Behind the Lens (Behind the Lives) (41 page)

“Don’t
call them that, they look nice.”

Solomon
snorted. “Yeah right, and I look like Channing Tatum.”

More
women and several men headed past, a short redheaded dude catching Sledge’s
attention, the guy a little honey like Corey. Sledge’s eyes lowered to his
arse.

“That
slut’s straight,” Solomon said, “but will drop his pants for money, though I
wouldn’t touch him if he begged me.”

Which
the cutie wouldn’t
, Sledge thought.
His gaze shifted to Kara as she came out, the woman whispering, “Saul’s
coming.” He turned to the wall, hoping that Saul would walk by without noticing
him, which the guy did, making Sledge exhale in relief.

“Saul!”
Solomon called out. “This is the bloke I told ja about.”

Shit!
He was so fucked.

Saul
stopped talking on his phone and turned around. “You’ve got to be kidding me?”
he said, looking surprised.

Sledge
shifted about on his feet, not knowing what to say or do.

Saul
headed for him. “You seriously want a job with us?”

“Yeah.”

A
smile broke out across Saul’s face. “You don’t know how perfect this is.”

Sledge
frowned, wondering what Saul meant.

“Are
you able to work tonight?” Saul asked.

“Yeah.”

“Are
you up to watching people fucking?”

Sledge
cleared his throat. “Sure.”

“Then
you have the job.”

“Just
like that?” Sledge said in disbelief, because it couldn’t be that easy.

“Most
definitely. Craven has been wanting you to work for him for quite some time
now, but Ash always said no.”

“He
never told me.”

“Probably
because he knew you’d take the job. Anyway, Solomon here will show you what to
do.” Saul turned to Solomon with a wide grin. “Sledge here is a Rata.”

Solomon’s
face dropped. “A Rata?”

“Yeah,
you know, the baby brother of Dante, the same guy you made blow your gun?”

Solomon
looked at Sledge, his eyes round. Saul laughed, then turned and walked away. Solomon
quickly locked the door, then ran after Saul. Clenching his fists, Sledge
followed him around the building, stopping at the end of the line for the bus,
watching as Solomon pushed ahead.

Once
inside the bus, Sledge stopped near Solomon’s seat. “Move,” he said to the guy
sitting next to the guard. The prissy looking guy got up and shuffled down the
bus. Sledge sat down next to Solomon. “I should rip you apart for what you did
to my bro.”

Solomon
turned to him. “I didn’t know you were Dante’s brother, if I did I wouldn’t
have done it, and I just wanted payback for what your other brother did to me.
He punched me in the face.”

“You
better not have touched Ash or—”

“I
didn’t, he knocked me to the ground at my old job, and Dante insulted me.”

“I
don’t give a shit what they did! You don’t go sticking a fuckin’ gun into my
brother’s mouth.”

Solomon
moved his head away. “I’m sorry, and I’ve already been bashed in the balls for
it, and it wasn’t like I was going to shoot him, and I definitely wouldn’t have
done anything else. I don’t touch the...” Solomon cleared his throat.

“Touch
the what?”

“...porn
stars.”

Sledge
lowered his mouth to Solomon’s ear. “If you call him that again I’ll rip your
nuts off.”

Solomon
flinched. “But he is one.”

“NO
HE’S NOT!”

The
bus went quiet, all chatter gone.

Sledge
lowered his voice to a whisper. “They were filming him without his knowledge,
had hidden cameras in his room, so he is
not
a porn actor.”

Solomon’s
eyes widened. “But he was at the studio, so he had to know.”

“He’d
only just found out, that’s why he wuz there. To sort shit out.”

Solomon
ran a hand over his face. “If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have done that to him.
I thought he was like the others.”

“What
others?”

“The
sinners.”

“What
are you on about?”

“The
porn stars, they’re sinners.”

“Are
you some religious nutter?”

“No,
I just don’t agree with what they do.”

“Then
why do you work at a porn studio?”

