Page 42 of In You
"Hey, Bowers. How does it feel to have your mommy bouncing all over your cock, huh?"
"I'm gunna beat your ass so good when we get back to barracks, pendejo," Colin McDermont says, throwing William a look so full of promise that I know he's probably going to get kicked out tonight.
Lightning flashes in the distance, echoing my countenance, and I listen to the splashing our feet make as we run through puddles, heading into the storm, instead of out of it. I'm going to get fucking pneumonia. I'd be willing to bet I am.
I keep my face stony, and bite my cheek so hard I taste blood, and I definitely don't react.Don't let them know it hurts, Caleb,I think to myself.
I need to be here. I have nothing else. Nothing else besides my half-sister, Flora. I promised her I'd make her proud. It's the least I can do considering she adopted me after I'd killed my mother almost eleven years ago. I was seven.
Seven.
I pump my legs as hard as I can, focusing on the burn and letting it drown the sounds of him and the others nearby taunting me. I've had problems ever since I've enlisted and it’s only been exasperated by the fact that I won't go out with the guys to go fuck random women. And it's become a problem for me. They keep on antagonizing me to get a rise, but I'm so focused on our run that I put their words in the back of my mind.
I can have self-control.
I won't let them fuck up my second chance.
"Everybody halt!"General Jackson yells above the pounding of the rain, and everyone stops running, some bending to put their hands on their knees. The rain pounds down even harder, but I keep my spine straight and my eyes on our general as he stands at the head of our entourage, pursuing us with the sharpness of an eagle.
"Get your asses in formation!"Captain Thompson yells out in his deep voice, and we all fall in line quickly, spreading our legs and putting our arms behind our backs. The rain batters us, but no one dares complain.
I stare stoically ahead, wrestling my ego into place. Willing myself to not break down in front of a hundred men who want to see me fail, and cry while I'm at it.
General Jackson walks between the lines, his salt-and-pepper hair half hidden under his cap. His medals gleam on his uniform, and he stops right in front of William who's standing directly to my left. I tense all over at the sight of General Jackson's face. Everyone avoids him on a good day. However right now, this looks like a very bad day for General Jackson, and he's directly to my left.
Fuck.
I sneak a look. at him out of my peripheral and his almost silver eyes flash as he leans into William’s face.
"William, what did you just say to Bowers?" he asks in a bone chilling tone. "Because I know what IthoughtI heard came out of your mouth,didn't."
I can't see William’s face, but I can hear the barely veiled terror in his tone. "General Jackson, I-"
"Did I ask for your fucking excuses?"
The air around us plummets at least ten degrees and I shiver, not dare looking.
"No, sir."
"Did I ask you to stammer?"
"No, sir."
"Then why the hell do you have the nerve to do either of those things in my goddamn face like agodforsaken idiot?"he shouts in his face.
I do dare to peek over now. Just a tad. William shuts his mouth, and General Jackson narrows his eyes, taking another step into William until they're almost nose to nose.
"Now," he says in a voice so threateningly low I just know his slight against William is personal. "I asked you what you said to Bowers. And if you stammeronefucking time, you better add a prayer in there somewhere because I'll send you straight to Jesus Christ himself," he snarls. "Do you understand me, son?"
Despite the rain, I can see a dark stain spread to the front of his pants, and I turn my face back to the front, tightening my lips. I blink the rain out of my eyes, feeling a chill that has nothing to do with this storm go up my spine. The stare of a hundred men are firmly on my back, and I just know I have a target on me now with how our General is putting William into place.
"I asked Bowers how it felt to be mommy's little whore," he says in a low tone.
"Oh. Is that what you said?" General Jackson asks simply, taking a step back and then turning to look at CaptainThompson. He clears his throat, bringing his attention back to William whose shoulders hunch. "Say it louder."
William’s face tightens, and he shouts, "I asked him how it felt to be mommy's little whore."
General Jackson takes one step forward and spits directly into William's face. Utter silence falls over our group as General Jackson just stands there stoically, staring into Williams' eyes."Thompson."
