"Come out, Ben. I know you're in there."
Edward. Why had he followed him in here?
Ben unlocked the door and cracked it open, peering round the edge of the door itself. Edward stood there, hands in his pants pockets, staring at him. He took a hand out of his pants and waved Ben over.
"Come on. There's no need to hide in there."
Ben walked out of the cubicle and stood in front of him. What did he want?
"So, I see you've moved up in the world. Imagine my surprise when I saw you with Geoff. It made me wonder if he knew about you, about what you are." He stepped forward and stroked the lapel of Ben's suit, causing him to stumble back away from him. Edward smirked at him. "You might be wearing better clothing, but you are still nothing more than a whore. How many times did I fuck you? How much did you cost me? I wondered where you had gone. You were the only one who I really enjoyed." He stepped back into Ben's personal space, pushing him back against the wall, holding him there with his hands on his shoulders. "I've missed you. The way I could you make you whimper. The way I could make you cry. No one else responds like you do. No one else feels the way you do."
Edward leaned forward and licked Ben's cheek. Ben turned his head away, trying to push him back, but Edward grabbed his hands and held them, forcing them above his head and squeezing them tight. He pushed his body into Ben's and licked his ear as he whispered to him.
"I've tried for almost two years now to get Geoff to sell to me, and he always refused, but seeing you, well, I think he might see things differently now, don't you? I can't imagine you'll want people to know what you are, and can you imagine how that would affect Geoff and his family's business? A business his father started and Geoff is continuing. Do you think his clients would want to stay with him when they know he's fucking a whore? Once he knows that you're nothing but a broken down, used hole, he'll get rid of you." Edward paused then continued, "Now, you know your place. Down on your knees." He let go of Ben's hands and went to open his pants.
The door to the toilets opened, and Edward pushed away from Ben, smiling as he turned around. Ben watched him walk out of the toilet and shuddered, releasing the breath he'd been holding. What the fuck was he going to do?
Walking over to the sink, Ben turned the tap on, noticing how badly his hands were shaking. He held them under the running water hoping the heat would warm them. He gave a shaky smile to the man who'd come in as he washed his hands and left the toilets.
His stomach suddenly heaved, and he barely managed to make it to the toilet before being violently sick. When he finished, he spat out, resisting the urge to vomit again when he could taste the residue of sick in his mouth. He wiped his mouth with some toilet roll before staggering to his feet and flushing the toilet. He went back to the sink and washed his mouth out with cold water, trying to get rid of the taste of vomit. He leaned over the sink, trying to hold himself up on wobbly legs, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
His face looked washed out, pale and sweaty. As he stared at himself in the mirror, the door opened, and Geoff walked in, looking concerned when he saw him.
"Are you alright? You've been gone a few minutes."
"Yeah, sorry. Got a bit nervous. There are a lot of people. I guess I'm not used to the crowds."
"I'm sorry. I should have thought about how this would be for you. I guess I wanted to show you off a little." Geoff moved forward, pulling Ben into a hug.
Ben smiled up at him, "Really?"
"Really. You, Ben Parker, are a handsome young man. I think you're fucking hot. Can't wait to get you home tonight and show you just how hot I think you are."
Ben felt butterflies in his stomach at the thought of being with Geoff again. He loved having sex with him, which was strange given his past. He even loved the thought of being dominated by him. Someone else taking control so he could let go. He'd had to be in control for so long that it felt liberating to hand it over to Geoff. When he had grown to trust him, he wasn't sure, but he certainly did now. This brought up his current predicament: Edward.
"How long do we have to stay?" he asked Geoff. He wanted to get away as soon as he could. The further away from Edward, the better. He didn't want to have to speak to him again.
"Another hour tops. Can you manage that long?"
Ben leaned into Geoff, taking a deep breath, smelling his cologne. He nodded into his chest. "Yeah," he mumbled.
Geoff stepped back from him, holding his hand out. "Come on then. The sooner we go out there, the sooner we can leave."
