Jamie shook against him, his breaths tiny sobs of pain. The anger churning in Nico’s gut turned to ice and cold resolve. “Get him down,” he said over his shoulder. Piter made a protesting sound and Nico shot him a glance. Fear flashed in Piter’s eyes at whatever he saw in Nico’s face, and he nodded and scurried to a corner. He returned with a stool and pulled a key from a pocket, climbing up to unlock the heavy fetters. Jamie’s scream of agony as his arms dropped to his sides crushed Nico’s heart. Piter dismounted and unlocked the bar cuff on his ankles, and Nico went to the floor with his lover’s tortured body, holding him in his arms.
“Water. Now,” he said, not watching to see if Piter obeyed him. Jamie’s lips had blackened and cracked, covered in dried blood that had also dripped onto his chin. Piter came back and knelt beside them and held a small carafe to Jamie’s lips, pouring a few drops of water onto his swollen tongue. Jamie sputtered, choking. Piter gave him a little more, then poured some into his own hand and wiped Jamie’s lips and chin.
Nico watched in disbelief as Jamie’s lips healed before his eyes, becoming soft and rosy once again. Piter continued down the tortured body, and wherever his hand spread the water, Jamie knitted together, the wounds closing, his skin turning milky white under Piter’s touch with only faint scars remaining.
“Thank you,” Nico whispered hoarsely when the last few drops were given to Jamie to drink, and he sighed and settled more securely in Nico’s arms. His lashes fluttered and parted, and sleepy eyes met Nico’s. Confusion swept his pretty face, and Jamie struggled to sit up, falling back helplessly as if his strength had given out.
“Rest, amore mio. I’m here now.”
Jamie stared at him and awareness dawned in his eyes. He clutched at Nico’s shirt, terror sweeping his face. “Piter—”
“Can’t hurt you anymore,” Nico told him with a glare at the man hovering over them.
Piter sat cross-legged beside them, despite Nico’s warning hiss. Jamie cringed back, but Piter gave him a dismissive look. “You served your purpose, boy. It’s your lovely boyfriend I’m interested in now.”
Loathing seeped through Nico, and he gathered Jamie closer, pressing Jamie’s face to his shoulder. “Go to hell, Piter.” He couldn’t believe he’d once found the man beautiful. His perfect face now left him cold. The green eyes he’d once thought gorgeous gems now reminded him of a snake, empty and deadly. A twisted lump of anger and fear knotted his stomach. What did the creature want from him?
Piter’s smile turned sly, mocking. “Didn’t you try to send me there once before, lover?” He shrugged eloquently. “Doesn’t matter. I’m tired of our game, you running, me chasing after. Although,” he continued, sliding a finger up Jamie’s thigh, “I have enjoyed playing with your toys.”
Jamie shivered and Nico’s anger boiled over. “Don’t you ever touch him again,” he snarled, lips drawing back from his teeth. It was all he could do not to jump up and tear the man to shreds with his bare hands. Piter’s fear fleeted across his face, hidden behind a quick laugh.
“Why not, Nico?” His gaze raked Jamie’s naked body. “He really is lovely. Oh, the things we could do with him! The pleasures we could show him. Can’t you picture it, buried deep in his hot, tight ass while I suck his dick? Or those plump, soft lips sliding over the head of your cock, sucking you down, while I rim his ass?”
Nico shuddered, lust searing a trail through him as he imagined his cock lodged in Jamie’s throat, muscles convulsing deliciously around him when Jamie swallowed. He looked across his lover’s sweet body on all fours, sweat coating his back, and watched Piter lick him out, then fuck him, his thick cock plunging in and out of that tight little hole. Piter caught his gaze and winked, leaning forward to kiss him, uniting the three of them while Nico’s orgasm burned in his balls….
“Stop it!” He pressed a hand to his eyes, trying to drive out the erotic images threatening his resolve. “That will never happen. Stay out of my head, serpent.”
Piter’s mocking laugh slithered down his back. “As you wish. He’s much too good for where we’re going anyway, too pure and innocent.”
Jamie raised his head, surprising them both, though his tired voice remained a whisper, “What do you mean?”
