MAFIA DADDIES COLLECTION

MM DARK ROMANCES

JOE SATORIA

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 Copyright © 2024 Joe Satoria

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

transmitted, copied, or stored in any form or by any means without the prior
written permission from the author. Exception for the use of brief quotation
in a review. This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, events,
brands, companies, and places are used fictionally.

No AI was used to generate any of these books. All errors are the author’s
own.

This book contains material suitable only for mature readers.

Note: these aren’t meant as an accurate depiction of the mafia lifestyle.

They’re romance novels, where suspending your disbelief helps. Enjoy!

Read the triggers, warnings, and tropes before each title.

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 LETHAL
BROKEN
MAYFAIR PLACE DADDY
BAD BOY

WANT MORE DARK ROMANCES?

More from JOE SATORIA

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 LETHAL
Copyright © 2023 Joe Satoria
All Rights Reserved

Warnings & Tropes: This book contains violence, the mention of SA,
trauma, a deserving revenge, off-page homophobia, and a lot of spice. Age
gap, D/s dynamic, Daddy kink, a very protective hitman.

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 BLURB
Love, Deception, and Dating a Hitman

Cal Drake never expected his life to take a dangerous turn, but when he
crosses paths with Frankie Borgesi, a deadly hitman, everything changes.
Caught in a web of intrigue and deceit, Cal finds himself with only his wits
and a growing attraction to Frankie to guide him.

Frankie, with his cold-blooded skills and hardened heart, was never one to
fall in love. Yet, when he finds Cal, something shifts within him. Suddenly,
his lethal precision wavers, and his emotions run wild. But their connection
comes at a price as they uncover a secret past and a darkness that threatens
to consume them both.

Amidst trust issues and a history steeped in danger, Frankie embarks on

uncovering Cal’s mysterious past whilst seeking revenge. As he delves
deeper into the truth, he realizes that love may be the key to healing his
lethal heart.

In a world where loyalty is tested, and danger lurks at every corner, Cal and
Frankie must navigate the treacherous path of love, pain, and contract
killing.

Can love truly conquer all? And will unwavering devotion be enough to
heal a wounded soul?

Expect to find a protective, obsessive, deadly Daddy, and a sweet, troubled,

occasional cam boy hacker. You’ll also find secrets, lies, and a delicious
revenge with HEA cherry on top.

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PROLOGUE
FRANKIE

Two Years Ago

Working off outdated intel was never good, especially when the source was
in question. There was more leeway questioning my father now. It used to
be a death sentence.
Unlike my brothers in the family business, I only had one job.
And my father had ordered it.
There was a small gang rising inside a former Philly industrial area.
They were stepping on Borgesi toes; we owned that area.
Parked outside an abandoned Chinese restaurant, I watched for any
movement. Gangs like these usually holed up in empty buildings, often
using them as grow houses or crack dens.
I sucked deep until the cigarette in the corner of my mouth burned to
the filter.
Tonight, I played executioner. A slug to the head, followed by a call
to the family butcher who disposed of them. I didn’t get involved there, I
wasn’t a cleaner, although my methods were usually clean.
“I’m coming for you,” I whispered, pushing out smoke. I stubbed
the cigarette into the ashtray on the center console. “Assholes.”
In the dead of night with only dim streetlights dotted further and
further apart, I climbed out of the car. I adjusted myself in the reflection of
the black BMW. I dressed smart. Suited with a nice thin black tie. It was
formal, almost like attending a funeral. And here, I stuck out like a sore
thumb, but there was nobody around. I told myself to be in and out within
ten minutes, anything longer and the police could arrive.
Checking myself over, I had my sheathed serrated knife, my brass
knuckles, and my weapon of choice, a Berretta 92FS equipped with a
silencer.
The windows inside the restaurant were boarded up with old
newspapers. I went around the back.
The cobbled alley stank of trash and urine, made worse by the early
summer temperatures. There were hefty bags outside the large metal door
leading to the restaurant. I knew someone was here, even if it didn’t look
like they’d come back tonight.
Inspecting the door, I noticed a slip of cardboard suppressing the
lock from latching. This must’ve been how they were able to operate from
here without a key. I pulled the handle slowly, opening the door.
The smell stifled me, almost forcing me back a couple steps. It was
worse. Rotting flesh. I took a moment to twist the silencer on my gun.
Holding it up, I covered my nose and mouth with my arm. It was obvious
they’d neglected to clean the freezer before leaving.
Careful with each step, I prepared to find the crack bandits. This was
more than just them being on Borgesi territory, this was also about them
cutting their product to the point it was killing more people than it was
making addicts.
There was no sign of life on the restaurant floor, or any of the
backrooms. There were roaches and rats scurrying everywhere. I slowly
tugged the freezer door shut, but the smell had permeated through
everything.
I found the door to the basement, ajar, a small blue light flashing
behind it.
Rolling my shoulders, I sucked in a slow breath, trying not to think
about what I was breathing in, just enough to steady myself and focus my
mind.
Pushing the door, it squeaked.
Of course, it fucking squeaked.
I couldn’t hear anything down there.
Stepping down each of the creaking wooden steps toward the light, I
was ready to point and shoot.
On the floor of the basement, the light had come from a small blue
camping light. It illuminated enough to see that this was where they’d been
based. There was a table with a couple cocaine bricks, a propane tank and a
large metal pan from where they boiled and cut cocaine to make crack.
Someone must’ve tipped them off. It looked like they’d been in a
rush to leave.
A heavy breathing sob came out.
I turned on my heel, directing my gun at the source.
In the far corner, on a tattered mattress, there was a body covered by
a cloth sack. A man, I assumed. His hands were tied to a rope that hung
down from a meat hook on the ceiling. His torso was held up as his chin
pressed against his chest. He was blindfolded.
Grabbing the blue camping light, I approached him. His legs were
covered in bruises. I tugged the sack away to reveal lesions and sores
covering his skin.
Spooked. He jumped, scooting toward the wall. “Please,” he sobbed.
“I don’t want to.”
“Kid,” I said, crouching. I continued to inspect his body. They’d
done a number on him, and most of them seemed like stubbed cigarette
burns. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
“Who—who—who are you?”
“I’m going to reach for your blindfold,” I told him. “Don’t be
alarmed. I have a gun. Now, tell me when the last time you heard them
was?”
His body shivered. “I haven’t heard them in—in a while. My—my
body hurts. I don’t know what day it is.”
“It’s May the 22nd.” I pulled the blindfold over his head.
“No.” Tears filled his eyes. He pushed back against the brick wall.
“Are you—are you sure?”
I reached into my suit and grabbed my knife. “I’m Frankie,” I told
him, trying not to look at the mess those men had made of his naked body. I
placed the serrated side of the blade against the rope and cut through it.
“I’m—I’m Cal,” he said, his arms dropping by his side. “I thought
—I thought I was going to die.” He cried out in pain. I knew the strain that
had on his limbs.
“It’s ok, it’s all ok,” I said, taking his hand and rubbing my thumb
on it. I didn’t want to tell him that if I hadn’t come down, I assumed
someone would’ve come to collect what had been left. “Nobody is gonna
hurt you again. Not on my watch,” I told him. “Do you know who did
this?”
He sobbed, trying to raise his weak arms. “I—I—” I could wrap my
entire hand around the top of his arm. He was going to waste away.
“It’s ok,” I said, slipping the knife back into my pocket. “I have
some clothes in the trunk of my car. Let’s get you out. You’re under my
protection now.” I felt something more for him, deep in the pit of my
stomach was the need to protect him. “Can you stand?” I knew it was a
stupid question; there was no muscle left on him to do anything.
 His sobs became harder.
“I’ve got you.”
I picked him up. Assuring me how dangerously light his body was.
“I’m sorry,” he said, struggling to keep his head up.
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” I told him, pressing his head
to my chest for support.
I took him out to my car and laid him down in the back. He flinched
as I came back to him with clothes, they were clean, it was what I’d planned
on wearing to the gym later. A pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt. His
body was limp as I dressed him.
“I’m gonna get you cleaned up,” I said. “And you need to eat. Then
you can try telling me what happened.” He nodded slowly, still laid across
the backseats. “I’ll be five minutes, don’t leave.”
“Ok,” he offered back, weakly.
I had to get back into the restaurant to take their cocaine bricks. If I
couldn’t get them, I was going to take their supply, and there were people
within the family who could try and get a trace on where this came from,
and then we could find their supplier.
Cal hadn’t moved when I got back. He flinched once more as I
opened the door and begged not to be hurt. I never got emotional, but this
one hit me hard.
“I’m taking you to my place,” I told him. “Nobody is going to hurt
you ever again. I promise.”
I had so many questions. Like, how could someone hurt him? What
had he done to deserve this? I needed answers.

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1. CAL
A crash stumbled through the apartment, waking me up.
It was trailed by incoherent drunk ramblings.
Out of bed in a crop top and my tight booty shorts, I sauntered into
the living room.
Frankie had stumbled, slipped, and slumped into the sofa. The
coffee table was now in two, and there was blood everywhere.
“Baby,” he said, seeing me. “Oh baby. Fuck. I’m sorry.”
I wiggled my way onto the sofa for him to place his head on my lap.
There was blood in his hair and all over his hands. “It’s ok,” I told him,
inspecting his head to see if there was any glass in there. “I take it tonight
didn’t go well. You know I don’t like it when you go drinking with your
brothers.”
Frankie belonged to the Borgesi crime family. I hadn’t known this
when he took me in. I don’t think I even figured it out until I was already
deep in love with him. He was their hitman, another fact I only found out
when he promised to kill whoever wronged me, and he meant it.
Unfortunately for both of us, we hadn’t found out who’d kidnapped and
tortured me two years ago. They’d left me beaten and bruised, most of it I’d
blocked out.
“It was my fault,” he snickered. “This bastard made a gay joke, then
someone said they’d seen who I’m with, talking about you, you know I
don’t like people talking about you. You know that. Right?”
I gave him a kiss on his bloodied forehead. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, baby,” he said. “So, I gave him a beating, almost
punched a hole right through the fucker’s face.” He chuckled, lifting his
head up, his lips puckered to kiss me. “I love you to the moon and back,
you’re mine, you know that.”
“And you’re mine.” I accepted his kisses. “But you’re not getting
into bed like that. I think we had to burn the last sheets you got blood on.”
“Baby, how do my hands look?”
I took one look at them and knew he was going to need stitches.
My mom was a nurse. I knew how to clean wounds and do a basic
stitch, and I’d now had plenty of practice thanks to Frankie. He’d never let
anyone else do it, and he’d never let anyone else see him like this. The
sweet, affectionate side of him was not public knowledge, and that’s
probably why that guy at the bar got pounded into oblivion.
The first thing I had to do was check his gun. I made sure all the
bullets were accounted for. At least the night hadn’t gone that sour. I didn’t
like him to drink with his gun on him, mostly because of what he might do
to someone else with it.
Undressing him out of his clothes, I folded them and placed them on
the arm of the chair with the gun on top. They had blood all over them, but
that wasn’t my job, my job was to be taken care of, and to do my best to
uncover the truth about what happened to me.
I attempted to sober Frankie with water, holding a bottle to his lips. I
lied and told him it was vodka. At first, he spat it out.
“If you don’t drink this, you’re sleeping on the sofa,” I told him,
wrapping my finger around the gold chain on his neck and tugging at him.
“I don’t want you to, but I can’t get you up.”
He snickered. “I can get something up for you,” he said, taking hold
of my hand and running it down his hairy torso. “You want that, baby?”
“Pweese,” I said, pouting. “But I don’t want to ride your whisky
dick. It’s like fucking a gummy worm. And there’s no reward to that.” I
swung my legs around and sat on his torso. “The only way you’re getting a
happy ending tonight, is if you drink some water and take a bath.”
He looked at me, a big smile on his face. “You love me.”
“I do, which is why I’m trying to get you to stop smelling like booze
and blood,” I said. “Even if it does turn me on.”
With his hand in a loose fist, he rubbed his knuckles against my
cheek to stroke me. “You gotta say the words,” he said. “And now it looks
like you need to get cleaned up.”
Since he was ten years older than me, I playfully called him Daddy.
And he was everything you could need in a Daddy; strong, protective, and
he never let me sleep without a treat. “Please, Daddy, you don’t want me to
sleep alone,” I said, gyrating on his torso. “Someone might come in during
the night while you’re not there.”
That got his attention. “Nobody is coming for you,” he said.
“Gimme that water. I need to keep you safe.”
He downed the entire bottle, then asked for another. It only took
fifteen minutes after that for me to get him to the bathroom. I took his
boxers off and sat him down in the tub. There was a showerhead for me to
use, which was better than running him a bath.
First, I rinsed the blood off myself in the sink, it was better that way,
he’d only get frisky if I joined him in there.
Washing the cuts on his hands and the blood from his head, I never
made a big deal about how busted he got sometimes. The rule was always
no doctors, unless you could lie well. If he came in at the same time
someone came in with a busted face, it would only have the police on
standby, and they were looking for any reason to put Frankie and his family
behind bars.
Frankie laid on the bed once he was out of the shower. There was a
towel around his waist, and another behind his back. His abdominal
muscles and those delicious cum gutters were both shining and flexing as I
walked around him.
“Ugh tomorrow is Sunday,” I grumbled, my mood dampening.
“Your mom is gonna be asking all types of questions,” I told him, taking a
bottle of sanitizer for the cuts. It stung like a bitch, but you’d never know
that by looking at Frankie’s face, he didn’t even flinch.
“She always does,” he said. “More importantly, she’ll ask why
you’re still with me.”
As she did, every single time we went to the house, his mother told
me I was too good for her son. She’d told me I was too pure for this
lifestyle; she just hadn’t seen the side of me that matched up perfectly to
him. It was the side of me that had been practicing with a knife, and
together, we’d eliminated several people who were trying to horrible things,
like the things that had been done to me.
“And I’ll tell her that I love you, and it will make your brothers
uncomfortable, which will lead to us leaving early,” I said.
“Perfect,” he said, lifting his hand and stroking my face. “You’re my
perfect boy.” His thumb pulling on my bottom lip. “What do those lips do,
baby?” His other hand reaching over to slip up my crop top.
“Frankie, I need to fix your knuckles, I guess this is what happens
when I hide your brass knuckles, you just fight anyway,” I grumbled to
myself. “Stop moving, or I’ll bite.”
He coughed, trying to laugh. “Bite me, then. If I’m gonna have
marks on my body, I want them to be from you, baby.”
I took his hand and poured more of the sanitizer on the cuts. “After.”
 For me, stitching the cuts on his skin was like stitching clothes,
except we’d learned not to use fabric thread after the first time. Now we had
the medical-grade supplies. It felt like I was in an emergency room playing
doctors with my surgical thread and tray of instruments.
“Looks like you’re gonna be ok,” I said. “Now, let me see what else
you might need help with.”
He immediately pulled at the towel around his waist, his legs spread
and his cock chubbing up against his inner thigh. “You know what I want.”
Frankie’s body almost looked like it was chiseled from marble, and
any chance I got to run my hands up it, I took it. The hair pattern on his
chest, lead down into a happy trail to the happiest of rewards known as his
cock. “I know what you want,” I said, giving him a kiss. “Let me put this
away. I expect you to be hard when I get back.”
He gave my ass a spank as I climbed off the side of the bed. “You
don’t tell me what to do,” he said. “You ask, and you make sure to ask
politely, and address me properly.” His voice petering off as I went to the
kitchen.
There was his playfulness coming out, and an assurance his cock
wouldn’t become a gummy worm inside me.
The equipment went inside a box under the kitchen sink, and the
wipes with blood on them went into a biohazard tub.
On my way back to him, I hiked my booty shorts up between my
cheeks. It made my balls feel like they were being cupped.
Frankie was at full mast, sitting up in bed with a hand stroking his
cock. His other hand was prepared with lube, although it wasn’t always
necessary, he was uncut, and he produced a lot of precum, often enough to
use as lube.
“Climb on,” he said, squeezing his cock at the base. “No whisky
dick here.”
I gnawed on my bottom lip. “That’s all you had to say.” I turned to
take my shorts off, while looking behind to see him stare. He whacked his
cock against his thigh, the wet slap had my hole throbbing and my cock
twitching.
I bounced on my knees on the bed until I was straddled across his
hips. I leaned against the tip of his cock while one hand traced a line down
my spine, and the other applied lube to guide his cock inside me.
 “I fucking love you,” he said, pressing his mouth against my neck.
He sucked my skin, leaving his mark.
His cock went deep, I swayed, back and forth, lifting a little on it
and then back down. “I love you,” I said, the tense exhilaration of holding
my breath to keep myself from moaning pulsed through me.
Pinching gently at my nipples, he looked up at me, seeing the effect
it had on my body. It was electric. I clenched and rode him harder.
I placed both hands above his head against the wall and used it to
push. It was driving force and power into me as I bounced on his cock. The
faster I went, the more pleasure rolled behind his eyes.
He wrapped a hand around my neck, pushing my head up. “You’ll
always be mine.”
I placed a hand around his neck. “And you’re mine.” Staring deep
into each other’s eyes, it was a stand-off. “If your dick ever thinks about
going inside someone else, I’ll break it off.” I bore down on him, clenched
my ass muscles around his cock. “It’ll be easy to do.”
He let out a rumbling snicker felt through his cock. “You need to
practice that line,” he said, letting go of my neck. He wrapped his arms
around my back and rolled us over. Now he was on top, with all the control.
His gold chain dangled from his neck. He thrust hard inside me, showing
me just how strong he was. “And I’ll murder anyone who tries it with you.”
He kissed me.
I knew that was true, people had been given broken arms just for
looking at me, and several detached retinas from powerful punches to the
face.
Cum burst out of my cock seconds after he said it, there was no
holding back when he was touching all my senses. The final sense he’d
touched was the deep whispering voice in my ear, that usually hit me
instantly.
“Good,” he said, kissing my nose and thrusting against the tension
of my post-nut twitching. He filled me up with cum, keeping his cock inside
until he was sure I’d taken it all. He laid on top of me with his entire body,
like a weighted blanket, I was ready to sleep. “I’m sorry I came home
drunk,” his deep voice whispered in my ear.
I knew he was. He rarely got this wasted anymore, but it had been
his younger brother’s birthday, and birthdays in the family where a huge
deal.
 “It’s ok,” I said, hugging his body. “But tomorrow, you’re gonna
have to fix the table you broke, and—”
He nuzzled his mouth and chin into the side of my neck, distracting
me. “I’ll make it up to you, maybe something gold, or something
sparkling.”
“Ooh. Maybe both.”
“Maybe,” he said, pulling out of me and rolling over onto his side of
the bed.
I wish I could’ve slept with him and his seed inside me, but those
romantic ideas of intimacy had been squashed a long time ago. It meant
neither of us could move, and when a dick becomes soft, it just slips out.
Frankie was asleep, snoring when I got back to bed.
I made sure to roll him onto his side to be my big spoon and stop the
snoring.
Tomorrow was going to be fun, sarcasm intended. His family was
huge, and they intimidated me. They intimated everyone. Frankie was
considered the toughest because of what he did, but I could see they didn’t
respect him as much when he brought me around, almost like him being
gay reduced his value.
We saw his family once a week, it was a tradition, each Sunday the
family came together, that meant all the wives, girlfriends, and children. I
didn’t fit in, some of them even refused to acknowledge me. His mom liked
me though, but she was also trying to sabotage us. From every angle, it felt
like nobody wanted us to be together, all because Frankie had rescued me
from a crack den. They assumed I was a junkie, but that was far from the
truth.
I’d been trying to make some extra cash while doing my post-
graduate studies. One of the ways I made money was making websites. My
memory played tricks on me, sometimes I remembered being in a
cybercafé, and other times it was outside on a park bench when the
kidnapping happened.
I’d been learning how to code and hack from a friend, Sutton, he’d
just gone back to New York to deal with something there. Part of me
wondered if they’d meant to kidnap him that day instead of me. He was far
more talented. They’d asked me questions I didn’t know anything about,
and even though it had been two years without any new information, I was
determined to find out who they were, and get them back for what they’d
done to me.

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2. FRANKIE
Cal had become my everything. I woke up with a headache and saw him
sleeping peacefully beside me. His cell clutched to his chest. He must’ve
been up late trying to see if any of the cyber traps he’d laid out on the
internet had attracted any flies. I didn’t know much about that side of
things, but Cal was certain that he’d find out more information this way.
It had been two years, and there were no leads on who’d done those
things to him. I’d almost driven myself crazy after that first month, I
rampaged through street gangs, tying them up underground and putting
volts of electricity through them until someone spoke. But nobody did. The
people who’d hurt Cal had gotten away with it.
Last night had been rough. I didn’t know what had gotten into me,
other than pounding back shots to celebrate my little brother’s, Alessandro’s
twenty-ninth birthday. He had a wife and a daughter too, he rarely got his
hands dirty, and the family joked about that.
I knew we shouldn’t have left the family bar; it was firmly within
Borgesi territory. The moment we left it, we were targets. The funny thing
is, whenever a target was put on my back, the person who stuck it there was
usually worse off.
My night came back to me in flashes as the radio in the kitchen
played hits from the 80s.
It started with a couple of gay slurs, and then a bottle smashed over
my head. That’s when the games began. I went feral.
A smile appeared on my face as I fetched the frozen waffles from
the freezer. I pressed my bruised and aching knuckles against the side of the
freezer. I recalled busting someone’s face straight open and elbowing
another. There was a heat map of all the aches across my body.
I hadn’t always been this way, I used to be calculating and prepared.
But since Cal came into my life, I was ready to bury people.
The local radio played hits from the 80s as I cooked up some frozen
waffles in the toaster oven. I wasn’t the best cook, I could whip up an egg
scramble or a potato hash, but anything beyond that was too much.
With a drizzle of syrup, I placed the waffles on the small table in the
kitchen. Cal walked in moments later, completely naked, rubbing his eyes
and yawning.
 “I knew that would get you up,” I said.
He hugged me for a moment and then pulled his hands away to slip
them down the front of my sweatpants. He grabbed at my cock freeballing.
“You’re warm,” he said, cupping my balls. “Can we just go back to bed and
sleep?”
“I know what you’re trying to do,” I said, kissing his forehead. He
could’ve been down there all morning playing with me, it wouldn’t change
the plans of the day. “Wash your hands, I made you waffles, and I’m about
to fill the coffee pot.”
Cal moaned and shivered. “I’m just tired.”
“I saw that it was another night of falling asleep with your cellphone
in hand.”
He pulled his hands out of my sweatpants. “It’s too early to talk
about this.”
I knew what he did all night on that thing, and I tried not to let it
consume him. I’d been consumed by revenge before, and sometimes
revenge needed to be shelved until you could act on it. Chasing it would
only bring more problems.
“Let’s talk about putting some clothes on, there’s a window right
there, and I don’t want someone snapping pictures of you.” My tone
becoming serious and deep. I grabbed the knife from the stand to slice open
the bag of coffee grounds.
He giggled. “You know people already have pictures of me.”
“Yeah, and I fucking hate it.”
I knew Cal was on those cam sites, he was masked, my stipulation
for him to be on there. He was baiting trying to bait out those men. I only
allowed him to do it once or twice a week, and not for too long either. It
was something he remembered from the month-long kidnapping; they
would watch porn on those sites.
“Relax, baby,” he said, placing his hand over the hand I held the
knife with. “Once I get someone, I’ll stop, you know that.”
It got me all worked up, every time I thought about him performing
for people on the internet. They threw tokens at him virtually, expecting
him to do things for less than a dollar. I sucked in a breath and looked back
at him. “I know,” I said. “Now, go wash your hands and put some clothes
on.”
 For years, I was invincible. I killed in cold blood. It was all in the
name of the family. I stalked my prey, I popped bullets in their heads, and
then I sliced them where it was required, usually a finger with their ring still
intact as proof that the hit had happened.
I never had a weak spot. I could take punch after punch and still
come back swinging. I’d take bullets and knives in the back, but none of
that slowed me down. It stung like a bitch, but none of it hit me where it
could do damage.
It took practice and plenty of training to know which blows to my
body could become fatal.
But nothing could’ve prepared me for the one thing I couldn’t
always control.
Cal.
He became my weak spot quickly.
After that night two years ago, I took him in here. I didn’t tell
anyone that I’d found him in that crack den that night. I nursed him back to
health with soup, vitamins, and a promise that I’d never let anyone hurt him
ever again.
“Oh, did you see the mess you made of the coffee table?” he asked,
pulling me from thought.
“I did, and I’ll repair it,” I told him, filling up the coffee machine.
The immediate aroma of coffee hit the air, seemingly relaxing how tense I’d
become from thinking about how far Cal had come. “Thank you for taking
care of my hands last night, and I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”
He tutted, tugging at the end of his crop top. “I wasn’t going to let
you fuck me unless you got cleaned up.”
“You’re so goddamn cute.” I sat at the table and cut the waffles up
with the knife and fork. “And trust me when I say this, you’re the only
person I ever want in my life.” I held the waffle on the end of the fork to his
mouth. “So, whatever you hear today at the house, ignore it. Don’t let them
get in your head. I can’t leave them; they’d have me put in the ground
before that happened. And I can’t leave you, because I’d rather be in the
ground.”
He took the waffle from the end of the fork, grinning at me. “You
know, I think that passes for sexy talk,” he said. “Tell me what else you’d
do for me.”
 This was our version of foreplay. I continued to feed him. “When I
get my hands on those bastards, I’ll gut them, this won’t be any quick death.
I’d slice them right here.” I demonstrated on my own torso. “I’ll go across
the abdomen, and then I’ll go up, like I’m giving them an autopsy while
they’re alive.”
His smile was relief, like a dream he could see coming true. “I also
had Sutton increase the alerts he set up,” he said. “He’s added in the thing
about fentanyl and crack, but homeless and drug user deaths are rarely
investigated when it’s an overdose.”
Sutton was his friend; he’d helped him home in on his coding skills.
I’d never admit to Cal how scary the internet could be, but once you had a
slither of information about someone, their entire life was a click away.
“We know they’re not in Philly anymore,” I told him. I’d turned this
city upside down looking for a match on the supplier. The brick of cocaine
I’d taken was pure shit. My brothers wanted to sell it, and it wasn’t long
after that when it disappeared. I blamed it on one of them, but there was still
a small baggy of it left so that when we did find them, we’d have solid
proof. I didn’t want Cal getting his hopes up for nothing. I’d happily shoot
through a gang at even a whiff of a positive ID, but Cal needed to be there
for his own healing.
“I’m also thinking that—” he screwed his eyes. “If I could hear
them, then I might know.” We’d been down that path before, and I wasn’t
going to let him have any more of those waking night terrors.
“No,” I said, plainly, stabbing another piece of the waffle on the end
of the fork. “I’m letting you do your cam thing and online data scraping, but
I’m not letting you come with me when I’m looking into a lead.”
He hummed, chewing the food. “It was just a thought.”
“We’re not talking about it.” That was the end of the discussion.
I handed him the fork and went to make coffee as the pot had been
filling up.
With my coffee, I went into the living room to assess the damage I’d
caused last night.
I recalled my efforts to be quiet and not wake him up. He needed to
be sleeping for eight hours, and I must’ve woken him up when I tried to put
myself to bed on the sofa. The table legs had snapped, probably at an
attempt to sit or lay on it. And then there was blood on the sofa.
“I’ll buy a new coffee table,” I called out to him.
 “Just be glad it wasn’t that glass table I wanted to buy,” he chuckled.
That was a good thing. “I also remember promising to buy you
something sparkly.”
Cal stood in the doorway of the living room. He cocked his head
and looked at me. “Is this your way of proposing?”
“You already told me I can’t propose.” It was a daily reminder
almost, because I would’ve had a ring on his finger and a commitment for
life on paper in a heartbeat. “But I promise you, the day that I can, I’ve
already got the ring.”
“No, you don’t,” he said, his body becoming stern as he leaned
against the doorframe.
“It’s in the safe.” The combination of which he didn’t know. “And
I’ll open it when things have been squashed and we don’t have this looming
asshole over our heads.”
“Looming asshole,” he giggled.
“I’ll go medieval on them and present their heads on spikes,” I told
him. “And then pop the question.” This was my way of expressing myself
to him. There were only so many I love yous that I could tell him because
there had to be an action accompanying it.
I straightened out my posture, cracking my knuckles against my
chin. Cal jumped into my arms and smothered my face with kisses.
“I think we might be too busy for anything else today,” he
whispered in my ear. “Take me back to bed.”
I knew what he was trying to do, and he’d almost caught me off-
guard as well. I carried him into the bedroom and threw him down onto the
bed. His slim frame bouncing. He giggled, slipping both hands down the
sides of his shorts to push them off.
“No,” I said. “We’re gonna get ready to go. I know your game. You
think you’re slick, you’re smart, but you do this every single week. And I’m
no fool.”
His smile faded. He scoffed. “Then promise me we won’t stay there
all day.”
I couldn’t make that promise to him. I knew I’d have to explain
myself to my father for what happened last night. I was supposed to be the
level-headed one, staying out of trouble. The only trouble I was allowed to
get into was where there weren’t any witnesses. “Bring your Switch with
you,” I said. “And you know all the best hiding spots at the house, so you’ll
survive.”
He rolled over on the bed, pounding his hands into the pillows. “It’s
not fair,” he screams were muffled.
I sat beside him and gave his bare ass from where he’d pulled at his
shorts a spank. “Nothing in life is ever fair,” I told him. “Someone is always
going to try and get one over on you.” I squeezed it. “But this is my family,
all you have to do is smile, nod, and don’t insult my mom.”
His brows crossed together. “I’ve never insulted her.”
“Not directly, but last time, you didn’t eat all of the food she served,
it was Nonna’s recipe, she’s proud of it,” I said. I hadn’t wanted to mention
it to him. I didn’t like putting limitations on him, except for this one day a
week when there were some rules in place.
“I’ll eat it all this time,” he said, reaching out a hand. “But only
because I love you, and you’re letting me bring my Switch. Speaking of,
where’s your credit card?” He batted his lashes. “I’m gonna need a new
game to keep me occupied.”
It was the price I was willing to pay for his happiness. “Oh, and one
more thing, don’t get any red sauce on your shirt. I had to throw that last
one out.”
That was another stipulation. As much as I wanted Cal in his shorts
and a crop top, that was not going to fly around my family. They were the
type to say they didn’t mind the gays, but they were homophobic if you
pushed it in their face. Cal understood and he had his time to vent in the car,
but when he was at the house, he was in a shirt, a pair of nice chinos, and
some nice brown leather loafers.

