I scratched my neck. “No, Mom, I haven’t found a girl to take home to you yet.”
Not that I’d ever put a girl through the pain of meeting a bitch like you.
She was too immersed in her phone to hear my reply, and she didn’t care enough to pretend otherwise. I turned and made myself some cereal, ignoring some of my dad’s men when they strolled into the kitchen. They greeted me, and I nodded at them in return. Corbin, my dad’s main head of security, leaned down and kissed my mom on the neck, making her giggle. I gritted my teeth. It was no secret my mom had different lovers, and my dad had many of his own, too. They had an open marriage, and I think it was the only reason they managed to remain together. They fucked other people, then they eventually always came back to one another. The only people they loved were one another, but it wasn’t real love. It couldn’t be.
If I loved a woman or a man, I’d never share them with anyone else, and if they wanted someone other than me, then they never loved me in the first place. That was what I believed after growing up and watching my father allow other men to be intimate with his wife.
“Alec?”
I looked at Corbin when he addressed me, and said, “Yeah?”
“Do you mind if I steal your mom for a while?”
My stomach churned in disgusted. I absentmindedly lifted my hand to the rosary beads that I wore around my neck. I wasn’t a very religious person, but my beads relax me whenever I touched them.
“I don’t mind.” I turned back to my cereal.
I heard them leave the room, and I shook my head when the sound of a hand slapping skin sent a shiver of repulsion up my spine. I knew he had slapped her ass in anticipation of what they were about to do. My mom was beautiful; she had long dark brown hair, bright blue eyes, and thanks to her plastic surgeon, she had a stunning face and body, but that beauty was only skin deep. I think Corbin knew that as well, but he didn’t care about her heart and what was inside it. He just wanted what was between her thighs. It was all any of the men she played with wanted, and she was more than willing to give it up if it made her their focus for a while.
I sat at the now vacant dining table with my cereal, and I had just finished it when my dad suddenly stormed onto the room. He looked angry, and when his cool, grey eyes landed on me, I could have sworn I saw them twist in rage. My heart stopped, and fear wrapped around me like a blanket. I knew he was going to beat on me ... I knew it in my heart.
“I didn’t do anything.” I said as I jumped to my feet and tried to run out of the room, but he was bigger and faster than me. He caught me by my hair and slammed me to the ground. I couldn’t cry out or make any sound other than a groan of pain. It was like a scream was clogged in my throat and couldn’t escape.
“Dad,” I rasped when I rolled onto my back. “What’d I do?”
“You’re a faggot!”
I widened my eyes just as hit boot made contact with my groin and blinding pain attacked my nerves. I cupped my crotch, curled up, and writhed silently in pain. I had never experienced a sensation so agonising as it consumed my body. I felt hot tears sting at the corners of my eyes before they fell in big, fat droplets. I couldn’t move, the searing hot agony that spread outward from my groin seemed to paralyse my muscles.
“A security camera tagged you fucking one of runners after a product drop.”
He was circling me now, like a shark stalking its prey. I cried harder when he kicked the base of my spine. I had never been in so much physical pain in my life, but it was nothing compared to the hurt that spread throughout my heart. I knew my dad held no love for me or my brothers, but being on the receiving end of his cruelty hurt me in more ways than one.
“You’re a fucking faggot!” Dad spat before he rounded on me and kicked my stomach. “Do you think you can fuck guys within the compound, and it wouldn’t get back to me?”
I turned my head to the side and vomited at the contact.
“Dad,” I choked. “Please—”
He leaned down on one knee next to me and raised his hand. A punch to my face cut me off, and this time, an audible cry escaped me.