Chapter Nineteen

Note: Y2J is in the building ;)

"You son of a bitch!" Cody was furious and feeling quite brave as he shouted and cursed Michael, getting in his face even when the bastard started to laugh at him and didn't even for a second give a damn about the consequences. Why would he? Everything and everyone he'd ever cared for was taken from him! With Shawn dead he had NOTHING left to lose! "How could you do this?-!" He'd come straight to the casino from his apartment, storming into Michael's office with an angry scream and still covered in Shawn's blood that had quickly dried along his hands and shirt. And Michael fucking laughed at him. He laughed!-!-!

Cody hissed as Michael stepped away and returned to his desk, moving behind it swiftly, "Damn it Michael what in the hell is wrong with you?-!"

"Shawn was a fucking idiot." He laughed again and shrugged, slipping out his black leather jacket and dragged it over the back of the chair behind the desk, revealing more black in the form of a long sleeve turtle neck and slacks. "What's the big deal?"

"How can you ask me that?-! God damn it Michael you know he was my best friend!"

"Some best friend he was!" Michael's laughter intensified as he was pouring himself a glass of scotch, "He almost fucked everything up for you when he showed up at your apartment drunk off his ass! He knew the risk and he did it anyway! I should have just killed him then!"

Cody shook his head, eyes wide in horror, "You shouldn't have killed him at all! He didn't do anything wrong!"

"No but, you did." He brought the glass to his lips and took a sip, swallowing slowly, "And someone had to pay for it."

Cody gasped. "What?" So this was his fault? But...But why?-! "What do you mean?" He choked softly, "I-I did everything you told me to do!" EVERYTHING!

"Sure you did." Michael nodded slowly and took another slow sip from the glass and set it down on its proper coaster beside him on the desk, "But you also broke the rules. MY rules."

"I-I didn't." He quickly denied while racking his brain for any instance that he could recall where he'd blatantly defied Michael's rules and couldn't think of a single one. He'd done everything he'd ever asked! Terrified of Michael and Christopher he always did as he was told and besides tonight he'd never so much as raised his voice to him! How could he have broken any rules if he was too terrified to even think about defying them?-!

"Killing Shawn, it got your attention, didn't it?" Michael asked with a high brow, "Maybe next time you'll think twice before avoiding me."

He sank down into a chair before the desk slowly, his heart breaking. Shit, so that's why he killed him? Because he was avoiding him?-?-? Fuck this WAS his fault! Shawn was dead because of him! He swallowed hard and shook his head, fighting tears as he looked down at the blood on his hands and almost lost it. It was all he had left of him and soon he would have to wash it away...

Fuck he messed this up! God damn it he messed everything up but this time it really fucking cost him. No wait, it cost SHAWN. He didn't mean to get Shawn killed! Oh god how could he let that happen?-! His stomach cramped and he put his hand over his mouth and let out a shaky breath. He was avoiding Michael so he could get some studying done not because he was going to try to do anything stupid like run away! It was tempting but he knew better than that! "Shawn didn't deserve this, Michael…It should have been me." And he honestly believed that.

"Lighten up, I did you a favor. He was a HUGE liability for you and frankly he owed me far too much money." Michael spoke with such amusement it was sickening, "There was no way he could ever pay me back. But, YOU on the other hand can have it repaid in a couple of months if you returned to the Underground."

Cody tensed, his eyes widening and he jerked his head up with another gasp. The Underground?-! As in a club where he was sold to the highest bidder every hour on the hour?-! He shook his head, hands curled into tight fists at his sides. No fucking way was he was doing that again! "Fuck the Underground! I'm done! You hear me?-! I won't do this anymore!" He couldn't do this anymore!

"You'll do as you're told." Came such a dark, frightening cold voice from inside the private bathroom and just from that Cody's mouth went dry and his body tingled with fear. Fuck fuck FUCK! This was bad! Oh God this was REALLY bad! Shit he was so sure he wouldn't be there! Christopher was supposed to be out of town! "And watch your fucking tone."

Oh god he needed to get the fuck out of there! He lost his breath, panting slightly as the door began to open and Christopher emerged in nothing but a towel, his short blond hair freshly spiked and styled neatly. His eyes were so cold, so dead and void of all emotion he was truly the scariest person Cody had ever met. Shit even the steam billowing out from the bathroom behind him in a steady cloud seemed like poison.

Especially since…Fuck especially since the bastard was cleaning up...

Cody trembled under his gaze. God he was so fucking creepy! "Christopher." He acknowledged him with a respectful nod. "It's been a while…"

"Only a few weeks." Chris corrected in a menacing tone, smirking, "How are your fingers?"

Cody instantly brought his hand to rest against his stomach, covering it with the other and tried not to show any signs of being afraid. Jericho would love it way too fucking much if he did, "They still hurt." He was honest, guarding them firmly, "But of course you already knew that…" Chris nodded, his smirking growing as he flicked his eyes over to Michael who was rounding the desk towards them.

Fuck fuck fuck! This was bad! Really, REALLY bad! Michael was a terror on his own but when he was with Christopher he was so much worse! Fuck they just brought out the monster in each other and the sick bastards got off on it! They fucking liked killing people together! Michael loved to watch Christopher in action because it turned him on, sick fuck! And Christopher loved to fuck Michael right after each kill!

It was so demented and even when Cody was stuck in the illusion that his life wasn't shit he was still bothered by the intensity of their relationship. It was just so wrong and FUCKED UP!

He had to get out of there!

