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Valentino was seething . Everyone on set was aware of it, tiptoeing around and getting their lines out with minimum fuss. Angel was expecting retribution, waiting for the shoe to drop, the moment when Valentino would whirl around and make his life a living hell. But it didn't come. Instead, when the scene was done, Valentino stalked back to his room in silence without wasting so much as another word to any one of his crew, leaving an awkward tension hanging in the air.
Fuck .
If Val wasn't hurting him, Angel knew it was only because he was planning on hurting Charlie. If Val didn't take it out on Angel, he'd storm straight to the hotel and start taking it out there. Angel felt his heart leap into his throat as he skittered around his dressing room, grabbing his black leather collar and locking it on, big black boots, wicked looking flogger...he had to get to Val before Val decided to take matters into his own hands.
He ran all the way to Val's room, stumbling through the door and giving a gasp of relief as he saw Val still there.
***
Val felt his blood rush to his head as he unlocked the door, slamming it shut behind him.
"That fucking bitch ! Who the fuck does she think I am? Talking to me like that in front of my employees??"
Screaming, he pushed anything in his way off the dressing table, perfume bottles smashing against the floor and sending glass shards flying in every direction.
"Thinks she can act all high and mighty, just because of her daddy, huh? Strutting around in here like she has anything to say. FUCK ! I'll fucking eviscerate that bitch! I'll fucking—" Valentino turned around, searching for more things to break, when he saw Angel standing in the doorway, starring at him like a deer in the headlights.
"Val! Heh...Val...look, I'm sorry. I know that wasn't...uh great. I know you're mad at Charlie. She's just trying her best, she's just...um…."
One look at Valentino’s face told Angel that approach would not go down well. Hastily, he held out the flogger in front of him, slightly defensive.
"You know Val, I was thinking, I been spending too much time at that crappy hotel. How about tonight I stay here, huh? How about that. Just me...and you...and the flogger...I got a mean one, Val. It'll be just, um…." He swallowed nervously and managed to finish in a gasp, "Just like old times, remember?"
"Who the fuck told you you could come in here, slut? I don't remember letting you in. Does everyone here think they can just walk all over me now?! Is that what's going on?"
Valentino grabbed Angel's arm and threw him into the room, sending him crashing into the long coffee table, before slamming the door shut, again, and this time locking it.
Angel just about had time to register just how broken most of the room was before he was hauled bodily against the coffee table. Glass shards were crushed beneath his boots as all his arms flailed, trying to keep himself upright.
"Ah shit that's... ah."
" She's just trying her best , huh? And tell me baby doll, what is this best, she's trying to do? Do you think I'm fucking stupid?"
Breathing heavily now, Valentino barely gave the flogger a second glance. "If that is supposed to be some sort of attempt at an apology, you're failing miserably right now."
Angel hastily pushed himself steady again, holding his hands in front of his body placatingly.
"Apology! Yeah, that...I've come to apologise. I'm sorry I've been spending so much time at the hotel lately, and—I should have stopped her, I mean, I didn't know she was even going to...but yeah. I should have stopped her. This is your place, right, Val? Not hers. And it's my place too. I know…I know my place, Val, I promise."
Angel held the flogger out again, and with a shaky breath managed to strike a semi-sultry pose with it.
"C'mon Val...loosen up, let out some of that tension ! How about a drink, huh?" The bar was solid and wooden and it would be no bad thing to get it between him and Val. Slowly, Angel started scooting towards it. "I'll get you a drink, then you can get my back raw, hmm? Rawr. That'll make you feel better."
Valentino’s footsteps were heavy thuds over the floor as he closed in on Angel, grabbing his neck with one hand and pinning him with his back against the bar, knocking off the few half empty glasses not yet cleaned up.
"Don't you dare lie to me, you little bitch. You thought she would protect you from me. You thought she would help you avoid work. Again . So you can all go play happy family in that rancid shithole she calls a hotel. You're forgetting who you belong to. Who it was that made you everything you are now."
Angel gave a hoarse yelp as he was pinned against the bar. His eyes frantically darted around the room, checking the available exits and how close they were. "I'm not lying, Val, I didn't ask her to come!" The bottle next to him wobbled and fell to the floor with a crash and Angel flinched.
Valentino took a deep breath, closing his eyes and drawing upon every ounce of self control he still had. He leaned closer until Angel could almost feel his breath against his ear.
"You are an ungrateful little slut. You want me to let out some tension ? Then how about we go over to your hotel right now. Together. Make a nice trip out of it, hm? Then you can prove to me if you still know your place. Because you know what I think? I think you're just playing sorry girlfriend for me today so you can go back to the devil's daughter tomorrow and fuck your way through the hotel staff."
"I don't...I don’t want to go to the hotel, Val…." Two hands reached up and fluttered around Valentino’s chest. "I don't want to be anywhere near that tacky little dive. I want to be here, up in my tower, with you...c'mon, Val, isn't there anything you'd rather be doing here with me?"
Two hands gently teased at the collar of Vals wings, draping over his shoulders while the other two kept a death-grip on the bar table behind him.
"There's got to be something you’ve been just longing to try. Come on, baby, let me make it up to you. Tonight is your night! You can choose whatever you want…." He dropped his voice and smirked up at Valentino through lowered lashes. "Or have you run out of ideas...hmm?"
Valentino studied Angel for a few seconds, then gave him a wide, toothy smile. Using two of his free hands to light himself a cigarette, the hand around Angel's throat slowly relaxed, only to hook two fingers into his black collar instead, pulling him even closer against Valentino's body.
