Chapter Twenty

Note: Be patient!

Cody stumbled out of Michael's office as Christopher pushed him through the door, his hands fumbling frantically to pull his pants up to his hips as his tight black shirt hung loose and stretched around his neck. Finally they were finished with him for the night and he could get the fuck out of there to a shower that he knew wouldn't wash away his shame but their scents he could eagerly scrub down the drain.

He grimaced as he worked his jeans around his waist, biting his lip to hold back a whimper as the rough material brushed against a welt across his ass. Fuck he was so sore. And exhausted. And still so fucking HIGH.

"You're not as much fun as you once were." He heard Christopher scold behind him and turned to him with a sad nod, "Yes sir." Fuck of course he wasn't FUN! He didn't want to do this shit anymore! His body wasn't meant to be sold by the hour like he'd once thought it was and even the drugs couldn't make him forget that anymore! The drugs couldn't erase the fact that he was meant for Randy and his warm, safe, strong arms that always held him just right!

"I have half a mind not to pay you." Christopher warned bitterly with a scowl, "Worst blow job I ever had!"

"Christopher!" Michael sighed heavily as he appeared beside him in the doorway and gave his side a nudge with his elbow, "Stop torturing the poor guy and give him his money already. We've got other business to tend to!"

"He doesn't deserve it."

"Just. Give him the money." Michael growled and Christopher rolled his eyes, "Fine." And in a flash he reached into his robe and tossed a wad of cash into the air and Cody could only try to duck as it came towards his face.

He staggered backwards as hundreds and twenties scattered everywhere, almost falling in his haste to pick them up as his jeans still threatened to fall down his legs. Gathering it quickly he stuffed his pockets and carefully slipped back into his shirt, trying to smooth it out even though it was stretched and ruined. Fuck it was all he had to wear until he got his fucking place back!

"It's about fucking time." Randy snarled as he snapped his phone shut and crammed it back into his pocket, grabbing Tristan's hand and yanking him towards the double doors that would take them into the hallway towards Michael's office. Fuck he was so tired of being on Mizanin's schedule, that bastard always kept him waiting! And tonight was no fucking different. They'd arrived more than a half hour ago and the bastard had sent him a text telling him to wait outside until he sent for him. Fucking prick. Whatever it was that he was doing should fucking wait!

"Hang on," Tristan gasped and pulled away, "I forgot to grab my back pack out the car. You go ahead, I'll meet you in Michael's office."

"Don't take too long." He said over his shoulder, already slightly panicked at the idea of facing Mizanin alone again. Not that he was worried about what Michael might do to him, that punk wouldn't dare touch him! No he was worried about what HE would do to Michael because after they exchanged money for product they were going to have some words about…Fuck about EVERYTHING. And Tristan needed to be there to stop him from doing anything stupid like blowing that sick bastards head off!

"I'll just be a minute!" Tristan promised as he disappeared and Randy slowed his pace towards the double doors, going threw them slowly to keep them quiet and jumped back just as soon as they closed behind him ,spotting Cody just outside Michael office with a surprised gasp.

Cody whirled around with a gasp of his own "Randy!" And quickly smoothed down his hair that was uncombed and looked quite a mess despite its shortness, "What-What are you doing here?"

Randy tensed as he glanced towards Michael's office and Cody's disheveled appearance, putting two and two together instantly and scowled. So. Cody WAS screwing Michael. Great. Fucking PERFECT! "Wow." He huffed bitterly, instantly going for the fight even though he knew he'd regret it later. "I don't know why I'm surprised to see you here. Of course you are." Of course Cody was screwing him! He was Michael's favorite trick wasn't he?-!

"I-I-I-" Cody stuttered with obvious humiliation. "I was just-"

"Save it." Randy scoffed, shaking his head as he ran his tongue over his lip angrily. "I don't even care." Not true. He did care. In fact he cared too much after everything Cody had put him through and he just didn't understand that. As stupid as it seemed he still loved Cody! And every day he asked himself how could he still care about him when he'd ripped his heart out?-?-? Was he really that big a fool?-!

Tristan had been so kind as to tell him it was because he knows deep down that Cody did try to warn him that he was in danger and that he was only letting his pride get in the way now but, he didn't know if that was completely true. Even though Tristan was quite gifted when it came to summing people up he still had his doubts because even if Cody had tried to warn him he still hadn't gotten the message and he was still fucking SCREWED. He was still Mizanin's BITCH.

