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“Well, of course.” Tyler shrugged. “I did tell you this was a fight, and I don’t pull my punches. I will win, which means I won’t stop until I’ve broken you.”

Fatso gave a grunt of satisfaction; Alex turned on him. “And you – you saw what he did this morning, but you still went along with his sick game. What the hell is wrong with you?”

Fatso shrugged. “What’s my name?” he asked.

“What?” Alex stared at him.

“You see me every day, and you can’t even be bothered to remember my name. Why should I care about you, when you don’t give a fuck about me?”

“You’re my guard,” Alex said, shaking his head in confusion.

“I didn’t think you’d want to be my friend.

” But he was realising he’d made too many wrong assumptions.

At school, older boys who looked like Fatso had bullied him, and nobody had ever wanted to be his friend.

Now he could see that because he wasn’t used to anyone caring about him, he’d made it look as if he didn’t care about others.

He’d always lacked the skill of making easy friendships that his brother had.

He’d envied Charles his ready smile and happy personality that drew people to him.

Tyler laughed. “Poor Alexander. Outplayed again. You’ll have to do better than this to stand any chance of beating me.”

“How can I?” he cried helplessly. “You hold all the cards. How can I win?”

“Well, any time you want to give up, you know what you have to do.” Tyler stood there expectantly.

Alex felt a wave of impotent fury sweep through him. He would not give in and crawl to Tyler on his hands and knees. He couldn’t. He’d rather kill himself.

Something inside him snapped. He grabbed the holopad on the coffee table and threw it at the large bar area in the corner of the room.

It shattered, slamming into bottles and sending shards of glass flying.

Running around the room like a demon, he yelled at the top of his voice, destroying anything he could lay his hands on.

Glasses, coffee tables, vases, chairs… they all went flying.

He shouted and roared as he kicked and threw, like a child having a temper tantrum, unable to contain the anger inside.

He was hyperventilating, lost in his own rage, and couldn’t stop himself.

Fatso moved towards him, but Tyler gestured him back.

He seemed intrigued, leaning against the wall and watching as Alex rampaged around like a man possessed.

Alex wasn’t sure how long his fit of insanity lasted, but it seemed like forever until it blew itself out. Then he stood in the centre of the carnage he’d created, panting heavily, unsure what to do next or what the repercussions for his outburst might be.

Tyler ventured towards him cautiously, as if he were a wild animal.

He flinched, expecting a blow. But instead, bizarrely and unexpectedly, Tyler put his arms around him.

Alex struggled against him, but Tyler hugged him even more tightly until all his anger vanished, leaving him limp and completely drained.

Then he started shaking, his legs like jelly, and it was all he could do to stand upright as his knees nearly buckled beneath him.

“My poor, dear Alexander. You must be exhausted,” Tyler said.

“Here, come and sit down…” He nodded to Fatso, who stepped fo rward and righted the sofa Alex had knocked over in his rage.

Tyler gently guided Alex towards it, eased him down, then sat next to him.

Putting his arm around Alex again, he held him.

“There, there. Poor boy. Being broken isn’t easy, but we’ll get you there.

You’re doing very well. We’ll break your spirit in no time. ”

Alex hated himself for wanting to cling to Tyler’s firm body and cry into his expensive shirt.

He tried to be strong, but his emotions took over, and he wept on Tyler’s chest, holding on tight to the very person who was causing him so much pain.

Tyler stroked his hair and rubbed his back, comforting him as if he were a kindly friend and not his most bitter enemy.

Finally, he stopped sobbing and sat there, utterly numb.

“There, that’s better,” Tyler said gently.

“Good boy.” He took a handkerchief from his trouser pocket and gently wiped Alex’s tear-stained face.

“You know, I think you’re finally learning that your actions have consequences.

As long as you keep holding out on me, the more painful and upsetting those consequences will be. ”

“I’ll never do what you want,” Alex said, in a dull, toneless voice he barely recognised as his own. “Never. You can rape me if you like – you’ve made it clear I can’t stop you – but I won’t ask you to fuck me. I won’t beg. I won’t ever willingly suck your dick or go to your bed.”

“Don’t think about that now. The time will come, soon enough, and then you’ll wonder why you ever resisted.

” Tyler hugged him closer. Alex slumped against him, too spent to resist. “Now, as a reward, let’s watch something together, shall we?

I know – let’s watch one of my favourites. You’ll enjoy this one.”

Tyler gave a command to the smartwall, and it began playing a recording. Alex was so out of it that it took him a few moments to register what it was. When he realised, he thought he should be shocked, except he wasn’t sure anything Tyler did could ever shock him again.

He was watching himself, cowering in the shower on the night following his encounter with Jake Harper, sobbing his eyes out.

“You’re so nearly there,” Tyler said in an encouraging tone. “I thought I might have broken you at that point, but you’re stronger than I realised. We’re getting there, though. ”

Alex watched himself keening under the shower spray and wasn’t sure he could go on. “I loved her, too. I miss her, too. I didn’t kill her – it was an accident,” he said.

“An accident?” Tyler mocked. “Is that what you tell yourself? Was it an accident that you got into the duck that day, high on croc? Was it an accident that you drove when you could hardly see straight? As I told you, actions have consequences, Alexander.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you want me to say.” Alex buried his face in his hands.

Tyler tangled his fingers in Alex’s hair and pulled his head up, so he was forced to watch himself crying on the screen.

“I don’t want you to say anything; I want you to watch.

You see, that pain you’re in there, on that screen, is how I’ve felt every single waking moment since you killed her.

It wasn’t an accident. You could have told her you’d taken croc and weren’t fit to drive, but you didn’t – and so you killed the only woman I’ve ever loved.

I want you to feel just a little of the agony I feel every day, and I won’t stop until you realise what a worthless little nobody you are.

I’m going to strip away everything that makes you feel good about yourself and make you pay for the suffering you’ve caused to everyone around you – and you know what? ”

Alex made no reply, so Tyler jerked sharply on his hair. “What?” Alex whimpered pathetically.

“You’ll thank me for it in the end,” Tyler told him.

“You’ll be a much nicer person, you’ll be happy in your work here, and you won’t cause any trouble for anyone ever again.

” He rested his head against Alex’s. “I know you loved her too, Alexander, but she was the absolute love of my life, and you have to pay for killing her. You do see that, don’t you? ”

Alex stared at himself sobbing his heart out on the screen. “Yes, sir,” he said quietly. “I see it. I have to pay.”

“Good.” Tyler gave him another hug. “We’re getting there. Soon, Alexander – soon.”