Love Is a Drug Ch. 01 Pt. 01-02

"No." He answered with a quivering breath.

"Hey my jacket is in the back, go through the inner pockets and you'll find something that may calm your nerves a little."

He did as he was asked and found a small bag of white powder. He smirked, knowing that Andy had been giving freebies behind their backs but it didn't matter, they had more than enough to sell, and money wasn't an issue for a meme few onces.

"Thanks." He said, opening it and dipping his finger in to gather a small mound, quickly snuffing it up his nostrils then repeated it again, then smearing it over his teeth.

"Ooh that's good," He sighed, feeling it already working.

A rush came over him, now he was fine. He sank back against the seat and relaxed. That was just what he had needed and now he was ready to face the world, or anything that stood in his path.

"We are here, Club Noir right?"

"Yeah," He answered putting on his shades and then getting out of the cab. "Cheers Joe" He called.

"You want me to hang around for you sir?"

"No I will be ok, I'll call Vin once I'm done, he'll probably meet me here." He was feeling a lot more confident now, like a real gangster, a tough guy like they were in the films, Yeah a real Reservoir dog.

"Ok, see you soon."

"Yeah," Theo absently responded looking up at the club, shutting the car door behind him.

The big sign outside, one which would be lit at night to show a pole dancing woman, stared down at him from the red brick wall. A line of blue lights and red flashing 'XXX' and 'nude girls' filled the length of the pavement, this club being the biggest on the street. He braced himself and walked through the double doors, a tall black man nodding as he passed, recognizing the shady look and the small bag under his arm.

Once inside his attention was stolen by three half naked girls practising their routine. His mouth almost dropped open as they danced sensually, making love to the poles. He suddenly became aware that two men were standing in front of him, and he dropped his eyes removing his sun glasses.

"I'm here to see Mr k-Kenneth, he requested a package." He winced inwardly as the two tall men with black ponytails eyed him up and down suspiciously. 'Fuck Theo Don't balls this up now!'

The men looked at each other and nodded, turning to lead the way through to the back of the club and up a flight of stairs. They came to a large imposing door, and one knocked.

A voice called 'Come' and then he found himself in a small office, facing the man sat at the desk. Another rather stocky, yet unattractive man stood to his side.

"Ah, yes I have been expecting you." He said standing and gesturing the two escorts away with a small motion of his jaw. The door shut behind him and Theo suddenly felt very alone.

He came closer, not at all what he had imagined in looks; he was short, maybe an inch taller than himself at Five foot seven, with a fair but receding hairline, almost bald really, above thick round glasses. He looked more like a game show host than a club owner.

'He's no match.' He mused, now feeling superior, but knowing he still had to be cautious as the body guard looked less than friendly.

"You have my stuff?" The man eyed his courier closely.

Inside he was desperately trying not to laugh, his lips held in a stiff straight line as he attempted so hard not to snigger at the mans ridiculous voice. He now knew why he was called Kermit! He sounded just like that puppet frog on the Muppets, only he had a Wigan accent.

He cleared his throat and opened his mouth. "Yes." He replied, his voice more confident than he expected.

He handed the bag over to him and Kermit walked back to his desk, Theo following at a distance.

Kermit asked his man to open the package, talking quietly to his bodyguard as he dipped his finger into the white crystals and placed it on his tongue. The visitor almost held his breath, the anticipation of just getting this over and done with, so he could be reunited with his partner and just enjoy the rest of the day with a fat wad in his pocket, it almost overwhelming him.

After a moment he turned around. Theo smiled, but Kermit wasn't smiling at all.

"You think I'm a fool? You come here and give me this shit?!"

"W-w- hat..?" He stammered. "It was what you asked for wasn't it?! One hundred and fifty grams of coke?"

"It is not pure!" He snapped.

He then chuckled lightly, "Well of course not, it will kill you." He laughed again.

Without warning his head was whipped around with a slap, his cheek burning. Nursing his face he looked in bewilderment at the man who had struck him. He was shocked, wiping his lips to see his fingers stained red where the massive gold ring had caught him.

