Wrapped in Sin

Chapter 3: Sugar & Spice

*Flashback*

I run through the house as the smell of alcohol and blood invades my nose. It seems to dance around and spin in circles, causing my head to do the same. I don’t really know if I’ll make it out alive but I hurry to my parents room and hide in the secret compartment that mother showed me.

It was basically my own little panic room that she had installed and it held everything I’d ever need, including a safe way to contact police and a code locked door for protection. It also had soundproof padding so it shielded the hallways from hearing my ear piercing cry as I now broke down in sobs.

Alright boy, your turn!!!

I dialed 911 and shook in fear as laughter filled the now desolate house.

I prayed for god to take my strength and put it into my mother, who was now on the verge of dying.

My parents always had an unhealthy relationship, but they tried hard to keep us together and raise me as best as they could. But when my father lost his job, he started drinking and hitting my mother. Pretty soon after, he hospitalized her when she said they needed a break and made us live like prisoners. Tonight however was the breaking point when he accused my mother of cheating. Then, in front of me, he held her down and raped her before taking a knife to her neck. She screamed for me to run and held him off while I ran, earning her the blow that would possibly take her life.

Where are you?!

My father’s scream shook the walls as he torn up every room, searching for me. I couldn’t see but I could hear him tossing dressers and moving the frames to beds to see if I was underneath. My breath hitched as I heard the closet doors rip open and everything way tossed around until suddenly he stops.

Nothing is heard but the pounding of my heart until he lets out another scream and starts banging on the walls. A clear sign that he couldn’t find me, thank god.

Suddenly sirens are heard before police announced their presence and a scuffle shortly follows until I hear one of the officers state they have my father in custody.

I come out of the safe room and cry, running downstairs into the arms of one of the police officers who is shocked to see me. Before he can speak, I see my lifeless mother in the ground and collapse.

She’s gone, and there’s nothing I can do to save her.

“Ivan?”

“Ivan!”

*End of flashback*

“Ivan!!”

I shake my head and escape my thoughts to look up at Lisa, a homeless girl I’ve recently befriended a few days ago.

“You okay? You sorta just spaced out on me.”

Yeah, just stuck in my head I suppose.”

She frowns, getting to know me rather quickly, she can already tell I’m thinking about my past.

“Hey...shit is tough, but things are finally looking better. We got those job positions yesterday right? Soon we’ll get a place and life will be better!!”

I laugh as she stands like a captain making some great speech. She was honestly a breath of fresh air and the only real friend I’ve made in years. She ran away from foster care too and could relate to a lot of the struggles and tragedies that I’ve dealt with so early in life. We clicked instantly and made a plan to make our lives better together, and even going as far to get hired at the same place.

When my mother died, I was only 13 years old. Since my father spend all our money, there was nothing for me to survive on and being so young I was placed into foster care. I was always bullied by either the parents or the other foster kids and eventually I couldn’t take it anymore. One night I snuck and stole all my documents from the last family I stayed with, along with a bag of clothes, some food, and $100 I saved up, and ran away.

That was three years ago.

I’m 18 now, and I’ve seriously become a pro at being homeless. Sure it wasn’t glamorous, but at least I survived. I drifted from town to town either hopping trains or sneaking on buses, always looking for a place with a bunch of opportunities. And one day I thought to myself: Why not New York? And considering that I came all the way from minnesota on my own, I had to make sure it wasn’t all for nothing.

“Hey?”

“Hmm?”

“You sure we should do this?”

“Ivan, we don’t have a choice! If we want to have a place before winter comes, we need to bust our asses and make due.”

I nod my head, admiring her confidence but secretly having a panic attack.

“Now come on, it’s getting dark so it must be time for work soon.

Don’t want to get fired on the first day.”

***

Asher’s P.O.V

I groan in annoyance as I pull up to Clifton’s Cat Lounge.

If an x rated movie came to life, this would be a shining example of that happening. It was literally the best and worst place to be at nighttime. It was the only strip club in town for where anyone could go to have a good time.

Straights, gays, trans, pans, and whoever the f**k else could show up and have a good time

They also served drinks and drugs to everyone who can in, as long as they made a dollar, they didn’t care.

The only two reasons I came had names: Kyle and Salvador. My right and left hand men, as well as my childhood friends. They were the only two idiots that could ever talk me into spending my time at a trash place like this. But it wasn’t just for pleasure, it was also business. I’d recently began selling to this club and wanted to check in on the boss to make sure he had my money.

So I guess it wasn’t a complete waste of time.

“Damn, there’s some good looking babes in here tonight” Kyle spoke up while winking at a female waitress. The dark skinned woman blushed and sent a shy smile his way.

“And a little body too. Maybe she could even entice boss.”

We all looked at each other before laughing. Not a lot of people knew, but I was gay. I’ve never once met a woman that enticed me not did I find them attractive. Not saying that I haven’t tried, it just wasn’t my preference. Only these two could get away with joking like that. Anyone else would’ve gotten a bullet to the head.

Literally.

Dj: Alright thank you to all the ladies in the front!!! Trixie enjoyed your time and money but now the next dancer is for the ones who enjoy the male variety!!!

We all turn towards the stage as the lights dimmed and light fog flooded the stage. Little drops of water rained down and glistened as rainbow lights all around the stage floor began to shine and rotate at a slow pace.

I rolled my eyes, they were always so dramatic when it came to the gay men dancers. Although looking around at the amount of men that ran towards the stage, I guess they had reasons as to why.

Dj: Won’t you horndogs pull your wallets out and put your hands together for a new dancer tonight! Let’s give it up for Storm!!!!

The Dj begins to play the song Paradise Circus by Massive Attack. The crowd stops the applause to focus on the stage while I snort. Storm? Is this some sick joke? We all exchanged weird glances before continuing towards the owners office when I froze.

Holy fuck...who is he?

From the corner, a short guy walked shyly onto the stage. He was lightly tan with curly black hair that looked like it matched my soul. He took it out the pony tail and whipped his hair until he continued to strut towards the front of the pole. I marveled at how thick and long it was, going a little past his ears.

His pink plump lips and his lightly toned body was exactly what I liked in a man. He did a little twirl when he reached the pole and seemed to take a breath before he wraps his leg around and spins himself off the ground.

The crowd goes crazy as he continues to dance, not with yelling though, but with throwing large amounts of money at him. Everyone seems to be in a trance as they drool over him. His body moves like a snake as he clutches the pole with his hands and starts to whine, slowly slipping out of his shorts, revealing the lower half of him and the lacey black thong he’s currently teasing me with. here’s not much in the front but the back is a different story.

He spins around slowly and using the pole he steadies himself as he bounces up and down as he gets lower to the floor. His ass is perky and plump, without a rough patch or any cellulite to be seen. His waist is slightly curvy and his thighs are the perfect amount of thickness. He’s something out of my wildest fantasy.

I’m snapped out of my thoughts as some drunk man puts his hands on the beauty, trying to drag him off the stage and be inappropriate. That happens all the time here so some people laugh while the security is too busy flirting around to notice. I act before I have time to think and suddenly I’m slamming the man into the wall with my right hand while holding the beauty in my left. He looks up at me with his big green eyes and has an expression on his face that I’ve never seen anyone give me before. Thankfulness.

“What the f**k do you think you’re doing?” I hiss at the now terrified man.

The club goes silent as I get that all too familiar feeling itching on my skin again. And only one thing can scratch it.

Death.