OceanofPDF.com
3. CAL
Every time we went to visit Frankie’s family, my anxieties spiked. I didn’t
know what they’d say or how they’d be around me, almost like it was
different every time. They lived in a huge house in South Philly. It was one
of those houses on a corner that had clearly been extended out and built on.
Half the house was red brick, and the other half was a sandstone.
“Remember what I told you,” Frankie said as we pulled up in the
driveway behind two other cars. “Smile, nod, look pretty, and keep to
yourself.”
We’d argued once about him bringing me here, that was when he
confided in me that he wanted to show me off to his family. I was part of his
life, and the more I was seen with him, the easier my life would be.
I never knew how to act with his family. I grew up in some small
Connecticut town, sure, people did party drugs there, but there wasn’t a big
homeless population and there definitely wasn’t a drug crisis pushing
people out of their homes. That’s what I saw here, and Frankie’s family had
a hand in that. I still didn’t know how to process that.
“I got it,” I said. “And what about holding your hand or kissing
you?”
He leaned across the center console and kissed me. “I would tell you
to do that as much as you want, but I’m not looking to start any drama
today, Cal. I’m already going to get it in here about last night.” He pressed a
finger to his head.
I sighed, looking at myself in the uncomfortable clothes I was
forced into. I didn’t pull it off in the same way that he did. He commanded
presence in his clothes. A man with authority. Frankie was made for suits. I
wasn’t. I looked like I was going to church.
It took me a little while to get my head around the structure of the
family. There was the head, Paolo, Frankie’s father, and his advisor, Vito,
Frankie’s uncle. And then his three brothers were underbosses, Tommaso,
Alessandro, and Mattia. Tommaso as older, and from what I gathered, if
anything happened to their father, he would replace him.
Frankie’s role was different. He was the muscle. We’d argued about
that once as well. His only job was carrying out hits, he didn’t have anyone
who reported to him, except for me, apparently. He joked that it was
because of his sexuality that meant he wasn’t in any other position within
the family, but I thought his position was the most powerful. He did the
dirty work the others only stood by and watched happen.
I reminded myself not to bring any of that up either. The only time
I’d ever asked a question and his uncle, Vito, held a knife up at me asking if
I was a cop. Which nearly lead to Frankie stabbing his uncle.
“Let’s go,” he said, giving me another kiss. “You’ve got your
Switch, right?”
In a small backpack, I had my Nintendo Switch some minty gum,
and my cellphone. I knew I wouldn’t be able to be on them right away. I
had to get the formalities out of the way once again. Sometimes it shocked
me that a week was this short.
We walked up the steps to the front door and inside, as always we
were hit with the welcoming smell of homecooked food. We could hear
people from both the lounge on the right and the kitchen to the left, it
seemed busy.
Frankie’s mother, Giulia had the big hair and hoop earrings. She was
tanned and plucked in all areas with a boob job, and what looked like a
corseted waist under her cream sweater and black pleather leggings.
“Frankie, my baby!” she called out after seeing us enter the kitchen.
“Oh lord. What have you done?” she took his hand to inspect the bandaged
knuckles.
As unwelcoming as it sometimes felt, this place had a homey feel to
it and smell throughout.
“Hi mom. It’s nothing. Cal fixed me up,” he said. “It smells amazing
in here. What have you got on?” He gave her a hug.
She squeezed him, pressing her nose into his collar and glancing at
me. “Hi, Cal,” she said. “Did you come with an appetite this time?”
I patted my stomach, looking at the pans on the stovetop bubbling.
“Of course. I haven’t eaten all morning.” It was a white lie. “What is it? It
smells incredible.”
She welcomed me with hug and a kiss on the cheek. “You know I
like a theme,” she said. “Today, I planned on it being all about layers. I’ve
got a lasagna and a tiramisu in mind.”
“I gonna head into the lounge,” Frankie said.
“You wanna help me in here?” Giulia asked. “Better than going off
to talk shop with him.”
 I stared at Frankie, hoping he would make the decision for me. On
one hand, I didn’t want to be around all the men, and on the other, I didn’t
want to be alone with his mom. She tended to complain about me to me. I
must’ve had something on my forehead that said shit on me and put me
down.
“I should probably go in alone,” Frankie said. He took my hand and
squeezed it. That was all the intimacy we were going to show. “Especially
after last night.”
“Yeah, you should,” she said. “And let me know when you need
your bandage changed. I’ll see what the damage is.”
I tried my hardest to be nice. “I stitched them up for him,” I said.
“The bandaging is mostly for compression.”
She snickered. “Look at you, a regular Grey’s Anatomy over there.
You know, I’ve been stitching my boys up since they were toddlers.” She
glanced over at me and rolled her eyes. “Is this really the life you want?”
It was beginning. “I love Frankie.”
“I know you do, sugar,” she said, pawing at my arm. “Why don’t
you set your little bag down and you can stir this pot for me. This one is
important, it’s the secret sauce.”
I placed my bag down on the counter, and I made sure to do
everything with a smile. “I think he’s mellowed since we got together,” I
said, rolling up my shirt sleeves. The last thing I wanted was to get any of
the red sauce on my clothes.
Giulia tutted. “That’s not exactly a trait people look for in him,” she
said. “You can do better, that’s all I’m saying. It’s different for you, you’re a
guy, it’s not like my Tommy, his wife, Anna is protected, as is their son. You
know.”
She was trying to tell me that people would hurt me to get to
Frankie, and they wouldn’t do the same for his brother’s wife. I forced a
smile on my face anyway. “I can handle myself,” I said. Those self-defense
classes I’d been taking with Frankie in the bedroom had filled me with
confidence.
Almost like she summoned them, the wives arrived in the kitchen.
Tommaso’s wife, Anna, and Alessandro’s wife, Nina. They were a clique
onto themselves. I wasn’t jealous of them though. Their husbands kept them
at arm’s length when it came to the business they were involved in. I made
sure Frankie told me everything, it desensitized me to what happened in the
world. It was also another reason why I never wanted to leave him, I’d
crumble, and I wanted to believe that he would crumble if he lost me as
well.
“Nice to see you, Cal,” Nina said. She was a brunette with her hair
always up in a messy bun. “I was just telling Anna that we never see you.”
“Once a week,” Anna chuckled.
Forcing the smile, I looked at them and stirred the bubbling pot of
red sauce. “I’m pretty busy,” I said. “I have a lot going on. I absolutely wish
I could spend more time with you all, especially because I think Frankie
might propose to me soon.”
A clang echoed out. I turned to see Giulia, wide eyes, standing over
a metal spoon on the kitchen floor. “He—he’s what?”
“It’s not official, but he kinda hinted toward it,” I said.
I knew it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, at least not until we
figured out what happened to me two years ago. That was the block. We
couldn’t start life with this still clouding us. It had been worse months
following the incident when Frankie had cared for me at his bedside, he
obsessed over it. That obsession passed to me when I was well enough to
leave the apartment alone and stopped flinching at every loud noise.
“I’m happy for you,” Nina said. “Well, whenever it happens. I’ve
always wanted to go to a gay wedding.”
Anna squealed. “Yes, the gays know how to throw a wedding.
That’s why I hired one to plan mine. It was fab.”
Giulia tutted. “Could I get a hand over here?” she asked, quickly
occupying her daughters-in-law. I didn’t think she was outwardly
homophobic, but she also avoided all topics of commitment when it came to
me and Frankie. Opting to believe this was going to be over.
The idea that it could have been over scared me. I’d thought about
it. Once I’d got my revenge, would this relationship collapse?
It felt like I was in one of the rings of hell as Giulia commanded me
around the kitchen. I thought it had to have been time to start eating soon,
and the sooner that happened, the sooner we were out of here.
“Hey baby,” Frankie said, coming up behind me as I was at the
kitchen sink washing my hands. He placed a kiss on the back of my head. “I
just got in the neck, like I said would happen. Apparently, I’m a hot head,
and I need to watch my temper.”
 I turned in his arms, my wet hands threatening to touch his face.
“So, what did you do?”
“Francesco!” his mother screamed. “You smashed my vase.”
Frankie stared into my eyes, the anger was there, pinching at him to
flip. But the longer we kept eye contact, the more I could feel him ease
away from it. “It’s ok,” I whispered.
“I threw it at the wall,” he said. “But you think I’m to blame for it?”
She snapped her fingers. “I know you are. I don’t care what your
brothers said. I don’t even care what your father said to you. You do not
come into my house and break things. Understand?” She had a temper on
her too. I guess that Italian-American blood was combustible.
The atmosphere was tense. Silence fell over the kitchen like a metal
blanket. The bubble of the pots on the stovetop, almost bubbling harder
with the tension.
He faced his mom. “I’m sorry, ma,” he said. “I’ll get you a new
one.”
“Yeah, you betta, because I do not go into your house and start
breaking things.”
Almost ironic she’d mention that, since she seemed committed to
breaking us up. A fleeting smile touched my lips before the tension
resurfaced in the room.
“Stop gawking.” She turned to Nina and Anna. “Go help set the
table,” she said, flailing her hands in the air.
Frankie took my hand. “What’s that Cal?” he said. “Yeah, I’ll show
you where it is.”
I knew this game. I went along with it. “Thank you. I forgot.” It was
an exit strategy, not to leave the house, but to leave the room. And that was
a small win.
He took me down a hallway and into a bathroom. He locked the
door. “I’m not weak,” he said, grabbing me by the neck and pinning me
against the wall. “You know I’m not weak.”
A smirk touched my lips again. “You’ll have to prove it,” I told him,
taunting him. “Come on. Prove it.” I reached down the front of his slacks
and grabbed his soft cock. “I need this. I need you to prove that you’re not
weak, otherwise they might make me believe it too.”
He removed his hand, laughing. “You’re a little asshole. I swear, I’ll
show—”
 “I have a little what?” I gave his cock a squeeze.
Frankie stopped laughing, his face turned serious. “Against the wall.
I’ll show you just how strong I am.”
The bathroom was big. I pressed my chest and face against the cool
tile, pushing my ass out a little for him to take. I tried to pull my slacks
down, but he smacked my hands away.
“On the wall,” he said. “I don’t want to hear anything from you.”
I placed my hands above my head on the wall and spread my legs,
prepared for a cavity search. I chewed my teeth into my lip, trying not to
speak.
He pulled my slacks and briefs down to my knees. “Good boy,” he
said, giving me a spank. “See, I’m not weak.”
“No, you’re—”
Frankie placed a hand around my face, covering my mouth. “Shh.”
I felt him spit between my ass cheeks and then press it into my hole.
I moaned against his hand; the low vibration of the sound came out in my
throat. This was what I’d wanted this morning. In fact, I’d wanted it
wherever and whenever I could get it. Especially here.
This wasn’t the first time we’d been in this bathroom together like
this.
Using his stored-up aggression, he gave me only a finger as a
warning before fucking me with his cock. He squeezed me against the wall,
my face pressed into the hard tile. His head on my shoulder, biting at my
earlobe. “I’m not gonna stop,” he said.
I nodded, holding in my moans.
“You—are—mine,” he said, thrusting on each word. “I’m—not—
weak.”
With the way my cock was positioned against the tile, it was jerking
me off with each thrust.
Frankie pulled out and forced himself back in harder, I was ready to
burst and cum everywhere.
“Don’t—you—even—dare,” he said, removing his hand from my
face. He reached out, holding my hands against the bathroom wall. “I’m—
not—finished.”
It didn’t take him long to work out all his anger inside me. Sex was
our answer to everything. Every emotion could be fucked away. Sadness,
anger, pain, all was solved with a little heated passion, and then a resting
period where neither of us wanted to move.
“Good boy,” he said, gulping in air. “Now clean up your mess.” He
gave my ass a spank before pulling the pants up from my knees. “We’ll be
out of here soon. I’ll make sure to give you a big reward.”
I turned to see sweat on his face and a smile at his lips. “I’m glad we
got that out of the way before dinner.”
He gave me a kiss.
I took his hands and kissed both bandaged knuckles. “You don’t
have problems with your anger,” I told him. “You’re just passionate.”

OceanofPDF.com
4. FRANKIE
I didn’t let my father get to me, or my mother. I didn’t fit into their perfect
box like my brothers, but I had something the others didn’t. I had guts and I
showed absolutely no mercy when I was following them.
My father, as the head of the Borgesi family sat at the head of the
dining table.
The family table could seat twenty, and the more seats at the table,
the more conflict I could smell in the air. Today, however, the table was
only half-filled with only the immediate family and spouses present. They
didn’t ask me to bring Cal, but he was part of my life, and important too.

* * *

Twenty-Three Months Ago

Cal flinched every time I opened the door to the bedroom. I’d tried to keep
it ajar, but he asked me to keep it closed. He wanted to know when someone
was coming in.
I carried in a tray of warm soup and bread rolls. It was just
microwaved chicken soup and a couple of blended veggies.
“Ow,” he grumbled, slowly lifting his arm and placing it across his
ribs.
It had been a month since I rescued him from that crack den, and
there had been no new leads. Everything pointed to them disappearing off
the face of the earth. The family wasn’t helping, they didn’t even know
about Cal. They would’ve had me bring him to the house and force him
back into a basement to torture for information.
“Did you take more aspirin?” I asked, sitting beside him on the bed.
I placed the tray across his lap. “If you have, you’ve got to tell me. I’m not
having you OD on pain meds.”
“I haven’t,” he grumbled.
“I’m not having the cops sniffing around because some kid died in
my bed.”
“I’m not a kid,” he said, frowning at me.
“Yeah, you are,” I told him. “Now, can you eat on your own, do you
need me to feed you?”
 He lifted his arm, determined to feed himself. He tssked back
against the pain in his body. “I want to do it myself.”
I smiled at him. I couldn’t help it. I tried to fight the feeling, but it
had buried itself deep. Every single day he was wearing me down, and I
was letting it happen. It felt like I was purposefully dulling my knife just in
case I accidentally hurt him with it.
“I’m sorry, Cal,” I said, rubbing a hand on his shoulder. “I know you
want to, but you’re in pain. You need to heal and get better.”
He looked away from me, dipping his head. His eyeline touched me
again, looking from my arm at his shoulder, to the hand on the tray. “You
know you don’t have to sleep on the sofa.”
“Well, I can’t exactly put you on the sofa,” I told him. “You’d never
get better there.”
Cal rubbed his chin and cheek against my hand. “Maybe I’d get
better if I had something to keep me warm at night.”
It was my fault. I’d kissed him. It was a lapse in judgement. I never
had those. I’d told him I’d kiss his cuts and bruises better, and after the first
kiss, I realized I’d done something I couldn’t take back.

* * *

I sat beside Cal at the dinner table. Under the table, he’d took my hand. He
was doing what I’d told him with his big smile.
My mom placed the large dish of lasagna on the table, alongside
garlic bread and a side salad. “I’m so glad all my babies can come together
under the same roof once a week,” she said.
“Thanks, ma,” Tommaso, my older brother said. “I look forward to
this all week. Sorry, babe, you know nothing can beat mom’s cooking.” He
turned to his wife, Anna, who shared in the chuckling.
“Anna watches every week, I’m surprised she hasn’t picked up any
tips yet,” mom said. “Oh. Paolo, where’s your brother? I set him a place.”
My father was in his sixties, a thick head of hair, gold rings on each
of his fingers, and an almost tickly cough in his chest every time he spoke.
“Vito left. He and Frankie got into it about last night.”
“Dad, c’mon, we’re at dinner,” I said.
He held his hands up jokingly before coughing into a fist. “It’s fine,
hon. Vito had to leave anyway.”
 My uncle, Vito, was my father’s right-hand man. I don’t know why
because that man caused more problems than I ever did. The only difference
being, I could clean up after myself. Vito needed me to clean his messes up.
“I’ll save him a plate,” she said. “He’ll probably be back later.”
Cal clenched my hand harder under the table. It stung a little, but
only because of how busted my knuckles were already. “Smells amazing,”
he said.
“Thank you, Cal,” she said. “Thanks to you, the sauce didn’t burn.
You know, he’ll make an excellent wife one day.” She smirked, glancing
over at Anna and then to Nina.
“Husband,” Cal said, the corners of his mouth twitching as he
strained to keep his smile. “When two guys get married, they’re both
husbands. There isn’t a husband and wife.”
My father cleared his throat, his face unamused by the conversation.
I went into damage control before he could say anything. “Hold up.
We’re not even engaged,” I said.
“Besides, I’m not even sure I want to get married,” Cal said,
knowing it would push my buttons. “I just don’t think we’re made to love
one person for the rest of our lives.”
I grabbed his hand by the wrist under the table. I pressed my finger
down hard against the blood vessels to his hand. “You don’t really think
that, do you?” Pushing harder, I knew his hand would become numb and
start to ache.
He was resilient, a trait I’d put inside him when he was so eager and
willing to learn. It was that trait that might’ve ended up with us wrestling on
this dining table and fucking, once more, just to prove to him that I didn’t
like being played with.
“Except for us,” he whispered, his fingers twitching.
Mattia, my youngest brother scoffed. “Jeez, I’m starving.”
“Elena, put your gadgets away,” my mom said, seemingly ignoring
me and Cal.
“It’s my cell,” she grumbled, looking up and chewing gum.
Mattia and Elena were twins. They were nineteen and both in
college. They were the furthest in age from the rest of us. After Alessandro,
my mom hadn’t wanted anymore kids, that’s why we were all in our thirties
and they were still teens.
 “You’ll have to do that again tonight,” Cal whispered, knocking his
knee against mine. He enjoyed this form of dominance, if he hadn’t, I
wouldn’t have done it with him.
A silence came over the dining room for mom to say grace. After
that, it was a frenzy of cutlery against plates. Mom’s food was the great
healer, although I’d never have told Cal that, I still enjoyed how tender and
loving he was when he was taking care of me.
My father was usually the one who declared when dinner was over,
and time for dessert. Everyone looked to him for the cue, but it was my
mom who held the real power, and she was the only one who could get
away with talking back to him. I’d tried, several times in the past, and that
usually ended up with me taking a beating.
The only siblings who hadn’t seen that side to the parents were
Mattia and Elena, like the twins from The Shining, they had the same
mannerisms. They never got in trouble, and they never took beatings. I felt
contempt for them, living an easy life, asking dad for money when they
wanted.
The first time I asked for money, I was put to work in a chop shop
where they took stolen cars and stripped them down for parts. Although it
was there at the age of seventeen when I killed someone for the first time.
Someone came by threatening us. I took a tire iron and plunged it straight
through his chest. The thrill continued to tickle in my body eighteen years
later.
“Dessert looks great,” Cal said, his feet knocking against mine.
My happy place was where chaos reigned, every man for themself,
only the strongest survived. Sometimes, I wished that was the case here, but
nowadays, people surrounded themselves with guns and a small army of
people.
“Yeah,” I mumbled, far too distracted. “Looks incredible.”
Dessert was a chocolate and coffee tiramisu, one of my mom’s
specialties. She probably made this one at the request of Alessandro for his
birthday.
Unclenching my jaw, I took a deep, calming breath. Part of me
wishes I’d given into Cal’s request of not coming here today, but family
was the most important thing, even if they pissed me off.
I barely ate my dessert. I noticed my dad stand, which marked the
end of dinner. He’d be going off to his study to smoke. I pushed my dessert
bowl to Cal before standing.
Tommaso and Alessandro stood to follow my father.
We followed him into his study on the floor above.
I caught the tail end of what Tommy was saying. “If he fucks with
our shipment one more time, he’s dead.”
“Who?” I asked, cracking my knuckles.
“Some bastards in New Jersey,” Sandro said.
“I can pay him a visit,” I said. I wasn’t involved in the family
businesses, so I didn’t know what was being shipped in through New
Jersey.
“Nah,” Sandro chuckled. “We’ve got someone on it.”
Unlike my brothers, I didn’t have people who reported to me. It was
nice to not have to deal with all the people sucking up to you. My brothers
had people who drove them everywhere, who shopped for groceries, and
some were used purely as couriers. There were far too many points of entry
into their lives.
“Plus, we’d only want to give him a broken leg or something, not
six feet under,” Tommy added.
“Boys,” father called to us as we stood in the doorway of his study.
“I have something important we need to discuss.”
The study smelled of a smoky musk, it was intoxicating.
I took a seat on one of the leather armchairs, running my hands
across the smooth arms. “Good news or bad?” I asked.
He opened a box of cigars on his desk. “Good and bad.” He passed
the cigars out.
Tommy passed. “I’m cutting back,” he said.
“I’ll take two then,” Sandro said, pocketing the second cigar.
“What’s the good news?” I asked, clipping the end of my cigar. “I
wanna know if we’re celebrating.”
My father’s cold stare looked over me. “Not like last night,” he said.
I could feel him about to go off into another rant about me taking control
and stop letting anger run my emotions rampant. I knew he only said that
because I was gay, and I was supposedly emotional, but the truth was, I was
calculating, even drunk I knew the force at which to hit someone just to do
superficial damage rather than put them in hospital. “But I’m not going to
get back into that, Frankie, you’ve already heard it before.”
 I raised my brows, shocked he was letting the matter drop rather
than taking the opportunity to berate me more. “Are you dying?” I asked
outright with the unlit cigar pressed between my lips.
My brothers both looked at me.
“What?” I asked, grabbing the matchbook.
“Yes,” he said. “It’s not happening anytime soon, but I am dying.
Doctors gave me a couple of years. Thank you for, once again, getting
ahead of the topic and spoiling the surprise.”
“Dad,” Tommy said. “Doctors don’t know everything.”
“Yeah,” Sandro added. “Tommy’s right. We can get you help. We
can take you to get that experimental stuff. I’m not lighting this up if that’s
your big news.”
I sucked back on the end of the cigar; it was a heavenly taste. I blew
out a cloud of smoke around me. “That’s not it, is it dad?” I asked. “A
couple of years, that’s not news.”
Our father laughed. “As always, Frankie, seeing right through it. I’m
not dying, well, we’re all dying. No, that’s not what—”
“So, your doctor didn’t say that?” Tommy asked, a scowl on his
face. “What—what?”
“Take a fucking joke,” our father said, glaring at Tommy. “I wanted
to know which one of you were looking forward to it. And I saw your eyes
light up, you little fucker. You’re not ready to take over this operation. Vito
would sooner be in charge.”
Here we went again. Uncle Vito would’ve been sat in the corner, a
grin on his face at that news.
“Bullshit,” Sandro shouted.
Father grabbed Sandro by the collar of his shirt and yanked him
down against the desk. “Show me some fucking respect,” he said. “If I
wanted my brother to take over, he would. Tommy is unprepared, you’re a
fucking half-wit following you brother around like a lost puppy, and
Frankie—” he scoffed, looking at me. “Frankie is—he’s far too important
staying in the background.”
Hiding somewhere in there was a compliment. I watched, with a
smile on my face and took another drag from the cigar.
“I’m sorry,” Sandro said, tapping out on the desk.
He let go of Sandro. “Mattia and Elena are in college, they’re going
to be the future of this family.” Elena was studying law, and Mattia was
studying business. “Now, the bad news, there was an explosion in a crack
den we raided. A couple of our men are dead. The good news, I’ve got some
information about that stolen shipment.” He glared at Tommy and Sandro.
“I need you to go get it.” He looked directly at me.
I scoffed, nearly choking on the smoke in my throat. “I’m not a
courier,” I said. “If you need someone to get it, send someone else.”
“That’s the thing, son,” he said. “I did. They’re dead too.”

OceanofPDF.com
5. CAL
Frankie came back for me sooner than I expected. I’d just found a nice,
quiet corner and started to play on my Switch. I had a couple games on
there that I liked to play to keep me occupied and calm. It was especially
difficult here because I overheard them talking about me a lot.
“We’re going,” Frankie said. Those two words filled me up with
excitement. I almost raced out of the house without saying goodbye.
In the car, we waited in quiet together before he said anything. I
enjoyed hearing his breath and smelling the smoke on him. I took his hand
and sniffed it; the smoke clung to the fabric of his bandage. Cigars had
notes to them, they weren’t like cigarettes, those would usually have me
telling him to clean his hands before he touched me.
“I’ve got a job tonight,” he said.
“No,” I said.
He snickered. “You don’t get to say no. I’m telling you. It sounds
like a suicide mission, if I’m being honest. Three sets of men have tried to
collect this stuff, and they’ve all wound up dead.”
“Then double no,” I said. “I’m not letting you go and kill yourself
for some drugs.”
“How do you know it’s drugs?” he asked.
“I might have overheard someone talk about something lost with a
street value of five million,” I said, blinking innocently at him. “I assumed
it was drugs, or guns.”
“That’s—that’s not the only reason I need to go,” he said. He
stroked at the side of my face. “For something with that much value, it’s got
to be good stuff. I think this might be our lead.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “Yeah. My dad was telling me about what happened,
and it—it reminded me of how I found you, and the set up they had. It was
a professional set up. If I can get just a couple grams, I can compare it to the
sample I’ve already got.”
My stomach was always in knots, every time he had to do a job. It
was scary what he did, and what was even scarier was the way he
approached it. Yet, every single time he came back from a job, I’d stayed up
all through the night, horny as hell waiting for the opportunity to jump into
his lap and celebrate a job well done, and the fact that he came back with
his life.
“What else happened up there?” I asked.
“He told us he was dying. It was a test. It’s always a test. I don’t
think Tommy passed though,” he chuckled. “He actually looked relieved,
almost like he couldn’t wait to take over.”
Sometimes, I wondered what went on behind those closed-door
meetings. Part of everything I knew was from TV shows, and everything
else I knew was from what Frankie had told me. I grew up only thinking
those things happened on TV as well, and sometimes Frankie laughed about
the things I told him that I thought happened.
Back at the apartment we were reminded by the broken coffee table
that we’d forgot to do something today.
We both stood in the doorway of the living room.
“Tomorrow,” he said. “Nowhere is even open on a Sunday.”
I took his word for it. “And something shiny for me. Remember.
You said you would.”
“I’d never forget that.” He gave me a forehead kiss.
“If you’re working tonight, then I am too,” I told him.
He stared blankly at me. “Fine but remember the rules.”
I sighed. “I know, I know.”
“The rules aren’t there for me to be controlling, they’re there to
protect you. And also, me, because I don’t want to have to go around
blinding everyone who has seen all of this.” He cupped a hand under my
chin.
He’d told me that without my face in the cam shows, I could’ve
been absolutely anyone, but with my gorgeous face, I was vulnerable to the
world, and sometimes my shows had hundreds of people in them. I didn’t
need him tracking every IP address just because they’d seen me.
“When do you have to leave?” I asked him.
“A couple of hours,” he said. “Why? You need help getting in the
mood?” He reached around and grabbed my ass, then pushed me down onto
the sofa.
“I need help getting undressed,” I said, weakly pulling at my shirt.
“See. I can’t do it by myself.”
Frankie picked me up, throwing me over his arm. He carried me into
the bedroom. This took me back.
 * * *

One Month After Being Rescued

“What are you doing?” I shouted, whacking at his back. “Put me down. I
don’t want to leave. Put me down!” I screamed.
Frankie threw me back onto the bed. “Cal, you need to get better!”
he shouted back.
“I can get better on my own!” I sobbed.
He climbed onto the bed and placed a hand over my mouth. “If you
keep crying, and if you keep screaming, I don’t know what to do to help
you,” he said, his face close to mine. “You want to get better?”
I nodded, sniffling under his hand. Tears burning in my eyes, trying
not to blink. “Yeah,” I grumbled.
“And you want to kill the bastards who did this to you?” He nodded.
It was rhetorical. “But you can’t do that unless you get better, unless you
build a thicker skin, not an actual thick skin, you know, just a comfort and a
sense of who you are,” he said. There were tears in his eyes now.
“Something nobody can shake from you. You need it to live in this world.”
He peeled his hand away from my mouth.
“This is your world,” I said, sucking deep on a breath, trying not to
sob again. “If it’s so horrible and you need to have all this macho persona,
why don’t you fucking leave?”
He cracked a smile at the sadness on my face. “Family,” he said. “I
don’t have a choice. This is my world. You can leave.” His tone changed.
“You can take the clothes I got for you, and you can leave. I’m not going to
stop you. In fact, I’ll even offer to drive you back to your shitty little, small
town. But know this, you can never go back to a normal life after what
you’ve been through.”
In the quiet of my shallow breaths, I couldn’t stop staring at him. I
knew all the things he’d done, and I should’ve feared him, but there was a
tender side to him. His soft touch, his care, and the way I saw how it tore
him in two.
“I don’t wanna leave,” I said. “I’m—I’m scared.” That’s what all of
this was about. He was trying to get me to go outside, just for a walk.
He held my hand. “Cal,” he said, stroking a thumb against the
markings still scabbed over on my wrist. “You never have to be scared ever
again. I made a promise to you. And I keep my promises. Always.”
 “Always?” I sniffled.
He pulled the back of my hand to his lips and kissed it. “Always.”

* * *

In a box, under the bed, I kept all the clothes I used to go on cam with.
Frankie didn’t like them being in my drawers because he said it meant that
it was part of my life. It was the same reason he kept all his murdering
objects hidden too. I didn’t even argue with him about that, although I knew
he kept those hidden because they’d be directly linked to unsolved murders.
I guess if the body is never found, there was no case to begin with.
My on-camera persona was SweetBoy69 and as him, I took all the
parts of who I was before my kidnapping and torture, and made myself look
completely irresistible. There were a couple of reasons why I did this, the
first one was to reclaim that part of myself, but the main reason was
because the men who had taken me would always be watching those sites,
and sometimes, I think they had even been filming me. That was just a
theory though, there was no proof of it online, only that mechanical coin
jingle of the tipping.
Frankie left the moment I started setting the bedroom up. He didn’t
like to be around for the show, but he did check in on the website once it
was live to throw compliments and tokens at me. His username was
DangerDaddy69. I thought people would’ve noticed how similar our names
were and called it out, but nobody had noticed.
I wore a white plastic mask that covered the top half of my face. It
gave me a Phantom of the Opera vibe. Alongside the mask, I had a white
crop top with ‘Good Boy’ across it, and a pair of denim booty shorts with
briefs that I hiked up between my cheeks to look like a thong.
“Hey,” I said to into the camera facing me on the bed. “I’m ready to
play.”
Comments came in, most of them in English, others in Spanish and
Portuguese. I didn’t know what they were saying, but I smiled and begged
them to make my day with tips.
The goal of this wasn’t money, or tips, it was scraping the IP
addresses of everyone who connected to my video. I could’ve probably
recorded myself for a little bit and kept that going on a loop, but this was a
thrill.
 “Where are you guys from?” I asked, licking my lips seductively, at
least I hoped so from what I could see in the viewfinder.
People posted the states, cities, or countries. It wasn’t what I was
looking for, the interaction boosted me on the server and got more eyes on
me.
“Do you like to party?” I continued, pretending to read the
comments. “Mmm. You know, I’m a good boy, but sometimes, I like to
party. Sometimes, I can be a little bit naughty too, with the right supplies
that is.” I forced a giggle.
Scanning the comments, I was looking for signs that someone might
have drugs, these were usually invites and offerings of snowflake emojis. I
made sure their data was scraped first, but the last time I had someone on
the hook in a private conversation tab about their cocaine, they were using a
private network that bounced their IP all over the globe. It was common; it
didn’t take a tech mastermind to have a virtual private network.
“I’m based on the east coast,” I announced. “Anyone know where
there’s a good party?” I dipped a hand into the front of my shorts, teasing
that I was tugging my soft cock. “I could use something to corrupt me.”
DangerDaddy69: You don’t look like someone who could be
corrupted.
“Sounds like a challenge.”
DangerDaddy69: *fifty tokens*
The jingle of coins played out through the speakers.
“You’ll have to do better than that to get me excited,” I said, turning.
I flashed my ass at the camera. Spreading both my cheeks and moaning
loudly. “It’s so smooth and tight.”
More tokens flooded through, the jingle almost overwhelming me.
I’d grown from that moment in my past, I could handle that sound.
PhillySnow: Looking for a good time? I might be able to hook you
up with something as pure as you.
It piqued my attention. I opened a private chat with him. Send me
your information here. With the number for my burner phone. Sutton had it
set up to ping and track anyone who messages it.
After a couple of minutes, a message flashed on the screen of the
burner phone. It was already plugged into the USB port of the laptop.
—Hey, it’s PhillySnow from the site. I just wanted to tell you that I
think you’re hot as hell. And I saw you were in Philly. You wanna meet up
for some fun?
The only fun I would be having would be when his insides were
painted on his outside.
Through a program on my laptop, the phone number was being
traced, pinging across cell towers and honing in. This only worked while his
phone was active, if he turned it off now, I’d be left looking at a map with
no real location.
It came through.
The final ping was his exact location, followed by the information
connected to that number.
He was Patrick McVey, twenty-two years old.
But it wasn’t him.
I went back to the direct messages on the site.
SweetBoy69: Do you have the *snowflake emoji*?
It took a moment, and then his username dropped out of the room.
Frankie had told me to stop acting like a narc. This could’ve been a
real lead.
Looking at his location in Chestnut Hill, he was probably just some
boy home from school living at his parents’ house. It wasn’t exactly the
neighborhood people went to for drugs, which might’ve been why he was a
good lead.
The tokens from the site jingled once more, pulling me back in.
I moaned for them and touched myself. “Just like that,” I said.
“You’re gonna make me be naughty.” At least they were trying to make me
be naughtier than I already was.
Frankie’s username was still on the site. I wondered when he was
going to finish up with his job and get back here so I didn’t have to get
myself hard for these perverts on the internet.

OceanofPDF.com
6. FRANKIE
I knew there was something wrong when I was told I had to go up to
Fairhill. That was out of our territory. Everything in that area was through
the Irish mob. This fight didn’t start in Fairhill, but whoever decided to take
it there must’ve thought they were being slick.
I had the exact location of the warehouse where these drugs had
been taken to, and the people who’d killed our men.
Parked up across the street in the parking lot of a local convenience
store, I had a great view, but I stuck out like a sore thumb in my BMW. This
wasn’t the type of neighborhood you wanted to be caught driving anything
without dings or paint scratches in your car.
Thankfully it was dark, and the only people who saw the car were
people heading into the store. I kept an eye on both things. People coming
in and out, and the warehouse. This was a delicate matter now that they’d
brought us down to Irish mob territory, it could create an all-out war if I
was caught.
I also tried keeping an eye on Cal’s webcam stream. That was his
emotional outlet, and I liked seeing him express himself like that, but only
because it meant that once I got home, he was being bent over the bed and
his face pressed into those sheets.
The lights in the warehouse went off. Three people left the building
and got into a parked van. This was my in. I waited until they drove off
before I got out of my car. I had everything I needed on me, and if weapons
didn’t work, I had two God-given weapons in the form of fists that would
take me where I needed to go.
After fifteen minutes, I approached the warehouse. It was a small
building with frosted glass and vent holes at the top of the walls. On the
main wall, there were two metal roller doors. One for vehicles and the other
for people, I guessed. And right at the other end of those, there was a nice
blue door.
I didn’t hear anyone inside, not even the mechanical whir of the air
conditioning units. In my stomach, I knew going in through a door was a
bad call. It felt like I was walking into an ambush.
Around the back of the building was a large trash can and a pair of
pull-down ladders to the roof. I did everything as quietly and with as much
caution as possible. Climbing on the can, then reaching up and tugging
those rusted ladders down. They came down with ease after that.
I knew warehouses like this. I’d broken into many of them, never to
get what was inside, but to kill everyone. I figured it was going to be no
different this time.
On the roof, there was the air conditioning unit. There was no
chugging groan from it, like I expected from one in a state like this. It
solidified the thought that they must’ve turned it off, they were trying to
hear me coming. They’d have to try harder.
The thing about roofs like this, there was always a door. It might not
have been a physical door with stairs, but there was always a way in from
here. I tiptoed, trying not to make sound as I searched for a hatch. And there
it was, the cleanest square on the entire roof.
“They’re really making me work for this today,” I said, rolling my
head on my neck until it cracked. “In and out. It’s simple.” Before Cal, I
would’ve probably gone in through the front door gun in hand shooting at
anything that moved, but since he came into my life, I took extra cautionary
steps not to get myself hurt. And that didn’t always work.
The hatch on the roof opened with ease, this was what they’d been
using. Those rusty ladders didn’t seem to have had much action.
From the hatch, it was a drop straight down to the floor.
There was rustling like a bag of chips being opened. I listened and
waited for it to stop. It affirmed my suspicions that there were people down
there. Closing my eyes, I tried to see if there were any voices amongst the
plastic rustling.
“What’s taking so long?” I heard in the distance.
I wanted to answer for them, but I kept quiet.
A single drop from this height wouldn’t have done any permanent
damage, at least not if I landed properly. And from where it was, I assumed
it was far enough that they wouldn’t be able to hear me land. Stealth was a
skill, but I wasn’t some gymnastic cat burglar who could do somersaults
and land in a perfect footing.
It was possible I could twist or sprain an ankle. “Fuck off,” I
grumbled to myself. This wasn’t the time or place to have those thoughts. It
was in Cal’s voice, telling me to be careful.
I lowered my body into the hole, holding myself up on the roof with
my arms. I was quick, dropping to my feet as soon as I was in position. I
landed with a small thud against the concrete. The balls on my feet ached,
but painless, and nobody saw.
There were shelves lined up around me, almost keeping me hidden.
That was lucky.
The voices inside the warehouse were louder now.
“Call the boss.”
“Ask if he’s still out there?”
There must’ve been three or four distinct voices. I took my gun out
and twisted on the silencer. Keeping low and using the shelves and boxes as
cover, I got closer to the voices.
The crinkle of the chip bag sounded again. “We were told he’d be
coming.”
“I think he’s got more brains than that.”
“Stop fucking eating.” The chip bag rustled a final time.
I spotted them. There were four of them, each by the wall where the
entry points of the building were. They each had a gun, two of them held
theirs while the other two kept theirs holstered.
I rolled my neck once more. It cracked.
“What was that?”
“You’re being paranoid.”
“What if he’s already in here?”
“Yeah, well, we’d already be dead.”
“I heard that if he catches you, he shoots you between your eyes,
pulls out the slug from your brain, and then dissolves your body in acid.”
I’d heard them all before. I was the boogeyman to some people. I’d
never dissolved a body. I’d thrown acid at someone, but that was their acid
they were using, and if I hadn’t done it to them, they might’ve done it to
me.
“Nah,” one of them said, clicking his tongue. “You’ve got me here
believing that Paolo would send one of his own sons. And we’re supposed
to believe that he’d risk leaving their territory.”
The argument was solid, I’d kill them last.
“It’s all your fucking fault anyway, you’re the one who thought it
would be a good idea to take the coke!”
“Shut the fuck up!”
Maybe I should’ve waited outside the door and put four bullets
through it. Although I might’ve only hit two of them, it would’ve saved me
the effort of climbing on the roof.
“Great. Why are we doing this anyway?”
“Because there’s a million shared four ways if we do it.”
That was a blow to my ego. My life was only worth a million
dollars.
I quickly grew tired of listening to them. I wasn’t aiming for clean
kills. There’s was something much bigger happening here, and dead men
don’t talk.
In rapid succession, I shot at each of the men, gravely wounding
them in their arms, legs, and torsos.
As their bodies laid begging for mercy on the floor, I walked over to
them, a big smile on my face. I wasn’t going to be getting a million dollars
for this, but I did feel a state of euphoria.
“Help,” their words muffled by the blood filling up their throats.
“Who set me up?” I asked. “First one to speak might live.”
I’d labelled them by number. One was twitching, spitting up blood.
Two was crying, trying to reach for the gun at his waist. Three was laid out
looking at the ceiling, the remnants of his bloodied hand trying to compress
the bullet in his chest. And Four was almost trying to drag himself along the
ground, leaving a blood trail behind himself.
“We don’t—we don’t know,” Three groaned.
I stood on the back of Four’s leg, keeping him from moving any
further. “It’s a simple fucking question,” I said. “Who do you work for?
How did they know I was coming? And oh, yeah, who the fuck was going
to pay you a million dollars?”
“Please, we don’t know,” Four screamed. “We—we were just hired.
It was a—a private contract. All—all we saw where men—men in black
masks.”
Assessing each of them, One was almost dead. I put a bullet in his
head to speed up the process. “Now, you tried to set me up. I wanna know
who. And I wanna know why?” A smirk crossed my face. “The why
actually might be obvious,” I chuckled. “I take it there’s no drugs here
either.” At least there hadn’t been on my limited walk through the place.
“It’s someone from New York,” Two sputtered. “Or New Jersey. We
didn’t get a name. Our boss got told that—” he choked on blood. “We had
to wait in here. You were going to come in through the door. We’d—we’d
—”
 “Come on, Two,” I said, kicking his hand’s weak attempt at
touching his gun. “More details. You’re getting blood on my shoes.”
“We didn’t get a name,” Three said. “All we know is we had to be
here, we—we had to shoot you, but they wanted you alive.”
“He’s coming back at midnight,” Four said.
“Well then, I’ll make this quick.” I shot each of them in the head.
Finally, there was peace. I looked around the warehouse, but there were no
drugs, and nothing worth five million. Someone had fed my father bad intel,
and there was only one motherfucker I knew who could do that. My uncle
Vito.
Before leaving the warehouse, I grabbed a rag and cleaned off the
blood on my shoes.
I stuck around until midnight.
Nobody showed up.
Intermittently checking my phone, I noticed missed texts from
Cal. He said he’d found a lead, and minutes later, he’d told me that it was a
false alarm.
As soon as the clock ticked over midnight. I anticipated a strike. But
nobody showed up to see the Jackson Pollock painting I’d made with blood.
So, I left. I didn’t like staying in Irish mob territory. The longer I stayed, the
more chance of things getting fucked up.
On the drive back to the apartment, I called my father.
He was awake. He was always awake.
“Frankie,” he answered. “I’m hoping everything went as planned.”
“Bad intel,” I said, not telling him the full truth. “There were no
drugs. Just a hideout for a gang. Don’t worry, they weren’t linked to the
Irish.”
“Ok, son. Well, I’m disappointed. But I’ll make sure Vito knows.”
“Good. Talk tomorrow.”
Even my father wasn’t trying to take credit for this. It almost
solidified what I already knew, Uncle Vito couldn’t be trusted.
Once I was back at the apartment, I found Cal still in front of the
webcam, his crop top and denim cutoffs were both on the floor. His briefs
pulled tight between his cheeks, forcing his cock to bulge in the front.
I watched him from the bedroom doorway as I started to undress out
of my suit. There was a little bit of blood on the cuff of my shirt. I made
sure that went into the pile to be taken for laundry. The family had a trusted
cleaner who made sure to get blood out and keep the shirts a brilliant white.
Cal let out a moan, looking at me. “Looks like I’ll have to go now.
Thank you for playing.” He tapped away on the keys and then closed the
laptop.
“Have fun?” I asked him, folding my clothes up and placing them
on top of the dresser. “I’m not at all jealous.” I stood, naked from the waist
up. “Now, you know the payment.” I placed my gun on top of the clothes
before pulling at my belt.
He pulled away the mask and chewed on his bottom lip. “You took
your time,” he said. “I thought I was actually going to have to masturbate
for them.” He climbed off the bed, grabbing at his crotch. “I’m not even
hard.”
I snapped my fingers. “Then get over here. And I can sort you out.”
On his knees, Cal unzipped my slacks. He smacked his lips before
going in to give me head. I leaned back against the bedroom wall and
allowed myself to relax into the sensation his body knew to bring me. It was
only him that could do this to me.
Rock solid, jamming my cock down his throat, he begged for more.
I grabbed the back of his head and pulled him away from my cock.
“You find anything else tonight?” I asked.
“Just a couple of dead ends,” he said, sticking his tongue out. “You
can help me look at the data tomorrow.”
With my hand on his head, I guided him to the bed. I’d made him a
promise earlier, and my dick was ready to keep our end of that agreement.
“That means you’ve gotta sleep tonight,” I said, pushing him over the bed.
“And I don’t want to wake up tomorrow seeing you’ve gone to sleep with
your cell in your hand. But you can definitely fall asleep with my cock in
your hands.” I got down on my knees.
“I promise,” he said, pushing his ass into my face.
I gave his ass cheek a little bite. “Good.” I gave his other cheek a
bite to make it even. “You gonna be a good boy?”
“Yes,” he moaned, stretching himself out to try and arch his back. “I
promise.”
Spreading his cheeks, I gave his shaved pink hole a kiss. He’d been
waiting all night for this, playing online. And now, I was ready to claim my
prize. I spat on his hole and pressed a finger inside.
 I didn’t waste any more time before pressing the tip of my cock
against his hole and easing myself into him. He moaned a little more,
dragging at the sheet on the bed into his palms.
Slow thrusts had him moaning the loudest. It was music to my ears.
I reached out and grabbed the toy he had left out. It was a thick vibrating
silicone dildo, white-gray in color with holographic sparkles.
“I forgot, I—” he started as I took the toy.
On the highest vibration setting, I placed it against his taint. It
vibrated my cock inside him.
He started doing most of the work, moving back and forth on my
cock, moaning.
I squeezed a hand against his hip to keep him still as the vibration
on his taint continued to drive him crazy. “Just—” I paused, feeling my
stomach tense. I shot my load inside him. The tip of my cock throbbing in
him like it was trying to swell and stay there.
“I made a mess,” he whispered.
He always made a mess, and he always told me about it in the
sweetest way. This was one mess I didn’t mind cleaning up afterwards. I
pulled out, stretching along his back and leaving little kisses along his skin.
“It’s ok, baby.”