"You are lucky you're such a hot fucking slut. I should punch your teeth out for talking like that to me. Who knows, maybe I will." He bit playfully into Angel's neck then, humming in slight amusement. That bitch always knew how to get into his head. Or maybe he was growing soft after all.
"Alright. I'll let you make it up to me. But you don't really think this frail little flogger will make daddy happy, right? I know you're not that dumb. So here's what's going to happen: You're going to open the wardrobe and get daddy's bull whip for him. You're going to take your clothes off. You can keep the collar. And then you're going to stand over there and put all four of your hands against the glass."
Valentino nodded in the direction of the huge window panels lining two of his walls. The floor next to them was covered in small chips of broken glass bottles, as was half of his room.
Angel didn't let his guard down, but he did relax just slightly as Valentino smiled. Charlie and the others were safe, at least for now. It was just himself he had to worry about.
He pressed into Vals body as he was pulled, trying to keep the moth demon as happy as possible. His moves stayed soft and non-threatening, even trying to be a little flirty...until Val mentioned the bullwhip. His body froze, then slumped against Val’s. He took a breath, looking up with a crooked smile, "Yes, Val…anything for you…."
Valentino couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine as Angel leaned into him, the fucking slut. It was hard to resist pushing his long tongue down his throat, making him gag but letting out those sweet, helpless moans at the same time. But that wasn't what Angel deserved right now. He needed a strong hand to guide him, just as Valentino always had.
It was almost too cute to see Angel shuffle over with the whip, still trying to avoid his punishment. We'll see how that works out for him.
The walk to the wardrobe seemed very long, or maybe Angel was just moving very slowly. The whip coiled in his hands–long, dark, and deadly, hanging heavy against his slender fingers.
"Been one of those days, huh?" Angel whispered as he handed it over, voice almost not daring to rise.
Still, there was no putting off the inevitable. Slowly Angel dropped his robe, then slid his frilly panties down. In only his boots and collar he turned and rested his hands on the cool glass. His chest expanded as he took a deep breath, skin dimpling and shivering, "Ready Val..."
Valentino waited patiently until Angel was up against the window with his back to him before speaking, excitement dripping from every word.
"Stubborn as always I see. Let's try that again, shall we?" He pushed the whip back into Angel's hands, pulling him into the room again without any wasted kindness.
"Back to the wardrobe, babydoll. And this time don't forget to leave your shoes there. Don't worry, though, just for that, I'll make sure to hit you twice as hard. Oh, and you can leave the rest of your clothes here, of course. No need to cover that perfect body while it's still pretty."
Angel frowned at the mirror in confusion, trying to work out what he'd done wrong. It wasn't until Valentino clarified...he had to take the boots off as well. He glared at the window angrily, then quickly smoothed his features to neutral as he turned back without a word. He didn't like taking his boots off, and hadn't realised it was expected.
It hadn't even started and he'd already got himself into more trouble.
He tugged the boots off and dropped them on the floor, returning to his position in an annoyed temper. Of course Valentino would keep making it worse, that was to be expected. But to do it so early?
A stinging pain shot through his foot and he looked down, his face twisting in dismay. The route back to the window was covered in shards and splinters of broken glass. There was a reason Val hadn't just asked him to take his boots off on the spot.
Whimpering gently, Angel carefully shuffled back towards the window, biting back a hiss of pain each time his foot inevitably caught a bit of glass. He tried to find a relatively clean bit of the floor to stand on, his injured feet moving up to tiptoe to reduce the surface area he was standing on.
"Sorry, Val..." he whispered, a lot more cowed this time around as his fingers spread out over the cool glass. "A-All ready now, baby."
"What's wrong, Angel? I thought you wanted me to loosen up? Spend a nice, relaxing evening together, no? Don't you want daddy to be happy?"
Caressing Angel's perfect milky white shoulders, Valentino couldn't stop himself from pushing his hips against Angel, allowing him to feel the growing hard-on underneath his pants against his back. He was too easy to keep in line. All Valentino needed was a little incentive. Maybe he had been too worried about Charlie fucking up all their progress.
"If you're not careful I might get bored, you know. And then we'll have to visit that hotel together after all."
Valentino dragged the soles of his heels across the floor roughly, gathering some of the surrounding shards to kick towards Angel's bare feet.
"So if you don't want me to get bored, then I suggest you better move your fucking feet onto the glass shards right fucking now !"
Angel whimpered as Valentino pushed against him, making his feet tiptoe and tremble over the broken glass. "V-val, oww, the glass..." he gasped. But of course the cruelty was the point.
Even more glass was pushed near his feet and Angel felt tears well up in his eyes. Gritting his teeth he stepped one foot back, giving a hiss as the sharp splinters cut into his feet. Fuck, this was a miserable way to start. The smaller splinters would no doubt stay dug inside, keeping his feet in pain all night.
Taking a shaky breath he moved his weight, extending his second leg up behind him and wriggling his ass briefly before sliding it carefully back down onto the least splinter covered area he could find. His legs trembled as more of the little pieces dug into the tender balls of his feet.
"Mmm ... sure you don't j-just want a dance, Val?" He tried. Dancing on broken glass would be agonising, and wreck his feet for weeks, but it would be preferable to the bullwhip which would tear up the rest of him.