“The
money. I support a big family; I can’t do that on normal wages, and I never
applied for the porn studio, I wanted to work as a bodyguard for the boss, but
they don’t give you a choice.”

“Do
ya know why that crazy bitch Kara works here?”

“Because
of the money, obviously.”

“You’re
wrong. She does it so they won’t kill her family, so don’t you fuckin’ judge
these people; you have no idea why they do what they do.”

Solomon
nodded, his face shocked.

“And
if you wanna know who the real sinners are, look at your bosses, not the
workers.”

“Saul’s
a good man.”

“But
Ant Torres isn’t.”

“That’s
for sure. I hate him,” Solomon whispered. “He deserves to rot in hell for what
he does.”

“Oh,
he will,”
I’ll make sure of that.

23

Dante

The feel of a naked body next
to him woke Dante. He opened his eyes to find Beth sleeping soundlessly, only
the slight rise and fall of her gorgeous breasts telling him she was still
alive. He ran a hand over them, then snuggled in closer, wanting to feel his
whole body against her smaller one, making him think they would never have to
part.

But
he knew they would, and... Memories stopped him mid-thought, what he’d done
last night slowly filtering back in: sex, pussy, hard pumping, screaming, then
sobbing, curled up on a floor scared out of his mind, men standing over him,
one cleaning him while Beth watched.

He
jerked away from her.

She
opened her eyes, her expression half-asleep. “Dante?”

He
pushed out of bed. “You know, don’t you?”

“Know
what?” she yawned.

“What
I am; what I’ve done.”

She
sat up and wiped her eyes, “What’re you talking ’bout?”

“That
I’m a whore!”

“No,
you’re not.”

This
was it, this was the goodbye he needed to say, something to send her packing,
to make her hate him. “I fucked a man for money after I broke up with you,” he
said.

“I
know, you told me last night.”

He
blinked, taken aback. “Then why were you lying next to me?”

“Cos
I love you.”

“But,
how can you after what I did?”

“You
had no choice.”

“Of
course I had a fuckin’ choice, I could’ve said no, and I came, I fuckin’ came
inside him, imagining I wuz fucking you just to stay hard, then I saw his hair
and remembered Chaz fucking Ash, and it fucked me up so bad, I can’t handle it,
I can’t, but I hafta, and you hafta leave, cos I’m dangerous. I’m just like my
stepfather—a fuckin’ sick fuck.”

She
pushed off the bed, her graceful body completely naked. “No, Dante, you’re
nuthin’ like him, you’re a good person; you care.”

“No,
I don’t! Otherwise I wouldn’t keep doin’ it. I liked hurting Jade, I liked
hurting you, and I’m so fucked up that I liked Kara hurting me even more, cos
it means I know how bad it feels.”

Beth
looked at him like she didn’t understand; which made sense, because only a
psycho would comprehend his fucked up mind.

“Just
go.” He pointed to the door.

“I
can’t,” she said, her eyes now shiny with tears.

“Why
the hell not? And don’t tell me you love me again, cos you obviously don’t know
me well enough to use that word, and if you did, you’d leave without
questioning me.”

“We’re
locked in.”

“Fuck!”
He stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. He didn’t want to be near
her, because it made things harder; made him want to back out of this whole
fucked up situation. Jesus, he’d finally thought things were coming right, in
his career anyway, the music contract with Jade something he actually wanted,
no, he
really
wanted. He would even fuck Jade up the arse again if it
meant not having to whore himself out for Craven, because at least it wasn’t in
front of cameras.

The
memory of him fucking Beth up there slammed back into his head, making it hard
to breathe. She didn’t deserve to be taken that way. He knew she was religious,
knew she had issues with anything she considered gay. He placed his hands to
his head. Jesus, what had he done?

The
handle turned. Dante spun around and locked it.

Beth
started banging on the door. “Open the door, Dante.”

“Please,
just go away, you’re better off without me.”

“No
I’m not.”

“Yes
you are! I’m sick. Why can’t you see that?!”

“Dante,
you need to calm down, you’re having a bipolar episode.”

