Kip looked down at the blond, who was now passed out on the ground.

“Dammit, Lee!”

His brother just shrugged. Lee had always been a little off. Lee had been with him when he read the stupid engagement announcement. He had been so angry that the twink and the asshole were getting their happy ever after. That was something he didn’t want to see, not after what they had done to him.

Lee had grabbed the paper to see what had upset him. Kip had told him years ago about what the blonde had done to him. When Lee suggested getting even with them, he was intrigued. At first, when Lee suggested the kidnapping, Kip bulked. It seemed a little extreme, but then Lee pointed out what crap his life had been for the last five years. Not only that, Lee threatened to withhold his paycheck. He needed that money, he could already feel his need for his next fix.

“What are you really going to do to him?” Kip asked.

“That’s none of your concern.”

“You’re just going to keep him for a couple days and let him go though, right? He’s not like one of your ‘girls’.” Kip shuddered. He didn’t know exactly what Lee did to them but he suspected how bad it was.

He only wanted Justin to hurt a little, not maimed or dead. He had found out about Lee’s ‘girls’ when he was a teenager. He was spending the weekend with his brother when he heard a female scream. He followed the noise to his basement. There had been an emaciated young blonde woman in a cage. The cage looked like it was made for a large sized dog. He remembered her begging him to save her. That was when Lee walked in and told him to leave.

Once he was out of the room, all Lee said was to keep his mouth shut. He hadn’t though, he told his grandmother, who Kip had lived with since he was two. She let him know that families take care of one another, and that was the end of it. Lee had been raised by his father and his stepmother, him and Kip had different fathers. When Lee’s father died, he left Lee his horse track.

“What I do with him isn’t any of your business. I am helping you out here. You should be thankful. Leave now, or you get to join him.”

Kip looked down at the blonde who was still passed out. A little drop of blood rolling out of his ear. For the first time, he knew he made a mistake. He should have tried to dissuaded Lee from this idea.

“Why do you want him so much? He’s not your type.”

“He’s a fag; my reasons are my own.”

He was used to his brother talking this way. When he had told his family why he lost his job, Lee said he deserved it. Lee hated anyone he thought was weak, and he thought of gays as being weak. Women on the other hand, Lee thought they were hell spawn.

“I’ve changed my mind. I think I’ll just strip him and dump him out in from of the hospital,” Kip said reaching down the pull the blonde to his car.

He had seen the girl in the basement, he had been able to convince himself it was just some kinky sex thing. But he knew she was dead now. He knew it in his heart. The guilt of not helping her weighed heavily on his soul. This was different though, he had handed Justin Taylor over on a platter.

“Get in your car…alone. Go home and get wasted on your new supply. If I were you I’d think long and hard if you want to go running your mouth. Just remember, you knew about Martha Preston. That’ll land you in the pen with me.”

He had been so strung out when he agreed to this, he had made himself believe the blonde deserved it. Fuck!

With one last look at the unconscious man, he turned and walked to his car. What was he going to do?

“Where’s the brat?” his brother asked before he got into his car.

“Asleep on the couch.”

When Brian woke up a EMT was kneeling over him.

“Shit,” he said. His head felt funny, like he had been drinking too much.

“Are you in any pain, Brian,” the EMT asked.

“Just my fucking head. Would you mind backing the fuck up!” He didn’t like strangers near him while he was out. It’s why he usually kicked tricks out.

“Brian, calm down. You took quite a hit to the head,” he heard Carl say.

“What’s going on?” he asked the detective.

“Do you remember what I told you?”

Justin was in the hands of a killer. Yeah, he remembered. “Why are you here? You should be out there looking for him.”

“Brian, this man having Justin changes everything. They have been looking for him for over ten years. There have been three bodies but they believe there are more. That means this is top priority to the department.”

“We have to find him.” There was no other option. Justin had to come home, alive and well.

“I promise we will do our best. Now, let the EMT check you out.”

When Justin woke up his head was killing him. He was laying on a hardwood floor. It was freezing, in fact the whole room was freezing. As he moved his legs, his left leg felt heavier than the right. Opening his eyes, he looked at his legs. There was a leg shackle around his left leg. It was attached to a long chain.

“Good, you’re awake.”

Jumping at the voice Justin hit his shoulder on an ugly, old end table. His kidnapper was sitting in raggedy chair and staring at him. Justin didn’t want to risk another kick to the head, it looked like he may have escaped further injury this time. He might not be so lucky another time.

“I have to get back home. I’ll be back in a month. Now don’t go thinking you can get help, ain’t no phone or internet here. Closest neighbor is over three miles every way.”

He didn’t understand what was going on. Why kidnap him, just to leave him alone in a cabin by himself. For the first time, he felt hope. Kip had to be just fucking up Justin’s wedding. He wasn’t planning on having his brother kill him. Or do whatever he had threatened when Justin arrived.

“When can I go home?” he asked.