Valentino let out a laugh, highly amused by Angel’s little whimpering noises of pain. He watched his tense reflection in the window and licked his lips in response, before talking a long drag from his cigarette.
"Why would I want to dance, when I could rip your back open for me instead? Silly boy. But of course we don't have to do any of this, even if it was your idea. I won't force you, baby. Like I said, I'm more than happy to pay a visit to your new friends right now instead. I do have a lot of things I want to talk about with them, especially that blonde bitch from earlier."
Moving one of his knees between Angel's legs, he kicked them open a little wider, feeling the shards crunch beneath his heel.
"She's pretty enough though, I'll give her that. I'm sure I could find some use for her here. I'd even let you help me break her in. Does that sound like more fun to you, Angel cakes? Being the unfaithful slut that you are, you probably already fucked her, though. Tell me, was she good? Better than daddy?"
His hand gripped the whip tightly, until he felt the metal wire woven inside dig into his black vinyl glove.
Angel’s panic levels went flying back up as Valentino kept speaking. Quickly, he shook his head. "Oh no, Val...I want to spend tonight with you ! Like I said, it’s been too long and o-oww..."
Vals knee nudged his legs apart, repositioning his feet wider, crushing new glass fragments into his skin. His legs wobbled again, blood starting to sluggishly stain the floor near the window.
"Unngg…V-val, I don't want anything to do with her! You know I don't like girls. It was f-free booze, Val. There was an open bar at the hotel an', and I went there to drink."
He wished strongly that he was back there now. At the bar, with Husk...even if Husk clearly didn’t think much of him and would probably think even less if Angel spent the night in the tower. He tried to squash the thought down so Valentino couldn’t get at it.
Instead he moved his foot again, sliding it through more gritty glass shards to rub against Valentinos leg.
"Nobody does it better than you, boss..." he sniffled. "I just wanna be with you. Here, in the tower. A-all night long…."
Val mused over Angel's words as he blew out some of the smoke in his lungs, still deciding which direction he wanted tonight to go in.
"Hm, I'm not sure I can believe you that easily, baby. Especially not after you fucked up our shooting earlier; you really hurt my feelings there. But I'll give you a chance to prove yourself to me."
With one hand wandering over Angel's exposed back, just to feel his nervousness, Valentino slowly unfurled the whip. More smoke gradually filled the room, a dangerous combination of both pheromones and venom mixing itself into the air, making it inescapable.
Angel’s breathing deepened as he nodded frantically, trying to suck in as much of the purple smoke as possible. It wouldn’t stop the pain, but it would make it marginally easier to deal with.
"Yes Val..." he croaked out nervously, "I-i'll prove myself, I promise."
Valentino leaned in close, licking up the sweat on Angel's neck and leaving a trail of venom in its place.
"You just have to keep your hands on the window, darling. That's the only rule. I thought I'd keep it simple so even a dumb bitch like you would understand." But it wasn't the only rule and they both knew it. There were a hundred unspoken rules hanging in the air between them, like a threat.
"And every time I see you move one of those pretty little hands... we'll break one of your fingers. I'm even nice enough to let you choose which one. You should be grateful."
Valentino moved his tongue around Angel's ear with disgusting, slithering wet noises and then drew back at last, getting into position behind him. He wanted to destroy any and all hope that this would be easy. He needed Angel to realize that his place was here in the tower, that he had no future in some rundown hotel. And before this night was over, Angel would be begging him for permission to move back into his old room. When all that was done, there would still be time to pay that blonde bitch a visit.
Angel’s hands tightened against the glass, wishing it was literally any other material. Wood or stone would be easier to keep hold of, glass was slick and textureless, particularly when wet with sweat. He was shaking before the whip even landed, trembling with anticipation and from the sharp pain in his feet.
The first snap of the whip fell loud and heavy in the quiet suite, hitting Angel's left shoulder blade all the way down to his hip. Grinning from barely contained excitement, Valentino raised his gloved hand again without delay, making sure the second hit would strike even harder.
The bullwhip snapped across his back like a line of fire and Angel arched back with a howl, fingers scrabbling at the glass for dear life.
How could he have forgotten what that felt like? It tore into his skin; he was certain he could feel blood. His shoulders shook and heaved, unable to stop his feet dancing, unable to stop them slicing on more of the scattered glass.
"I'm sorry!! Oh fuck, Val, please, I can't...I swear I didn't know she was coming!" There didn't seem much point pretending this was anything other than a punishment, and Angel was desperate that it shouldn't go on too much longer.
The whip cracked down again before Angel could finish his sentence, letting the last words sound choked and distorted with pain. A thin red cross painted his back now, the skin around it opening lazily to make way for the pooling blood between.
"Then why else would she be there, Angel, telling me how to do my fucking job ? Do you seriously think I'll believe she just so happened to stumble into my studio?"
Valentino did not stop or even slow down for a second. He was whipping Angel, and the bitch deserved it, but most of his anger was directed at Charlie. Just thinking about how she had talked to him, like she had anything of value at all to say, was enough to get his pulse racing.
"P-please don't mark m,e Val, n-not a scar, d-don't you want me to s-stay pretty for shots?"
"You should have thought about that before you brought a hellspawn devil in my studio. You think I want to hurt you? You're leaving me no fucking choice, and moaning like a slut too, pretending you don't want it. But I know what you need." Of course the 'moans' were really whimpers and sobs, but it all sounded the same to him, if he was being honest.
