Page 53 of Flirt
This time, Cameron said nothing.
“The first couple of months were amazing. He took me out to fancy restaurants, bought me expensive things, told me how special I was.” No one had ever told him he was special, not once in his entire life, but it was no excuse. “Because I was sixteen, he said we had to keep it a secret. Obviously, I agreed.”
He would have done anything for Mitchell. A fact he’d proven time and time again.
Cameron’s hand curled into a fist on his chest, and his whole body let loose a long shudder. “You don’t have to keep going.”
“I do.” The dam had broken, and he could no longer hold back the flood. “It started small. He’d invite people to his place, introduce me. Show me off.” Asher chuckled darkly. “I was actually fucking flattered. The first time he suggested I have sex with another man, I said no. That was the first time he hit me.”
“Jesus,” Cameron breathed, his body now remarkably still. “Asher…”
“I learned pretty quickly not to tell him no. For the next year, there were lots of private parties at his place withpeople you can’t even imagine. Rich, famous, respected, the kind of people you’d never believe could be so depraved.”
“Kyle?”
Ashe bobbed his head. “Kyle, Chris, Matt, and Danny. Five of us altogether, all living on the street when Mitchell found us. Kyle was the last, and the youngest.”
“God, Asher, I’m so sorry.” Cameron pressed closer against his side. “How did you get away?” he asked in a small whisper.
“One of the guys he whored me out to liked it rough. Mitchell found me a couple of hours later, passed out in the bathtub.” He spoke without inflection, as if the beating had been something he’d read about instead of something he’d lived through. It was the only way he could get through the story without completely breaking down. “He took me to the hospital, told them I fell down the stairs.”
“Fuck.” Cameron slid an arm behind Asher’s back and wrapped the other over his stomach, holding him tight.
Asher hugged him back and leaned in to kiss his temple, realizing he wasn’t the only one who needed comfort and strength just then. “Luke was a volunteer at the hospital. He came and talked to me every day, even though I didn’t say a word to him at first.”
“I can imagine you weren’t very trusting of strangers at that point.”
That was putting it mildly. Bless Luke for putting up with his shit, because Asher didn’t know if he would have survived without him. “He gave me a place to stay when the hospital released me, and he never gave up on me. Eventually, I started to trust him.”
It hadn’t been easy for either of them, and more than once, Asher had thought about leaving. Only the fear that Mitchell would find him had kept him tucked away in that tiny apartment. Little by little, Luke had chipped away at his distrust and sullenness, until one day, Asher had woken up and realized he didn’twantto leave.
“I knew I liked him.” Cameron spoke so softly Asher almost didn’t hear him.
“Long story short, the doctors at the hospital weren’t stupid. They notified the police, who came to question me. Based on my injuries and what I told them, they were able to get a search warrant for Mitchell’s residence.”
“Where they found the other boys.”
Asher stared up at the sky and nodded. “Mitchell was this big shot on Wall Street, and the trial made national news. It was huge.” At least that part of the story had a happy ending. “Between the evidence the police found and the testimony from me, Kyle, and the others, Mitchell was convicted on about half a dozen charges. He’ll be almost eighty before he’s even eligible for parole.”
“At least that’s one good thing.” Cameron snuggled a little closer and sighed. “How did you end up in Dallas?”
“Luke grew up here. After the trial, it seemed like a good idea to get as far away from New York as possible.”
Cameron nodded a couple of times. Stopped. Tilted his head to the side. “Wait. If Luke is from Texas, what was he doing in New York?”
Biting the inside of his cheek, Asher shook his head. He’d tell Cameron whatever he wanted to know about himself, but he wouldn’t divulge Luke’s secrets without his permission.”
“Ah,” Cameron murmured. “Not your story to tell. I get it.” Arching his neck, he brushed a kiss over the curve of Asher’s jaw. “So, what does Kyle want?”
Grateful Cameron was so understanding, Asher leaned in for a proper kiss, feeling the heat of it all the way to his toes. “Mmm, what was the question?”
Cameron shook his head, his laughter a little breathless. “Kyle. What does he want?”
“Money.” It was the simplest answer. “He wants sixteen million dollars, or he’s threatening to tell everyone the famous Asher Dare is a former child prostitute.”
“He wouldn’t!”
Asher shrugged. “He sounded pretty serious.”
