Zach's insides, something sudden and intense rolling over him, pushing him off balance. He absolutely did not want to leave Mal alone in the dusky cellar, not even for a few moments. 

Mal looked up at him from the ground, expecting him to go along quietly, urging him to it by the worried look on his face. Zach stared back at him, unsmiling, confused by the sudden strength of his feelings. Mal's smile faltered and his pupils widened.

Jesus, he'd lost his mind. He didn't even
know
the guy.

Zach turned away and walked up the stairs, Aaron in front and Kane behind. He didn't look back.

They took him through the kitchen and down the hall to the bathroom. Aaron stood in the doorway and crossed his arms, grinning at Zach, so Zach whipped it out and took a leak as if he could give a shit, then shook off as insolently as a person could possibly manage in his position. He washed up, and Aaron led him into the bedroom further down the hall, Kane following.

The bedroom walls were tan and blank, no pictures or mirrors to adorn them. There were two pieces of furniture in the room, a bed and nightstand. The bed had a metal frame, tall and thin and black. It bunched up like a spider in a corner of room. Beside it was the nightstand, painted black to match.

Kane shoved him to the mattress, and the bed squeaked as he fell on it. The mattress was too soft, but the sheets were smooth and cool against his skin. He remembered the squeaking from last night, but he'd had other things on his mind then. And beneath his hands. Over his body. Things he didn't want again.

"Yeah, thanks but no thanks." Zach sat up and raised a brow, trying to appear cool.

"Ah now, you liked us last night. We still like you," Aaron said, bending over Zach. His mouth hovered over Zach's lips.

"That was a one-time deal and fuck if I didn't pick lousy, seeing as I've been trapped in your cellar ever since."

"We haven't hurt you. We're not going to, either." Aaron's breath was warm against Zach's mouth. "Can't say the same for your friend downstairs."

"You've hurt him enough."

Aaron looked into his eyes and smiled. "That's not what I meant." He lowered his body against Zach's and kissed him. Zach didn't react, didn't move. "C'mon, Zach. You remember the part about making it easier on yourself?"

"Tell me what's going to happen to us."

"I will," Aaron whispered against his mouth. "I'll tell you all about it, but there's more interesting things to do right now." Kane's hands settled on Zach's ankles, encircling them. Zach tried to jerk away but Kane held him still. Aaron kissed him again, lips firm, demanding entrance to Zach's mouth. Zach kept his eyes open, contempt written all over his face, and Aaron pulled away and looked at him, then sighed. He placed a hand against Zach's neck, warm and rough, fingers curving around Zach's throat. No pressure yet, just held it there, watching Zach's eyes. Zach's expression didn't change even when the pressure began, but he brought a hand up and tried to pull Aaron's hand away. He couldn't budge it. The man was incredibly strong, more so than Zach thought humanly possible.

Zach fought him, tried to come off the bed, and the grip around his throat squeezed tighter. His chest burned for oxygen, dark spots floating over his vision. Aaron's face was beautiful behind the spots, eyes pale and laden like a winter sky holding snow. Something alien grew in them as Zach's vision grayed, fire and heat and hunger fixed on him, coupled with a terrible, cold detachment. Pleasure, watching Zach struggle.

Zach understood. He'd learned long ago when to stop fighting, to concede before he lost everything. He opened his mouth to the kiss, settling into it while his mind went elsewhere, remembering the alleyway from when he was sixteen, the vines strangling the trees by the little blue apartment. His empty stomach, and how it had hurt.

He remembered his tenth birthday. His dad had taken Zach to the carnival, the heat of summer baking into the walkways and rides. Hid dad had stayed sober the whole time. Zach rode all he wanted and ate even more. It was a good day.  

He thought about the stray he'd been feeding for the last couple of months, warm yellow tiger-striped cat with big balls and big, soft white paws, white patch the shape of Texas on his face. He'd first seen the cat pouncing on a rat snake out in the back yard of the shitty little rental he'd managed to so far hold onto in spite of losing his job. The cat had looked pleased as punch, the snake writhing slow as a nightmare between his jaws. Zach called him Jasper. The name came to him without thought. It suited him fine.

