Chapter 5: Memory Is A Bitch

Julian's eyes slowly open to the cool touch of latex gloves between his thighs. His wrists are restrained to the headboard of the massive bed in a luxury suite, arms stretched above his head.

Soft morning light filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but even the view feels like a taunt.

He is still naked, legs parted slightly for access, while Dr. Reyes works efficiently, cleaning the hand bruises blooming along his inner thighs and his entrance, each gentle swipe of antiseptic makes Julian flinch.

"Hold still," he says quietly, voice clinical. "The bruising is extensive. Deep tissue trauma from… repeated penetration."

Julian turns his face away, cheeks flaming.

He remembers every detail of his first night in this damned house. The memory of Enzo's brutal rhythm, the way he'd stretched him open and claimed him over and over again, last night.

What's worse is the way his own body had responded last night. Again. Reduced to nothing but a clenching, whimpering mess.

Dr. Reyes moves lower, carefully re-bandaging his swollen ankle. "Your leg needs elevation and rest. The antibiotics should prevent infection."

He glances at the restraints, then at Julian's face. "I can also loosen these if you promise not to try and run."

Julian nods eagerly. "Yes, yes. I promise."

The doctor sighs, and adjusts the cuffs slightly. "Okay I'll be right back. I need to get a few supplies."

Julian nods, completely calm. But the moment the doctor leaves the room, he yanks hard. Hard enough that his left hand gives slightly.

Using his good leg, he tries to twists and accidentally kicks at the bedside table, knocking a lamp to the floor with a crash.

He winces at the sound but wrenches again, ignoring the pain in his wrists as he finally manages to slip one hand free.

Barefoot and shaking, Julian bolts for the balcony doors before the doctor can return. If he could just get downstairs, maybe he could find a service exit before anyone noticed he was gone...

He limps towards the nearest elevator, jabbing at the call button desperately--but nothing.

Julian almost thinks the elevator is broken, when a black panel beside the doors lights up.

FINGERPRINT AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED.

WTF!?

Enzo fucking uses fingerprint scanners on his elevators!?

of course he does.

.

Just before Julian can think of another plan, the sound of rushing footsteps echoes down the hallway. A few of Enzo's men, drawn by the crash of the lamp, are already heading his way.

He tries to turn down the opposite hallway, but a hand shoots out and shoves him to the ground. Hard!

Julian falls to the ground with a loud thud, pain exploding up his already swollen ankle.

"Ouch! Shit!" He hisses, clutching the leg.

The man doesn't give him chance to stand completely before he yanks him back up by the shoulder. "And just where the fuck do you think you're going?"

Julian tries to pry out of his hold. "Let go off me!"

The guard laughs coldly, yanking him up harder. "Feisty one. Boss really likes picking troublesome Omegas lately, doesn't he..?"

Julian freezes as soon as the insult hits him.

Suddenly he's fifteen again, pinned down in the back room of his father's old gambling den. One of his father's drunken customers had cornered him, hands rough and groping laughing as he called him "feisty one."

Julian had tried to fight back, kicking and screaming until his father burst in. Instead of helping, his father had blamed him. Slapped him hard across the face while the customer laughed.

"You little shit," his father had snarled. "You ruin your value if you let yourself get touched like that. No one will pay good money for a used Omega."

The memory crashes over him so violently that Julian goes pale, body locking up in terror. His breathing turns shallow and ragged. For a split second, he's no longer in Enzo's mansion-- he's back in that filthy room, helpless and small.

The guard notices the sudden change and laughs. "Lost your nerve? why are you so-?"

Enzo appears at the end of the hallway before the last words can fully form, his pheromones dark and threatening.

His gaze drops to the guard's hand still wrapped painfully around Julian's shoulder, then to the terrified, pale expression on Julian's face and his visibly trembling leg.

The guard straightens. "Good morning, boss. Caught him trying to run--"

Enzo doesn't wait for him to finish speaking. He seizes the guard by the back of the neck and slams him face-first into the wall with savage strength. The crack is sickening.

"Did I say you could touch him?" Enzo growls, a sound low enough to send a shiver down their spines.

He wrenches the man's arm off Julian, then throws him to the floor like discarded trash, while the other men slowly back away from the Omega, hands raised nervously--shocked at the level of protectiveness their boss is showing over this one Omega.

Enzo takes one look at Julian still clutching to the bedsheet around his hips and scowls.

Without a word, he lifts him off the ground as if he weighs nothing and throws him over his broad shoulder. Julian struggles weakly, but there's no real fight as he lets Enzo take him back to the suit.

Back inside the room, Dr. Reyes stands instantly the doors open, visibly relaxed to see Julian. His mouth opens to apologize for the loose cuff, then he sees Julian's frame;

Pale, trembling, slightly withdrawn. The apology dies on his tongue.

"What happened?"

Enzo doesn't even look at him. He'll deal with the incompetence later, "Leave!" he orders."Now!"

The doctor hesitates, looking between them, then nods quickly and exits, after dropping a prescription note on the desk.

Alone, Enzo lowers Julian onto the bed and re-secures both wrists, tightening the cuffs.

"You don't learn, do you?" Enzo mutters roughly, before he sits on the edge of the bed, expecting the usual glare, the usual insults.

Instead, Julian stares at the wall, refusing to even look at him. His face is pale, chest rising and falling heavily. Even now, his fingers are trembling slightly against the cuffs.

Enzo frowns realizing that maybe there's more to the stubborn man, than what meets the eye.

He exhales loudly, "Why did you react like that? When the guard grabbed you. You looked terrified."

Julian doesn't face him again, shutting down, though his voice still comes out snappy but exhausted.

"Don't act like you care!" He bites, "You lock me up, you treat me like a property. So don't fucking pretend to care!"

Enzo is silent for a long moment. He stares at Julian's chest rise and fall with every deep inhale. At the way he's clutching the sheets around his chest so tightly.

He sighs, running a hand through his hair.

"I'll stop treating you like a prisoner when you stop trying to run," Enzo murmurs.

For a second, he leans in as though he's about to do something--say something--but then he stops himself. His jaw tightens before he steps back and heads for the door.

Julian blinks. What the fuck was that!?

He stays quiet even as Enzo stops short of the door and pulls out his phone, dialing Rico's number.

"Remove the guard who touched Julian just now," Enzo says coldly into the phone. "Permanently. Make sure he disappears."

He ends the call without waiting for a reply and leaves the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

Julian just lies there after overhearing the call, staring at the ceiling with his heart pounding in his chest.

He doesn't know whether to be scared over what Enzo just did, or be comforted.