“No
I’m not! This is me, this is how I am. I’m scum! I should never have touched
you. How can you not hate me?”

“I
could never hate you, so open the door!”

“No!
Leave!”

“Don’t
do this, Dante,” her voice hitched. “I love you, we can get through this.”

“We
can’t seem to get past anything.” He slumped to the floor, knowing he was a
fucking weak bitch, but he couldn’t go out there, because if he faced her he’d
give in and ruin the deal with Craven. He wanted his family and Beth safe, the
latter better off finding someone of worth, someone who could give her a stable
life, a family, not a sex addict who sold his body and flipped out over an ‘I
love you’.

Beth
banged on the door again, calling out his name, then she let out a frightened
shriek as male voices filled the room. Dante jumped up, all thought of their
argument gone, the fear that men were out there with Beth as she stood naked
pushing him forward.

He
unlocked the door and rushed out into the bedroom. Mack was hoisting a
screaming Beth over a shoulder, while a man with a huge afro covered her with a
robe, copping a feel at the same time. Dante charged the guy with the afro,
taking him down. He kneed him in the nuts, then turned just as Mack dumped Beth
on the mattress. Dante launched himself at the ugly bastard, knocking him onto
the bed. Beth scooted backwards, screaming at him to stop, but there was no way
in hell he was doing that, because they had fucking touched her!

He
smashed a fist into Mack’s nose, painting his knuckles with the thug’s blood.
Hollering, Mack shoved at Dante hard, making him stumble backwards. He fell
over the other man, who was curled up on the floor, clutching his nuts. The man
pulled a leg free and booted Dante in the side of the head.

Dante
blacked out, then came to, barely able to breathe, Mack’s thick arm choking him
as he was yanked off the floor.

“You’re
fucking dead!” Mack hollered.

Desperate
to get free, Dante rammed an elbow into Mack, then again and again until the
thug let go. Feeling like his windpipe had been crushed, Dante clutched at his
throat, trying to suck in air.

With
murder in his eyes, the other man pushed to his feet. Before the guy could do
anything, Dante ran at him, taking him down. The top of his head connected with
the cabinet, his momentum pushing him too far forward. He grunted and rolled
off the guy, bringing his hands to his head, every part of his body now
hurting.

The
man climbed on top of him, his weight crushing Dante. “Like my mate said,
you’re fuckin’ dead!” he raised a fist.

“Stop!”
a voice boomed.

The
man above Dante froze, then scrambled off him as Saul stormed towards them.

“What
the fuck are you doing, Dez?!” Saul yelled.

Looking
scared, the man backed into Mack. “Just restraining him, boss.”

“Bullshit!
There’s blood on him!”

“That’s
Mack’s blood, and he attacked us, not the other way round.”

“He
can bash your heads in for all I care, he’s worth millions; you’re worth
nothing! And if you don’t get the fuck out of here, I will finish what he
started!” Saul indicated to the door.

The
guy rushed out.

Saul
turned his glare on Mack. “And why the fuck can’t you and your useless mate
restrain one naked male?”

Mack
got to his feet. “He’s not normal,” he said, holding his bloodied nose. “He’s a
psychotic freak.”

“Just
piss off and send me some real help.”

Mack
walked off, giving Saul the finger behind his back.

Saul’s
glare moved to Dante. “This is why I need you sedated, because obviously your
brother’s life means shit to you with your fucked up temper.”

Dante
pushed to his feet, all the fight gone out of him. “They grabbed Beth while she
wuz naked.”

“So,
you’re not reneging on the deal?”

Dante
shook his head.

Beth
rushed over to him, now wrapped in a robe. “You don’t hafta work for them.”

“If
I don’t they’ll kill you and Ash.”

“But
working for Craven will kill
you
.”

Dante’s
gaze moved to Saul. “Take her away, but make sure those apes don’t go near her
again.”

Saul
nodded, reaching for Beth.

“No!”
she screamed, hitting Saul’s hands away, her face terrified. “Don’t let him
touch me!”

