A/N-Thank you to all who so faithfully review each chapter. I have already completed this story, but sometimes your comments and suggestions have me going back and tweaking the story a little. So keep up the reviews. This chapter brings about many problems for our guys. Enjoy!
Nick stared across the kitchen table at Greg, whose head was bowed down, eating his spaghetti. Nick had grown very tired of the tension between them. It was getting worse day by day since Greg had returned to work. It had been three weeks now and things did not seem to be getting better. They seemed to argue more since Nick had been having more strange, sickening dreams involving Greg. He never told Greg about these dreams, fearful what he would think of him. He was scared himself about having the dreams. He felt horrible about them but they seemed to be getting more frequent. The thing was that he was starting to get more impatient with Greg and he hated that he was. He figured the dreams were an effect of his impatience. He promised him that he could wait but now he was beginning to wonder if he could.
Greg, in turn, had sensed his growing impatience and was getting irritated with him for trying to push him when he was still not ready. He knew he should be moving on but he could not help but still fear Jasper finding him again someday. Every time that fear came over him so did the terrible memories and pain that came with them. He had stopped cutting himself but now without that outlet he was more moody. The Xanax had helped with the panic attacks; he rarely had them anymore. The last one he had was a week ago at a scene. Luckily Nick was the only one to see him have it.
They had been called in on a murder case. In an abandoned warehouse way off strip, a woman's body was found naked. She had been tied up and raped. She was beaten badly. As they were looking for evidence, Greg came across a trash bag outside in the dumpster with a large dildo covered in blood. Nick had seen him quickly drop the bag and step back a few feet. Then he started hyperventilating. Nick went over to him and tried to calm him down. He finally picked up the bag and saw what was in it that triggered the panic attack in his boyfriend. He had looked back at Greg who was still shaking and seemed to be in a daze. He knew he was probably reliving some kind of sexual torture that occurred to him.
"Greg, you're okay. Nothing is going to happen to you," he had told him. Greg wanted to believe it but everything was still too clear in his mind and seeing that brought back so many days he wished to forget forever.
Now they sat, barely talking to each other. Greg was finishing up his meal, ignoring him. It was going to be the third time he went into work without Nick being there. They had a couple of split days off and Greg didn't know that Nick had requested those days off to Catherine. He had told Catherine he needed time home alone without always having Greg around. He was hoping the little time apart would help their tension lessen since they were not spending so much time together. Nick truly believed that was the reason they were having problems. They just saw too much of each other now. Nick felt horrible for feeling that way too, since for four months he was apart from him and desperately searching for him. Now he felt like he was suffocating with him around, only because he was there but he could not be with him in any sort of physical way.
Greg stood up and cleared his plate from the table without a word. They were not speaking since Nick yelled at him to stop worrying about people seeing his scars. Nick had caught Greg staring in the mirror at himself again, playing with the collar on his shirt as he dressed for work. He was trying to pull it up to hide the marks on his neck.
"Nobody at work cares. You're the only one so concerned about your scars. Get over it," Nick told him, regretting every word once he saw the immense hurt in his partner's brown eyes.
"You know, I don't care if others don't care. I do. I don't like seeing the reminders all over my body, but I would not expect you to understand," Greg had said as he stormed off into his bedroom and slammed the door. He sat on his bed and rubbed his stomach where the first burn scar was. He shuddered at the memory and knew that Nick just couldn't ever understand.
Greg waited a while before leaving his room again. He had ignored that Nick was at the table, when he went to heat up the leftover spaghetti and sat down at the table.
"I'm sorry about earlier. Once again I stuck my foot in my mouth," Nick finally said as Greg was putting his dishes in the dishwasher.
"Seems to happen much too often lately," his partner said with a slight sneer.
"You know, I try to say I am sorry and then you shove it back at me. What more do you want me to do?" Nick asked, exasperated.
The younger man came over and sat down again across from Nick. He gazed at him before speaking softly. "I just want us to be like we were back before all this shit happened. I am sick of fighting."
"So am I, but things will never be the same. It can't be the same if you can't sleep in the same bed with me," Nick told him.
Greg threw his head back and sighed. "Back to that again…so much for that patience you promised."
"How do you ever expect to move on if you can't even let me hold you?"
Greg closed his eyes. He was tired and not in the mood to go into work tonight and definitely not in mood to talk about this again to Nick. "Nick…I just…"
"Yeah I know, need more time. Whatever!" This time Nick stood up and walked away from the table and headed for the sofa.
