Wonderland by Rob Browatzke Page A

conspicuous after all. I wasn’t the ripped leanness of Brandon or the sculpted beauty of Jesse and Colton but I was trim and fit compared to most of the other guys that were there. I tucked my phone into my towel and pulled the towel tight so it wouldn’t fall off.
    It was exactly what I’d expected, dark and steamy and a bit grungy, and a bit sexy. There was some hot porn showing on random TVs, and shapes in the darkness touching, melding, joining. Down one hall, I could see the metal and leather of a sling hanging from the ceiling in an alcove. I went the other way, my hand on my phone. Why wasn’t this guy calling? It had to be nearly ten.
    I rounded a corner and bumped into a guy. “Sorry,” I said, but he groped my dick through my towel. I pushed him away, and spun around, coming face to face with Allan.
    â€œHey!” I said, feeling immediately awkward at running into someone I knew. “Is Brandon with—”
    BAM! He had me pinned against the wall. “It’s Alex, right?”
    â€œWhoa dude, what the . . .”
    â€œYou didn’t see me here, got it? It has nothing to do with you.”
    I shoved the twink off me, surprised he’d managed to pin me at all. His eyes were a bit wild, come to think of it, and I suspected it wasn’t just ketamine that the boy liked to take.
    â€œYou’re crazy!”
    He grabbed my arm. “I’m fuckin’ serious. You tell Brandon you saw me here, and I will cut you.”
    The fuck? I had enough going on, I did not need to deal with the threats of some sketchy kid. I walked away, not daring to look back until I’d reached the end of the hall. When I did glance back, Allan was still glaring at me. I rounded the corner and took out my phone, texting Brandon that I had to tell him something.
    I went back to my room, my curiosity more than sated for now. It was just after ten. Whatever was going to happen, was going to happen soon. If this was all a joke, I was officially no longer amused. And if it wasn’t, I was going straight to the cops. Enough was enough.
    My phone rang. “Hello?”
    â€œYou came. That’s good.”
    â€œLook, I’m tired of this, is this all just some joke?”
    â€œIt’s no joke, Alex. I don’t think you and Steven are a good match. I don’t think you think that you and Steven are a good match.”
    â€œYou’re nuts. I love Steven!”
    â€œDo you? Do you really?”
    â€œI’m calling the police, this is crazy.”
    â€œDon’t hang up the phone, Alex!” In the background, I heard Steven scream. His voice cut into me, full of pain and terror. I was convinced: This wasn’t a joke. “You hang up the phone, you go to the police, you do anything other than what I tell you, and the next time you see Steven, it will be at his funeral.”
    â€œAlex, I love you!” Steven’s voice, pleading at me, cut even deeper than his scream.
    â€œLet me talk to him! What are you doing to him? What do you want?” Tears stung at my eyes.
    â€œI want you to have a good time. Go downstairs, dance, do drugs, get fucked. Do whatever you want.”
    â€œI’m not really in the mood, I just want Steven back.”
    â€œSteven wants you to have a good time. Don’t you, Steven?”
    â€œYes! Alex! Just do it!”
    Was it some kind of test? Was he still playing with me? “No.”
    Steven screamed through the phone.
    â€œStop it! What are you doing to him?”
    â€œYour boyfriend cut himself shaving, Alex. He don’t bleed so pretty.”
    â€œWhat do you want from us?”
    â€œI want you to prove for me what I’ve always known. You don’t love.”
    â€œI do! I love him!”
    â€œDid you love him when you were having your threesome the other night? Did you love him when you were doing drugs like some loser?”
    â€œYes! Even then!”
    â€œYou don’t know what