And that was Cody's fault…

Wasn't it?-?-?

Rosaries left under the mattress of the memories who could bear the witness
As you slip into oblivion, use it like a weapon
Am I left to bleed waiting for the moment when you've had your fun
A loaded gun

Take away your broken misery, I don't want to waste your memory
This love, this love is gonna be the end of me
Everything I gave is wasted, I'm the one who suffocated
This love, this love is gonna be the end of me…

He pushed his gaze away from Cody to Michael's door, so confused and still too fucking hurt to make any sense of it as he walked passed him and checked his watch. Tristan said he'd take how long to get his back pack?-!

But, Cody's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, squeezing tight, his tone desperate, "Randy please, it's not what you think."

Randy scoffed, "It never is with you." And he none too gently yanked himself free of his grasp, "It's just one lame ass lie after another."

Can't resist poisoning the message
Just a narcissist trapped inside the wreckage
And the sympathy I had is gone deadened by the ceremony
Drama queen stand behind your empire as your kingdom falls all because

Take away your broken misery, I don't want to waste your memory
This love, this love is gonna be the end of me.
Everything I gave is wasted, I'm the one who suffocated
This love, this love is gonna be the end of ME

Cody shook his head, "Randy please just-" He stopped, his face paling, "Oh...H-Hi Tristan..." He swallowed hard as he looked back and forth between them. "I-I didn't see you there."

"Hey, Cody, sorry, was trailing behind." Tristan answered kindly, his voice so gentle and sincere, "I'm so sorry about Shawn. Are you okay?"

"Yes." He obviously lied and quickly, sniffling as he looked back and forth between them. "Thanks."

"Oh my god please don't tell me you're kissing his ass." Alex came up behind them with an obnoxious laugh, "That would be too fucking funny!"

Randy tensed, glaring at the blond with everything he had as suddenly his guns felt incredibly heavy on his chest. He opened his mouth to tell him to shut it but Tristan took his hand and spoke up first, "I'm not kissing anyone's ass. Jesus have a heart Alex, he just lost his friend."

Randy huffed. No fucking way was that little bitch getting off so easily! "Get the fuck out of here or I'll put a bullet in your head!" He snarled and took a step towards him, "You ugly little bitch."

"Ouch, lover!" Alex snickered and only further enraged him, "Still sore are we?-!"

Randy snapped as his anger reached a dangerous height and overpowered his better judgment as Alex continued to laugh, his arrogance fueling the murderous rage. That little son of a bitch! He'd make him pay for that! And for everything else too! With a fearsome growl he reached into his jacket, grabbing the butt of one of his guns as both Tristan and Cody caught his wrist to stop him, "Randy don't!" But it was Tristan who got it first, squeezing tightly, pulling on him hard, "You know you can't do that!"

"Let go of me." He hissed and Tristan shook his head firmly, "NO. You KNOW you CAN'T do that!-!-!"

"Randy please!-!-! Listen to him!" Cody pleaded as he kept his distance, "You can't do this!"

Randy looked back and forth between them over and over, cursing them both even though he knew deep down he should only be cursing himself for letting that little prick Alex get a rise out of him and after a tense moment he sighed and rolled his eyes.

God damn it they were right, he couldn't do this. He'd meet his own end if he killed Alex; that much he was sure of. "You're lucky they're here." He scowled at Alex as he let his fingers fall away from his gun, "You owe them your fucking life."

"Oh please! Like you'd actually shoot me!" Alex taunted with another obnoxious laugh and turned twirled around to leave. "You don't have in it you. Besides, I'm not the pathetic whore who screwed you over and don't act tough when you caved faster than a mud tent in the rain to get your dick in my pretty ass."

"God damn it Alex shut the fuck up!" Tristan snarled and stomped his foot, "Or I'll shoot you myself!"

"Come on." Randy grumbled and somehow found it within himself to ignore the infuriating blond, sort of, quickly grabbing Tristan's hand and tugged him towards Michael's office, banging once and let them in without waiting for an answer.

He slammed door closed behind them but not before catching a glimpse of the harrowing expression on Cody's gorgeous face…

Take away your broken misery, I don't want to waste your memory
This love, this love is gonna be the end of me.
Everything I gave is wasted, I'm the one who suffocated
This love, this love is gonna be the end of me…

Randy was miserable. Hours later he and Tristan returned his apartment, already sorting through the new batch of "the product" as the sun crept up over the mountains and eliminated the city and his small kitchen in various beautiful colors of first purple then pink and then orange. Gorgeous. As always. And it was the only thing Randy liked about Las Vegas now.

