This time when Justin lowered his hand Joshua stayed perfectly still. His panicked eyes shot to the ceiling as the trapdoor opened and the head and shoulders of Joey poked through.
“What kept you? We thought maybe JC was kicking your ass.”
Justin looked up at the Italian and gave him the finger. “He was spooked that’s all. You would have been too.”
“Well let’s get him out of here.” He reached down offering his arm.
“We’re here to help you JC.” Justin linked his fingers together and squatted down. JC looked at the offered boost, then up at the smiling bearded face of Joey and then at the control panel. He gave a pathetic whimper and put his bare foot in Justin’s hands, reaching up and grasping Joey around his wrist. Joey then helped Justin to the roof of the elevator.
“Check those buckles are secure.” Justin said as Joey tied the harness around JC’s slim hips.
“I’m climbing back up to help Chris pull him up. We’ll drop the harness back down for you if you like.”
Justin shook his head, “nah I can make it, it’s only one flight.”
JC was greeted by Joey’s smiling face as his head cleared the elevator shaft. Chris offered his hand, hesitating slightly the whore took it. Justin’s curly head bobbed up just behind him as he pulled himself into the maintenance room. “JC, this is Chris and Joey. My name is Justin. James asked us to help you.”
“ We will explain everything I promise but right now we need to get out of here before anyone notices you are not back in your room.” Chris wound the harness up and shoved it in his small holdall. Joey had opened the fire escape and was lowering the ladder to the next level.
The whore shuffled from foot to foot, his arms wrapped around himself and his head down. “Justin are you coming?” Chris asked. “What are you doing?”
The blond was stripping off his pants. “We can’t take him out like that.” He threw his jeans at the naked man. “Put those on. Joe give me your shirt.”
“What!”
“Your shirt Joe, you have a wifebeater on me and Chris don’t.” the big man slipped off his over shirt and Justin gave it to JC.
“Now I’m coming.” he took the slim brunette by the arm and guided him to the ladder. They descended together Chris in the lead followed by JC with Justin and Joey bringing up the rear.
“Casually guys.” Chris muttered as the almost sauntered at a lazy pace across the parking lot to where Joey’s truck was parked. Justin held the door for JC.
The prostitute yelped as his ass touched the hard seat. “Jace are you ok?” Justin’s concern stabbed at Joshua’s heart and he nodded trying to sit in the car without actually sitting on his bruised backside. Justin slid onto the seat next to him. Noticing his discomfort he put his arm around the fragile man. “Put your legs up, you can use me as a pillow.” Not saying a word Joshua shifted onto his side and placed his head on Justin’s lap.
~*~
James had just got out of the shower when there was a knock on his door. “You are early sugar.” He staggered back falling on his ass a hand struck his shoulder.
“Where is he whore?”
James pushed back with his feet, trying to escape the wrath of the man towering over him.
“GET OUT.” he screamed. Johnson fisted his hair and dragged him across the room slinging him against the wall.
“I asked you a question slut. Where is he?”
“”I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Liar!”
Johnson’s fist slammed into James’ nose sending him reeling over the small casual table. Immediately he was seized by his hair again and punched twice more, once in his eye and the other in his nose. “My - my client will be here any time now -please”
Johnson’s fist hit him again, knocking out two of his teeth. “I’m going to ask you once more. Where is JC?”
James shook his head. “I - I don’t - know.” he cried out as he was kicked in his gut. His head exploded as it was slammed into the floor. Crying with fear and pain he crawled towards the panic button that was in every room. He reached out striking it as his foot was grabbed and he was dragged back and flipped onto his back.
“Lying whore! I’m going to teach you what I do to sluts like you.” Johnson’s foot connected with James’ face and the pain stopped.
~*~
Sitting alone on the bathroom floor Joshua fumbled with a bunch of Allen keys. One by one he tried them in the head of the bolts for size. His hands were shaking and the key slipped out again and he cried out with grief and frustration. The barrier he had erected for over a year came crashing down, and the flood of tears that he had been holding back for so long cascaded down his face.
Hearing his pained cry Justin charged into the bathroom finding the distraught man sitting with legs akimbo, trying unsuccessfully to remove the hated chastity device.
“JC.”
“It won’t come off.” JC sobbed, they were the first words he had spoken to Justin, and they broke the bolndes heart. “It won’t come off,” JC cried again, his voice trembling and hitching with the tears that continued to fall. “Take it off - take it off please it won’t come off.”