Greg sucked in his lower lip. He decided it was time to change the subject and to talk about something they had yet to decide. "My parents want to come here for Christmas."
Nick looked at him with surprise. "I thought we were going to my parents for a couple days and then visiting your family over New Years?"
"Yeah, well they said after what happened to me they want to spend Christmas Day with me here. I mean, I am their only child." He knew Nick would not be happy with that.
"I know but my parents have not seen me in over 6 months and they have been looking forward to seeing me," Nick told him.
"Then perhaps you should go…go alone and I will stay here with my parents," Greg suggested with a sad sigh.
Nick shook his head. He didn't want to be away from Greg for Christmas, but he promised his parents he would be there and he couldn't blame Greg's parents for wanting to spend the holiday with him after they thought he would never be found again. "Let me call my family tonight and we will talk about this again when you get back from work. You should get going soon. Your shift starts in an hour."
"Okay," he replied and got up to get going. "See you later."
Greg had been gone for an hour for work when Nick decided he needed to get out and try to get his mind off Greg for a while. He decided he needed to loosen up for a while. He walked into a club that he occasionally had gone to with Greg. Overall he did not care for dancing but Greg did and he obliged him on occasion by joining him at various nightclubs.
He went up to the bar and ordered a beer. He liked the music they played here, he admitted to Greg once. Mostly he liked to see Greg dance to the music. He smiled thinking about Greg before all this happened, how fun and carefree he was. Things had changed so drastically now. He looked back at the dance floor and saw all the swaying bodies. It was a gay club, but many straight men and women could be found there hanging out with their gay friends, also.
He was drinking his beer when a younger man came up to him. He was cute and wore a tight shirt over his thin frame. His body type reminded him of Greg but he was shorter. "Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to dance."
Nick smirked. He could still draw out the guys. "Nah, I think I'll just watch."
"What? Are you some kind of creep who just comes here to watch?" The young dark haired man asked him with a smirk, showing that he was kidding about the comment.
"No, no. I just…" then he thought what the hell. One little dance. Greg would never have to know. "Okay, I'll join you on the dance floor." The younger man smiled, his light blue eyes shining.
Nick followed him out onto the floor, watching his tight ass wiggle as he started moving to the music. He remembered how Greg used to tease him that way. The guy started dancing right away and Nick joined him. Soon the guy was moving closer to Nick. The younger man flung his head back and ran his hand down his chest. Nick thought he was kind of hot making that move. The guy turned around, with his back to Nick and started backing up into him, rubbing his ass against Nick's groin. Nick was shocked when he felt his groin twitch. He knew he had to stop this now. He could not get into a situation he would regret, he couldn't hurt Greg.
"Look, I got to go. Thanks for asking to dance but I just remembered I have someplace I need to be," he said quickly to the young man and then quickly made his way out through the crowd. When he got to his truck, he still felt a slight tightness in his pants. "Fuck," he said, angry with himself. He started the truck and hoped by the time he got home his semi boner would be gone.
He pulled into the driveway and turned off the truck. The drive home did solve his problem but he still felt like shit for even letting it almost happen. He had not let another guy turn him on like that since he met Greg. Since then only Greg could do it.
He stepped out of the truck and slammed the door. He was so mad at himself. He fumbled getting his keys out of his pocket and opened the front door. He was about to close the door when someone came through the door quickly, holding a gun to his head.
"Close the door and turn off the alarm," the voice said. It was still dark; he had not turned on the lights in the house yet so he could not see who it was. He was about to hit a panic button on the alarm system when the gun jabbed him in his temple. "Don't even think about it."
He turned off the alarm without setting off the panic alarm. "What do you want?"
"You'll see," the voice said. Suddenly the man moved and slammed his gun against Nick's temple. Nick fell to the ground, unconscious.
His head was throbbing. He attempted to reach up and clutch his head when he realized he could not move his hands. He opened his eyes and saw that he was tied up to one of his kitchen chairs. The lights were on in the room and music was playing at a medium level. He was in his bedroom, the chair was against the wall closest to the foot of the bed. He realized his shirt had been removed but his pants where still on.
"Help," he yelled out suddenly, realizing his situation. He heard footsteps and then saw the man he had wanted to find since he heard his full name. "Jasper Marks, it's you."
Jasper smiled that he was recognized. "Well, I guess Greg has talked a lot about me then, seeing as you seem to know me so well. It's funny you got that same look in your eyes that I saw from your so-called boyfriend often." He was referring to the death glare Nick was giving him.