OceanofPDF.com
7. CAL
Frankie woke me earlier with a breakfast smoothie in a bottle, and then told
me about getting an early start on the day. It was Monday, and that meant
we had to hit up a gym. I hated that part of the process, and I knew that if I
made a fuss over it, he’d make me work twice as hard.
“C’mon,” he said, standing at the side of the bed. “I’ve got your
clothes ready. We’re going for a run.” Through the sleep in my eyes, I saw
him in his tank top, unzipped jacket, and basketball shorts.
I forced a smile on my face. “A run?” My eyes snapped open.
“Yeah, you have a problem with that?” he asked, shaking the
smoothie bottle at me. “Get up. Drink this. Get dressed, and then we can
start warming up.”
Frankie knew best, and his methods had helped me. I’d gone from
being beaten by life to beating life. His smoothies were never that nice.
They were packed full of—I didn’t want to know. The smoothies I made for
us tasted much nicer, but that was because I added in extra sweeteners,
which he absolutely hated. I plugged my nose, opened my mouth and
throat, like I was about to take a dick, and downed the smoothie.
“We’re taking a different route today,” he said, stretching himself
out on the bedroom floor.
At first, when I saw him doing that, I wondered where he’d been
hiding all that flexibility. As someone who wore suits all the time, it was
weird to then see him out of them.
“Right, stop fucking watching me, and get ready,” he said, pushing
up on the tips of his toes to stretch out his back. “We’re not stopping once
we start. I mean it, Cal.”
“I am, I am.” I might not have gotten much sleep last night. I had
been on my phone when he told me not to, but I had so many new leads to
follow up on, and Sutton could only help so much, he had his own stuff
going on.
He threw the pile of workout clothes in my direction. “If you’re not
in these within the next minute, I’ll do it myself.”
I giggled. “Don’t threaten me with something I’d enjoy,” I told him,
slowly pulling down my underwear.
 “That’s not gonna work, babe,” he said. “I’ll just hit it twice as hard
when we’re back.”
I’d tried. I put the clothes on and warmed up with a couple of
stretches. “So, where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he said.
After stretching and making sure my teeth were brushed and the
taste of the smoothie was out of my mouth, we headed out onto the street to
start our run.
I knew that changing your running pattern was important to stop
people from tracking you, but it could’ve been any number of reasons why
he was doing it this time. It might’ve been surveillance. I never knew what
was going on through his head.
“You have music?” he asked, jumping on the spot.
“Yeah, I’m playing my Britney mix,” I said, looking at the phone on
the band on my arm. “You want me to send it over to you?”
“No, I’m good,” he said, smiling. “Follow me. Keep up. Got it?”
“Got it.” I screwed the earbuds deeper in my ears, letting the music
drown out the sounds of the city in the morning.
Following Frankie’s pace was sometimes impossible. But I quickly
realized that this wasn’t any ordinary pattern. This was surveillance. I could
tell because I’d looked up the address we’d run past. He’d looked at the IP
addresses from my laptop. That was kinda sweet of him to do for me.
We came to a stop by a small park. Frankie immediately started
stretching out against a bench, while I took that as a sign to drop onto a
patch of grass, panting for breath.
“I know what you did,” I said.
“I know what you did,” he said back to me. “I caught you with your
phone after I told you not to.”
“Oh.” I thought I’d been good. I hadn’t realized I’d fallen asleep
with it again, but it was a habit now and I couldn’t just stop looking at the
data on it. “Well, you’re the one who went through it as well.”
He smiled, joining me on the patch of grass. “I needed to know what
was keeping you up all night. It turns out, a couple of those IP addresses
were local.”
I rolled my eyes, glancing back at him. “I figured, that’s why I said
it.”
“Did you notice anything from the houses we passed?”
 “Nope. I searched up the people in them last night. They’re families.
They have good credit. I was impressed.”
Frankie held my hand. “But are you glad we checked?” he asked.
“You can’t always be so certain on the information online. Bad intel is
always being forced in through our ears and eyes.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, speaking softly and nodding. “I don’t even think
they’re still in Philly, but whenever I see someone local join the stream, it
feels like a lead. I get overexcited.” I laid back and looked up at the clouds
in the sky. “It’s not fair.”
“We will find them,” he said. “I didn’t even tell you about my night.
Someone set me up.”
“What?” my head shot up, pushing my body back to sitting. “What
happened?”
“I think someone is trying to kill me,” he said, almost unphased with
a chuckle. “Pretty brave of them to try that. I don’t want to think bad of my
family, but it was my uncle who fed my dad that info. I can’t even imagine
why he’d want me out of the picture.”
“Family is a big deal,” I said, only while half-believing it. His
family was a big deal to him. My family were all happy to do whatever they
wanted. I never checked in with them. I couldn’t pretend to care about any
of their issues after what I’d been through. “I don’t think he would’ve done
that.”
“It’s funny, actually, because I overheard my brothers talking about
New Jersey, and these guys at the warehouse mentioned it as well,” he said.
“Something to do with shipments. I really want to go pay the shipyard a
visit, but I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.” He smirked at me. I knew
stepping on toes was one of his specialties.
“I don’t think that’s what’s stopping you from going there,” I said,
bluntly.
“I promised we’d go buy a new coffee table today.” He took my
hand and kissed the back of it. “And something sparkly too.”
I laid back on the grass again. “Do you ever think about that night?”
I asked. “The one where we thought we almost had them.”
“Daily,” he sighed, kissing my hand once more.

* * *

Sixteen Months Ago

The address was close to where Frankie had found me. It seemed unreal.
The Chinese restaurant had been reopened as an Italian restaurant. We
walked right by it.
Under the cloak of darkness, we were going to make our move.
Everything added up. Men had been watching my webcam from
there. And our surveillance found people coming in and out of the
apartment all night.
He was dressed in his suit, and I was in the only shirt that didn’t itch
my neck. It was an orange and yellow Hawaiian shirt. In the middle of
winter, I stood out. But Frankie wasn’t concerned about that, he just wanted
me to be comfortable.
In the apartment building, we headed to the fifth floor. We were
looking for Sam Whelan. He was this pasty white guy who wore puffer
jackets and walked with a limp. He’d been busted for selling drugs before.
“Remember, go for the tendons,” Frankie said as we stood outside
apartment 5 C. The thrum of music was vibrating the door. As were voices
in the background.
I tried hiding my nerves, switching hands with the knife that Frankie
had given me. It was an incredibly sharp one with jagged edges that seemed
to slice through flesh like hot butter. “Got it,” I said.
We weren’t wearing masks either. I knew Frankie’s MO was to kill
without a second thought.
He burst through the front door, kicking it from its hinges. And
that’s when we saw the set of a porn studio. Frankie was pointing his gun at
the woman being railed on the sofa, and I was brandishing my knife at the
cameraman.
Sam, the man in the puffer jacket stormed toward us. “Cut,” he
shouted. “And who the fuck are you?”
“We’re investigating a noise complaint,” Frankie said, quick on his
feet. “I—I can see that you’re running a business.” He holstered his gun and
looked to me, trying not to laugh. “Sorry about the inconvenience.”
“Fuck. Who complained?” Sam asked. “Was it Jerry next door? And
since when did cops not knock before breaking in.”
I cleared my throat. “New protocol,” I said.
“Yeah,” Frankie added.
Sam locked eyes with me, tilting his head. “Wait. I know you. I’ve
seen you somewhere.”
 We fled, laughing to ourselves.
It could’ve ended very differently.
But at least we figured out what was happening.

* * *

Every single time that memory came up, I found myself almost put into a
laughing fit. I didn’t know what it was about them, but they left the city
after that. I think they thought we were the real police. Me, in my colorful
shirt, I couldn’t even take myself serious in that thing. We made sure I
never wore it again after that.
We jogged back home, listening to more Britney Spears. And I was
satisfied that the addresses he’d pulled from my laptop weren’t anyone to be
suspicious of, just two guys who happened to be from the area.
“Ok,” Frankie said, snapping his fingers at me. “Go shower, get
dressed, and then we’re going shopping for a new coffee table, and maybe a
plant. I don’t think you watered the last one.”
I pouted and gave him my adorable puppy dog expression, only to
be turned down. “Please come shower with me.”
“And turn a five-minute shower into a thirty-minute one?” he
grumbled, looking me up and down. “Absolutely not. Now go. I’ll make us
a shopping list.”
I stomped off to the bathroom. I wanted to turn this into a thirty-
minute thing. I blasted Britney and let myself be taken away into a world of
pop music. I was halfway through a deep hair condition when a knock came
at the door.
“Come on,” he stressed me. “I wasn’t kidding. We’ve got a lot to do
today.”
We had a lot to do every single day. It kept me occupied, so I liked
that, but sometimes a boy needed a deep condition and a face mask after his
morning run.
Frankie always made sure I was dressed smart when we shopped
together. He had this entire thing about self-worth and how a crisp shirt
collar could bolster your confidence ten-fold. I couldn’t even argue with
him on that, because my confidence was higher when I was dressed in the
shirt and khakis. Sometimes, I thought I was one of the guys who owned a
boat but didn’t know how to drive one.
 He took us to the mall, with the top-down on the car. He revved the
engine for all eyes to dart to us. It always made me want to shrink away. He
chewed gum and flicked his sunglasses down.
“I saw your grocery list, you didn’t even try and hide it on my
phone,” he said.
“Because you always delete them,” I said. “If I put it on the fridge,
you had to take it.”
He reached into his trouser pocket and grabbed the post-it. “This
note?” he asked, scrunching it up. “I’m not buying you all that sugary crap.
I told you, if you want something sweet, you gotta look no further.” He
smirked, pointing down to his crotch.
“Ugh,” I rolled my eyes, trying to grab the post-it from his fist. “You
didn’t want to fuck in the shower, but now that we’re on the road, you’re
happy enough to try and get me to give you head.”
“Baby,” he said, his hand tighter around the post-it. “I’m just trying
to make sure you stay healthy, and you know the dangers of shower sex.”
Almost spraining an eye socket with the amount of eye rolling, I
glared at him. “You wanted to fuck me in the bath the other night,” I told
him.
“Yeah,” he said, throwing the balled up note out of the car. “Because
bath sex is fun. Nobody has to stand up. You just use the motion of the
ocean.”
No matter what I said, I knew he was always going to have another
point. It was infuriating, but in the type of way that made me more attracted
to him.
“Anyway, the chocolate muesli isn’t even bad, plus, it’s muesli,
that’s good, right?”
“You wrote breakfast cereal and in brackets, Froot Loops. It might
have froot in the name, but that’s not really fruit.”
It didn’t matter that much; I’d just have to visit the bodega down the
block and grab my own cereal and then eat it all before he could trash it.
We finally got to the mall, and he pulled the top up on the car. “So, I
promised you something gold and shiny,” he said, taking my hand. He
kissed the back of it. “I think it’s time we tried putting a bracelet on that
wrist.”
Bracelets or anything around my wrists had been a trigger. Frankie
had been helping me out with them, he stopped me from freaking whenever
something touched me there, and now, it had become part of our intimacy.
“Ok,” I said, trying not to hold my breath.

OceanofPDF.com
8. FRANKIE
Everything I did, I did for Cal. It hadn’t always been that way. I was selfish,
incredibly so. I never gave anyone a moment of my time, the closest anyone
ever got to me was when someone threw themselves at me for sex. And I
took those opportunities whenever I could. I was a man, and I could get
hard at the change of a stiff breeze. It wasn’t until Cal came into my life
that everything changed.
He needed me to survive. I watched him go through all that pain,
just for him to break down again and again. It was the first time I’d ever
thought of myself as human. I had been unbreakable. I could go into a crack
den, blow holes through five skulls and come out without even a graze.
Now, I’d end up taking twice as long and getting caught off-guard with a
punch to the face.
Cal knew how special he was to me, but that didn’t mean I was ever
soft on him. He didn’t need someone to coo around walking on eggshells
like he was damaged goods. He was far from damaged. He’d been reborn
stronger, and I wasn’t going to let him slip by allowing him to buy that
sugar-loaded cereal.
He pushed the shopping cart down the aisle, stopping by the things
he’d asked for on his list. Each time, I made him check the label, and each
time, he told me how bad it was for him. I wasn’t trying to give him a
complex, I was just making sure he knew exactly what it was he was
putting in his body. I was a killing machine, or so they called me, and he
wanted to be just like me. He’d told me so himself. He could only get there
with discipline, and every single day was a teaching day.
“What about these yogurts?” he asked. “Look. They’re natural, and
no added sugars. They have a strawberry one. Oh. And raspberry. That’s
your favorite flavor.”
I looked him up and down, wondering who he was trying to con. “I
love raspberries, the berries not the flavored yogurts.”
“Thank you,” he said, before I could finish, placing the yogurt
cartons in the cart. “C’mon. It’s just one thing.”
I tried to keep my face stern, looking at him. “It’s actually six
things.”
 “No, no, you’re looking at them all wrong,” he said. “You buy them
as one.”
“But there are six of them. Well, twelve. Six strawberry and six
raspberry.”
He smirked. “I knew you could count,” he said. “Those people lied
when they said you didn’t know how. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”
Catching me off-guard, I let out a chuckle. “Fine,” I said. “But only
one a day. Anymore and I’ll take your cell off you.”
We only came to the grocery store at the mall for a couple of things,
like the yogurts and the frozen smoothie blends they had all prepared and
packed with protein. Everything else was sourced from the local butcher,
bakery, and the fruit and veg stand all at the end of the block.
Once we had our groceries and put those into the trunk of the car,
we went back for the main order of business. There was a jeweler inside,
they made nice gold bracelets. Cal’s eyes lit up, looking at the sales
assistant as she showed him their collection. He eventually made up his
mind, got it sized, and then freaked before he could put it on. But that was
fine. I’d calmed him down and bought the bracelet for us to try again when
we were back home. But before that, we needed a new coffee table. While
Cal headed back to the car and waited, I went to make furniture decisions
alone.
I came back with a trolley, three boxes, and a large monstera plant
on top. Once I saw the table I liked, there were matching end tables for the
sofa too. They came in a set of two. And then I was shown to ornamental
chess set, so I grabbed a set of them. I didn’t let Cal know, but I’d been
panic buying, just trying to fill the part of him that had freaked out, and I
knew a project like fixing up a coffee table would help. It was better than
trying to fuck away the issues, like we usually did.
Loading the boxes and plant into the back of the car, Cal turned to
me with a big smile on his face. “Can we grab a Starbucks on the way
back?”
“No,” I said, knowing full well he’d ask again, and I’d agree. “Fine.
But no extra shots. And I want you to help me set these tables up.”
“Yes, Daddy,” he chuckled.
He knew that did things to me. It was a term I’d found funny at first,
like I’m not a father, but I could dominate you like a Daddy. And almost
what we founded our entire relationship on, me taking the control, and Cal
doing everything he was told to do.
In the apartment, Cal tried helping, but all he was doing more to
getting in my way rather than actually help. So, he got on his laptop to
check in with Sutton.
Sutton was both a good and a bad influence over Cal. When I met
Cal, he had some anger issues, naturally, he’d been through a lot, but when
Sutton came into the picture, that anger turned to him having these quick-
witted answers to everything.
I found it better that I got to work on the table alone. Everything was
in order, and structured in a way that meant none of the steps were
muddled. I liked a good instruction manual; it reminded me of some of my
earlier hit jobs. I would go through them in my mind first, and then step-by-
step and shot-by-shot, people fell, and I got praise.
“Sutton says there’s some shit going down in New Jersey,” Cal
announced. “I’m not sure if it’s directly related to what your brothers were
talking about, but it could be something, right?”
“Get more information from him,” I said, focused on attaching the
leg of the table.
My brothers were purposefully vague when it came to the business.
I only knew what I was allowed to know, and that meant only information
required to carry a hit out on someone. It never stopped me from doing my
own research, it just made it difficult.
“Ok,” Cal said. “Port authority seized a whole bunch of drugs, but
then those drugs went missing. Like a lot of drugs. He’s saying it was
mostly coke, but there’s a list. Some of this stuff I’ve never even heard of.
What’s mephedrone?”
I came away from the work to look at him. “They won’t have had
that shipped in,” I said. “It’s a mix of different drugs, like speed, coke, and
ecstasy.”
“Oh. Right. Sutton says it could have been used for mephedrone.”
I nodded. “It sure could’ve been. It depends on if the coke was cut
with anything else, the last thing a dealer wants to be caught selling is
something with very little purity. The highs don’t last as long, and the
people who buy can turn violent quick.” A smile touched my lips. “I
suppose that does my job for me, but the dealers on the street are just one
part of it.”
 “You say that like you want to get rid of drugs from the street,” he
said. I caught him roll his eyes.
My family’s business was in drug smuggling and selling, it wasn’t a
practice I got involved in, and the one time I tried drugs, my father beat me
up and chained me in the basement of the house for forty-eight hours to
teach me a lesson. I never touched them again.
“What I want and what the family want are very different things,” I
told him. “I want to find a match to the sample and see where it leads. My
family wants the drugs to sell, to make more money, and to keep the family
strong.” Of course, I also benefited from that, but it wasn’t like I had any
moral high ground to take. I also knew that it was a trigger for Cal, he’d
been forced to inhale coke and amphetamines, probably even Viagra with
the way he’d described feeling. “You know, we should think about taking a
trip to visit Sutton.” I always tried to steer the subject away when we got
too deep.
“I was going to invite him here,” Cal said. “Obviously, if you want
to, we can visit him. And I know that means also going to New Jersey.”
I clicked my tongue and winked at him. “How about tonight?”
“Tonight?” he scoffed. “We just bought groceries.”
“Babe. I have a gut feeling we’re onto something.”
His shoulders hunched and he closed his laptop. “Aren’t you going
to ask your family for permission?”
It was probably best if they didn’t know. “I can do whatever I want,”
I told him. And I also needed to get to the bottom of what happened last
night. In fact, a splintered headache of an image came to mind as I thought
on it. Clutching my head in my hands and lowering it, it felt like a hot poker
to the eye.
“Frankie,” Cal jumped to my aide. “What’s going on?”
Last night wasn’t the only time I’d been set up with an ambush. The
night of Sandro’s birthday, those men were sent to antagonize me. But I
couldn’t recall who it was. It was clearly someone comfortable enough to
pull that kinda shit in our territory.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I said, getting gruffer.
“Don’t fucking complain then,” he said. “Now, you either want my
help, or you’ll suffer alone.”
“You’re an asshole,” I said, finding the funny side to it. I’d said that
phrase to him several times. “And it was, you’re gonna get my help, or
you’re gonna suffer alone, and if you’re doing it alone, you can leave.”
Cal wrapped his arms around me. “And you’ll never see the last of
me,” he said, kissing my face. “Now, how many days are we going for? Or
is it just an overnight bag situation.”
“It’s a floorboard situation,” I told him.
He gasped, giddy with excitement.
“You go get the box. I’ll finish this damn table.”
Inside the box under the bedroom floorboard, there was a sniper
rifle. It came equipped with night vision and a scope. I didn’t like to get it
out, it was more of a memento from my past work. I was less of a distance
rooftop shooter and more of an in-person combat shooter.
Cal was having fun playing with the scope of the rifle. “Everything
looks so funky in this,” he said. “It’s all blurry. I’m gonna look at how far it
goes.” He stood at the window, screwing one eye shut while looking out of
the other. I didn’t know what he was looking at, but I could see all the funny
faces he was pulling in the reflection of the window.
“You’ve got to adjust the scope,” I told him. “But don’t break it.
Please, don’t break it.”
He held it out in his hand, examining the object. “It’s just like a
telescope, but small, or a pair of binoculars. And—well, this one has a little
mark in it. You should think about getting that cleaned before you use it.”
Sometimes, the cluelessness made me all warm. “You mean the
crosshairs, that’s calibrated to the rifle, the crosshairs tell me where the shot
is going to hit. It’s important you don’t try and clean that.”
“Oh.” He looked back through it. “So, are we gonna go see the port
in New Jersey and then go to New York, or—”
“Well, we have to drive through there to get to New York, so yeah,”
I told him. “But I’ll be leaving you with your friend and going back. Just so
you know. You can’t come with me on this one.”
It was my own protocol to do some recon before I went into
anything, the only exceptions to that were on rushed jobs, and every
moment counted with those. Especially like last night.
There were a couple of moving parts at play with this. One part
would be securing the drugs and taking them back to the family and earning
forgiveness for the vase incident and the fight. And another part was about
seeing who had taken the drugs, and if there was any connection to what
had happened to Cal. Either way, it was a win, but New Jersey was a hub,
and we had to tread carefully there.
“Sutton said we can stay at his place, but he only has a sofa for us,”
Cal said. “I think we should get a hotel. Maybe one with a pool or a steam
room.” He sat on my lap as I screwed in the last leg of the coffee table.
“And—maybe then we can—y’know, get a little hot.”

OceanofPDF.com
9. CAL
Any time we left the state, it was a mixed bag of emotions. I was nervous,
excited, but most of all, I was stressed. I’d grown comfortable going out
alone in Philly again, it was a secret shame that I had to overcome with
Frankie’s help. Nobody else knew about it, so when we left the state, it felt
like it was all coming back on me, like an anchor on my chest.
Those feelings didn’t really come back until we were on the freeway
crossing state lines. It was sudden. Seeing that you’re now entering sign.
I packed my own overnight bag, which was clothes, my Switch, and
some swimming shorts because I had the credit card and I made sure to
book us into a nice hotel with a pool and a hot tub, and most importantly a
sauna.
Frankie packed a clean suit in a garment bag, and weapons. They
weren’t visible to the naked eye; they were hidden in secret places around
the car on the off chance some police officer tried to make a name for
himself by arresting one of the Borgesi sons. The first time it happened, I
thought Frankie was joking, making a bigger deal out of things, or just
generally stroking his own ego.
Thankfully, we got into New Jersey just fine. It was a nice day, I
wanted to drive all the way through to New York so we could have a picnic
in the park. But he told me that I was a distraction.
“You’ll get time with me tonight,” he said, taking the back of my
hand and kissing it. “I know it’s a lot right now, but we’re doing this for a
reason.”
It wasn’t like I could ID anyone by how they looked. It was their
voices that I felt I could distinguish, although sometimes, as I tried to recall
them, they were distorted in my mind.
We parked up near a port authority, that’s where I assumed the drugs
were coming in. Frankie pointed out the expensive cars in the parking lot.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“My brothers might have been right. Someone was paid off here.”
He took out a smaller version of the scope used for the rifle and looked
through it. “Five-million street value, but that can be doubled, maybe even
tripled with different cutting agents. You have your laptop?” he asked. “Run
these plates.”
 I reached into the backseat to grab my laptop. I connected it to my
mobile data. Sutton had installed many applications on the laptop for me.
He said it was necessary to have all the tools. His words and the way he
would not take any shit still made me laugh. “Work smarter, not harder,
guys like us have brains, not a body sculpted by the Greek.”
Looking up the plates of the two fancy expensive porches in the
parking lot, they both came back to the same person.
“Jack Jefferson,” I said. “That sounds like a fake name if I ever
heard one.”
“Pull up his details.”
Information was readily available. It should’ve been illegal to do
this—it possibly was highly illegal.
“Both cars were bought on the same day, three months ago,” I said.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Jack Jefferson is our target then. What’s his address?”
I grumbled. “If I tell you, then you have to let me come with you.”
He chuckled. “Absolutely not. I’ll drive you to see Sutton. The two
of you can use the hotel room to order room service and play around in the
pool. Or visit the spa. I’ll be coming back here tonight to pay our new
friend, Jack Jefferson a visit.”
“What if it’s the guy who took me?”
“If it is, he’s your kill,” he said. “But if I go alone, I can do my own
recon and then tell you what I find.”
I knew I could be a bit of a handful and oftentimes a hindrance
when it came to doing stuff together. Mostly because I couldn’t stay still for
longer than a minute, and when I had a thought, sometimes it was blurted
out. So, I also couldn’t stay quiet either.
“Fine,” I groaned. “But only because I remembered that I booked us
both massages, and I’m not going to let mine go to waste.”
He leaned across the center console and kissed me. “And Sutton can
have mine. But don’t go too wild, the last thing I need is a hotel statement
the size of my arm.” He flexed his forearm for me.
“Now I’m tempted,” I said.
“And that’ll lead to a big punishment.” His face unflinching.
“Ok.” I was getting hot under my T-shirt. He didn’t have to tease me
like that. “Maybe we should drive by this address, it’s on the way out of the
state anyway.”
 He leaned in and tipped a finger under my chin. “No. Now, see what
else you can find out about this guy.”
As he drove, I continued to search the different programs on the
laptop for information on Jack Jefferson. I was still convinced this was a
fake name, but he had a paper trail. “He has a warrant out for his arrest in
three states. This sounds like our guy. Caught with possession of drugs.
This one says drug smuggling. No known associates, which is weird.”
“What’s weird is that he has arrest warrants out for him, and there’s
a known address, but no arrest,” he said.
“So? What does that mean?”
“He’s being protected by someone on the force. Probably local PD.”
“If he’s being protected, then maybe we should loop back around,
go to the address, and see if there are any suspicious cars near his place,” I
suggested. I was mostly nervous that something bad would happen. It was
always whenever it concerned what happened to me. Frankie was stronger
and almost a machine, I knew they’d never get him in the same way that
they’d got me.
He placed a hand behind my back, his other on the steering wheel,
almost like he was showing off. “Baby,” he said, his touch calming me. “I
promise I’ll be safe, and I promise that I won’t do anything without you
there.”
That reassured me a little. I glanced back at the laptop screen and
the picture of the man. It pained me that I couldn’t ID him.
“Hey, look at this,” he said, pulling out the jewelry box from the
glovebox. “I thought you took this inside.”
I had taken it inside. “I wanted to try and wear it again,” I said. For
all that it was worth, exposure therapy had been working. The only way I
was going to feel whole again was when I didn’t have the little triggers.
“Ok,” he said, placing the box back inside. “Whenever you’re
ready.”
“No.”
“What?”
“You’re supposed to force me to put it on,” I told him. “And that’s
how I get better.”
Frankie pressed his teeth on his lips and shook his head. “Put it on.”
“No.”
“I said, put the damn bracelet on.”
 We were both struggling to keep straight faces.
“Make me.”
“If I have to pull over on the side of the road, I’ll make sure that it
never comes off your wrist,” he said. “And then, I’ll lay you down on that
back seat, and I’ll take some of those clothes from your bag and stuff them
in your mouth so that you don’t make a sound while I fuck you.”
“Fine,” I said, only giving in because I didn’t want him to pull over
and draw attention to us. “But only if you do that to me later. And I get to
choose what you stuff in my mouth.”
“Deal. Shake on it.” He shook my hand. “Now, put the bracelet on.
It cost a lot of money. I want to see it on you all the time.”
It was a nice bracelet. Gold. It twinkled in the light too. I sucked
back a deep breath. “If it gets stuck and I freak out, I’m crashing both of us
in this car,” I said.
Frankie puckered his lips and made kissing sounds. “You know you
could never do that.”
“Fine.” I unlatched the bracelet before slipping it over my wrist and
securing it in place. It was cold. I held a breath.
“How does it feel?”
It tickled. My heart pounding in my chest, I pushed out the breath.
“It’s—it’s ok.” It was completely unlike the pressure of the rope, or even
Frankie’s grip. “I’m good.”
He took my hand by the wrist, wrapping his hand around it. I didn’t
feel like kicking or screaming. That was a win. “Next time, I’ll get it etched
on the inside. Property of Frankie. Or something like that.”
I looked to my other wrist. It wasn’t obvious I’d been bound by
thick rope, but I still saw marks on my skin, even if they were only in my
mind. “Maybe next I can get a watch for my other wrist.”
“Open the glovebox,” he said. “I have a spare in there.”
I’d seen that watch. It was a weighty Rolex. “Maybe not one of
those.”
“Don’t be silly. Put it on. I can have links removed from it if it’s too
big.”
This one tested me. He was really on a roll trying to push me. I
slipped the Rolex over my hand and placed it on my wrist. It was far too
big. In a knee-jerk reaction, I dangled my hand, and it slipped right off onto
my lap. “Oops,” I said.
 “Let me know how much bigger it is,” he said.
I stuffed the Rolex back into the glovebox. “Later.”
We finally reached New York. Crossing the Hudson River. It was
nice. The big buildings always reminded me how small I was in
comparison. It also reminded me that my brother was close, and I’d done a
good job so far avoiding my entire family.
I received a text from Sutton telling me he was already waiting for
us in the hotel lobby. He’d got into the system and upgraded us for free.
Frankie rolled his eyes when I gave him the news. “That kid is
gonna be the reason I get arrested,” he grumbled.
“He’s not a kid. He’s older than me.”
“Yeah, and I’m teaching you life lessons every single day,” he said.
“Plus, you’re my baby. I’d do that regardless of how old you were.” He
took the back of my hand and kissed it.
I took his hand and stroked across the bandage. “You think I should
remove these before we check-in?” I asked. “I don’t want the receptionist to
think you’re gonna cause trouble.”
He placed his hand on the steering wheel. “I think what’s under it
will scare them more. I saw the bruising under it this morning after my
shower.”
Scoffed, I gave his arm a whack. “You didn’t let me change them.
What was I doing?”
“I didn’t want to bother you after my shower. You were on your
Switch, peaceful playing on your farm, or whatever game that was.”
“I had to take care of my crops,” I said. It wasn’t a real-time game,
and there were no consequences to leaving my crops without water. It just
meant I could collect and sell them faster to make more money. Almost, in a
way, like what the family was doing with drugs.
Sutton was waiting in the lobby, just like he said. Frankie carried my
bag inside. A valet had taken the car, although he’d been told to park close
because he’d be coming back in thirty minutes to head out again.
“I missed you,” Sutton said. “And Frankie, nice to see you again.”
“Ground rules,” Frankie said as we approached the reception desk.
“Don’t be putting bugs on anything. That includes the laptop. And please
keep Cal’s mind busy and off whatever is going on.”
Sutton chuckled. “Cal tells me everything, anyway, why would I
need to bug you.”
 That was true. I nodded. “We’re going to have massages and order
room service, so that should help keep my mind busy.”
“Why?” Sutton pressed. “Where are you going? Is it dangerous?
Ugh. I wish I lived dangerously. Not too dangerous though. I don’t want to
be on the run for my life.”
I glanced at Frankie as he eyed Sutton. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m
sure if you are ever on the run from someone, they’d catch up to you, and
then realize you’re too much hassle.”
Sutton fawned. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. Did
you hear that, Cal?”
“Yeah, that’s too nice. Say something mean to even it out.”
“You’re a loud-mouth dick,” he said.
He snickered. “I heard mouth and dick. I hope you aren’t hitting on
me.”
I stepped on Sutton’s foot. “Oops,” I giggled. “Don’t flirt with him. I
mean it.”
“Boys,” Frankie said, clearing his throat. “Let me get checked in,
and then you can leave me to get back to work.”
I groaned. “I still want to come with you.”
Sutton hooked an arm around mine. “What’s he doing?” he asked.
“You know, you can tell me. Is this about that shipment?”
“I’ll tell you later,” I said. “After our massages.”
Frankie cleared his throat again, this time louder. “Make sure you
request a woman.” His face grew closer to mine. “If I hear that you let
another man put his hands on you for that massage, I’ll break every single
bone in both of his hands.”
“Yes, Daddy,” I said, glancing at Sutton on my arm. “You should
also get a woman. That way there’s no cross contamination.”
Sutton thew his head back with sass. “I thought I was gonna have
some man’s hands all over me today.” He always looked at Frankie when he
said that, but there were boundaries. And I didn’t want to go hand-to-hand
with Sutton because he overstepped.
“Stay there. I’ll get checked in,” Frankie said.
As Frankie went to the reception desk, I looked around at how fancy
the hotel was. I should’ve guessed when they had a valet our car. Or when I
booked it, but I’d never stayed in anything quite so fancy before. There was
a fountain in the lobby and a fancy contemporary art light in the middle.
 I knew I shouldn’t feel bad for spending his money, but this felt
extravagant.

