Twenty-One

 

JC stared at the post office box for a long moment before he slid the letters into the slot.  Even if Justin wouldn’t go with him, he had to leave. He had ruined any chances he had at a career in that city with his behavior.

But Justin HAD to come along. He didn’t know what Lance Bass had done, or what he had said to make Justin so afraid, but Justin still loved him. JC knew it.  And he loved Justin.  He wanted to point his gun into Lance’s mouth and pull the trigger for even THINKING about hurting his boy.  And Lance would NOT get the chance to violate Justin in any other way. JC would make sure of it.

 

The knock at his door made Justin jump. It was three hours before the curtain would rise, and he was nervous beyond belief.  He tried to calm the hope in his heart as he went to the door. Maybe it would be Josh. Maybe he had found some way for them to get away.

“Hello, Justin,” Lance Bass said, smiling coldly. “May I come in?”

“Of course,” Justin murmured politely, moving aside.

“So…” Lance rubbed his hands together. He looked more handsome than Justin had ever seen him, wearing a dark grey suit and a grey-green shirt that brought out his eyes.  A gold ring flashed on each hand.  “Nervous about tonight?”

“Of course,” Justin said, sitting down at his dressing table. Though his makeup and hair was already done, he started to run a brush through his curls.  “I mean…it’s a big deal.”

“In more ways than one,” Lance said softly, putting his hands on Justin’s shoulders. He began to massage the tense muscles.  “I can’t wait. I can’t wait to see you on stage, so beautiful and amazing…and then when I think about what’s to come…” Lance actually shivered and his grip tightened on Justin’s shoulders. “I’ll make this a night you’ll never forget.”

“I bet you will.”  Justin couldn’t keep the sadness from his voice.  Lance grabbed Justin’s shoulders and whirled the chair around to face him.

“You’re still pining over that bastard? I thought we discussed this, Justin. I thought you realized that you’re MINE.  You’ll never belong to him. Only to me. Got it?”

Justin bit back a mouth full of retorts. He simply nodded. “I understand.”

“I need you to do me a favor,” Lance said. He stepped back. “Stand up, please.”  Justin obeyed.  “I want to touch you,” Lance said.  Justin swallowed.  “You owe me that. You actually owe me a lot more for teasing me all this time, but this will do for now.”  Justin silently undid the pants of his costume and let them fall to the ground.  “Yes,” Lance hissed.  Justin didn’t even try to become erect.  He stared at the wall behind Lance’s head as Lance fondled him. “I can’t wait for this,” Lance whispered. He touched for a few more minutes, then regretfully released Justin. “Get dressed.” Justin silently pulled the pants up.  “You’re going to suck me now. I want to get off now, so I can last longer later,” Lance said.  Justin stared at him. “Did I stutter?” Lance snapped.

“N-no.”  Justin sat back down in his chair and undid Lance’s pants.  He didn’t notice the tears that streamed down through his makeup.

 

“He’s on fire!”  Christopher said with glee, jumping up and down and silently clapping his hands.  Christopher and JC stood in the wings on stage left, watching everything from the sidelines. They each wore a headset, so they could hear every command from sound to lights to set direction.  Everything was going extremely well, and Christopher was so proud he thought he was going to explode.

“That he is,” JC murmured, watching Justin sing to the man who played the lover he had to hide. The story was mimicking reality in a frightening manner, and JC could barely stand watching it.

“It’s a shame that I’m losing him,” Christopher said, looking at Justin.  “But you two deserve happiness. I’ll find another little diva and another partner.”

“I’m sure you will,” JC replied.  No one knew that anything was amiss.  JC hadn’t told them.  He was going to try one last talk with Justin, if he could get him before Lance Bass whisked him away.

 

Justin accepted the flowers that Nick Carter placed into his arms. “Good job,” Nick said gruffly, actually kissing Justin’s cheek. “You’re lucky,” he whispered.  “Take care of him.”

Justin nodded, then turned to smile at the audience, who were on their feet cheering. He looked to the side of the stage, where JC was standing with Christopher.  JC’s eyes were glued to Justin’s face, and Justin turned his nose in the air as he looked back at his audience.  He needed to forget about Joshua Chasez.