He brought the whip down again, hitting the exact same spot as a previous cut. As it tore away from Angel’s skin, tiny shreds of skin followed after, sprinkling Valentino’s face with little red dots.
"I'm sure a few scars wouldn't cost me that much money, baby. Hell, some freaks would pay me even more to see you all fucked up for me."
The bullwhip burned and stung, tearing away at his skin with each stroke. Angel screeched and wailed, no energy or breath to start giving excuses. Not that it mattered; he was pretty sure in this state there was nothing he could say that would make Valentino happy. Valentino wanted to whip him, so he was getting whipped.
Each lash burned more than the last, peeling away the top layer of skin, leaving raw, exposed nerves that all caught fire. The bullwhip landed on an already raw line, the wire inside it tearing through exposed nerves and flesh and Angel gave a high-pitched cry of pain, falling to his knees against the glass. The slicing agony in his legs as they landed was almost a welcome distraction, his arms falling limply to his sides and his head landing on the window with a dull thud.
"I-I can't, Val...I can't...I’m sorry...i-it hurts…."
It had been too long since he'd had a punishment session like this. He'd grown soft in the hotel. He wasn't used to steeling himself, both physically and emotionally, for this kind of treatment. He realised his hands had slipped and with a sob he quickly attached all four back to the glass.
"I—oh Val—I'm so sorry, Val."
Valentino watched with growing self satisfaction as Angel's pitiful display of sobbing and begging played out before him. His cock was throbbing inside his tight leather pants and he made no effort to hide his arousal.
Crushing glass beneath him with every step, he circled around Angel like a vulture.
"Angel, Angel, Angel. You're disappointing me. And here I thought we were finally getting somewhere. Of course it hurts. It has to, how else are you going to learn to be good for me, huh?"
Using the handle of his whip to lift up Angel's chin, Valentino studied him with all the sickly sweetness of mock-sympathy.
"When I ask you a question, I expect you to answer. I know this is all a bit much for a dumb slut like you to understand, but trust me, you don't want to make me repeat myself. You never know who I might take my anger out on."
He smiled, showing all of his teeth. There would be no empty threats tonight. He'd been too lenient, but that mistake was going to be corrected now.
Angel stayed where he was, shivering and slumped against the window. The pain in his back was still stinging and raw, the glass splinters in his feet and knees were sharp and lancing.
He turned his head as the whip slid under his chin, his face wet with tears and sweat, skin pale and eyes wide. A question, he'd been asked a question, and he tried desperately to remember it. Had it been about Charlie?
"S-she knows I work here..." he gasped shakily, trying to marshall his thoughts through the dull fuzz of background pain. "All of hell knows I work here. It’s the main thing anyone knows about me." More tears smarted in his eyes, "She fucking... interferes with everything. She keeps barging into heaven and they don't want her. I didn't tell her to come here but—V-val I'm sorry, I maybe...I should have more clearly told her not to…."
He had a sudden uneasy memory about snapping at Charlie to fix his boss and wondered if she'd taken it literally. "It was my fault, Val, not hers, t-thank you for teaching me…." He gave a hopeless sob. "I-I know it’s gotta hurt, I-I know I gotta learn, Val….”
Valentino listened to Angel's sobbing while drawing on his cigarette, looking entirely unimpressed. When he opened his lips, a thick cloud of smoke blew right against Angel's face, making it hard to breathe.
"So you're telling me she decided to stick her nose into my business to protect you, out of the goodness of her heart? Come now, baby, you know that's not true. She must have had a plan, a reason behind all of this. If someone is trying to overthrow the Vees, we need to know about it, right ?"
Angel's sobbing mixed with coughing as the smoke blew into his face, making him struggle to breathe. "She's not trying to overthrow..." he croaked, "S-she doesn't want power. She just wants her dumb hotel... oh Val..." he leant into the hand on his face and closed his eyes, "D-do you think I'd stay there if I thought for a minute she was trying to overthrow you?"
Val cupped Angel's cheek with one hand, thumb wiping away his tears gently, like only a lover would.
"I want you to tell me everything you know about her. Who does she care about? What are her weaknesses?" His gloved finger moved over Angel's trembling lips, tracing them tenderly. "I'm doing this to protect you, too, babydoll. Because I love you, even if you don't believe me. The more I know about her, the better I can keep you safe from her."
Valentino was sure he had Angel in his pocket now. Nothing like a few sugar-laced words to make him come crawling back for more.
Angel trembled at the order. He couldn't disobey a direct order from Val, not like this, not with the sweetness and tenderness that he only seemed to earn when he was so physically broken. But he couldn't throw Charlie under the bus, either.
"I love you too, Val..." he sniffled, whimpering as his sore knees tried to shift on the broken glass. "B-but I don't...I mean, her main weakness is she just...doesn't think . S-she doesn't get how other people think. She's all happy smiles and rainbows and she thinks everyone else is gonna follow her and dance out of hell. She cares about everyone . Hell, even that snake guy Vox sent! He betrayed us and then she starts singing at him a-and suddenly he's the best hotel guest…." He scowled, giving a miserable shiver against the glass. "What is there to know? She's just a silly little airhead."
"And yet you still try your best to protect her from me. You think I can't tell when you're hiding something? It's written all over your face, baby. You've been living in that hotel for weeks now, this can't be all you've learned so far."
Valentino let out a sigh, putting on his best heartbroken expression.