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10. FRANKIE
Once checked in, I went up with Cal and Sutton to the room. Sutton really
hadn’t been lying when he said he’d got into their system and upgraded us.
I wasn’t listening to the receptionist, but he’d mentioned us having very
high loyalty points and that he was glad we’d chosen to stay at their hotel
again.
I wouldn’t be here for long, just long enough to make sure they had
everything they needed, and if they didn’t, Sutton would have some way of
getting it.
Sutton threw himself on the large double bed. “I should do this more
often.”
Cal started to jump on the bed beside him. “We should get a
mattress this bouncy!”
“Ok, ok,” I said. “I’m heading out. It should only take me an hour or
so to get there, it’s just across the state line,” I said. “I’ll be back once I’ve
taken a closer a look.”
“You’re leaving now?” Cal asked, jumping off the bed. “But I
thought we’d get something to eat first, and then maybe we could take the
bed for a spin while Sutton goes and does something else.”
Sutton picked himself off the bed. “Oh. I can give you the room if
you need it.”
Taking Cal’s hand, I pulled him into a tight embrace. “I told you,” I
whispered. “You’ll get what you get tonight, and what happens will decide
just how much of me you get.” That was code. On nights where a lot
happened, I would tear his ass up, and on nights where there was nothing
going down, I made sure that Cal did. I gave him a kiss on the forehead.
The location of this Jack Jefferson was in Paterson, New Jersey. Cal
had said it was on our way into New York, but I think he only said that to
try and convince me. It was in the opposite direction. You had to go back
out of the city, across the Hudson, and then further up into New Jersey.
I’d never been there before, so I didn’t know whose territory it was.
My family had territory in New Jersey, but not there.
Before I left Cal, I reminded him to keep his cell on him and keep it
close by. I could call at any time for information. He also reminded me that
if I found a connection to what happened to him, I couldn’t do anything. I
agreed to that term over a year ago, but I knew my anger might’ve got the
better of me if we did uncover the person responsible for putting Cal
through all that pain.
As I headed to the address in Paterson, I thought about how my life
had changed. It seemed like a snap change. One day, I had zero care for
anyone but myself, and the next, all my thoughts were dedicated to
protecting Cal.

* * *

Eighteen Months Ago

Sneaking back into the apartment in the middle of the night. I had blood on
my clothes and a bite mark on my hand.
I tiptoed and tried to quash my disappointment.
It was the first solid lead in months. Someone had been peddling a
high-quality cocaine on the streets right by the old Chinese restaurant. I
hadn’t told Cal, I knew he’d worry, but he hadn’t left the house, and I knew
he’d want to come with me.
“Frankie?” Cal’s voice called out.
He was curled up on the sofa, shivering. His teeth tapping together.
The windows were wide open, and the TV was playing static.
I dropped to my knees in front of him. “What happened?”
“I did it,” he whimpered.
Taking his hand, he was stone cold. “What did you do?” I asked. “I
left you in bed. You were sleeping.”
“I—I—I went out.”
“I told you to take it easy.” I stroked a hand on his forehead,
forgetting there was blood on my palm. “Why did you open the windows?”
Cal continued to shiver. “You said I—I need fresh air. I—I—I got
fresh air. And I—I—I went to the bodega. I—I—”
I cooed him, wiping the blood from his face with my sleeve. “It’s
ok. Let me close these windows.”
“I—I—I got cereal.” Shaking, he pulled back the thin blanket to
reveal the box of cereal hugged against his chest. It was open, and some of
it spilled out over his chest.
 This was my fault for telling him he couldn’t have that sugary cereal
and I’d told him if he wanted it, he’d have to go out and get it himself. I
hadn’t thought he would’ve taken that as a personal challenge, just a way of
encouraging him to come out of the apartment with me.
Closing the windows, I continued to reflect on my night. I didn’t
even have any good news to tell him. The dealer was just some college kid
trying to make a couple bucks with drugs he found. He learned the dangers.
I punched him, his nose burst with blood. He’d grabbed my arm and bit me
like an animal. I would’ve put a bullet in him if he’d been part of a gang,
but he was just a kid with no answers to anything.
“You know,” I said, going back to Cal shivering on the sofa. “This
doesn’t mean I’m going to take pity on you. You’re going to get into bed
where it’s warm, and then tomorrow, we’ll go out together. And you’ll wear
a fucking jacket. I’m serious. You’re not getting sick just to prove a point.
That’s some martyr shit, and I won’t have it.”
That was as much sympathy as he was getting from me. That,
alongside being carried to bed, and then being cuddled to keep warm. He
was freezing, and I ran at a high temperature. He clung to me all that night
like some spider monkey clinging to a branch.

* * *

At the address Cal had given me, I noticed the street was full of cars, some
of them just as fancy as the Porsche we’d seen in the parking lot by the
shipping dock. The address was for an apartment block, but I had the
picture of his face on my cell. All I needed was to make a positive ID, and
see who he was with, and I could work from that.
I’d been waiting an hour and a half before there was any activity at
the door of the apartment building. Jack Jefferson, that was him, heading
into the building alone. He looked over his shoulder and fumbled with his
eyes.
My cell rang as I was double checking the face to what I saw in
front of me. It was my father.
“Is something wrong?” I answered.
He cleared his throat. “That’s no way to answer.”
“I’m pretty busy right now,” I said. “So, if it can wait, then—”
“Your uncle Vito is here; he’s just been dealing with our pest
problem at the restaurant” he said. “I took what you said personally. Bad
intel is a son-of-a-bitch, and I don’t want it running through the ranks of the
family.”
Pest problem was code about finding out if there was a mole and
killing them in a secret room at the back of the restaurant the family owned.
I could spare a moment to see what my uncle had to say, although I doubt
anything that came out of his mouth was going to be the truth. “And you
found out who was feeding us bad intel?”
“No. We went to the source, but he had another source, so we went
to that source, and everyone was playing a fucking game of telephone,” he
said, getting angrier. “Now, your brothers are getting calls asking if
everything is all good. Nobody is taking credit. I bet if I told them the drugs
were there, everyone would be fighting for credit.”
“Then tell them they were right,” I said. “Get someone to take
credit, then shit on them with the fact that it was a set up.” That seemed like
the obvious way to go about this. And I thought he was supposed to be the
mastermind. Perhaps he really was sick.
“I would’ve done that,” he shouted at me. “But Vito took things into
his own hands, didn’t ya?” his voice in the distance shouting at his brother.
“I don’t know what to tell you, but your brothers are certain that someone
took the shipment.”
Looking out of the car window to the apartment building, I was one-
step ahead of my family. “I might have a lead.”
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I’m not going to do anything. I’m just doing some recon, like I
used to.”
“Yeah,” he scoffed. “Before you started hanging around with that
kid.”
“Cal isn’t a kid, dad. He’s twenty-five,” I told him. It was ok when I
said that about him, and sure, some people like my dad saw the ten-year age
gap and in comparison, he was a kid.
“Yeah, well, your mom thinks he’s too green,” he continued. “If you
want to do things like you used to, give him some money, get him some
therapy, and have him leave.”
Gritting my teeth together to keep myself from saying something I’d
regret, I let out a throaty cough in response.
“You should come by the house, your brothers are on their way,
we’re gonna talk about what we’re going to do next. That means figure out
who put a target on your back. The why is probably easy, people fear you.”
“I can’t,” I said, glancing at my reflection in the rearview mirror. I
was scowling, my forehead creased up like it was ready to be used as a
barbecue grill. “I’m in New Jersey. I’m not letting my lead go. I’ll be back
tomorrow.”
He grumbled. “Fine. But don’t go in all guns blazin’, I know what
you’re like, Frankie. And I must agree with Vito, you’re getting sloppy.”
I hadn’t heard what Vito had been saying, but I assumed he was
talking a big game since I wasn’t there.
Hanging up, I continued to watch the door to the apartment building.
More people came in and left. Since Jack didn’t have any known
associates, it made me wonder if the identity was new. Nobody had arrest
warrants in their name for drug possession and selling around here without
some known associates.
Once it got a little darker out, I could see a blue light flashing in the
apartment on the third floor, facing out onto the street. I assumed that was 3
A from the address. It looked like he was watching TV, and since there
hadn’t been any signs of other life in there, I decided that it was my time to
go up and see what was happening.
I checked my gun before I left the car, making sure I had bullets and
my silencer. I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t been able to get the rifle
out and use that, but it was ready in a hidden compartment of the trunk for
when I needed it.
Practicing a smile, I stood at the door. I looked smart enough that
people thought I was here on business, not someone looking to score.
A woman pushing a stroller came up to the door.
“Oh my god, you’re my savior,” I said. “I lost my key.”
“You can just enter the PIN,” she said.
“Right, right.” I stared at the system on the wall by the door. “But I
just moved in, and I should’ve written it down. I tried putting in my bank
PIN and then I realized I forgot it.”
She chuckled. “Well, I’m Lou, I live on the first floor,” she said.
“That must’ve been you banging around moving things in the other day.”
I tutted and shook my head, feigning annoyance, I placed a hand at
my face. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I’ll try and be quieter next time.” That meant
someone had been moving the cocaine in or removing it.
 “You’re not what I expected,” she said. “I thought it was rented to
some addicts. I’ve petitioned the building to stop allowing them to let them
in. It’s not that I don’t respect their lives, but I’ve got a kid, and it’s scary.”
“I agree,” I said, wondering if she was going to input the PIN. “I’ve
got a spare apartment key hidden under a—a mat, I know, I know.” I held
up my hands. “I’m asking to be robbed.”
She stepped back. “You—you have a gun.”
I pressed a finger to my lips. “I work with the intelligence
department. Ironic that I’m not intelligent enough to remember my keys
though.”
“Of course,” she chuckled. “Guns scare me, but I’m always happy
to see them in the hands of the police force.”
I never said police, but if that’s what she got from it, I’d take that
trust and run with it. She put in the PIN for me, and I walked in with a big
smile on my face. But it was also a reminder to try and conceal my gun in
the future.
On the third floor, there were three apartments. One door was open,
the same door where loud action film sounds played, and the blue and white
flashing lights were coming from.
Attaching the silencer to the end of my gun, I approached the
apartment and pushed the door slightly. The sounds were louder, gunshots
and characters shouting to each other.
There was a single armchair in front of the TV. I saw his arm.
Slowly, I stepped around with my gun poised to shoot if he tried anything.
Someone beat me to it.
The man had taken a shot to the head. His body was limp.
“Fuck.”
I placed the back of a finger on his arm. Stone cold. I hadn’t seen
anyone come in or leave that looked suspicious.
“Fuck,” I said, my hand curling into a fist.
The TV had been a distraction, the noise and the flashing lights,
that’s how nobody had figured it out. I hadn’t even seen the flashes until it
got darker outside. And now it was too late.
Unless they were still here.
Back on alert, I searched the apartment for any sign of the person
who’d done this. The closets were empty, and the cupboards were too small.
Whoever had done it wasn’t here anymore. And neither were the drugs.
 I grabbed his wallet and fished through it for more information. I
was right. Jack Jefferson wasn’t his real name. His real name was Eric
Wiess. And then I found it. His badge. He was a police officer. I almost
dropped the wallet.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
The fate of a cop killer wasn’t one I intended on finding out about.
I snapped a couple pictures and then I left.
But on the way out, I saw police lights on the street and the loud
sirens.
I sat in my car, catching my breath. I whacked my hands against the
steering wheel. “Another fucking set up!” I roared. Someone was going
above and beyond to try and get me railed. Whoever it was had to be
connected to what happened to Cal. It felt connected.
Driving off before the police arrived. I headed right back to New
York to see Cal. I’d called and he said he was fine, but I needed to see it for
myself. We were being watched. And I needed to stay with him to make
sure nothing happened.
“You sound panicked,” Cal said.
“It’s ok,” I told him. “I’ll be back soon. Tell Sutton to stay with you
and not leave your side until I’m there. Got it?”
His breath became shallow, breathing down the receiver. “I got it. Is
everything ok?”

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11. CAL
When Frankie called, we’d been doing face masks and eating far too many
of the cucumber slices rather than putting them on our faces. I didn’t know
what the purpose of putting them over your eyes were, other than not being
able to eat them afterwards because they’d got all your skin cells on them.
Wrapped in bathrobes and laid on the bed as Desperate
Housewives played on the big screen. I’d had a fun night with Sutton, even
if he was forced to have one of the female masseuses rather than one of the
men.
“What did he say?” Sutton asked. “You sound serious.”
I didn’t know what to make of the call. I asked him if he was ok, and
he didn’t respond. He told me he loved me and hung up. It wasn’t like him
to do that, but at least he was alive, and he didn’t sound like he was in any
danger.
“He’ll be back soon. You’ll probably have to leave,” I said.
Sutton clicked his tongue. “I have a room here,” he said, smiling.
“When I made that upgrade, I also attached in an additional room, no extra
charge, of course.”
“I guess that explains why there’s two keycards, I thought one was
for me and the other for you, or Frankie.”
“In a way, yeah, one is for me. Wait. Did he take the other?”
“No, they’re both on the bedside table.” That’s where they’d always
been since we hadn’t left the room. We’d got room service and massages
delivered right to us. I could’ve gotten used to this, although there were
only so many things Sutton’s hacking skills could do to keep this from
looking suspicious.
“I’ll try both on this door, and see,” he said. “My room isn’t as
fancy; I didn’t want to make anyone look into it.”
I sighed, laying back on the pillow as Sutton went to try the
keycards. “I’m just nervous.”
“You don’t have any reason to be nervous,” he said. “Frankie does
what he does best, you know.” He chuckled, drawing a line across his neck
with a finger.
Sutton knew about my past and how I’d bonded myself to Frankie,
almost like a disease he couldn’t shake free. “I don’t think he did any of that
tonight, but he’d never say over the phone anyway.”
“Smart,” he said, nodding. “And no texting either.”
“Obviously.”
“Good. Good. I’m glad that little things I taught you that seem
completely obvious have stuck.”
Sutton couldn’t take all the credit for that. I was already clued in. He
just helped me implement a couple of things that would’ve taken me years
to learn to do myself.
As we finished our episode of Desperate Housewives and washed
off the face mask, a knock came at the door. The knocking grew intense and
heavy.
“Fuck,” I said, drying my face off on a hand towel.
“Get it,” Sutton said.
“No, you.”
“Cal,” Frankie’s muffled voice called out to me. “Come on, baby.
Open.”
I raced to the door, pulling it open.
Frankie threw himself inside and slammed the door shut. His hands
cupped my face as he started to kiss me.
“Guys, I’ll leave before you get into all of that,” Sutton said.
I didn’t even register Sutton leaving after that. Frankie pulled me up
into his arms and carried me over to the bed.
“Everything ok?” I asked.
“It’s better now.” He threw me down onto the bed. “I’ll tell you all
about it after I’ve got this out of my system.”
I pushed myself up on my elbows and tried to reach out and grab the
end of his necktie. He pulled away with a big smile, seeing what I’d been
trying to do. “Then why are you wearing so many clothes?” I asked, pulling
at the tie keeping my bathrobe in place. I only had my underwear on.
“Undress faster!” I spread the bathrobe out as he became a star in the
middle of the bed.
He kicked his shoes off. “How was the massage? Did you try the
sauna? What about the hot tubs?” He asked, undressing and folding his
clothes up neatly. “Or have you just been in here eating and watching TV?”
The room service trolley was still in the room, alongside a bowl of
half-eaten cold french fries. “I treated myself,” I said, kicking my legs.
“And I’m ready to be treated again.”
 “Turn over,” he said.
“No, I wanna watch you.”
“Ass up, now,” he commanded. “Because I have a promise to keep.
So, get that peachy little ass up in the air.”
I hadn’t forgotten about that promise he’d made. I rolled over in the
bed and pulled my underwear down just a little to reveal my ass. I watched
as Frankie removed his briefs. He balled them up in his hand and
approached me. His cock throbbing and bouncing around at his waist.
“Mmm,” I said, smacking my lips.
He climbed onto the bed, sitting on the back of my legs. “Time to
get you massaged on the inside too,” he said, laying on my back. He
grabbed my head, pulling me. He stuffed his balled-up briefs into my
mouth. “There. My promise is kept. That’s what you wanted.” He kissed my
neck, going back down my body. “What do they taste like?”
They tasted just like the fabric softener I used. Disappointed I
couldn’t taste his dick on them. I pushed them out. “I want the real thing.”
Frankie sat on the back of my legs and gave my ass a spank. “I
didn’t tell you to take them out.” He gave my other cheek a spank. “I
thought that was what you wanted.”
“I was hoping there would’ve been some flavor to them,” I told him,
pushing my ass up and trying to push my legs too, but he firmly sat on
those. “Are you gonna let me suck your dick?”
He laid himself down on me once more, the laughter in his chest
vibrating on my back. “You know I don’t give in that easy.” He kissed the
back of my neck. “But I’ve had an exhausting evening, so I wouldn’t mind
laying down and letting you do your thing.” He rolled off me, sprawled out
on the side of the bed.
Free reign was always my favorite. I loved it when he took charge,
but I loved doing whatever I wanted to him. It was like visiting a theme
park and being given unlimited rides and zero queues.
Frankie tucked his hands behind his head and waited for me. I was
spoiled for choice.
I could never tease his body the way he teased mine. I played with
his nipples, pinching them between my fingers, then I placed my mouth
around each of them, giving each a little suck and a bite, trying to get a
reaction from him. The only reaction he gave was the green light, and his
cock slapping at his stomach, leaving little dots of precum.
 “Why aren’t you ticklish?” I asked, pressing a finger into his ribs.
“It feels nice,” he said. “Is that all you’re going to do?”
“No.” I went in harder.
He just looked at me, shaking his head. “Try something else, maybe
you’ll get a different response.”
I moved down his body with kisses, I reached his cock. After licking
away the precum, I pulled back his foreskin to see the pink head. I pressed
the tip of my tongue to the tip of his cock.
He teeth sank into his lip.
I knew this was the most sensitive part of his entire body. I used my
tongue and took full advantage, trying to tickle him. There were signs it was
working, like more precum, but it didn’t show on his face, other than a big
smile.
“Come on,” he said. “You know all this slow stuff isn’t my speed.”
The only time we’d ever been slow was the first time, and that
seemed like we were going slow accidentally. Neither of us knew what we
were doing with each other. But now we were quick to fuck.
I sucked his cock for a little while, taking it as deep as it would go
and without giving myself lockjaw.
Frankie pressed a hand on the back of my head, keeping me down
for a moment before pulling me away, saliva dripping from my mouth.
Gasping for air, I nodded at him. “Again.”
He sat up. “When I said I want to be in you, I meant it. And you’re
taking too long.” He snapped his fingers. A sharp, crisp sound. “On your
back. Underwear off. Legs up. Cheeks spread. Now.”
“Yes, Sir!” I said, chuckling as I gave him a two-finger salute.
On my back, with my underwear off. I pulled my knees to my chest
and reached down to part my cheeks.
Frankie stood, but my eyes were on his dick. Seeing it bounce made
my hole clench. I wanted it now. He gave my ass a little tap before pulling
my cheeks a little further. He started by sucking on my balls, and then onto
my cock, and back down again until his tongue was against my hole
pressing against how hard I’d clenched.
Having my ass eaten was one of the nicest feelings ever to be felt on
my body. I tried to keep my position as he’d ordered it, but it was becoming
difficult as I managed the tickle in my stomach and the weighted hardness
of my cock throbbing.
 “I fucking love you,” he said, back on my balls, he sucked on one
and then let it slip out of his mouth. “You taste good.”
I couldn’t get what I wanted to say out of my mouth. It was the hotel
soaps. They left my skin feeling fruity and creamy to the touch. He pressed
a finger inside me, hooked, he touched my prostate. I was ready to cum just
at the slightest touch of it. It was worse when he was fucking me at a weird
angle and he would be pressing against it, that was a testament to how much
I could hold back that urge of wanting to cum.
“I can feel you holding back,” he said, almost reading my mind. “I
feel it.” He pushed his finger deeper inside me as his other hand grabbed at
my inner thigh. “All the tension.” He squeezed. “You’re holding back.”
“I—I—”
He chuckled. “Shh.” He pulled his finger from me and pushed
himself onto his knees. “I want you to make so much noise that we get a
noise complaint.”
I’d been holding back from making noise, it was something I always
did, sometimes because he told me to, but most of the time because it felt
strange to me to be screaming my lungs out with pleasure.
“Make some noise,” he said. “I dare you.”
“Give me something to make noise about.”
Frankie smirked. “I thought you’d say something like that.” He used
spit on the tip of his fingers, placing it on my hole as lube.
“You know there’s—”
He shook his head. “I want to make sure everything that enters you
is from me.”
I couldn’t argue with that, it made me giddy. “Hehe.”
Pushing the tip of his cock inside me, I let out a quiet moan. He
shouted at me. I moaned louder. He continued to push until it felt like his
cock was trying to split me in two. Moaning even louder, he placed a hand
over my mouth. “That’s good,” he said.
I licked his hand. He removed it. “Fuck me,” I said, pouting. “Fuck
me with everything you’ve got. Assuming you’ve got a lot in you.”
He pushed my legs back until my knees were beside me on the bed.
That flexibility training had been doing wonders. It spread my cheeks better
than I could have. He pinned me there, pulling out slowly and pushing back
in with a jackhammer force of his hips.
 “Fuck me!” I moaned louder than I’d ever done before. It made the
inside of my chest tickle, almost like I needed to laugh. “Harder.”
He went down once again, this time I thought his dick was going to
bust up out of my belly. “Say something else.” He released a hand on one
knee to grab at my nipple. My leg stayed in place, almost frozen there. “Go
on. Try and demand something else from me.”
“Faster,” I said, biting down my smile. “Please.”
“No, no.” He shook his head; his thrusts slow with his cock inside
me. “You don’t get to look all cute and then say please. You were being
demanding. Where’s that gone?”
I was playing right into what he wanted. He wanted me to push up
against his dominance and then he’d put me back into my place. It was a
game I liked to play, but sometimes the punishments could leave me feeling
a little like a brat, and too much of that was never good.
“Fuck me faster,” I said. “I bet you can’t.”
He was furious. It was fun.
We got to the part where he flipped me onto my stomach and
restricted my autonomy. He moved my body in all the ways he wanted. He
pressed an arch into my back and pulled my ass up into the air. He gave me
a moment before he started fucking me again. “You might not want to sit
down for a while after tonight,” he said, squeezing both my cheeks and
parting them to get to the soreness starting to ache in my ass. It craved
something long, thick, and pumping out cream to save it.
I enjoyed every minute of it.
He had my hands under my knees, effectively pinning myself down.
And then he fucked me until I came, hands-free. My hole tightened
around his cock, and he kept fucking like it was the gift he’d been working
towards. And in a way, it was a gift, one that my body was giving him, as I
squeezed out every drop of cum feeling him fill me up as he stopped
thrusting his hips.
He laid beside me, panting for breath. He let out a chuckle.
Collapsing in on myself, I felt the wet patch of cum against my torso
from where it had landed on the bathrobe. “That was worth it,” I told him,
turning my head to stare into his flushed red face.
“I needed that,” he said, reaching out to run a hand through my hair.
“So, what happened tonight?” I asked.
 He shook his head and snorted. “You wanna get straight down to it,
huh?”
“Yeah.” My voice was hoarse from all the noises I’d been making.
“It was a fake ID,” he said. “He was an undercover cop.”
Jolting with surprise, I rolled to my side. “What?”
“He was dead when I got there. I think they’re doing a drug sting.”
“You tell your family yet?”
He shook his head. “I needed to get this out of my system first.” He
leaned in and kissed me. “Police arrived. I was almost caught. I think it was
another set up.”
My face froze in shock. This was now a reason to be scared.