His hair was darker and shorter now, making his blue eyes stand out more. He was bigger than Nick expected and could now see why Greg had trouble fighting him off. He was bigger than Nick in height and muscle. He wore black jeans and a black t-shirt. Nick could sort of see what Greg found attractive about him, but overall all he could feel for the man that tortured and humiliated Greg was hatred.
He walked closer to Nick and smiled appreciatively at him. He reached out and ran a hand over Nick's chest. Nick shuddered at the touch. "My Greg always did like the more muscular types; although I think I got you beat on that. I can see what he likes about you though. It's a shame that he does not belong to you though. I am back to claim my property."
"He's not your property or anyone else's. You leave him alone. You've done enough damage to him," Nick spat at him.
"You know, he came to me first, back in the day. He wanted to belong to me but the problem was he forgot the rules of being my property and started not behaving like a proper slave. I had to keep him in check. Then the little bitch tattled on me and got me sent to prison. I had been planning my revenge on him since I first laid my head down on that cot in that prison cell. When I got free, I took my time in tracking him down and watching the two of you. Then the day came where I reclaimed him and made him pay for sending me to prison. Too bad that little snitch Chris had to spoil my fun. I took care of him anyway. Rex was stupid for getting caught but then again he was always a little reckless. Now my other pal is probably the smartest. He likes to think of himself as the true S&M guy with his black leather mask and all. He never lets his subs see his face. My but he enjoyed my little slave bitch just as much as I did. Now the glorious part is you will get to witness him obeying me and me taking him back," he sniggered.
Nick felt sick knowing there was another man involved as Greg feared. Nick struggled at his binds but they were done tight. Even his legs were tied to the legs of the chair. "You sick freak! He'll never go with you willingly. You can only force him which is what you seem to do best. He loves me and is with me not you."
Jasper bent down and was face to face with him. His eyes were ice cold. "What was it like the first time you fucked him again since he came back, did he scream my name?"
"Shut the fuck up," Nick yelled.
Jasper stood back a moment then realization hit him and suddenly he started grinning. "Oh this is even better. I bet he has not even let you touch him since you got him back. I did train him well then. He knows he can only be with me or those I approve of and you are not one of them."
"That's bullshit! You ruined him. You humiliated him and damaged him that he can't stand any man to touch him, even the man who loves him no matter what. You are a sick, disgusting animal," he yelled. He was so angry he could burst. The man he had been loathing for the last month and a half was there in front of him, controlling the situation and he couldn't do anything.
"Nick, it is, right? Yeah, I remember Greggy calling out your name a few times, begging that you would come save him. He had to be pissed it took you so long, you're pretty much a failure as a boyfriend," the taller man snickered.
Nick glared at him. He just laughed. "Yeah, you are a failure and you know it. It doesn't matter now anyways. He will be my bitch again and you'll be left searching for him but this time you will never find him. I won't bring anyone into my circle this time. It'll just be me fucking him until he bleeds to death," he smiled maliciously.
"You fucking sick bastard. He'll never go with you willingly."
"Hmmm perhaps, but I'll test his love for you. Perhaps if he knows going with me will spare your life, he will. What do you think he will do? Let you die or go with me?"
Nick sneered but he did wonder what Greg would do. Greg kept saying he couldn't go through what he went through with Jasper again, but he wouldn't let Jasper kill him either, would he?
Jasper looked at his watch. "Well it's time to get ready for our little Greggy to get home." He went behind Nick. Nick could hear a zipper and rustling in what sounded like a bag. A few seconds later Jasper came before him again with a roll of duct tape.
"I can't have you warning Greg before he finds me with you in the room here," Jasper grinned. He tore off a strip of duct tape and tried to put it over Nick's mouth. Nick turned his head quickly and then turned back and clamped his mouth down on Jasper's hand. "Owww, you fucking little bastard." Jasper pulled the gun out of his belt and pistol whipped Nick across the face. Nick felt blood as he had bit down on his tongue. His face stung something severe.
Next thing he knew the duct tape was placed over his mouth, preventing him from screaming or warning Greg when he came in.
"Now, you won't be making any more noise or biting anyone. Now we will just sit and wait until your precious Greg comes home and then I will make him mine again," Jasper said with a malicious laugh.
Nick suddenly felt incredible fear for himself but more so for Greg. He was not sure how he would react when he saw Jasper again. He feared his panic attacks might come back and render him incapable of doing anything. Overall he just prayed Greg realized something was wrong when he walked in and called for backup before Jasper had a chance to do anything.