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28
DOMINIC
Could shoulders dislocate? Mine burned something fierce. That was what happened when my tied wrists were put on a giant hook, and I was hoisted into the air like a slab of beef at a slaughterhouse. Would I be hacked up like the cows were or would I be left here for my arms to eventually go numb and separate from the joints?
I made the mistake of trying to move a few seconds ago which sent searing hot pain through my body, so I hung still now, afraid to move.
Emerald sat below me in a chair, running a metal nail file over his perfectly manicured nails. It kept glinting when the light caught it right. I only knew how nice his nails were because I was jealous when I first saw them. I thought for sure he had a professional take care of his nails. Now I knew he gave himself a mani while torturing people. How lovely.
“I’m going to tell you a story, Ocean. You’re going to listen because you can’t not.” He chuckled like it was funny. If I thought I could get to him, I’d grit my teeth through the burn and swing my body so I could kick him in the face. Too bad he was out of reach. He’d also probably shoot me.
He continued, “Did you know I went to the same college as Perry and Greer? That’s right, I was there with them, knew who they were. How could I not with the kind of money Perry had? He didn’t flash it like some of the rich assholes did, but he drove an Aston Martin to college and parked it next to beat-up pickup trucks and Greer’s luxury SUV. The two of them stood out. Not that I expected any less from an Altair, especially given that we went to a local college where he was even more well-known. Across the country he probably would have blended slightly better, but near Dremest…” He shook his head. “Perry was a celebrity.”
I didn’t need to be told that. Perry couldn’t go anywhere locally without attention. Hell, even when he traveled around the world people knew who he was. Some feared him because of Jordan, who had made quite a name for himself over the years. I was sure he was on a dozen FBI watch lists, just waiting for mounting evidence to take him down. The others knew Perry because of his dad and the wealth they had.
“In college, I tried to befriend Perry like most people did,” Emerald said. “But Perry didn’t form friendships with anyone. He had Greer. And Peyton when he came to visit. Perry didn’t party, but he did fuck enough women for word to spread that he knew what he was doing. Some women thought they could get him to settle down, but none did. He was hot back then, still is now. I thought I could be the one to make him want dick but no, Perry never saw me. No matter how many times I tried to talk to him, he had his nose buried in his work, focusing on graduating at the top of his class, so he could follow in his dad’s footsteps. When he wasn’t doing that, he was buried in some bitch. I hated them, you know. Because they got a part of Perry I couldn’t.”
Jesus, what was I listening to right now? Emerald had a crush on Perry? Still did I thought, or did he just want to fuck him?
“Greer and I were in a lot of the same classes since we were going for the same degree. I tried to befriend him too and while he was nice to me, we didn’t grow close. I wasn’t sure what it would take to get in their inner circle, but I wanted to be there. I wanted others to look at me with envy because I was part of their group. I’d never had a friend like that. One who would do anything for me, and Perry had two.
“So, I finished my degree, graduated, and applied for a job at PJS. It was entry-level since I was fresh out of college. Did I get hired? No. I kept applying over the years, not making it out of the first-round interviews, not making it to Greer as he climbed the ladder there. He knew my name. But no one gave a shit about me.” He snorted. “Story of my fucking life.”
Did this asshole want me to feel pity for him because if so, he kidnapped the wrong guy. He could burn a fiery death with that nail file sticking into his heart for all the fucks I gave.
“I should be working at PJS. I should be the one sitting where Greer is. But no, not me. Not when Greer already had an in with the Altairs. I would have settled for a smaller role.” He put the file down and leaned forward. “I’m smart. Smarter than all those fuckers.”
He leaned back, grabbing the file again to work on the other hand. “Anyway, I made peace with it.”
No, no he did not.
“I knew I wouldn’t get to work there, never get Perry like I wanted him, so I applied for a job at Untouchable as a dancer. At least then Perry and Greer would see me. Maybe I could be a part of their world. But Perry didn’t show, and Greer didn’t recognize me. That was what happened when you lost a hundred pounds, worked out, and got a nose job.”
My eyes widened. Was I on some sort of reality show? This shit was unbelievable.
“Which brought me to JJ,” Emerald sneered his name. “I hate him. He wasn’t the Altair I wanted to get close to, but what choice did I have?”
Not turn into a psychopath, but what did I know?
“I went to school during the day to learn about working on cars, danced at night, and eventually got hired here. I work under an alias, not wanting to tip JJ off to my goal of getting closer to Perry. And JJ doesn’t go to the club, neither do any of his employees since they can’t afford it. I was safe there, especially when I loaded on makeup before I danced. No one found out about my other life. Then JJ got hired at PJS. Became a part owner. He even said he was thinking about bringing some of his mechanics to work there. I finally had my in. Finally could get to where I was meant to be. But that asshole never picked me. Well, I had to do something.”
Of course. Being a normal human being and moving on was out of the question.
“Did you know my name isn’t Ian?” he asked but didn’t wait for me to reply. “It’s Alan. What a horrible name. I had to create these aliases to get away from it.”
He could have legally changed his name from Alan, but I didn’t state the obvious out loud.
“Now I have two jobs, four names, more money than I need, but I still don’t have what I want—Perry. And then you three go fucking public with your relationship. Perry Altair Jr. with not one, but two men.” The chair scraped back as Emerald, Alan, whatever the fuck his name was, stood. “Perry who didn’t like men before. Perry who I thought would never see me as more than a potential employee, which I couldn’t even get to be. Now he’s fucking two men!”
Emerald edged closer to me, holding his nail file which I now realized had a sharp point. “He’s fucking you!” His eyes were wild, making me want to squirm to try and get away from him, but I knew it would only hurt worse. “Does he fuck you, Ocean, or do you fuck him? I need you to tell me.”
When I didn’t say anything, he lifted the leg of my jeans, and dragged the point of the nail file over my skin. “Answer me!”
He didn’t give me but a few seconds before he drew his hand back and stabbed my leg with the nail file. I yelled in pain. It was sharp, stinging, then this awful burning as he filed it in and out like he was doing with his nails only moments ago. My eyes squeezed close, wondering if he was hitting fucking bone because it sure as shit felt like it.
“They’re g-going to c-come for me,” I stuttered out. My body trembled from a combination of the pain in my shoulders and the agony in my leg.
“I’m planning on it. JJ will see the loop I fed into his system. Greer will notice it’s not perfect. All done intentionally. But it bought me time to hurt you. To draw blood from you so Perry would give in to whatever I wanted to get you back. I have big aspirations.” He pulled the file from my leg, the warmth of the blood trickling down my shin. I clenched my teeth, not wanting to give him more proof he was hurting me.