Jasper was a scrappy little bastard, sweet face round like the moon, possessing the loudest purr in the state. Zach missed him. He hoped someone would feed him if he didn't make it back home.

Zach closed his eyes, remembering and feeling and thinking other things until here and now meant nothing, or as nearly so as he could make it.

When it was over, Aaron rolled off him.

"You're not nearly as good as you were when I was drunk." Zach didn’t realize he’d said it out loud until Kane laughed.

Chapter 5

A
FTERWARD
, AARON AND Kane took him into the tiny kitchen. It was twilight. Zach stood at the sink, feeling sore and loose and tired. Numb to the point of blankness. He stared outside the window over the blue haze of the mountains, tips shrouded in shadows stretching longer by the minute. He spotted another house below them on a steep incline, isolated, though Zach knew that further down out of the wilderness the land was dotted with homes, chalets and cabins. He'd worked on some of them, helped build them.

Zach tilted back a tall glass of water and drank, then gazed outside again. A gravel driveway wound out of sight behind some pines. A floodlight came on over the small black import sitting by the side of the house where the drive ended. It seemed odd to him that they'd drive such an efficient, neat little car. He figured them for something showier.

Zach finished his water. They gave him a sandwich. It clogged his throat and he thought he'd never get it down, but he finally managed. He'd been so hungry earlier, and besides, he figured he'd need all the energy he could get.

Aaron and Kane walked behind him down to the cellar, the floodlight's glare following them a short way through the opened door, then shining in through the dirty window below. The piles of junk in the corners of the room were dim, irregular shapes.

Mal paced the length of his chain, the white light touching the tips of his hair, curling a little in the damp air. He grew still as they filed down the steps, tension pulling lines in his face tight enough to break.

Zach looked away from him, trying not to panic. The food he'd swallowed was a rock in his stomach, and he wished he hadn't worked so hard to get it down. "Don't do this," he whispered to Aaron.

Mal heard him. "Do what? What'd they do?" He sounded off balance, his voice rough and uneven.

"Doesn't matter, Mal. Not with what's coming," Aaron said.

"Don't talk to me like you know me," Mal spat, hands curled into fists. "He's been gone too long. I want to know why."

Zach cleared his throat and willed his heart to slow from a hard thump in his chest. He breathed deep and even, and when he spoke his voice was mild. "Hey, I'm here now. You could just ask me." He stopped next to Mal without being told.

"Both of you sit," Kane instructed from behind Zach and Aaron.

Mal smiled, baring a thin strip of teeth. "What are you afraid of?"

"Kane's not coming closer until you sit, though if you chose we can force it. Voluntary is better—right, Zach?" said Aaron.

Zach's mouth tightened but he didn't look at Aaron, all his attention on Mal. "Sit, okay?" He sat down by Mal on the dirt and looked up at him expectantly. 

Mal looked back, eyes slitted, hair swinging over his face. He didn't move, his body large and looming over Zach.

"Mal. C'mon. Sit with me."

Mal blinked and took a slow breath, then folded slowly to the ground beside him. Aaron knelt in front of Zach and picked up the connecting chain. Mal had been dragging it as he paced the cleared area, and a long, stringy cobweb clung to one of the links. Aaron threaded the chain onto Zach's cuff, then locked the cuff around his ankle.

"Talk to me." Mal's fingers were dead white, digging into the dirt.

Zach rubbed his forehead. "I'm fine."

"I hate people who say they're fine whenever you ask how they're doing."

"You don't hate me," Zach said softly. "And I
am
—" he huffed, exasperated, then slumped a little. "I'll be all right."

"It's just a way to shut people out," Mal said, jaw stubborn as if he hadn't heard the partial concession.

"Why so friendly with this guy, Mal?" Aaron asked, standing up as he did.

Mal jerked his head up to look at Aaron. "Unless you intend to tell us what we're doing here and what you're planning, fuck off."