OceanofPDF.com
12. FRANKIE
After what had happened and being caught off-guard by a dead cop, I
needed all the ways to relax and destress. We headed to the sauna. It was
empty. We stayed in there together for a while before Cal started to snore
and snort himself awake. I’d got enough of my stress out that I could leave
the sauna without wanting to stab someone.
It was almost the worst fate you could have, to be convicted of
killing a cop, sure, the people inside prison might hail you for doing
something like that, but ultimately they turn on you when the prison guards
start to pit the prisoners against you like their personal fight club, taking
bets and pooling together as they gamble on who will come out of their ring
victorious.
I knew that was true because I’d had a cousin on the inside if one.
He was put in a very similar situation. Beaten to death. He was arrested,
imprisoned, and convicted for life because he’d killed a cop. Except his was
completely accidental, he was driving the car that killed him. Of course,
since his last name was Borgesi, they made an example out of him, but Rico
had never been part of the family business. He was my dad’s sister’s son.
She lived out west now in New Mexico.
Thoughts of Rico continued to go through my mind as I laid beside
Cal in bed. The thoughts were sifted between the notion that someone was
trying to set me up. First at the warehouse, and now at a house. This had to
have been someone who could see the entire playing field and knew my
next step. Every family had someone like me within it. Not a homosexual.
But a hitman.
“Sleep,” Cal grumbled, swatting a hand at my chest. “C’mon. You—
you don’t like it—when I—stay up.” He paused to let out mini yawns. It
was adorable to see him fall asleep before me for once. Perhaps I should’ve
stayed at the hotel and got that massage he’d been raving about in the car up
here.
I barely remember falling asleep. Cal woke me up, squeezing at my
face and pushing my lips together to kiss them.
“Mwah,” he made the sound as he pecked my face. “Mwah. Mwah.”
“Babe,” I grumbled, wrapping my arms around him and rolling over
on the bed. “What time is it?”
 “Breakfast time,” he said. “You know they have this full breakfast
bar downstairs. We need to go and use it before they close.”
Caught off-guard by what happened last night, I hadn’t wanted to
eat anything at all. But now that those nerves had gone down, my hunger
was strong. My stomach rumbled. I gently pressed my mouth against Cal’s
neck and pretended he was my food.
He giggled. “No, no, no, there are eggs and bacon downstairs.”
Laid on top of him, my morning wood rubbed against his thigh.
“Put that away. Unless it’s your gun, in which case, I already told
you not to bring your gun into bed.”
I wrapped a hand around his wrist, seeing the bracelet still there.
“I’m proud of you.” He’d overcome a lot, from wearing this bracelet, to
going outside, to being intimate again. Cal had rebuilt himself. “Now, either
you leave this bed, or I make a scramble inside your guts boy.”
Cal pulled himself out from under me. “Well, you can’t do that,
because Sutton is waiting for us outside.”
Looking at him, he was already dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-
shirt. A light breeze from the air conditioning traveled across my naked
back.
“You two go down,” I said. “If you’re here, I’ll just want to fuck
you.”
He turned around and squeezed his ass for me. “Something to think
about while I’m gone.”
It was definitely something.
Once Cal left, I took a quick shower and got dressed into a nice,
clean suit from the garment bag I’d brought up with me. No tie, top buttons
of the shirt undone, and extra pumps of cologne. I was done.
The hotel was fancy, so I had been expecting a fancy breaking meal.
On the ground floor in the restaurant area, it was set up like a
canteen. It wasn’t exactly how I imagined it for a place this fancy. I grabbed
a plate from the stack and walked down the line, grabbing different food
items for my breakfast.
Cal and Sutton were both seated by the window, not a wise choice
from a tactical standpoint. It completely blocked their view of two major
entry points into the restaurant area.
“You know there’s also a menu,” Sutton said. “You can get them to
make something.”
 “It’s fine,” I grumbled. It wasn’t fine. All this stuff was mostly fried.
I made sure I got my protein with the meat and eggs. “I don’t think we’re
gonna be able to stay much longer anyway.”
“What?” Cal accidentally kicked the table.
“Yes,” I said, nodding slowly. “What I told you last night. I’m gonna
need to head back. People need to know.”
“Oh, the police thing,” Sutton whispered.
Of course, Sutton had to know.
Cal shrugged. “I had to tell him. He might be able to help.”
“I can,” Sutton said. “I have access points into their system. Unless
they’ve beefed up security, but I highly doubt they have. And I was in there
last month, you know, just looking around for fancy houses they’d busted
and closed.” He had a wicked smile, placing his fingertips together like he
was a cunning genius. “That’s how I find places to travel to. It’s so easy
when you know the owners are behind bars. Right.”
“Right,” I said, slicing into the egg yolk. “So, did Cal give you his
name?”
“Yep,” Cal said. “Although I have thoughts. Maybe he wasn’t
undercover. What if he was just caught dealing on the side? Maybe it was
his partner on the force who did it.”
“You’ve been watching too many cop shows,” Sutton said. “It’s
usually far more complicated than that.”
“Well, whatever it is, we need answers ASAP.” I started eating, but I
hated the position we were in. I needed to teach them more about where to
sit when they were in an open plan area. They couldn’t allow themselves to
be vulnerable at any angle.
My cell buzzed in my trouser pocket. I grabbed it to see the caller.
And I would’ve usually ignored it while I was eating, but it was my
younger brother, Sandro. He never called unless it was important.
“One second guys,” I said, excusing myself from the table. “Hey,
what’s up?” I answered to him.
“The fuck ya doing in New Jersey?”
Great. A perfect way to start a conversation with me in the morning.
“You stay on your side of the business, and I’ll stay on mine,”
Sandro continued. “I’m fucking sick of people interfering.”
“Listen, you little dick, I was looking out for the family’s interests,”
I told him.
 “Whatever, I—”
“Gather the family,” I interrupted him in a whisper.
“You don’t tell me to gather the family.”
“Do it.”
“You—”
I cut the call.
I knew he’d do what I’d told him to. The family is never all called
together for business unless it’s something serious. And this was incredibly
serious.
When I got back to the table, I kept to myself and ate the breakfast.
“I was thinking we could go to the museum,” Sutton said.
“Yeah, I wanna go see the museum,” Cal added.
“Babe.” I reached across the table and took his hand. “We’ve gotta
go. Go upstairs. Pack your clothes. We have to get back to the family.”
Cal nodded. He understood the seriousness of it.
“Another time,” Sutton said. “And I’m always here, if you need
help, or I need help, which probably won’t be likely because I always cover
my tracks.” He got louder, boasting. I had to remind myself that he was
Cal’s friend, and he had done a lot for us.
The drive back to Philly was mostly quiet as Cal was on the laptop
and I was thinking. I didn’t know what was going to happen when I got to
the family meeting. It was usually held at the restaurant the family owned, it
was also one of the shipping routes through a legitimate business, but far
more frequently, shipments were being intercepted, just like the one at the
port.
“What do you think is going to happen?” Cal asked, his voice
breaking after not speaking. “I mean, how will they take the news?”
“It’ll be a witch hunt,” I said. And I knew that was dangerous
because fingers would be pointed directly at him. I knew it wasn’t him. But
my family didn’t know him the way I did, and I didn’t want them to know
him like I did. “They’ll look back at the books and see all the new faces and
names. Obviously, they’ll come to me, and I’ll get—” I looked at my hands
on the steering wheel, my knuckles didn’t look as bad as they had.
“Bloody.”
“It shouldn’t be your responsibility,” he said, closing the laptop.
“You should be able to run your own thing. Your brothers do. You’re more
than just violent. I know you are.”
 A gentle scoff came from the back of my throat. Cal hadn’t seen my
true violence. In fact, I hadn’t really seen much of that side of myself in a
while either. Cal changed me when I saved him, in a way, it felt like he was
saving me from being completely taken over and losing the last of my
humanity.
He placed his hand on my arm, squeezing my muscle. He giggled.
“You’re also very squishy, and intelligent, you should be able to run your
own thing.”
It was nice of him to say. The offer had been there once upon a time,
but I turned it down. It wasn’t for me, and I believed it was only offered
because I was a son. I could still picture the relief in my father’s eyes when
I told him that I didn’t want to take on a role like Tommy.
I drove us straight to the restaurant, Borgesi’s. It might’ve helped if
we didn’t name the restaurant after ourselves, people knew to look for our
name on paperwork and shipments. It was a stupid decision, but I didn’t
overstep then. I was going to overstep now.
There were cars lining the street, and a single free spot outside the
restaurant. I parked, holding Cal’s hand. “You’re gonna stay in here. I’ll be
out in five-ten minutes tops.”
He stroked his thumb over my knuckles. “Ok, but make sure you
don’t get into a fight.”
“It’s family,” I said, taking my gun out and placing it inside the
glovebox. “I’ll be ok.” I didn’t quite believe that myself, and not going in
with a weapon was more of a safety thing for them than it was a show of
trust for me.
One of the associates came out of the restaurant doors. He wore
black sunglasses, his head directed at the car, probably trying to figure out
who took the reserved spot. With a cellphone in his hand, he snapped a
picture of the license plate. And I hoped I wasn’t the first to arrive, but from
the cars parked, I was probably the last.
Out of the car, I cracked my neck against my knuckles. “Is everyone
here?”
“Mr. Borgesi,” the associate said, his voice was rough, like he
needed to clear his throat. “Yes. Everyone is waiting for you.”
Inside the restaurant at that secret back room, the family had
convened. The front of the restaurant was swarming with associates, each
one of them staring at me as I walked right on through to the back. These
were the people who had smaller people under them, they dealt the drugs,
and handled a lot of the small stuff, or whatever my brothers decided to use
them for to prove their worth and usefulness to the family.
My father, my uncle, and my two brothers, they made the immediate
family. I looked at the four of them; my father and uncle seated in the
smelly leather armchairs while my brothers stood beside the pushcart bar
stocked with alcohol. We were losing this. My father no longer scared
people, he was old. My uncle couldn’t scare people himself; he used me.
And my brothers were far too concerned with themselves over any legacy. I
was surprised I didn’t see the twins here too, since they were the ones in
college, ready to legitimize the entire family business.
The smell in the room was stale, almost like the progress of this
family. I closed the door behind myself. “I couldn’t do this over the phone,”
I told them, taking the bottle of scotch from the bar. I grabbed a glass and
blew in it to get the dust out. “Someone tried to frame me again last night.”
My father scoffed. “Again?”
“We’ll gut the fuckers,” Vito added, nodding vehemently.
“It was a cop,” I said, gulping back a shot of scotch. “Maybe they
were undercover, or maybe they were running drugs on the side. Whoever it
was, they were shot dead. Right before I got there. And the worst part is, I’d
been watching the apartment all day.”
“What?” Sandro straightened himself up. “No.”
“Yeah. The guy who took our shipment was a cop. I don’t know if
they were framed, because their rap sheet for their alias smelled like some
DEA sting,” I said.
Tommy clicked his tongue. “And you think there’s a mole?”
“A mole!” my father slammed his hand down on the desk. It
wobbled, almost crumbling beneath him. “No. Vito has already exhausted
that path.”
I didn’t want to tell them that the mole could’ve been someone in
this room. I only told them what I knew. And what I knew was that I was a
wanted man, not only by police, but also other criminals. Someone was
trying to take the chess pieces off the board, and they were starting with me.
And as I took another shot of scotch to the back of my throat. The
crack of a gunshot whipped through the air. It came from outside.
Cal?
OceanofPDF.com
13. CAL
It happened so fast.
The smell hit me.
Then the sounds.
Then he said something.
A single gunshot to his body.
I barely even recalled where or what happened afterwards.
I was already in the driver seat. The keys were right there.
Flooding the gas, I almost crashed into both cars parked in front and
behind.
That wasn’t how it was meant to go. I hadn’t planned it happening
today. In fact, I wished it hadn’t.
Tears streaming down my cheeks and snot dripping from my nose, I
headed to the apartment. My hands were like bricks against the steering
wheel, I didn’t want to pull them away. But when I parked and saw the door
of the apartment, my nerves seemed to ease.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I said, slamming my hands down on the wheel,
accidentally pressing the horn. I wiped the wetness from my face and
grabbed my bag from the backseat before heading inside.
It was him. It was one of them.
Every single fiber in my being told me I was right. I’d acted on
instinct. My body moved without me telling it to. It was almost like I’d
been threatened and what Frankie had taught me was that when I felt like I
was being cornered, the only way out was to fight for your life, bite,
scratch, kick, punch, whatever feral animalistic urge I could muster, I had to
use it.
Thankfully, there was a gun, so I didn’t have to claw my way into
killing him.
Pacing my breathing, I sucked in deep through my nose and slowly
exhaled through my mouth. I tried not to panic. I knew what I needed to do
now. I had to leave. I had to pack my things and get out. Slowly, the
realization settled in me. I could’ve told Frankie and we could have looked
into it. But I knew it was him. I didn’t need to look into it. I did what he
taught me. I acted on instinct, maybe I should’ve prepared a little first, but it
had happened now.
 In the apartment, I raced around trying to find a bigger bag to pack
my things into.
I emptied out every single one of my drawers from the dresser. Not
everything could fit. I tried cramming T-shirts and underwear into it.
The click of the door sounded, reminding me of the click of the gun,
setting off another bullet of panic through me.
“Babe,” Frankie called out.
On the bedroom floor, my hands shaking as I continued to sob and
pack the bag.
“Babe,” he said, softer, dipping to my side. He wrapped his arms
around my back and held me. “What happened?”
“I—I—I—”
He tightened his grasp around my body, holding me still. “It’s ok.
It’s ok.”
“The man—the man. His voice was the same. I reached for your
gun.” I leaned my back into his chest, holding it there. “I reached for it. I
didn’t think. I just—”
Frankie cooed in my ear. “You acted on impulse,” he said. “It’s ok.”
“No. It was him. He—he’s one of them. He was laughing. I knew
that laugh. And his cellphone, he—he was playing that sound, the coin
sound. It was like—like the website,” I tried to explain, unable to control
my breathing as I continued to spiral and panic.
After a moment of him holding me, I seemed to calm myself. “He’s
injured, but he’s not dead,” he said.
“He basically admitted it to me,” I let out in a whisper, trying not to
over exert myself. “He said he recognized me, and then he said he knew
me. His laugh. You know—you know it’s like one of those noises you can
never forget.”
He kissed the back of my neck, snuggling the back of his chin into
my shoulder. “It’s ok,” he said. “But we can’t just let him take a single
bullet and call it even. You were in that basement for over a month, abused,
raped, and a single gunshot isn’t what you’ve been working hard for.”
“There were more,” I said.
“I’ll make sure to get the information from him.” He continued to
comfort me. “Stop packing. We’re not going anywhere until we get
answers.”
 “But—but won’t your family want to hurt me because of what I
did?”
“You are my family,” he said. “I’ll call them and straighten this all
out.”
I stayed on the spot in the bedroom, just waiting for something to
happen. I didn’t know how to feel. I’d never hurt anyone before. I’d shot a
gun, but never at someone. It was strange seeing how easy it had been to
aim and pull a trigger. Bullets went through humans almost like they were
soft butter.
Overhearing Frankie argue on the phone pulled my focus.
“I’m not bringing him,” he shouted. “He did nothing wrong.”
I pushed my back up against a wall, both hands crossed over my
chest, trying to replicate the feeling of a hug pressure across me.
“He’s dead,” he said. “He deserved it. In fact, he’s lucky he went so
quick.”
The living room door closed, muffling him slightly. I knew I’d
killed him. I sank, sitting at the bottom of the wall.
“I don’t care what you say,” his voice, growing louder. “A life for a
life makes no sense in this. Cal isn’t some stranger on the street. And if you
try and come here for him, I’ll be forced to make a choice you won’t want
the answer to.”
I crawled out of the bedroom and along the hallway to the closed
door of the living room. I needed to listen to what was happening. This
might’ve been the end for me. My chest hurt with how my skin seemed to
tighten and restrict air into my body.
Frankie opened the door to me once he finished on the call.
“They’re going to kill me,” I said, looking up at him.
On his knees, Frankie cupped a hand at my face. “Nobody is going
to touch you. I promise you that. If anyone lays a finger on you, I’ll break
each finger, and then I’ll break their hand.” His thumb rubbed at my chin
and the little stubble from not shaving. “You know how many bones there
are in a human hand?” he asked me.
“No.”
“Twenty-seven bones.”
For some reason that made me happy. “I only did it in panic.”
“Let me tell you something,” he said, a firmer grip on my chin,
controlling my head. “You don’t pick up a gun unless you’re ready to kill
someone. I taught you this already.”
He had. He’d taught me a lot, but in that single moment, all those
teachings and lessons seemed to vanish and anger itself took over me.
“My father said that the way you shot him meant the bullet wasn’t
going to come out, and basically, he bled out completely on the sidewalk.
Well, they pulled him inside the restaurant. No cops, no ambulance, nothing
was called. We deal with everything internally. Our doctor didn’t get to him
in time, so we lost him as a lead,” he explained to me. “If he lived, we
could’ve made a case for why you did what you did, but dead men don’t
speak.” A smile touched his lips, almost like he was proud of me. “The first
time I ever killed a man was similar. I didn’t mean to kill him, it was at the
chop shop, I just wanted to teach this fucker a lesson, demanding this and
that from me, trying to ask for more money when we’d already agreed on a
price. A tire iron through the chest. I didn’t know my own strength. I didn’t
mean to do it. Maybe I should’ve broken an arm, a leg, or even a
collarbone, those bastards hurt.”
“But I did mean to kill him,” I said. “I wanted him dead.”
“I suppose our situations are different.” He kissed me on the
forehead, wiping at the sticky tear residue on my cheek. “You’ve got blood
on your hands.” He took them and gave both my hands a kiss.
“What?” I panicked, looking for the literal blood. Relieved he was
speaking metaphorically. “I—I think we need to leave for a while. Your
family really hates me now.”
“I think they hate what I’ve done to you,” he whispered. “Or what
they think I’ve turned you into. But they don’t know the reason why you are
the way that you are.”
It made sense why his mom was constantly trying to push me away
from him. “I’m gonna have to do it again. There were at least three or four
guys who hurt me.”
“Then you’ll do it again, until everyone who ever hurt you has been
served their punishment,” he said. “And I’m worried that they’re still within
the ranks of the family.” He looked away, preoccupied with thought.
“More reason for us to leave,” I said. “I heard what you said on the
phone to your dad. I don’t want you to have to choose between him or me. I
don’t think you should ever have to make that decision. That’s your family.”
“You’re my family,” he said, pressing his forehead against mine and
kissing me. He stared into my eyes, placing a hand behind the back of my
head to keep us connected. “I choose you, every single time. You accept
me, completely. You’ve never asked me to change.”
I wrapped my arms around him. “Then we need to leave.”
He seemed adamant that we stay and figure this out. He was always
wanting to see things through rather than run and hide for a little while. I’d
thrown that option out a lot over the two years we’d been tethered together,
and now that tether was stronger than ever. I’d connected with him in a way
I knew would happen in theory, but the practice of actually killing someone
was strange.
Heavy bangs thrashed at the front door.
“Fuck,” I let out.
Frankie got to his feet, he rolled his shoulders and rolled up the
sleeves of his shirt. “I told him not to do this.”
“Open up, we just want the boy,” their rough voices barked.
It was like a hive mind; you attack one and all of them get their
stingers out.
As Frankie went to the front door, I clung to the wall, picking
myself up. I had to protect myself. I went into the kitchen and grabbed the
longest, sharpest knife from the cutting block. I’d practiced with knives,
and now that I had blood on my hands, I wasn’t afraid to get even more of
it.
“C’mon, Frankie,” they shouted.
“I’m gonna open the door,” Frankie said. “But if you pull a gun out,
I’ll break your fucking faces in, then shoot you with that gun.”
“We’re not going to.”
“Yeah. You’re the boss’s son, we don’t want any issue with you. Just
give us the boy.”
He looked at me as I stood in the hallway, brandishing the knife in
the air. “Let them in,” I said, sucking back a deep breath. “I’ve learned from
the best. And I’m not going without a fight.”
A proud smile formed on his face; it was like a beam of sunlight
with a rainbow spotlighting on me. “I’ll open the door,” Frankie said. “No
guns.”
“No guns.”
Frankie opened the door, standing back.
The two men entered, they were big guys, slicked back hair, and
their hands came with knuckle dusters. They turned and saw me.
 “C’mon little boy,” one of them said.
From behind, Frankie kicked the other guy’s leg out from beneath
him and stomped on it. A loud unholy snap caught us all off-guard. He
screamed, pulling focus.
I charged straight ahead, knife out. And as the other guy was turned,
I jammed the knife into his abdomen. All the way to the hilt of the blade.
He dropped to the ground beside his colleague, both screaming out in
agony.
Frankie closed the door. “Get tape for their mouths and rope for
their hands.”
“Now do we need to leave?” I asked, looking at the actual blood on
my hands.
He chuckled, stomping on the man’s other leg. “Yeah,” he
snickered. “I think now we have to leave.”

OceanofPDF.com
14. FRANKIE
After we tied the men up, we had to be fast getting out. Cal seemed to
freeze for moments at a time. I tried to assure him that his knife wound
wasn’t fatal, but I was only telling him that to try and keep him from
breaking again. The sound of their cries was muffled from the fabric in their
mouths and the tape wrapped around their heads.
I cleaned Cal of all the blood and told him he had to be strong.
Nobody was going to get him, at least not while I was around. With a large
bag of our clothes, and as many weapons as I could gather, we headed
downstairs to the car.
At the front door, Cal stopped. “It happened so fast,” he whispered,
staring down at his open palms. “But I could do it again.” His voice
petering off into a chuckle. “I really think I could.”
“Baby.” I took his hand. “I know you could do it again. I’m not
asking you to. All I’m asking of you right now is to get in the car, fasten
your seatbelt, and—” I didn’t know where we were going. I knew the
family had safe houses, places to go if we were ever being chased, but those
were probably on lock right now, and the first place my father would send
men to check. “Call Sutton.”
“Sutton?”
“Yes. Do it in the car.” I threw our things into the back seat. “We
need to find a place that’s been foreclosed and isn’t due to be sold for a
while.”
Cal locked eyes with me and nodded. “Ok.”
I didn’t want to leave the city, and we had no aim. We were just
driving around trying to keep ourselves from being found while also trying
to find where we had to go.
The moment Cal talked to Sutton, he changed. Confidence took
over. I told him not to mention anything that happened, but we were in
trouble and needed a place to stay for a little while. Sutton knew
immediately what we were getting at. He said he’d search for us and send
over some details.
It was in my nature to be wary of giving information over the phone,
or even texts. Sutton, on the other hand always boasted about secure call
lines and making sure nobody had tapped any of the lines he used.
 After thirty minutes of driving around on the outskirts of the city, we
were given an address. A large house with a pool, recently foreclosed in a
fancy neighborhood. This was where dressing in a suit and looking like a
businessman came into play. Nobody was suspicious of someone doing
business, a suit was like a hi-vis jacket, people seemed to respect it.
“It’s been foreclosed for about three weeks,” Cal said. “Auction
sites states its due to go on the block in four weeks.”
“Hopefully we’ll only need it for a couple days while we sort this
out,” I told him. “I’m sorry this happened. But it makes sense.”
“It’s ok.”
“No, it’s not ok. I should’ve been looking into the associates the
family brought in. It was never my business,” I grumbled. I didn’t even
know the name of the man he’d killed, or the two men on the hallway floor
of the apartment. “I wonder how long he’d been part of this.”
Cal shook his head. “I—I’d never have even noticed anyway,” he
said. “I never saw anyone. You know that.”
I felt his urge to go through it again, but it was like reopening an old
wound, again, and again. It wasn’t something I enjoyed seeing him go
through. He’d met someone online who wanted to create a website for their
illicit dealings, but before he met anyone, he was ambushed—assuming it
was them who’d taken him. I didn’t probe with questions about whether the
website was set up, but I assumed not, otherwise we would’ve had an early
lead.
At the foreclosed house, there was a giant wood plank across the
front door with the words ‘foreclosed’ stamped on the front of it. The house
itself had large bushes at either side of it. I parked as close to the side of the
house as I could, hiding the car in the bushes.
We sat in the car for a moment.
“What if there’s someone already in there?” he asked.
I took my gun and smiled. “I’m sure they’ll leave. Also, next time
you shoot someone in the street, make sure to put the silencer on. People
heard, that’s when they saw you leave. We might’ve been able to play it off
as gang violence against us. Still not ideal, but it would’ve meant we
weren’t on the run.”
He sighed. “You blame me for all this mess, don’t you?”
“No. I blame me for not teaching you properly,” I told him. It was
the truth. I should’ve been more proactive in teaching Cal about what to do
if he came up against the person responsible for what happened. But it was
also safe to say that the man he’d killed wasn’t the one who’d been in
charge. “Stay here. I’ll go make sure it’s clear.” I gave him a kiss before
leaving the car.
I noticed a little blood on my shirt. I went into the trunk of the car
for a suit jacket. It was these types of neighborhoods where people were
always watching. And if they were watching me, they’d see someone in a
suit and hopefully assume I was a realtor, and hopefully not notice the gun.
The house was in ruins, since it had gone into foreclosure, nobody
had been around to keep it clean. Going through the back of the house to
enter, I saw the pool covered in leaves and the water was green. It seemed
dangerous to have kept the water in there, especially when it didn’t look
like there was any filter or cover.
The backdoor was locked, which seemed to be a good sign that there
were no squatters. I twisted the silencer onto the end of my gun and shot
straight through the key slot. The door was still a little stuck. I tugged hard
and as I opened it, the lock fell to the ground from the handle.
Walking in through the kitchen, there were empty boxes
everywhere. And surprisingly, it didn’t smell. There was still a bed and a
mattress upstairs. And there was still electricity running through the house.
They must not have shut off the power yet.
Cal was standing in the doorway of the kitchen when I was coming
back to give him the all-clear. He had his laptop under his arm, and a duffle
bag over his shoulder. “Is it safe?”
“I told you to wait.”
He shrugged. “I wanted to be with you. You make me feel safe.”
I walked over to him and gave him a hug, kissing him on the
forehead. “That’s all I want you to feel. Safe. So, we’ve got a mattress
upstairs, and there’s some sheets they didn’t take from the closet. I can
bring that down here and we can set up. It’s better to just stick to this area
than spread out.”
“Ok. And I’m hungry too.”
“You know, the first time I killed someone, I had that hunger. I went
down to this burger joint, and I think I ate three double cheeseburgers. They
were stacked, cheese, meat, onions. Devoured them.” As I told him, I heard
his stomach let out a little grumble.
 “I could devour an entire pizza right now,” he said, smacking his
lips. “Do you think it’s safe to order or are we gonna drive and grab food?”
Both options were risky. If we ordered to the house, they might see
the sign and think it was a prank. But it was safer if we stayed here. The
longer we were out on the road, the more chances they had at spotting us
and calling my father on my whereabouts.
“I’ll order in,” I told him. “Go get set up in there, the electricity is
still on, so charge your laptop, and your cell.”
He nodded and gave me a kiss.
As much as I loved Cal, I needed to think, and I needed to be
occupied.
After I called in the pizza for delivery, I paced around upstairs.
There were several missed calls on my cell, all from different members of
the family. I put it on silent and put it back in my pocket. I had other things
to do right now than listen to people telling me Cal had to pay for what he
did.
I gathered the mattress and whatever else I could find from the first
floor. My thoughts were going around each other, ideas cannibalized one
another.
People had infiltrated the family, they’d also been the ones who
tried to undercut the family with their crack that was killing more people
than it was making them addicts. Speaking as a business, it wasn’t a good
model. You needed to keep them coming back and spending money. They
didn’t have anything to gain by giving their addicts drugs that killed them
on their first use.
Whoever it was, they were inside the family. It couldn’t have been
any of the actual family. Cal had been around them and heard them speak.
He would’ve said something or taken my gun and took a shot like he did
earlier.
I pushed the mattress down the stairs just as the pizza showed up.
I listened to Cal collecting it. “Yeah, we’re just surveying the
property, some people leave these places in such a mess,” he said,
chuckling. “It’ll be an all-night job, and we need to eat, otherwise we could
wildly underprice this for the market.”
“Trying to find a house anywhere is expensive right now,” the
delivery driver said.
 I pushed the mattress through the doorway into the living room,
followed by the bed sheets and unused rolls of wallpaper.
Cal came back with two big pizzas, one just cheese, and the other
with pepperoni. “You got two,” he said, his face lighting up.
“I figured you’d be starving,” I told him.
“I am.” He placed the pizza boxes on top of a box in the middle of
the living room. He was using it as a makeshift table. “Also, Sutton is trying
to find the name of the guy. He’s looking for any recent emergencies, or
people dying in the area.”
“You won’t find them,” I told him. I knew my family and their
protocol. There wouldn’t be any record of it, as long as they could help it.
“I’ll find it out for you. I just—I need to put my thoughts down first.”
“Pizza might help,” he said, opening the first box. He let out a
throaty moan. “It smells so good.”
“Save those sounds for later,” I told him. Because I knew that after
the hunger came that passionate sex drive, and I was more excited for that.
I’d gone to a gay club after my first kill. Sure, I was only seventeen, but that
didn’t stop me from fucking this twink. It must’ve gone on for twelve hours
throughout the morning until he asked if I wanted to go on a date. Looking
back on that, I laughed about it. “But save me some pizza, I don’t want to
call a second delivery.”
“I’ll try,” he said in a sing-song voice.
I found nails and a hammer in the kitchen under the sink. With
those, I nailed the wallpaper to the wall, backside out. I had to get my
thoughts down somewhere, and this was one endless stretch of paper that I
could roll out across the wall.
On my search, I found a couple of marker pens to use. Most of them
were dry. I used the last of them until they dried out, making a connection
map on the paper. Adding names in bubbles and shooting lines off in all
directions with all the connections I had in my mind. There were a lot of
them. Anyone could’ve been a suspect. But someone had to have known.
Someone had to have vouched for the man Cal had killed, and I needed that
to know who was at the top of that chain.
I reached into my pocket for my cell and Cal gasped.
“What?” I asked.
“Sutton found him,” he said.
 “He did?” That saved me a call to my dad to try and clear some of
the details up. But it also made me take a step back and see that I’d done
something I knew would’ve got me in a lot of trouble. I’d made a map, my
father at the head, and the entire structure of the organization.
“Yeah. We’re looking for his connections now,” he said.
In the light of the laptop screen, I could see all the sauce over his
mouth. He looked adorable. Part of me wanted to go over and lick it from
his lips, and another part of me couldn’t stomach the idea of consuming
food right now. I needed answers first.
The screen flashed a different color. Cal dropped the pizza slice in
his hand. His face turned blank, his jaw slack, and his eyes glossy. “That—
that—that—that—”
I went over to look at the screen. It was a rap sheet. “Grant
Richmond,” I read his name. “Recently paroled. Incarcerated two years
ago.” It was right around the time that Cal was found.
“Him,” he said.
I hugged his shaking body tight. “It’s ok. He can’t get you. I
promise.” As I looked at his information, it became clear that he was the
chemist of the operation, and probably even the one who’d been in charge.
“Is there a current address?”
Cal stayed quiet. The moment had come. And it was just as I feared.
He froze.

OceanofPDF.com
15. CAL
Over Two Years Ago

I had to stop calling my brother up with excuses as to why I needed money.

It seemed almost constant. I hated asking my parents for money, and
financial aid for the graduate program was almost non-existent after rent
was paid and I bought one of those commercial palettes of Ramen for the
term.
The side jobs I’d been doing weren’t paying nearly enough, and I
didn’t want to get a job, and I didn’t even want to do my post-graduate
degree. I’d only just graduated last year. Sure, I was smart, I’d always been
praised for my intelligence, but going back to college to get into more debt
to get a job where I’d just become a supervisor was not something I
envisioned for myself.
I’d made a friend over the internet who had been teaching me how
to do some not-so legal things. He’d even visited me briefly since we were
similar ages. I’d learned so much from him, like how he’d used his skills to
stalk people to hook up with.
My goal was always to work for myself. Part of me wished to be the
next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, someone in tech who just did something and
became a billionaire. There were always job posts and opportunities on the
information board outside of the college. That’s where I went most of the
time to pick up odd jobs.
And one of them caught my eye.
Website Builder Wanted. Looking for someone discreet.
There was a snowflake emoji and a winking face. I knew that meant
drugs. People were always trying to sell their drugs here. And I knew there
was money in it. I also knew I could get more money than usual building a
website for someone looking to sell drugs.
There was also a picture of a man, smiling. I’d never seen him
before. He must’ve been the one looking, or he was a stock photo. It was
probably stock, he looked clean cut, not someone I’d have thought would
be peddling cocaine to students.
That evening, after debating on it for a while, I’d called the number
and I was given a time and a location for that night. Their voice was
muffled, but deep. “We’ll pay you five grand.”
 I stuttered, trying to speak fast enough to accept. I didn’t even know
their needs, but five grand would’ve gone a long way into helping me out.
“I’ll be there!”
I stuffed my laptop into my bag and headed to the park they’d told
me to go to. I was already mentally spending the money.
The park was empty. I sat on a bench with my cell out, ready to call
them if they didn’t show up.
And then my world went dark.
A hood over my head. My limbs tied together.
Voices muffled. “We got him,” I heard it, repeatedly. “We got him.”
Nothing was the same after that.

* * *

I stared at the picture. It was almost the last thing I’d seen before being
kidnapped. Behind that blindfold for all those days and nights, all that time,
his face had been the last one I saw. And I searched for it. I’d searched for
him online, trying my best to describe it in search engines. He was a white
guy with facial hair. Practically unremarkable.
Now, his face was on my laptop. It was staring at me. A smile on his
mugshot, just like the one from the picture.
“He looks familiar,” Frankie said after a moment of holding me.
My tongue froze in my mouth. My entire body wanting to push the
pizza back up from my stomach and wished to ache in every single bone,
just so that I could feel something. It was almost like I’d stuck my entire
body inside a frozen pool. My head at the surface, sucking in air, but below
that, I was dying.
“Grant Richmond,” he repeated the name.
I’d never heard any names. I’d only heard them shout you to each
other. It turned my stomach.
“One down, more to go,” I finally said, a tear on the edge of my
eyelash. “This time, I’m going to do it real slow.” My body rocking in
Frankie’s arms. “I’m going to keep him in a basement and—and I’ll kill
him—I’ll kill him really slow. Because—because—” I sucked back on sobs
caught at the back of my throat. “Because that’s what it felt like he did to
me.”
“I’ll make sure we do,” Frankie said, squeezing me a little tighter. I
didn’t know where he’d learned that, but it calmed me. It had always
calmed me. I remembered all the way back to the first time he did it. It was
the first time he hugged me too. I thought he was hitting on me. I made a
fool out of myself, but it turns out it kinda was like he was hitting on me.
“Do you need to message Sutton, or can you find his address?” he asked.
“I can do it.” I had to be able to do it. I couldn’t rely on Sutton to
help me out with everything. I knew he liked helping, and he did things
faster than I ever could. “Just—just give me a minute.” I glanced across the
room at the wallpaper pinned to the wall. It was covered in lines and words.
It didn’t make any sense to me.
“Don’t bother with that,” he chuckled. “We’ve got our lead.”
After all this time, we knew who it was. We had a face, we had a
name, and in couple of clicks, we’d have an address as well.
It made sense why he could never be found. He’d gone to prison. I
didn’t know if when I thought back, I was planting memories of them
talking about the cops, but now that I knew who he was, my mind was
telling me that they’d been talking about moving location because of the
police.
“I’m thinking, we stay here the night, we rest, and then tomorrow,
we can go and scout him out,” he said. “I think today has been a lot, and I
don’t want you to break.” He brushed his fingers through my hair and
kissed the back of my neck.
I didn’t want to break either. It seemed like I was always breaking,
and always trying to be glued back together. But each time he glued me
back up, I was made stronger. “That’s a good idea,” I said. “I’ll see if Sutton
can get road cameras near the address. Then we can see without having to
go out.”
He gave me another kiss. “That’s a good idea. Once we find him
though, we need to keep him alive long enough for him to tell me who else
was part of it. And, as proof for my father,” he said. “The last thing I want
right now is for him to try and come for you.”
It was the last thing I wanted too. I didn’t choose between my family
and Frankie, maybe because nobody had put that choice in front of me. I
chose Frankie because he’d seen the real broken me, and he accepted me. I
couldn’t go back to my family knowing they were all whole and I had been
chipped at piece by piece.
I didn’t want to move from his body, but I knew we couldn’t stay
like this. Time was ticking forward, and as much as I thought to myself that
it wouldn’t move until I’d processed this, I knew that was just a wishful
thinking.
“There’s running water,” he whispered into my ear. “How about I
make a bath with some of the stuff I found upstairs, and it should help you
relax. I think I found some candles up there as well.”
“Ok,” I said. “I’ll—” I stared straight ahead at the laptop screen.
“I’ll pull up all the information that we have about him. I need to know
everything. I have so many questions.” They’d been swimming around in
my brain all this time. I needed answers. Why me? What did I do?
As Frankie removed himself from me, I almost found myself
begging for his weight to be wrapped around me again. He went off upstairs
to fill the tub with warm water and bubbles, while I told Sutton what we
needed now. We needed an address, all of them. I wasn’t going to be caught
off-guard by him again. My gut was wrecked, cramping up as nausea waved
through me.
Sutton understood what it meant to me. I’d started to lose all hope
and faith in ever finding the man responsible for what had happened to me.
But it wasn’t just him, it was the people he’d been commanding as well. I’d
already got one of them. I should’ve felt relieved, but instead, the knot in
my chest grew tighter.
I stood and looked at the scribbles on the back of the wallpaper. It
was a hierarchy of everything Frankie knew about his family’s operation. It
had things written on it that I didn’t even know. They did more than just
peddle drugs, they were loan sharks, and held a black book of all the
gambling debt people owed.
“Your bath is ready,” he said, startling me. “I’m gonna take this
down and burn it.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind. “It’s not
something I need anyone to see.”
“This is a lot,” I grumbled. “I’m not sure I even knew half this stuff.
You—you shake people down for money?”
“Not me, but it was part of the family business,” he said. “People
paid for protection. I don’t think they’ve done that in a while. The only time
people get shaken down,” he said, chuckling at the phrase, “is when they
owe it.” He gestured to the wall. “Money borrowed, or gambling debts.”
I took his hand, running it across the knuckles. “And you’re the one
who shakes them down?”
“No,” he said. “I’m the last resort. I’m the threat they use.”
 “What if we just left this all behind?” I asked, wondering what
exactly would happen if we left and never looked back. They didn’t need
Frankie like I needed him.
“I can’t,” he said, nestling his chin into my shoulder. “It’s not that
easy. My family is more than you might think. And I hate saying no to you.
Ok, sometimes I love saying no, but this is one of those times when I can’t.
It’s a business, and it’s my blood, I can’t just say bye to one side of it. It’s
all or nothing.”
I knew he didn’t want to leave, but I overheard him saying that if his
father forced him into making a choice, he would choose me. I just wanted
to hear that again.
Frankie gave my ass a squeeze. “Go upstairs and take a bath. I’ll be
up soon.”
The tub upstairs was filled with bubbles and candles. I could see the
mess he’d made looking through the cupboards. There were bottles of body
wash, shampoos, and conditioners everywhere. He’d laid them all out for
me to pick from. And there was a stack of towels. It was a good decision to
come to the rich area for a place to stay, these people left so much behind.
I undressed and climbed into the warm water. It was mostly bubbles,
but I didn’t mind. It was the first time my body didn’t feel like my entire
life was going to implode in on itself. I played around in the bubbles,
making a little beard on the tip of my chin.
Frankie came up as the water started to get cold. “I’ve torn the paper
down. I couldn’t burn it. It might’ve set the alarm off, or the neighbors.”
“Good decision. Did Sutton get back to me?”
He shook his head. “You mind if I join you?” He was already
undoing the buttons on his shirt.
“It’s a little cold, and the bubbles are going,” I said.
“So, no?” he revealed his hairy torso and the trail of hair leading
down to my happy place below the belt. “I could always heat it up.” He
placed his thumb into the waistband of his slacks. “What do you say?”
“Obviously, yes,” I said, cupping the remaining bubbles and
blowing them out at him.
He finished undressing. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from staring at
him. “I also found some alcohol downstairs,” he said. “I think after today,
we need a little drink. And I’m pretty sure you need it more than me.”
 I scooted forward for him to sit behind me in the tub. This was how
we always did it. “In theory, I’ve always thought I could do it, and now that
its happened, I’m scared of my hands,” I admitted, lifting them to him.
He took them and rubbed at my palms. “There’s nothing to be
scared of here,” he said. “These things work magic. You can control life
with them. It’ll take some getting used to, knowing what you did, but
afterwards, you’ll be fine.”
The moment my brain recalled shooting the gun, the flash, the man
stepping back, his stumble at his size, it felt like I’d put on muscle and
became a linebacker. I never saw him bleed; I suppose that’s why he wore
all black to hide it.
Frankie splashed water at me. “You need to get clean,” he said. “I’ve
got you some clean clothes out downstairs.”
“Thank you,” I said, closing my eyes. I let him clean me with the
nub of soap and whichever bottle he grabbed from the pile at the side of the
tub.
Almost falling asleep, the vivid ideas and pictures of what might’ve
happened if I told people what I did. Imagining the disgust on their faces.
They’d never look at me the same ever again. It hurt so much that it jolted
me awake as Frankie washed shampoo out of my hair.
“Hey, hey,” he whispered. “It’s all good. I’m here.”
It felt like I was going back to the version of me who curled up in
Frankie’s bed for months. I never wanted to go back there.