“Home? Boy, this is your home. Listen, Kipper was right, you’re not my type. You might be pretty for a guy, but guys aren’t my thing. That doesn’t mean that if you don’t behave, I won’t slice up your smooth skin. You’d be begging me to just end your life. I told you I knew what you were the minute I saw you.”

“What am I?”

“Mine.” That simple word made him want to vomit. This man didn’t want him but he seemed to want to own him. How did that make any sense?

“Why am I here?”

“Long answer is because you hurt poor little Kipper’s feelings. Grandmother was too soft on him, she spoiled him. He never had to grow up. Short answer, I own you.”

Something caught Justin’s eye. On the couch was a small toddler wearing only a diaper. The baby’s hair was tangled and matted against her or his head. Justin couldn’t tell if it was a boy or a girl, the toddler was filthy.

“What’s going on?” he asked looking from the baby to the monster in front of him.

“You see, I’ve found myself in a little predicament. My whore of an ex-wife decided to blow her brains out. That left me with this thing,” he said, gesturing to the frightened baby. The baby was quieter than he had ever heard a child be. The baby looked to be trying to make itself look smaller than it was. “I would have just tossed it in the dump, but my ex-bitch’s parents might want to see It. They’ll get suspicious if I get rid of It.”

Justin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Gus and Jenny were treated like royalty and here this baby was being treated like garage. In fact, the man talked about throwing him or her away. “Why don’t you let your wife’s parents that the baby?”

“NO!” the man roared. The toddler curled itself in a ball. “They raised that whore to begin with, they would only do the same to the brat. Now I don’t give a good goddamn if it dies. But they’ll start sniffing around if It’s not around when they want to see it.”

“What is going to happen?” he asked, hoping the man would tell him what the hell was going on.

“You’re going to take care of that thing. I figure who better to take care of a girl than a queer. I can’t bring it to my house, I have to entertain.”

A chill went up Justin’s spine at that word. The man really was a sick individual. “What about giving her up for adoption? I’m sure a family would love to raise her.”

“Did you not fucking hear me? If she’s raised by a woman she’ll be a whore just like every other woman. I’d rather see her dead.”

Justin gulped. “So, you want me to take care of her for a month?” He had said he was leaving for a month.

“No, I’ll be back in a month with more food. You’re going to be here until she’s big enough to take care of herself.”

“Why not let Kip raise her?” he tried.

“Kipper? Kipper would end up giving her to that bitch of a mother-in-law of mine. He’s weak, just like every other fag. But you, you don’t get that chance. Everything you need is here. The chain will allow you to move around anywhere in this cabin. But remember before you get any smart ideas. This is place is out in the middle of nowhere. If you dare, try and send her out for help, she’ll die of exposure. Not that I really care, at least then I would have an explanation. ‘I left her with the babysitter. I didn’t know he would let her wander around outside alone.’ You’d be dead and buried before anyone came around to question you. I would just say you ran off.”

Now Justin had two jobs to do. Save himself and save the little girl.

“What’s her name?”

“The whore named it Barbara Jo,” the man said, sneering.

“What if there is a fire?” he asked.

“Then I guess you’ll burn.”

Thankfully, he didn’t seem to want to stay around. After smacking Justin one last time, he left. It was the first time Justin felt he could breathe. Then he looked at the malnourished little girl on the couch. What the hell was he going to do?

Standing up, he wobbled to the kitchen, his legs hurt from the drive. The man was right, the chain gave him plenty of room to walk around. There was no way he was going to get his foot out of the leg shackle though. The thick chain was wrapped around a beam in-between the kitchen and living room. After he took care of the baby he would try break the chain or the lock.

In the kitchen, the pantry was sparse, but the man was right. If he was careful, it would last all month. The fridge had a gallon of milk that would expire in nine days, a tub of margarine and a bag of carrots. In the freezer were three big bags of frozen chicken legs. He found some instant oatmeal in the pantry. He pulled it down, hoping that the girl would eat it. He was lucky there was a lot of pastas up there too.

Going back into the living room he found the girl still curled into a ball. “Are you hungry?” he asked softly.

The little girl didn’t move. What was he going to do? Where was Brian? He hoped someone found them soon.

“Uh-huh,” the quiet reply finally came.

“Let’s make us some oatmeal then.” Walking over to the couch he picked the little girl up. She was way too light. “First things first. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Thankfully he found diapers and a few pairs of clean clothes. He washed her up and changed her.

Once he sat the oatmeal in front of her she looked at it hungrily. “It’s okay, you can eat.”

That seemed to be all the assurance she needed because she started eating it with the spoon. It looked like the mother taught her how to eat before she killed herself. He didn’t know how long the man had her but it looked to be too long. Kip had looked at this child and left her here. He hadn’t done a thing. It was so much worse than what he had done to Justin, Justin was an adult. This was a helpless child. Kip and the monster would pay if it was the last thing he did.