Strange Love

"You're going to kill her!" Ry yelled as he pushed Russ down onto the mattress and quickly snagged the twitching girl in his arms. He was so shocked about what he happened to walk in on that he didn't even notice his father and Giorgos coming down the hall as he stomped across the hall into the other bedroom.

Poseidon and Giorgos exchanged confused looked as they each pointed toward a different room. "You know, on second thought..." Poseidon pointed to the third floor. "Maybe we should let them come to us... Scotch until them?"

Giorgos nodded still stunned at seeing Ry walk across the hall with a nearly nȧkėd woman in his arms, with bound wrists, a sack over her head, and a rope hanging from her neck. "Yeah... I'm pretty sure I don't want to know what kind of fuċkėd up shit just went down or is about to go down..."

Ry quickly pressed the lock into place as he made his way into the room. he carefully set the girl down in the center of the large bed before lowering onto the mattress beside her and gently removing the rope from her neck then the pillowcase. "Are you alright?" He rolled his eyes at his own words, "Stupid question, right? Of course, you're not alright." He worked the bindings of her wrists loose as the girl's teary eyes worked hard to avoid his. "Why do you let him treat you this way?" He grabbed the clean shirt from the foot of the bed, he hadn't gotten a chance to put on when he'd heard her scream earlier. He tugged it over her head, covering the torn and tattered lace she wore. "Do you need anything?"

A sob broke free of her trembling lips as she shook her head. "You must not recognize me, do you?"

Ry nodded bringing her wide eyes up to meet his. "I know perfectly well who you are. I remember warning you against Russ several months ago. It was in your best interest then just like it is now. You should leave this palace and never look back."

More troubled sobs rattled her body. "I can't, he owns me!"

Ry frowned. "He doesn't own you. He'd willingly let you go without you even needing to ask."

She shook her head. "Not Russ... Fern..."

Ry's brows lifted in surprise and sudden understanding. "Gigi, what exactly is Fern forcing from you..." When she pulled her face free of his grip and bit painfully into her own lip, he turned her face back around to his. "You realize that's why we're here. To end the torment that man has inflicted on the people of this land." Watery eyes held his with contentment.

"And you think the new king will be any better than the current?! He's just as much of a monster!" She bit out as fresh tears streamed down her face. "I loved him once, you know... I thought he would make everything right... fix everything that had been broken... but he's no different."

The pain in her voice caused a stab in his own ċhėst. He pulled her against his ċhėst and rocked her as he stroked her hair soothingly. "Shhh... You're safe now. I ȧssure you; Russ is nothing like his uncle. He's just in a lot of pain himself right now."

She pushed against his hard, bȧrė ċhėst as she glared up into his eyes. "Nothing like him my ȧss! I saw the marks he'd left on HER, the pain he'd caused HER, the woman he'd spent most of his life pining for! You honestly believe someone who can treat someone they love so much the way he has her, could ever truly give a shit for anyone besides themselves?!"

Ry chuckled despite himself. "Fair point, but I also promise you there's far more to their relationship than he's told you. She could have stopped any of it at any time, unlike you..."

Tears burned her eyes once again. "I just wanted him to love me with even a fraction of the love he had for her..."

He pulled her back against his ċhėst and continued to rock her."Shh... I know the pain, but sometimes you have to know when to let go and walk away..."

She dug her fingers into the thick cords of muscle running along his ribcage as she let the massive man soothe her hurt. "I just want to feel loved... just once..."

"I know... it's all that any of us could want..." He brought both legs up onto the bed and pushed them both back toward the headboard. He slowly reclined against the pillows bringing her with him. He held her against him, letting her cry until she finally cried herself to sleep. He carefully maneuvered out from under her sleeping body without waking her. He tiptoed out of the room. He tapped lightly on the door across the hall, but when no answer came, he went ahead and pushed it open.

"Why bother knocking if you're just going to come in anyway?" Russ grumbled from the bed. "I would ask you to give me a minute to get dressed, but you probably like it better this way..."

Ry's eyes moved over Russ's outstretched body. He only wore a pair of tight, red, spandex boxer brɨėfs. His arms were rested behind his head facing away from the door. "I see no cause for complaint... but if you'd prefer to dress..."

He shrugged. "Do what you want, I don't care..."

"Is that why you attacked the girl? Because of what I did earlier?" Ry asked as he stepped closer to the bed and sat down at the foot, turning his attention away from Russ.

"Spsh... Don't flatter yourself... I gave her what she's been begging for the entire time she's been here..." The tone of his voice changed, taking on a fragment of regret. "Did I take it to fare this time... yea... But I couldn't help it..." His brows knitted together as his explanation sounded pathetic even to his own ears. "I couldn't stop thinking about all the pain that bitch has brought to everyone who knows her... how no matter how much pain she causes me, she's always back asking for more... wanting more... I wanted to hurt her as she has me... but she fuċkɨnġ enjoyed it... SHE FUCKING GOT OFF..." He shook his head. "Something in me snapped when I felt her ȯrġȧsm... I wanted her to suffer..."