"I can't believe you would treat me like this, after all I've given you. I made you what you are. Without me, you'd be nothing but a homeless crackwhore, sucking off greasy cocks to pay for your next OD!" This wasn't too far off from Angel's current position, but Valentino wasn't about to sweat the details when he had a point to make. He raised his right shoe and set it down softly on one of Angel's bare feet, slowly, methodically shifting more of his weight onto it.
"Now you better give me a satisfying answer very soon. Or else I'll have to trouble my Voxxy with getting it for me. You know he's a very busy man, he won't be any more happy about this than I am."
Angel sobbed even more at that, both at the pain in his foot and the words. Valentino had given him so much, even if the price had been high. But then...Charlie had given him things as well. And she didn't make him kneel on broken glass….
He leant into Valentino, body trembling. He leant towards the pain, allowing himself to take it deeper.
"She's got two pets..." he breathed against Valentino’s body. Maybe if he held out long enough, he'd get to faint from the pain. That would make everything easier.
"Two little goat things: Razzle and Dazzle. They're from her dad. She loves them." How much had Pentious told Vox? How much did Valentino already know and was teasing him with?
"There's a cat thing? And then the guys who work at the hotel—the radio demon brought 'em. There's a bartender and the cleaning...lady. But I swear there's nothing else. Her and her girlfriend just run the place, she's not trying to take over anyone else's domain."
Valentino smiled down lovingly at Angel, glancing to the window to make sure the others hands were still pressed obediently against the glass. There was almost no sweeter feeling than Angel trying desperately to please him. Of course Valentino was aware he only did it to avoid his punishment, yet his little attempts were too cute to not appreciate them.
He carefully raised his foot again as Angel finally started talking, making it a little easier for him to breathe. While Angel was relieved at the reprieve, it also sent him into a panic. If Val was pleased, it was because Angel had given him something he wanted, and what he wanted was a way to hurt Charlie.
"Hm...pets is a start. People get so attached to them for some reason, it's really silly. Remember how much you cried when I told you I'd sold your adorable piglet off to a butcher? Ha! Funniest prank of my life."
Valentino giggled to himself, but quickly sobered up again when he didn't see Angel join in.
"Tell me more about her girlfriend. Is she a hot bitch as well? You think we could find some use for them in the studio? I get a hundred requests to see naughty lezbos sucking cock together on my desk each day, it's really exhausting."
Angel didn't properly realise his slip until Valentino started talking about Vaggie. He sobbed, shaking his head frantically.
"No!" His preservation instinct screamed at him. "I—I mean, no, she'd be no good, Val. She's got no tits, one eye, and is short as fuck. They don't even fuck properly, they just cuddle and tell each other how much they like each other. It's fucking bizarre. Hey...you know what would work, though? That-that guy...what was his name, Rocky? He's really built , yeah, so I was thinking—and he's called Rocky—maybe he could be like the swarthy boxing coach and I could be like the misbehaving li'l, uh, whatever they have in gyms instead of pool boys. Huh?"
He was trying to distract Valentino, gabbing away to try and re-track the demons thoughts with anything that would get Charlie out of his mind. "Maybe he could tie me in the locker rooms to motivate the squad, huh? Like that football one we did, that went down well! O–or wrap me in clean plastic and use me as a—a punching bag? Huh, how about it, Val?"
Poor Angel's panicked attempts to dissuade him only caused Valentino to grin in excitement, his golden tooth glinting in the low-lit suite. He knew right away he'd struck a nerve.
"No? Why, if I didn't know better, I'd almost say you sounded a bit desperate there. I'll ask Vox for some nice pictures of her later and if I find out you've been lying to me again Angel, you can fuck twenty Rockys a day for the next month."
How easy would it be to get both of them to sign a deal with him? Valentino couldn't imagine it to be much of a challenge, especially since the blonde ones were always the easiest. Vox would probably have some stupid annoying issue with his plan like always, but they could iron out the specifics later, together.
"Sounds like you can barely wait for another beating, babydoll. Does the thought of big muscular men punching you black and blue make your dick hard? I can certainly arrange a shoot for you later this week, don't say daddy never did anything for you. But first—"
And with that Valentino stared down at Angel, wild mania burning behind his glasses, teeth dripping venom.
"Choose a finger. And then we'll continue your whipping."
"I'm not lying...." Angel muttered, rather wishing he was. A better man would be lying, he knew, standing up for the people who'd helped him and believed in him. He shivered miserably against the glass, trying not to think of what would happen when they found out. Charlie's sorrowful face and Husks disappointment. Maybe he'd get lucky and Nifty would stab him.
He sighed, turning his face away from Valentino and mulishly sticking up his middle finger.
"That one."
It wasn't the most fun finger to break, he knew that from experience, but he also knew better than to try and get away with the weakest pinky finger.
"Can't you leave 'em alone, Val? They've done nothing to you and, well, Charlie's dad, he's...he's pretty big stuff, ain't he? I don't think he'd be too pleased to see his one and only daughter in a porno. I just wouldn't want to see you fried, Val." He hoped that sounded more convincing than it currently felt.
Valentino's brow twitched at Angel's audacity, but his face retained the same mad wide grin, otherwise unchanged.
So the slut still had some fight in him after all, what a delight. He'd feared having to cut Angel's punishment short, with how badly he'd been trembling and how his eyes had glazed over for a second there earlier, but it seemed all his worries had been unfounded.
Taking one last drag from his cigarette before snipping it away into the mess that his rooms were now, he exhaled theatrically and backhanded Angel hard across the face.
