Caged

Caged - 15 - Conflict

"So what's the story with Mr. Toretto and O'Connor?"

Markus scowled and directed an angry look across the kitchen to where the big bald man was currently fiddling with the controls for the deep fryer. He glared at the broad back for a moment before answering Eddy's question.

"Brian was the cop who turned Dom in." The young man turned his attention back to the industrial size toaster and began to place pieces of bread onto the rotating racks.

"O'Connor's a police officer!" Eddy gasped softly.

"Ex." Markus opened another loaf of bread. "He got busted for … evidence tampering or something. Anyway the LAPD not only kicked him to the curb -- they sent him here for the next three years." Markus lifted his head, his worried blue eyes sought out Brian. "He must have really pissed the wrong people off -- usually they send ex-cops to a softer place -- him they sent here." He shook his head in disgust. "He hadn't been here five minutes when he nearly got beat to death."

"Really?" Eddy prompted.

"Vesneski's bastards were going to gang-bang him right in the middle of the exercise yard. Would'a too … if Dom hadn't …"

"Hadn't what?" Eddy asked eagerly.

Markus didn't want to talk about it anymore, but something about the eager expression on the new guy's face encouraged him. Normally, Mark didn't say much, but Eddy was easy to talk to. It was like Mark was the center of his attention. The boy's wide brown eyes made Mark feel older, more assured, even though he knew he was actually younger than Eddy. Mark found himself liking the boy and enjoying the feeling of being a mentor to him.

"Vesneski and his boys had just about worn O'Connor down -- he put up a hell of fight." Mark smiled in open admiration as he turned his head toward the blond man at the deep sink. "Just as they were about take him, Dom strolled over and claimed him. He told everyone that this was the cop who had ratted him out -- so no one gave him much grief about taking him."

"What happened then?"

Mark shrugged. "Dom's used him roughly ever since." The hurt, disapproval, and disappointment were clear on Markie's young face.

"How does O'Connor feel about everything?"

"Lucky to be alive, I guess," said Mark. "Everyone, including him, knows that if Dom hadn't staked a private claim to him he'd most likely be dead by now."

"He doesn't fight back?"

"No," Mark said sadly. "He seems resigned to the whole thing." He turned away from Eddy and began to fill a tray with the well-browned toast. Eddy began to help and the two young men worked together happily for next hour.

~*~

"Eddy seems to be getting along well with Markie," Tookie noted softly to Dom.

"Yeah, he's a nice kid."

"I assume you two got along well together last night?"

Dom grunted in reply.

"But not as well as you and Blondie?"

Tookie received a dark scowl from the big man.

"Don't you want to know how Brian and I fared?"

Dom sighed deeply. "Well … neither one of you are sporting any new bruises. So I'm assuming everything went fine."

"He talks in his sleep, but then, I'm sure you know that."

Dom stiffened in anxiety. "What'd he say?" he demanded gruffly.

Tookie snorted out a chuckle. "Dominic. Fuck me, Dominic," he mimicked in a soft moan.

"Get out'a here." Dom grinned and gave the small man a friendly smack on the back that sent him staggering forward a few steps to keep his balance.

~*~

The next few days passed uneventfully.

Brian watched quietly as Eddy made friends with everyone. He was charming, in a little boy sort of way. He talked constantly, respectfully to whomever he was working with -- and he ended up working with everyone -- everyone except Brian.

Dom had refused to allow the boy to work with him at the deep sink. In fact, he had come right out and warned Brian away from him -- which had twisted Brian's stomach into a knot of uncertainty.

Brian knew that Dom felt very protective of the boy. He just hoped that was all it was. The way Eddy took every opportunity to get close to the big man made Brian see everything through green tinted lenses.

Dom had barked out his husky laugh the one time Brian had dared to question him about it.

"Don't be fool," Dom had growled just before he had gently sucked one of Brian's balls into his mouth and rolled it around on his tongue. Brian had forgotten all about his assignment -- he had nearly forgotten how to breathe as well -- when Dom started pumping his cock with his big, rough hand.

He and Dominic didn't get much time alone during the days that followed. What little private time they could manage to find was too filled with desperately quick sex to waste time talking. Whenever Brian tried to bring up the subject of Eddy Preston, Dom would find something to slip between his jaws to quiet him.

Dom seemed determined to keep Brian and Eddy as far apart as possible. Dom had intended to keep Eddy working at the toaster with Markus, but it seemed the smoke irritated the boy's asthma.

So Dom had him help Barns clean -- that had been a riot.

Eddy, apparently, had never used a mop and bucket before. They had all gotten a good laugh as he had struggled with the heavy, wheeled, galvanized bucket. Most people would just stick the mop down into the water and use it to push the bucket around, but when Eddy had tried doing that, the bucket had veered out of control and ended up tripping the ungainly boy.