Ben slid his hand into Geoff's and let Geoff pull him out of the toilet. The next hour was torturous for Ben. He found himself constantly searching the room to see if he could locate Edward in the crowd. Once or twice they made eye contact and Edward would smile smugly at him and raise his glass in a sarcastic toast. Ben would look away quickly, breaking eye contact as soon as he could.
The entire time they circulated, Ben tried to control of his stomach. He had to keep wiping his sweaty palms on his suit pants furtively and smile nicely at everyone Geoff introduced him to. He had the smile plastered on his face for so long his jaw was beginning to ache. He wanted this to be over and done with so they could leave.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity later, Geoff told him they would be leaving. Ethan weaved his way through the crowds and walked with them as they attempted to leave. But, every few steps someone would stop either of them to enquire how they were, completely fake if you asked Ben, but he guessed this was what you had to do. When the Holy Grail was in sight, the door, Edward appeared, like a magician in front of them, smiling in a smug, slimy way.
"Leaving so soon, Geoff?"
"Yes. It's been a beneficial night all round. How has it been for you?"
Edward glanced at Ben, smirking. "Oh, it's definitely had its highlights. I was wondering when we could meet up, discuss some business propositions."
"If it's to discuss my selling the business or some form of merger, then I think we'd be wasting our time. The answer is still no."
"I think you should think about it, don't you think so, Ben? I'll have my secretary call you Monday to arrange it."
Ben stared straight ahead as Edward merged with the crowds. He felt Geoff grab his arm and start to pull him out.
"What was that about?" Ethan asked Geoff as they exited the hotel.
"In the car," Geoff ordered.
Once they had reached the limo, the driver opened the door, and all three got in.
"How does he know you, Ben?"
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Ben looked at Geoff, who faced him across the limo.
"What? You know Edward, Ben?" Ethan asked him.
Ben swallowed. "Yeah."
"Fuck. Was he was a customer?" Ethan asked as he sat back on the seat, shaking his head.
Ben nodded, looking down at his clasped hands. The knuckles had turned white; he was holding them so tightly. He saw Geoff's hands close over his and gently pry them open.
"Tell us everything," Geoff demanded softly.
Ben looked up, glancing between the two of them. He shook his head, sitting back in the seat, pulling his hands free from Geoff's. "I can't," he whispered.
Ethan snorted. "We need to know, Ben. I can't imagine this is easy for you, but Edward is up to something. I could see the way he looked at you when he was talking to Geoff. Like he knew something we didn't, something he could use."
"He paid me, okay? He knew me as soon as he saw me. Cornered me in the toilets, threatened to tell everyone about us if I didn't do what he wanted." Ben blurted it out in a rush. "I'm sorry."
"You've nothing to apologise for," Geoff told him as he sat back. "What are you thinking, Ethan?"
"This is exactly what he's needed. He'll use this one way or the other. I wouldn't be surprised if he mentions this in the meeting with you and threatens you with it. We both know he wants a merger with you or for you to sell." Ethan turned to face Ben. "Ben, what did he say? Can you remember?"
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Ben looked at the floor nodding. "Yeah, he wants Geoff's business and..." He couldn't finish.
"He wants you." Ethan finished for him.
Ben looked up, startled that Ethan knew. He nodded slowly. "I don't know why. There are plenty of us on the street for him to have."
"I saw the way he looked at you. You don't have to be a genius to figure out what he wants and he wants you. Two for one. He gets the merger, and he gets Ben."
"Not going to happen," Geoff stated vehemently. "Ben is mine and I don't share."
"No! You can't say that! He threatened you. He said he could ruin you by telling everyone what I am!" Ben practically shouted at him.
"What you were, and I'm not ashamed of you or your actions. What's in the past is exactly that. It's the past, and you survived a pretty fucked up one. We will figure this out."
"Damn straight we will. Drop me off at mine and I'll come round tomorrow. We can brainstorm the shit out of this then," Ethan told them sternly. "I won't have that cunt fuck with my friends."
Ben watched Ethan as he stared out of the window, face hard and arms crossed over his chest. Geoff smirked at him then winked.