"Looks like someone forgot to keep his hands on the window again. Go right ahead, choose a second one and make this worth my time, bitch. It's not me who has to shoot a gangbang tomorrow."
Angel gave a groan as his head was knocked sideways, tears stinging into his angry eyes. He shuddered as Valentino picked up his hands, closing his eyes and savouring the last few moments where his hands didn't hurt.
"The one next to it..." he murmured into the glass. That way at least the pain would be concentrated in one place and he could potentially splint them if he got the chance.
Valentino leisurely removed two of his vinyl gloves. He wrapped one hand around the wrist of the one Angel had just held up and used the palm of his other hand to separate the middle finger from the rest, steadily bending it backwards until he felt the tendons ache and resist.
"Why would I be scared of some mythical devil, who hasn't even shown his face to anyone in decades? He might not even exist anymore. And even if he does, he certainly doesn't give a single fuck about his useless, bimbo daughter. Don't worry, if he ever shows up here, daddy and the other Vees will pwotect you ~."
Val’s palm kept steadily forcing the finger back further and further, until Angel's hand was trembling under the stress.
Angel gave a hiss as Valentino started bending the finger back, prolonging the anticipation for the pain. He gave a squirm and cried out at the sudden lancing pain in his knees. Breathing hard he leant into Val, his body quivering except for his hand which stayed obediently still, wishing Val had just wrenched it backwards in one go and wishing even more he'd gone for the pinky finger.
He gave a shriek as the joint popped out, then a louder one as the sudden jump caused his knees to crash into the glass strewn floor again. Then suddenly, painfully, the second joint popped free with a wet cracking noise, breaking all of the tension at once.
His hands that were left against the glass clenched into fists, "FUCK! Val, that’s...oh shit...that's a lot...owwww…."
"Yeah, did that hurt, baby? Remember, you have no one but yourself to blame for this. I don't want to damage my most prized merchandise, but you're leaving me no choice when you act like a spoiled brat."
He let go of Angel's crooked middle finger, coiling his hand around the index finger next and began twisting it back with no hesitation. The ligaments strained just the same, resisting until they had no choice but to rip open with another sharp snap, leaving both fingers bent in all the wrong angles.
"Yeah it huuurt, Val..." Angel whined back, resting back against the larger body as the next finger started bending back. He felt a dizzy wave of nausea and closed his eyes, "I–I'm sorry...I d-didn't mean too...didn't want to get damaged, I j-just—AAAAHHH!"
He shrieked even louder as the second finger snapped, immediately cradling it in two of his other hands.
"Good. It's supposed to hurt, baby. Your brain needs this, so you'll remember who you belong to the next time you have a fun sleepover party with your hotel friends."
Frowning, Valentino grabbed a fistful of Angel's hair, his claws digging into the scalp to pull him back on his feet again. The hold in his hair pretty much yanked him upwards, swaying and staggering as his damaged feet tried to find the purchase and strength to hold him upright.
"Get up!" Val hissed, spitting venom. "We're not done and you still haven't learned your lesson."
Angel’s hands flew back to the window, even the injured one pressing firmly against the glass. His damaged hand was a constant stab of pain.
"Y-yes, Val..." he managed to choke out, feeling himself sway even as he said it. Fuck he wouldn't last much longer if the bullwhip started up again. He wondered if maybe he would pass out if it managed to cross all the lines already over his back, and whether Val would stop if he did….
Valentino kicked Angel's legs further open again, lips twitching in annoyance. Somewhere inside him he knew that he should probably stop soon, that he needed Angel to be at least halfway functional for tomorrow’s shoot, but what sort of impression would that make on the brat? He didn't want Angel to think him weak, that he would give in to a little whining so easily.
Once he was sure that Angel could stand on his own, Valentino circled gracefully behind him again, glass crunching under his heels, whip still in his hand. Angel's back was a mess of swollen bloody welts, the skin around them raised and colored in deep red.
"Yes Val..." Angel whimpered again, managing to get his feet mostly planted and legs straight. He was leaning harder against the glass now, his three uninjured hands using it as much for support as anything else.
His eyes flickered closed as he heard Val circling, trying to slow his breath and keep it from hitching. The muscles in his back twitched in anticipation. If he could just take the first hit... manage that without falling, he knew he could hold for a good few more.
Valentino brought the whip down with a stinging crack , aiming for the still unmarked ass and upper thighs. This was a mercy and Valentino considered it to be almost more than what Angel deserved tonight.
The metal strands of the bullwhip cut into the meaty flesh of his backside, leaving a long, red welt behind. It stood out against the pale of Angel's skin, below the hot red mess that Valentino had already made of his back.
The whip made him jump as it landed. There was more lancing pain in his feet and across his arse but he managed to stay in position. The stroke was lower, which meant first that the strike landed across uninjured skin and secondly that Val was looking at his arse. There was a small chance that the end was in sight, that Val would start to get distracted by the other things he could use Angel’s arse for.
The second stroke made Angel give a choked cry, his fists trembling against the glass, and then they were coming too fast to be individual. While Valentino was now focusing on his thighs and arse, it wasn’t long before the plumper skin became just as searingly painful as his back.
Angel's flinch as the whip bit into him was good, but Valentino needed more. He needed to hear him crying, begging for it all to stop and then break down sobbing when he realized that it wouldn't. Somewhere in his mind Valentino knew that he wasn't thinking rationally right now, but how could anyone, with such a pretty doll in front of them, just asking to be played with.