'Andy and Cal would never let this happen never.'

But they weren't there, and he began to remember the fear he had had before he left. He was totally alone.

"With respect, my colleagues will not stand for that. You can't just hit someone because they made a mistake on an order! I was instructed what to courier, and this is what you wanted." He seethed as the pain still throbbed in his lip.

"I requested, very clearly, pure Cocaine sweetheart!" He looked down his lean body, making Theo shift uncomfortably and frown at being ridiculed in such a way.

"Yes I know what it does, but I have my own blend of alchemy in the drug trade, highly recommended, you..." He grabbed a hand fall his hair and suddenly he felt his arms being wrenched from behind. He whimpered as the bodyguard stood behind him holding him in a strong lock.

"LET ME GO!!" He shouted, struggling to free himself, but it didn't work, the man was a lot stronger and had more power, possibly enough to break his arms in one snap.

"...You are nothing but a cockroach. You really don't know what you are dealing with coming here..." He sneered, making him squirm even harder to release himself.

"...You come here in your fancy suit, dark glasses and..." He sniffed his neck "...Your expensive cologne. Well you know nothing of the bigger market, the worldwide market." He laughed evilly, letting his fists loosen the grip on his hair.

The bodyguard made no move to let him go, and helplessly he stood as his body exposed to anything, his hands unable to defend or protect himself from whatever this man chose to inflict on him.

Kermit calmed himself and Theo watched anxiously as he picked up the bag and examined it, a grin plain on his face. He walked back to him and laughed, the bag still in his hand, his face dropping mouth turned into a sneer. Theo gulped in fear unable to predict what he was going to do next.

It was calm for a moment but suddenly Kermit threw the bag and white powder sprinkled everywhere like snow storm. His eyes burned with madness, and he aimed another painful blow at Theo's stomach. He fell to the floor doubling up in pain as he tried to catch his breath. When he finally did he coughed, spitting blood all over the laminated floor.

"You dare spill your shit on my floor?!" Kermit spat, kicking him in the ribs.

Theo groaned in pain balling up in defence, but more kicks came, and then he was hauled up by the armpits, again held tight in the bodyguard's bruising hold. Kermit came up to his face and studied him.

"Hmm, your Boss said he was sending the pretty blonde... He was right." He stroked his cheek and Theo flinched away, breathing hard as the claws of terror gripped him.

He was hit again, this time a punch, and then again before he was pushed forward, his cheek crushed against the desk, bent over. The bodyguard had his arm in a single handed tight grip, and the other held down his head so he was pinned to the cold wood.

'Andy how could you.' He whimpered in his mind.

Kermit came into view, standing directly in eye-line. To his horror as his eyes focused, he realized that he was groping himself through the light linen as he slowly unzipped his trousers.

"What are you doing?!" He shrieked the taste of blood now rich in his mouth from his split lip.

"Oh I'm going fuck that pretty ass of yours sweetheart!"

Theo struggled more, yelling for him to let go and threatening to send his men after him if he didn't. It didn't help. Kermit came close behind him and then his arms were facing palms forwards, pinned to the desk by the hulking bodyguard. The warmth against his back increased behind as he felt Kermit's body press into him. He had something pointing at his neck, it dug in sharply feeling like a knife or something. He couldn't get a good look as his head was still held down firmly.

"Now now! I wouldn't want you to have had a wasted journey, so sit back and enjoy the ride sweetheart!"

What could he do? Nothing but freeze? The blade in his neck could easily end it all right now. He was nothing to this man, a mere delivery boy, a cockroach? Geez that hurt actually! Feelingt lower than he ever had before. The brilliant feeling of earlier, when he'd been in his new suit looking sexy, feeling sexy, and having his man responding to that, completely disappearing as the wave of hopelessness washed over him.

