In a Different Light 5
Tal and Thorn
Instant Infamy
Pain, his world was falling into nothing but pain. A rough hand pulled him to his feet, but Claire couldn�t stand up with the intense pain that shot up his leg. The bone was probably broken. �Papa,� he gasped out, begging for it to stop. A heavy hand struck the side of his face. The voice that hissed in his ear was cruel, but Claire couldn�t distinguish the words through the ringing in his head. He just shook his head, virtually weeping from fear and pain.
The cruel hands released him, and Claire fell to the ground. He lay there gasping as the hands began to tear at his private school uniform. �He�s ready for it now,� the voice said, releasing him into the waiting arms of several other boys. �Make sure he gets my money�s worth.�
�Papa! No, don�t leave me, Papa! Not here!� Claire cried out for his father to come back and save him from the boys. They all wore the same uniform as him, but he didn�t know their faces. They were older, seniors at the school probably. The same class as Giovanni. If only he were here. He would have stopped the Vampire from feeding his son to these monsters.
It was Saturday, and they were far from the main buildings. Far from where people might disturb this sick �training exercise�. What had been portrayed as simply a quiet father-son walk over the school grounds was turning into a nightmare. Claire was going to have to bear the humiliation, the torture they dished out and somehow survive it all. Two hands grabbed his shoulders, their meaty fingers digging into flesh as he was stripped and forced to the dirt.
�NO!! Stop it!� Claire awoke screaming, fighting away the two men who were hovering over him, trying to make him as comfortable as they could. �Stay away from me!!�
�Get back,� Giovanni ordered Ian and Mitchell as he entered the room, Dice on his heels. �What the hell are you doing in here?� He demanded, glaring at each in turn.
�We were just trying to make him comfortable. He was tossing and turning so much,� Ian explained, looking over Giovanni at Claire. �He�s not doing good right now, Giovanni.�
�He might need to take his painkillers. Damn, I don�t think he has them anymore. It�s been a good while though.� Dice looked at Giovanni with sincerity. �If he needs something you know�from the medicine cabinet to help make it less.� He closed his eyes. �I swear I didn�t see a thing.� He opened one eye. �Just this once, and only because he needs it.�
Giovanni snapped his fingers at Ian and Mitchell. �You two run up to Master Claire�s rooms. Fast like, and bring down his�� He struggled to remember what Claire had in his room that might help. �The green ones. And the little white ones.�
Ian and Mitchell hurried to obey.
Giovanni turned to Dice as Claire slipped back into semi-consciousness. �I hate having to hide the Vampire in the basement of his own home, you know?�
�Yeah, I�m sure the Vampire hates it too.� Dice turned a worried eye on Claire. �I�m sure Claire does.� He shrugged off his concern, not needing Giovanni to read into things more than were there. �I would love to get out there and take the guy out of the picture so he didn�t have to and I could get back to my real job. But the chief had other plans�and you know as well as I do Claire�s probably not thrilled about that either. But I will do what I�ve been assigned.�
Giovanni looked away to hide the glare that formed as he looked at Dice. �I gotta go. When they get back, give Master Claire one green and one white, but no more. Then send them up to the main floor. We have jobs to do. I�ll be back later, when it�s safe to give him more.�
�You mean you aren�t staying? Look I�ll guard him but you can take better care of him than I. You have a great deal more experience being his right hand and all. Don�t leave on my account. I�m sure he�ll feel safer with you here.�
Giovanni shook his head. �It�s what Master Claire wants,� he said as he walked out the door. �I can�t interfere with that.�
Dice moved over to the game table with the legs sawed off that was doubling as a bed for Claire. �If you�d not made such a production of getting up to my place, you�d be a hell of a lot more comfortable.� He batted away some cobwebs complete with spider and sat next to Claire. Jokingly, he kept up the date banter. �You know, I was expecting when you said let�s go back to my place, it would have windows. That�s a joke.� He touched Claire to get his attention. �Hey, we got some of the good drugs on the way.�
Claire pulled away from Dice�s touch. �No more,� He muttered to the nightmare that was still clinging tenaciously to the edges of his mind. �No more.�
