"You say that like he's your boyfriend, not a friend."

"I didn't mean to." He's more than a friend, and I don't think boyfriend sounds right either, but we aren't lovers cos we haven't done more than kiss.

"Is there something you wanna tell me?" Mrs Connor asked, her expression knowing. "Cos I won't judge you if you do."

I don't want to admit it to you, no matter how much you understand. Christ, you're his mother, how can I tell you I got hard over your son? That's just wrong in so many ways. And the way your husband looked at me when he thought I was bonking Corey, it scares me s.h.i.tless that others will do the same.

"Sledge?"

He grabbed his hair, pulling on it to give him focus. "I don't know how to word things. I wuz cruel to him, but I didn't mean to, he just kept pushing and pushing until I snapped." Sledge wished he could tell her straight, but that was the problem, nothing was straight now, and he wasn't referring to possibly being gay, because his emotions were zigzagging all over the place, making him confused and not sure of what he wanted. He didn't know if he could actually cross the boundaries with Corey s.e.xually, or whether he was even capable of giving his mate, lover, whatever Corey was to him, what the guy wanted. But if he didn't, he'd lose Corey to Tyler, and he couldn't cope with that.

Mrs Connor squeezed his knee. "But you do love him, that's why you're here."

Sledge nodded. "I didn't mean what I said, I spoke without thinking. Tyler said horrible things 'bout my brother, and when Corey sided with him I lost my temper and stormed out. I thought he chose Tyler over me."

"This is the boy whose father beat Corey?"

Sledge nodded. "Corey's s'posed to be my mate, not his, but he chose him cos Tyler's gay," and I don't know what I am.

"Do you want Tyler to have Corey?"

Sledge looked up. "No!"

"That was a loud no."

"Well, I don't."

"Then don't let Corey push you away or around. He's too upset to see sense now, but come back tomorrow, maybe he'll have calmed down by then. And have a think 'bout what you wanna say to him, how you want things to proceed. Fight for your friendship, make him see what he's pushing away."

"I'm not good with words."

"You'll think of something, cos I can see how much you care. As his mother, that makes me feel good that he has someone who loves him as much as you do. Whether it's platonic or not, it's still love. Make Corey see that."

Sledge wiped his face and nodded, then looked to his left as Naf hurried towards them, the clomp of his boots loud.

"Is Corey alright?" Naf asked as he came to a stop in front of them.

"Yes, he's awake," Sledge answered.

Naf blew out a breath, his face relieved for a few seconds before going dark. "Aroha's awake and you're not gonna believe what she said."

Sledge got to his feet. "What?"

"She wouldn't stop crying and babbling on about your stepdad trying to kill Juliet and wanting to rape Ash."

Sledge's hand shook as he pulled out his phone and rang Juliet. He'd had no idea how much danger she'd been in, just a.s.sumed it had been all about Ash.

His sister picked up on the third ring. "Sledge?"

"Did Chaz hurt you?" he asked.

"No, I got away."

"Have the pigs mentioned anything 'bout Ash?"

"No, but they have Chaz's licence plate."

"Ring me as soon as you hear anymore."

"Will do."

"And Juliet..."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry for what happened between Corey and you."

"Really?" she said, the sob in her voice making him feel like a complete and utter b.a.s.t.a.r.d for treating her so badly.

"Yeah, and I'll make it up to you. I love you, sis."

"I love you too, Tyson."

He smiled sadly, not having heard her use his birth name in years. He said bye, then hung up, his gaze moving to Naf's concerned face.

"What's happening, Sledge?" Naf asked.

"What Aroha said is true."

"Eh?"

"My stepfather raped Ash when my bro wuz fifteen."

"You're s.h.i.tting me?"

"I wish I were."

29.

Ash Ash's eyelids refused to open, and he didn't want them to either. His body felt like it was in a coc.o.o.n: warm and safe, a place he wished he could stay forever. No, someone was holding him in a tight embrace, protecting him. He thought of Tiana as lips pressed into his hair, then his forehead. He snuggled in closer, wanting the comfort, the love he felt from her. Soft kisses landed on his eyelids, along with murmurs that he was beautiful, the voice not belonging to Tiana. Panic rose through him, then was instantly snuffed out as a wave of dizziness swept through his mind, robbing him of his fears as well as consciousness.

Something clanged, jolting him awake. He opened his eyes, finding himself lying on a bed alone, with only darkness embracing him. His shoulders ached as well as his arms, which were stuck underneath him, pressing into his back. He rolled onto his side to free them, but found them tied together, the rope itching his wrists. Confused, he looked down his body, his eyes adjusting enough to see he was clad in a T-shirt and underwear. He pulled his legs up, dumbfounded when he realised they were tied too, and... What the f.u.c.k? He wriggled about, wondering whether he was imagining things, because there was a f.u.c.king chain around his waist.

More clanging noises filled the house, sounding like pots and pans being jostled about. Ash's gaze moved to a thin strip of light coming from the doorway, drawing a line across the floor like one of Beth's ribbons left lying about. He stared at it for a while, trying to work out how he'd gotten here. He couldn't remember past Aroha answering Tiana's door. Though, he didn't understand why she'd been there, because his ex... No, he meant his woman... didn't a.s.sociate with that creepy bird.