The morning seemed light years away and now here he was, at the mercy of two men, a blade in control of his life. If he complied he might be safe, he didn't want to die, not now not ever, and soon he realised that this was the worst shit he had ever encountered. The beating from the thugs in the old bedsit was nothing compared to this, almost like a cycle! He knew what was going to happen, and all he could do was sit tight and let it, hoping he might just walk away with a few bruises and a sore ass. Alive was better than nothing, right?

"Good!" Came the high oddly pitched croon as Kermit was slipping down his trousers, and Theo felt the first burst of humiliation as his bare skin hit the cool air conditioning of the office.

He whimpered and clenched, cold finders prodding and pulling at him, and then the sharp stab of pain as the hard tip broke through his tight muscles. Clawing his nails into the wood as he wriggled and struggled.

"Oh yeah you are good, mmm." Kermit moaned.

Theo screamed, panic taking over. He started thrashing and crying out but he was well and truly wedged to the desk and the blade stuck in harder, a light trickle running down his neck to soak his collar, blotting the pure white shirt to a deep red hue. The man doing this to him swore, hissing that he was a piece of shit, that if he dared to come back, if he ever saw his face in the club again he would kill him.

Groans and pleas quietened and he relaxed. He stopped struggling and let his mind cloud over, forcing all the happy memories into his mind as the numbness took over.

Finally, it was over and he was free.

"Here sweetheart for your troubles," He grinned evilly as he tossed a crisp fifty note at him.

Seething and panting hard through his teeth, as his eyes narrowed in hatred.

"Fuck you!" he breathed incoherently with his unsteady breaths.

"You are a good fuck, I'm happy to pay out for you, but not that! Now get out and take your shit with you." Kermit sniffed, panting as he put himself away.

Standing unsteadily, hair ruffled face bruised, his lip bleeding as well as his neck. He tugged up his trousers, grimacing at the stickiness where the prick had come all over his cheeks, and staggered to the door, grabbing the bag as he passed it. He paused, letting his eyes glare around in disgust before he left the room, his dignity just about still intact as he limped out the door.

He felt sick as the air hit him outside, his emotions bricked in for now, perhaps in shock? But as he turned a corner into an alley he sank down and buried his face in his hands, sobbing hysterically. Passers by looked at him and quickly moved on not wanting to get involved, as his face told a story of its own. He let everything fall, it all crumbled then and there, and he didn't give a shit who was watching.

A young girl made sympathetic eyes at him before she was pulled away by her friend saying not to ask, even though she saw the dark bruises form blue on his pale cheeks as she looked over at him.

He fished in his pockets to find his phone, breath hitching in a snivel as he realised Cal hadn't even called him. No text, nothing. Then it bleeped as the battery just faded to the blank screen.

He rummaged around again, finding a packet of 20 fags and pulling one out. He lit it, letting the nicotine soothe his pain. Tears ran down his cheeks and he lowered his head, raising it again quickly as he heard something

Andy was in the car when he spotted his friend sitting rather strangely against the wall. He stopped suddenly, slamming on the brakes. The car behind beeped aggressively almost slamming into the back of him. He waved in the rear view mirror to say 'hang on' and slammed down on the horn to get his attention. After the second attempt, the blonde man lifted his head, eyes hidden behind his shades.

"GET IN!" Andy shouted.

Theo was too far away to hear, but as soon as he recognized the car he jumped up and ran to it, piling into the passenger seat. Andy screeched away around the corner and then stopped in an appropriate place to question him.

"What the hell happened?" He saw the state of emotional turmoil his friend was in, not removing the glasses in the hope that it would hide the bruising.

"Nothing," He replied shortly.

"Theodor..." Andy sighed, reaching into the glove compartment to hand him a tissue.

Snatching it and wiped the dried blood from his mouth.

"Thank you." He said tone blatantly sarcastic.

"Theo" Andy gently took hold of his chin, turning his face to make him look in to his eyes.

"Take me home Andy."

"But..."

"JUST TAKE ME HOME!"

And Andy did as he was told, pressing down fast and speeding off. They remained in total silence through the whole journey, pressing his cheek against the icy glass, closing his eyes and curling up against the door.