The cut ran deep but not so much so that it would leave a scar. Nolan often thought about scars and how they added character to a person. He was glad he was left unharmed, although the shock of getting his arm slashed open by a psychopath left him feeling a little more alive than he previously had. Most people would have called Tyler Barrol a psychopath, a lunatic, and for a moment there, he was one. For a moment he was a knife wielding lunatic. Nolan knew what he really was though, opportunistic, misunderstood and ill from a disease that affected different people differently. Perhaps there was a villain inside of him but there was also a soul. Nolan always considered himself misunderstood from his early teens to now, so maybe he just naturally figured things out this all out. When he took a creative writing class in high school the teacher had told him when he was writing the antagonist that the antagonist thinks what he is doing is the right thing. Never judge your characters, so how could Nolan thoroughly pass judgment upon Tyler when he didn't know his endgame or what made him tick?

Tyler sauntered across the floor of Nolan's glass house, holding the same knife he cut him with just a week ago. Nolan still had a bandage around the wound and he changed it daily. "Nolan, Nolan, Nolan...Don't look at me like that," the man murmured as he leaned in close.

Nolan was once again tied to a chair, only this time he didn't have to worry about Emily being hurt by Tyler. He knew exactly where she was. "Look at you like what? Like I'm curious as to what the hell it is you think you're doing?"

Tyler hissed and let the dull edge of the knife move across the fabric of Nolan's long sleeved lilac button down shirt with it's popped collar. "Curiosity killed the cat Nolan. You of all people should know that."

Nolan scoffed "And you of all people should know how cliche that line is Ty."

Tyler let the blade pop through the fabric, making Nolan flinch as he anticipated a stabbing, pinching, pain in his skin. Tyler was just teasing.

Nolan looked up at him, trying to find warmth in the young hustler's eyes. He found none. "Why are you back? How did you get out?"

Tyler shrugged. "Maybe I'm just that good. Less talking, more doing."

Nolan bit his lip, afraid, brain moving a mile a minute through different scenarios on how to escape or where this was heading toward. "What are we doing here Ty?"

Tyler eased back a bit, toying the knife in front of Nolan's face. "Playing a game Nolan. You love games, I can just tell. All of you despicable people love your little games."

Nolan nodded, not one to disagree. "And you just love your toys."

Tyler let his tongue curl behind his teeth, making a tsk sound that was loud and made an echo through the modern living room. "But knives and guns are not toys dear Nolan, they're weapons, and they're very dangerous."

"Then why are you playing with them right now?" he countered.

"Because you're just the patsy Nolan, you'll work well in the bigger scheme of things," Tyler muttered as he pulled out what looked to be a photo album from the bookshelf in the corner.

Flipping through the pages, a devious smile painted his face. "What do we have here?"

Nolan eyed him and squirmed in his seat "Don't Ty, put it away."

Tyler kept his smile wide. "Oh, have I hit a sore spot? Am I digging too deep?"

Nolan tried not to sound scared but that album was the only thing he had left of his childhood. Everything else, he had lost. "Ty, just put it away. Play with me okay..."

The man in the suit almost gasped, his hair a bit messy and wavy. "Play with you? Hmmm not the simple vanilla boy I imagined."

The taller, colorful man moved and writhed in his chair, trying to get free. "Please, not the album."

Tyler looked at pictures of Nolan as a boy and held one up. "Aren't you cute? Just the sweetest thing. Who would have known someone pathetic as you would grow up to be a billionaire."

Nolan gave a sigh before he brought his eyes to Tyler's. He watched Tyler's mouth move as he spoke "Nolan, Nolan, pathetic little Nolan." he said stabbing his knife into one of the pictures. "Don't worry, that one wasn't of your handsome face, it was your mother's. What a little slut."

Tyler moved closer once more and Nolan bit his lower lip, the pressure of his teeth hurting but it kept him from saying things he would later regret. "Slut shaming isn't very nice Tyler. You being a bisexual hustler should know, name calling isn't very nice. Try to be a bit more progressive, and mature."

Tyler laughed, hearty, rich sounds coming from deep within his belly. "Yes, very well . Whatever you like . I wouldn't want to offend your good name and where you come from."

Nolan watched as Tyler put the album back on the shelf where he found it and he silently thanked him for that. He thanked his lucky stars and closed his eyes.

Tyler approached Nolan quickly and pinched his cheeks, making Nolan look like a little fish. The man in the suit kissed him with the grace of a sloppy doberman before smirking. "Do I scare you?" he asked.

