Behind the Lens (Behind the Lives) (33 page)

***

Dante crossed the road,
finding the warehouse that Saul had described: a nondescript building, grey and
plain, something he would’ve missed if it wasn’t for the Maserati parked
outside. His gaze fixed on the chauffeur sitting behind the wheel. Nike looked
out the window, his face impassive, but his eyes sorrowful.

“Are
you saying hi to Beth?” he asked, his words strange.

“I’m
gettin’ her back.”

“Do
ya need help?”

Dante
shook his head, surprised at the offer, considering it could get Nike killed,
which the guy probably knew.

“You
sure?” Nike pulled out a gun. “I’ll shoot whoever you want.”

“No,
I’m fine,” Dante said, finding the guy’s deadpan voice disturbing. “I’m just
making a trade.”

“Do
ya want me to say hi to Ash for you?”

Dante
wondered whether Nike was veiling his words. Maybe the car was bugged and he was
asking something totally different, offering to speak to Ash for him.

“No,”
Dante answered, “I don’t want my bro knowing.” His gaze moved to the red
Ferrari heading their way. He indicated towards it. “But you can help me with
one thing. The guy in that car is a friend of mine, make sure he leaves. You
can scare him away, just don’t hurt him.”

Nodding,
Nike opened his door and got out as the Ferrari pulled up to the kerb across
from him. Dante headed towards the warehouse, ignoring Jade’s shout to come back,
then his squeal of fright. Dante continued on, only stopping when he neared the
side entrance of the building. His heart thumped as he spotted the guard, shame
resurfacing, making him hesitate in continuing forward, then he kicked into
gear, knowing he had no choice.

The
guard from the psyche ward that Ash had punched sneered at him. Dante stopped
in his tracks as the guy pulled out a gun.

“So,
the whore finally shows up to work,” the guard said.

Dante
breathed out, trying to stay calm, knowing it would do him, and Beth, no good
if he went postal—or got shot.

The
guard directed Dante forward with his gun. “Open your mouth.”

“Don’t
gimme trouble, man,” Dante said.

“Open
your mouth.”

“Look,
dude, Saul told me to come here, just lemme in.”

“Not
until you open your dirty mouth, whore!”

Dante
gritted his teeth, wanting to punch the prick so fucking bad his knuckles
ached, but instead he opened his mouth.

The
guard moved the gun towards his mouth. Dante took a step backwards, his eyes
begging the fucking door to open.

“Stay
still.” The guard sneered. “Unless you want me to ruin your perfect face.”

Dante’s
eyes bugged out as the gun was pushed inside his mouth.

“Blow
it,” the man said, the nasty glow in his eyes displaying his perverse
enjoyment. When Dante didn’t move his mouth, the man yelled louder, “Blow it!”

Dante
moved his mouth back and forth over the cold steel, all of his nerves and
muscles screaming at him to grab the gun and to blow the fucking prick’s head
off, but instead he continued to blow the barrel.

“I
think you’re enjoying that, slut.” The guard smirked. “I betcha you’d enjoy
sucking my dick even more.”

The
door behind the guard opened, then a deep voice rumbled, “Put that away, Solomon,”
Saul’s voice thick with disapproval.

Solomon
sniggered as he removed the gun. “Just seeing whether he’s up for the job,
cuz.”

“You’re
not my cousin, and that’s not for you to decide.” Saul indicated for Dante to
enter. “Come.”

“I’m
sure he will,” Solomon sniggered. “He likes cock.”

Saul
grabbed Dante before he could attack Solomon, shoving him inside and slamming
the door shut behind them.

Dante
spun around and punched Saul, roaring, “I’m no one’s whore!”

Saul’s
head snapped back, then he lifted an arm to block Dante’s second blow, but a
little too late, Dante’s fist knocking him down. His large body slammed into
the door, stopping the guard from opening it, the man banging and yelling to
get inside.

Dante
grabbed Saul’s shirt. “Where’s Beth?!”

“Let
him go, Dante,” a voice said behind him, the nozzle of a gun touching the back
of his head.

Dante
instantly froze. He hadn’t heard anyone approach, but then again, he’d been too
focused on Saul, plus the guard’s banging was loud, the sound reverberating
throughout the warehouse.

“Stand
up straight,” the voice said, the tone strange, yet vaguely familiar.

Dante
straightened, his gaze still fixed on Saul as the man rose to his feet.

The
voice behind him continued, “Now, turn around slowly.”