As they sat around a small glass top table he was exhausted but the line he'd "tested" in front of Michael earlier had perked him right up and now he was so fucking WIRED. Well, in a sense he was. His brain was wired but the rest of him was rather motionless. And in fact it was really Tristan who was doing all the work now, sorting, weighing, bagging, everything. While Randy just…sat there, lost in a fog of suffering as he thought about the sad look on Cody's face over and over again.

He couldn't help it. It was BURNED into his brain it was so fucking heart breaking. Because shit!-!-! He was so sure he'd seen something snap inside of Cody at that very moment and he couldn't shake the feeling that he should have gone back out there for him. He shouldn't have let Alex get the better of him so he could have stayed and talked to Cody this time because…Because fuck! He didn't fucking know but he was WORRIED and his chest was so tight with anxious regret ever since he closed the door.

Fuck that, that LOOK he gave him told him so much about how badly he was hurting and he'd still walked away from him…It was a cry for help and he just…

WALKED AWAY.

Jesus how could he be so cold?-!

"Why do you keep doing that?" Tristan sighed and Randy jumped a little. Huh? He looked up from the table, blinking rapidly. It had been a while since either of them spoke so Tristan's question was entirely random and almost startling. Fuck he was so high right now he didn't even realize he was doing more than just sitting there at the table! Was he rocking it? No he was very still. Was he breathing too loud? No he barely made a sound…So…What the fuck?-?-?

He frowned as he looked down at his hands flattened against the cool glass top and still didn't have a clue as to what the fuck Tristan was talking about, "Doing what? I'm just sitting here."

"No, not that." Tristan chuckled a little and then grew serious with a sigh, "You keep pushing Cody away like you don't care but you do. You think about him all the time yet when you see him you instantly push him away…Why do you do that? If you miss him-"

"Don't even start this shit right now." He shook his head firmly. Fuck why did he always have to bring him up?-! "Leave it alone Tristan."

"No." He refused as he paused in his task and set the small bag in his hand down carefully, "Your love for him knows no bounds and you'd forgive him anything. So why haven't you? He could be here RIGHT NOW, with YOU. And that would be so much better than you just sitting there suffering without him like you are."

Randy dragged his hands from the table with a deep breath, his frown faltering, "You know I really hate it when you sum shit up on me like this." Fuck he was always doing that! And Randy never knew what to say because the little brat was always right! He always hit the nail right on the head with this shit and Randy didn't have a clue as to what he should do about any of it! He couldn't just run to Cody and say all was forgiven because he just wasn't there yet!-! He still hurt far too badly…

"I really do."

"I know." Tristan nodded, "You say that every time."

"And you haven't got the hint yet?-! I don't know, okay? I don't fucking know why I still love him when he betrayed me and excuse the fuck out of me if I don't know how to fix any of the mess he fucking put us in!"

Tristan sighed again as he lent over the table, reaching out and stroking a finger along his jaw, "I know your pride holds you back but don't keep pushing him away." His small fingers brushed over his neck and made him shudder. "Because one day you may not have him to push away, Randy."

Randy jerked back with wide eyes, his heart clenching in fear, "What do you mean?-! Is he in danger?-!" Oh fuck he fucking KNEW it!-!

"No but, see what I mean?" He moved back over the table, plopping down and resuming his work, "You can't stand even the thought of anything bad happening to him-"

"Of course I can't! I love hi-" He stopped, his eyes narrowing as a smirk popped over Tristan's lips. Smug little prick! "Knock it off! And besides why are you pushing this so fucking hard? If I took Cody back where would you go?"

Tristan cocked his head to the side slightly, squinting sharply. "You care?"

"Well…" He hesitated. That startled him too, of course he cared! "Yeah..." He didn't trust him but the younger man had seriously grown on him during their short time together and as stupid as that might be he wasn't going to hide it. The truth was he WANTED to trust Tristan. He was just afraid to.

And Tristan never blamed him for that.

"Oh...Oh um, I'm not sure exactly." Tristan replied nervously with a forced smile and a shrug and again returned to packing one small bag after another, "I-I might get my own place if Michael allows me to. If not I'd probably go back to the Underground."

