Ashton stared at the camera pointing into the laundry room. It's red light was still on solid and steady. No flashing. Would he have to wait for the memory to be full before he could make his move? The only problems were the stains on the box. If Samuel found out about it, he might get wise and change the passcode. He'd spent most of the night writing a list of possible codes and in order to try any of them out, he needed to not be caught by the camera. But there was a short amount of time between when the camera stopped and when Samuel changed the chip. So he would have to work fast.
He took a cloth and bleach spray, cleaning all around the laundry room, including the passcode box. He would press random buttons to make sure an alarm didn't go off and blame it on cleaning. He'd be on camera cleaning all around the room. He cleaned the floor first, particularly the spots where Sam had walked. He then moved to the door handle and eventually to the passcode box. He pressed a random number on the box and it beeped. Although he had done it on purpose, he couldn't help the jump he felt or the need to turn and make sure he wasn't being watched. But that would be suspicious, which was not what he wanted.
He heard Samuel step quietly into the room, stark naked, as Ashton had left him. He dipped his head in embarrassment. He wondered if Samuel even remembered what had happened. He had been more than a little out of it.
"Was this run recently?" Sam asked. Ashton cleared his throat, trying not to seem weird.
"Umm...I ran them early this morning," he said quietly. Samuel opened the dryer, pulling out clothes.
"Good, hoped it would still be warm," he mumbled, pulling on boxers and stuffing his legs into his pants.
"Belt?" He asked simply. Ashton looked nervously at him.
"Huh?"
"Where's my belt?" He asked again. Ashton was so confused.
"You threw it somewhere last night, where is it?" Sam clarified. Ashton sucked in a breath, jumping up and sliding passed him, moving to the dirty hamper. He pulled out the belt and handed it to the other man who eyed it curiously. Ashton scratched the back of his head.
"Oh...I wasn't sure if you remembered last night. You seemed so...to put it frankly, you seemed drunk," he said. He wasn't sure if Samuel would take offense.
"I remember every ass screwing minute of last night. And don't think you can always get away with doing whatever you want just for spreading your legs like a slut."
Ashton gawked at him. Somehow, the fact that he was being called a slut just for trying to stay alive and somewhat unscathed made him furious. It took a lot to keep this asshole calm, dammit!
"Oh, well I thought...I was just trying to stay out of trouble," he mumbled, averting his eyes.
A rage Ashton had not anticipated lit up Samuel's eyes. His hands came forward instantly, grabbing his shirt and twisting his wrists, lifting Ashton off the floor before slamming him back down. His head bashed against the hardwood. Panicked, he grabbed Samuel's fists, trying to push him off.
Samuel's knees applied painful pressure to Ashton's legs, keeping him from moving. Before he could ask what he'd done, a fist punched his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Another hit came to his chest, his arm, his ribs. One fist held him down by that tight, bruising grip on his shoulder while the other pelted him mercilessly.
Ashton felt like he would pass out from the intensity behind Samuel's anger. Then, all at once, the assault stopped. The weight holding him down lifted up. Samuel stood, looking down at the battered young man for a moment. Ashton gasped, holding his stomach and turning to his side. His body folded into a fetal position as he coughed.
Seconds passed as Ashton made absolutely no move. He didn't budge and kept his breathing as quiet as possible.
After a moment, much gentler arms slid under him, lifting him off the floor. Ashton felt his cheek press against Samuel's chest. He heard his rapid heartbeat. It was so fast, like it would beat out of him. Why was he so excited? Why did he get so mad? He hadn't done or said anything.
A soft bed and pillow engulfed him, comforting and soothing his wounds. Sam lowered to his knees, laying his forehead on Ashton's chest, laying his palms on the back of his own head, seemingly to comfort himself.
"I...I want to kill you, Ashton. I want to beat your face in every time I see it. Every second is a struggle not to. You're a coward, and I've hated you in every way for so long. You had everything handed to you and never account for your mistakes. It infuriates me. You act like a stupid kid. The drinking and the ridiculous mistakes...your lack of responsibility churns my stomach and makes me so angry," he said into Ashton's chest.
"But...I'm beginning to think you don't remember. Which complicates things," he said, brushing a thumb over Ashton's forehead.
"I don't know what you want from me..." Ashton forced out, unable to speak well. He was still catching his breath.
Samuel draped his arm across Ashton's torso, turning his face away from him.
"Take responsibility...and don't fucking leave me," he said clearly. After a moment, he stood, smoothing out his clothes.
"I'm going to work. Stop touching the code box," he said, walking out of the bedroom. Ashton closed his eyes, rubbing his face. He sniffed tears away, pulling the covers over himself. He felt sick. Samuel seemed like he was trying to explain, but it had left Ashton even more confused.
*****
Samuel stood behind the counter, flipping through a magazine. He could barely comprehend the words on it and the pictures seemed to melt together. His mind was far elsewhere, but he still needed to remain occupied. He took out his phone, turning it on to check his security system again, for the thousandth time. Ashton had not crossed the boundary again. He scratched hard at his head. He hadn't meant to go off on him like that before leaving. He'd be frazzled the rest of the day.
Someone came in and, uninterestingly, it was one of his regulars who's crush on him was so painfully obvious, it almost sickened him. She had asked him out for coffee, but dating just wasn't in the cards.
"Good morning, Sam! I just wanted to tell you the new pork you're trying out was fantastic! I'll surely be trying it again!" She said, making her way to the front counter. Sam smiled as best he could, closing his magazine.
