Nero moved his face toward Milo’s, his intent clear. He wanted to reclaim him, to mark him in front of everyone. Milo squeezed his eyes shut, his hands curling into fists against the wall. He felt the heat of Nero’s breath on his lips.

"Please," Milo begged.

"Open your eyes, Milo," Nero commanded. "Look at me while I remind you who you belong to."

Milo opened his eyes, but he wasn’t looking at Nero. He was looking past him, toward the elevator at the end of the hall.

He saw the doors beginning to slide open. He prayed for Salvatore to appear, for anyone to break the suffocating hold Nero had on him.

Nero didn’t care who was watching. He leaned in, his lips brushing against Milo’s.

"You’re coming home soon," Nero whispered against his mouth. "And when you do, I’m going to make sure you never have the strength to run again."

Nero pressed his mouth against Milo’s in a hard, possessive kiss. It wasn’t an act of affection, it was a physical claim.

Milo felt the air leave his lungs, his stomach churning with a violent revulsion.

Be brave. If you can’t get rid of him, you will always live in fear.

Salvatore’s voice echoed in his head.

And from some unknown source of strength, he shoved Nero’s body hard, sending the man stumbling backward.

Nero seemed too shocked, but he tried to compose himself. How dare Milo push him?

"Please, don’t touch me!" snapped Milo, his voice trembling.

Nero laughed. For the first time, he felt humiliated in public by Milo, his toy.

"My sweet boy, you seem to have forgotten your place. But don’t worry, I’ll always be here to remind you." Nero signaled Sean to move.

But before Sean could do anything, the door opened. It seemed to be break time, as many staff members brought carts full of food inside.

The guards stood by as their bosses, some of them stepped out of the room to get some fresh air.

Sean used that moment to grab Milo and drag him quickly.

The side corridor was empty. The carpet muffled the sound of their footsteps. Sean steered him through a door and into a bathroom that was large and clean.

There was a marble counter, mirrors, and a small seating area near the far wall.

Milo was trembling violently. Once inside, he pressed himself against the wall. He grabbed his pistol.

But Sean anticipated his move and pinned his hands behind his back, stripping the gun from him as it fell to the floor.

Milo screamed, "No!!"

His gun!

Nero followed them inside, locked the door, then picked up the gun from the floor.

He chuckled. "So now my Milo knows how to hold a gun?"

Milo was shaking violently and screamed, "Let me go!"

Sean’s grip on Milo’s wrists was like iron. He held Milo’s arms behind his back, forcing him into a painful arch.

Milo struggled, his feet scraping and kicking, but the larger man’s weight made it impossible to move.

Nero stood a few feet away, holding Milo’s black pistol. He turned the weapon over in his hands, looking at it with a strange, detached curiosity. He set it down on the counter with a soft clack and stepped closer.

"So, Salvatore gives you a suit and a gun, and suddenly you think you can kill me?" Nero asked. His voice was quiet and sharp. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He reached out, his fingers tracing the line of Milo’s jaw. He didn’t use a gentle touch, he gripped Milo’s chin hard, forcing him to look at the mirror in front of them.

Milo saw his own reflection, pale, sweating, and wide-eyed with terror. Behind him, Sean’s face was a blank, ashen mask.

Milo remembered the grayness he had seen on Sean’s face earlier. He saw it more clearly now. It was a flat, lifeless color that made Sean look like a ghost already.

Nero leaned in close, his face inches from Milo’s. "Look at me when I’m talking to you," Nero commanded.

"Please," Milo whispered, his voice cracking. "Let me go. Salvatore will come looking for me."

Nero let out a short, dry laugh. He didn’t look worried, but insulted. He looked possessed by a cold rage when Milo said the name.

He reached out and grabbed the front of Milo’s white shirt, the fabric bunching in his fist. He jerked Milo forward, then shoved him back hard.

"You think Salvatore will come to save you?" Nero hissed. "He doesn’t understand that you belong to me. You’ve always belonged to me."

Sean shifted his weight, his grip tightening.

