Greg pulled into the garage and sat in his car for a few minutes. He was still riding a little bit of a high after shooting up down the road in an empty parking lot before coming home from work. He looked down at his arms. He had shot up today in the other one just to try to hide the marks but he knew he would have to start wearing long sleeves soon. Luckily it was fall and the weather was getting cooler.
He wondered if Nick would be awake. Then he remembered that Nick had seen the doctor earlier today and should know if he would be able to go back to work or not. There was a part of him hoping his doctor was going to delay his going back to work.
He entered the house through the garage door. He walked in and saw Nick on the couch, wide awake. He looked tense. "Uh, hey! What did the doctor say today about you going back to work?" Greg asked him, thinking maybe he was not happy with what he had been told.
Nick stared at Greg, almost trying to see if he could tell if he had cheated on him or not. "I can go back to work whenever I want to. I was given the clear." Nick decided to wait a couple minutes before tearing into him.
Greg hesitated, not sure why he seemed to tense. "I thought you wanted to be able to go back to work. You look rather angry about something. Is there something else wrong?" Greg asked.
"Yeah there is. What have you been doing the last couple of days visiting one of your old 'clients' at the Hilton?" Nick watched as the shock registered on his partners face.
Greg felt his chest tighten up. "Uh, what do you mean? I've only been going to work." He didn't know how Nick could have got this information.
"Did you forget that our neighbor, Joe, works there? He saw you and I am sure he could get security camera footage to prove it, but seeing your reaction on your face I think he was right. So I guess sex with me is not good enough anymore that you felt the need to go back to selling yourself to the highest bidder!" Nick seethed.
Greg felt nauseated. "No, it's not what you think! We aren't having sex. I am not cheating on you. I wouldn't do that to you. He's just being nice and wanted some time to talk. We used to do that before. He said I was always one of his favorites because he felt he could always just talk to me if nothing else."
"You expect me to believe that you two are just spending time in his room, talking. Fuck you Greg! I am not an idiot!" Nick yelled, finally standing up and approaching Greg. Greg started to back away until he hit the wall. Tears were springing to his eyes.
"I swear to you I have not cheated on you. Do you know how many times I've had old clients approach me for sex lately? I hate it and I tell them I am not into that life anymore. I even told Shane in the beginning but then he said there didn't have to be sex. He just wanted a friend, someone to talk to who is not interested in sex," Greg tried explaining to him.
"Then why not tell me in the beginning? Why hide it and let me find out this way? I don't believe you. There has to be something more to it." Nick turned to walk away from him when Greg grabbed his arm.
"Please Nick, I can't lose you. I swear I am not cheating on you!" He cried out. Nick looked at the offending hand holding his arm and something caught his eye. He reversed the hold and was now the one holding onto Greg's arm. He saw a needle mark and his face dropped. "Please tell me that's not a needle mark." He looked up and saw the fear is Greg's eyes. "You're not cheating; you're going to him for drugs! That's it isn't it? You got the taste for them again when you took the OxyContin. I know that half of those guys who pay for escorts are drug addicts themselves. And if he is rich, he can afford to get you some. So is this another Will type relationship?"
Greg's head was spinning. He didn't know how to answer because he was right on most of it but one thing. "NO! This is not like it was with Will. I am not having sex of any type. You can even ask him."
Nick's face just looked so sad now. "But you're not denying being back on drugs, so I am right. How long, how long have you been lying to me?"
Greg shook his head, tears flowing freely. "It's not even been a whole week, I swear. I can stop. I'll stop cold turkey, just please don't leave me!"
Nick let go of his arm and turned his back on him. He couldn't look at him knowing he had turned back to drugs again. Perhaps he was telling the truth and he had only just started again but he just couldn't even deal with him right now.
"Nick, please talk to me. I need to know what you are thinking," Greg sobbed out. He saw Nick shake his head. "How many times have I asked you to talk to me and you never do. Why should I talk to you now when you don't give me the same courtesy?"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please just tell me something," Greg begged as he felt his whole world falling apart. He knew this was his own fault, he just was sure he could get by this time without getting caught.
"I can't deal with you right now. I think you should leave," Nick sighed heavily.
"You are kicking me out?" Greg asked, fear clutching his heart.