"That's great to hear. What can I get you today?" He asked, hoping to make this transaction quick. Maybe he would call it quits early today.
Another woman entered and Samuel's eyes widened when he saw her. Long blond hair tied up behind her head and a stern look...he recognized her immediately.
"Hey," he said to his regular who perked up, "there's a nice coffee shop just across the street from here. I'm gonna close up shop for a bit, how about we have coffee?" He asked, trying to keep his head low as the blond woman browsed the glass cases.
"Oh! Really? That sounds great! How long will it take you to close up?" She asked. He smiled.
"Give me about an hour. Can you wait that long?" He asked, getting nervous as the blond woman seemed to figure out what she wanted.
His regular giggled excitedly and bounced away, leaving the butcher shop. Samuel walked quietly from behind the counter to the front of the store, locking the door behind her. The blond woman looked up.
"Oh, are you closing?" She asked. Samuel smiled, looking at the locked door.
"Hey, there, Molly," he said, looking at her with malicious coal eyes. Molly gasped, taking a step back.
"Samuel...I didn't know you worked here..." She stuttered, looking around the room.
"No, I guess you probably wouldn't have come in here if you did. If I were you..." He walked close to her, glaring at her, his anger and malintent boiling over, "Samuel Amore would be the last person I'd ever want to see."
*****
Ashton sighed into the pillow. He hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep. He needed to check the camera to see if it was finished so he could test the codes on his list. Movement on the bed jerked his brain awake. Sam was back already? He turned around into his smiling face. It took him aback, having never seen him look like that.
"Sometimes good things happen. I'm downright giddy over it. Come here," he insisted, pulling Ashton close to him, kissing him suddenly and deeply. His tongue pressed against Ashton's as he rolled on top of him. Sam took his finger and slid it across Ashton's neck. It was fragrant. The perfume again.
His teeth gently grazed Ashton's lips. This playful side to him was alarming. Why was he so happy? Samuel ground his hips against him, pulling his knees up. He detached his teeth from Ashton's lips and nipped the side of his ear. Ashton closed his eyes, running his fingers up the back of Sam's head, gripping his hair. A low growl rumbled up his chest and throat. At the very least, Ashton thought if this was going happen, he could close his eyes and pretend Samuel was someone else. Though, he didn't have any men he fantasized about. But it was pointless trying to fight it. He could keep his honor or he could stay upstairs and possibly escape.
Sam grabbed his face and kissed him again. "Turn around," he demanded. Ashton rolled over, Samuel's fingers pulling up his shirt. Teeth sank into his shoulder, pushing a shout from Ashton's mouth. He'd barely managed to wake up for god’s sake. Sam's moods were as wild as they came.
"Feel good?" Samuel whispered huskily. Ashton gripped the sheets, pushing his face into the pillow.
"Mmhmm..." He groaned. Sam chuckled, pulling off the remainder of his clothes.
"Don't ever leave me," Samuel whispered, pressing himself against him. Ashton clenched his teeth, clawing at the bed. His body was lifted slightly as Samuel had his way. It wasn't as painful this time. Ashton sighed in relief, arching his back. If he really relaxed, he could almost trick himself into enjoying it.
*****
"Where are you going? Back to work?" Ashton asked, pulling the sheets up to his chest. His body was exhausted, so he hoped Sam would start leaving him alone at least for a few days. The other man pulled the straps tight to his belt, reaching on the floor for his shirt. He pressed it to his face, frowning.
"I have something annoying I have to do. I'll be back," he said, tossing the shirt on the bed and pulling out the drawers to his dresser. "Put that in the wash. Don't go in the basement," he warned, pulling a blue shirt on. Ashton thought the black one looked better. He opened his mouth to ask why, but thought better of it. It's not like he wanted to get within ten yards of that door anyway.
When Samuel left, strangely, he walked out the front door. The moment he stepped to it, something in his phone went off like a siren. He reached into his pocket and pressed a button, turning it off.
Ashton swallowed. He had an alarm set for if Ashton got too close to the front door. Good thing he'd avoided it so far.
He moved over to the laundry room to put Sam's shirt away. When he did so, he checked the camera. Still a solid red light. He sighed, hoping he hadn't missed the switch. Sometimes Samuel was fast about switching them. Another thought struck his mind. Could Samuel see the cameras? Or did he have to go back and look at the footage to know if something was wrong? Where did he put the full chips? Did he look at them? When?
Ashton tossed the shirt into the laundry. From far away, he thought he heard something. It was quiet, but there was definitely a sound coming from somewhere. He ignored it, going into the living room. He needed to be patient. The camera would go off eventually.
He moved to the DVD cabinet, looking through Sam's assortment. Unsurprisingly, there were many children's movies and a few chick flicks. He had long figured Samuel had a family at one point. He figured they left him for being bat shit crazy.
There were a few DVDs that had labels that didn't make sense. Case#1, Wreckage Footage, Molly Withers, Doctor's Notes.
"What the..." He whispered.
The noise happened again. It was so faint, but he knew it was there. He left the living room, listening carefully. It almost sounded like a voice, but he couldn't make it out. As he got into the hallway, the sound was easier to hear. He moved over to the area he knew the basement door to be, pressing his ear to the wall.
There, he heard, without a shadow of a doubt, a woman screaming for help.
YOU ARE READING
Replacement
رعبAshton finds himself trapped in a strange basement with a man who seems to know more about him than he knows about himself. Escape is much easier said than done as this ruthless and frightening man unravels before him.