“Why, I’m taking Nicolas to hell, where he should have been all along. ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ Did you forget this commandment, my dear Nico?”
Despair blossomed in Nico’s chest. Piter was right. He should have accepted his fate long ago.
It surprised him again when Jamie lifted a feeble hand and touched his face. “Don’t listen to him. He lies—”
“No, cuore mio, it’s the truth. I took a life, even if I hadn’t meant to. It’s time to pay. How many people, children, have suffered because of me? I need to stop this terrible cycle.”
“Excellent. Take my hand.”
Nico held Jamie close, wanting to remember his warmth, the feel of his body, his sweet breath on his face. Heart breaking, he leaned toward Piter. Jamie flung his arms around him, halting his movements.
“I won’t let you do this.” Jamie turned to glare at Piter and Nico’s heart thumped. “Get away from us, Krampus, or whatever the fuck you call yourself. You can’t have him.”
“He’s already mine, pet.”
“Let me go, my Jamie. I must—”
“No!” Jamie swiveled back to him and Nico drew a startled breath at the love and fury on his face. “He’s nothing but lies, made up of all the dark and terrible things inside us. You’ve conjured him up to punish yourself. It’s time to stop—”
Piter’s laugh rang hollow, his uncertain tone confusing Nico. “He doesn’t have that power.”
Jamie ignored him, snaring Nico with his intent, earnest gaze. “You do, Nico. Somehow you found the strength in you to raise those children from the dead! And it’s this same strength of purpose you’re using to draw Piter here to punish you for taking a life. But that was an accident. You have to forgive yourself.”
Was this true? “I don’t….”
A snap and snarl drew their eyes. The beast crouched over them, the Krampus, fury mottling its face. Hands like claws reached for them, plucking Jamie from Nico’s clasp and throwing him across the cellar in effortless motion. It grabbed Nico’s arms, nails digging into his flesh, and hauled him up against its fur-covered body. Its heat was an oven, cutting off Nico’s air. Specks formed in his sight and he swooned, the thing’s foul breath burning in his lungs as he breathed it in.
“You’re mine, Nicolas. No questions,” it hissed.
Nico nodded. He was. Even if he’d killed the butcher by accident, so many others had suffered because of him through the years. He needed to atone for his sins.
“Yes. I will go—”
“No!”
Despite his better judgment, Nico glanced at Jamie on the floor, and was caught at once in his wide, vulnerable gaze, seeing into his pure, bright soul. Anguish and longing, love and unbearable loneliness lived there, calling out to him. But more than that, the blaze of life in him touched an answering spark in Nico’s breast. He wasn’t ready to die.
“Stay with me,” Jamie pleaded. “If you go with him, you’ll be lost in his madness. Please, just stay.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Forgive yourself! Nicolas, you meant no harm. And if your God is love, he would have forgiven you long ago.”
Jamie’s words struck him like a thousand knives. Cristo, how had he forgotten that? Tears stung his eyes. He’d failed his Lord again. Maybe it was better to go with Piter. He deserved nothing more.
“That’s right, baby.” Piter changed back once more to the lovely man Nico had come to detest. “Come with me.” He nibbled Nico’s ear, played with a curl. His voice turned saccharine. “Look at the boy, on the floor like a dog. He’s not the one for you. He’s not worthy.”
Jamie had pulled himself to his knees, but when they turned to him, he sat back on his heels. His auburn hair was in wild, glorious disarray aro
und his drawn face, and tears glittered on his cheeks. He looked tired to the bone, and Nico wanted nothing more than to pick him up and take him to his feathered bed in his villa, watch over him while he slept and wake him with kisses in the morning. Hope gleamed in Jamie’s blue eyes and Nico hated that he had to break his heart.
“Jamie, I—”
Piter swore, seeming to grow impatient with his hesitation. “Fuck this. If you won’t decide, Nicolas, then I will take the boy instead. But I won’t make the same mistake with him as I did with you. I will lock him away somewhere you can’t follow, taking out my pleasure in his sweet body in any perversion I choose. I will release him only when his mind has broken, his body withering without my touch.”
He took a step toward Jamie and Nico grabbed his hand. “I will go with you.”