Aaron smiled. "Wouldn't want you to get too attached, that's all."

Mal looked Aaron over, contempt clear in his face, then rose and took a swift step toward him, heedless of the chain.

Zach pushed himself up with his hands and scrambled after Mal. "Shit. Will you stop?"

"You better hope I don't figure my way out of this, because if I do, I'll tear you apart." Mal's voice was low and uninflected.

The smile vanished off Aaron's face. "I know. There's a reason why your chain's so thick. You'll feel differently later."

"You think so?" Mal snarled, face etched in hard lines and taut fury. He ducked his head and took another step forward, then another. The chain yanked tight between him and Zach.

"Jesus. Stop it!" Zach tried to close the gap between them again.

Kane stopped him, clamping a hand over Zach's shoulder. "Let's see how far he takes it." Aaron stepped back hastily as Mal advanced. Kane grinned, then glanced down at Mal's ankle. He winced. "Man, I know that's got to hurt."

Mal's head lifted and his nostrils flared. He breathed in deep, his eyes going dark as he stared at Aaron. "I smell him on you. What you did to him." He stepped back as if to turn away, then suddenly lunged forward. The wall chain extended to its limit, but Aaron didn't realize it. He stumbled back, fear flitting over his face.

Kane whistled, looking down at Mal's feet. "Damn, brother." Blood rolled over the dirty white of Mal's sneaker into the dirt.

"Shut up," Aaron snapped, and Kane laughed outright.

"This is nothing compared to what you're going to feel for hurting him." Mal's gaze flicked over Aaron. He turned to look at Kane. "Both of you."

Kane took his hand from Zach's shoulder and pushed him forward. He stumbled to Mal's side. Kane nodded at Mal, eyes narrowing. "You're already feeling it. Like you want to climb the walls. Hit something. Run. Tear something up." He flashed a glance over Mal's body, then back up to his face, giving him a lopsided grin. "Or someone. Like me and Aaron, currently."

"You'll understand after tomorrow night," Aaron said.

Mal's upper lip cocked, showing his teeth. "By tomorrow night you'll understand
me.
"

Aaron studied him a moment. "We'll see. Fun's over—for now." He glanced at Kane, who nodded, and they headed for the stairs. At the top they looked back, two featureless shadows backlit by the light from the doorway. The light narrowed and disappeared as the door closed.

Mal grabbed Zach's arm and backed up a few steps, then sank to his knees, panting, head falling forward. Zach went to his knees beside him. He grabbed him by the shoulder. "What the hell are you doing, Mal?"

"How bad did they hurt you up there?" Mal's voice was low. Zach felt him trembling beneath his hands.

"I'm not the one bleeding, dammit."

"Did they
hurt
you?"

"No!"

Mal looked up into Zach's eyes. "You're lying." His voice was deep, ragged. His dark hair was damp with sweat.

"Answer me, Mal. What do you think you're accomplishing besides tearing yourself up? There's nothing you can do."

"I told you to go with them. Just go with them, Zach, they're taking you to the bathroom. Fuck." Mal looked sick.

Astonished, Zach said, "This isn't your fault, idiot."

Mal made a sound that was supposed to be a laugh, short, unhappy explosion of sound. "I told you it'd be okay. I told you that."

Zach shook Mal's shoulder, a quick, hard shake. He leaned closer, making sure Mal made eye contact with him again. "I
am
okay. Back with you now."

Mal's mouth twisted. "Yeah, just where you want to be." He rubbed his face and leaned back, his upper body curving into itself.

Zach took a deep breath. The brutality of what he'd just seen Mal inflict on himself on top of everything else had sucker-punched him. He breathed out and leaned in, touching his forehead to Mal's. "Hey. You don't know what I want." His heart raced, fear and something more.

Mal's hand came up hesitantly, touched Zach's forearm, then wrapped around it finger at a time, taking it slow. He closed his eyes. "I wish you weren't here," he breathed. "You're in trouble because of me, aren't you?"