Dante
did as he was told, his eyes widening at the sight of Ant Torres. An inch
taller, and much wider, Ant’s shoulders and torso were bulky like a rugby prop.
Dante remembered that Ant had played high school rugby alongside Ash, until
he’d gotten expelled and sent to a borstal for trying to rape Ash. And now Ant
was smiling at him like he was deliriously happy, something that made Dante
swallow hard.

Dante
took a step back into Saul, who clamped his arms around him. “You fuckwit, I
was trying to help you,” Saul growled into his ear.

“Bullshit,
you set me up,” Dante said, keeping his eyes on Ant. Although Saul was right
about one thing, because he was a ‘fuckwit’. He’d walked right into their trap
without questioning a thing. He cursed in his head, wondering whether they even
had Beth. He should’ve rung her first, used his brain before he acted, but when
it came to Beth he always let his emotions overrule everything—including logic.

“If
you value your life and Beth’s,” Ant said. “You will keep your fists to
yourself.”

“How
do I know you even have her?”

Ant
lowered the gun to Dante’s chest. “Show him, Saul.”

Saul
placed a phone in front of Dante’s face. Beth appeared on the screen, looking
terrified. Dante tensed, his whole body wanting to attack, to take the pricks
by the balls and to demand they give her back, then he would kick the shit out
of them for putting that expression on her face.

“You
better not have touched her,” Dante gritted out.

“You
shouldn’t be worried about her; she was only a means to get you here.” Ant
grabbed Dante’s crotch, making him yell out in shock. “And as you can feel, I
have no interest in women, Ash.”

“I’m
not Ash,” Dante gasped, knowing where this was heading, Ant’s perversions
playing out on his face, the guy’s eyes dilating like Kara’s had when she’d tried
to force him the day before.

“A
slip of the tongue,” Ant said.

“I
don’t think so, and I have no part in what beef you have with my brother,” Dante
said, his voice hoarse from Ant’s nasty squeeze. “And you caused that, not Ash,
so lemme go.”

“I
didn’t cause it!” Ant bellowed, spit spraying from his mouth. “Your brother
did, he ruined my fucking life!”

“You
tried to rape him,” Dante replied, forcing his voice to stay calm, even though
he knew he was fucked in so many ways.

Veins
stood out on Ant’s forehead. “He lost me the only person I’ve ever loved!”

“This
has got nuthin’ to do with me, so,
please
, let go of my balls.”

Ant
loosened his grip. “When I look at you all I see is him.”

“I’m
not my brother,”
so let go, you perverted freak!
He shouted the last
part in his head, knowing Ant would probably tighten his grip if he’d said it
out loud.

“I
know, but I don’t have permission to touch him, but
you
, I’ve been given
the go ahead.”

“Why
me?”

“Your
home videos are extremely popular,” Ant said, massaging Dante below.

“Which
you had no right to film.”

“Yes,
poor, poor Dante. I really have done you wrong by sending all those gorgeous
women your way,” Ant said sarcastically.

“I
can get my own fucks.”

“Yes,
I don’t doubt it.” Ant moved closer, so fucking close that Dante could almost
taste what Ant had eaten. “But you never fucked the men, which disappointed me
greatly. I wouldn’t mind rectifying that, just with me fucking you.”

“NO!”
Dante shouted in his face, panic now taking over. “Let go of me!”

Ant
squeezed tighter, making Dante holler in pain. “You can’t make demands, only I
can,” he said, loosening his grip. “Now, we’re gonna take you to my office
and—”

“You’re
not fucking him,” Saul said from behind Dante. “The boss’s orders.”

Ant’s
eyes snapped to Saul. “That bastard has no right to tell me what to do.”

“Regardless,”
Saul’s deep voice rumbled. “It’s not happening.”

Ant
let go of Dante’s crotch, his glare now fully on Saul. “I give
you
orders,
not
the other way round.”

“I’m
just a messenger, and you can’t hurt the star attraction.”

“Only
his hole will get hurt.”

“Rape’s
not happening on my watch.”

“He
smacked your face in, don’t you want payback?”

“Two
punches don’t match a rape, and your father doesn’t approve of what you do.”

“Why?!”
Ant screamed. “Because I’m just like him, he raped my mother! That’s why I’m here!
He should be proud he spawned a clone of himself.”

“He
didn’t rape her, he paid for her. You know she was one of his prostitutes.”

Ant’s
body started to vibrate, his anger making Dante think he was going to shoot
Saul, but instead he spun around and stalked off towards what looked like an
office, slamming the door shut behind him.