Justin pulled Joshua into his body, offering comfort to the distressed brunette. He rubbed small circles on his back and whispered soothing words softly in his ear as Joshua cried pitifully into his shoulder. “Won’t come off, why won’t it come off?”
“It’s going to be alright sweetheart. I can do it for you, will you let me?” Joshua shuddered as a sob racked his slim frame. He handed over the Keys, shivering from a mixture of grief and fear. Gently Justin lifted the steel encased cock and tried key after key till he found the one that was the right size. He could understand why Joshua had panicked, the bolts had been over tightened, it took all his strength and leverage to get the first one to turn. He loosened each bolt in turn until they were all loose. Then one by one he took the steel rings off until he held Joshua’s naked cock in his hands. The whore started to cry anew. His penis was raw and inflamed and very obviously painful.
The blond man cradled Joshua’s genitals in his hands, blowing gently on the chafed skin. “I’ll get some ointment.” He got up and went to the medicine cabinet, rummaging around till he found what he was looking for. He went back to where Joshua was curled up tight tears still running freely down his cheeks. “Do you want to, or should I?”
Joshua looked up with bloodshot puffy eyes. He took the offered cream, dropping it as he trembled violently.
“I’ll do it.” The blond squeezed a little of the ointment on to his fingers and gently taking the raw penis in his hand smoothed it over the skin, keeping his eyes on his hands.
A small gasp made him look up and he met Joshua’s eyes, blue and liquid.
“How does that feel?” Justin’s voice lowered even more and he licked his lips. “Will you be okay now?” Justin’s thumb rubbed sensuously over the spongy head of Joshua’s cock.
“Hold me - please.” Justin held his arms wide open and the brunette crawled into them. “Don’t leave me alone Justin please. I’m so scared - scared that he’s going to find me. He’s evil, he won’t stop till he owns me.”
“You’re safe with me.”
“Am I?” Joshua looked up into his saviour’s eyes once more. They moved in slow motion, closing the space between them until their lips met. Joshua’s let his mouth open, inviting Justin in. Groaning the blond took full advantage, joining in the duelling game with Joshua’s tongue.
They broke from each other. “You okay with this?” Justin asked softly.
“I think so. I don’t know. I’m frightened.”
“That I’ll hurt you?”
JC nodded, his eyes filling with tears again. “I swore that I wouldn’t cry, that I would never cry again.”
“I’ll never make you cry JC.” They laced their fingers together and Joshua rested his head on Justin’s chest, sighing at the sound of Justin’s steady heart beat.
“JC.”
The brunette peered up.
“What does JC stand for?”
“Joshua Chasez.”
“That’s pretty, sounds French.” Justin pulled Joshua’s head back to his chest and played with this curls. “Can I call you Josh?”
“I’d like that.”
There was a small tap at the door. “Justin could you come out here please?” Chris’ voice sounded strained and Joshua clung to Justin fearfully.
“Has he found me?”
“It’s okay. Get dressed sweetheart, I’ll see what Chris wants.” The blond disentangled himself from the tearful man and went into the motel bedroom that the four of them were sharing. “ What’s up?” Joey sat on the bed staring out of the window and Chris was red eyed as if he had been crying.
“Johnson has been arrested,” Chris said.
Justin breathed with relief, “well that’s good isn’t it?”
Joey turned to face him, tears running down his face. “Lance is dead. It was on the news. Johnson beat him to death.” The big man buried his face in his hands ands sobbed for the sweet southern man that had risked everything to help another.
Justin staggered back. “It’s a mistake. It has to be a mistake. Not Lance.” A strangled cry ripped through the room and Justin threw himself at Joshua, who had fallen to his knees and was sobbing uncontrollably.
“It’s my fault. It’s all my fault, if he hadn’t tried to help me.”
Justin stroked Joshua’s hair, his own face streaked with tears. “No baby. It’s not, we should have made him come with us, we should have known that Johnson would try something.”
Joshua looked up, “why Justin, why?”
“He was a good person. Bad things happen to good people all the time angel.”
The slender brunette wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. “ Chris.”
“Yes JC?”
“ I want to testify, want him to pay for what he did to James - Lance. I don’t want Johnson to get away with it just because Lance was a working boy.”
“Are you sure baby? It would mean you standing up and telling a room full of strangers exactly what he did to you.” Justin hugged the former prostitute, concerned for his well-being.
“I have to Justin. Lance died to save me. How can I not make sure his killer is punished?”
Chris picked up the phone. “ I’ll phone my office, find out who the prosecutor is.”