Chapter Six

Will was shaking, shivering, covered in his own vomit and stinking of sweat and blood. There was just enough laudanum in his system to make any thought of breaking free of his ropes impossible, but not enough to make him unaware of his surroundings or his pain.

He felt as if he’d been ripped open by the large outlaw who had just come into this room, shoved himself inside of him, slammed him repeatedly, let out a few moans and then left…

Thompson Caudill came raging into the room, “How dare you vomit all over that bed!” he bellowed. Will whimpered as he lay flat on his stomach, splayed out with a hand tight to each side of the headboard and an ankle to each bedpost.

He heard the leather strap whip through the air just before it connected with the sweat slicked skin of his back. Will cried out in pain against the gag in his mouth. Thompson knew what he was doing. The strap was thick enough that it wouldn’t break skin and yet thin enough that it still felt as if Will were being stung by a thousand honeybees.

“Now I have to make the men outside wait until I get you cleaned up! You had better not vomit again!”

Will felt a tear roll down his cheek. More men? He had already been violated six times tonight. He was bleeding and felt as if a knife had been driven inside of him. Surely Thompson didn’t expect him to lay with even more…..

“Stop acting as if you don’t enjoy it. I’ve seen you around, Will. You love it when men shove themselves inside of you,” Thompson laughed. “And I love the money it makes me,” he patted Will on the cheek and Will glared at the man with more hate in his heart than he had ever felt toward any one person before, “I’ll never let you go, Will. You belong to me for the rest of your life.”

Will sat bolt upright and then jumped to his feet as his stomach rolled. Quickly he ran though the tiny cabin, threw open the front door and fell to his knees in the snow as he lost the contents of his stomach.

Steam rose around his head as he heaved over and over desperately fighting back wave after wave of nausea as they assaulted him.

A cold wet nose pressed against his neck and Will jumped a little before realizing it was Beaux. The hound whimpered and nudged him a bit as if to urge him to come back inside.

A blanket was draped over Will’s shoulders and big hands closed around his upper arms, pulling him back up to his feet, “Get back in the house, dammit, before you freeze to death out here,” Turner’s deep voice growled.

Will trembled with the sensations that coursed through him at this man’s touch. He didn’t understand it. Turner was bristly, mean, rude and a downright jackass. He didn’t even seem to like Will! Besides that, Will had no real reason to think that Turner was a man who would want to lay with another man.

“Thanks,” Will mumbled. The warmth inside the cabin enveloped him as Turner closed the door and led Will over to the sofa. He left his side momentarily and Will heard him pouring water into a cup just before he reappeared beside him and offered him the drink.

Will took it and downed several long sips, “Care to explain what that was about?” Turner grumbled, rubbing his tired looking dark eyes with his fists.

Will shook his head as he sat the cup on the floor, “No.”

Turner grabbed up the fire poker and jabbed it into the dying flames of the fire, bringing it back to life as he added a few more chunks of wood.

Will rolled his eyes as he curled up in a ball and wrapped the blanket tighter around himself. Turner sure was showing that fireplace who was boss.

“Do you have those damn nightmares often?” Turner demanded.

“No,” Will lied.

Turner nodded and leaned the poker back against the wall, “Good, because I don’t like having my sleep interrupted.”

“Your concern is overwhelming,” Will muttered dryly. “Nice to know I have such good friends.”

“I’m not your friend and I don’t want to be your friend,” Turner informed him, stepping closer.

Will swallowed hard and looked up at the giant of a man, “What do you want then?” he whispered as he caught sight of something in Turner’s dark brown eyes that had him scooting further back into the sofa. Will wasn’t afraid but he was….confused. Turner was looking at him like a hungry man; a man who wanted what was in front of him.

Turner let out a growl that sounded animalistic in nature and then the man quickly stepped back and shook his head, “Nothing,” he snapped.

Will was still trembling as Turner whirled around and went back to his bed, pulling the blankets over his head and leaving Will alone.

Will swallowed hard and stared into the fire. His dreams of those six months he’d spent tied and drugged in that brothel always left him feeling raw, sick and empty. Add to that the Turner’s hostility and that lust in his eyes and Will was feeling more than a little off kilter.

What he couldn’t figure out was why Turner was so angry toward him if the man wanted him. And what would Will do if Turner did want him and decide he was going to have him?

Will shook his head to clear those thoughts. He’d been sere several days already. Surely if Turner was going to hurt him he would have done it by now. Right?

His head began to pound and Will pinched his nose between his fingers. He couldn’t worry about that just now. Now he needed rest and a lot of luck to keep those nightmares away until morning.

He settled against the cushions while Beaux curled up on the floor in front of him. Will let one arm drape over the sofa and laid it against the dog’s side. The presence of another living creature who seemed to care helped Will find enough peace of mind to drift back to sleep.

***

Will once again found himself tied and sprawled out like some sort of sacrifice upon the bed. However, tonight his mind was completely clear. There was no laudanum flowing through his blood, dulling his senses or wearing on his strength.

The door opened and he turned his head to see who was going to be the first man to violate him tonight. Will frowned when he realized the man’s face was hidden in shadow and couldn’t be seen.

The man was big, well over six feet and broadly muscled beneath that red and black checked flannel shirt and those worn black trousers. Will’s heart sped up and thundered violently against his ribs. He knew a man who looked like that….

Without a word, the man crossed the floor and killed the lantern, enveloping the room in darkness. Will trembled as he lay there. A mix of nervousness and anticipation swirled in his gut. Never had Will actually wanted one of the men who had entered this room.

Will licked his trembling lip and peered through the darkness, “Turner?”

The man didn’t speak a word. Will felt the heat from his body as he moved closer and leaned over him. Warm breath washed across his cheek, causing him to desperately suck air into lungs to feed his racing heart.

Will waited, staying perfectly still against his restraints, wondering what Turner was going to do.

Suddenly something warm and wet touched his cheek. A tongue? Turner was licking his face?

Will’s eyes flew open and he found himself staring into a pair of brown eyes, not Turner’s brown eyes, but Beaux’s as the hound sat in front of the sofa and wagged his tail slowly.

Will closed his eyes and rubbed his face roughly. These dreams were getting crazier by the day.

Sitting up slowly, Will glanced around and realized that Turner wasn’t in the cabin. He also realized that the sun was shining brightly through the windows. It seemed the blizzard was over and now they just had to wait for the snow to melt.

Will tossed the blanket off himself and groaned when he realized he had one hell of an arousal pressed against the front of his trousers. He hoped the cold air on the way to the outhouse would be enough to do away with

that thing… he sure as hell didn’t need Turner having one more thing to jump his ass over.

A/N: Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter! We're getting ready to get hot, hot, hot! ;)