Ry blew out a long breath. "Well, I think you accomplished that... You know it's your uncle forcing her to pursue you?"

Russ nodded. "Yeah, she's probably fuċkɨnġ him too..."

Ry nodded. "I'm sure she has... I'm also sure that was against her will and forced as well..."

Russ furrowed his brows in irritation as he sat up. "Are you trying to say I rȧpėd her?!"

Ry shrugged. "Might as well have. You took what little joy and pŀėȧsurė she could have gotten out of a forced situation and completely wrecked her..."

"She could have fuċkɨnġ said no at any point and I would have stopped!" Russ argued.

Ry arched a brow, moving his focus back around to Russ. "Would you? Could you have?" He lifted from the foot of the bed and moved closer to where Russ now sat. In a flash of his hand, he had Russ by the hair. He placed one knee on the bed as he pushed forward bringing his face level with Russ and held his gaze.

"What the fuċk, man! Let me go!" Russ growled as he struggled against the massive man's grip.

"I can't help it, I want you... I NEED you..." He searched Russ's eyes. "Isn't that what you told her, what you told Jos each and every time you hurt them?" He ran his free hand up the length of Russ's leg as the smaller man continued to struggle against his touch.

"STOP! Let go, damnit!" Russ called out, panic beginning to slip into his voice.

Ry frowned, sticking out his bottom lip slightly as he moved closer to Russ, moving his hand closer to the seam of the tiny red boxers. "But I want you. Isn't that enough? Aren't my needs more important?"

Russ shoved against the thick trunk-like arm that pressed his leg into the mattress. "Enough! You've made your point."

Ry tilted his head. "Have I?" He tugged the handful of blonde hair bringing Russ's face closer to his. "Or should I shove my own ċȯċk so far down your throat that you choke on my ċum?" He released Russ's leg and grabbed the hand that pushed against his arm and brought it to the tight bulge of his pants. "See? My need is there just as yours was... What's the difference? What should stop me from forcing my thick ċȯċk into your tight ȧss and fuċkɨnġ you till you tear and bleed?" Ry watched as the color drained from Russ's face. He narrowed his eyes as he shoved Russ against the bed and glared down at him. "That's what I thought..." He backed off the bed. "Thank of that the next time your entitled ȧss tries to force yourself onto a woman, willing or otherwise. Next time I may not be so nice."

Just then the door opened, and Poseidon stepped in, froze in his steps, backed out, then poked his head back into the room. "Yep, right room... So, maybe you two would like to explain what the hell is going on?" He threw up his hands. "Ya know what never mind! I'm pretty sure I don't want to know!"

Ry shot Russ a glare. "Simply teaching the kid a lesson..."

Poseidon eyed his son up and down. "Umhum... Looks like it was a hard lesson..." He tried to keep from laughing at his own joke. He shook his head. He stepped aside and glanced out the door. "So, um... the girl you carried into the other room earlier... did she learn the same hard lesson?"

Ry's eyes narrowed on Russ. "Yeah... just not from me..."

Poseidon shook his head. "And this is why your brother has always been sent when dealing with people... your people skills have always been... questionable..." His questioning gaze moved to Russ. "Was the lesson well received at least?"

Russ swallowed hard as he scurried to the floor and retrieved his pants as both Poseidon and Ry's eyes followed him. "I think he learned well enough, didn't you?" Ry didn't wait for an answer as he turned to his father. "What brings you by?"

Poseidon let out a sigh. "Peg just called. It would seem our friends have still not used their credit or debit cards... in fact, there hasn't been any activity within their bank accounts other than regular monthly automatic transactions."

Ry nodded. "I see. Has Peg been able to track down any proof of travel yet?"

Poseidon shook his head. "Nope, by all accounts, they never left the island... they never left this palace..."

Ry nodded again. "I'll see what I can find out here." He didn't send Russ a second glance as he strolled out of the room.

Poseidon watched as his son left, his focus moving from the heavy door as it shut to Russ. "I can only surmise your hard lesson involve that girl? You should know, regardless of how cold my sons may often seem they have a rather large soft spot for the fairer sėx... for anyone they feel has been mistreated, really... I suggest not falling on the wrong side of that soft spot or you may come to realize just how hard they can be as well. Your protection through the council and through me will only get you so far. Not even I could stand against them both if they set their minds to it."

Russ looked away in embarrassment but didn't say anything.

A faint huff of laughter rumbled Poseidon's ċhėst. "It's never fun realizing the pain you've caused to others." He said as he walked over and bent down beside Russ. He stroked the boy's face as he pulled away from him. A smile curved Poseidon's lips. "You still have so much to learn, my boy."

Russ glared at him. "I'm not your boy. You may have my sister eating out of your hand, but I know deep down you're no different than any of the other gods and your bastard children."

Poseidon nodded. "You may be right about that. There is much for me to gain my way of you and this shabby, flea-infested kingdom of yours... but not until it has a leader worthy of the hand of a god... You 'my boy' are not nearly there yet." He pushed up from his haunches and left Russ to wallow in whatever self-imposed despair he was currently working through as he made his way out of the room.