Page 70 of These Monstrous Deeds

“Pet, say hello to Mr. Henley.”

Henley.

The man from the auction.

Carter looks up, eyes wide. This is the man who spoke with sir after sir raped him on stage. That night is a haze now, probably for the best, but he remembers Henley. He remembers the cruelty in his words.

“Pet,” sir warns, his eyes narrowing on Carter. “I don’t repeat myself.”

Trying to keep his voice steady, Carter looks Todd directly in the eye and says, “Hello.”

Todd smiles wide before looking at Nathan. “A fighter indeed. Tonight just got a whole lot more entertaining.”

“Here.” Carter watches with a held breath as sir casually hands over the end of his leash to Todd. Todd, the man who had called him a slut just minutes after he had been raped. Todd, who had said Carter should have to beg for food. Todd, who had laughed at Carter’s impending life of misery. “I thought you might like to have my little fighter for the whole evening.”

Todd takes the leash like a greedy kid in a candy shop, his eyes alight. “Thank you, Nathan. I’m honored.”

“Of course.” Sir winks at Todd, ignoring Carter entirely. “I hope you enjoy the view as much as I do.”

The view.

The view of Carter’s fight going out of him.

The view of Carter losing hope.

Todd says something that makes sir laugh, but Carter doesn’t register the words. He looks away from them, focusing back on his knees. He doesn’t want to look at them anymore. Partly because he can’t stand the sight of them.

Mostly because he doesn’t want them to see him cry.

???

Nathan stares down at the ice in his scotch, his hand wrapped around the glass in a death grip. He’s been studying it for a while now. It’s safer. If he’s looking at his scotch, he’s not looking at Carter. And Nathan… Nathan can’t look at Carter.

“So pretty,” he hears Todd croon to his left. “What’s wrong? You don’t like being touched there?”

Nathan takes another gulp of the burning liquid as Carter whimpers. This is his fault, something he realized just minutes into them taking their seats. He had mentioned Carter being a fighter to give the boy some leeway to misbehave tonight. If he slips up at all, Nathan can wave it off, say something witty in an amused tone, instead of having to bend Carter over and punish him for Todd’s enjoyment. What he hadn’t anticipated was that by sharing this fact, he gave Todd a challenge. Todd wants to see the fighter break.

And he’s having a whole lot of fun as he pursues the goal.

“That’s it, slut. Get hard for me.”

Nathan closes his eyes and tries to breathe.

Carter cries out in pain, his first real cry of the night. It startles Nathan enough to draw his attention despite his best efforts to refrain. His eyes land on the boy just as Todd yanks Carter’s sack for what he assumes is at least the second time. The erection he had forced on the boy is quickly waning.

Nathan looks away, staring off at nothing as his eyes blur.

Maybe he’ll bring Carter some books tomorrow for his day off. Nathan bets he likes books.

“Goodness, your master must have so much fun with you.”

Nathan feels Todd’s gaze turn on him. With a single blink, he has his shit together again. He turns to look at the man, carefully avoiding the sight of Carter as he does so, and gives him a grin that’s positively evil. He can feel it seeping into his bones. He’s not sure if he’ll ever be rid of it now.

He’s not sure if he’ll ever deserve to be.

“What are his rules?” Todd asks, still looking at Nathan even as his hands roam Carter’s body.

Nathan forces a laugh, hoping to hide the fact that the boy barely has any rules compared to other pleasure slaves. “You’d have to be more specific.”

---