Pull Me In

The answer was no, Zack had no one to go back to if I had ever left. His parents had disowned him when he had come out as bisexual to him so many years ago. And the only friends he had had either been killed by Matt, or Johnny. It made me wonder why he hadn't left when he still had a chance, before Matt could do anymore damage to him. What would have happened if he hadn't of heard about me? Would I still be working at the brothel? Most likely, no one was very willing to hire a whore. But Zack, what would have happened to him? Would he have gone to find someone to fill the void he felt so deep inside? It hurt to think about Zack being with someone else, even if it wouldn't of caused him as much trouble. Matt would've probably talked highly about me to someone worse, someone who wasn't Zack.

“Zack, I am never going to leave you” I cupped his face and looked deep into his eyes, I was determined to bring life back into them.
“Everyone leaves me Brian, everyone” Zack held his hands over mine and frowned, his eyes welled up with tears.
“I love you, okay? I love you too much to leave you behind” I yelled, Zack's eyes were wide as he stared back at me, I was in love with a man who abused me for fun, for his sick pleasure. And yet, I liked it.
“Oh Brian, I love you too” Zack pressed his lips roughly against mine as tears slipped down his cheeks.

I moved my lips against his and gasped as a sudden burning pain erupted in my stomach, what the hell happened? When I pulled away to look down where the pain was coming from I saw a knife, a switchblade to be more correct sticking out from me. Zack had stabbed me? I held the handle of the blade and fell to my knees, this couldn't be happening to me right now, I had to be dreaming.

“So sorry it had to happen this way Bri, but you underestimated me too early on” Zack pulled the blade out and pushed my chest so I landed back onto the kitchen floor, blood staining my shirt quickly.
“Why are you doing this?” I clenched my stomach tight and groaned in pain, I needed to get to my phone and call Jimmy, or someone that could help me.
“Because I don't settle down with weak men like you, I deserve better” Zack pressed his heel against the wound and laughed at my pained scream. Where was the man that would cuddle me if he got too tired to move at night? Or the one who actually fucking cared about me?!

I listened as Zack left the house, he took ichabod with him as well. It was now or never. I pulled myself up slowly and winced, the pain was worse than anything I could imagine. Where had he even stabbed my anyway? No time to think about something like that, I needed to call Jimmy so he could come and get me before someone worse came by. I dialed his number quickly and bit my lip roughly as blood seeped out and dripped from my fingers, I had to be making the wound worse the more I moved.

“Brian! Hey man listen, I'm at work so I can't really talk right now” Jimmy whispered into the phone, oh god I couldn't have him hang up.
“Jim! Please help me!” My vision was beginning to blur, I had to stay awake, I needed to.
“Brian what's wrong? Are you hurt?” Jimmy's voice sounded louder suddenly, I could only hope he was on his way.
“Zack..stabbed...me” I dropped the phone as consciousness slipped from my body and I hit the floor.

I woke up to a blinding light, and a room that smelled too sterile. I had to of been inside a hospital, no other place would smell like this. I glanced down at the end of my bed and saw Jimmy asleep, at least he stayed by my side. Unfortunately I turned my head and saw someone I hadn't expected to see, Johnny. He was staring at Jimmy with an emotion I couldn't quite figure out, I wanted to talk to him but I was afraid to even move.

“He stayed up all night because he was afraid you weren't going to make it, Zack had stabbed you with a tainted blade” Johnny glanced over to where I was lying and frowned, his eyes were bloodshot and tired.
“I don't understand, a tainted blade?” I always knew Zack to be too paranoid, but this was on a whole other level.
“He covers them in different solutions, some can kill a person within a minute, others can paralyze the person for hours at a time, but I don't think he used any of those on you” Johnny clenched his hands into fists and sneered, I don't think I had ever seen him angry before, it was terrifying.
“Things seemed alright between us, until today of course” I lifted my gown slightly and frowned at the large dressing covering most of my side. Johnny wasn't kidding.
“Zack wanted to hurt you, but he didn't want to kill you. He knows you won't run around telling everyone who he is, even though you should so he can finally be taken down” I shook my head, I couldn't have Zack murdered, he'd find out before I even had the chance and he'd have me murdered himself.
“I know, and I already know that Jimmy will most likely ask if you'd like to stay with us but you don't really have a choice. He moved most of your stuff in already, along with your little puppy” Johnny smiled a little as I let out the breath I was holding, I was afraid Zack had gotten rid of her.