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16. FRANKIE
I’d prepared the mattress on the living room floor for after our bath. It was
just a sheet and a couple of blankets, but it was also warm, so we didn’t
need much more. I’d also made sure that the alcohol in the cupboards was
real and not just bottles filled with water.
His face lit up when he came down to see what I’d done. I’d used a
couple of the tealights from the same pack that I used in the bathroom and
placed those in the corner of the living room. I tried to keep them far away
from anything they could latch onto and catch fire.
“It’s not home, but it will do,” Cal said, wrapped in the biggest
towel I’d uncovered.
“Let’s get you dressed, and then you need to take a shot of this
vodka,” I told him. “It was a good call coming here. That vodka is like forty
dollars a bottle and it’s mostly untouched.”
As Cal got into the booty shorts and crop top he’d packed, he
discovered more things from his bag. He pulled out the mask he wore when
he was on webcam trying to find leads from horny men. He placed it to his
face and chuckled. “I was in such a rush; I don’t even remember putting this
in here.”
“I prefer you without it,” I told him.
“I like it,” he said, placing it over the top half of his head. “It makes
me feel like I’m not really me. You know.”
Strangely enough, I did know. “But I like you to be you when you’re
with me.” I took the mask from his face. “And we’re done with this now.
We’ve got the most solid lead we’ve ever had. And we need to be well
rested for tomorrow.”
He pouted, slipping his hand down the front of my sweatpants. “I
can feel a solid lead right now. In fact, I think it could be harder.”
“Oh, it can,” I said, throwing the mask across the room. “And you
deserve it after everything that’s happened today.” I hooked my leg around
his, pushing on the back of his knees for him to collapse onto the bouncy
mattress.
He giggled. “Where’s the vodka?” He patted around on the mattress.
“And where’s that dick?” He spread his legs wide, his cock slipping out the
side of the shorts. “I’m ready to claim my reward.”
 I grabbed the bottle. It quickly turned into a game. Taking shots of
vodka and then spilling our feelings about something.
We were several shots deep before the good stuff was coming out of
us.
Sitting cross legged across from each other as we passed the bottle
back and forth.
I took a shot. It went down so easy, no sharpness in my throat,
almost like sugar water. “I feel like I want to leave this life and set myself
up where I’m not being told what to do every single day,” I said, passing
Cal the bottle.
He took a gulp. “I’m not sure how I feel about having the power to
take someone’s life,” he said, passing the bottle back to me. “One minute
he’s there, and the next, nothing.”
One more shot crossed my lips. I was really starting to feel it now.
“I can never leave my family. That’s the truth. Nobody leaves. You
can’t.” Cal reached out to take the bottle, but I held it firm, close to my
chest. “No,” I said, taking another shot. “I also think you’re the best I’ll
ever get, and I’m worried I’ll lose you.”
He took the bottle and drank. “I thought I was going to die. I
sometimes still think I’m going to wake up and be right back where it
started. I think I’ll die if that happens.”
We were almost at the bottom of the bottle, and all I wanted now
was to bridge the gap between us. I took the bottle and placed it at the side
of the mattress. “I’ll never let that happen. I didn’t just save you, I saved
something in me as well. And—and it’s selfish, what I’m about to tell you,
but as long as we’re getting everything out, I want to tell you.”
Cal took my hands in his, holding them tight. “What?”
“I knew—I knew—” I started laughing. “I knew the only way I’d
ever find someone was to find someone who was damaged, someone who I
could help make feel whole again. Someone who I could nurture back to
health but rebuild with me as their savior.”
He smiled at up at me. “You did save me. I’m—” he hiccupped, then
fell into giggles. “Trust me, I hated you for a little bit.”
“I know,” I said, reaching up and stroking his face. “I know. You
screamed and shouted. You once even told me I should’ve left you to die.
But I continued to push you. Baby, you’re never going to get rid of me. You
can try all you want, but I know as well as you do that, we’re both meant
for each other.”
“I also think I was meant for vacations and beaches too,” he said.
“And I love you to the moon and back, or—maybe not that far, I’m scared
of heights.”
“I love you around the world and back, how about that?”
“Also, I think now is as good a time as any to do this,” I said. “One
second.”
I stood, feeling the dizzy effects of alcohol in my head. I stumbled
around a little. Cal chuckled as he watched. In a bag I’d packed before we
left, I’d managed to grab something. We probably weren’t even going to
need it, but I had a hunch that good things were happening.
“A ring,” he immediately said, spoiling my surprise.
In the tipsy drunkenness, I hadn’t been hiding it all that well. I
dropped down on both knees in front of him. I opened the jewelry box in
front of him. “Cal Drake, will—”
“Cal William Drake,” he said.
I snorted back a laugh. “Cal William Drake, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” he said. “A thousand times yes. A million times. A bajillion
times.”
Taking his hand, and the ring, I slipped it over his finger. It was a
perfect match. I’d already measured him for it in his sleep. “I know you
probably won’t feel like it’s real until after we’ve finally killed that bastard,
but we’ve gone a long way already, and I think it’s safe to say that this is
going to happen now.” For a moment, I had wondered if we’d never find
him, and then we’d be in a weird limbo about knowing there was a ring, but
not wanting to act on it because it would mean putting him behind us and
starting a new chapter.
“I love it,” he said, admiring it on his hand. “Do we—consummate
the engagement, or is that just—”
He was getting ahead of the plans my cock had been cooking up.
Throbbing inside my sweatpants, I pulled them tight to reveal the outline.
“What do you think?” I asked, reaching out for the hand with the ring on.
“Yes!” He bounced around on his knees, grabbing at the waist of my
sweatpants to pull them down.
I laid back. “You like saying that.”
“I do.”
 “And that,” I chuckled. “We’ll have to plan for that one. Maybe a
beach. Maybe in the summer.”
He climbed onto my torso and kissed my face. “Maybe on an island,
maybe the Bahamas, or somewhere, I don’t know.” He kissed all the way
down to my waist where he acted surprised that my cock was throbbing and
hard, begging for him to pay it some attention.
“That’s nice,” I told him, a hand on his head, pushing him in the
right direction. “Show me how much you want that. The better you are, the
bigger our wedding will be.”
Cal got visibly giddy at the word wedding. He stood and wiggled
out of his tiny shorts. “And are you just gonna lay there?” he asked, turning
around. He gave his ass a squeeze and then a little jiggle like it was Jell-O.
I placed my hands behind my head. “Yeah,” I said. “And I’m gonna
tell you what to do. Like the good little boy that you are. You’re gonna sit
that ass on my ass. Right now.”
He popped his tongue at the roof of his mouth. “Yes, Sir,” he
giggled.
The thing about Cal was that it didn’t matter what he wanted to do, I
was always in control, even now, as I laid and looked like I was the one
being submitted to his ass on my face, I could’ve easily grabbed him,
pinned him down, and taken his little ass for a real ride.
I ate his ass as he sucked on my cock and balls. He really knew how
to work the entire thing, both hands and his mouth. I felt like one giant
musical instrument, and the more he played, the more active my tongue on
his hole became.
Wiggling down on my face and lifting away before pushing his light
body weight back down. He let out a huff. He pulled himself off my face
and looked at me, his brows pinched together. “You never eat my ass like
that.”
“It’s a special occasion,” I said. Plus, usually, I was far too eager to
start fucking him, and this time, he was getting to make that choice. “Are
you gonna put it back? Or is it going somewhere else?” I pulled a hand
from behind my head and gave his ass a spank. “Choice is all yours.”
“What do you want?” he asked. He was good like that, asking me
what I wanted when I’d given him the choice. “Because I’m fine with
continuing that, but I also want to—”
 “On my dick,” I said, making the choice for him. “Go on.” He
would’ve made the choice in the end, but I liked to beat him to the chase. I
thrust my hips up. “Sit on my dick,” I said, almost slurring my words.
Cal maneuvered himself around on my body. I knew he thought he
was trying to tease me by going slow, but he was only teasing himself. He
laid on me, his cock rubbing up against the warmth of my stomach. “It’s
like I’m fucking you,” he said with his small, gentle thrusts.
I’d given him the opportunity to do as he wanted, and it didn’t
disappoint me.
Lifting my knees up and thrusting my hips, my cock was positioned,
ready for action. All I needed was a little more momentum and him to slide
down a touch. The tip of my cock pressed against his hole. I kept my hands
behind my head, pushing my knees and thighs to do the work and fuck him.
“I know what you’re trying to do,” he said.
“Then let me do it.”
He shook his head. “I like teasing you.”
I guess he was teasing me, and I was falling for it now. “Wrong
answer, baby.” I wrapped my arms around his back and sat up with him on
my lap, my cock sliding between his cheeks and going up his back.
“Maybe this is what I wanted,” he said, pursing his lips. I gave him
a kiss.
I laid him back on the mattress, spreading his legs out before
pushing them back like he was some gymnast, his knees folding down at his
side. My cock wasn’t being teased anymore, I pushed the tip inside and
watched as his mouth opened wide to let out a moan. I pushed my cock in
deep, leaning across him to take his moan into my mouth and force my
tongue inside.
Usually, I’d be slow and build up, but tonight, we were celebrating.
I hit deep with fast strokes. Pinning him down with my body on top of his,
eating the moans as they came straight from the back of his throat. I didn’t
want to stop.
The slapping of our bodies coming together, again and again, getting
hot and sweaty.
It didn’t take either of us long to cum. I think I came first, but it
could’ve been him. Our bodies stopped moving as we both became firm
against each other.
It was over quick.
 I kept my cock inside him as I pulled away and looked down at it.
His cock was soft. I pushed his balls out of the way to look at my cock
inside him and how his hole had grown tighter around it.
“I don’t think it wants to leave,” I said.
Cal reached down with a hand. He collected my tight balls into the
palm of his hand. Usually, they weren’t so high up, but after cumming they
seemed to sit up by the base of my cock while I cooled off.
After the day we’d both had, I didn’t want to remove any part of
myself from him. But we’d had that conversation before, we couldn’t sleep
like this, and as he let out a yawn, his hole twitched, pushing my cock out.
“Oops,” he said, yawning once more.
“We should get some sleep,” I said. “Well, you need to get cleaned
up first. But then we’re getting some shut eye. Tomorrow you’re going to
be face-to-face with him, and you’re gonna need all the energy you can.”
I’d also need that energy, but he was the one who was going to be pulling
that trigger.
As Cal went back upstairs to the bathroom, I helped myself to some
of the cold pizza. I didn’t mind that it was cold, and probably preferred it. I
was worried about Cal. Everything was going to change when he was
finally free of his demons, and maybe that was why I’d proposed to him
tonight.
I could barely sleep. Cal was out like a log, snoring. I suppose that
vodka had been good for something. I kept checking my watch. Barely any
time had gone by since I’d last tried to sleep.
And before I knew it, it was almost six in the morning.
A rustling outside was the final straw.
And as I looked out of the living room doorway into the kitchen, I
saw someone in all black with a gun walk by the window.
Without a second thought, I left the mattress and grabbed my gun
from my folded pile of clothes on the floor. I wasn’t afraid to fuck someone
up and send another message to my father. They probably pinged my
cellphone.
A second figure walked by the window out back.

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17. CAL
I woke to the pulsating throb of gunshots happening overhead. Something
took over me. I looked for the source, and I prepared to attack.
People were shouting in the kitchen. Their words were jumbled as
they reached my ears.
Frankie wasn’t in bed. One of those voices had to have been his.
Rolling off the mattress, I grabbed the almost empty vodka bottle at
the side. I sucked back a breath to keep the heartbeat in my neck from
getting out of hand. I crouched by the wall. Realizing I was in my crop top
and booty shorts, this probably wasn’t the best thing to wear when I had to
look strong, but it was what I had to work with.
“You have to go through me first!” Frankie shouted.
A man laughed at him. “We can’t,” he said. “We’ve come for him.
So, let us through and we’ll leave you alone. How about that?”
“Over my—” he started.
A heavy thud crunched.
His body fell backwards into the living room. There was blood on
his nose. He was knocked out.
“No.” I dropped to my knees at his side. “No. No.” I immediately
started to wake him.
In the kitchen, behind the tears in my eyes, there was a blur of
people. Some of them on the floor, but other standing, approaching me.
“You missed me?” a voice asked.
This was it for me. I was going to be punished. I couldn’t help
feeling like crying would help. But I didn’t. “Fuck off.”
He tutted at me. “You do remember me, right?” His face up close to
mine.
A shiver ran down my back. “No.”
“You don’t.”
“No, no, no, no.” I tried to push myself back, I tried to get away. It
was him.
“Gag him,” he said. He smelled like a garden center. It was familiar.
And then his face was coming into focus. He wore a red hoodie under a
dark blue trench coat. I knew.
Grant Richmond. He’d found me. He’d found us.
 I grabbed the bottle of vodka and threw it at him. It missed and hit
the wall.
“See,” he chuckled. “You do remember me. Tie his hands together
as well.” He snapped his fingers and two men dressed all in black marched
inside.
I’d lost.
We’d lost.
Frankie was unconscious.
And I was emotional. After everything, I thought I might’ve been
able to claw back my emotions when I came face-to-face with him.
As much as I tried to protest, they easily pinned me into submission.
They bound my mouth with tape and tied rope around my wrists. I almost
passed out at the pain waking inside me. I was being pushed back to that
time when I couldn’t move my body and my wrists were numb from the
way that rope ate into my skin.
Hauled out of the house over the shoulder of one of the men, I
noticed two more of them standing over Frankie’s body. I wanted him to get
up and kill them. I needed him to get up now. Grant appeared in front of
me, blocking my view of Frankie.
“It’s ok,” he said. “He’s going somewhere else.”
My attempt at screaming was muffled.
“And you’ll never see him again,” he continued. “Oh. Look at that.
You’ve already got a ring on your finger for us.”
Tears came down faster and harder, I was pissed that I couldn’t
show him how I’d trained for this. And when it came down to it, I fucking
faltered.
“That’s not going to do you any good.”
He was the only person whose face I could see. Everyone else had
masks on. Their faces covered up in black. I pleaded and begged within
myself for Frankie to wake up, but they’d put him down once, what was
stopping them from attacking again. They’d ambushed us.
I tried thrashing around in the man’s arms, but it didn’t work. He
didn’t budge a muscle.
I was thrown into the back of a van. Grant stepped inside, closing
the door behind us. He gave the inside two taps, and someone started to
drive.
 “Your boyfriend—wait, fiancé, he’s going back to his family,” he
said. “You know, it worked out well. I just got out of prison; they were
going to recruit me back into the fold. And then you killed my cousin. They
told me that if I found you and brought you back, I could leave the city with
their support.”
I glared at his face, wishing to burn a hole right through it.
He placed a hand on my inner thigh. “He never even touched you,”
he said. “None of my guys did. You were mine. And in a way, you still are. I
mean, once we’ve disinfected you, and made you all clean, you’ll be mine
again.” He squeezed.
I tried not to make any movements, I didn’t want him touching me,
but I knew from my time in that basement it only made him be rougher.
“Anyway, it’s funny. I told them that if I found you, I could take you
off their hands, and deliver their son back to them.” He snickered. “I made
it sound like you’d got him under some type of spell. And they bought it.
They were very adamant about how Francesco had become sloppy with his
wet work. And everyone blamed you. I’m getting out of this entire thing as
a winner.”
Once more, I tried to scream through the tape on my mouth. The van
took a sharp turn, and his hand went further up my thigh. I wanted to vomit.
“I’m a good chemist,” he continued. “I made sure you were always
pain-free. I bet those last couple of days before he came and got you were
awful. I wished I could’ve been there to take care of you myself. But I was
arrested. It turns out I’d parked illegally, boo, and they saw the contents of
my trunk, and it was a petty possession charge. Two years. Two whole
years, and the one thing that I was looking forward to the most, was you.”
He finally pulled his hand away. “I should’ve been thanking Francesco for
saving you for me. But he just got in the way of us.”
When I spoke to Frankie about what happened, there were entire
parts of my memory that seemed hazy. I always put it down to trauma.
Grant was now telling me it was drugs. I didn’t know what type, and I
couldn’t ask. In my throat, I could feel the contents of my stomach. I tried
my best to keep it from coming up and sitting in my mouth because it had
nowhere else to go.
“Look at me,” he laughed. “I’m doing all the talking.” He tugged at
the edge of tape, allowing my mouth some freedom.
“Fuck you.”
 “Enough talking then.” He tapped the tape back into place. “No.
You’re not going to talk to me like that. I’ve saved your life. You should be
thanking me. You should be throwing yourself at me with thanks.”
My swears were muffled.
“Look,” he said, pressing a finger under my chin. “You brought all
of this on yourself. Or don’t you remember.”
I tried not to give in to the power of his finger under my chin. I gave
it my best, holding still.
“Cal, you turned me down on several different dating apps,” he said.
“I was going to reveal this to you, but only once you’d fallen in love with
me. And don’t think I haven’t been keeping up with your webcam exploits.
I knew you were trying to get in touch with me. That’s how I had my IT guy
track you and that laptop.”
Blowing air, I pushed at the tape to finally have room to speak
again. “I didn’t do it because I wanted to see you,” I said. “I did it so that I
could find you and kill you.”
“Your mouth is a lot dirtier now,” he snickered. “Go on, you’re
turning me on. Say something else.”
“You’re a fucking loser who rapes people.”
Grant tutted, fixing the tape back across my mouth. “Rape is a
strong word. You consented. You were so intoxicated by everything, you
wanted more. And I—I had to blindfold you back then because I was doing
some shady things. Do you understand?”
His words had me holding back more sobs. For him to try and
gaslight me, to try and change the narrative, I would’ve sooner died than
have that be the truth.
“I was getting the goods and undercutting Francesco’s family, those
were things I wanted to keep you away from,” he said. “Anyway, all of that
is in the past. Just like you, turning me down several times because you
didn’t want to take a bump before sex. Speaking of, I got some premium
grade stuff here.” He reached a hand into the inside jacket pocket and pulled
out a small plastic baggy with cocaine in.
I shook my head. If I’d told him back then I didn’t do that, then he
knew that I didn’t do it now.
“Lighten up, you loved this stuff,” he chuckled. “Well, a little, we
never gave you a big bump, just enough for you to ask for more.”
 I’d completely blocked that out. I screwed my eyes shut, trying to
summon the strength to get through this. I’d gotten through it once before,
and I could get through it again.
“You sure?” he asked. He snorted it from the tip of a key. He
pressed a finger against one nostril and snorted it through the other. “It’ll
make this entire thing more bearable.”
I shook my head.
“Fine,” he said. “My cousin, who you killed, thankfully I have two
more cousins inside the family. They shifted a lot of cocaine. In fact, we’re
currently sitting on five million dollars of it.”
I looked around. He can’t have meant literally. The van was bare,
except for the little lip in the metal that he was sitting on to give the
appearance that he was bigger than me.
“It’s split between here, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York,” he
said. “We timed it perfectly. And all so that we could have a life together
once I was out. I’m thinking of getting a private jet. You know, this time I
don’t want you to be blindfolded. I want you to just love me and look pretty
with me everywhere I go.”
I would’ve spat at him if my mouth wasn’t covered.
The connections were starting to join. He was behind everything. He
had to have been the one who was trying to have Frankie killed, and the
reason why that cop was shot, the very same one Frankie had suspected of
having the family’s drugs.
It was all him. And now, he’d played them into taking me away.
I was stronger now.
Lifting a leg, I aimed right for the balls with the heel of my foot.
He keeled over. “That’s not nice. You’re gonna pay for that.”
As I tried to wriggle myself across the floor, he was trying to claw at
me. The sharp turns from the van were only pushing me back in his
direction.
He grabbed hold of me. His fingers digging into my thigh. He clung
to me, wrapping himself around me. His mouth against my ear. “You’re
gonna change,” he said. “I’ll make sure you forget all about that man who
took you from me.”
There was little I could do. I tried to think what Frankie would do.
But Frankie had the muscle mass to overpower him. I had my hands tied
behind my back and a man’s body wrapped around me. There was little I
could do at this point except surrender.
“I’m going to get you all pretty,” he said, giving the bottom of my
earlobe a nibble. “And then we’re going to do things that couples do. Have
dinner together, take showers, and most importantly.” He shoved his hand
down the back of my shorts and squeezed at my ass. “We’re going to see if
you can still do that thing where you squeeze me inside you.”
Violently thrusting my body back and forth, hurting my arms against
the metal floor of the van. I was not going to let him do that. None of it. I
knew Frankie would tell me to bide my time until I could act, but I wasn’t
going to let him touch like me he had done before. That was never going to
happen again.
As I thrust, I dislocated my elbow and wrist, slipping a hand out of
the rope tied behind my back. The pain was searing, but I knew it was
temporary. I forced myself up to my feet as Grant was on the ground,
covering a hand at his balls. I tore the tape from my mouth and screamed as
loud as I could. My lungs almost giving out under me.
Another sharp turn came. I fell, banging my head against metal.
Stars behind my eyes.
I was out.

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18. FRANKIE
My head was mashed, almost like there was a constant fire alarm crushing
through my skull. Pain sought after my attention from all corners of my
body. My arms ached, my legs throbbed, and my face stung.
I remembered killing two guys, disarming another, and then taking a
non-fatal blow to my leg.
It was hazy as I tried to open my eyes. A mixture of blood and sweat
in my face. I tried to wipe it away with a hand, but it was caught on
something. I pressed my face down into my shoulder to wipe on my shirt,
and that’s when I felt the impact on my nose.
“He’s awake,” a familiar voice called out.
No more than a couple seconds later and there was a bucket of ice-
cold water being thrown at my face.
I saw where I was for the first time.
I was under the family house.
I’d been here before. And I knew exactly what they’d done.
My hands were cuffed and tied to the metal hook in the wall. They
hadn’t been like that since I was in my teens. I knew the price that I was
paying was for disobeying my family, and I didn’t regret one single thing
about it.
“You should’ve just brought him to us,” Tommy said, walking into
my field of vision.
“We probably wouldn’t have even killed him,” Sandro added. “Well,
I don’t know what’s happening with him now. Dad made a deal to have him
taken care of.”
I yanked on the metal chain, letting out an almighty roar from the
depth of my chest. I’d made a promise to Cal. “You better unfuck this
situation,” I let out.
“Frankie, c’mon, you’re the one with the cuffs on,” Tommy said.
“Nobody wants to see you like this. Dad is taking his sweet ass time getting
down here. I think he’s still talking to Vito upstairs. They don’t know what
to do with you. I mean, nobody knows what to do with you. You’re a loose
cannon now.”
“Loose cannon,” Sandro scoffed like a sycophantic boy, seeking
approval.
 “Guys, I’m just gonna ask you politely, let me go and I’ll get this all
sorted,” I said, my nose itching through the pain. “And can you get
someone to come and look at my nose?”
They looked at each other. Neither of them had experience setting a
broken nose. Neither of them had experience with a lot of things.
“We’ll wait for dad to get down,” Tommy said.
“Please, I’ve broken my nose twice before. I heard on the third
break, it’s free,” I said, trying to chuckle through the pain. “I need someone
to wipe it and just see what the damage is.” I was doing my best to appeal
to them. They never saw me on my knees begging. And if they were lucky,
they’d never see me like this ever again.
After a moment of them whispering to each other, I heard the door
above from above, and my father’s heavy footsteps creek down the wooden
staircase into the basement.
Over at the other side of the basement there was a wine rack that
covered the entire wall. That was where the collectable stuff went, and not
the type my mom used to serve with dinner or at lunches.
“Francesco,” my father said, standing in front of Tommy and
Sandro. He tutted. “What in the hell have you done this time?”
“You tell me, you’re the one that has me chained up like some
animal,” I said. Holding back hadn’t worked out how I’d wanted it to. “If
you’d have just let us explain and tell you what was going on, you might’ve
understood. But no. You always think you know best.”
My father raised his hands up and shrugged. “I do,” he said. “And
I’ll fight any man who says otherwise.”
Vito hummed in agreement, reminding me he was there. It was
getting a little crowded now. “The fact of the matter is, Cal killed one of our
men. You know as well as every other man in Philly that you can’t carry out
an attack on us and think you can get away with it.”
“Exactly what Vito said, and we might not have killed him, there’s
really no saying what might have happened,” my father added. “But he’s
taken care of now.”
“No,” I said, yanking the chain. “You gave him to the man who was
undercutting your business, the man who held him in a basement for a
month, raping him.”
Their faces were unphased, almost like I was trying to make this up
for their benefit.
 “Grant was a great chemist,” Vito said. “He went to prison, and he
never told a soul about the family.”
They all nodded in agreement to what my uncle was saying. They
were so blind to eat up whatever they were being told, but only if it fit their
stupid narrative. They wanted Cal gone, and they wanted me single again.
I’d seen the writing on the wall, I knew he’d made me soft and caring. They
saw that in me as well. I’d gone from killing without question, to putting in
a bit of my own research before carrying out a hit.
“Grant was one of mine,” Sandro added. “And he’s done a lot of
good. He hasn’t rat on anyone. In fact, he didn’t even want to rat on you
and Cal. He’s the one who knew where you were.” He stepped forward.
“He’s the one all about Cal, apparently that was his boyfriend, you stole
him when he went to prison.”
“Fucking liar.”
“Nobody is lying,” my father shouted. “The only person here who is
lying is you, and you’re lying to yourself. You knew from the start that boy
was no good.”
“Did I tell you where I found him?” I shouted back, my face hurting
as the vibration from my voice tingled in the bridge of my nose.
“You found him probably wandering the streets looking lost when
Grant was arrested,” Vito scoffed. “Because I’m starting to think that maybe
the tip off for him was you.”
“Give me a fucking break.” My hands were in fists, ready to punch a
hole straight through someone’s skull. “I found him in that crack den under
the Chinese restaurant. That’s where Grant was cooking up crack and
selling it cheap, killing off all those people. You know, it’s weird how his
arrest coincided with that gang miraculously vanishing.”
They stared at me, not a single unique thought going on behind their
eyes. It was all the same narrative they’d been fed. And I didn’t even know
if I could blame them for believing it.
“Unless you thought I’d killed them. Which is what I will be doing
once I’m out of here. I’m going to find him and gut him and every other
person who ambushed me,” I said, staring at all four of them. “If this is you
asking me to make a choice, well, I’ll make it for you right now.”
He turned away, shaking his head. “If you think that’s a choice
you’re going to make, then I’ll leave you down here until you start to see
some sense.”
 It was a choice my body had made for itself. And it chose Cal.
As everyone walked off back upstairs, I yanked as hard as I could on
the metal chains from my hands cuffed behind my back. My family were
making the choice to leave me down here, and that was their mistake.
After about fifteen minutes, I’d almost tired myself out, but then the
swelling in my face ached and I was quickly reminded of what I was
fighting for. I couldn’t even imagine what was happening for Cal right now.
But he was stronger than anyone had given him credit for.
Screwing my eyes shut, I tried to push through thoughts for him. I
knew it was nonsense, but it gave me some peace while I was doing it. I
kept thinking to myself about how he used to tell me to just think positive
vibes, and I laughed at him. He was so sweet and silly sometimes. It made
the idea that Grant had got him again sit heavy on my chest, and I’d
dislocate every bone in my body if it meant getting my opportunity to save
him from that.
“You know if you’d have just told dad what he wanted to hear,
you’d have been let out,” Sandro said as he crept down the staircase. “Also,
mom is up there in a fit because you’re down here.”
Staring up at Sandro’s smug face, I shook my head. “Maybe one
day, you’ll fight for what you love as well,” I said. “Maybe when you can
do that, then you can talk to me. But—”
“Listen,” he snapped, stopping me. “I want to know what you meant
when you were talking about Grant undercutting us earlier.”
I knew someone had to have been paying attention. “It’s simple,” I
said. “You got played. Grant had been stealing, using those supplies to
make his own experimental shit, selling it for half the price, and—” I
stopped myself this time, seeing a smile appear on Sandro’s face. “And
maybe you knew about it all this time.”
He scoffed. “Of course, I knew. I was the one who got him arrested
too.” He rolled his eyes. “He was too hot, selling that shit like it wasn’t
running out. The market doesn’t work if you flood it. Anyway, half of what
he made went into my pocket, which was still enough for me to save up.
You know, when dad decides to hand the family business off to Tommy, I’m
gonna end up like Vito, no real power, always asking for help.”
Sighing was all I could muster. “He’s gonna hand it over to the
twins anyway,” I told him. I’d overheard our father planning that. “We’re
too rough around the edges to take the family in the right direction. He’s got
the entire future planned for Mattia and Elena. But you wouldn’t know that,
would you?”
“They’re kids,” he said.
“Mattia and Elena will legitimize everything, and you’re dumb
enough to think the family is going to keep you around once everything is
clean. We’re gonna be the first out. Well, maybe they’ll keep me on as
security, but you.” I laughed, a single echoed laugh. “You’ll be going to
them, hands out, begging for money. Because you know dad isn’t leaving
anything for us.”
I didn’t know if any of what I was saying was true, but it was riling
Sandro up, and that’s exactly where I needed him to be right now.
“If that was true then—”
“Why are they the only two who were pushed into going to
college?”
“They wanted to go.”
I shook my head. “No, they didn’t. In fact, I think I remember you
saying you wanted to go to college once. You must’ve been like twelve
when you decided it. Dad grounded you for an entire month, you remember
what he told you?” This was the truth, and I remembered it well. “I know.
He told you to stop thinking you’re better than him and do as you’re told.”
The crushing realization touched Sandro’s face. He knew that was
true. And I knew that sprinkling in a single truth made him believe the lies
I’d just told about our youngest siblings. I was the one in chains, but he was
the one trying to wriggle his way out of this.
“It’s sad, isn’t it?” I provoked.
“You’re an asshole,” he said, stepping closer so he didn’t have to
speak so loudly. “You know, I’m glad Grant took Cal, and with any luck,
you’ll never see him again. The only reason dad doesn’t give you any more
responsibility is because you’re only good for one thing, and that thing
doesn’t even require any skill.” His words were sharp, but I’d developed a
thick skin, and to me those words were no more than plastic. “Anyone can
point a gun and shoot, y’know, anyone can do that. It’s not some talent. It’s
just the only thing you’re good for.”
He kept getting closer and closer, like the closer he got, the more he
thought his little whispers would get to me. It was the opposite in fact, each
step he took closer to me, I could smell my freedom.
“What did you say?” I asked in a whisper.
 “I said, you don’t have any real talent.”
And at that point, I swiped his legs out from under him. He landed
headfirst in front of me. “I thought that’s what you said.” I wrapped my leg
around his neck and pulled him up toward me, one leg down his torso, and
another hooked around his neck slowly crushing at his windpipe. “Now,
you should probably call for help.”
As kids, we fought constantly. I’d always be the one who took
things too far. The kid who liked to see people bleed out of curiosity. Mine
and my brothers’ bodies were marked with little knicks from horsing
around. Sometimes, those knicks came from the corners of table, or a sharp
stone. But I never really knew when I’d taken things too far.
Sandro’s shouting had caught our father’s attention.
“Good,” I said, flexing my calf muscle up against Sandro’s throat.
Our father stood in front of us, gasping for air after almost taking a
tumble down the stairs. “Let your brother out of that, right now.”
“No. I want you to make a choice now,” I told him. “Either you let
me go so I can find Cal and we can set this straight, or I cut off his oxygen
supply and you can have him comatose on life support for the rest of his
life, and you end up killing me for what I’ve done.”
Sandro pleaded for his life.
“And I’m sure you’d like to know about Sandro’s little side hustle
too,” I said. “I’ll tell you everything. So, what’s it gonna be?”

OceanofPDF.com
19. CAL
Disoriented. My head buzzed trying to cling to what was going on around
me. I felt like a ragdoll being pulled in all directions. My body didn’t feel
like it belonged with me anymore, part of me felt like I was floating in
space, and another part of me was in pain.
A sharp sound pulled focus. I was in a room with blue walls and
bright light pulling in from all directions it seemed. Moving my head to
either side, I realized I was laying on something.
“You’re fine,” the voice from my waking nightmares spoke, and the
light in my eyes vanished. “No concussion. It looks like you just need to get
yourself adjusted and then someone will be up to bring you down for
breakfast.” His lips pressed against my cheek. “I’ve missed you.”
I’d tried to raise my head and smash it into his face, but I could
barely move since the room was still spinning around me.
I caught a glimpse of a man dressed all in black, carrying an assault
rifle in his hands. He stood behind Grant, almost like he was on patrol,
making sure I didn’t try anything.
None of it made sense.
Laid on the hard mattress in the room, I stared up at the ceiling
trying to piece together everything I knew. Grant had kept me in a stinky
basement where he tortured me for his own personal gratification. If he’d
had all this money to hire people as bodyguards then, why didn’t he not just
keep me somewhere else. Not that I wanted to be kept. My stomach was
turning in knots as I sought for a way out of this.
Lifting my head, I glanced at the window. There were grated bars on
the inside. This had been his plan all along.
I raised both my hands up. The searing pain in my right wrist was
begging for my attention. I was thankful there were no burns from the rope.
And that he hadn’t taken the bracelet or ring that Frankie had given me.
“C’mon,” I mustered to myself. “Get up, Cal. Get up.”
Once I was sat upright on the bed, I saw the pile of clothes on the
floor. I assumed he wanted me to get dressed in those. I knew the only way
to get through this was to gain a little trust, and if I had to dress up in
clothes for him to do so, then I would.
 It felt like I was betraying Frankie, although this is what he
would’ve done. He would’ve told me it was all going to be ok, and that I
needed to look for a weakness. Once I found the weakness, I could exploit
it.
The room was bare, except for the wooden bed frame and mattress. I
wondered if this was where he planned on keeping me this time.
Stepping toward the window, I could’ve survived the drop into the
yard out back. There were trees and bushes out there, covering the view
from the neighbors. I tested how stuck on to the wall the bars were, and the
answer was very.
After a moment of pacing, I knew I had to change out of my clothes.
I didn’t want him to touch me like that again. I didn’t even want to look at
my thigh where he’d grabbed me and dug his fingers in, but as I undressed,
I saw it anyway. He’d cut into my skin and fresh purple bruises in the shape
of his fingers marked me.
There was a clean pair of underwear, a t-shirt, and a pair of
sweatpants on the pile, alongside some socks and slides. I screwed my eyes
for a moment intensely, trying to feel Frankie’s words in my brain.
But there was nothing.
I dressed in his clothes and tore up the midriff of the T-shirt to crop
it. It was my fuck you to him for picking out clothes for me.
A loud knock came at the door. “Five minutes,” a deep voice called
out.
With the excess fabric in my hands, I wondered if I could’ve
fashioned some type of garrote. It was fabric instead of wire, so potentially
useless. I looked around the room with an eye for other items that I could
use.
I stared at the bed frame as an idea hit. A wooden stake seemed old-
fashioned, but they’d been known to kill monsters, and from where I was
standing, Grant was a monster.
Coughing, I masked the sound of me side-kicking the wooden leg of
the bed. It splintered into two. Almost like it was meant to be, the bed stood
with only a slight slant, and I had a piece of wood with a sharp point.
The knock came again. “I’m coming in.”
Sliding the splintered piece of wood into my pocket, it stabbed into
my leg above my knee. The door opened and a man in that same all-black
uniform and rifle combo entered. I forced a smile on my face as I stuffed a
hand into my pocket. I moved the wood a little so that it wouldn’t poke me.
Leaving the room, I noticed more men walking around on patrol. We
headed down a flight of stairs and I was directed into a dining room. There
was no decoration or color to any of the walls, except for the bedroom I’d
been tossed into.
The dining room had a long table with two place settings.
The man nodded to a chair and told me to wait. He then stood guard
at the closed door, hand on his rifle, ready to shoot.
I stayed still on the seat, my back ached as I commanded it straight
against the back of the chair. There was a plate and a bowl on the table, a
spoon, a butter knife, and a fork. I looked on ahead to see a much sharper
knife at Grant’s side. There was no way I could take it without being seen.
A knife would’ve been better than the sharp end of this wood.
The door opened and he walked in, dressed in a T-shirt that had
matched mine. There was a heart on it, and I suddenly realized that after
tearing mine in half to crop it, I’d split the heart in two.
“Good morning,” he said, a big smile on his face. “I think I
remember your favorite breakfast. Pancakes, right?”
They weren’t, that sugary crap Frankie never let me eat was my
favorite. “Sure,” I lied. “Thank you.” I almost vomited at myself after
saying it. “Might I get a different knife; I like to make sure I cut them
properly.”
Grant shook his head and tutted. “For the time being, we’ll make
sure you only use blunt tools. Got it?”
“Ok.” I grit my teeth.
“If you need something cut, I’m happy to help you. In fact, why
don’t I sit right beside you. We’re so far away from each other. I almost
have to shout to speak.” He laughed, almost like he’d told an insanely funny
joke.
“If you want,” I said, my eyes on the knife right beside him. I went
through all the places I could jam it inside his body to make the most
damage, but also to kill him the slowest. I knew that if I stuck him with a
knife, I couldn’t pull it out. I didn’t want his death to be fast. It had to be
slow and painful. Then I looked to the guard at the door. The moment I
stabbed him, I’d be shot in the head.
 “I’ve been gone for two years, tell me what you’ve been up to in
that time,” he said.
“It’s all been a blur. I’d love to know more about your operation. I
mean, comparing it to what I’ve seen, this looks professional,” I said, only
paying him the compliment as a tactic to disarm and charm.
“You think so?” he asked. It worked. “Well, I’ve just been planning,
and my cousins have been helping on the outside. So, obviously, you know
two years ago, I was dealing that compounded stuff that was killing people.
Well, I was also telling people it came from the Borgesi family. I was doing
my best to ruin their reputation. Then, I could come in and with my
formula, I could take their business.”
“Wow. That’s a lot of planning. And they don’t even know it was
you?”
“If they did, do you think I’d be sitting here right now?” he scoffed.
A knock came at the door, putting a pause to my next question.
Another one of his armed soldiers came in, wheeling a metal cart with two
stacks of thick pancakes and several smaller bowls filled with toppings.
“I’m—I’m actually not that hungry,” I said.
“You should try and eat something. We have a lot of catching up to
do.”
The man served us both our stacks and placed the toppings in the
center of the table, alongside the boat of syrup.
“I had a big dinner last night.”
“Ahh,” he said, tutting his tongue. “I suppose that’s to be expected
after you kill someone in cold blood, huh? The first time I killed someone,
it was an overdose, and I realized how fragile life was. You know—” he
poured syrup over his pancakes before cutting into them and starting to eat.
“That’s why I believe we should all go after what we want. It’s why I didn’t
stop pursuing you, and it’s why you’re here with me right now. Don’t give
up. Perseverance.” He chomped and chewed on his food like an animal. I
couldn’t eat, even if I wanted to with the sounds he was making.
“Who are your other cousins?” I asked.
“Huh?”
“On the inside. You mentioned other cousins.”
“Right, right.” He continued to chew and swallow. “Three cousins.
One of them you shot and killed, but I have forgiven you for that. Although
it moved my timeline up by a couple weeks, so I’m still annoyed, but
overall, forgiven.”
It clicked. “You tried to kill Frankie.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Never tried to kill him. I did try
and set up a trap, two traps in fact. He killed four guys the first time. The
second one I felt like I knew he was going to fall for, but he didn’t.”
“The cop?”
He nodded. “Yeah. He’d been stalking that house all afternoon. We
were sure he was gonna get caught. But nothing yet. Seems someone
scrubbed the footage that had his license plates on.”
A smirk crossed my lips. That would’ve been Sutton. “You did all of
that for what?”
“A couple of reasons. Firstly, to get you back. Secondly, without
him, that family loses a killer. A hitman. I figured that once the Irish found
out it was him on their territory, they’d seek retaliation. That one is still in
play.” He held his fingers up and crossed them. “But the cop one. That was
my big swing. Cop killers go to jail and never see the light of day.”
I knew it had to have been something fucking with us, and all this
time we’d been searching for him, he’d been watching us, planning on how
to split us up. “I’m not that special.”
“Of course, you are,” he said, reaching out across the table. We were
too far apart for him to touch me, and the gesture made me want to vomit.
“You’re the first guy who tested me, and we had a deep connection.”
My hand was on the wood in my pocket, wondering how sharp it
was, and how deep a cut it could make. “I don’t believe that.”
The guard at the door stomped a foot. “Sir, we need to leave.”
A bullet smashed through a window nearby.
“Now,” the guard said.
This was it. Frankie had come for me.
Grant stood. “Come on. We have another property lined up.” He
walked over to me and grabbed my arm.
I lunged forward with the wood from my pocket and stabbed it in
his arm. It didn’t hit anything major. Just stuck there in his skin.
He pulled it out and threw it across the room. “Don’t be stupid,” he
said, before dragging me out of the room.
A shot hit the man at the door in the head. Blood went everywhere.
“Fra—” I tried to scream as Grant placed a hand over my mouth.
 Another man came in and snatched me. His weighted grip around
my body, constricting my arms together, and a gloved hand across my
mouth. I watched as men behind were shot. And then I saw him. Frankie
was coming for me. His nose was all purple with a couple white strips
across it. Dressed in a suit and tie like my knight in Armani.
At the front of the house, there was a van already prepared to go.
Grant was in the front seat. “Get in. Now.”
Thrown into the back of the van, I tried forcing myself back out.
“Frankie!”
The man held a gun to my head.
“Do it,” I said, biding time.
But they saw through it. The van door was slammed shut and it
raced off out of the driveway.

