Page 20 of These Monstrous Deeds

“In the meantime, come here. I’d like to take a look at you.”

Uncertain if that’s some sort of code forI’m going to fuck you again, Carter shuffles forward with caution. He stops when he’s kneeling between the man’s legs and forces himself to look up. The man is upset. Carter sinks in on himself, unsure what he did wrong now, but the man’s hand is surprisingly gentle when he cups Carter’s jaw and angles his face so he can see Carter better. His thumb brushes along the edge of where Carter fell face-first on stage earlier, when his arms were bound so he couldn’t break his fall. It had been bleeding, but it’s dry and tacky now. The man frowns, but says nothing.

The hand moves to Carter’s shoulder next, his thumb pressing into the joint there. Carter winces, clenching his teeth to keep quiet. The man’s eyes flick up to meet Carter’s. “Hurts?”

Carter doesn’t know the right answer. His eyes start to burn, his throat going tight. He settles for lying. The guards that kept watch over them always hated when they complained. He thinks it’s safe to assume this man won’t be any different. Carter shakes his head no, then holds his breath as he waits to see what will happen.

The man sighs like he’s disappointed before pressing his thumb down on the opposite shoulder. He nods when Carter whimpers.

“Would you like to try that again?” he asks, one eyebrow raised in a dangerous challenge. “Do your shoulders hurt?”

Shit. Now he’s going to get in trouble for lying.

“Y-yes…” Carter trails off without using a title for the man. They were taught to use Master for whoever purchased them, the guards warning that they wouldnotlike what happened to them if they didn’t, but Carter is willing to take the risk. It’s a small defiance. A way to fight back without winding up dead. Or worse…

“Don’t lie to me again. I can’t take care of you properly if you lie to me.”

Carter nods, dropping his chin in shame. He made the man upset. The man was being kind to him, gentle even, and Carter disappointed him.Why does that hurt so much?

The car comes to a stop just before the driver announces, “We’re here.” Carter peeks out the tinted windows to see that they’re parked in the farthest corner of a McDonalds parking lot. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Carter will be staying in the vehicle while Benny goes for the food. He’s not getting a chance to even get close enough to speak to anyone.

“What would you like to eat?” the man who bought him asks softly, hand nudging Carter’s chin until their eyes meet.

“I-” Carter stops himself, cowering. He doesn’t know the correct answer.Is there a correct answer? Will he give his order only to have Benny return with no food for him, the men laughing at Carter for being so fucking stupid? Will he bring the food back but then make Carter beg like he’d said before? Will Carter have to do something even worse than beg to earn it?

The man –Roarke? Is it Roarke?– leans forward and takes Carter’s face in his hands. Carter stares up at him in fear, holding his breath. “It’s not a game. Not a test. I told you to tell me the truth, remember? Just tell me the truth, sweetheart. What would you like to eat?”

The man had said earlier that he didn’t repeat himself, yet he just did. Carter wonders when he’ll be punished for that. He wonders if this man is the kind to punish right away, or when you least expect it. He wonders if his punishment will be requesting food only for the man to deny him.

But Carter is so fuckinghungry. He refuses to miss the chance to eat. “May I have some – some chicken nuggets, please?”

“Absolutely.” The man’s smile is proud. Carter doesn’t know what to do with that. “Do you want dipping sauce?”

Carter can’t help but just blink at the man.Dipping sauce? Did his rapist just ask him if he’d like dipping sauce with his chicken nuggets from fucking McDonalds?

“No,” Carter says incredulously. Then he remembers to soften his tone and adds, “Thank you.”

The man looks up at Benny, who has been listening the entire time. “Get him a water and apple slices, too.”

“Apple slices?” Benny scoffs.

“Yeah, asshole. They have them for the kid meals. Don’t you pay attention?”

“Do I look like I have a fucking kid?”

“No, you’re right. That’s just me when I have to deal with you.”

“Fuck off.” Benny flips the man off. Carter wonders if they’re friends. They must be. Maybe even brothers. He can’t see any other way that Benny would be able to speak that way to his boss.

Then again, Carter knows nothing about this world. He’s just a college student turned pleasure slave. Perhaps bosses in this fucked up alternate reality don’t demand respect from their employees.

“Cup of ice as well,” the man says with an amused smirk, clearly not upset with the way Benny is speaking to him.

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Benny grumbles before slamming the door shut.

Any interest Carter had during the interaction goes out the window the moment he realizes he’s now locked in the vehicle completely alone with his new owner. He tentatively looks at the man. When their eyes meet, the man gives him a startlingly warm smile. It doesn’t match what he says next. “Come here, sweetheart. Straddle my lap.”

Suddenly feeling braver now that he’s not outnumbered, Carter stays where he is and asks, “Why?”

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