I held up my hands and let out a loud breath that I didn't know I was even holding, "I can't do this right now Spike, I have my reasons but please don't ask me to explain."
Spike nodded slowly clearly assessing the situation, "Where should I say you've gone when Hound or Duke ask?"
I swallowed hard, "You haven't seen me, I'll explain everything to them when the time is right but I just can't do that now."
"Okay," Spike stepped aside allowing me the room needed to go on my way. I gave him a brief smile as I passed, my walk turned into a jog and then my jog turned into a run and before I knew it, I was sprinting. I didn't know where I was heading but at this very moment I didn't care, I just knew that I needed to create some distance, as much distance as possible from the man who had abused me.
Chapter 2
Cade
"I'm trying to sleep, leave me alone," I grabbed the duvet and pulled it tightly around my body as I rolled onto my side. It had taken me a while to drift off this evening and there was no way that I was now engaging in conversation.
I felt the hand return as it gripped my shoulder tightly and shook me back and forth, "Mr Mulligan wants to see you."
I lifted my head slightly from the pillow and tried to focus on the young lad through my squinted eyes, "It's the middle of the freaking night, why would Mr Mulligan want to see me now?"
Timmy shrugged, "I don't know he was quite insistent. Said I had to get you and Thomas and then he'll give me a pass so that I can go into town tomorrow."
I rolled my eyes, "And what do I get out of all this?" I stated sarcastically. I shook my head at Timmy's confused expression, and brushed his hand from my shoulder as I sat and swung my legs from the bed. "Where is he?" I asked with the hump.
"In the staff quarters, I've woke Thomas and he's headed down there already."
I let out a loud sigh and stretched having been woken from a deep sleep but I was suddenly wide awake through intrigue. I had heard stories of parties in the staff quarters since I'd been here. Whispers from some of the older children had stated that they'd had alcohol, takeaways and fags but I didn't know whether it was true. Kids liked to talk and exaggerate the truth to make themselves more popular but I chose to be a little more reserved, to keep my head down and not draw attention to myself. It had worked for the majority of my time here, only encountering a couple of scuffles with other kids as they jostled for position in the pecking order of the children's home but I wasn't bothered with all that. I was here counting down the days until I was sixteen and then I could leave, start a fresh and that's when I could start to live my life how it should be. I think that's why I got on with Thomas so well. He had a similar background to me, we'd both suffered neglect from our parents and we ended up in this home within a week of each other. We sort of figured everything out together as we went along and become lifelong friends with the addition of our third amigo Jazz.
"Okay I'm up, tell him I won't be long." Timmy nodded enthusiastically, I didn't know how he had so much energy this late at night or was it early in the morning? I stretched to reach for my watch on the bedside cabinet. 11.45pm, I'd been in bed for nearly two hours this evening and must've slept quite heavily. I stood and strolled over to the seat in the corner of the room where I'd thrown my t-shirt before getting into bed. It had become chilly so I hurried to cover my bare chest. I turned my t-shirt in the correct way and pulled it over my head before placing my arms through the holes. The cold material sent a shiver through me, I quickly ran my hands up and down the tops of my arms trying to get some warmth inside and inwardly groaned, why couldn't I still be snuggled in bed?
I slowly made my way down the landing towards the stairs and could hear music faintly in the distance. The staff were probably having a party, it was Friday evening after all and I felt sorry for them in a way as a large proportion of the staff stayed on site over night to look after all of the children in their care. Not that there were many issues, a few of the older children kicked off at times but overall it wasn't such a bad place to live.
This children's home was much better than the one I had stayed in previously. There were some horrible members of staff at Giddings House, they would hit and do whatever they wanted to the children for their own sick gratification. Many complaints were made about the staff and the home was eventually shut down, that's why I ended up here at Sunnydale.
The staff here were kind, I knew it was their job and they were paid to look after us but it didn't allow them to have much of a social life outside of work. I think that's why everyone turned a blind eye to the goings on at night, things round here weren't perfect but it was home for the foreseeable future and I had never once been hungry or hurt.
