Page 86 of Martyr

“Iris is dead,” he repeated. “She killed herself. Don’t you remember what Nix said to us in this very room the first time we confronted him? He came here because of his cousin. He never hid that fact.”

He suddenly understood why Nix had felt the need to sneak into his computer to download her chat logs instead of simply asking him. He’d sort of figured it was because Nix hadn’t wanted to bring Iris up, knowing how upset they always got when she was mentioned, but this made sense.

Nix hadn’t come here to experience new things.

He’d come here to find out what had happened to his cousin.

“If he was planning on getting revenge against us,” West said, “he would have done so already. That means he’s known we’re responsible for Iris’s expulsion and he hasn’t done anything about it.”

“Someone else pushed her over the edge,” Lake replied, cluing them on to the fact he’d known much more than he’d shared.

“You’re such a bastard,” Yejun sneered.

“Who?” West asked.

“That’s what he’s been trying to find out.” Lake’s eyes lingered on Nix, and a flash of sadness twisted his features in a rare show of emotion.

West held Nix a little tighter and then walked around the couch, heading for the spiral staircase. There was no point in continuing this conversation right now. He needed to get Nixie somewhere safe and give him a proper inspection to check for any severe damage. If it was bad enough he needed medical attention, he’d call his personal doctor, but was hoping that could remain as a last resort.

Neither of his friends followed him, and he made it to his bedroom in record time. As soon as he had Nix on the bed, he went back to shut and lock the door, not wanting to give anyone the chance of walking in and interrupting. Then he went to the bathroom and started the bath, grabbing the first aid kit he’d taken from the gym on his way out.

Nix was still unconscious when he returned, making it easier for West to check every inch of him. There was bruising in a few places, scratches on his thighs, and his wrists looked like they’d been rubbed raw. His body was sticky and flushed, and when West finally made it down to his ass and lifted his legs, a river of come poured out of him.

He cursed under his breath, listening for the second the bathtub clicked, indicating it was full. Then he scooped Nix back up and carried him to the tub, climbing in with him. As soon as he had the other man settled against his chest, his fingers reached down, searching for his abused entrance.

Nix flinched in his arms and made a pained sound, but he didn’t wake.

West hushed him anyway, resting his chin on the top of his head as his fingers gently pushed inside of him. “It’s okay, babe, I’ve got you. It’s over. I just have to clean you out so I can check he didn’t hurt you.”

Yejun had definitely hurt him, but West couldn’t bring himself to say that, even knowing there was very little chance Nix could actually hear or process his words.

He continued to talk him through it as he washed Nix’s body, then drained the tub and refilled it with cold water, apologizing to the other man as he lowered them both down into it. There was some swelling though, and after being kept in the same position for hours on end, Nix’s muscles had to be sore.

Still, he timed it for five minutes and then quickly lifted him back out, drained the tub a second time and refilled it again, with hot water this round. He was careful not to make it scalding, just a bit hotter than warm.

They’d only just gotten comfortable in it when Nix finally stirred awake.

“What…” He took a shaky breath and tipped his head to blink up at West, “What’s going on?” Nix tried to pull away but grimaced and stilled, allowing West to ease him back against his chest without argument.

“You have a few tears,” West told him. “It’s nothing major. Once we’re done here, I’ll apply sun cream. By morning, they should be healed.”

“What happened?”

West remained silent, unable to meet his gaze.

“Oh.” Nix seemed to remember on his own. “Did I pass out again while Yejun was fucking me?”

“That wasn’t fucking,” West growled. “What he did to you—”

“Don’t be mad. I let him do it.”

“You let him abuse you?” He wasn’t convinced, but Nix shrugged a single shoulder.

“I let you do it all the time.”

He flinched. “Don’t compare what we’ve done to that. I’ve never ripped your hole. The marks I leave have never been like this.” He picked up one of Nix’s wrists and ran the pad of his thumb over the red patches.

“Didn’t you bring me here to do something similar?” Nix asked, and he sounded resigned. “Aren’t you just as angry with me as he is?”

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