Dice�s hand wavered above Claire like a child testing the heat of a candle flame. Utter fascination kept it there. Dice was not a stranger to nightmares. He didn�t have them all the time, but when he did, they seemed wrong. Wrong because he never paused to think if other had the same things. Funny how sometimes the simplest human concept seemed both completely foreign and at the same time uniquely his. Now it seemed Claire was in the throes of one, a really bad one. He set a kind hand on Claire�s forehead similar to how he had found Shun�s hand on his when he woke from a bad dream about his dad dying or mom leaving. What was it Shun used to be saying when he woke? He tried to remember. C�mon Dice, you can help people with their problems all the time, this is no different. But it was. He could find a missing person�bust a small drug ring and rescue a friend�but he was severely lacking in this kind of interpersonal relations. �Um, if you wake up right now you only see me,� yeah that was pretty close to what Shun always said, �and when you see me you�ll know your safe.�
Violet eyes opened, blinking up at Dice. �You�re here. Why are you here?�
Dice left his hand there a bit longer. �Keeping you safe, remember.�
�Right,� Claire tried to sit up, but just ended up with his arms giving out and falling back down onto the cushion of jackets that made up his pillow. �Ow.�
�Just lay there until they bring your drugs.� Dice unconsciously played with the buttons on Ian�s too big for him jacket. �Hey, I�m looking around here and I get the creepy feeling this is one of the places you take the guys you don�t consider part of the family anymore. I hope we can move somewhere else soon. The bloodstained pipe, the strewn about needles, while they add to the ambiance, I�ve never been one for the last thing you�ll see before we whack you motif.�
Claire smirked. �No one gets whacked here. I promise. It�s where I bring the dates that I know are going to put out.� He tried to sit up again, this time managing to hold himself up with his uninjured hand. Two sets of feet thundered down the stairs. Claire lowered himself back onto the table. �I�m sleeping.�
Dice leaned back on the wall staring at the ceiling, didn�t like what he saw there so he stared straight ahead. �Hey, guys, I think your boss means thanks for running up and getting my pills. If you�ll give them here, Giovanni told me to tell you to get back to work and I already know. Only one of each color, no more.�
The two relinquished the pill bottles reluctantly. �We�ll be back on our lunch,� Ian said. �Take good care of him.� Ian hovered in the doorway for a long minute before leaving, Mitchell on his heels.
�They gone?� Claire opened one eye and pushed himself up again. �Oh good. He got the good ones. Gimme.� Claire reached for the bottles.
�Ah-ah-ah. One of each.� Dice jumped up out of Claire�s reach. �Don�t want to OD.�
�One?� Claire looked offended. �I haven�t taken just one since I was fourteen. Give them here!!� He tried to crawl to Daisuke, but couldn�t get very far with one arm unusable and the other reaching out to grab the bottles.
�If you�re that active maybe you only need one of one of them.� Dice threatened as he prepared the dosage and set the pill bottles on the far end of the room�too far for injured Claire to bother trying to get to.
�You�re being cruel,� Claire rocked back to kneel, glaring at Dice. �Just give them here.� He clutched at the throbbing pain of his shoulder. The Vampire focused on making the pain just disappear. It had never worked before, but hell, anything was worth a try if Dice was going to keep his drugs from him. He stood slowly, eyes on Dice the entire time.
Dice didn�t give him the bottles but happily surrendered one white and one green to Claire�s hand. �I�m not going against what Giovanni said. If these give you the strength and comfort to make it all the way across to the pills then maybe I won�t stop you from taking whatever dosage you think you need. Maybe.�
Claire swallowed the pills in one quick motion, making a face. �They�re bitter.� Claire leaned back against a one-doored cabinet. �I can�t believe that Giovanni told you to only give me one. He has to know better.� Claire turned and opened a drawer inside the cabinet. �Never mind,� he muttered, rummaging through the junk in the drawer. �I have some emergency rations here somewhere.� He produced a long thin metal box with a set of bizarre carvings all over the surface.
�Hey, what are you doing over there?� Dice moved closer as Claire was virtually concealed in shadow.
Claire had a strip of leather in his mouth as he emptied the rest of the box�s contents onto the shelf in the cabinet. He held up a tiny vial filled with electric blue liquid. �Only one left. Damn,� he muttered, setting it down and taking the leather out of his mouth. He ripped open a plastic bag and produced a needle. �You�re blocking my light,� he told Dice.
�You should come back over here and lie down.� Dice said making a swipe for his arm but getting only air. �How far does this basement go?�
�I don�t know. Pretty far. It�s under part of the parking lot as well as the casino.� Claire jabbed the needle into the vial and started to draw out the blue liquid. �If you aren�t going to help, step back. I need to see what I�m doing.� Holding the needle in one hand, he rolled up his sleeve with the other.
�Help with what?� Dice asked coming up around the door of the cabinet.
�Nothing,� Claire braced his arm against the shelf and after a moment�s appraisal of his inner arm, poked the tip of the needle into his vein just below his elbow. Slowly, he pushed the plunger down, forcing the electric blue goo into his bloodstream.