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20. FRANKIE
As soon as I was let free from that basement, I made a decision. If my
family would turn their back on someone I loved, then I had to turn my
back on them.
I got back to my apartment, set my nose, and got dressed for
business. I’d managed to track them down with Sutton’s help a couple of
miles inside of New Jersey. Apparently, my family hadn’t been lying when
they said they made a deal with Grant for him to leave the state. Plus, after
what I revealed about Sandro, my father was more than willing to deal with
his other son, the one he trusted with business.
Sutton had traced the plate of the car through road cameras from the
address in Philly. I tried to go in without blazing my guns in every which
way in search of answers. But old habits die hard, and I shot up the house
just in time to see Grant run off with a couple of his men and Cal in the
back of their van.
In an earpiece, Sutton was telling me to stay calm.
I read the license plate to him. “I want to know where it goes.”
‘Aren’t you following them?’
“No,” I said, straightening my tie. “Cal is in the back of that van.
One wrong move and the car turns over and he’s dead. I’ll wait until we
know their next location.”
‘Gotcha!’
“I’m gonna occupy myself with some of these men in here.” I turned
in the doorway of the house to see a man writhing in pain. I’d blown both
his kneecaps. “Some of them are still alive.”
‘I’ll monitor the police scanner to let you know if any of the
neighbors have reported the shooting. And try and divert them if possible.’
“Great. You do that.”
I headed inside to the man on the floor. I rolled him over onto his
back and pulled away that stupid face covering.
“Please,” he sputtered, blood on his lips. “Just kill me.”
I wasn’t fucking Santa Claus; I didn’t give people the gifts they
wanted. “Where did they go?”
“Kill me.”
 I grabbed his face by the chin and squeezed hard. “Tell me where
they went, and I’ll think about ending your suffering. Don’t tell me where
they are, and I’ll make sure you suffer longer.”
He sputtered; I watched the blood get on the clean white of my shirt.
“No.”
I gave him a punch square on the nose. “That’s a warning. I’ll be
back.”
There were other people around that had been shot, some more
fatally than others. I hadn’t exactly been thinking about keeping any of
them alive. I’d gone in there with the intention of killing anyone who had
played a part in kidnapping Cal.
Nobody was talking. It didn’t surprise me. What did surprise me
was how much money Grant must have had if he was going through all this
effort to get to Cal. He had houses and men on his payroll.
The house was quite bare, except for the one room upstairs which
had the clothes that Cal had been wearing when he was taken from me. I
collected them and took them out back to put into the bag I’d brought with
me. I was stocked with guns and ammunition, as well as a couple smoke
grenades that I hadn’t had to use yet.
Sutton came through in my ear. ‘I think I’ve got them. And police
were called. You’ve probably got five minutes before they arrive.’
That wasn’t much time, but I didn’t need to interrogate anyone else
if Sutton had an address.
I had a car parked a couple blocks away and I’d taken my bag on
foot to get here. I knew the risk of parking too close, so I had to keep my
distance. Once I’d finished my sweep of the house; putting bullets through
any of them who continued to fight for the lives, I had to head out.
There was no saying what they might’ve said to the police if they’d
been found, I knew once they started to drop my name, if they lived long
enough, they might not have even seen the inside of a jail cell.
The police arrived minutes after I left. I drove by in my car to see
what had happened. They’d already started to tape off the area. The other
location was fifteen minutes away, or ten if I put my foot down hard on the
peddle.
Knowing Cal, he would’ve been searching for any way he could to
try and gut him. I wondered if he’d used any of the training. Assess your
situation, look at what you can use, and do you best to give them hell.
 “You can survive this,” I grumbled, tapping my fingers on the
steering wheel. I glanced to the passenger seat where my supply bag was. I
wished Cal had been in that seat instead.
Sutton’s voice came back through the earpiece. ‘You know, I hear
you sighing. Cal is going to be fine. In fact, I would put money on it.’
“I’m not gonna bet with his life,” I said. “I need you to pull up the
house they’re in and look for any cameras in the area so that I can tell
where the best spots are to get in without—”
‘Without you going in like a wrecking ball,’ he said before breaking
out into song and laughing. ‘I know, I know, I should be messing around.
But I’m just trying to lighten the mood here.’
“It’s fine,” I grumbled. “I’m just—I’m worried. And if you tell
anyone I said that, I’ll make sure you’re eating through a tube.”
‘Calm down. I know I might be desperate for a man’s touch, but I’m
not that desperate that I’m looking a death wish in the eye.’
I had to give him that, it was funny. “Just tell me what you see about
this house. Tell me if there are any neighbors near and keep an eye on the
cop situation that we just left.”
He scoffed. ‘You’re lucky I have undiagnosed ADHD. I think.
Whatever it is, it means I’m good at doing seventy different things at the
same time.’
Mentally planning what I was going to do differently, I tried to
visualize where to enter from. I only had the address and however Sutton
described the property in mind. He went into detail, but off on tangents
constantly, I wondered how he and Cal ever got any research done together.
They must’ve been ping-ponging off each other.
I knew they would’ve beefed up their security protocol. It felt silly
even calling it a protocol considering they would’ve been an underground
operation if it hadn’t been for my brother. He practically gave him all these
resources and all so he could get a kickback of some of the profit.
“I think I see the van,” I said. It was a van with a plumbing logo on
the side. I drove right passed it to double check the address. It was a small
house with a long walkway up the front yard. “Yeah. This is the place.”
‘Ok! Now, let’s remember. Make a plan before you go in. Cal’s life is
at stake.’
I didn’t need that constant reminder in my ear. I knew what was at
stake here, and I wasn’t going to let whatever fear Sutton had cloud my
thoughts. “Ciao for now,” I said, pulling the earpiece out.
The one thing that worked last time was parking a block away and
going in for a surprise ambush. That would have to work this time as well. I
couldn’t afford it not to work. But I didn’t need that thought on the edge of
my mind right now.
I assumed they had a third and fourth property to hit up if I came for
them here. I couldn’t let it get to that. They could leave again. I went around
the back of the houses behind their fences. My suit getting snagged at all
corners from the brambles. I pushed on forward.
Cal was my entire life, and what my family had told me about losing
my edge cut me. I hadn’t lost my edge; I’d just stopped going into places
thinking I was immortal. It also made me realize just how much they
pushed me into the line of danger constantly.
But I was through with them. My family could fend for themselves
now.
My cellphone inside my suit pocket buzzed against my chest.
It was Sutton.
—Um. You took out the earpiece. What if I needed to tell you
something important?
I was a couple of houses away from being behind the one Cal had
been taken into. I dipped my head slightly below the fence and replied to
Sutton. He was starting to grate on me.
—It’s fine. I’m doing this the way I’ve always done this. Thank you
for everything, but you’re a distraction. I thought you got that when I said
bye.
The bubbles appeared as he typed, probably a rant about being
underappreciated.
It was a row of laughing emojis.
—I thought you just meant you were going in. Anyway, I wanted to
tell you that I managed to find someone’s Ring door camera that faces
directly at their house. It looks like they’re taking something from the house
and putting it into the van.
That didn’t make sense as I read it the first time.
And then it hit.
He’d been hiding the cocaine at all these different locations. He’d
split them up so that even if one location was found, he still had enough to
go back to and sell. It was going to be a shame when I—
 I froze in thought. My first instinct had been to take it back to my
family, but after everything they’d done to try and push me and Cal apart, I
didn’t even know if I wanted to do them this favor.
There was a lot that could be done with it. I could always sell it
myself, and use whatever money came from it to start a life for me and Cal.
Maybe pay for that beach wedding and a honeymoon somewhere hot where
he didn’t have to wear much.
I continued ahead, lugging my bag on my shoulder. This was
probably going to be the best time to use one of the smoke bombs, or one of
the expensive gas ones that knocked everyone out. But I didn’t have a
mask. It was a rookie mistake while packing the bag, but it would’ve solved
my problem of getting in without being shot at.
Outside the fence of the house, I had a view from the yard into the
house. Most of the curtains were closed. One window was boarded up. I
wondered if that’s where they would keep Cal, especially after I’d seen the
metal bars on that one window in the other house.
There was a man standing at the back door, all in black with a rifle
in arms.
It took everything in me not to shoot at him. If I did that, my cover
would be blown, they’d know I was here, and then they’d just throw Cal
into another van, and we’d start this cat and mouse chase all over again.
Watching for fifteen minutes, I noticed the man leave and then come
back, or he was replaced with someone else. I didn’t know how many men
Grant still had working for him, but it must’ve been enough for him to feel
comfortable, especially after I’d already killed several of them back at the
other house.
Reloading my guns and making sure I had a couple of knives to
throw if it came to it. I was prepared.
A flurry of gunshots pounded out inside the house, the bang and
white explosion of each shot illuminated the darkness behind the curtains.
I pulled myself up from over the fence and before the man at the
door could respond to either the sound inside or me running at him, I took a
shot and fired it in his head. He went down. I didn’t let myself think about
what I was going to find inside. I just knew I needed to be in there to see it
for myself.

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21. CAL
Surrounded by dead bodies. The echo of gunshot vibrated through my
eardrums. As the cocaine dust from the bags that had been shot at settled, I
could finally see what had happened. I was the one standing with a rifle in
my hands, pointing it at Grant as he laid on the ground, screaming in pain
from where I’d shot him several times in the leg.
“Fuck you,” I said, jamming the end of the rifle into the bloodied
hole in his leg. “You did this to me. You did this. Not me.” Inhaling deep, I
was probably getting a second-hand high from the cocaine still in the air.
“You don’t have to. I told you. It’s going to be different this time,”
he said, trying his best to scoot himself back against the living room wall.
Although it was barely a living room, there was a single old sofa that had
been ripped up to get the cocaine blocks from inside it. “Come on, Cal.
We’re basically meant to be together. Look at us. We can barely keep from
hurting each other.”
My eyes stung. I told myself not to cry, but there they were. Tears
danced on the waterline, trying to force my hand. “I want to make you
suffer every single day for the rest of your life.” I aimed the gun at his head,
pressing the tip of his between his eyes. “But I think that would just take up
more of my time.”
Grant looked off to the side.
“Don’t make me turn this around on you,” I said.
“Cal,” Frankie’s voice spoke. “It’s just me. What did you do?”
My arm became limp, dropping the rifle from his head. I turned and
dragged it on the floor as I made my way over to Frankie. “I—I—I—”
“You’ve got—” he pressed a finger against my face. “Cocaine all
over you.” He rubbed it against his gums. “I’m not a chemist, but I’d say
this matches that sample we found. Wouldn’t you?”
I tried some of it, but I didn’t know the difference. “It just makes my
tongue feel dry.”
He kissed me. “Mind the nose,” he said. It felt like I’d been waiting
a long time to kiss him again, but it had only been a few hours. “It kinda
helps numb the pain. I might need a little more.” He took the tip of his
tongue and pressed it against my cheek.
 “Kill me then,” Grant sputtered in the corner of the room, ruining
our perfect moment together. “Go on. K—Kill me.”
I stared into Frankie’s bloodshot eyes. “What do I do?”
“What were you going to do before I came in?”
I didn’t know. I shrugged. “I don’t want to just kill him and then he
gets to just fuck off out of existence. I want him to feel pain. Real pain.”
“You could always do what he did to you,” he said.
“Ew,” I said, sticking my tongue out. “I don’t ever want to go near
him again like that.”
“No. Not you. But I saw something in the kitchen that could do
some damage. Just a thought.”
I sucked back a deep breath and wondered if I had it in me to do
what he’d done to me. And I didn’t. I wanted him to feel pain like I did, but
nothing could compare, even the idea that Frankie floated about sodomizing
him couldn’t do what had happened to me any justice. However, I was
willing to let it happen just to see if it did.
“Can you do it?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Me?”
“What—are—” Grant sputtered.
I nodded to Frankie. “But I don’t want to see, I just want to know it
happened.”
He wrapped his arms around me in a nice, warm embrace. “Mine
the nose,” he chuckled again. “I’ll do it. I’ll do one worse. I’ll break it off
inside him.”
“I still want to deliver the final blow though,” I said, turning my
head slightly to see his disgusting face looking up at us.
“I can—I can tell you where the other places are, there’s more
cocaine,” he said.
Frankie cleared his throat. “I’ve already got those addresses, and
I’m also pretty sure that your cousins inside the family are probably about
to face a firing squad.” He looked at me. “Sorry. There was nothing I could
do about that one.”
“It’s ok. He was the only one who touched me. He’s the only one I
need closed. Then we can start our new chapter together,” I said, touching
at his cheek and chin. This wasn’t the worst I’d seen his face. It didn’t
matter how messed up he got, I could always look into his eyes, whether
they were bloodshot or surrounded by bruising, his eyes were the same, and
they gave me peace.
I let out a sigh and headed to the kitchen to grab a large wooden
stick used on the outdoor brush. I knew what was going to happen to Grant,
and part of me had wished for it to be done by my own hand, however I
knew that if I did it, I’d be just as bad as him.
“Ok,” I said, handing him the outdoor brush. “I’m gonna listen. Tell
me when I can come in and finish it.” In some way, this was also just as
sick as what he did to me. Him, being helpless on the floor while others
talked around him, talking about what they were going to do with him.
Frankie snapped the end of the stick to remove the brush. “Oh. I
wonder which end we’ll go in with,” he said, flipping the stick in his hand
to reveal the splintered pointy end. “You know, this is all quite poetic. You
ruined Cal’s life, and you tried to ruin mine with whatever crazy cracked
out ideas you were thinking up,” he said, prodding Grant’s side with the
stick. “Let’s roll you over.”
This was the part I needed to leave, but my curiosity had been
piqued. I watched, but only for a moment as Frankie rolled him over onto
his stomach. He screamed out in pain. Then he pulled down his slacks and
his briefs to reveal his ass.
I walked into the hallway and stepped over the bodies I’d shot. My
mind went to Frankie and how he’d taken me to target practice many times,
and how I probably wouldn’t have managed to get so many clean shots if he
hadn’t remade me, even if it did seem like he’d remade me in his image.
After what I’d been through, I couldn’t be built back up into that Cal again.
Grant screamed and begged for him not to continue.
I must’ve said those words a thousand times to him in that month
he’d kept me locked away. Telling him no and to stop, almost like he
thought I was in on the game. A tear, in all its solitary drop collected on my
eyelash before dribbling down my chin. I was stronger than the tears I’d
already cried from what had happened.
“It’s ok,” I said, looking at the ring and bracelet on my hand.
“Daddy said we’re going to begin a new adventure after this.” It was often
that self-talk which pulled me through the darkest of times. But this wasn’t
a dark time for me. This was my empowerment.
“I’m done,” Frankie called out.
 Grant was still on his belly. The stick was probably halfway inside
his ass. He wheezed out in agony and his complaints and begs had turned
raspy and delated. It surprised me to see him so weak after his showy God
complex.
And just like that, I grabbed the rifle from the floor as Frankie
turned him over. I shot him once in his exposed cock and a second in his
head, making sure the last thing he saw was me.
I’d been planning this in my head for so long, that I didn’t even
know how I was going to feel once it was done. I’d told myself it would’ve
been a weight lifted off my shoulders. But the moment he was gone, my
body felt unbalanced, like the weight of the trauma I’d been carrying was
still there, but now with additional spice from what had happened.
“It’s done,” he said with a big smile to me.
I dropped the rifle and turned to him. “Now you can propose.”
“I already did, and you said yes.”
“Again.” I pushed the ring off my finger and handed it him.
Frankie got down on one knee and presented me with the ring. “Will
you Cal William Drake, marry me?”
“I do.”
“Save that one for the wedding day,” he said, slipping the ring back
on my finger. “I guess we have to consummate the engagement again then.”
I clicked my tongue in my mouth. “Damn, I think you’re right. And
I need to get out of these clothes.” I shuddered just thinking about wearing
something he’d picked out for me. I would’ve stripped out of them there
and then if I had something else to wear.
As Frankie started to collect the bricks of cocaine that were only
lightly damaged, I walked around the house, trying to figure out what was
going on inside me. Everything should’ve changed. He was dead. The
chapter was closed. But my brain wasn’t taking that for an answer.
Startled by the sound of police sirens, I ran to Frankie. “Cops are
coming.”
With his arms filled with cocaine, he glared at me and shook his
head. “No. What? Sutton would’ve told me.”
“Sutton?”
“Yeah. He’s been in my—fuck. I took the earpiece out and my cell is
on silent.” He handed the cocaine off into my arms and grabbed his
cellphone. “Ok, well, we’re leaving through the back.”
 “Did Sutton say anything?”
He grumbled, mumbling something to himself.
“What did he say?” I asked, leaving through the back toward the
fence at the bottom of the yard.
“He texted ten minutes ago about the address and police scrambling
from the first address,” he said. “He diverted them a bunch, but—fuck. I’m
parked down the block, we need to climb this fence and walk that way to
the end.”
I handed the cocaine back to him as I climbed the fence first. There
was his bag and inside, the clothes I’d been made to take off. Now wasn’t
the time to be thinking about getting changed. Once I was in position,
Frankie gave me the bricks back to put into the bag.
And as he climbed over the fence, I could see someone walking
through the house. They hadn’t clocked us yet.
We dipped down. I spied through a space between the wooden slats.
It was the police. The sirens stopped, finally.
“Stay down, walk fast,” Frankie instructed, taking the heavy bag.
“Once we’re in the car, I’m never letting you out of my sight, ever again.”
“Good,” I said, “because I was actually thinking about getting us
handcuffed together so that we can’t leave each other.”
He snickered. “Not those fluffy ones in the bedroom?”
“Yes, those fluffy ones.”
We made it to the end of the path. I could see the car. And right
beside it there was a police car. It looked empty, which meant they could’ve
been anywhere.
“Ok,” he said in a hushed tone. “Here’s what we’re gonna do. There
are two non-toxic smoke grenades. I’m going to throw one of them as far as
I can into the yard of that house. You’re going to throw the other in the
direction of the car. We’re gonna have a short window to get out of here, get
to the car, and leave.”
It was a big responsibility; I had the one aimed at our getaway
vehicle.
And it worked like a charm.
He threw one. I threw the other.
Smoke immediately plumed up into the air, consuming enough
space for any onlooker to think there was a fire nearby.
We got to the car without anyone spotting us.
 We were free.
Frankie drove like a maniac, which was his usual driving speed.
“Drive,” a voice spoke from the backseat.
Flinching, I turned to see Sandro, his face looked worse than
Frankie’s.
“What happened?”
Sandro held a handgun to the back of Frankie’s head. “I said drive.”
“You chose one hell of a time to fuck with me, again,” Frankie said.
“Where are we going?”
“Drive!” he shouted.

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22. FRANKIE
My brother didn’t scare me. I didn’t even think he’d be a good shot even
with the gun facing the back of my head. I put the car in drive. We were still
at the scene of a crime, and I didn’t want to get caught up in all of that.
“What happened when I left?” I asked, glancing into the rear-view
mirror at how messed up my father had made his face. The indent marks
from the knuckle dusters almost visible. “And how the fuck did you leave
so fast?”
“Tommy did this,” he said. “You know how dad has always pit us
against each other. Well, I told him to do it, and then I’d make everything
right.”
Cal shuffled around in the seat, the bag on his lap. I knew what
Sandro had come here for. “Ok,” I said. “You’re gonna try and get back into
dad’s good books by giving him the drugs you had stolen from him in the
first place.”
“You have them?”
“Cal.” I nodded to the nodded the bag. “Give him what we got.”
“But I thought,” he let out softly.
“You thought what?” Sandro asked. “You were going to take these
back yourself, clear your name, give back the drugs, and ask the family to
make you a member?” He scoffed.
“Don’t talk to him like that,” I said. “But you really don’t need a
gun to ask.”
“I was the one who helped him get these locations set up, I’m the
one who was getting a cut.”
“Grant is dead,” Cal said, handing the bricks of cocaine to Sandro in
the back seat. “After everything he did, it’s the least he deserved.” He
grumbled to himself, pouting. “Now, where do you want dropping off?”
Sandro glanced down at the bricks, the ones with the holes in were
expelling out onto his slacks. “I have an address, we’re going to get—”
before he could finish what he was saying, he put the breaks down.
Sandro’s hand pushed forward. I grabbed the gun and twisted his wrist,
disarming him.
“Ok, little brother,” I said. “Get out of the fucking car.”
 Cal grabbed a gun from the bag and cocked it, placing it in Sandro’s
face. “Now,” he said. “Your brother might not, but I’ve had it being pushed
around. So, take that, try not to get caught by the cops coming down every
street, and have a nice life.”
Sandro was stunned. He’d never been one for hand-to-hand combat,
or even shooting a gun. It was almost like he hadn’t seen this coming. “I—”
“Have a nice life, Alessandro,” I said.
“Aren’t you coming back?” he asked, taking off his jacket to bundle
up the bricks inside. “Families fight. You can’t leave because of what
happened. I’m not leaving, and they did this to me.”
I shook my head. “They gave me a choice. And I made it. Dad can
try and send whoever he wants, but if he thinks for a second that I’m not
going to stick to my guns, then he’s sorely mistaken. I wish you all the
best.”
Once Sandro was out of the car, I sped off.
Cal’s hand was shaking as he put the gun down. “I wasn’t going to
shoot him,” he said.
“It’s ok. I’m glad you didn’t. As much as I’m leaving them, I didn’t
want to leave them with one dead son as well,” I said.
“So, that’s it?” he asked. “We’re really going to leave your family?”
It was a tough call to make. “I’ve got money hidden away. And
we’re going to take the rest of the drugs we find in the other two houses and
I’m going to give one half to my father and the other half as an apology to
the Irish mob. A peace offering from me. I know they’re after. Grant had
probably set that entire thing up for me to be caught killing men on their
territory.”
“I thought we were going to sell it,” he said. “You know, it’s got a
street value of five million you said.”
“That’s if we find it all, and Sandro just made off with a couple
hundred thousand,” I said. “But this is just me and you now. I don’t need a
lot of money; all I need is you.” As we came to a stop light, I gave him a
kiss. “And of course, an island with a nice white sandy beach, we need that
as well.”
“You’re retiring?” he asked.
“Think of it as becoming my own boss,” I said. “Making money for
what I’m naturally good at. I’m so used to doing it for free for the family. I
know there’s a market for it. And people pay a lot of money.” This wasn’t
something I’d planned on doing because of Cal. This was something I’d
thought about doing many years ago. The idea that my life was always
going to be the same, every single day, without any progression. I woke up,
I trained, I hurt people, I ate, I drank, and on days I was feeling especially
lonely, I got laid. Then the cycle started over.
“Don’t do it for me,” he said. “I don’t want your family to hate me
more than they already do. And—and your mom is going to never accept
me if I take you away from her.”
“I’m not,” I told him, driving aimlessly. “And it doesn’t matter what
they think, my mom has always tried to break us up because of who I am. If
anything, it saves you from not going to anymore Sunday dinners.”
He sighed. “Ok. But if she asks, I’m telling her this was all you.”
“It is all me,” I said, reaching out for his hand. “Now, there’s
someone you should probably talk to. And he also has the other addresses.”
“Sutton,” he said. “Where’s your cell?”
I had wanted to take the drugs and sell them off in bulk myself, but
when I saw the lengths my brother had gone to take them from me, I knew I
could give them to my father myself, at least then I could consider it a
parting gift. And the gift for the Irish Mob was to make sure they didn’t put
a bounty on my head, or to buy them out of whatever bounty there was on it
currently.
Cal and Sutton talked about what had happened as we went to the
third address. It was on an unsuspecting cul-de-sac. There was a white
picket fence. I wondered if this is where Grant thought he could take Cal
and live happily-ever-after in.
Nobody was in the house. Although I knew Sandro was on his way.
It seemed like once I was inside, I knew immediately where the drugs were.
Inside those same worn-down sofa cushions. I got them all out into the
trunk of the car and made it away without any neighbors coming to check
on us. There was visible blood on me, but from a distance it might’ve
appeared like some type of arty shirt design.
“Done already?” Cal asked as I hopped back into the driver seat. He
had his ear to the cellphone still. “Sutton said you need to be more careful
and stop doing your own thing when people are trying to help.”
My black facial expression said enough. I looked him up and down.
“Tell Sutton to mind his business, and if I wanted his advice, then I’d ask.”
 Cal pressed his lips together to form a thin smile as he tried so hard
to hide his adorable smile. “I’m not saying that to him. Oh. I guess he heard
you.” He snickered. “I’m thinking that after we’ve done everything today,
we should go back to New York to see Sutton and he can help us plan our
next steps.”
That plan had more legs than my current plan of winging it, and not
knowing how either party was going to react to me dumping a couple kilos
of cocaine on their doorstep. “Fine,” I grumbled. “But we leave as soon as
possible. We need this to blow over.”
“Sutton says we can charter a private jet to one of the Caribbean
Islands.”
“Let’s talk about that later. We need the final address.” I stroked the
back of my hand against the side of Cal’s cheek. There was still some of the
powder on his skin, making him look like he was about to crumble in some
lighting. “And then we need to get you out of that, and I need to fuck you,
just so that ownership is clear to anyone who comes looking again.”
Cal smacked his lips. “Yes,” he said., nodding obediently. “Oh.
Sutton heard all that as well.”
“Tell Sutton to stop being a sexual deviant and get the address.”
The final location was a little further north in New Jersey. A two-
hour car ride. Today had exhausted me, and I was starting to feel the effects
of it as both the adrenaline of saving Cal mixed in with the cocaine I’d
consumed, I was heading off a cliff into come down territory.
Cal was playing games on my cell when he must’ve felt it from me.
“Are you ok?”
“I’m good. Just need to focus.”
“I’m glad you found me,” he said. “Truth was. I didn’t know what
was going to happen. But I used everything you taught me.”
“Everything?” I asked.
“Well, not everything.” He giggled, wiggling his brows at me.

* * *

Nineteen Months Ago

Cal was being impossible. He tapped out of everything we did. He wanted

to fight and prove himself, but he couldn’t. I never hurt him physically with
any of the combat training we’d started. I threw him in at the deep end of it,
when I probably should’ve started him easy. But those men could make an
appearance at any moment. We had to be ready.
We trained near softer objects like the sofa in the living room and
the bed in the bedroom. Both places that we could push each other without
getting hurt.
And each time, those places ended up devolving into other types of
action.
Cal’s arm strength was weak, he pushed me, and I stayed completely
still.
“Come on,” I said. “You won’t always have a weapon. You need to
use these.” I grabbed both of his hands and made them into fists. “Go on.
Punch me. Push me. Try and move.”
He gave it his best shot, punching me could’ve done him more
damage than me. I’d given him the lessons and taught him how to fold his
fingers in and how to stretch out his arm to deliver the perfect jab.
“No, no, no,” I said, grabbing him once more. I could’ve lifted him
and tossed him around like a ragdoll. “You know that’s not how you do it.
And don’t just blindly throw away those punches. You need to deliver those
blows to places on the body that are always weak. Like finding the soft part
in a piece of armor.”
Cal’s eyes grew wide as he looked at me. “You mean, like your
balls?”
“If you want to live, and if you ever want to play like that again,
you’ll stay clear of my balls, but every other set of balls, feel free to kick,” I
said.
“Ok, and what if I did this?” he asked.
“Did wha—”
He pounced on me like a spider monkey, wrapping his arms and legs
around my torso. “And then I can—eeee—try and—ahhhh,” he strained
himself, trying to bare his weight down on me so that I would topple. “It’s
not—eeee—working.”
“This move is bad for a number of reasons,” I said, carrying him on
me. He pushed his back up against the wall. “Now you’re trapped. What are
you gonna do?”
He kissed me.
“No.”
 “Yes,” he said, going in for another kiss and instead biting my
cheek. “That’s what you did to me yesterday.”
“Your other cheeks.”
He giggled. “I think we’ve done enough work. Look.” He flopped
his head down against my shoulder and let his body hang loose. “Ugh. See.
I’m done for the day.”
“It’s only the afternoon,” I told him, giving his neck a bite. He
wiggled around between me and the wall. “Now, how do you get out of a
situation like this?”
“I—I don’t,” he said, trying to bear his ass down against my groin.
“I make the best of a tight squeeze.”
“Cal,” the roughness in my voice stopped him from moving.
“Sorry,” he grumbled. “I’m trying to take it serious, but I don’t want
to think about it.”
“You have to,” I told him. “You have to think about it. You need to
think about it until you can turn it into a strength. So, what are you going to
do to get free?”
He huffed, his breath becoming hoarse. His brows pinched together,
and then glassy tears formed across his eyes. He let out a roar and with both
hands, he twisted my nipples. I immediately backed away. He fell from my
body.
“I did it,” he said, sniffling and wiping his tears. “You didn’t say
nothing about the nipples.”
“Let’s go again,” I said. “This time. No nipples and no balls.”
“Nipples should be fair game,” he argued. “Free the nipple! He
started to strip, pulling his T-shirt up from over his head. He swung it
around. “Free the nipple!” he chanted as he raced around me making
circles. “I’m coming for your nipples now!”

