Misery's Rhapsody

VIII

Ben had always been good with his hands, but getting a knot undone was harder than he expected. He had been trying for an hour already, unable to reach anything to even cut the rope that Joe had used to die him up.

He felt hopeless, with both hands-free but still unable to even leave the bed. Joe hadn't given him any painkillers before leaving, so every movement he made brought more pain to his leg. Ben knew he had to do this. If he stayed behind and waited for Joe to return, there was no telling what he was returning home to.

He felt terrible for sending him to Allen, but it was the only way for him to be able to leave. The only way for Ben to be able to escape. So he kept pushing his luck, pulling and tugging, doing everything he could until finally, he was able to pull his good leg free. Unhooking his leg from the sling, Ben moved carefully off the bed, hopping through the room carefully.

He made it out of the bedroom and into the living room when the door swung open. Ben thought for a moment he could avoid Joe by slipping into the kitchen. The man would walk right by, going into the bedroom instead, and Ben could make a run for it.

If only he could run....

Joe found him there, standing in the kitchen and cornered him against the counter. Ben kept his eyes trained on Joe, all while his hands searched the counter for something to grab. Anything really. A knife, a toaster. A fucking picture frame. Anything of the sorts.

As Joe approached, Ben clenched his fist, prepared to fight with everything he had.

Reaching forward, Joe tossed something down on the counter beside Ben. The blond didn't look at it right away, but eventually, curiosity got the best of him. It was an iPad of all things. The screen was open to a picture of himself, but a rather candid one.

He didn't recognize the picture right away, but when he lifted the iPad and got a better look, he saw that it was in fact himself. He flipped to the next picture and found one just as similar. And then a video. And then another picture — this time naked in a bathroom. And then a video of himself with Allen.

He made a strict rule about recording or photographs when it came to his clientele. All this time Allen had been recording him without his knowledge. Making his own little photo album and pornographic collection.

When he looked back to Joe, he saw the man had droplets of blood on his face. "Don't say I never did anything for you," Joe told him. His voice was low and even.

A wicked realization came over Ben and for a moment, he was scared. It was very clear what Joe had done, but not for his own selfish reasons. He didn't cause harm to Allen due to his jealous, but instead because he realized just what Allen had done. He had gone against Ben's wishes and Joe could not stand someone causing him pain.

Even in the darkest of ways, Joe was proving to Ben just how much he cared for him. And while Ben knew it was wrong, that this man was deranged and dangerous, he could not help but find a strange attraction to it.

Placing the iPad down, Ben reached out and took Joe's face in his hands. He could have easily pushed them down and wrapped them around his neck to choke him out, but he didn't. He pulled Joe into him until their mouths were pressed together.

Unlike their other kisses, where Ben had been trying to distract and deceive the man, a source of need went through Ben into Joe. The copper-haired man did not resist this time around. He wrapped his arms around Ben, deepening the kiss slowly.

They didn't move into the bedroom or even onto the couch. The passion and lust flowing through them were too strong to deny and they did it right there on the kitchen counter. It was quick and rough, with Joe pressed up behind him as he was bent over the cold counter.

Such an act should be done without care or affection, but the way Joe whispered to him and caressed his body, even a rough fuck against granite is enough to seem romantic to the blond. When they finished, Joe was pulling him back to stand, holding him back against his chest as he whispered sweet little things against him.

Ben allowed Joe to bring him back to his bedroom, back onto the bed and his leg back onto the swing. He gave him the pain medicine that was relaxing him as Ben went through the iPad, looking over all the videos and pictures. He had never felt so betrayed in his life and suddenly, he didn't feel so bad for sending Joe over there.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Ben asked him as they laid together on the bed.

Joe rolled onto his side, his hand coming to run along Ben's chest slowly. "He won't hurt you again." He promised, his hand coming up to cup his cheek. Joe leaned in and kissed him slowly. Ben accepted the kiss, sighing quietly, as they pulled away.

Tossing the iPad down, Ben nuzzled closer to the man, accepting his fate for another night.