A/N-Thanks for all the lovely reviews so far. Glad you all are enjoying it. I don't have a Beta reader this time around so I keep trying to reread before I post to clear things up. Anyway this chapter reveals some rather surprising details of Greg's past.
Nick watched over him protectively as he slept. Greg had fallen asleep while Nick told him about world news and caught him up on sports events that he missed while he was gone. Even though Nick hardly paid attention to those things when he was gone either, he made the effort to remember what he had heard. Nick hardly slept the four months he was missing. He had worked night and day doing everything he could to find Greg.
Now he held the younger man's hand as he slept. Greg seemed to have a death grip on it. He looked at his other hand, still in a cast from the broken wrist he had. He wondered how that came about. Right now he realized where his priorities were and he was looking at him. As much as he wanted to find the creeps who so deeply damaged the man he loved, he knew that Greg needed him that much more.
He noticed he was starting to get restless in his sleep. He started twitching and whining as he slept. He knew he had to be having a nightmare. He squeezed his hand a little to try to wake him. "Hey, Baby, wake up. It's just a dream," he said to him as he ran his thumb over the back of the hand he held.
Greg's eyes suddenly opened wide, fear clearly visible. "It's okay, Baby. It's okay. It's just me, Nick. You're in the hospital, remember?" Nick said to him quickly to calm his fears.
Greg looked around and realized he was safe but he could still feel his heart beating fast from the nightmare. He then felt Nick holding his hand. He squeezed back. "Thanks for being here," he said quietly. He started coughing because his throat was so dry and sore still. The coughing, in turn, reminded him of his still very much injured ribs.
Nick cringed when he could tell he was in pain. He grabbed the Styrofoam cup and poured some water in it and handed it to him. "Here, drink some water."
He took a few small sips before placing it back on the table himself. He noticed Nick watching him carefully. He sighed. "I suppose you want to know more about my relationship with Jasper now, don't you?"
He said it with such distaste, Nick felt bad making him talk about the man who caused him so much suffering.
"Look, if you don't want to, I won't make you, but you could have information that could help us find him," he told him.
Greg knew he was right and truthfully he didn't feel completely safe yet, knowing the men who tortured and tormented him were still out there. "Okay, what do you want to know?"
"Well you never told me what type of relationship you had before he got abusive."
"Well I thought he really cared for me but he always had a rough exterior. The, uh, sex was uh, good and I thought I made him happy but then he became overly possessive of me and when I told him to back off and give me some space he would get angry and start hitting me." Greg averted his eyes away from Nick. He knew that Nick would never understand the real truth.
"I saw the report. You testified against him and that's why he ended up in prison. How come you never told anyone he put you in the hospital before?"
"It was a part of my past I was trying to forget about. I guess it did not work as well as I planned," he added sarcastically.
Nick got the feeling Greg was still holding back something. "What aren't you telling me? What are you afraid of?"
Greg looked at him, his eyes wide. "They are still out there. What if Jasper is not finished with me? He planned the whole thing specifically for me, he's obsessed with me. I can't go through that again." He started shaking and having difficulty breathing again.
Nick could see he triggered another panic attack. "Hey, Greggo, you need to slow down your breathing," he told him quickly as he could see the pain in Greg's face as he took each breath. He rubbed his thumb soothingly across the back of his right hand. "Take it easy."
After a couple minutes of pure fear taking over his body, Greg was able to calm down. "God, I hurt," he said finally after he was calmer.
Nick felt horrible that there was nothing more he could do for him. All he could do was watch him suffer in pain, memories and fear. "Why don't you push that button to give yourself a dose of morphine? I'm okay if you sleep some more. I just want you to feel better."
"Yeah, I think I'll do that. Why don't you get some sleep too? You look like hell," Greg said to him with a small smile.
"Well I haven't been getting much sleep since you have been gone. I guess I probably do look like hell, but I want to be here for you. This chair is fine for me, it reclines," he smiled back.
"If you say so," he said and then yawned. "The morphine kicks in fast once I push the button," he explained.
"That's okay. Get some sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up." Nick leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Greg smiled timidly. "I love you," Nick told him again. He wanted him to know that nothing changed for him in the way he felt for him.
"I love you too," he replied back. He would never stop loving Nick. He just wondered if Nick's love was strong enough to deal with him now.
Greg woke up a few hours later and heard Nick making his small snoring noises in the chair by him. He looked over and smiled knowing he kept his word that he would sleep there. Still, he did not think he looked very comfortable in that position on the chair.
