Page 126 of Devil May Lie

“Which was?” He didn’t ease up, pumping into him brutally even though he was being good and doing as he was told. That didn’t make up for the things he’d already done. His Butcher needed to be thoroughly punished for all of his transgressions. No exceptions.

“You,” Berga admitted. “I wanted to be close to you.”

“Liar.”

“No,” he vehemently denied it. “It’s the truth! I just didn’t realize. You know I’m bad at understanding things like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like emotions. Wants. Needs. I thought I was fascinated by your hair and your eyes and that was it. But I was wrong. I had you once and I wanted more.”

“Then why’d you play so hard to get?”

“Because I was afraid.”

“Of?”

Berga hesitated, and Madden met his refusal to answer with a rapid-fire pounding, only easing up once the man started to wildly sob.

“I was afraid you’d eventually see me for what I am and leave,” he confessed, and it so obviously pained him to do so, Madden almost took pity on him after all.

Almost.

“I’m a monster,” Berga continued. “I’m disgusting. I’m—”

“Don’t say unlovable,” Madden stopped him, but he didn’t say the words he’d been dying to say, not yet. There was still too much air to clear up first. “Explain why you thought having me shoot you was a good idea.”

Back at Vail, Madden hadn’t given Berga the chance to, he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

“Well, come on,” he drove in and out of his tight body, fighting off the urge to come too soon by recalling why they were here, like this, getting rug burn, instead of on the bed. “What made you think I’d ever shoot you, Butcher?”

“I thought you didn’t remember me!”

“So? Why would that make me want to kill you?”

“I figured if I told you what happened, you’d be upset enough to do it. You couldn’t remember you ever cared for me anyway. I was nothing to you.”

“Listen closely, baby.” He settled himself firmly over top of him, arms caging in Berga’s head as he continued to fuck him with all the pent-up anger and frustration the other man had forced upon him. “You’ve never, not once, meant nothing to me.”

Even when they’d hardly known one another, Madden had respected him. Sure, maybe he hadn’t wanted to sleep with him or own him then, but that didn’t mean he’d ever thought lightly of the Butcher.

“Apologize.” He angled his hips differently, sure to hit deeper spots within Berga on the next inward thrust. “Apologize.”

“I’m sorry,” he blubbered, hands clawing at the ground mindlessly. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“What are you sorry for?”

“For…” His hesitation cost him again and he wailed when Madden bent and clamped down on the meaty spot between his neck and shoulder.

Madden tasted blood.

“Tell me,” Berga begged. “Tell me what you want to hear me say and I’ll say it!”

“That’s not how this works, baby.” He licked the wound, trailing his tongue up the curve of Berga’s neck and then nipped at his earlobe. “Think. It’s not a tricky question. What are you sorry for?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know. Please.”

Madden chuckled darkly, knowing full well he wasn’t begging for him to stop.

---