Nolan wanted to wipe his mouth, but the ties that were binding him had prevented that. "You used to, but I think you've gone soft."

Tyler glared, and Nolan knew he was playing with fire. Tyler came in closer and pressed his knife against Nolan's throat. At first Nolan's adams apple bobbed against the blade but he learned not to make sudden moves and remained very still.

"Say you're sorry," Tyler demanded.

"I'm sorry Ty...just let me go. You can just go home, I won't let anyone know you've been here."

Tyler almost pounced on him, sitting in Nolan's lap. "Except you're Emily Thorne's lap dog. You'll tell her all about me, the second I leave this place."

Nolan gasped against Tyler, his skin perspiring out of fright, out of the threat of violence. "Would you blame me?" he gulped, the knife lightly moving along his throat.

Listening to a bell chime go off, Tyler hopped off of Nolan and looked around. "What the hell was that?"

Nolan cocked his head, a smirk on his face, relieved the knife was away from his skin. "It's midnight Tyler, a time I happen to be very fond of," he purred.

Tyler loosened his tie and took it off altogether, he gagged Nolan once more, for good measure. "Just wait till 3 am, the witching hour. That's my favorite," he said confidently as Nolan made muffled noises against the gag.

Tyler pinched his cheeks again "You're just so damn cute Nolan. I'd very much like to make you scream."

Nolan grunted against the blue fabric, before Tyler took Nolan's belt off, making the brightly adorned man wiggle against him. "Now that's better, more room to breathe."

The older man nodded, quick to agree but not wanting to play along. He was so very conflicted and he was also very much confused by his libido which was building. He wasn't hard yet but he wouldn't be surprised. Nolan never got off on anything kinky before and he was being held hostage, but now he felt like he might have been getting off on it. He felt threatened, but he also felt aroused which scared him. It made him question his own sanity. Two insane men in one room would just be too much.

A whole hour had passed before Tyler had said anything to Nolan who sat gagged and bound. Nolan was confused and had grown bored already but Tyler loved to watch. The man who looked to be in his late twenties was actually closer to forty which everyone was always surprised to learn. He was always fascinated by Nolan Ross and he knew who he was, before he even came to town. Nolan was one of the reasons for Tyler to come, not just Daniel Grayson and the Grayson family in general, but he loved the thought of getting under the skin of the well known computer genius.

Legs spread, Tyler kept an eye on Nolan who was slumped over a bit, trying to relax since he didn't know how long he would be there and what Tyler's end game was. Tyler didn't even know what his own endgame was. He would know when it was the end when it felt right and things just didn't at the moment. Pressing his tongue against his teeth he crossed his arms. "Nolan," he spoke, getting the blond man's attention.

"Remember when I fucked you. Do you remember how I felt?" he asked, toying with the lonely man's head.

The belt that Nolan was wearing was now on the floor and for a second, Tyler wanted to pick it up and use it. "Remember when I was deep inside of you and you begged for mercy. Did I give you any?" he asked, knowing the answer.

Placing his hands on his own thighs he let his teeth chatter like one of those toys with the walking mouth, the teeth doing just what he was. "Remember how you shivered Nolan? The way you shook when I spread you apart and told you just what I was going to do to you."

Tyler watched Nolan look away, the man's blue eyes no longer visible to him. Nolan did in fact, remember. He remembered very well.

"Look at me Nolan..." he demanded as he watched Nolan's face move to meet his. "Good boy."

Tyler toyed with the knife, the handle moving between his fingers. "You were so tight, and so willing. I wonder how willing you are now?"

Nolan growled against the fabric, wanting to speak.

Tyler put a finger up. "Not yet my darling. You'll have your turn."

Nolan went quiet once more and moved in his chair, rocking it back and forth and not really knowing why.

"Do you remember wanting to take control but then backing down? You try so hard to be the leader, to not follow orders but you really are quite the little bitch. You're not that hard to figure out you know,"he murmured.

Standing up he moved toward Nolan and took out the gag. He watched Nolan cough.

Nolan's mouth felt dry, his throat as well, and he watched Tyler bring him a glass of water. He resisted at first until Tyler drank some to let him know it was safe. Tyler fed him and Nolan drank, most of it going down his front. "I'm not going to kill you Nolan, that is not my intention. As you said before, I'm just playing a game."

Nolan looked up, eyes stern. "One you intend to win?"

Tyler shrugged. "I'd like to try."

Nolan inched forward, exhausted and feeling beaten. "What exactly are you getting out of this Ty?"

Kneeling between Nolan's legs, his hands on his knees he twitched, probably an effect of the lack of medication. "You."