He had been lying on his side for hours now and was sore so he gently turned over onto his back but still whimpered a little when he ended up laying on some of the burns he had on his backside.
"Huh? Hey, are you okay? Do you need help?" Nick had heard him and suddenly woke up. He saw Greg settling on his backside with his face twisted in pain.
Greg waved him off with his bandaged left hand. "No, I'll be fine. Just take it easy."
Nick sat up in his seat and looked at him. "You're sure?"
"Yes, nothing you can do about it anyway."
"Okay then. I'm going to use the bathroom, I'll be right back," Nick said. He noticed Greg frown and then he remembered he still had the catheter. "Sorry, I'll be back."
Greg wondered how much longer he was going to have to wait until he could use the bathroom properly again. He wondered when he would be able to go home. It had been four days in the hospital now and he knew it was not that long considering the shape he was in. He had not even gotten to walking around yet, so he had a long ways to go.
Nick came out and sat down. "You know, I just realized you shaved. Did the nurse do it for you?"
"Sort of, Sara got me an electric razor to use," he shrugged. Nick looked at him questioningly.
"Do you want to tell me why that time before I mentioned about you looking better shaved you got all worked up?"
Greg remembered how it upset him. It still sort of bothered him but he owed Nick an explanation. "Well, Jasper liked me clean shaven and he would actually shave my face to make himself happy," he said with eyes downcast. "My wrist actually got broken because one time I grabbed his hand to stop him from doing it and he in turn grabbed my wrist and twisted it back, breaking it. I remember him saying 'Next time I'll bust your other wrist and then you'll be completely helpless.'"
"I am so sorry, Greg. I should have found you earlier. You should never have had to suffer so long," Nick apologized, feeling guilty every time he heard something he went through.
Greg shook his head. "No, I don't blame you. You had nothing to do with this. It's all my fault. I should have never got involved with Jasper Marks. I knew he was trouble but never thought he was as crazy as he is. Prison really made him worse."
"No, it's not your fault. You can't blame yourself for what he did to you. You didn't do anything to deserve it," Nick told him. He did not like that Greg kept blaming himself for what happened. It was not healthy for him to be thinking that.
Greg just stared up at the ceiling, he knew better. He just hoped Nick never had to know because he was afraid if he knew he would lose Nick forever.
Nick had to try to cheer him up. He was always bringing him down and he didn't want to do that. "Look, would you like me to bring your iPod and maybe PSP, you know something to do while lying in bed here all day?"
"Yeah that would be great. TV sort of sucks here in the hospital, especially daytime TV; talk shows and soap operas, how boring," he forced a smirk.
"Okay, well I think I'm going to go home and get a shower and change of clothes. I'm going to stop by the lab for a bit to see if there are any updates and then I will be back here with your stuff."
"Okay, I'll be here. I've got no place to go. I'm sure my parents will stop by again. Hopefully they will go back to California soon. They make me even more nervous," he told him.
"Yeah I know how it is. Well take care and I'll see you later on." Nick squeezed his hand and smiled and then left him.
Greg breathed a little easier when he was gone. He hated holding back details of his former relationship with Jasper but if he knew what he had been into he would not look at him the same. Nick had often said he thought couples who were into what Jasper and he had been into were freaks. He just hoped the truth never came out.
Nick got a call when he was in the shower. He checked the message and it was Catherine calling him. Someone had called about seeing Rex. They were bringing him in now. Nick had to get to LVPD as soon as possible.
On the drive there he couldn't wait to talk to this guy and find out what information he might have on the others and on why they did what they did to Greg. Then after the questioning he could go back to Greg and tell him one of the guys was caught.
He came across Brass as he entered LVPD. "Hey, so is it true? Is this one of the guys we are looking for?"
"Yes, his full name is Alexander Jackson. Someone recognized him from the sketch put out. A clerk at a convenience store called it in and luckily an officer was close by to get him," Brass told him.
"I want in on the interview," Nick told him. Brass frowned. "I'm not so sure it is a good idea for you to be there. You are too close to this case and we don't need you losing your cool."
"I promise not to jeopardize the case. I want nothing more than to see these guys behind bars for life for what they did to Greg. Please, let me in," Nick asked again.
"Fine, we will do it together but if I think you should go, you have to promise me to go."
"Okay, I agree. Thanks Jim."