If Angel was too badly bruised up to shoot their scheduled scene, then he would just have to improv the script to fit his new look. Makeup could fix the rest; they'd worked around worse before.
So Valentino didn't hold back, letting hit after hit tear into Angel's ass, leaving crimson streaks across his thighs. Some cuts ended up nastier than others, especially those that landed on already marked skin. A particularly mean one tore into the inside of his thigh, just underneath Angel's ass, where two other strikes had already found a target, leaving it open and bloody.
Val was breathing hard, half from exhaustion and half from excitement.
"You look so beautiful, baby doll. I could do this all night, watching you tremble under me."
Red striped welts criss crossed all over him, and soon his legs were jumping and dancing to avoid it, producing even more cries and shrieks as his ruined feet danced over the broken glass. The metal wire in the bullwhip was tearing against the ruined skin, peeling it open until Angel could feel the blood trickling down his legs to pool into the bloody footprints his feet were leaving on the floor.
The strokes snaked around his thighs, growing perilously close to far more delicate parts of him. And finally, the pain was too much and Angel gave an animalistic squeal and dropped back down to his knees. This time his whole torso was slumped forward against the glass, body shaking and skin pale and slicked with sweat.
"Nooooo Val...please ...." he groaned, his voice thick and raspy, throat sore from screaming. "'M -m sorry, Val, p-please, I'll learn my lesson. I'll stay here with you, I promise, please...I'm gonna be sick, Val, I can't...."
Every nerve in his back and arse was screaming and raw, an entire half of his body a lumpen red quivering mass of pain.
"I'm yours, Val.. all yours…please...please, Val…."
The clacking of Valentino’s heels was loud and heavy on the floor as he drew closer to Angel, until he was right behind him. One hand was back in his sweaty white hair in seconds, another dug into his neck, hard enough to bruise.
Valentino lifted him up and back against the window again, with such force he could hear Angel's forehead slam into the glass in front of him. Angel gave a whine as his hair was tugged back, his eyes red and watering as he stared desperately into Valentino’s face. It was almost a relief to get his knees off the glass even if the crack of his forehead against the window made him see stars.
"Do you want to make me angry, Angel? Don't tell me this is all you can take, I am so over your melodramatic acting. Stand up! "
The claws around Angel's neck tightened further, not enough to choke him, but enough to hurt.
"Fine. I guess you're done pretending to 'help me relax' now, huh? Then how about this: Tomorrow you're going to go back to the hotel and convince both the blonde bimbo and her dyke girlfriend to sign a contract with me. If you refuse, I'll keep whipping you until you pass out and then some. And I'll just send someone else to get them for me instead. Someone less...friendly."
"I'm sorry, Val..." Angel gasped dizzily, mostly out of automatic reflex. He had very little idea now why Valentino was angry with him. The blood loss was making it even harder to think.
Valentino leaned into Angel's mangled back, pushing him against the window and pinning him there, no concern for the glass splinters that dug deeper into Angel's feet with every movement. There were tiny rivers of blood seeping into Valentinos clothes and he felt them soak through his shirt and stick to his skin.
"Do you understand me?" His mouth was right next to Angel's ear now. "It's either your hotel, or me. And you better make the right choice, because I don't feel like giving out second chances tonight."
"Y-yes, Val..." Angel gasped, closing his eyes. He was pretty sure he couldn't take much more without actually passing out, and that would make Valentino even angrier. "Y-you, of course. Always you. Y-you’ve done so much for me."
Angel could feel himself swaying on the spot. His hair ached dully at the roots, with Valentino’s grip on it a large part of what was keeping him upright. "I'll get what you want, tomorrow, I promise…."
Right now he would've agreed to anything to get it to stop. But he still had one small spark of hope. Going back to the hotel would mean leaving the tower. Tomorrow, he could get away from Valentino. Whatever happened next he could work out from there.
The response took Valentino aback, his eyes widening in disbelief. He hadn't expected it to be this easy, but then again, of course Angel would obey him. In the end he always did, one way or another.
"No, baby. I need you to spell it out for me so I can make sure you understand. What are you doing tomorrow? Use your words for daddy."
His remaining two hands wrapped around Angel's hips, steadying him further and keeping him upright against the window. Valentino didn't want him to slip on accident and rip fresh cuts into his legs, when Angel was already annoyingly close to passing out.
Angel couldn't stop crying now, body shaking as much from the trauma as the blood loss, his eyes glassy and tears rolling down his cheeks.
"I-I'm gonna go back to the hotel, a-and I'm gonna convince Charlie t-to sign a contract with you…." He was pretty sure he didn't have the power to do that, at least he sincerely hoped he didn't. But he knew the sheer act of trying would destroy any hope Charlie had in him or his redemption. "A-and then I'll convince Vaggie to sign..." He felt a bit stronger saying those words. Vaggie would never do it and she hated him anyway. It was a safe enough impossible task to promise.
"What do you think we should do if you fail me? I'm sure you'll try your very best, but just for the tiniest chance of you fucking up once again... what sort of punishment would help encourage you to really give this your all, hm?"
"I..." his throat rasped and Angel paused, taking a shaky breath and resting himself into Valentino’s grip. Valentino was supporting him now, holding him upright and for a moment he allowed himself to believe it was because the demon cared for him. But now he had to decide his own fate for when he failed and he shuddered in Val’s grip. It was a when, not an if—whatever he promised would be the minimum of what would happen to him.