He tried to stand, jumping up only to be abruptly shoved back down by a firm hand on his shoulder; and the second the hand left him it slapped him hard across the face. Shit! It was too fucking late! He grunted as his head jerked to the side and instantly covered his cheek. His vision blurring and he saw stars. Fuck that hurt!

"No one said you could get up." Christopher growled over him and he was so close he could feel his warm breathing puffing against the back of his hand over his face. "I-I'm sorry." He repeated softly, keeping his eyes on the ground and his tone in check. "I-I-I wasn't thinking."

"Yes and lately you've been doing that a lot, haven't you?" Michael asked and he felt his hand come to rest on the top of his head. "You disappoint us, Cody."

"So?" He whispered, "Why not just kill me then? Why hurt innocent people to get to me when you could just kill me now and get it over with?-!" He just couldn't take this shit anymore! Michael stole everything from him, everything until he had nothing left! Why not just fucking kill him?-! Seriously what was the fucking point in keeping him around?-!

"Don't be such a drama queen." He heard Michael scold as if he were a child and shivered as he sick bastard gave his hair a rough run through with his finger, "Shawn was a nuisance and I did you a favor getting rid of him. Hell I did us all a favor."

What?-! He jerked his head away and turned towards him with a furious scowl, "HE WAS MY FRIEND!-!-!" He jumped up, knocking the chair over loudly, "YOU'RE THE FUCKING NUISANCE!" Although he knew it was coming when Chris instantly slapped him hard against the back of his head he still saw stars, stumbled and almost tripped over the chair. Michael caught him by the arms and steadied him on his feet as he swayed and held his head. Fucking hell that HURT! He rubbed his scalp, gasping in pain as it throbbed and ached. God damn it he couldn't take this shit anymore!-!-!

"Next time I'll break something," Christopher warned sharply, "Watch your fucking mouth!"

"Listen," Michael sighed, his fingers curling into the skin of his underarms so painfully hard, "I understand you're upset with the passing of your friend so take a few days to mourn and come back to see me next week. I'll make the arrangements for your return to the Underground."

Cody blinked rapidly, fuck he was so light headed. "Why are you doing this to me? I did everything you told me to do and still you want to send me there? You said I wouldn't have to do that anymore..." He grimaced as a sharp pain began to radiate across his skull. "You promised..."

"So? I lied."

"But I...I can't do it anymore..."

"Yes, you can." His hand flew up and grabbed his jaw, squeezing tight. "And you WILL."

Cody didn't even try to free himself and just stood there in his grasp, grimacing as pain radiated from both the back of his head and where Micahel strong fingers were squeezing unnecessarily hard around his face. He knew he had no choice, if Michael wanted him to work in the Underground again he had to, and he had better not complain. But maybe he could get him to change his mind? Maybe he could persuade Michael into letting him do something else to bring in money?-! Fuck he had to try! There HAD to be something besides working in the Undergroundthathe could do because his body just couldn't endure the hell he was putting it through day in and day out! "Michael please, I can't take it anymore!" He tried to plea in a steady, calm tone, "Please just let me do something else."

"Ha! Get real Cody. You're no good for anything else." Michael wasn't buying it, his mind was made up and Cody could tell by the glimmer of pure evil in his shiny, dangerous blue eyes. "And it's not my problem if you can't do it anymore but it will be if you don't get your ass in line! I expect you at the Underground first thing next week so you had better figure something out by then!" His tone dropped to a deep threatening sneer that crinkled his face into an ugly snarl, "Or maybe next time it will be Randy's body that Chris leave's for you to find in your apartment!"

Cody almost gasped and caught his eyes before they could widen in horror. "You'd kill him?-!' What the fuck why would he do that after they went through all that BULLSHIT to get Randy under Michael thumb?-! "But we aren't even together anymore! He hates me!" He just didn't understand!

He searched his eyes for any signs of a soul as Michael continued to sneer and felt sick as his face reddening slightly with anger. Fuck Michael had no soul. Or a conscious either!

"Yes but YOU still love HIM and if I have to kill him to show you how serious I am, I will." He paused, releasing his face and nodded towards Christopher who on cue walked to the door and opened it. And Cody believed him. It didn't matter to Michael how much work they'd done to get Randy, he'd kill him and not even think twice about it. Cody didn't want to be sold by the hour but if it was in his hands… He'd do anything to protect Randy…Anything.

'Now get out." Michael snapped coldly, "I have other shit to do."

Cody nodded slowly, swallowing hard and mumbled a respectful response. But still he didn't make a move to leave; instead he shifted his weight around on his feet and nervously chewed his lip. It wasn't that he wanted to piss him off further but, Michael damn well knew his bank account was in the negative. He dropped his head. Fuck this was so humiliating! "Can-Can I have some money?" His tone was so fucking WEAK. Fuck just kill him now! "I-I'm broke. I haven't been allowed on stage because of my bruises and…And I have nowhere to go." His apartment was covered in blood and he doubted the LVPD would be done there any time soon. So where the fuck was he supposed to go now? What the fuck was he supposed to do?-!

They laughed at him. Of course they did. And of course their laughs were terrifyingly sinister and dark as if had expected him to ask that all along.

Fucking BASTARDS.

"I don't know Christopher, what do you think?" Michael snickered, "Can we help him out?"

Cody stomach flipped and he trembled as out of the corner of his eye he saw Christopher shut the door and snap the lock into place.

Fuck fuck fuck! He clenched his eyes shut tight, trying to escape to any place but there in his mind as he heard Christopher move away from the door, jumping when he felt his hand slid up the curve of his back to his shoulder with an aroused moan, "Mmm I think we can work something out…"