"Nice of you to join us this evening Cade," Mr Mulligan greeted me as I nervously walked into the room. I had never been in the staff living quarters before and saw it as a privilege although it felt a little strange by being here.
There were three sofas positioned around the large room and a coffee table in a central position that was covered in beer cans and pizza boxes. The room smelt of what I can only imagine as weed, it was very potent but the smell grew on me the longer I stood here. The curtains to the large window at the back of the property were drawn and to the right of the window was a huge flat screen TV attached to the wall. I blushed as I noticed the large breasted brunette, riding a man's cock and quickly looked away from the screen. I obviously knew about sex, we'd covered the reproduction systems at school and I'd sneaked a peek at the porno Dan had hidden under his mattress. As for watching porn, I was only twelve and it just wasn't the sort of thing I was in to. Some staff members at Giddings House had made us watch porn but they were memories that I had locked away and classed them all as bad dreams.
"Ah there's no need to be embarrassed Cade, we're all men here." I felt something cold on my forearm and turned to see Mr Mulligan holding out a bottle of Budweiser. I looked at him hesitantly, I didn't know whether I was being tested and would then be punished for accepting the offering so I refrained from taking it.
Mr Mulligan smiled, "Cade, we're just hanging out tonight. There's pizza in the box if you want it, you can have a few beers and a smoke if you want to try it. No pressure from me and Oz but we thought you boys may want to hang out with us this evening for a change." Mr Mulligan glanced in the direction of the sofa and for the first time I noticed Thomas sitting happily next to a portly middle aged man with a dodgy moustache. Thomas smiled and took a sip of his beer, which made me relax slightly. I returned my attention to Mr Mulligan and happily accepted the cold beer, he quickly smiled and guided me towards the sofa opposite the TV.
"So how are you finding things Cade? We haven't had a proper chat in a while." Mr Mulligan grabbed a cushion and propped it behind his back, positioning his body so that he was facing me comfortably on the sofa.
I took a quick swig of my beer and held it by the neck of the bottle. "No we haven't Mr Mulligan," I replied nervously.
He laughed, "Oh please don't call me Mr Mulligan when we're in my living quarters. Stew is sufficient when we're in here."
I took another sip of my beer and found that it was going down quite easily. I could get used to drinking Budweiser, it was much tastier than other alcoholic drinks I had tried in the past.
"So how long have you been here now Cade, two possibly three years?"
"Three years and two months, I was at Giddings House before I came here." Stew's eyes lit up for a reason unbeknown to me.
"Giddings House, I know Mr Hastings who worked there before it closed." He rubbed his chin deep in thought before returning his attention to me. "Drink up there's plenty more booze in the fridge."
I smiled politely and took another swig of my beer, Stew immediately reached over and held the bottle so I couldn't lower it from my lips encouraging me to drink more.
"Come on young man, you can take more than that," I gulped down the cold liquid and heard the man on the other sofa with Thomas laugh as I quickly swallowed
all of the liquid until I'd emptied the bottle.
"Well done Cade, I knew you could do it." Stew beamed with delight as he took the bottle from me and stood. "I'll get you another one." I was about to decline but he was already half way across the living room.
I took this opportunity to look around the room and noticed that Thomas was now smoking a splif. I rolled my eyes at the sight and made eye contact with him. He held out the joint, "Do you want some?"
I shook my head laughing at the situation, "No thanks, you'll regret that in the morning."
Thomas smiled, "Don't knock it until you've tried it."
"That's the spirit," the portly man stated holding up a small clear packet. "Only the best for you boys," he winked, which made me feel a little uncomfortable and I quickly settled back down into the sofa.
I felt a little woozy from the beer I'd just had. I wasn't sure how beer was supposed to affect the body and mind but I was feeling a little light headed. The volume on the TV was loud and the noises the lady was making caught my attention. She was straddling one man taking him fully in her vagina and there was another man lining up to take her in the other hole.