Nick walked into the interrogation room and stared at one of the men who tormented Greg. He had greasy looking long hair that was back in a ponytail. His eyes were a dark blue and there was a scar above his left brow. He looked like a cold bastard. They both sat across from him. His hands were cuffed in front of him.
"What am I here for?" He asked, gruffly.
"You know exactly why you are here. And once the DNA comes back, you will be confirmed to have committed sexual assault and battery on Greg Sanders, in addition to kidnapping," Brass told him.
He snorted. "Is that what he told you? He wanted it. It's not like the first time he's been collared and Jasper's bitch."
Nick tried very hard to keep his growing anger in control. "Jasper beat him before and did it again, this time with your help."
Rex laughed and glared at Nick. "That boy likes being someone's sex slave. You should have seen him getting in position, sticking his ass out when we came down. He was ready and waiting for it as a good little bitch should be."
Brass grabbed Nick's arm as the Texan burst up from his chair, about to reach over and choke the suspect. "Nick, cool it or I going to ask you to leave." Rex just smirked at Nick as he settled back down in his seat, fuming.
"You expect us to believe that Greg Sanders asked to be kidnapped and held captive in a basement for about four months just for sex? You'll have to come up with a better story." Brass said to him, feeling some anger too but able to keep it in check after his years of experience.
"Greg is sitting in a hospital bed now, hardly able to move because of what you and the other two did to him. You held him against his will and forced yourselves on him," Nick said angrily.
Rex leaned forward, gazing at Nick with interest. "You're the stupid boyfriend, aren't you?" He smirked when he saw Brass grab the Texan's arm again to hold him down. "You know nothing about your little boyfriend. I'm gathering he never told you that he was the one who walked into the Fetish and Fantasy Ball* that one Halloween looking to become someone's slave." He saw Nick's eyes widen in shock.
"Yeah, I thought so. He met Jasper there and he became his bitch for the next few months. But then he started having second thoughts and accused Jasper of beating him. Then he ended up sending him to prison. Smug little shit he was. Jasper was just wanting his property back after he got out of prison and made up for lost time with his slave," Rex said to them with a smile.
Nick was trying to absorb all that he just heard. Was Greg really Jasper's slave at one time? He knew Greg said he dabbled a little in S&M in his younger days but he had no idea it went that far.
Brass cleared his throat. He was a bit shocked too at what Rex had told them but he could have been making it all up. "Do you know where Jasper is now?"
Rex shook his head. "No, once he knew you all found Greg he went into hiding. I have not heard from him since the last time we were in the basement."
"What about this other guy, Chris? Who is he and do you know where he is?" Brass asked him.
Rex sneered. "I have no idea where the little fucker is and he better hope Jasper does not find him either."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Nick asked, curious now.
"Because he's the fucker who called you and told you were to find Greg. He actually started feeling sorry for the little bitch, even after he had his own fun with him. His name is Christopher Jenkins. I knew Jasper should have never included him in on our fun. He was always a softy," Rex fumed.
Nick now knew why that last call was different and led them to Greg; it had been Chris who called him.
"So you are saying you did hold Greg against his will now?" Brass asked him.
"He was already down there with the collar when Jasper brought me into the game. Jasper said it was his old slave from before his prison days and he liked playing rough and being used. He never once asked for me to free him when I was down there. So if you ask me, he liked being fucked every which way, probably more than he got at home," he grinned directed at Nick.
Brass already was on Nick as he jumped up, reaching across the table to grab Rex's shirt collar. "Nick, get out now. Get off of him and get out of here now," Brass yelled. Another officer came in and helped Brass pull Nick away from Rex who was chuckling the whole time. He was just as big, if not bigger than Nick so he was not scared of him.
Brass pulled Nick aside when they were outside the interrogation room. "Nick, he was purposely saying that to get to you. You have to ignore it. Half of what he said is probably lies. I think you should go and talk to Greg though and get some things cleared up."
Nick looked at Brass and knew he was right. He did have to talk to Greg and pray that this guy was lying mostly. He couldn't believe Greg would want to be with those men, would want to be someone's sex slave. It made him sick.
"Fine, I will go, but that bastard is not being set free, is he?"
"No, I am sure once the DNA tags him he will be serving a long time in jail. You just need to leave now and cool off," Brass told him.
"Okay, okay, I will." Nick was still furious but he knew he had to go. He had to talk to Greg and get the truth from him.
*The Fetish and Fantasy Halloween Ball is an annual event on Halloween in LV.
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