Page 72 of Poison

"Play with yourself but look at me when you're doing it."

I wrapped my hand around my cock and began stroking it, never once letting my gaze leave his. I understood how a simple look could make a man beg. How a glance could make them melt, how my eyes could make them cum. Vic's eyes were doing that to me. They commanded my body to do his bidding. With a loud moan, I let loose right as he pushed me down further onto him. We stayed locked in that position for what felt like an eternity before he kissed me again and gently laid me down on the bed. "I love you, Isaac."

"I love you, too, Vic. Thank you for saving me."

He shook his head. "I didn't save you, Isaac. You saved yourself. But I promise, if you ever need saving again, I will be your knight in shining armor any time you need me."

"I'll always need you."

"And I'll always be there."

Chapter 51

Three Weeks Later

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Vic asked as he released my hand.

I looked up at the wall and the elevator that would lead me to the top. It wasn't a matter of whether I wanted to do it or not. I needed to. I would blame myself forever if I didn't get to say my piece and let Trevor say his. There was no changing what happened. Trevor Hobbs had been found guilty of murder, and it was time for his sentencing. I had to be there. I needed to witness it. It was my doing, after all.

I leaned forward to kiss Vic. "I have to."

"Then let me come with you."

"No. This needs to be between me and Trevor. It'll be alright. I can get through this." After giving him one last peck, I stepped into the elevator. The officer who was escorting me pressed the up button, and off we went.

I knew Vic was afraid that this interaction would break me, and to be honest, it was possible. I had been doing nothing but beating myself up since Hobbs was put in shackles. It took a lot of convincing by Vic, Cherry, and even Beau for me to believe I wasn't a monster. That I didn't deserve everything that had happened to me.

What Trevor and I had was a prime example of an abusive relationship. At least, that's what they all tried to convince me of. Even though I could see it all laid out before me, I didn't want to believe it. Yet it was there. Trevor groomed me since I was fifteen to be what he wanted me to be. He showered me with gifts and conditional love until I displeased him. When that happened, Hobbs would hit and rape me or make me feel worthless, like nobody could truly love me but him. He would apologize and give me gifts, but he always insisted that it was my fault for making him angry. He would never accept any blame, and I believed him. Why wouldn't I? I had never been shown real love before. Even my own father raped and beat me, why wouldn't every other man? To me, it was normal.

Honestly, I never knew any better until I met Vic. The first man to treat me as a person instead of an inconvenience or an object. That, on its own, should have made me walk away. As horrible and controlling as Trevor was, I still loved him. Perhaps a piece of me always would. The love between Vic and me was much different, but Trevor would always own a piece of my heart. Even if it was a broken, battered, and barely beating piece.

My body froze when I saw him. Hobbs' hair was shaggy, and he wore a tan jumpsuit that he would have never been caught dead in if he had it his way.

I wanted to yell that this wasn't right. If this was going to be Trevor's last moment, he should be comfortable with his hair fixed and his face shaved, dressed in a fresh suit with a top hat. The man in front of me wasn't the Trevor I knew. He was a shell of the man I once loved.

His blue eyes lit up when he saw me, and a smile stretched across his face. "You came." Tears were glistening in his eyes, and his lips trembled. When he reached out for me, one of the officers stopped him.

"Don't. Let him say goodbye."

The cops backed off slightly. And when Trevor reached out to me again, I leaned into his shackled hand, feeling the softness of his touch. "My perfect little star."

I couldn't hold back a sob. "I'm sorry, Trevor."

He smiled. "Don't be. I'm sorry, Isaac. I loved you so much. I was so afraid to lose you. You became my obsession. I wasn't lying when I said we needed the money. But when your debt was getting close to being paid off, I was terrified you would leave me. I feared that if I let you go, I would lose you because of all the things I made you do. I couldn't stomach it."

My heart was shattering. Was he doing it again? Manipulating me? Or was this all legitimate? Was he trying to make me feel guilty before he died, or was he really sorry? It didn't matter. All I wanted to do was embrace him. All I wanted to do was save him. My voice shook. "I'm so sorry, Trevor. I should have just stayed."

"It's my fault, Isaac. I was too obsessed to see that I was destroying you. Forgive me, my little star." He puckered his lips, and I couldn't stop myself from kissing him back. He had been my entire world for thirteen years. As much as I wanted to hate him, I still loved him. This goodbye was what I needed to move on. He was the past. A rough past. It was time to see what real love was. Not obsession.

"Time's up," muttered one of the officers.

Tears streaked down Trevor's face as two officers wrapped their hands around his elbows and dragged him to the edge. "Trevor Richard Hobbs, you have been sentenced to death by the laws of Sin City. May whatever deity you believe in have mercy on your soul."

Then they shoved him over, and just like that, he was gone. I crumpled to my knees at the sound of his screams. As he fell, my own yells overpowered his until they choked to a stop, and I sobbed uncontrollably.

The officers allowed me to stay there until I got my emotions under control. I was sure they thought I was crazy. Hell, I thought I was crazy. Why was I such a wreck after a man who kept me as a slave, raped me, beat me, and killed my friend got the justice he deserved? The human mind was a strange thing. Even after everything that happened, I was still broken.

When I got back to the ground, Vic wrapped his strong arms tightly around me. I kissed him, and he wiped the tears from my eyes. From that day forth, I was going to move on with my life. A new me with a fresh start. With Vic by my side, maybe I would be able to find out what real love was. I was willing to take that chance with him. One step at a time, day by day.

---