Saul
pulled out a gun from his pocket. “I don’t want to use this,” he said to Dante,
“but this time, don’t hit the only person here trying to help you.”

Dante
cupped his crotch and leaned over, not interesting in hitting him, more
concerned with his sore balls. “I just want Beth back. After that I won’t do
shit to you.”

“You
can’t do shit anyway, so just do as you’re told and I’ll try to keep you safe,
but if you go causing trouble my word won’t have much sway. I can reign in Ant
to a point, but I can’t do anything about his father. You piss him off and
you’ll be handed over to Ant.”

“Why
are you talking ’bout Ant’s father?” Dante asked, the argument over the man
earlier not making sense.

“Because
Craven doesn’t approve of Ant’s behaviour.”

Dante
frowned. “What the fuck has Craven gotta do with Ant’s father?”

“Craven
is
his father.”

18

Sledge

Sledge drove down Pleasant
Parade on his motorbike, wanting to kick his nephew’s arse. He’d rung Dante,
unfortunately getting Angelo instead, who wouldn’t stop babbling on about his
busted playhouse. And when Sledge had asked his nephew to get Dante, Angelo had
said “Okay” then left Sledge hanging on the phone.

He
turned into his brothers’ driveway, hoping his bro could give him advice on
Corey, especially since Dante had been there for Ash after what their
stepfather had done. He pulled off his helmet and headed for the front door,
wondering why Kara was sitting on the steps wrapped in a blanket. He stopped in
front of her, getting a direct view of what she wasn’t wearing underneath.

“What
are ya doin’ out here like that?” Sledge asked.

Her
shoulders started shaking, little sobs escaping her mouth.

Sledge
bobbed down. “What’s happened, Kara?”

“D-D-Dante
left.”

Sledge
wondered whether his bro had stormed out on Kara, which was a distinct
possibility, knowing those two. “Do ya know where he went?” he asked, annoyed
he’d missed him.

“He-he’s
gone to the warehouse, to, to see Saul.”

“Which
warehouse?”

“C-can’t
say; he doesn’t want Ash to know, b-b-because Ash will mess things up.”

“I
won’t tell Ash.”

She
shook her head and swiped at her cheeks, spreading her already running
eye-makeup.

“C’mon,
Kara, gimme the address. I needa talk to him, it’s urgent.”

“I-I
can’t.”

“Fuck,
you’re as useful as tits on a bull.” Irritated, he stepped around her and
headed inside, calling out for Ash and Tiana. He didn’t really want to speak to
Ash, but if his bro was home he could at least tell him about what went down
with Hunter.

Angelo
zipped inside from the backyard yelling, “Dad’s making me a house!” then
snatched an apple from the dining-room table and disappeared out the way he came.

Sledge
followed him through the backdoor to find Ash hammering away at wood, clad only
in jeans and a pair of headphones. Sledge stood for a minute, listening to Ash
sing Tiki Taane’s
Always on My Mind,
a little freaked by how much he
sounded like Dante. He hadn’t heard Ash sing in years, something, unlike Dante,
Ash was usually self-conscious about, but Sledge guessed he felt safe with
Tiana by his side. The woman was weaving a flax mat, humming to something on
her own headphones.

Angelo
threw his half-eaten apple at Sledge, yelling, “Catch!” Sledge stepped aside,
the apple splattering on the ground. Tiana looked up, her frown suggesting
she’d seen what had happened. She pulled off her headphones and got to her
feet, telling Angelo off. Angelo laughed and sprinted for the house. Tiana
shook her head, then walked over to Sledge and gave him a kiss on the cheek,
saying: “Hi.”

Ash
glanced up, looking surprised. Dropping the hammer, he pulled off his
headphones and headed for Sledge. Tiana excused herself, following Angelo
inside the house.

“I
saw Hunter,” Sledge blurted out, still feeling uncomfortable over what had gone
down yesterday, because he didn’t know how Ash could be anything other than his
brother.

“How’d
it go?” Ash asked.

“I
told him to get fucked and that I don’t ever wanna see him again.”

Ash
looked physically pained.

“He
deserved it,” Sledge said, defensively.

“I
know, but you might not always feel that way—”

“Yes
I will, but I’m not here to talk ’bout that shithead, I’m after Dante. Do ya know
when he’ll be back?”

Ash
shrugged. “Sorry, I haven’t seen him today.”

“Angelo
said he wuz here earlier.”

“He
didn’t tell me.” Ash touched the chunky headphones circling his neck. “Plus,
I’ve had these on for the past coupla hours, so wouldn’t have heard shit. Go
ask Kara.”

