“So I grabbed the bastard and slammed his face right into the concrete floor,” Rafael concluded with a dark chuckle, scooping the diced avocado into a bowl. “Turned that apple into a fucking smoothie, let me tell you.”
He made it sound like a joke, but it wasn’t.
This was the real Rafael, a violent criminal, hardened and desensitized, for whom acts of savage brutality were merely amusing anecdotes to be shared with a smile.
And yet, Summer supposed he could relate. His whole life had been like that, stories like these told to him before he was old enough to know that they were not suitable for children.
“Prison changes a man,” Rafael said, his voice darkening as he continued cooking. “You learn to survive, by any means necessary.”
And Rafael had endured five long years of that hell, all in service to the cartel...to Summer’s own family. What did that say about Rafael’s loyalty?
The scent of chicken and garlic filled the room, making Summer’s mouth behind the gag.
“Prison taught me that strength is everything,” Rafael continued, flipping the golden-brown arepas expertly in the pan. He glanced over at Summer, tied up and gagged, and smirked. “But you’re about to learn that lesson too, aren’t you?”
With a flourish, Rafael plated the arepas, stuffing them with spicy chicken and fresh avocado. The tangy scent of limes bloomed on the air, making Summer’s stomach clench in anticipation. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this hungry.
“Are you going to be a good boy?” Rafael asked, setting the plate down in front of Summer.
The smell was driving Summer crazy. He nodded, unable to resist the temptation any longer.
Slowly, Rafael removed the gag from his mouth, a cruel smile playing upon his lips. But instead of untying him, Rafael leaned in close, his breath hot against Summer’s skin.
“Let’s see how well you can behave,” he murmured, picking up an arepa and holding it to Summer’s lips. The touch of Rafael’s fingers on his mouth sent shivers down his spine, disconcerting and arousing all at once.
As Rafael fed him bite by bite, Summer couldn’t deny the strange rush that coursed through him, even as humiliation burned hot on his cheeks.
Almost as if Rafael could see the conflict playing out in Summer’s eyes, his smile only grew wider. “That’s right,” he murmured, wiping a stray streak of sauce from the corner of Summer’s mouth. “That’s better.”
Summer watched as Rafael took a bite of his own arepa, his eyes closing in clear appreciation. The way he savored each mouthful made it obvious that he had missed this kind of food during his years in prison.
“Damn,” Rafael said between bites. “I’d forgotten how good these taste.”
Summer squirmed in his seat, the ropes biting into his skin. For some time now, he’d been thinking about the bathroom, but now it had become pressing. Desperate for some relief, he blurted out, “I need to piss.”
Rafael laughed, wagging a finger at Summer. “Ah, nice try. But you’re not getting out of those ropes that easily.”
Frustration bubbled up inside Summer as he clenched his teeth and tried to focus on anything other than the growing pressure in his bladder. He began to plot his revenge on Rafael, imagining all the ways he could make him pay for his humiliation.
As Rafael ate and the minutes dragged on, Summer became more and more uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat, trying to alleviate the pressure, but nothing helped. His thoughts turned dark, envisioning Rafael tied down and begging for mercy. The idea brought a twisted sense of satisfaction, but it did little to ease his physical discomfort.
“Please,” Summer finally begged, his voice strained. “Let me go to the bathroom. I can’t take it anymore.”
Rafael regarded him solemnly, his dark eyes unreadable. For a moment, Summer thought he might relent, but then Rafael stood and walked over to the sink, washing his hands with deliberate slowness.
“Fuck you,” Summer muttered under his breath, cursing Rafael’s lack of sympathy.
Rafael fixed him with a dark look. “I can see you’re not going to last much longer.” Relief flooded through Summer as Rafael untied him from the chair, but that relief quickly turned to alarm when Rafael proceeded to tie Summer’s hands behind his back.
“Wait, how am I supposed to piss like this?” Summer asked, a note of panic in his voice.
“Using your hands is a privilege, bichito,” Rafael said with an amused smirk. “You’ll have to earn that back. For now, you’re going to learn to be obedient.”
“Obedient?” Summer repeated, confusion mixing with indignation. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Exactly,” Rafael confirmed. “Now, let’s get you to the bathroom.”
Rafael led Summer into the small, tiled room. He didn’t bother closing the door. Summer’s stomach dropped at the realization that Rafael was about to watch him piss.