Stew must've seen my reaction, "Don't look so alarmed Cade, fucking is the most natural thing in the world." He passed me an opened bottle of Budweiser and I happily took a swig trying to distract myself from what was playing on the TV. Although I was a little disturbed by what she could take, I was also intrigued by how much she was enjoying herself.
I shuffled in my seat trying to get comfortable and felt the redness on my cheeks build as the sexual noises got louder. This felt a little weird watching porn with my carer and I could feel myself getting embarrassed as the sight made me aroused. I quickly took another sip of my beer to distract myself from the situation.
"That's a good boy, drink up." Stew smiled and leaned over to pat my knee but rather than removing his hand, he kept it there. I looked at him confused but he simply gave it a quick squeeze before returning his gaze towards the screen.
A loud noise grabbed my attention, I quickly turned to see Thomas trying to stand with the aid of the man he was sitting with earlier. He laughed as he held Thomas in his arms, "Oops, I think this little man has had too much to drink. Am I okay to lay him on your bed to sleep it off?"
I turned my head to look at Stew and was surprised by how slow my reactions were and just how blurry things had now become in such a short period of time.
"Yeah, you can take him in mine." I sensed humour in his voice but I wasn't sure as I was feeling a little strange.
The man wrapped his arms around Thomas' waist and held him firmly against his chest, he was a dead weight in his arms but he managed to carry him towards the door in the far corner of the room.
I wasn't sure how much Thomas had drunk and assumed it was the weed that he'd smoked as well that had caused him to become so lethargic. He would regret it in the morning and most certainly have a hangover.
"How you feeling little man?" I glanced at Stew and smiled, it was as if I were in a dream like state.
"I think you've had enough of this," he leaned towards me and took the bottle of beer from my grasp. I wasn't going to argue with him, for one I didn't have the energy to move much and I had started to feel a little sleepy.
I tried to shuffle from the sofa, I had the urge to get into my bed and yawned in the process.
"Whoa, where you going little man?" I glanced at Stew. He placed both hands firmly on my upper arms and pushed me down to the sofa, I slowly lifted my legs and settled them so I was now laying comfortably not caring that I was relaxing in Mr Mulligan's living room.
I closed my eyes and felt a soft hand stroke the side of my face, starting in my hairline and working its way down slowly towards my chin. I smiled at the warm touch and remembered a happier time when my mum had done this to me as a young child.
"Hmmmm, do you like that," a voice asked.
I simply nodded and snuggled further into the cushions. The hand continued to stroke my face but I felt another hand place lightly onto my stomach. It touched my naked skin as my t-shirt must have risen, as I lay relaxed on the sofa. The hand stroked and caressed this area before I felt some tugging on the drawstring of my pyjama bottoms. I tried to open my eyes but the alcohol that I had consumed had made me drowsy so I was unable to. I felt the hand enter my pyjamas and stroke the area working its way down through my pubic hair and towards my now semi erect penis. I knew what was happening and although aroused from watching the porn earlier, I knew this was wrong and wanted it to stop but I was powerless to do anything. I tried again to open my eyes, my heart rate was racing and I could hear the noises coming from the TV as the lady howled with delight.
At that very moment, my balls were cupped hard and my pyjamas were pulled down slightly that a shot of cold air swirled around my genitals. I could hear shuffling and before I knew it, a hand was firmly around my penis, moving my foreskin up and down several times until something warm and wet touched the tip. This onslaught continued as the sound of the woman getting her own pleasure rang in my ears, the movement became faster and teeth grazed my skin. I had the burning desire to get up, get up and run but my body wouldn't allow me. The pace quickened, I was bitten, the pain was excruciating but it was as if this was all happening to someone else and I was just a bystander. I felt flushed one minute and cold the other, a thousand different emotions passed through my body but I couldn't hold back any longer and eventually passed out.
I slowly raised my hand and held my head, I hadn't yet opened my eyes to check my surroundings or possible injuries but knew that I was in a lot of pain. I managed to peer through the tiniest of slits to see that I was lying in my own bed and breathed a sigh of relief. I moved my hand from my head to my eyes and rubbed them hoping to wake myself up properly and hopefully start to piece together last night events.