"We'll sort this out. I'd tell you not to worry, but that won't stop you, will it?"
Geoff moved over and sat next to Ben, pulling him into his arms and holding him tight as he kissed his head. "I don't regret a thing between us," he murmured into his hair.
They dropped Ethan off at his house with his promise that he would be round in the morning, and then they carried on home. Ben sat quietly in the car, contemplating what he was going to do. He couldn't let Edward ruin Geoff, not after everything he'd done for him. That left him with no other choice but to leave.
"I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no, you're not leaving," Geoff told him.
"It's for the best! Edward will try to use me to ruin you! Your family has worked too hard for it to be taken from you because of me," Ben pleaded with him.
"No. What Edward is doing is blackmail, and I'm pretty sure we'll come up with a plan tomorrow. We don't even know for certain what he's going to do. How will he tell people about you without revealing how he knows you? I'm certain he won't out himself, so let's see what we can come up with first."
They pulled up outside Geoff's and Ben walked to the house while Geoff spoke to the driver. He watched as the limo drove off, and Geoff came up beside him and opened the door. They walked into the house, and Ben closed his eyes. His body was heavy like lead weights had been attached to his limbs, and it was difficult to move.
Geoff walked into the kitchen, and Ben slowly followed him. He watched Geoff open the fridge and took out a couple of bottles of water. Passing one to Ben, he nodded to the chair and Ben sat down.
Geoff sat opposite him. "Tell me about the two of you. I need to know everything."
"You want to do this now?" Ben's shoulders slumped. Why go through this now? Couldn't they do it tomorrow? He just wanted to go to bed.
"Do you want to do this tomorrow? In front of everyone?"
Well, when put like that....no. "Okay, I understand, but I don't know how this will help you."
Leaning on the table, Geoff told Ben, "I won't be going in blind. He could say anything to me, and I wouldn't know if it was the truth. I trust you, Ben. I need you to trust me in this."
Ben looked away, thinking about what he had said. Could he trust Geoff? He couldn't deny that there was a certain level of trust between him. The things he let Geoff do to him...
"You know you can trust me, Ben. You wouldn't have come back here when you left if you didn't trust me."
Ben looked back at Geoff, realising he was right. He did trust him, but he was scared. Scared of how Geoff would look at him after he told him what Edward liked, what he had let him do to him. He dominated, like Geoff, but with Geoff, it was consensual and at no point had he felt like he couldn't stop things if he wanted to. With Edward, he'd been in complete control, and Edward got off on that control and on inflicting pain. On making Ben feel powerless and terrified.
Coughing slightly, he nodded, "Okay. I just... I don't want you to hate me."
"Why would I hate you?" Geoff asked him, frowning. "I know a lot of what you've done and I'm still here."
"I know, but the things I let him do... it humiliates me to think I let him do those things, but I needed the money, and he paid a lot and I mean a lot. One job with him and I didn't have to sell myself for at least a week. I don't know why he kept coming back to me when he could have bought anyone."
"Maybe he saw something in you."
"I don't understand," Ben admitted.
"A vulnerability. People like him can pick up on it." Geoff paused, taking a deep breath and then blew it out heavily. "So, tell me. Tell me everything."
Ben also took a deep breath, shuddering inwardly at the thought of talking about it. He cleared his throat. "He would pick me up and take me back to some cheap hotel. Didn't want to do it in the car or some alley. He preferred privacy and time." He paused, thinking about how he could tell Geoff what he had allowed Edward to do to him.
"As soon as we were in the room, he would have me strip and then shower. Once I was done, he would tie me to the bed, face down." Ben swallowed, his stomach churning. "He liked to inflict pain, so he would use things on me, whip me, and bite me. Never enough to leave permanent marks, but enough that I would cry out. The more noise I made, the more he enjoyed it. Then he would fuck me. No lube. He wanted me to feel it. Liked to make me bleed. Liked to make me cry. He got off on that. The tears and the blood." Ben had to swallow again. Breathing deeply for a few seconds, he continued. "When he finished, he would shower, release the ropes holding me down then throw the money in my face with a smirk on his. Sometimes he would use toys and he would... fuck me... with them... as hard as he could." Ben shuddered and closed his eyes. "It could have been worse. I've heard stories of some guys left scarred, I mean, really fucked up and ending up in the hospital." Ben opened his eyes but didn't look at Geoff. He didn't want to see the revulsion on his face.
