punished lucas

Chapter 3 Supper

The moment Nathan took a step after his brother, he found himself yanked right back and shoved toward the counter. He darted to the left, fully intending to make another break toward the hallway, but Dan Scott hadn't coached him all these years for nothing. Anticipating his moves perfectly, Dan caught him before he could escape, then turned him to the side and slapped his bottom much harder than he had outside.

"Cut it out, Dad! Let go!"

As Nathan struggled to free himself so he could go after Lucas, Dan held on tight and smacked him again then kept right on going.

"Oww!"

"Your brother's in punishment and that means no visitors, including you."

"Stop it!"

"You want more of what Lucas is going to get later?"

"No! OWW!"

"Then quit fighting me, go wash your hands and get to the table, son. Now!"

"Okay, Dad! All right!"

Dan gripped Nathan's forearm tighter and gave his son a Look before he let him go. Like his brother before him, Nathan glared at his father while he tried in vain to rub the sting from his glutes, his fury more than evident at being swatted like a little kid. It took a firm shove towards the sink for Nathan to let go of his basketball shorts long enough to wash his hands, but then he stubbornly refused to set the table while Dan warmed up some leftover pasta. Another whack to the ass convinced Nathan to change his mind, but only because an impatient Dan took a spatula to his behind that time that actually brought tears to his eyes and forced a howl from his lips.

If Dan felt bad about it, he certainly didn't let it show.

He escorted his resentful son the cutlery drawer and warned him one last time to get the table ready, and then he hovered beside him - spatula still in hand - until Nathan obeyed. As soon as the mats were in place, forks and napkins were laid out, and drinks were poured, Dan plunked Nathan's bottom down on the closest stool with a stern order to start eating. After that, he got busy serving himself.

Nathan had been starving five minutes ago, but not for a second did he want to eat under these conditions. The burn in his rear end told him he'd better, though, if he knew what was good for him. Thanks to the half-dozen whacks he'd just received, he remembered all too well what Dan Scott was capable of, how skilled he was in wielding a belt, if he had to, like he'd done to Nathan several months back for putting Lucas in the hospital.

With these humiliating memories in mind, Nathan ate.

He stabbed the chicken penne on his plate then shoved it in his mouth and chewed it viciously, deliberately not looking anywhere close to Dan Scott. When he had finished his pasta, he attacked his salad next, and after that, he gulped half his glass of milk then set it down. Now that supper was over, he was determined to go see his brother, but the second he wiped his mouth and stood up, Dan was on his case.

"Sit down. You didn't ask to be excused."

"Fine. May I be excused?"

"No. Finish your milk."

Tempted to take his glass and toss its cold contents straight into his father's face, Nathan restrained the impulse only after he spotted the spatula clearly within reach of Dan's right hand. He snatched up his milk, downed in quickly, and then banged his empty glass on the table.

"I'm finished. Can I go now?"

"Put your dishes in the sink."

The seventeen-year-old did, then immediately headed for the hallway. No way was he going to ask a third time if he could be excused, but it didn't matter anyway, since his father reached out and took hold of his arm the moment he started to walk past.

"Nathan."

"What?"

"Your brother's room is off-limits, understand?"

Nathan shot Dan a baleful look then wrenched his arm free. "Yes, sir."

In the hall, Nathan picked up the pace, and the stairs he took two at a time. Luke's door was shut, but Nathan didn't let that stop him and he didn't bother to knock to announce his presence. He simply barged in and closed the door behind him.

"Dude, what the hell is going on between you and Dad?"