Jamie looked at him, his pain easy to see. “Don’t go, Nico. I love you.”
Nico’s tears fell unheeded. “And if Piter hurts you because of me?”
His lover spoke without hesitation. “Then I would forgive you. Just… stay with me.”
“I can’t.”
Jamie’s face crumpled with sorrow, and he bowed his head, shoulders slumping in defeat. Nico ached for him, for both of them, his heart cracking when Jamie’s quiet sobs reached him. Piter tugged on his arm, pulling him toward the steps, but Nico hesitated. He wanted just one more minute with his lover.
“Ti amo, Jamie,” he murmured, his voice cracking. He turned and surprised a look of fear on Piter’s face as he stared at the man sunk on the cement, face buried in his hands. Why would Piter be afraid of Jamie? What could the young man possibly do?
Sudden clarity of mind came to Nico. Piter feared Jamie would convince him to stay, that the Krampus was a creature he’d conjured to torment his guilty soul. Didn’t matter. Nico deserved to be punished.
Without allowing himself another look at Jamie, he turned on his heel and headed for the stairs. “Follow me,” he said curtly, and a cold smile touched his lips when, after a brief hesitation, Piter’s footsteps clomped on the staircase behind him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
JAMIE SCRUBBED at his eyes. He was done crying. Nico had made his choice and left with Piter. Jealousy bit him, and he laughed with pain, knowing he was the reason Nico had gone with the monster. Nico wanted to keep him safe, but damn, it hurt. And it didn’t help that Piter was alluring and sensual, and also Nico’s ex-lover.
He rose to his feet and swayed, closing his eyes against a wave of dizziness. The horror and pain of the past day and night returned with a roar, and he gasped, struggling not to scream, afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop once he started. Deep breaths. Slowly his panic lessened, and he glanced hesitantly down his body. Faint scars crisscrossed his body, reminders of the whip marks and bruises from the beatings the Krampus had given him.
Unexpected anger seized him. Piter had whipped him, and still Nico had gone with him. What kind of lover would do that? After all they’d been through…. Jamie snorted. They’d only met a few short days ago. What did he really know about the man?
“That you’re gentle and kind and forgiving with everyone but yourself.” Jamie clenched his hands. “Nico, dammit, you should have stayed! We could have faced Piter together.” Determination flashed in his eyes. “I’ll find you, honey, and we’ll settle with Piter once and for all.”
From habit, he tied his hair back in a loose braid as he searched the small space. What had Piter done with his clothes? He looked uncertainly up the short staircase, but seeing no alternative, he climbed to the top step and opened the door into a modern kitchen, chrome and tile and all the conveniences. Jamie tiptoed across the room and peered into an equally luxurious living area, lit by a soft lamp. He nodded to himself. The house seemed unoccupied at the moment, no dishes in the sink, no pillows out of place on the couch.
He looked back at the basement door. What would he find, if he went back down there? Would it be empty like he left it, or would it match the rest of the house, furnished with taste? He didn’t want to know. After going to the staircase, he trotted up them to the second floor, feeling vulnerable without clothing. He passed what looked like two guestrooms, then entered the master suite. A gorgeous king-size bed, mahogany to match the dressers, took center stage.
Pulling open drawers on the smaller dresser, he dug out a pair of expensive jeans and a powder-blue cashmere sweater, and drew them on. The jeans were snug on his rounded hips, and the sweater did nothing to hide the slight push of his nipples. He couldn’t help but notice how the blue complemented his eyes, and thought Nico would like it. He blinked at the huge selection of clothing in the walk-in closet beside the master bath: a woman’s wardrobe on one side, the man’s in a smaller section on the left. He unearthed a coat and boots that fit him well enough and put them on.
He gave the expensive leather boots a frown as he laced them up. Where the hell had Piter taken him? He guessed it didn’t matter. First he’d find Nico, then worry about getting home.
Anxious to be on his way, he returned downstairs to the kitchen and filled a small sack he found in a drawer with fruit and cheeses from the refrigerator. He greedily drank the cold water from the faucet in a crystal glass. Nibbling on crackers, he crossed the house to the front door, stepping into a world where street and house lights glittered on a thin layer of ice, breathtaking in the fading light of dusk. Not knowing which way to go, he made a random choice and started down the street, moving more quickly when the boots proved adequate on the otherwise slippery sidewalk.