�Shit!� Dice said, afraid to interrupt Claire now that the needle was already in his skin. �What are you thinking? What the hell is that? I only know of two drugs that come in that color and if it�s either one.� Dice shook his head. �As soon as you are done I am putting you back on that table and you are going to sleep.�
Claire shook his head, dropping the needle to the floor. �I�m not tired, Dice. Not at all.� He leaned close to Dice. �But I�ll lie down if you will too.�
�I think maybe you need to anyway.� Dice told him as he led him back to the table. �And I can�t. I have to stay awake and protect you.�
�From what?� Claire asked, grabbing Dice by the collar and trying to pull him down onto the table with him. �That idiot with the gun isn�t due for hours. We have lots of time.�
Very near Claire�s face as he had a vice grip on his jacket, Dice pointed out. �Last I checked the crazy guy didn�t follow your schedule. He kind of shows up unannounced, but maybe we can talk him into joining your payroll later, ok? But for now trust me, we just don�t know when or where he�ll strike. Now if you�d let go of the jacket?�
Claire looked put out. �Don�t you want to kiss me, Dice?� He asked, smiling up at the older man.
�If I do will you please just rest?� Dice asked. One little kiss couldn�t hurt, he was certain he�d learned something from the experience of being left wanting in the club.
Claire nodded, biting his bottom lip. �Yeah. Just one good night kiss.� He tilted his head so Dice could get at his lips easier.
�Alright, good night then,� he leaned down and put one knee on the table to stay balanced and took Claire�s lips in his. How long exactly should a good night kiss last? He let his unruly tongue dart out to slide across Claire�s lips just once and pulled back up. �Sleep well.� Pulling away felt like going from a warm place to a ice cold one but he was not going to go further and Claire was likely to pass out any moment.
�One more?� Claire locked an arm around Dice�s neck and pulled him down.
�But that�s it.� Dice warned though his lips couldn�t touch Claire�s fast enough.
Claire moaned under Dice�s kiss, and one hand slide under the borrowed jacket to caress Dice�s stomach, then chest. He parted his lips, and used his tongue to coax out Daisuke�s.
Oh, don�t start doing this because I am so not in the position to stop it. Dice thought as he gladly answered Claire�s tongue play. Your hands feel so good and I want you to keep touching me. Dice kept trying for a more forceful no we shouldn�t kind of thought but couldn�t find one. He broke the kiss after a very long moment. �Not to sound lame, but what if like Ian decides it�s lunch or Giovanni wants to check on you.�
Claire shrugged as he worked his fingers into the waistband of Dice�s pants. �They�ll just have to wait their turn I guess.�
�There�ll be no turn taking.� Dice said quickly as he slipped out of what was becoming a heavy oppressive jacket. �That costs extra.� Dice said it before he could catch it and instantly flushed dark pink. �Not that I�m for sale.� He tried to cover.
Claire dipped his head to taste the flesh of Daisuke�s chest. �That�s too bad. I�d pay a mint for you,� he murmured against Dice�s pale, soft skin.
Dice tried to move closer and encourage Claire�s mouth to explore his skin though he was proud of himself for not out and out claiming he�d let Claire have him for free.
Claire�s hands found the curve of Daisuke�s ass and held tightly as he maneuvered him onto the table and pushed him down onto his back. Claire�s fingers tickled Dice�s skin as they slid around and began to undo the laces on his leather pants. Hot lips shamelessly molested his nipples. �Is this okay, Dice? Or am I crossing the boundaries of our working relationship?� Claire smirked as he raked his teeth over Daisuke�s sensitive skin.
Dice breathed in as he answered. �That would likely be crossing the boundaries of most relationships. Careful, Claire. I have really pale skin. It bruises easy.� Daisuke didn�t really fight him off though not unless you count a really weak attempt to bat him away. �Man, your teeth are sharp.�
Claire laughed. �I am Vampire.� He closed his teeth over Daisuke�s shoulder, biting down hard. He finally had the laces undone on Dice�s pants and started to peel them off.
Dice moved to sit up. �Uh, Vampire? Claire? Are you... what I mean is�� He remembered to breath. He got halfway to sitting, his legs tangled in the ever lowering leather. �Take it easy. I�m not running away.� Though maybe I should. I�m not sure how long I can hold this curiosity in and HE�S not looking to gain any self-control anytime soon.
Claire pulled back, looking like he was considering what Daisuke had said. He scrambled off the table and disappeared into the shadows for a moment. He returned with a long length of rope. �You�re right, Dice. You�re not escaping,� Claire nearly leapt onto the table, pinning Dice�s legs down and winding the rope around them, not at all caring that he was tying his pants around his calves as well.
�I said I wasn�t.� Dice was shocked. �Who ever heard of sneak attacking some one who was willing?� He was really trying to slow Claire down but he�d been beyond unprepared and the crazy bastard had the advantage. �Hate to see what you do to your unwilling dates.� He quipped.
�You really don�t want to know,� Claire assured him knotting the rope tightly. He pulled the end of the rope through the hole in the table where the center post of a roulette wheel once stood and lashed it to one of the shortened legs. Then he grabbed up a long section of velvet wrapped chains, like they had used for the New Years party last year, from the floor under the table. Claire crawled across the table and wound the chain around one of Dice�s wrists.
Part Six |
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