Even the heavy wringer, which perched on the edge of the bucket, was beyond Eddy. Barns had patiently shown him how to dip the mop, pull it out, place it in the wringer, twist the handle to tighten the cotton cords of the mop's head, and then how to pull on the wringer's handle to squeeze the majority of water out it.

Eddy had tried, he really had. But somehow he had managed to dislodge the wringer, overturn the bucket, and spill the dirty contents all over his boots.

They had all burst into laughter again at his mortified expression.

Dom had been surprised at how well Barns had handled it. The normally surly con had merely laughed with the rest of them, had set the bucket back on its wheels, had lifted the wringer, and slid it back onto the side of the bucket. Then, still good-natured, he had cleaned up the mess. Barns had teased Eddy the entire time -- the boy had definitely made a friend there.

Dom hadn't wanted to push his luck with the sometimes violent, and often impatient, Barns, so he had moved Eddy to a different job within the kitchen. He had the boy work with Sammy at the grill, but Eddy burnt himself badly. Dom ended up moving the young man from job to job inside the kitchen in an attempt to find something that the boy was good at it, not allergic to, and could manage to do without hurting himself.

This afternoon he had Eddy working with Jimmy at the steam table, spooning out the food to the other inmates.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Vesneski," Eddy said with a smile, he had made a point over the last few days to find out who Vesneski was and to always be very respectful of him. "I've got your steak right here." He lifted one of the stainless steel lids and removed the special piece of meat.

"Toretto treatn' ya' right?" asked the tall con as Eddy put the steak onto his tray.

"Yes, he is."

"Somebody's not?"

Eddy jerked his head toward the back and leaned forward. "It's that cop," he said in a whisper.

Vesneski rubbed his crooked nose, narrowed his eyes, and nodded.

"He's stuck up and miserable. I think he's unhappy 'cause Mr. Toretto is getting tired of him," Eddy whispered.

The tall man's face took on a speculative look as he moved on down the line.

"What were you saying to him?" asked JamJimmy.

"Nothing," Eddy said with a small, secret smile.

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Don't be messin' around with that one," he warned. "He's a mean son-of-a-bitch."

"Really?" Eddy's eyes grew wide with alarm. "If you don't think I should speak to him, then I won't." Eddy looked at Jimmy with a worshipful look on his face. "You're so smart, Jimmy. Thanks for warning me about him." A soft, pale hand reached out and touched the black man's arm. "Will you always tell me who to watch out for?"

Jimmy preened. "You bet, kid. I'll take care of ya'."

"How about some grub?" said the con standing in front of them and the two of them got back to work.

~*~

"What's the matter, kid?" Dom asked softly as they all sat together in the TV room.

"My neck hurts, Mr. Toretto," Eddy said as he worked his head back and forth. He bent his arm back in an awkward attempt to rub his own back.

"Come here," the big man said as he nudged Brian to the side with his foot and pointed to floor. Eddy sank down between Dom's knees and presented his back. Dom leaned over and began to massage the boy's neck and shoulders, expertly following the muscles and working the kink out. "Didn't I tell ya' to call me Dom?"

"Um … yes, sir. Oh! … That feels so good," Eddy sighed as the big hands rubbed his back.

"What ya' do ta' yer back?" Dom asked.

"Nothing," the boy said. "Just from leaning over the steam table earlier I guess."

Dom snorted. "Well we can't have that then. We'll have to find somethin' else for you to do."

"I think I've tried just about everything." Eddy leaned his head forward as Dom's hands stroked his neck. "I'm sorry I'm such a bother, Mr. Toretto."

Dom snorted. He turned thoughtful, dark eyes to Brian. who sat stiffly while Dom rubbed Eddy's back. His blue eyes stared off into the distance. "Tomorrow you can work with Goldie-Locks at the sink."

"Yes, sir. I'm sure that'll be fine," Eddy said as he rolled his head and moaned with pleasure from the rubbing. "You always know what's best," he gushed.

~*~

"Owww! That water is hot!" Eddy cried as he pulled his hand back out. "How do you stand it?"

"You toughen up after a few days," explained Brian.

"Oh."

"Tell you what. I'll do all the washing and you put stuff away. Okay?"

"That would be wonderful!" Eddy looked a little doubtful. "Except you'll have to tell me where things go." Brian nodded. "And maybe I'll need a little help hanging some of the pans … the hooks are awfully high and my back still hurts a little. You're so tall …" Eddy's voice trailed off as his brown eyes looked up and down Brian's long length. "You're beautiful, too."