“I
did. She said he went to see Saul.”

Ash’s
brows knitted together. “Why the hell is he seeing Saul? We have no
deliveries.”

“Dunno,
I just needa find him, it’s important.”

“Why?”

“I
wanna ask him some advice.”

“’Bout
what?”

“None
of your biz.”

“You
don’t hafta be an arsehole. Why can’t ya ask me?”

“Cos
I want Dante.”

“Aren’t
I good enough for you now?” Ash said, sounding hurt.

“No,
it’s not that, I just need his advice, cos it’s... I can’t explain it, but it’s
got nuthin’ to do with you, it’s to do with my...” Sledge paused, not wanting
to tell Ash about Corey being his boyfriend. No, fuck it, he’d told Tama, the
biggest bigot in the universe, so he could at least tell his own brother, and
yeah, Ash
was
his brother, no matter what biology said. Sledge lifted
his chin. “It’s ’bout my boyfriend.”

“You
mean
mate
, and which one?” Ash asked.

“No,
I meant
boyfriend
. Dante gave me advice on Corey before, and I need his
help again.”

Ash
stared at him like he didn’t understand.

“Oh,
for fuck’s sake,” Sledge snapped. “Corey’s my lover.”

Ash
snorted out a laugh.

“It’s
not funny!” Sledge yelled. He could understand disgust, but not Ash making fun
of him, like everything he’d been through with Corey was a joke. He turned and
headed for the house, furious that his brother had accepted Dante’s
relationship with Beth—Ash’s own bloody ex, yet he couldn’t accept Sledge’s.

“Hold
up, Sledge,” Ash called out, running after him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t meana
laugh, you just took me by surprise.”

Sledge
spun around on him. “That’s why I can’t talk to you. Dante knew I had a thing
for Corey before I even knew myself, but you, you know nuthin’ ’bout me. He’s
the only one I can ask advice from, cos he doesn’t judge me like you do.”

“I
don’t judge you,” Ash said, looking offended.

“Like
hell you don’t, and I don’t appreciate you laughing at me either.”

“Don’t
try to tell me Dante wouldn’t have laughed too, and that jerk-off would’ve made
fun of you.”

Sledge
glared at Ash, knowing he was right. Although Dante had accepted Sledge’s
relationship with Corey, even encouraging him to pursue it, he’d still made
jokes about it, but that was just Dante, a crude bastard who liked to take the
mickey out of everyone, regardless of what they did. Dante was a joker, but Ash
wasn’t, and his laughter would’ve meant something different: scorn. Although
Ash wasn’t looking at him scornfully, just with worry, mixed in with something
else—

Sledge’s
face dropped. “Oh shit, I’m sorry, bro, I didn’t think ’bout what Chaz did to
you.”

Ash
frowned. “What’s that gotta do with you and Corey?”

“You
know: you hating gays cos you were raped.”

Ash
pulled a face. “I don’t hate gays, and I’m not gonna condemn a whole group of
people cos of one piece of shit.”

“So,
you’re not upset with me?”

“Don’t
see why I would be, and if you and Corey love each other I wish you all the
best.”

Huge
relief washed over Sledge, something he’d never expected to feel after telling
Ash the truth. Before he knew it, he had his arms wrapped around his brother,
hugging him tight, Ash’s acceptance of Corey meaning so much to him, especially
after what had happened with Tama. He screwed his eyes shut, both the nightmare
with Tama and Ant making his heart sink again.

“Um...”
Ash patted his back. “Are you alright, bro?”

Opening
his eyes, Sledge pulled back and shook his head. “Corey wuz sexually
assaulted.”

Ash’s
face dropped. “When?”

“Today.”
Sledge told him the rest, just omitting who the attacker was, because he was
worried that Ash would go crazy, especially with what had been done to him.

“Who
did this?” Ash growled, the look in his eyes confirming Sledge’s fear.

“Corey’s
not well enough to say,” Sledge lied. “But the cops are onto it.”

“When
you find out tell me, and I’ll make sure the scum won’t ever touch another boy
again. You hear?”

Sledge
nodded, feeling guilty for hiding the full truth, but it was his own job to
take care of Ant, plus Ash didn’t need any more stress, instead he needed to
heal.

Ash
placed a hand on Sledge’s shoulder. “Do ya want me to talk to Corey? It might
do him some good to be able to speak to someone who understands. Maybe not
straight away, but when he’s ready.”

Sledge
shook his head, Ash being the last person Corey would want to speak to. “You do
know Corey hates you?”