"I just need time to think, alone and I can't do that with you here. So I am asking you to leave, just for now," Nick tried to clarify. He did need time to think if he wanted to try to work on getting Greg clean again or just give up on him entirely. He didn't think the latter was possible but right now he was so mad and disappointed at the same time, he just didn't want him there.
Greg sniffled. "Fine, I'll leave but I'll keep my cell phone on. Please give me another chance, please. I know I screwed up but after that beating it just really screwed with me."
"Just go, Greg." Nick said finally.
Greg resigned to Nick's request. He was at the garage door with it opened when he told Nick he loved him. He hoped to hear Nick say it back, but when he didn't he felt his heart shatter even more. He walked out the door and closed it behind him. Once in his car he just started driving, not really heading nowhere in particular. Tears blurred his vision a lot of the time. He thought about what Nick said, he was not completely cutting him out of his life, at least yet.
He pulled into a parking lot at the far end and realized he had driven to the Hilton. His first thought was wanting to find Joe and rip his head off but then he knew he was not the problem. He was his own worst enemy. He brought this pain upon himself.
He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and thought about calling Nick to say he was sorry again but it hadn't been that long. He instead called Shane to see if he was in his penthouse. He needed someone to talk to, even though he was probably one of the worst choices if Nick knew. Still he called him.
"Shane, are you in? I need to talk, please," he tried keeping the emotions out of his voice.
"Yeah, I thought you would be home now but I'll come down and get you." Greg was so grateful that he had someone who he could go to.
"What's going on Greg? You look like hell," Shane asked him as he entered his penthouse.
"Nick found out. He made me leave," was all he said before he broke down. Shane knew Greg loved Nick but he never realized just how much until now seeing him a wreck.
"How did he find out?" Greg ended up telling him everything he knew. He explained how he first thought they were having sex but then he discovered the needle mark in his arm.
"Do you think he really believed you weren't having sex with me?" Shane asked.
"I think he did but I'm not completely sure. I fucked up. Why did I start on the drugs again? I should know they only ruin my life. Why am I so drawn to them?" Greg buried his face in his hands.
"I can't help you there. You are talking to another addict. I can't give them up no matter how hard I have tried in the past. Now they are just a part of my daily life."
Greg made a sad chuckle sound. "I can't believe I ran to you when you are the one who got me on them again. It really shows how messed up I am."
Shane sat back and sighed. "Yeah and now I feel like shit for even giving them to you. I should have known better, knowing you had been clean for so long. I am just as guilty for fucking up your life."
"A pair we make, huh," Greg sighed. He had cried himself out. He was just feeling exhausted and terrible. "I probably really shouldn't stick around here. Not the best idea considering all that happened."
"Where are you going to go?" Shane asked him. Greg shrugged, "Probably find some hotel room for the night."
"I can get you one here," Shane offered. Greg put his hand up. "No, another bad idea. I can find someplace for a night or two. I don't know how long or if he decides he wants me to move out…" he shook his head. He couldn't think of life without Nick now. He really was his other drug. He needed him and if he kicked him out he was not sure what he would do.
"Just don't do anything stupid out there. He said he had to think about it. It doesn't mean he has cut you out of his life yet," Shane told him.
Greg nodded. "I know. I think that is the only thing getting me through this knowing he just said he needed time to think. I just pray he gives me another chance."
"So I don't expect to see you again, I gather unless things turn from bad to worse," Shane assumed.
"Yeah, I need to prove to him I can get off them again and I need to just keep to work and home life. No more messing around," Greg said to himself more than to Shane. He wasn't overly addicted again. He could still give up the heroin. He just needed to get rid of the stash he still had in his glove compartment. He would trash it once he got to his car.
They said their goodbyes and Greg did thank Shane for being there when he did need him.
Greg walked outside. It had started raining outside. He was mad he parked so far away now. He ran to his car and was pulling out his car keys from his pocket when they fell on the ground. He bent down to pick them up. He suddenly felt a sharp prick at his neck. "Don't move or I inject all of this and it kills you right away."
Greg recognized the voice and felt a chill down his spine. "Frankie, leave me alone." Even as he said it he started to feel a bit woozy. "What did you give me?" He asked.