Milo felt the blood draining from his hands as Sean’s fingers dug into his wrists.

He tried to pull away, and he succeeded just before Sean slammed his head against the marble wall.

The impact made Milo’s head throb.

Before he could steady himself, Nero’s hand moved to his throat, pressing him against the wall. He didn’t squeeze hard enough to cut off his breathing, but he kept his thumb pressed against Milo’s windpipe.

Milo’s eyes widened. He grabbed Nero’s hands, but the grip was too strong.

"You were supposed to come back after three days. You made me wait. You made me look like a fool in front of everyone."

Nero raised his other hand and delivered a sharp, stinging slap across Milo’s face. The force of it made Milo’s head snap to the side.

A second slap followed, then a third.

Milo’s cheek felt like it was on fire, and he could taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth as his lip split.

Milo couldn’t breathe. His face was burning and throbbing with pain.

"You really are an ungrateful bitch," Nero said. He sounded disgusted. "I fed you. I gave you a place to sleep. And you ran to the first man who showed you a bit of mercy? Do you think he loves you? Do you think he sees anything other than a broken toy?"

Milo whimpered in pain. Nero kicked his legs, making him stumble to his knees.

Nero moved his hand from Milo’s throat to his hair, pulling his head back so Milo was forced to stare at the ceiling.

"P-please don’t do this..."

Nero chuckled, then leaned down, pressing his face against Milo’s neck. He bit the skin there, hard enough to leave a mark. Milo cried out, the sound muffled and weak.

"I’m going to take you back," Nero whispered against his skin. "I’m going to take you back, this time to the basement, and I’m going to make sure you never see the sun again. You think Salvatore’s protection is absolute? Look at where you are. He’s not here. I am."

Milo felt a wave of utter helplessness. He had a gun, and he hadn’t used it. He had been trained to fight, and he was being pinned down like an animal.

He looked at the gray, lifeless face of Sean in the mirror and then at Nero’s vibrant, angry eyes.

"I... I won’t go with you," Milo managed to choke out.

Nero pulled Milo’s hair harder, forcing a gasp of pain from him. "Seems you don’t have a choice. Sean..."

Sean didn’t move immediately. He looked at Nero, then at Milo. His gray skin looked even more sunken in the harsh fluorescent lights of the bathroom.

"Nero," Sean said, his voice sounding hollow. "We need to go."

"I don’t care," Nero snapped. He was focused entirely on Milo. He reached for the tie around Milo’s neck, yanking it tight before looping it around the lower part of Milo’s face, pulling it back until it acted as a rough gag.

Milo’s eyes widened. He tried to scream, but the sound was trapped in his throat, coming out as a desperate, muffled groan. He kicked out again, his shoes scraping the floor, but Sean’s grip was too firm.

Nero leaned in, his lips brushing against the fabric of the tie over Milo’s mouth. "Let me see my toy, if he’s broken yet."

Milo shoved Nero hard before Nero grabbed his shirt, but Sean moved faster and more experienced.

In a second, Milo scrambled to the corner, naked and gagged. His clothes were scattered on the floor. He felt his nose bleeding. He didn’t care about it, he was too scared.

He tried to attack either of them, but again, Sean pulled him back to the middle of the bathroom on his knees while his hands were held behind his back.

"Mmmnh!" His scream was muffled by the tie. He struggled with all his energy.

Nero smirked. "You want to run naked? What do you think? Do you miss it?"

Milo shook his head, terrified.

Nero grabbed his face again, this time kissing him brutally. "I really miss you," said Nero, licking Milo’s neck before biting him.

Milo turned his face away, clenching his fingers under Sean’s grip, feeling Nero’s breath on his skin.

Please... Salvatore... Help me...

It seemed this time, luck was on his side.

Suddenly, the bathroom door handle rattled hard enough to make the door slam open. The lock had broken.

Nero froze. Sean’s eyes darted toward the door.

"Seems I really can’t leave you alone, my little chicken."

The voice was loud. Milo recognized it instantly.

Salvatore.