Page 85 of A Dangerous Game

All Carter wants to do is squeal in excitement.

It gets easier to hide his enthusiasm when he gets his first real look at Casey. His stomach drops, his chest pulling tight.

There are bruises wrapping around Casey’s body, covering at least 70 percent of his skin. He's thin, his ribs showing like Carter's had when he first arrived here - though it looks much worse on Casey since he was so bulky and athletic-looking when they first met. Even at the party, Casey didn't look this bad.

Hasn't Benny been feeding him? Caring for him? Why the fuck is he still so bad?

"Casey," Carter whispers. His body trembles with the effort it takes to stay where he is. "Hey, buddy."

Casey peeks at him with watery eyes before turning his gaze toward Benny. He slowly drops to his knees at Benny's feet, ducking his head. He doesn't say a word.

"Casey-" Benny pauses, resting a hand on Casey's head. Casey leans into the touch just enough to show acknowledgement, but not enough to come off needy or disrespectful. It breaks Carter's fucking heart. "Your friend is here. Remember, I told you Carter is here?"

"I have no friends, Master," Casey says in a distant, soft voice that Carter doesn't even recognize. "There's only you."

"Casey, we talked about this." Benny kneels in front of him. It seems to agitate Casey, but he doesn't say anything or even lift his head to look at him. "You're safe now, remember? You and Carter both. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, but your health was more important."

He waits. All Casey does is curl his shoulders further, like a turtle retreating into its shell. "This isn't a game like your old master used to play. I promised no games. I promised no tests. Remember? This is real, Casey. I promise. You can talk to him. He's your friend. It's okay. You're safe."

Slowly, Casey lifts his gaze towards Carter. His eyes are weary and tired. "H-hey."

Carter sways forward, dropping to his knees beside Benny. "Hey, Casey. God, you're - I can't believe you're here! It's been killing me not to come see you!"

With a small glance to Benny, almost like he's checking in, Casey says, "I'm here, yes."

"I'm so sorry for the party. I'm so fucking sorry." Carter swallows hard, the urge to sob welling in his throat. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I'm so sorry."

"I knew better. I shouldn't have engaged with another slave like I did. I deserved to be punished."

Carter flinches, the words hitting him like physical weapons. "No, Casey-"

"Leave it," Benny says gently. He gives Carter a sad smile. "Focus on now. The past is complicated for him. We're working on it."

"Oh. Right. I - okay." Carter swallows all the things he wanted to say, searching for something new. Something easy. "Do you want some clothes? When I found out the truth, that was one of the first things I wanted to do. It felt weird, but good. I can get you something to wear, if you want?"

Casey's eyes go impossibly wide. He shakes his head. "No. I - no, thank you. I don't need clothes."

"Are you sure? It's kind of cold in here." Carter tugs at his sweater. "The clothes are big on me, but they'll fit you better. You still have a larger frame, even if you're…" Carter doesn't finish that sentence.

"No, thank you."

So polite. Like he's speaking to a master."It's me, Casey. Carter. You - you remember me, right?"

Casey eyes Benny. When Benny nods, Casey says, "Of course."

"You don't have to act like a slave anymore. Not in here. You're safe now. For real. Benny and Nathan won't hurt us."

Casey looks at Nathan for the first time, visibly wincing. He lowers his gaze. "Hehashurt you. I've seen it."

“He – well, right. I - I guess that's true, yeah. But it was part of the act. He needed to play the part of my master or people would have known he was undercover." Carter frowns at Benny. "Didn't you explain all this?"

"Yes, but it's a lot to take in, Carter." Benny gives him a disapproving look. "Be patient."

Carter doesn't want to be patient - he wants his friend to realize he's safe!

"Casey, come on. Talk to me. You know you're saved, right? We saved you. This place is temporary, but then we'll be free again. Like we were before all this. We can - we can do whatever we want. You could swim again!"

Casey's eyes fill with tears. When he ducks his head, a few fall down his cheeks. "I'm happy here. I - I don't wish to go anywhere or do anything else. Mas -Bennymakes me very happy."