I slowly sat up and peeled back the covers, I was fully clothed which I was thankful for but somehow felt exposed. I shuffled to the edge of the bed and slowly swung my legs to place them onto the floor. My lower back and arse cheeks were hurting, I needed to stand and walk about because I felt stiff. As I stood, I groaned as my body ached from head to toe. Moving my shoulders in a circular motion I made my way to the full length mirror positioned by the door and lifted up my t-shirt to check my back.
"What the actually fuck?" I said aloud as I couldn't believe my eyes. Bite marks covered the lower half of my body and they hurt, I ran my hand slowly over the area and shuddered at the pain. What the fuck did they do to me? I tried to rack my brains but I kept firing blanks, surely, they hadn't subjected me to a beating or even worse, rape?
I placed my hand on my throat, it was hurting and felt dry. I needed some water to lubricate myself and knew that I needed to go to the bathroom, as I didn't want to risk going to the kitchen and bumping into Stew. I gingerly opened the door and peeked through the gap into the corridor, glancing in both directions to make sure that the coast was clear before walking out onto the landing.
"Why are you acting strangely?" her question startled me at first but I physically relaxed when I realised it was Jazz.
"Not strangely, I'm just feeling a little under the weather and need a quick drink." I crossed the landing towards the bathroom and raised my hand to open the door.
"Well good luck with that Cade, Thomas has been in there for well over an hour. He must be in a mood coz he's not even answering the door now."
I looked back at her confused, "What do you mean?"
"He looked unwell too this morning and hobbled into the bathroom but hasn't emerged since." Jazz folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes at her own statement.
"And you didn't think to tell anyone you silly bitch!" It wasn't Jazz's fault but I needed to vent.
"Oi less of the silly bitch, he probably just needs a shit and a bath. Leave the poor boy alone."
I knocked on the door, "Thomas it's Cade open up." I placed my ear against the door and listened hard hop
ing to hear him move around at least. I could hear water running but no splashing or movement of any kind. I knocked again, "Thomas, there's a queue forming out here for the bathroom mate so you need to speed it up." I pressed the side of my head firmly to the door again to see if I could hear anything but there was nothing.
"Okay mate but I'm gonna have to break down the door then and you know how angry Mrs Wright will get."
I stepped back and the flooring beneath me made a squelching sound. I glanced down and that's when I noticed the water flowing from beneath the door.
"FUCK!"
I stepped back and kicked the wooden door but it didn't have the desired effect. I did the same movement repeatedly but the door wasn't budging. The noise had woke some of the other children and intrigued by the noise they'd made their way onto the landing.
I glanced over my shoulder, "Mickey, I think Thomas is in trouble. We need to get in there." Mickey nodded and without hesitation raised his leg and kicked the door. This time it shook, he was one of the older kids in the home and had more strength than I had. He stepped back and kicked repeatedly at the lock and the door eventually gave way allowing me to gain access.
I ran into the bathroom splashing water up my pyjama bottoms in the process and leaned across the bath to turn off the taps. Looking down I noticed that the water was scarlet and feared turning around to see what may face me at the other end of the bath but I didn't have too.
"Cade move out of the way," I turned to see Mrs Wright making a fuss as she moved children out of her way before turning her attention to me. She shooed me with her hand and pulled back the shower curtain, "Oh my fucking god!"
The children gasped, Mrs Wright was every inch a lady and never cursed but her words were the only way she could express what she'd just seen.
I glanced around Mrs Wright as she stood in shock, Thomas had slashed both wrists with a razor blade and was most certainly dead by the colouring of his skin. I didn't know what to do, my head was telling me to pull him from the tub and call an ambulance but my body wouldn't move, I stood helpless knowing that no matter what I did the outcome would still be the same, Thomas was dead.
Cade (Aces MC Series Book 5.5) Page 2
