Trump card

But he had one trump card left to play.

"Well, then I'm very sorry, Wesley, but you leave me ****."

Wesley looked up, his anxiety mounting.

"I've tried my very best to help you," Samuel continued, marveling at the ease with which the outrageous lie rolled off his tongue. "But you've given me **** but to call to police."

"What? Why?" The boy squealed, eyes widening in renewed fright.

Samuel shrugged. "For breaking and entering, of course. This is my house, and you broke in!"

"B-but the door was open!"

"That doesn't matter, I'm afraid. It's a serious crime, I can't just let you go."

"He won't go to jail, right?" Nancy asked, adding fuel to the fire.

"He might. Maybe. Look, I'm really very sorry, I know he's your brother, but..."

"I'll never do it again, I swear!" Wesley cried, voice reaching fever pitch.

"I wish I could believe you, kiddo. But I just can't trust you, after all the lies you've been telling me."

Samuel then looked him straight in the eye and waited, silently, letting the pressure mount. He could practically see the gears turning behind the boy's eyes.

"S-so... if I say I'm g-gay, you'll let me go?"

Jackpot!

Samuel shrugged, feigning disinterest. "It'd be a start."

Another long pause, then Wesley swallowed.

"O-OK... I... I'm gay."

Samuel remained silent, letting the seconds tick by, then shook his head and sighed exaggeratedly, as if in disappointment. "I'm sorry, but... I just don't know if I can trust you any more."

"B-but I did what you said. I'm gay!"

"And I said it'd be a start. But if I asked you to tell me the sky was green? You'd probably lie about that too, right? You'd say anything if it meant I'd let you avoid the police!"

Wesley was on the verge of tears now. He was lost and confused, pushed so far on the defensive he could barely even speak any more.

"I don't know what you want me to do!" He wailed.

"Nothing comes to mind," Samuel replied. "Well... there's one thing, but..."

Trepidation fought with hope in Wesley's voice. "What is it?"

Samuel locked eyes with him once more. "You say you're gay, right?"

"Y-yes?"

"But it's pretty clear by now that I can't trust your word. I'm going to need you to prove it."

This ultimatum was answered by two audible gasps. Even Nancy had apparently not quite realized how far he would push her poor bullied little brother. But when Samuel glanced her way, he was surprised to see a glint of beginning interest in her expression, lips curling into a devious little grin. That was the second time this streak of malice had shown itself. Interesting.

"H-how?" Wesley whispered. Having been driven into a corner, Wesley grabbed onto the proposal like it was a life raft.

"Well, it's no big deal, really. You'll just do some things only faggots enjoy, and we'll see if you enjoy them too. If you do, then that proves you can be trusted despite all your lies, and maybe I won't need to call the cops on you after all."

The boy sat unmoving for a long time. Samuel's old fashioned wall clock ticked off the seconds in what seemed like thunderclaps in the otherwise dead silent kitchen. He held his breath.

Finally, something shifted in his posture, and Samuel knew what he was going to say.

"Wh-what do I need to do?" Wesley whispered.