Justin accepted the usual round of hugs and congratulations as the curtain fell down, then he hurried to get changed.  “Justin.” A hand on Justin’s arm stopped him.

“Josh, don’t,” Justin begged, clutching his roses so tight that the thorns pierced his hands. He didn’t notice. “I need to go.”

“No. I won’t let you. I love you. You love me. We belong together. You don’t belong with Lance, tied up in his rooms, sitting around, waiting to be his fuck toy. I love you.”

“I know. And I’m sorry.  I can’t do this.”  Justin tried to pull away.

“Is there a problem?” Joseph Fatone asked as he walked over.  The other members of the cast were loud in their excitement, and no one heard their conversation.

“No,” Justin said, eyes down.

“For once in your life, let him alone, Joseph!  Let him have a life of his own!  Let him live for himself, instead of living a lie!”  JC almost yelled.

Joseph laughed. “You’d know all about living a lie, wouldn’t you, Chasez?”  Joseph turned to Justin. “Come on, Justin.  The car is waiting.”

“You’d send him to be abused, just to keep your precious theater?” JC spat.

“What’s going on here?” Lance Bass said, walking from the wings.  Justin looked shocked.

“I was…getting ready. I didn’t know you were over there,” Justin said.

“You were amazing.  Truly star material,” Lance told him, smiling.  “I’m so proud.” He kissed Justin’s forehead sweetly and looked at JC. “Good show, Chasez.  Excellent writing.”  Lance looked back at Justin. “Go ahead and change.  We have plans.”

“He’s NOT leaving with you,” JC growled.  Lance raised a perfect eyebrow.

“And why not? Because he belongs with you? I don’t think so.  He belongs to me.”

“That’s the difference between you and I. Justin belongs WITH me, and you think, he belongs TO you,” JC said.

“Look, JC, Mr. Bass and Justin have plans after the show,” Joseph said. He didn’t smile. “Leave them alone.”

“Justin, I love you. You and I can just walk out of here. Nothing’s keeping you here,” JC insisted. Justin looked petrified.

“Do you think you can just walk out of here with him?” Lance asked, laughing. “What are you going to do?  Wave your badge?  Point your gun?” Lance’s voice rose, and the small crowd soon fell silent.

“What?” JC asked.

Lance looked around, pleased that he had an audience.  “I think everyone here has a right to know…our little writer is a police officer.”

“Josh…” Justin said, his mouth falling open.

“Yes…Joshua Chasez serves our fair city as an undercover policeman…and he was sent here to bring down the Star Theater, with charges of prostitution.”

“Josh!”  Justin whispered. “Tell him he’s wrong.”

“I…I can’t,” JC said. “I won’t lie to you, Justin. I was sent here that way originally…but things changed.  I fell in love with you.”

“I don’t believe this,” Christopher whispered. 

“Either do I,” Justin said sadly. “Josh, how could you?”

“I didn’t know you…I didn’t know anything,” JC protested.  “Come with me, Justin, and I’ll explain it all. And if you don’t want to stay with me, then you can go.”

“He’s not going with you,” Joseph snapped, yanking Justin by the arm.

“Stop it!” Justin cried.

“Justin, please…” JC put a hand on Justin’s arm.  “Come with me. Let me tell you the truth.”

“He’s not going anywhere.”  Lance’s arm rose in front of him, and in his hand was a small revolver.  “You, however, need to go.”

“Lance, don’t!”  Justin begged.

“Justin, he’s lied to you. I have never lied to you. Since day one, I told you the truth,” Lance said. “And I want you to be mine. He wants to take you away to live a life of God knows what.”

“You want to own him,” JC corrected. “You want to use him and hurt him.”

“I just want him,” Lance said, shrugging. His arm never wavered.  “And you’re in the way of what I want.”

“Come ON, Justin,” JC said one last time.

“I said, get out of my way!”  Lance’s finger moved quickly on the trigger.

JC steeled himself, waiting for the pain, but he didn’t feel it.  What he did feel was Justin’s body falling against him, collapsing in his arms as he moved between JC and Lance.

Twenty-Two