Randy frowned, "The Underground?"

"It's a...special club." Tristan hesitated, "For special whores like me."

What the fuck? "Don't call yourself that." He scowled as he stood up. "Seriously."

"But...I am a whore Randy." Tristan said softly, staring up at his with wide green eyes that seemed so sure of themselves, "That's what I've always been..." He trailed off for a second as he frowned and looked away, "Well, since I can remember I mean. I don't remember much of my childhood before Michael."

"What do you mean?"

"I only remember when Michael took me in off the streets. The rest before that is a bit fuzzy..."

"How long have you-?"

"Twelve years."

Randy's jaw dropped. Jesus that meant he'd been with him since he was twelve fucking years old! "How could you let him do this to you? Why didn't you run away?-!" He just didn't understand!

"Run away?-!" Tristan gasped, "I'd never do that! Michael's always been good to me! He took me in when I had no where else to go and gave me a home! He's given me everything I ever needed!" He stood up, brushing his long hair behind his ears nervously and moved to step away from the table, "You wouldn't understand!"

"I understand plenty!" He argued and pulled the smaller man into a tight hug, kissing his soft hair tenderly over and over. Fucking hell Tristan was just a kid when Michael put him on the corners! No wonder he was so screwed up! No wonder he never expected anyone to care about him other than that monster! The sick bastard had condition Tristan to think that he was the only one who'd ever take care of him and because he'd done it at such a young age that Tristan didn't stand a chance! The poor kid would never know anything different!

Randy just couldn't stand it, he had to help him. He had to protect him. "It doesn't have to be that way." He assured softly, kissing his hair again, "I'll keep you safe from him Tristan." It was a promise, and it was one he fully intended to keep. No matter what happened between him and Cody Randy would make sure Tristan was taken care of and safe from that monster. No matter what it took.

"How?" Tristan whispered, "Once you take Cody back you won't want me around and I have no other place to go…"

"I'm not letting you go back to that sick bastard." He said firmly and squeezed his small frame even tighter, "I'll get you an apartment and pay for it myself if I have to."

"Randy please don't say such things…" Tristan whimpered softly and he could hear the tears in his voice. "Please because if you don't mean them-"

"I do mean them." He could only hold him tighter, trying to reassure him the only way he knew how. "I promise." Tristan started to shake, his small hands curling into his shirt until they were fists and he burried his face against his chest with a soft cry. "I don't believe you."

"Randy?-?-?" They both jumped at the sudden call of his name but it was only Randy who recognized the voice and knew to panic as it came again.

"Randy?-! You home?-!" Shit! Fucking JASON!

"Hang on!" He released Tristan and tried to dash out of the kitchen into the living room to the door before it opened but was two seconds too late and Jason let himself in with a concerned shout, "You okay?-!"

Shit shit SHIT SHIT FUCKING SHIT!-!-! Oh god oh FUCK! The product!-!-!-!-!

He tried to block Jason's view of the table but knew he'd already seen it as Jason's draw dropped and he pushed passed him in flash.

"What the fuck?-!" Jason eyed the table in disbelief, scanning the product that was in the process of being packaged and laying about the table for all to see and shook his head. Fuck fuck fuck! This was so fucking bad he couldn't even-OH GOD! Randy covered his face, raking his fingers over it as his heart pounded wildly with panic. And Tristan looked just as terrified, backing up to the corner away from them and stayed there, silent, wide eyed.

Jason turned and Randy gulped as the blond looked him dead in the eyes, "You have a lot of explaining to do! What the fuck is all this?-!"

SHIT!-!-! "I-I know." He stuttered nervously. He just, didn't even know where to start! Fuck what was Jason even doing there?-! "It's-It's not what you think!

"You had better start talking!" Jason gestured to the table wildly, "What the fuck is this?-! What the fuck are you doing?-!"

Randy gave his face another rake, panting, his heart gripped in terror and every other emotion resembling fear and panic as Jason bored a hole into him and awaited a response. But fuck what could he say? What DID he say? Did he tell him the truth and spill everything about Michael? Or did he take the fall and pretend that this was his own doing like Michael had once told him to do? Either way he was fucked and Jason had just put himself into a world of danger. And, either way the shit was about to hit the fan!

"Mizanin." He blurted out and heard Tristan gasp, ignoring him, his shoulders slumping and he let his head hang, "He got me."