Dante
rushed for the bathroom, locking himself in, Beth’s screams tearing him apart,
the need to protect her and being unable to overwhelming.

“Help
me, Dante!” she screamed.

He
covered his ears, knowing that Saul would take care of her, the man the only
honourable person in Craven’s employment, although it hurt like hell to hear
her sound so terrified.

When
her screaming stopped, he removed his hands, then let himself out of the
bathroom, relieved to find them gone. He went over to the bed and sat down on
it, covering his face with his hands, everything overwhelming him.

The
door opened, making him look up. Two women entered. No, they looked more like
teenagers, probably Sledge’s age, maybe slightly younger. One of them giggled, a
pretty little Thai girl. The other one, a Chinese girl, stopped crying, her
eyes going wide, reminding him of an anime cartoon as she zeroed in on his
cock. Dante covered it. He usually didn’t care about being naked in front of
people, but not when they were practically kids.

The
Thai girl headed for him, holding out a box. When he didn’t take it, she placed
it on his lap and opened the lid, pulling out a pair of leather pants similar
to the ones that Jade had bought him. She placed the pants on the bed next to
him, then shifted out of the way for the Chinese girl, who moved forward,
holding out a glass of water and what looked like... Oh hell no! Those were
Viagra. He shook his head. The girl narrowed her eyes at him, saying what
sounded like “
Che
.”

“No,”
he said.

“Yes,”
she muttered back, “take, man, take,” her pronunciation up the wop.

Angry
the bastards wanted his fucking tool awake all night, ready to pump whoever
they told him to, he snatched the pills out of her hand and took the glass,
swallowing it all down, then handed it back, ignoring the Thai girl’s annoying
giggles. He wondered whether she would be one of the chicks he had to fuck, the
thought making him want to throw up the Viagra. He indicated with a hand for
them to leave. The Chinese girl took off without hesitation, the Thai girl not
getting the drift. She removed the box from his lap, dropped to her knees and
reached for his—

He
jumped up and backed away from her, covering his cock.

“I
suck good, pretty man,” she said, shuffling towards him. “You will like.”

“No!
You’re too young.”

She
slipped her gown off, her nipples rock hard. He ran for the bathroom, again
locking himself in.

She
knocked on the door. “Sir, come, come.”

“I
ain’t coming for you either way,” he yelled back. “So piss off, cos if I hafta
fuck someone, tell them to send a woman, not a girl.”

“Sorry,
sir,” the accented voice answered, then footsteps receded, making him wonder
whether he could actually leave the bathroom and stay out of it.

He
turned to the shower, deciding to have one, because at least it was better than
cowering from a tiny girl with hard nipples. He turned on the water and got
under, sighing, not in relief, but frustration, because Craven didn’t fucking
need to send that Thai girl to him. There were no cameras to perform for—

His
heart missed a beat; the memory of the hidden cameras back home returning.
Jesus! He should’ve known the sick bastard would be filming him, and oh God,
he’d fucked Beth in the arse last night. He hit the wall, absolutely furious.
He’d signed up for this, not Beth, so they shouldn’t be filming her!

He
opened the shower door and slammed it shut so hard it came off the rails. He
snatched up a towel, wrapped it around his waist, then unlocked the bathroom
door and headed out. Stopping in the middle of the room, he dropped his towel
and grabbed his cock. “If ya want this to work leave Beth alone! And don’t ever
send me a kid to fuck or I’ll piss all over your home.” He started pissing on
the carpet. “Cunts! And you better gimme a different room now, one without
cameras and piss stains on the floor.”

Once
he’d finished pissing, he shook his cock, then snatched up the leathers and
moved to the other side of the bed. He sat down and yanked the pants on, grunting
to get them over his arse, the shiny black leathers tight as hell. He pushed to
his feet, the bastard pants riding up his arse crack and barely covering his
cock, some of his pubes showing. He readjusted himself, managing to hide them,
but his balls paid for it. He flopped back onto the bed as the door cracked
open.

Saul
appeared with two new thugs.

Dante
got to his feet. “You bastards had no right filming me with Beth last night!”