He stopped on the corner. There were a few people about, small groups or couples hurrying along the streets. It would be a cold night, and they seemed anxious to reach their destinations.
“Nico, are you still here?” he asked the bright city. Piter had claimed they were in Italy. He had no reason to think otherwise, though he couldn’t remember the plane ride. He recalled the way the Krampus had whisked young Andrew from his home, disappearing from the bedroom without a trace of how he’d done it. A shiver ran down his body. Had Piter simply wished to bring him here and it had happened? Was that how Nico had found him, with a thought?
Jamie put his face in his hands, willing the terror to pass. They were unique men, if this was true. No, Nicolas De Mira alone was unique. By his own account, he had brought those boys back to life through pure strength of will and his God’s blessing. The Krampus was his creation, a way of punishing himself.
“And you can make him disappear just as easily, Nico, if you believe you can.” Jamie’s shoulders slumped. How could he convince Nico of this? It seemed ludicrous, an idea full of holes. But then the whole situation was unbelievable, a miracle wrought by a man of God.
Jamie raised his face, took a breath of the cold air. Sleigh bells in the distance caught his attention, and he turned, finding the dark outline of a huge building behind him, perhaps a church, though it could easily pass as a castle, all square lines and bluff face. Without anywhere else to start, he walked the couple of blocks to the church. A pale moon was rising, and he looked with awe at the massive structure shimmering with frost as he approached it.
The parking lot was deserted at this hour, and he sat on a nearby bench, his body beginning to shake as exhaustion returned. Maybe eating would help. He studied the almost severe front of the church, moaning with pleasure when the sweet juice of the grape he’d popped into his mouth burst on his tongue. He ate them ravenously, interspersed with the sharp bite of cheese, savoring the heady mixture of flavors as if he’d never tasted them before. Funny how hunger could do that.
He ate every crumb and was licking the trace of sweet grape juice from his fingers when a low chuckle startled him, and he clutched his chest, heart pounding.
“Sorry, my dear, didn’t mean to scare you.”
Piter. Jamie closed his eyes, fighting the flash of terror. It would do no good to run. Deep breaths. The fear and pain that had seized him from his time in the basement slowly receded, and he wiped the sweat from hi
s forehead with his coat sleeve. When he had control, he opened his eyes. Piter stood over him, hands on slim hips. Jamie wanted to smash the mocking smile from his face.
A wicked glint sparked in Piter’s green eyes. “Miss me?”
“Go to hell.” Jamie unclenched his hands with effort and braced himself, knowing the next few moments would be unpleasant with his practiced tormentor. Piter continued to loom over him, staring at his face, and Jamie dropped his eyes. Get on with it.
Piter’s amused laugh made him shiver. “I didn’t expect you to recover so quickly, yet here you are, dressed and having a repast. I have to remember to use you harder next time.” He straddled the bench, putting his head on Jamie’s shoulder. “That lush body of yours is stronger than it looks. Who knew such sweet curves and rosy skin could endure so much? I’d love to push your limits. Would you scream for me, Jamie? Beg for release from the pain you secretly crave?”
Jamie suppressed a shudder when Piter licked up his neck, nibbled his ear. Jamie’s voice sounded hesitant when he spoke, making him wince. “Where’s Nico?”
Piter sat up with a huff. “Around somewhere, waiting for me. But I couldn’t leave without saying good-bye, pet. And yet, it doesn’t have to be farewell between us. I’d come whenever you called. Bind your pale skin with soft rope, clamps on those perky nipples and sweet thighs, your ass red from my hand. Would you like that, lover? Bound and helpless, quivering with delicious pain while I slide deep inside you, stretching you in half?”
Jamie swallowed. “That’s your fantasy, Piter. Not mine.”
“Of course. You want that gentle, coddling love with Nico, all kisses and caresses. None of the hard rutting of animals, slick skin and thick cocks and semen down your throat, up your clenching ass. Not with our good and kind Nicolas.”
Nicolas Page 19