Brian was startled by the boy's change in topic and by his wistful expression.

"No wonder he cares so much for you."

"Who?" Brian asked confused.

"Mr. Toretto, of course."

"You got that all wrong," Brian denied quickly.

"Oh no," Eddy shook his head. "Everyone knows how attracted he is toward you. He's always touching you, looking at you, and dragging you off to the storeroom to … you know."

Brian had been debating for days on how to re-act to Dom's ever increasingly open displays of affection. It was in the demonstrative man's nature to be honest and open about the things he enjoyed -- and there was no doubt that he enjoyed being intimate with Brian.

"From what I've learned since I've been in here, I'm surprised that the other cons haven't caused Mr. Toretto trouble over it." Brown eyes flicked up to Brian's. "You being a cop and all."

Brian shook his head in denial.

"I overheard Tookie warning Mr. Toretto not to be so nice to you, but he just laughed and told him to mind his own business, but I worry. I like Mr. Toretto and I'd hate to see anything bad happen to him." Eddy picked up a pan and started drying it with a towel, his eyes studying Brian. "How do you feel about him?"

"Doesn't matter how I feel," Brian said as he shrugged. "How about you? How do you feel about Mr. Jones?"

The big brown eyes fell to the floor. "That's different."

"Nope," argued Brian. "He owns you; Dom owns me. The way I see it, neither one of us has had much of a choice."

"But Dom, I mean Mr. Toretto, he likes you."

"Yeah, for now maybe." Brian didn't see any reason to deny it further and this would give him an opening to work on Eddy a little. "But what happens to me when he gets bored with me? Or finds someone new?" The young man just looked down at the floor. "You ever worry about that with Jones?"

Huge, tear filled, brown eyes lifted up slowly. "All the time."

"Ever think of leaving him?" Brian asked carefully as pity for this poor boy surged through him.

"Yeah … but where would I go? He'd find me and kill me."

Brian wanted to suggest turning State's evidence right then there, but he knew it was too soon. He swallowed it down and asked instead, "You don't have any family?"

"No, not really," the boy replied. "My father … he … worked for Mr. Jones right up until the day he was … murdered."

"Jones?"

The dark head nodded.

"Christ. Why?"

Tears slid down the full cheeks. "Me."

"Shit!" Brian felt his gut wrench with the need to convince this sweet kid to turn against the monster who owned him. "You're better off in here, than you are out there with him."

The boy's full red lips curved up into a gentle, sad smile. "You know, you're right," Eddy said softly. "I've met some of the nicest people in here. Like Dominic, he's wonderful. Or like Markus … he really likes you," Eddy said as he looked searchingly at Brian.

"Yeah, Mark's been a good friend."

They talked and laughed as they finished up their washing.

When Brian felt Dom's hand slide around his waist from behind, his first instinct was to relax back against the big chest. Instead, he recalled Eddy's observations, Tookie's warnings, and his own increasing fear for Dom's welfare. He pulled abruptly away in rejection and turned to glare at Dom, praying the big guy would understand.

They stared at each other for a moment before Brian turned away and moved to the opposite end of the kitchen to hang one of the big copper kettles from its hook.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to reject you like that," Eddy said quickly as he tried to smooth things over. "We were just talking about someone and I'm sure he was just … startled." Eddy's eyes widened. "You heard him telling me how much they've grown to like each other, didn't you?"

Dom stood there quietly, his eyes narrowed, waiting.

"There's nothing going on between him and Markus. They're just … friends. I … I mean … you may not be his choice but … he's resigned to you -- he told me so. He won't deny you anything -- he knows he has to submit to you." Eddy laid a pale hand on Dom's heavy forearm. "Please, you've got to believe me." The pudgy face went pale with terror.

"Goldie-Locks and Markus?" Dom growled menacingly, angrily, before turning and walking away.

Eddy smiled in satisfaction as the large form stomped off.

He was still smiling when Brian came back.

"You don't have to worry," he assured Brian. "Mr. Toretto was a little upset until I told him that you just acted that way so you two wouldn't appear too close. I'm sure he understood. Maybe it would be a good idea if you appeared interested in someone else -- Markus? That might keep Dom, I mean Mr. Toretto, safer from the other cons."

Brian nodded.

Later, during the morning break, Brian sat close to Markus on the lower bleachers. Dom sat in his usual spot glaring at the back of Brian's golden head. Eddy sat behind the scowling Dom and rubbed his back -- in the exact same manner that Dom had rubbed his the night before. Tookie sat off to the side with a strange look on his face.

Vesneski took it all in. He had an eager, hungry look on his face as his small eyes rested on O'Connor. "Soon," he whispered, "you'll be mine, you stuck up bitch."


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