Chapter 2

He whimpered. He knew he’d be caught. He’d be taken to the nearest lock up and interrogated. Worse than that, when he got back home, probably sometime the following day, Tyler would be waiting for him. It wouldn’t matter that he’d been arrested—and for doing something at Tyler’s behest. Tyler would have more punishment in store for him.

He arrived at the service station and was pleased to see five cars parked at the petrol bowsers. A quick glance inside the shop showed him all might not be lost. He entered and noticed the attendant serving a customer. There was nothing in front of her on the counter so she was obviously paying for petrol. The transaction would be over by the time he got to the milk fridge.

With his heart racing, he opened the door and removed a one-litre carton. He closed the door quietly, then proceeded to browse the shelves, taking great care not to look at the attendant too many times for fear of arousing suspicion. He picked up a packet of biscuits and examined the packaging, too nervous to actually read anything.

He heard the glass doors at the entrance slide open and looked up. A man wearing a suit walked in, and as he approached the counter, Shane inched his way towards the exit. He had thought of trying to hide the milk, but knew well that the minute he got to the doors, the alarm would go off no matter where the milk was.

The attendant was at the cash register. It was now or never. As quick as a flash, Shane was out the door, sprinting towards the rear of the service station with the sound of alarms ringing in his ears. He disappeared into a back lane, hidden by shadows, and ran like the wind to the other end. Zigzagging back the way he had come, he finally arrived at the road that would take him home. And to sanctuary. From the police, at least.

He arrived, sweaty and panting. The muscles in his legs burned and his chest was tight as he bent forward, trying to catch his breath. His ankles were raw, a sticky mess from the bloody wounds; the pain cutting through every other discomfort. In the distance, he could hear the shrill wail of a police siren and knew they were coming for him. He pushed through the door, now more worried about what was waiting for him than what was happening at the service station.

“You took ya time,” Tyler growled, turning his attention from the television.

Shane wondered how he could have gone any faster, but was not in a position to protest. He removed his shoes and threw them into a corner, glimpsing the bloody red ovals on the back of each ankle as he did so.

“Do you want me to make you a cup of tea?”

Tyler looked at him, the hint of a smile on his face. “Nah. I’ve changed my mind.” He returned his eyes to the television. “You took too bloody long.”

It was as though someone had suddenly let all the air out of him, and for a moment, he was powerless to move. Tears threatened, but didn’t eventuate.

When he was able, he put the milk in the fridge and went to the bathroom. After removing his clothes, he stepped beneath a warm shower and thought about the crime he had committed for Tyler. They hardly ever went to the Caltex service station, but as it was in the area, he’d have to be careful not to go anywhere near it. He knew they’d have his image, a still taken from the security cameras, stuck up in the store for months to come. He’d seen the small gallery of past offenders on a previous visit.

After drying himself, he went to bed and tried to fall asleep, though his guilty conscience pricked him and kept him thinking about what could have happened. Of what might still happen.

Sometime later, Tyler climbed into bed. “You awake?”

Shane didn’t answer.

He felt Tyler kiss the back of his neck, felt his hard cock poking into the flesh of his buttocks. He stirred, pretending as though Tyler’s attentions had roused him.

“You awake?” Tyler asked again.

“Yes.”

Tyler reached around and grabbed his cock, which was limp and showed no signs of becoming anything else.

“Where’s the lube?”

In the drawer of his bedside table, Shane felt about in the darkness for the plastic tube, and having located it, handed it to Tyler. He heard the lid flick open and a rude sound as the gel was expelled, some of which was wiped over his arsehole and the rest, he assumed, over Tyler’s cock.

As Tyler pushed his way inside him, Shane felt Tyler’s lips on his neck and shoulders. He could be surprisingly tender when he wanted to be. And Shane had to admit that, at times, Tyler still had the power to turn him on. There was nothing romantic about it. It was lust, pure and simple. A need that was being satisfied.