Ash
frowned. “Why?”

“Cos
you beat me up those times.”

Ash
pulled a face. “I wuz wrong doin’ that, but does he know the reason why?”

Sledge
grimaced, feeling even more guilt over what he and Tama had done to Nike a few
months back, especially after the guy had helped Corey out. “Do ya really think
Tama raped Nike’s wife?” he asked instead.

“Yes.”

“He
said he didn’t.”

“He’s
a liar.”

Sledge
sighed. “I just can’t bring myself to believe he’d do it, he’s like a brother
to me.”

“There’s
no use fooling yourself; he definitely raped Jess. I know what a rape victim
looks like, I see it in the mirror every day, and Nike’s woman is the same, her
eyes are her witness, the hurt inside her story, and just cos you trust Tama
doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have done it. I trusted Chaz and look what happened.
And if you stay mates with Tama it’s only gonna lead to heartbreak.”

Sledge
screwed up his face. “I don’t think we’re mates any more. I told him to fuck
off, cos he threatened Corey.”

“Wuz
he the one who assaulted Corey?”

“No,
he threatened to bash him, but he didn’t actually do it, which makes me feel
even shittier, cos I
did
bash Tama.”

Ash
shook his head. “Don’t feel bad, you were protecting Corey, and Tama pro’bly
would’ve carried through on his threat, you just got there first. And he’s not
worth your tears, it’s good you’re finally rid of him.”

“But
it doesn’t feel good, it hurts, everything hurts. In two days I’ve lost my
family, my best friend, and I allowed the person I love the most in the world
to get hurt.” He wiped his face, ashamed of his tears, ashamed of himself, and
wanting everything to be the way it was last year, when things were simpler.

Ash
placed a hand on Sledge’s shoulder. “You haven’t lost your family; you’re still
my brother no matter what.”

Sledge
nodded, grateful for Ash’s words.

Ash
smiled sadly. “You should go; Corey will need you now more than ever.”

“Juliet’s
watching him, but yeah, I should get back before he wakes up.”

Sledge
headed inside the house, with Ash following close behind. Sledge stopped at the
front door, surprised to find Kara still sitting on the steps, with Tiana
rubbing her back. He’d always thought of Kara as a stone-cold bitch, more prone
to yelling than crying.

Ash
pushed Sledge to the side. “Why the hell are you out here wearing only a
blanket?” he snapped at Kara. When she didn’t reply, he pointed to the
passageway. “Get inside and get dressed. I don’t want my boy seeing you like
this, nor the neighbours thinking I’ve got some crazy bitch sleeping on my
doorstep.”

“Ash!”
Tiana got to her feet, her expression furious. “Don’t speak to Kara like that.”

“Oh,
so you’re upset when I say ‘bitch’ but not with a half-naked woman on our
doorstep?”

“She’s
upset, for goodness sakes, so don’t go upsetting her more. You’re an
inconsiderate oaf at times.”

“I
don’t give a shit; just get her off my doorstep.”

“Stop
swearing,” Tiana snapped.

“I
didn’t swear, and what’s she blubbering for?”

“She
won’t say.”

Kara
uncovered her face. “This is all my fault.”

“What’s
your fault?” Ash asked.

“I-I
can’t tell you.” She started sobbing again.

He
exhaled loudly, then bobbed down in front of her. “Look, I’m sorry for
snapping, Special-K,” he said, using Dante’s nickname for her. “Just tell me
what happened?”

She
stopped crying, her eyes fixating on Ash, staring at his face intensely, like
it was the most beautiful thing in the world. “You looked so much like my
dragi,”
she said, then lurched forward, grabbing him into a hug, and accidentally
knocking him onto his back. Sledge jumped to the side, watching the change in
Ash’s face, his expression almost frightened.

Kara
kept her death grip on him, ignoring Tiana’s cries to get off Ash, his brother
looking like he was elsewhere, his eyes unfocused. Kara started murmuring in
Croatian, or more accurately, her local dialect, a few words different from
what Sledge was used too, but he could still understand her. She was telling
Ash that she would die if he got hurt, treating him as though he was Dante, or
probably using him to channel her thoughts, which were coming out thick and
fast, the heartbreak and love she obviously held for Dante strong. Sledge
pulled an upset Tiana back, Ash’s partner trying to yank the not-all-there Kara
off Ash, then he detached Kara from his brother. Ash instantly jumped up and
shot down the footpath. Tiana took off after him, yelling at him to come back.
Sledge watched Ash race down the road, like he was running from the Devil.