Page 40 of Poison

But then she tried to hand me a top hat, and I recoiled. "Can't wear that."

She shrugged, tossing it to the side.

"They are a huge fashion trend right now, but only the super-rich can afford them. If I go in with this, everyone will stare at me, or I'll get mugged."

Ava grinned. "Well, in that case, I'll take it with me when I go inside."

After my transformation was complete, I was led to a small fire surrounded by several people. Virgiline greeted me with a kind smile and a bowl of stew. It smelled heavenly. But the moment I took a seat, I was bombarded with questions. Mostly, they centered on why I jumped off the wall and why I was shackled. I shrunk into myself, nearly spilling the stew onto my lap until Virgiline silenced them.

"It is nobody's business why he jumped, and we all know what the shackles mean."

"He broke the law," growled Wilson. "We are feeding a felon."

Setting the food down, I got to my feet and shot a scowl at the older man. "Thank you all for the food, clothes, and stuff." My eyes passed over every individual around the fire. "But I didn't ask to be saved. I jumped from the wall because I wanted to die, okay?!" I had to close my eyes to keep the tears from falling. "Yes, the shackles mean I'm a criminal. When I was eighteen, I got into a fight. I knocked a guy's teeth out because I found the little twirp sucking off my boyfriend... I paid for what I did one hundred times over. I'm forced to shoot porn over and over again." I pointed to the wall. "In there, I'm the most famous gay porn star in the entire city. They call me the King of Gang Bangs! I have my own personal brand of fucking lubricant. There is a massive billboard with my face on it and posters all over the fucking city! But it doesn't stop there. Twice a year, I'm forced to sit in a box for eight hours while men shoot their load all over me, and I have to pretend that I like it. My sponsor sells me off to private clients who are allowed to do whatever they want! They can tie me up, beat me, make me bleed, all to get their rocks off! I'm not allowed to be with anyone I choose." The tears were running full force. They were so thick I could barely see the faces of the people I was yelling at. "I tried everything to dull the pain. I tried drinking and drugs just so I could escape for a little while. I wanted to ruin myself so that nobody would want me anymore! When that didn't work, I tried to kill myself several times. But for some fucked up reason, I keep surviving. I thought this time I would be set free!"

My gaze turned to Wilson. "I fucked up. I know. I lost my temper, but I am paying for it! I have been for ten years. To the people inside that city, I'm not a person. I'm either a criminal or an object to be played with. Nothing more. I didn't beg for my life. One of your people saved me without my permission." I glanced at the guards. "Why don't one of you just use a gunon me? Just fucking kill me. Leave my body out here to rot. I don't care. Please just do it."

There was a collective silence among the group. Nobody could look me in the face, especially not Wilson. Eventually, he cleared his throat and said, "We'll be heading into the city after grub. Eat, and we'll smuggle you in."

Chapter 28

The traders kept their word. Apparently, this wasn't the first time they had to smuggle people in or out of a city. When they had spare oxygen, they would help people like me escape Leviticus and drop them off at the next city.

It wasn't as simple as pretending to be a fellow trader. No, I was crammed into one of the carts under a floorboard as the caravan passed a checkpoint. My heart raced as guards asked questions and looked for anything illegal. Eventually, the cart began to move again before it stilled. After about ten minutes of waiting, the hidden door slid open, and Ava helped me climb out. "You're on your own now. Good luck."

I nodded and waved at Virgiline as I left the group behind. I wasn't going to thank her for saving me and forcing me back into this hell hole.

Pulling the hood over my head, I kept my face down as I ambled through Swappers Village. It would take hours to get to Lowervill, but I had no other choice but to walk. Every time a person glanced my way, I nearly had a panic attack. The sight of bright green cop uniforms made my hands shake violently. What am I doing? Why don't I just turn myself in and be done with it? What was Trevor going to do to me? Kill me? Make me suck off ten different guys while he rubbed one off? Beat me? I was so done with caring.

As the sun set, I finally began to recognize my surroundings. I was in Lowervill, and Vic's apartment was only a few blocks away. I determinedly marched to his apartment and then stood frozen in front of his door. What was I going to say to him? The angry part of my mind insisted that he owed me at least this much. After all, what other option did I have? Turn myself in or try my best to live on the streets?

Swallowing down a thick sense of anxiety, I knocked on the door, keeping my head down just in case. Nothing. After another knock, there was still no answer, and with a heavy sigh, I turned to leave. He was most likely at work. The moment I stepped away, the door opened. "May I help you?"

I turned around and yanked my hood off. Vic squinted in confusion, most likely puzzled by all the fake face tattoos. "It's me."

His eyes widened in recognition. "Isaac?"

I brought a finger to my lips. "Shh. Can I come in?"

He nodded, ushering me inside. "Isaac, what's going on? What's with the new look?" Vic asked after locking the door again.

"I ran away."

"You what?!"

I hushed him again, pressing my hand to his mouth.

"How did you get the shackles off?"

A soft-looking black sofa in the living area was just begging for me to sit on it, so I did and patted the seat beside me.

When Vic settled in, my face got serious. "First, I need to know why you came to me that day." The tears were welling up, and I tried to fight them, but it wasn't working. "Why did you pay for it when I offered it to you for free? And tell me the truth."

He sighed defeatedly. "I'm sorry. I should have stuck with Alex's plan. I just felt like you had to know. I've wanted you from the first moment I laid eyes on you. You're beautiful. Everything about you is amazing. You're a complete masterpiece... I don't know what it's like to be forced into having sex, but I know what it's like to be taken advantage of." A look of shame crossed his face. "My bi side started to awaken when I was about thirteen, and when I was fifteen, I had a serious crush on an older guy. I was friends with his brother, so I hung out with him a lot. One night, I spent the night drinking with my friend. When he passed out, his brother kept feeding me alcohol. I blacked out and woke up in the morning naked with a sore ass. I lost my virginity that night and don't even remember it. He used me for sex, and I never got over it. Aside from shitting on someone's lawn, that's the other reason I don't drink much." He placed his hand gently over mine. Surprisingly, I didn't feel the urge to pull away. "That's why I didn't have sex with you that night. I didn't want to turn into the man who did that to me, and I didn't realize I did it anyway at that appointment. I wanted to say no, but at the same time, I wanted you so badly. I was an idiot to not realize that you were putting on an act. The same thing you have to do every time you're forced to please a client. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I still want to help you."

Maybe the drugs had finally cooked my brain, but I leaned over and pressed my lips to his.

He pulled back, running a rough hand along my cheek. "You don't have to."

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