The doctor came in to check how I was feeling, checked my wound which was a lovely shade of purple and informed me that I would be able to leave by the morning. I couldn't ask if Johnny or Jimmy would be able to stay, they had their own lives to tend to, but I was terrified Zack would come back to finish the job he had started. Johnny to my surprise, refused to leave, saying that I would need assistance if I were to shower or use the bathroom. It felt a little better knowing that he didn't want to murder me so quickly.

“God I am starving right now” I groaned and held my side lightly
“I can go and get something to eat, I'm sure Jimmy will be hungry once he wakes up” Johnny stood up from the chair he was in and walked over to me.
“Oh I couldn't make you do that, I'm sure he'd want you here when he wakes up from his nap” I looked down at Jimmy who was still sleeping, it made me wonder how long I had been out.
“Zack started asking where you ran off to, I had to come up with a pretty convincing lie to get him off your trail, he tends to have eyes everywhere” Johnny's eyes glanced to the door and back down to Jimmy, a deep frown set on his lips.
“You really don't have to help me, I can find somewhere else to go so you guys aren't in danger” I had some friends out east, I wonder if they still remembered me.

Johnny frowned and shook his head slowly, I opened my mouth to object and shut it quickly. Zack would never stop looking for me, it was like a sick game of cat and mouse, and it wouldn't end until I was dead. I just couldn't put anyone else in danger. If he really wanted to kill me, he knew where to find me. Johnny left after we decided on where to get food from, Jimmy roused not too long after, his hair stuck straight up on one side.

“Yes I'm alright, but please do not hug me or else I will rip my stitches” I held my hands out to Jimmy, he tended to get emotional and hug me to death if something ever happened.
“Johnny told me everything, Zack wasn't your boyfriend at all. He bought you like a slave and treated you like one until he got bored, except I know you aren't like that at all” Jimmy frowned and sat back in the chair that he had spent the last few hours sleeping in.
“Things weren't always bad, but I fell in too deep and didn't realize it until I was too late” I sighed and rubbed my face, the IV's in my arm pulling against my skin.
“We won't let him get close to you ever again, you deserve better anyway” Jimmy said with a smile, it was infectious.

I could feel like this was a bad idea, staying with my best friend who was dating an enemy of Zack's, it just all sounded too horrible. Zack would kill without a second thought, once a hit was put out on me, he wouldn't rest until I was dead. And if it wasn't me he was after he'd go for Johnny, or even worse Jimmy. I couldn't let either of them get hurt because Zack refused to let people in, he had to have feelings somewhere deep inside his cold dead heart. Then again it could be kind of fun, getting to actually spend time with Jimmy after so long, I would just have to keep my distance from Johnny. That couldn't be too difficult.

~~~~~

It had been a few months since the incident between Zack and I, luckily he seemed to drop off the face of the earth, not even Matt had heard from him. I still had my guard up whenever I left the house, just because Zack was nowhere to be found still didn't mean he wasn't ready to pounce whenever he got the chance. Jimmy was ecstatic to have me living with them, Johnny was definitely apprehensive and nervous about the whole ordeal. Jim had been lucky enough to land me a job at the bar he worked at, I mostly just cleaned up and made sure the bottles were replaced when one was empty, but it paid the bills. I was able to even buy myself a car, it was a shitty one, but a car nonetheless.

“Oh look Brian, Matt came back to see you” Jimmy smirked and poured a drink for the person in front of him. Matt had been trying to hit on me for months, it was as if he was acting like a complete psycho just to piss Zack off, I wasn't turned off by the attention, just a little worried.
“Shut up, I'm sure he's meeting someone” I wiped down the bar top that wasn't being occupied by people and blushed as Matt sat directly in front of me. Goddamn that man.
“Come dance with me” His words caught me off guard, he normally just used really cheesy pickup lines to try and get into my pants.
“I'm working, I can't just-”
“Brian would love to dance!” Jim practically ripped the cloth from my hands and shoved me out from behind the bar.

Matt laughed and grabbed my waist gently, at least he wasn't going to try and hurt me like he had before. Then again I was with Zack, and that definitely played a part in all of that. He lead us onto the small dance floor, our hips pressed flush together, it had been so long since I had been touched like this. His hands were wrapped around my waist as we danced, I could feel his breath against my chin as he panted the closer we got. God he was sexier than I remembered, I wasn't even thinking about Zack at that point.

“Go on a date with me?” Matt's words were right next to my ear, and how could I deny him?
“Yes” I needed to move on anyway.

What could possibly go wrong?