Part 35 (1/2)

Lu smiled at him. Oh s.h.i.+t.

”You leave now,” Ras.h.i.+d said.

”I'm bait to get someone else here,” Tyler croaked.

Lu picked the sock up from the floor and guessing what he was going to do, Tyler thrashed his head from side to side. Lu yanked on his hair to keep his head still and pushed the sock back in his mouth. He spun Tyler around to face the wall.

”You amateur?” Lu asked. ”Need to play longer with toy before strike like that, draw blood. Messy. Give me whip. I show you.”

Hit him, Lu. Please.

Three fast strikes across his lower back made Tyler jerk into the wall. Oh G.o.d, my c.o.c.k, my hips, my knees. Have I been f.u.c.king whisked into some parallel universe? A guy he'd hoped might save him was giving lessons on how to whip him to a guy who most likely wanted to tear him to shreds. Well, he would once he realized he hadn't called Haris.

He closed his eyes as the whip hit him again and again, the pain shooting to every part of his body. He consoled himself with the knowledge that Ras.h.i.+d would have whipped him anyway. Who the h.e.l.l was he? He clearly thought Tyler should know. He must have thought he wouldn't have gone with him if he'd told him his real name. He likely would have. I'm idiot boy. Was Ras.h.i.+d an old boyfriend of Haris? Ex-business partner? f.u.c.king escapee from a psychiatric hospital?

”See how I do? You can whip for longer time, still painful but damage skin less,” Lu said.

b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Am I supposed to be grateful? Tyler guessed Prescott had called Lu to see if he was near the club. He'd arrived so quickly, he was probably already in there. He only wore leather pants, his upper body was bare. Tyler clung to the hope that Prescott wouldn't want him damaged but maybe the phone call was a mistake. Should he have tried to press 999?

The whip fell again, onto his a.s.s this time, and Tyler cried out behind the gag. s.h.i.+t, that hurt.

”See how to do it now?” Lu asked.

”Yes. Thank you. Go now.”

”Tyler a brat. But he my brat. You go now.”

”No.”

As the whip fell again, Tyler shuddered into the wall. Lu pulled the gag out and Tyler sucked in air, trying to draw saliva into his mouth. ”He wants to kill me,” he croaked.

”Prescott want to kill you too.”

Uh-oh. Tyler's b.a.l.l.s tried even harder to climb into his body. The police weren't supposed to be doing anything until Sat.u.r.day as far as Prescott was concerned. So...

”Why?” Tyler asked, his heart bouncing on his stomach.

”Gerald heard he reported for rape.”

Tyler turned to face him. ”He didn't rape me.” Oh G.o.d.

”Who did he rape?”

”Look ou-” Tyler choked off his warning as Ras.h.i.+d wrapped the whip around Lu's neck.

Lu managed to slide his fingers under the leather but Ras.h.i.+d pulled tighter.

”Help,” Tyler screamed. He kept on screaming as the two men struggled. Lu pulled off Ras.h.i.+d's mask, trying to push his fingers into his eyes. As Ras.h.i.+d dragged the mask back in place, Lu elbowed him in the ribs and Ras.h.i.+d doubled over. Tyler thought for a moment that Lu would break free but Ras.h.i.+d spun round, lashed out with his foot and Lu's head smacked into the wall before he slumped to the floor.

Don't look at the blood.

A breathless Ras.h.i.+d kicked the motionless Lu and snapped something in his own language. He rifled through Tyler's clothing and pulled out his phone.

”You call number again.”

Don't look at the screen. But even as Tyler thought it, he saw it was too late.

”Who Henry?”

Tyler put on his best puzzled look. ”Why?”

”You call him, not Haris.” Ras.h.i.+d struck Tyler's head so hard with the whip handle that everything went black before his vision filled with blurred stars.

”Did I? I didn't mean to,” he said with a groan. ”Their numbers are next to each other.”

Ras.h.i.+d glared. ”You speak to him now.”

Tyler groaned. He'd had enough. This wasn't going to turn out well. If he saved Haris, at least he'd done something worthwhile with his life.

”Go f.u.c.k yourself,” Tyler muttered, tasting blood in his mouth.

”You want me f.u.c.k you with whip?”

”You already have.”

”Not like that.”

Ras.h.i.+d twisted Tyler round and shoved the handle against his a.n.u.s. Tyler tensed. Oh Christ, let me be brave. ”I'm not calling him here for you to kill him.”

”You will call him. How much pain you want before you do?”

”Touch him again and I'll kill you.”

Ras.h.i.+d spun round. Tyler looked over his shoulder to see Haris standing in the doorway with another man, one he'd seen before somewhere. He blinked hard in case he was imagining it but Haris didn't disappear. Relief fought dismay, but at least Haris wasn't alone.

”Harissss.” Ras.h.i.+d hissed like a cobra and his eyes widened.

Haris wanted to pummel Ras.h.i.+d until he f.u.c.king screamed. Blood dripped down Tyler's beautiful back where the whip had cut him.

”Stan, check the guy on the floor,” Haris said.

Lu was already coming round. He put his hand to his head and looked at the blood on his fingers. Tyler gagged.

”You f.u.c.king lunatic,” Lu snapped.

Stan helped him to his feet, but Lu brushed him aside and pushed past him out of the room.

”Now get Tyler out of here,” Haris said.

”No,” Tyler blurted. ”He wants to kill you.”