When everything went quiet again, he rolled his legs over the side of the bed then pushed to his feet. A wave of dizziness swept through him, making him fall back onto the mattress. He lay still for a moment, feeling like he had no bones in his body, only aching muscles.

The door pushed open, instantly capturing his attention, along with the smell of fish and chips, something he hated because it reminded him of...

Chaz!

Recognising his stepfather, Ash let out a startled shout, then quickly rolled over to the other side of the bed, using it as a barrier between him and his nightmare.

"You can't be real," Ash said, staring in disbelief.

"Oh, I'm definitely real," his stepfather replied, switching on the light. Dressed in jeans and a black jumper, Chaz was holding a plate of food and a bottle of beer. He placed them on the cabinet under the window, then headed around the bed to Ash.

Ash hopped backwards, his tied legs making it difficult to move. "Stay away from me!"

Chaz stopped and held out a hand. "Don't be afraid, I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Liar!" Anger rose through Ash, quelling his fears. He lurched at Chaz, wanting to head-b.u.t.t him, but instead got shoved onto the mattress. He tried to get up, but his body flailed about uselessly as Chaz held onto his shoulders.

"Don't f.u.c.kin' touch me!" Ash screamed, trying to get free.

Chaz let go and backed away, holding his hands up high as though Ash had a gun pointed at him. "Look, no touching, you're safe."

Ash started yelling, "Help!" as loud as he could.

"No one will here you. We're near Waipoua Forest," Chaz said, taking a step forward.

Ash hollered, "Back off!" as he struggled to his feet, thinking, this couldn't be real, it couldn't be happening again...

With his hands still in the air, Chaz took another step forward. "Calm down, boy, I told ja I'm not gonna hurt you."

...but it was real, and Chaz was going to...

Ash lunged at Chaz again, but tripped over his tied feet, knocking his stepfather into the standalone wardrobe, its mirror cracking on impact. Chaz grabbed him around the waist and tackled him onto the bed, shouting at Ash to stop. Ash struck out with his head, catching Chaz on the cheek. His stepfather hollered, but still remained on top, the feel of the man's body causing Ash to buck like a crazed animal desperate to shake off its predator.

Chaz shoved Ash onto his front, making Ash cry out, his mind now swamped with terror. He was fifteen again, and unable to stop what was coming, his stepfather's hard c.o.c.k ready to penetrate him.

"No!!" Ash screamed.

Chaz grabbed his hair and yanked it back. "Shut the f.u.c.k up!"

"Get offa me, get offa me!"

"Not until you stop this crazy s.h.i.t!"

Ash started swearing and yelling, throwing everything he had at Chaz as he continued to buck and jerk underneath his stepfather, not caring as his hair got pulled more.

Chaz placed his mouth next to Ash's ear, and yelled, "SHUT UP!"

Wincing, Ash pushed his face into the mattress, the shout hurting more than his hair getting pulled.

"Thank Christ for that," Chaz said, breathing heavily. "Man, you're a strong b.u.g.g.e.r."

"Get offa me," Ash said, his voice m.u.f.fled by the mattress.

"Not until you promise not to attack me again."

Ash lifted his head. "I wanna kill you!"

"Then I guess I ain't moving until you change your s.h.i.t att.i.tude." Chaz pressed his crotch into Ash. "Now promise me!"

"I won't attack you, I won't," Ash blurted out, the feel of Chaz's c.o.c.k making him say anything to get free. "Please get offa me, please, I'm not your f.u.c.k toy."

Letting go of Ash, Chaz pushed off him, then walked around to the other side of the room. "I never thought of you as one," he said, looking uncomfortable.

Ash rolled on his side, too wiped out to attack again whether he wanted to or not, the dizziness from earlier brushing his mind again along with a tightness squeezing his lungs. "You're a liar. You..." He forced out a yawn, the only way he could release the pressure from his chest when he had breathing problems. "Y-You were ... hard."

Chaz pulled a face. "I couldn't help that, you were f.u.c.kin' wriggling under me, but I'm not making the same mistake twice, cos I don't wanna rape you."

Ash pushed out another breath. "Then why am I like this?" he said, shaking his bound arms.

"Cos I knew you'd attack me."

Ash yawned again, the pressure in his chest finally calming down. "Then why bring me here?"

"I wanna make things up to you so we can be a family again."

"By kidnapping and tying me up?"

"You wouldn't have come otherwise."

"Cos you murdered my mother!"

"I didn't murder her, I was defending myself; I had no choice."

"She wuz defending me and Dante!"

Chaz ran a hand over his face. "I know I stuffed up with you, but I couldn't help it, I needed you. f.u.c.k, it was so b.l.o.o.d.y hard to keep my hands to myself with you around me every day; I thought I could just have that one night without anyone finding out. How the h.e.l.l was I s'posed to know your mother would come home a day early?"

"I wuz a kid!" Ash said, pushing to his feet. "You shouldn't have touched me."

"I f.u.c.kin' know that, but you didn't look like one." Chaz raised his hands to his head. "I'm sorry, but I tried, I really did."

"I trusted you!"

"I said sorry, what else can I do?"

"Lemme go."