"I'll stay in the tower here..." he whispered, "Full time for the next two weeks—not just in the tower, but the studio. Back to back—all the kinks you want while I'm awake and somno when I finally pass out, huh, Val? T-that's all I got to offer, you know that...all I got is my body and it’s already yours."
After gently moving his hand to cup Angel's face, Valentino nestled his lips against his neck instead to fill the now empty space, just enjoying how he trembled underneath him for a moment, how those sobs shook through his body. Then soon he was sucking and biting, slowly making his way up to Angel's jawline and down again, encouraging him to keep speaking.
"Hmm? Aw, baby, you're gonna do that for me anyway." He mumbled against Angel's skin, his tongue slithering over his cheek, licking up sweat and tears while leaving a trail of venom behind. "After all, we have to make up for all the money you lost me while you were ignoring my calls, no? I wasn't talking about compensation, I want to know how you, in your opinion, feel like you deserve to be corrected if you fail me."
Valentino could not have Angel half-ass this because of some bullshit sentimental reason. But with the right kind of motivation, he'd make sure that the other had no choice but to take his task seriously for once.
Angel’s lungs hitched with tears, gasping for a moment and unable to speak as the pain and panic rushed over him. "Yes, Val..." he whispered eventually, trying to deal with one thing at a time. Tomorrow’s pain was for tomorrow; he could take them one at a time.
"O–of course that’s my job, but..." There were some things they'd not done, just because of the inconvenience it would cause. "Y-you've not killed me..." he managed, voice cracking. "Not on film. It’s never gone that far. I-if you wanted some snuff, w-would that be a punishment if I failed?"
It made his brain panic just thinking about it. All the ways Val could find to leave him dead. He'd seen the snuff dungeons, heard the sounds as people choked or drowned, pulled apart or left hanging for days. For the first time he started wondering whether he maybe could get Charlie to sign, and the thought upset him even more.
Valentino's grip tightened around Angel's hips at those words, his grin wide and feral. So the whore had just been teasing him before. Of course he shouldn't be surprised, you could always count on Angel Dust to get your blood pumping and your cock hard in the time of need. That's why he was his best-selling bitch, after all.
"Angel, baby, can you feel how happy you made daddy just now? It almost makes me want to set you up for failure, you cheeky little slut. Or maybe that's your plan, huh? Trying to manipulate me into letting you get off easy?" He mumbled into Angel's neck between kisses, keeping him locked in a firm, secure hug. Valentino was mostly joking, but it wouldn't hurt to keep Angel on his toes a little; he didn't want the praise going to his head.
"V-val, please...I won't let you down, I promise."
"Oh, I know you won't! I can't wait to show your friends around the studio, we will have so much fun together. I'll even let you join them during filming, being the more experienced actor that you are, so you can teach them how it's done right."
He looked almost giddy as he lifted Angel up into his arms, carrying the shaking bloody bundle through the room like a bride. Angel was set down on the hot pink leather couch a bit rougher than necessary, with Valentino sitting down next to him, lighting himself another cigarette.
Valentino's excitement only made Angel sob harder, his body really starting to crash from the pain, blood loss, and emotional panic. Either he'd betray and potentially destroy the only two people who'd believed he could be anything more than just a usable porn star, or he'd be repeatedly dying into the smothering, stupefying darkness of non-stop pain for the whole of Hell to get off to.
He clung desperately to Valentino’s body as he was kissed, crying against his shoulder.
"I-I can't Val, I-I hurt, V-val...please..." he shook with relief as he was finally lifted off the broken glass and unforgiving floor, his feet lacerated and sluggishly bleeding, some shards of glass still embedded in them.
"T-thank you Val ... "
His back burned as it hit the leather and his watery eyes opened wide but he managed not to scream. He even hauled himself slightly along the couch, skin stinging hot and sharp, to rest his head in Val’s lap. He gazed up at him, his words coming out horribly truthful, "I'll try my hardest Val, you know I will, I'll get them both signed up for you..." There was nothing left in him to protest any more, he just wanted it all to stop.
Valentino wiped some stray strands of hair out of Angel's face while an ungloved hand felt for the pulse on his neck, hovering there. Anyone else might easily mistake it for affection, but the threat was obvious to both of them.
Valentino looked down at his most prized possession, blowing his venom laced smoke right into Angel's face like usual.
"You're getting blood all over my clothes and couch, baby," he snarled, teeth flashing for just a second as the light hit them. Still, he seemed to be content with allowing Angel to rest like this for a moment, finishing his cigarette and listening to the other’s ragged breathing slowly calming down.
"Ugh, this was fun, but daddy's gotta take a shower and go to bed now; we have to wake up early, after all." Valentino stood up, taking off his coat and shirt and indifferently throwing both of them at Angel's general direction. They were ruined anyway.
"Don't think I'll go easy on you on set tomorrow, Angelcakes. Maybe if you're a really good boy for me, I'll even let you get off a bit sooner, so you can go run your little errand for me, hm?"
It was hard for him not to spoil Angel after he'd spent the last few minutes looking up at Valentino like that, eyes full of adoration, fear, and longing. He wasn't about to let him skip work, of course; there would be none of that anymore from now on, but he supposed a little gesture of goodwill wouldn't hurt.
"You can sleep here tonight, on the couch. Or fuck off to somewhere else, honestly I don't care. But you better be at the studio at 8 sharp, bitch."