"Enough Ketamine with a mix of your fave, Smack. You'll be putty in my hands in moments." Frankie lifted Greg up under his arms and walked him away from his car. He walked him towards a black SUV.
Greg couldn't form a thought anymore, he just knew he was being dragged away in the rain from his car to another vehicle. His world eventually turned black. Frankie caught him as almost slipped out of his grip. He got his back door open and pushed him into the backseat. He knew he gave him enough that he would be out long enough for what he needed him to be out for.
Once he was inside the backseat, he got behind the wheel and drove off, leaving Greg's car sitting in the Hilton parking lot, still locked. Frankie was happy; he finally had his main target. The others had just been ways to work out his aggressions. He looked in the rear view mirror at the man in his back seat passed out cold. He couldn't wait to teach him a lesson on who he really was.
After Greg left, Nick felt exhausted. He didn't know what to think anymore. Was Greg really telling him the truth? Even though he was on drugs again, had he been faithful to him? He wanted to believe him but he just couldn't be sure since he was on drugs again. He knew drugs made him do weird things. But then he said he had only been taking heroin for just a few days, he supposed that could be true. It was only a few days ago he caught him taking the OxyContin. More than likely he went out right after and started on the heroin. He just wanted to know why he couldn't come to him and talk to him or even see Dr. Fry instead of just turning to the drugs for comfort. That was perhaps the part that irritated him the most; he just never seemed to trust him enough to get help from him. And now he begged him to give him another chance and he wondered if he should since he never listened to his advice. Would he ever?
But then the other side of him feared what Greg would do to himself if Nick did kick him out of his life completely. He knew that his self-destructive habits started with the drugs. He knew that if he didn't take him back, he would increase the drug use, possibly overdosing and killing himself for sure next time. That could not be the reason he took him back though. It had to be more and deep down he knew he was not ready to give up on him. He didn't seem strung out at all when he had seen him the last few days. If he had not seen the needle mark on his arm he would not have noticed, but a bruise had formed and he could not help but see it. Basically though he was not that far gone on drugs, not like when he saw him again for the first time in forever. He was completely a messed up drug addict then. No, he still had time to be saved. He could give him another chance. But first he wanted to talk to this Shane and straighten out what happened between Greg and him.
Nick was exhausted though. He had not slept since the night before. He needed to get at least a cat nap in before confronting Shane.
x
Grogginess was the first thing that Greg felt as he started to come to. His head hurt and so did his arms. Why did his arms hurt, he wondered. He felt a little cold too. He slowly opened his eyes. He tried to move his hands and realized he couldn't. He opened his eyes and noticed he was on his stomach on a bed. Panic kicked in when he realized why he couldn't move his hands or his feet. He was bound, naked to a bed. He began to scream when a large figure stepped over to him and slapped him across the face.
"Shut up or I'll gladly put a gag ball in your mouth." Greg looked up and saw the hulking figure of Frankie standing over him.
"So this is what you do when someone tells you no, you kidnap them and tie them up and force yourself on them?" Greg yelled out, not caring if he gagged him.
Frankie knelt down and grabbed his face. "You whores think you are something special but you are not. You think that because you put a dollar amount on having sex with you that you are special but you're not. You're just a cheap whore. But you are the worst of them all. You think because you had your hero cop come save you from your life of drugs and prostitution that you are some big shot now. You are still a whore! I've seen you going to Shane Barnes hotel room to fuck him! But you turn me down all the fucking time. Well I'm going to teach you a lesson one that you will always be a whore and deserve to die as a used up one."
"You've been stalking me, haven't you?" Greg was trying to act brave but deep down he was scared as hell. He knew the kind of hurt Frankie had put on him in the past. He only wondered if he would survive it this time.
"Yeah, I've been watching you go from your sweet little home with your cop to some fancy hotel digs that fucking rich boy puts you up in. I am sure he fucked you on some silk sheets or shit like that. But your last fucks will be in this shitty motel room, where one day soon your boyfriend will see that you were a whore who died a whore," Frankie sneered at him before slapping his face and getting up.
Greg felt his head spinning again before he was able to focus and see Frankie unzipping his pants and crawling on the foot of the bed with him. He knew this was the beginning of his end. This guy was going to kill him and he would never know if Nick forgave him or not.