"So Edward likes to humiliate and inflict pain. He likes being in control and gets off on it," Geoff murmured quietly as he reached across and squeezed Ben's hand. "You let me use cuffs."
"Trust," Ben whispered back to him, watching him as he peeled the label of his bottle.
"Yes, that sounds like him. He always likes to be in control and always gives the impression he's more important than he is. He never left you with any scars?"
"No, not that it mattered. I have plenty of scars but each time we were together, it would be worse than the last. So, I guess it was just a matter of time before he did."
"I agree."
Ben's eyebrows shot up. "You do?"
"It sounds like he's just starting."
"I don't understand." Ben looked at Geoff as his eyebrows hunched together. Just starting?
"Middle-aged man. Supposedly happily married. You said every session was worse than the last. So he's just getting started, learning what he likes. You need to remember, I've been doing this for a while now. I've been to those types of clubs..."
"Those clubs?" Ben interrupted him.
"BDSM clubs."
"Oh! The clubs you told me about." Ben nodded. He remembered Geoff talking to him about it.
"As I said when I explained them to you, I haven't been for a while now."
"Because of me."
"Partly." Geoff agreed. "Anyway, I've seen his type at the club. They don't listen to safe words, always pushing past the subs hard lines or limits. These places are heavily monitored. I don't need to tell you why, do I?"
Ben shook his head. "No, I guess you wouldn't want people to be hurt."
"Unless they wanted it, and it was specified in their contract."
"Like the one you gave me."
"Yes. People like Edward would ignore what the sub wanted or didn't want. Edward seems to like inflicting pain. Soon he will want to leave marks, cause damage. Mark
his property."
"I think I'm gonna be sick." Ben took a deep breath as the queasiness in his stomach intensified. If he was still on the streets, seeing Edward...
"You've had a lucky escape, but I wonder who he's with now." Geoff scratched his chin. "Edward tied you up, but you don't have a problem with me."
"No. I know you won't hurt me, not like Edward. And he wants me back." Ben swallowed hard. No way was Edward ever touching him again.
"He probably considers you as his."
"Fuck. Geoff, I should leave." Ben groaned, dropping his head into his hands.
"I've told you that you're staying."
"I can't," he whispered. Surely Geoff could see that? Ben wasn't worth Geoff losing his business over, having his name and image tarnished. "I'm used goods, worthless, broken. Please see that?"
"You're not. Why can't you see what I see, Ben? Why can't you see who you are? You're not broken, and whatever comes our way, we will face it together as a team because that's what we are." Geoff told him sincerely.
"What about your business?"
"A team," Geoff repeated.
"Really," Ben whispered.
Geoff smiled slightly at him. "Yes, really. You and me. Come on. Let's go to bed and we can face this tomorrow."
Geoff stood holding out his hand to Ben, waiting. Ben put his hand in Geoff's and let Geoff pull him up and out of the room. When they entered the bedroom, Geoff turned on the small lamp and undressed Ben. Ben stood there watching him, noticing the care Geoff took with him. Once he was naked, Geoff laid him on the bed and also undressed, then lay down beside him, pulling the covers over them. Pulling Ben close and folding him in his arms, Geoff kissed Ben on his head. Such care. No wonder Ben loved him.
"Go to sleep, Ben. Things will be better in the morning."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Ben woke the next morning to the sound of voices coming from downstairs. Rolling over, he looked at the clock, realising it was almost eleven. Standing up, he grabbed some sweatpants and a top and put them on. He took a leak in the bathroom and brushed his teeth before going downstairs.
New Beginnings (Second Chances Book 2) Page 15