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23. CAL
Frankie had packed the trunk of the car with cocaine. I was worried we’d be
stopped and then both of our asses be thrown into prison. I’d thought about
what that might’ve looked like, and it didn’t look fun, not unless they
allowed me to be put in the same cell as him.
I’d been trying to occupy myself, thinking about little things like
that so I didn’t have to think about what I’d done today, or what Frankie
was committing to. I was to blame for him falling out with his family. I was
the one to blame for this path of vengeance we’d come down.
I was just scared and worried about what was going to happen when
we got back to Philly. Frankie had been quiet for a while now. It was almost
like he was worried too. Maybe even second-guessing what he’d committed
to when he told his father he was out.
“Pass me my cellphone,” he said as we pulled up on the side of the
road.
“Who are you calling?”
“I’m settling things,” he said, climbing out of the car with his cell in
hand.
With him out of the car, I was stuck with my thoughts. I should’ve
been relieved and looking at the world in a more positive light. I’d killed
someone. I’d managed to get rid of someone who could’ve done what had
happened to me to other guys. I wasn’t a hero, but I didn’t like it when my
brain corrected me into thinking of myself as a murderer.
“La la la la,” I let out, repeating it to myself to drown out the noise
in my mind.
Frankie came back fifteen minutes later, some intense and heated
calls from what I’d seen of him pacing up and down the dirt path we’d
parked beside. To onlookers, we appeared to have broken down, and still
nobody stopped.
“It’s done,” he said. “I’m meeting my dad and the head of the Irish
Mob, Seamus at the restaurant on my family’s territory. I understand if you
don’t want to be there, since that’s where you—you realized that man had
—”
“It’s ok,” I said, interrupting him from going around trying to
describe what had happened to me in my freak out. “It should be fine.
Anyway, I’m already thinking about what I’m going to wear on the beach.”
I lied. That was the furthest thing from my mind right now.
My anxieties were pushed up several notches as we approached the
restaurant. It was swarming with men from both sides, and even a
motorcycle club that the Borgesi family had ties with. At every corner, there
was someone stronger than me, who I didn’t know if I could defend myself
against unless it was under the element of surprise.
“You’re not waiting in the car,” Frankie said. “Nobody will touch
you. Nobody will say anything to you. Everyone knows I have no issues
with fighting them.”
It comforted me, but since Frankie had walked away from his
family, I didn’t see how going back to see them now was going to do any
good. My mind played out scenarios where his family and the Irish had
teamed together to take him out. “Can I take a gun?”
“Yeah,” he said. “You should always have a gun.” He reached into
the bag and handed me the one I’d pulled on his brother earlier.
We parked up right where we had the other day.
There was no sign of the scene from what had happened then.
Frankie emptied the bag with weapons into the backseat before
filling it with all the drugs from the trunk.
Menacing glares pierced through me as men by the restaurant doors
watched.
“Let’s go do business, baby,” he said, swinging the bag over his
shoulder. He took my hand, and we headed inside.
There was a table with two men seated. At either side of the room,
people watched. The loudest of them were the motorcycle group who were
pounding back shots near the restaurant bar area.
They fell silent once they saw us walk in and head toward the table.
My palms were sweaty and eager to twitch and grab the gun just in
case anyone tried to pull theirs on me first. To some of them, I’d killed their
friend.
He slammed the bag on the table. “I’m out,” he said. “Both sides
have been played. Now, Mr. Moran, I’m sure you heard about what
happened the other night. And I’m aware you wanted someone to come
after me. I’m sure you hired Grant and his men.”
Seamus Moran nodded. “How’d you know that?”
“Grant Richardson is dead. He played you.”
 Frankie hadn’t told me this. I looked as confused as everyone else in
the room.
“Grant orchestrated an event. These drugs. He had them intercepted.
He had people from all sides believing they’d been stolen by the other. It
made for a goose chase that tried setting me up. He then told you, I assume,
and then mentioned his little army of men who he could use to get me.”
Seamus nodded. “Somewhat like that,” he said. “And I paid him
before it even happened.”
“Half of this should cover the payment you made him, and as an
apology for what I did at a warehouse on your territory,” Frankie said as he
began pulling the bricks from the bag. “And dad. You forced me to make a
choice. You can’t take that back. Both of us now know the answer to it. The
other half is for you. Use it to find someone else you can hire to do what I
did.”
Paolo slammed a fist down onto the table. “No.”
“We’ll always be family, but I’m choosing to spend my days with—
with him.” He turned to me and took my hand. “He did what he had to, just
like you did what you had to. This has been a long time coming. You have
my number. And you’ll always be my father, but you can never be my boss
again.”
“Son. I made you. And I can just as easily unmake you.”
I held my breath at the interaction, my body didn’t know if it was
going to pass out so that I could escape whatever was happening or hope I’d
blackout and have this memory wiped.
“I’m sorry to tell ya, Paolo, but your son has probably done more to
put fear for your family out there than you have in years,” Seamus said.
“We get it. You’re the boss, you’re the don, but if ya kid wants to go, you’re
gonna have to let him.”
His father looked across the cocaine mountain on the table to
Seamus. “My family business is none of your concern.”
“Listen, I’m not causing anything,” Seamus continued. “But the way
I see it, you’ve got a talented lad here, and he’s gonna do whatever he
wants. Now, you can either support him, or you can break that bond every
father and son share. I know, my brother he has a gay son, and it was rough,
I’m tellin’ ya, he was talking all this stuff about trying to get the gay out of
him, but it’s just not good is it. Everyone is the way they are.”
 I couldn’t help but think that Seamus was getting off-track. That
wasn’t the issue, I didn’t think. But it also might’ve played part in their
issues.
“Thank you,” Frankie said. “Now, this here.” He let go of my hand
to gesture at the table. “This is the peace offering. You can take it and
accept this. Or you can act hurt, and I’ll take this and leave. The choice is
yours, but either way, I’m going.”
His father sat down at the table once more and shook his head.
“There’s nothing I can say or do to keep you here. I already have one son
who has disappointed me. If I try and force you to stay, you’ll probably do
the same. So, go on. Leave.”
Relief washed over me. I gulped hard.
The doors of the restaurant slammed open.
Sandro stood with the cocaine we’d handed off to him. He gasped
and panted, marching over to us. “No,” he screamed. “No.”
“Speaking of disappointments,” Paolo said. “I’m hoping you take
him with you.” He let out a snicker.
“I was supposed to bring this to you,” Sandro let out. “I was the one
who—” he finally took noticed of the others in the restaurant. His wide eyes
glanced around, almost in shock. “I’m—I’m—”
“Seamus,” Paolo said. “Meet my other son. Alessandro. He was
teaming up behind my back to undercut the family business.” He slammed
his fist on the table once more, shaking his head. “Of all the things, Sandro
has hurt us the worst.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, dropping to his knees. The plastic around the
cocaine had spilled out everywhere, covering the floor of the restaurant.
“Fucking idiot,” he screamed down at him. He marched over. “Get
up. I was going to ask your brother to take over your share of the family
business, but I see now that you’re the reason he’s leaving.”
I made the connection as he said it. If it hadn’t been for Sandro and
Grant teaming up in secret, I might never had been kidnapped and forced to
be someone’s toy in a basement. I didn’t know who put it all in motion, but
I understood they used that place to keep their operation secret. Tugging on
Frankie’s hand for his attention. “What happened to the other men?”
He nodded. “What happened to Grant’s two cousins?” he asked.
“The ones he claimed were still within your ranks.”
 “Killed them,” Sandro said. “I killed them. Me.” He pounded a fist
on his chest. “I did it. On your order, dad. Me.”
It saved me the job. “Ok,” I mumbled to myself. It was sort of
freeing not to feel like I had to do it again. “Can we go now?” I asked
Frankie.
He looked down at me and nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “We’re done.
We’re leaving.”
Sandro started shouting and pounding his hands into the cocaine
mound on the tile floor. It was going everywhere. But it wasn’t our problem
anymore.
“Son,” Paolo said. “You have to visit. And get your nose seen to by
a professional.” He held his hand out to shake it with Frankie. “When I had
my nose broken, I snored for months, your mother almost put a pillow over
my face. So, get it seen to.” He gave me a nod, almost like he was passing
the baton and duty of care to me. It was strange because that baton was
already in my possession.
Together, we headed out of the restaurant. It was bittersweet, mostly
because I’d expected a round of applause, or maybe even confetti canons to
shoot into the sky and rain down on us. But nothing happened, we walked
out, got into his car, and drove back to our apartment.
“I love you,” he said, lifting me up into his arms, he carried me
inside and through the door that was swinging from its hinges. “Is this just
for when we’re married, or do I have to do this every time?”
“Every single time,” I told him, looking at the mess we’d made of
the apartment before leaving. There was blood on the walls and soaked into
the rug on the hallway floor. “I think it’s for good luck.”
“You know what I think is good luck,” he said, kissing me. “One
last time in bed.”
I kissed him back, harder.
“Watch the nose, remember.” He threw me onto the bundled-up
duvet and sheet on the bed. “Now, let’s see what I want to do with you.” He
grabbed rope from the floor, it was what he’d used for those men. It was a
reddish brown from all the blood. “I guess we can’t use this anymore.”
Stripping out of the cropped T-shirt and nearly ripping myself out of
the rest, I wasn’t wasting another second. We were free of his obligations,
and I was free of revenge. It had been done and dusted, now we got to enjoy
each other and my sugary cereal. The only thing I was in training for now
was being the best little bottom Frankie could ever ask for.
“Come on, Daddy,” I called over to him, turning over on the bed to
reveal my ass to him. “I don’t have all day to be ravaged.” I glanced back at
him, and how nice my ass looked, like two pert little hills.
“Ravaged, you make it sound like you can’t go a day without my
dick,” he said, pulling his belt out of the trouser loops.
Thrusting myself against the balled-up duvet I felt my ass jiggle. “I
can’t,” I said. “Look at how much it wobbles without that big bone inside
me.” I snorted. “Wait, no, I have a funnier one. I’m wasting away. I’m only
ninety-percent full, I need you to fill me up with that extra ten percent. Get
it,” I laughed. “I’m saying—”
“I know,” he said, grabbing my leg by the ankle and pulling me
down the bed. “My dick is what you need to feel complete. And I’m not
arguing with that.” Once I was dangling over the side of the bed, he gave
my ass a spank. “Now, I want to you to make some noise.”
“But people will hear,” I grumbled. It was one of the things that still
held trauma within me. The idea that I had to stay quiet.
“How about you make sure people hear,” he said, giving my ass a
louder spank.
“Oo,” I moaned. “Do it again.”
He got down on his knees and this time he gave it a bite, right on top
of where he’d spanked me, hopefully enough to have left a nice red hand-
shaped mark.
The moans started out in my belly and wormed their way up my
body until they came out of my mouth. I placed my head down against the
duvet I’d been clinging to.
“Nuh-uh,” he said, his hand squeezing at my inner thigh. “I want to
hear it.”
He went to bite the inside of my thigh, the hairs on his chin giving
my skin a tickle. It was sensory overload for one of my erogenous zones.
This time I let the moan come out of me, from the depths of my body.
“Good boy,” he said, going into my other thigh, he buried his face
against the pain of bruise. Then he spotted the marks Grant left there. He
stopped and looked at me. “I should’ve broken every single one of his
fingers first.” He kissed at the bruising as I moaned, trying my hardest to
squeeze my thighs together. He went toward my cock, going down from the
tip with his tongue.
“Fuck. Oh.” My knees buckled up and my toes curled. “Fuck me.” I
begged, moaning loudly.
“Oh. You asked for it baby.” He parted my cheeks and spat. “Take a
deep breath and brace yourself.”
No matter how many times he’d been inside me, it always felt like
the first time. He sucked back a deep breath and embraced for impact.
There was very little warning once the tip was at the door, parting my
cheeks for entry.
He went in deep, his hands on my hips, tugging me off the edge of
the bed as I folded myself in two like a ragdoll. He controlled my entire
body with just his cock. Lifting me up and slamming me down hard.
I was moaning freely, like an instrument he was playing. And he
played me like a professional. Each moan derived from a different move
and position he put my body in. He tugged me up off his cock and threw me
back across the bed.
I laid, splayed out, not moving as I’d surrendered my entire body to
him for his wishes.
A knock came from outside. “Frankie!”
The sizzle of almost being caught turned electric in me.
I shot ribbons of cum up my torso. I tried to hold it back, but I just
kept cumming.
“Don’t come in!” he shouted, shaking his head and smiling at me as
I writhed in both pleasure and shame of being caught.

OceanofPDF.com
24. FRANKIE
I shouldn’t have found it as amusing as I did to see Cal cumming when he
was surprised. I thought it was adorable. Thankfully my mom didn’t come
to the bedroom, in a way, it was almost like as a teen when I heard someone
knock at my door while I was masturbating. Nothing made me finish faster
than almost being caught.
Cal ran to the bathroom to clean himself off and take a shower.
I grabbed a pair of gym shorts and a tank top.
My mom sat in the living room, redness in her eyes from crying.
She sniffled. “You can’t leave,” she said. “I’m not letting ya leave.”
“Mom.” I sat beside her. “I’m not leaving the family, but I am
leaving. You’re still my mom, and dad is still my dad, but he made me
chose, and—” I felt the heat rise in my face. I never got emotional. It was a
weakness, and someone had already tried exploiting it today. “I love Cal,
and not in a temporary, I love you, but if you do this, I’ll hate you. I love
him without clauses, without him needing to change. Do you get that?”
She smiled. “Does he know that?”
“Of course,” I said. “It goes without saying.”
“Then tell him,” she said, nodding.
Cal stood in the doorway, the large, fluffy bathrobe from the hotel
covering him up. He had tears in his eyes. “I—I—”
“I love you,” I repeated. “Without clauses, without change, or even
with change, I’d love you.”
He choked on sob in his throat, adorable. “I was just gonna say I
think the boiler is acting up. I can’t get any hot water.” He pressed his lips
together, almost like he was hiding his beautiful smile. “And—and I love
you too.”
My mom sniffled. “I’d never stand in the way of you finding love,
even if I might have stood in the way.”
We shared a laugh about that. It had been no secret that my mom
thought Cal could do better, and that I had probably given too much of my
humanity away to love.
“I suppose I should go sort the boiler out then,” I said.
“Also, let me take a look at your nose,” she said. “Your dad
mentioned it being a mess. Did he mention his snoring? Ugh. I don’t want
to wish that on Cal.”
He smiled. “If you could do something about it, I can only do the
basic stitching. I’ve never set a broken nose, which is surprising considering
you get into a lot of fights.”
“He’s always been like that,” my mom said. “I don’t think it’s gonna
change much, but if it does, then more power to you.”
Cal shook his head. “I’d never tell him what he can’t do, unless the
thing he wants to do is cheat, and then I’d make a special plan that involves
a pickling jar.”
I choked in surprise, not at all where I’d expected him to go with
that. “A—a what?”
He continued to nod and grin. “Yep. I saw it once on this true crime
show. Cut it right off and pickled it.” He shrugged. “It seems drastic, but we
are getting married.” He flashed the ring to my mom.
She immediately fawned over it. “You should have led with that,”
she said. “Well, have you set a date?”
“It’s very recent,” I told her. “Anyway, the boiler, and then my
nose.” I didn’t want Cal to see my mum fix my nose, mostly because I
knew my eyes would start watering and he’d think I was crying. I couldn’t
have that image playing in his mind.
I’d never broken my nose before; I’d broken arms and legs but
never anything on my face.
Once the boiler was turned on, that was the only problem, my mom
started to prepare my face with some alcohol wipes and a couple shots of
vodka, for both of us.
“I’ve set many noses,” she said, cracking the knuckles of her
manicured fingers. “It’s nothing. Just a little pain, and it’s done, but you will
need something on it to keep it set.”
I sucked down and clenched my jaw anticipating the pain. It came, a
crunching echoed in my head. My eyes water and without thinking I
grabbed the vodka bottle and downed a couple fingers worth from the
bottle.
“So, you’re going off somewhere with him,” she continued her
interrogations as I passed her the vodka bottle. “Will I be getting postcards?
Or an invite to the wedding at least?”
“Of course, it’s not planned, but I need you there, you’re my mom.”
 She sniffled and then pressed the vodka bottle to my chest. “You
know, I always thought you’d be the one who kept coming around every
Sunday without fail. The one who didn’t get married or have kids.”
“Hey,” I grumbled. “Still not wanting any kids. But I am going to
marry him.”
“You’ll need to give me a date. I’ll need to find a hat in advance.
What colors are you going for as well?” she continued. “Maybe I could just
help you plan the entire thing. You know, at least then it’s not just gonna be
beers down at some clerk’s office.”
“We’ll be fine,” I told her. We hadn’t decided on anything yet. The
only thing we both knew for certain was that we were leaving Philly.
“And what are you gonna do for work?”
“Not your concern,” I told her., mostly because what I did wasn’t
something I liked broadcasting, even to family. “I’ll probably live off
money I’ve got. Sell this place. Do a little travelling, and just enjoy my time
with Cal.”
She hummed, taking another shot of vodka from the bottle. “I’m
happy for you. Both of you.”
The idea of not doing anything scared me. I was always doing
something, there was always a hit out on someone. I knew there was a
business for it. There were agencies all over the world that hired out hitmen.
But those people were all ex-military.
“You should probably go to a doctor,” she said. “Your cousin Vin
went to med school.”
“Vin lives all the way out in California now.”
“Yeah, he does the plastics. You remember my sister, she got an
entirely new face, I swear. Probably wouldn’t even recognize her if she
walked down the street,” she laughed.
I tapped at the bridge of my nose and gave it a little pinch. It was
tender, but it was also broken. “I’ll be fine,” I said.
“When are you leaving?”
Before we could leave, we had to decide. I knew Cal wanted to go
to New York, but the world was open to us now. Neither of us were holding
onto anything anymore. It was a wild feeling, but I loved it. All the time
thinking about what would happen if I told my family I was leaving, and
this was the one I thought was the most unrealistic. I suppose it helped that
my younger brother was in bigger trouble, and I was just looking out for the
love of my life. Not completely selfish.
“Tonight,” I told her. It was probably wherever Cal wanted, but I
could be persuasive. “You can call me or text me whenever you want, I’ll
try and keep the same number, but who knows what this next step in my life
holds.”
She gave me a big hug. “Frankie,” she whispered. “Why is there a
big knife in the sink covered in blood?”
I turned around to see it. Snickering to myself. “Cal is more like me
than you think,” I said. “He’s just a lot more put together.” And that was all
thanks to my hard work getting him there.
She gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Well, you’re gonna want to clean
it, and go over this entire place with a blacklight. I don’t think the next
owners wanna see all the blood and whatnots.”
My mom left a little after that. Cal was still in the shower, or so I’d
thought. Knocking on the bathroom door to give him the all-clear, I opened
it and steam rolled out. I found him sitting on the toilet seat in his bathrobe,
sobbing to himself.
“Baby, what happened?”
Sniffling, Cal looked up at me. “It’s all done now. I—I don’t know
what to do with my life anymore.”
“Baby, you can do anything you want in this life,” I told him.
“That’s a promise.” From the steam in the air, it seemed to alleviate some of
the stuffiness in my nose. Breathing through it for the first time all day.
“I was also waiting for you to join me,” he said, pouting.
Of course. I didn’t expect anything less.
I’d never experienced the feeling he did. My revenge was always
swift. I’d never given it much time to eat at me. If I had, I might have felt
some similar struggles as he did. And I felt awful because my family had
been to blame for all his issues. But I’d drive myself crazy thinking about
the what-ifs and should-haves. Instead, I forced myself to think of all the
things I could do now.
As Cal packed clothes into suitcases, he came back across the box of
toys from under the bed.
I was fixing the door back on its hinges and wiping everything down
with a solution my mom had sent over. I’d never had to do my own
cleaning like this before. But she had, plenty of times.
 “Can we bring these?” Cal asked, holding up his pair of handcuffs.
“Because you promised we’d be handcuffed together.”
“Bring whatever you want,” I told him.
“What about my mask?” he asked. “I think I left it at the house
though.”
I sighed. I knew he loved that mask. “It’s in the car. I’m surprised
you didn’t find it with your laptop.”
“My laptop is there too?”
“Yeah, it’s in the trunk.”
He let out a squeal. “Ok, be right back!” He hopped into a pair of
slides and raced out of the apartment.
His laptop was his lifetime to Sutton and the rest of the world. Plus,
it wouldn’t have been good if the police had found it and discovered all the
tech installed on it. I’m sure there were a couple felonies waiting to happen
on that alone.
I didn’t know how long it would take to sell my apartment, but I had
enough to tide us both over until it did. And then Cal announced to me he’d
already found us our next home. He’d called out from the living room.
“What?” I asked, maybe I hadn’t heard him right, the fumes from
the cleaning solution had probably eaten at my brain. I went in, removing
the yellow gloves. “Where?”
Cal sat with his feet up on the coffee table and a big smile on his
face. “Yeah, so it’s only one million, and it looks nice,” he said.
“No,” I said.
He stuck his tongue out. “I was joking,” he said. “Sutton found us a
place to crash tonight. So, are you ready?”
I looked him over in his shorts and T-shirt. “I think the real question
is, are you ready?”
He pushed the laptop shut. “I’m always ready!” He stood. The
shorts fell from around his waist, landing at his feet. “Oops. These must be
yours,” he giggled. “I thought they were very roomy when I put them on.”
“Have you packed?”
“Obviously,” he said. “Look in the bedroom. We have, four—no,
five suitcases. I think.” He acted out like he’d counted on his fingers.
Neither of us could see into the bedroom from here.
I gave him a hug, squeezing his ass. “Put some clothes on,” I
whispered in his ear. “If we’re going to make it to your friend, tonight, then
we need to leave soon. And maybe we can hit up a drive-thru on the way.”
His belly let out a giant grumble. “Oh. When?” He pulled away and
grabbed at the shorts around his ankles.
“Right now,” I said, snapping my fingers. “Go on. Get dressed.
We’re ready to leave.” I didn’t think I’d ever be ready to leave, to start the
next chapter was something I’d only dreamed of. It felt like the hold
everyone had held over me was gone. The only hold on me now was Cal,
and that was one I wanted to keep forever.
I couldn’t stop staring at him as he ran around acting headless trying
to say goodbye to everything while simultaneously getting dressed.
“Are you gonna miss this place?” I asked.
“It’s where you saved my life,” he said. “But as long as I’m with
you, I’m home.”
I wanted to pretend it was the pain in my nose that was pulling tears
from my eyes, but it wasn’t, the little bastard emotionally kicked me in the
balls. I turned away and wiped my eyes. “I love you, and we’re going to the
beach, not right now, but I’ll take you to the beach so often that you’ll hate
it.”
He laughed, squeezing me tight into a hug. “You’re silly,” he said.
“I’ll never hate the beach.”
Maybe after rolling around in that sand, he’d change his mind. I’d
never seen him this happy before.
It was all worth it.

OceanofPDF.com
EPILOGUE
One Year Later

CAL

The salty sea water lapped up on the beach shoreline, leaving behind the
trace of foam. I sat just far back enough that the water splashed my feet and
collected inside the small wells I’d made in the sand.
It was our honeymoon. We got married last month in a big ceremony
that both of our families attended. We didn’t think many people would
attend, but the venue packed out, and watched as I told Frankie that I loved
him, and people saw him say he loved me back.
We’d been in this villa by the beach on a nice little island
somewhere. You needed to get two boats just to get to us. But the people on
the island were nice. The sun was always out, and the people we always
singing, dancing, and offering me up the most delicious fruits I’d never
even heard of before.
There was a main resort on the island, and our villa was connected.
It helped because we were on our honeymoon and the last thing either of us
wanted to do was laundry and make food.
Frankie came out of the water like he was doing his best James
Bond impression. He had his tight blue Speedo trunks on. And usually, I’d
have taken an issue with the fact that his package was on display, but now
we both had rings on, and those were commitments to each other.
“The water is nice,” he shouted. “If I have to drag you in here, I
will.” He placed a thumb into the waistband of his Speedos, almost
highlighting himself off.
“I’m tired,” I said, letting out a big yawn.
All we seemed to do was fuck, eat, sleep, and then repeat. Frankie
hadn’t done any work in over a year. I could tell it was getting to him.
Almost eating him up as we explored some rougher sex. Not like we didn’t
already explore that.
“I’ll show you tired!” he waded through the rest of the water, trying
to run.
I jumped up and raced back up the steps toward the villa. “You have
to get dry before you come in,” I called back to him. That was technically a
rule the resort set to stop people from slipping around on the tiles.
As I headed into the house, I noticed someone in the doorway. Not
our usual server. He smiled at me and then walked off.
Watching from the door as Frankie caught him going down the
steps. He asked if everything was ok.
“Get dry,” I shouted, opening the villa door. On the table by the
door, there was a fruit basket. I grabbed at a strawberry. So luscious and
juicy. I ate two of them before Frankie came in and wrapped his wet body
around me.
“What are you gonna do about it?” he asked.
I grabbed another strawberry and as Frankie stuck his tongue out, I
shoved it in his mouth. “There you go,” I chuckled.
With his mouth full, he tried speaking. “What’s that?”
“What’s what?”
“That.” He grabbed at something buried deep inside the fruit basket.
I tried to look at it. It was a pink card, probably another gift from the
villa for our honeymoon. “Who’s it from?”
“Uh—um—”
I snatched the pink card out of his hands. “I think it’s time for you to
come out of retirement,” I read aloud. “The Zodiak Agency. Who are they?”
I flipped it over to see a twelve-pointed star in a holographic pigment
shimmer on it. “Frankie?”
“It can’t be real,” he said, a big smile beaming on his face. “It’s
impossible. It has to be impossible.”
“What’s impossible?”
“This. Them. It all.”
“Tell me then,” I said. “Who are they?”
“The Zodiak Agency are a group, they work doing what I do, at
what I’m good at.”
It wasn’t making any sense to me. But that might have had
something to do with the fact that I’d been sitting out in the sun all day.
“Giving head?” I asked.
“Another type of wet work,” he snickered. “I think this is the sign.”
After traveling all year, and trying to find our peace, we knew there
was something missing. Neither of us had goals anymore. My goal was just
to make Frankie happy, and his goal was to make me happy. When two
people had goals like that, everything was content, but life had no real
purpose.
“Are you gonna take it?” I asked.
After a long pause, he tore the card in two. “If they want me, then so
do other people,” he said. “And I guess now I know what I want to do when
we get back.”
“Oh?” I grumbled, grabbing another strawberry. “What?”
“I’m gonna get set up with Sutton, he told me he’d help me with the
dark web,” he said.
“After everything Sutton went through last year with the Russians, I
don’t think that offer still stands,” I told him.
“He’s the one who booked this place for us,” he said, reminding us
that Sutton had probably gifted us the best honeymoon gift. I only hoped we
could gift him one better when he decided to get married.
“So, what did happen between Sutton and that mafia guy?”
I shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out when we go back, and you throw
work his direction.”
I didn’t mind that Frankie wanted to get back into killing people. It
wasn’t my jam. But I was getting used to him not having scratches or
scrapes all over his body. It was nice to see him without black eyes or
bruises he couldn’t explain.
“And what will I do?” I asked, nervously grabbing at the grapes this
time. “You can’t expect me to just sit in an empty apartment jacking off all
day.”
“I thought about it,” he said.
I tugged a grape from the stem and smushed it into his mouth. “You
haven’t told me any of this.”
“Because it’s just been thoughts.”
“So?”
“You’re my comms,” he said. “You’re my eyes in the sky and my
ears on the ground.”
I stuck my tongue out. “I’m your sidekick.”
“You’re also my husband, who I would really love to protect at all
costs.” He took a grape and placed it in his mouth and then went in and
kissed me, pushing the grape with his tongue from his mouth to mine. “So,
yeah, my sidekick.”
 “You could also say I’m your protector too.” I got all giddy being
involved in his plans.
“Don’t push it, baby,” he kissed me on the forehead. “Now, are you
gonna get Daddy dry, or does he have to drip water all through the house?”
I wrapped my arms around him, just enough so that I could feed
myself grapes with the hand behind him, and my head at the side of his
chest. “All dry.”
He squeezed me against him. “I’m all better now.”

THE END

OceanofPDF.com
 BROKEN
Copyright © 2022 Joe Satoria
All Rights Reserved

Warnings & Tropes: Broken contains a morally gray Daddy/boy romance

between a trained killer and his unhinged boy. There’s little play age play,
but they have a very strong Daddy/boy relationship. There’s lots of blood,
violence, and the use of different weapons. Mention of mental and physical
abuse. However, this book isn’t completely dark, and you will get lots of
cute moments and a HEA.

OceanofPDF.com
 BLURB

Rule #1: I belong to Daddy.

A trained assassin, Atlas is now done blending in. When the love of his life,
and the sweetest boy, Jasiel was imprisoned, Atlas decided it was time to
put an end to the cartel’s hold over him.

He’s out for blood, guts, and glory. And he’ll do anything to be on top,
including murder his family. All Atlas wants is to protect and provide for
his precious boy.

Rule #2: Always get revenge.

Sweet and sassy pyro, Jasiel, did everything he could to make his Daddy
proud, even take the fall for the one crime he didn’t commit. But Jasiel
wasn’t planning on sticking around anyway.

He’s ready to follow Daddy’s orders, and he’ll do it with a stuffie in one
hand and a slushie in the other. He might look sweet, but he’ll burn you
alive for looking at Daddy the wrong way.

Rule #3: Cake is breakfast.

Apart from each other, Atlas and Jasiel are broken. Together they’re an
unstoppable force.

One wrong move and they’ll take everything. Just ask the Coronado Crime
Family... if you can find their bodies.

OceanofPDF.com
PROLOGUE
Heat swelled in the wet earth at our feet, attempting to swallow our shoes.
We stepped through it slowly. The hum of insects chirped through the
humid Florida grassland. We were reaching the Everglades.
I reached out for Daddy’s hand. He was in front of me, leading us to
safety. My hand covered in blood. It wasn’t mine; it was never mine.
“You ok, baby?” he asked in a hushed tone. “The ground is getting
wetter; we should be closer to the river. Are you listening for gators?”
I nodded. We were on alert. The strum of adrenaline throbbed
through me like a pinched nerve, putting all my senses on edge. “I have my
lighter. I’ll fuck one up if it tries to get you.”
He tried to keep his laughter down, but I knew I made him smile
when I talked about being violent. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t think I
was, because I’d killed, obviously. It was more because he was an assassin
—well, an ex-assassin—and he could protect himself as well as me.
“They’re more scared of us,” he said. “But if you hear one or see
one, don’t freak out, and don’t start any fires.” He stopped me, placing his
hands on my shoulders. He stared deep into my eyes, as much of them as he
could see in the dark. “They’ll see us.”
Right. This wasn’t some midnight exploration or training session.
We were on the run for our life and freedom. The moment we could make it
to the boat, we’d be on the next stop out of here. I dreamed of a peaceful
beach island where we could get married. My dangerous Daddy had always
promised me once we retired from this life, we’d settle down. He promised
he’d only kill if it was necessary and not because he was paid. And I’d only
light fires if we got cold, and not because I liked the way the pretty colors
looked when they burned different things. Blue propane flames were my
favorite.
We continued to walk in the direction of the river. We couldn’t take
a path or road. We had to go through the fields with enough grass to obscure
us from view.
“It’s my fault,” I said. “You had it all planned out, and I went and
ruined it.” I hummed, stomping a foot in the wet squelch of land. “You
know, I’m sorry. Right?”
 This time, he couldn’t control his laughter. “Baby.” He picked me up
and carried me over his shoulder. “You’ve never said you’re sorry before,”
he whispered as I let my body go limp over his shoulders, pretending I was
lifeless. “And no, you didn’t ruin anything. You pushed the timeline up. It
couldn’t be avoided.”
I inhaled his sweet cologne. It was strong, like cigarette smoke, with
just a couple dabs of something flammable. It was divine. “I’m sad I won’t
get to say bye to Gen. She was so sweet to me,” I sighed, my voice
groaning out with vocal fry. “The way she knocked on our door all the time.
She wanted to be my friend.”
“Baby, Genette was like eighty years old. And she hated being
called Gen. Plus, she was knocking on our door with noise complaints.” he
snickered. “She wasn’t your friend.”
“Yes, she was,” I snapped. “She invited me to go with to that big
house. And I refused because—because they weren’t serving food.”
“That was a court date, babe,” he said. “Well, a summons.”
I batted a hand at his chest. “Put me down.” I wiped the sticky blood
residue on him. “Next you’ll tell me Steve at the 7-Eleven didn’t like me
either.”
On my feet, I looked up at Daddy Atlas’s face as it caught the
moonlight. He had a beaming, smug smile. “Steve was scared,” he said.
“You threatened to burn his house down because he told you they were out
of blue slushie.”
A little growl rolled out from the back of my throat. “Oh, oh, ok.
Steve will pay for that. We had to drive like ten minutes to find another
store.”
Stroking the back of my head, he encouraged me to keep forward.
“We’re not going back,” he said. “So, Steve can thank his lucky stars and
sleep well at night. Plus, you know we’re not killers, baby.”
I sighed. He was right. He’d been a contract killer, and I’d only
killed killers, or people who intended on killing me, so future would-be
killers. I was a good person; I even had my Blubby and he— “Where’s
Blubby?”
“He’s going to be sent with the rest of our things,” he said, stroking
his hand down my forearm and tugging it. “Keep walking my little
energizer bunny. We’re almost there.”
 Blubby was my stuffed teddy bear. I’d had him since I was a blubby.
It was my first word, so my mom and grandma used to call me that. Plus, I
used to be on the blubby side thanks to grandma’s Colombian cooking. “If
he doesn’t make it, I will make hell,” I said behind gritted teeth.
“You’re too adorable to make hell,” he said. “You’d probably throw
a tantrum and be a little brat, but then you’d ask for cuddles, and you’d
blame someone else. So, in future, we’ll skip your tantrums and go straight
for sex.”
I huffed, storming off ahead. “How can you mention sex at a time
like this?”
He chased after me, our feet plodding through the wet dirt.
“You know I’m impressionable,” I said. “You said the S-word, and
now I just want to be in bed while you do that thing inside me.”
He grabbed my hand. “You need a nap.”
“Yeah,” I said, pouting and pulling my hand away. “I need a nap—
and some dick.” Holding my hand out, I gestured for him to hand it over.
“Where’s it at?”
He pressed my hand against his crotch. “It’s in here, and it’s staying
in here until we’re on that boat,” he said. “Now let’s—”
A crack echoed out, like a branch snapping in two.
Immediately, we lulled our heads. The fun was over. We’d become
too comfortable when we should’ve been focused on getting as close to the
river as possible. There was a boat set up for us in the boatyard.
We were close. The ground around our feet was wetter.
We rushed forward.
A blinding spotlight popped.
It was searching for us.
We knew it we’d be cutting it close. Someone had told them about
our escape plan—and that someone might’ve been me, but only because I
didn’t know it was an escape plan. I thought it was a vacation.
The spotlight hit us.
We were close to the grassy bank of a river.
Two men appeared through the field, shoving handguns in our faces.
They were unrecognizable with the blinding white of the spotlight in our
eyes.
“Gotcha,” they said.
I held Daddy’s hand tight.
 “Which one of you killed him?” they asked.
“Their hands,” I heard them whisper.
We both had blood on our hands from today.
“Boss said kill him.”
“It was me,” Daddy said.
“Atlas, the kill was messy. We know it wasn’t you.”
“Because it was—” he grabbed me, placing his bloody hand over
my mouth.
“We were in a rush,” he said. “So, you’re gonna kill me?”
He was my world. My protector. My light in the dark. He’d do
anything for me, but I couldn’t let him die.
I kicked forward, my foot colliding with one of their guns, removing
it from their possession as it somersaulted up into the air.
We went backward, closer to the river. I didn’t know what our play
was now, but I knew Daddy, and he’d want to continue.
“There’s five other men out here,” they called out, snapping their
fingers. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
It was too late for that.
“Go,” Daddy said. “Run.”
“No, no, not without you.”
“Baby, baby, baby,” he said, giving my hand a squeeze. “Listen.
Run. Go. I’ll come for you.”
I trusted him. My biggest flaw was my trust in him. I’d do anything
he said.
I ran through the weeds and grass, letting the wet mud beneath my
feet drag my shoes and socks off. I made it to the dirt path. That’s where I
saw the car with the spotlight. And then the men. Three of them, facing me,
camouflaged in the darkness.
Behind me, a gunshot whipped through the air.
Turning, I attempted to run back. Instead, my knees buckled. I
dropped to the ground in tears. My heartbeat obscured all noise in favor of
the fuzzy throbbing from within.
My body was plucked from the ground, voices clamoring over each
other for attention. I knew I was next to go.
“He knows where Atlas’s money is,” a voice penetrated the fuzzy
barrier.
“The boss wants him alive.”
But I wished they’d killed me.

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER ONE
JASIEL

ONE YEAR LATER

The metallic clink and electrical buzz of doors slamming were music to my
ears. The keys jingled and footsteps echoed. Like clockwork, I didn’t know
the time or day, but I knew their schedule. And each day, I grew closer to
escaping.
Today was that day.
If my sentencing had anything to do with it, I’d be in here until I
was old.
A baton thudded against my cell door. Like usual and on time. It
didn’t stir me from sleep. I was awake and ready. They’d removed
everything and everyone from my cell. There was once a metal bunk in here
with thin mattresses, blankets, and pillows stuffed with all the good food for
fire.
It wasn’t the first fire I’d started here. In the time I’d been here, a lot
had happened. I’d burned several beds and almost every Bible they forced
onto me in an effort for me to find Jesus while I was in prison.
Unfortunately for the man named Jesus in the cell near mine, I did find him.
He was stabbed six times in his back. Non-lethal, he survived, and he was
paid off to keep them from sending me to another prison. It wasn’t my
choice. The people who put me in here ran this place.
The plan was simple. Get put into a psych hospital. It wasn’t my
plan; it was Daddy’s plan.
The hatch of the cell door opened. “Inmate,” a rough voiced guard
shouted, whacking the door with his baton once more.
I ignored him. I was the only one who the guard had to give food.
Everyone else could leave their cells.
“I’ll tell you once more, inmate. To the door.”
Drastic times called for drastic measures. I took a deep breath,
recalling Daddy’s words from the letters he’d been sending.
‘Baby. We’ll see each other soon. Your great aunt in hospital misses
you too. The voices in her head keep telling her she’s getting worse. And it
would be great to see you once more before she passes. The sooner the
better.’
The words were clear as day. Get sent to a hospital. I didn’t have a
great aunt, so we spoke in code. Or he spoke to me. I couldn’t send letters
back.
When I got my first letter a month after being here, I almost tore it
up before reading it. They’d said it was from my dad. A man I never knew,
nor wanted to know. It was Atlas. He was alive. For over thirty days, he’d
been alive, and I thought he was dead.
The tiny din of the baton whipped against the cell door once more.
“Inmate.”
Standing with my back pressed against the wall, I prepared myself
for this.
The guard’s labored breath was loud as he dipped his head to peer
through the hatch. And that was my moment. With a razor blade tucked
between two fingers, I swung my hand and lashed his face, from eyebrow to
cheek, in a straight diagonal slice.
He screamed.
The heavy jackboots of other guards stormed toward him. I stepped
back and sat on the floor, watching it play out behind the hatch in the cell
door. This had to be the last straw. I’d done all I could.
The Coronado crime family put me behind bars. They were the
reason I hadn’t been transferred since I arrived. They owned the people who
owned this place. But they weren’t going to break me. They wanted to
know where Daddy kept all his money, and even if I knew, I’d die with that
secret.
They didn’t immediately storm the cell. They first put on their riot
uniform with the face shields and pads. I wasn’t over one-thirty soaking
wet.
“Get up,” they shouted, smacking their riot sticks, like regular ones,
but shinier, against their shields.
Even after all the pain I caused, they weren’t violent to me, not like
they were to some of the other inmates. Either they feared me, or they were
ordered not to hurt me. I preferred to think that they feared me.
Everyone banged on their cell doors and jeered. They didn’t know
what had happened, but angry or happy, this was their soap opera.
 I was marched to the warden’s office. I would get myself put there at
every opportunity.
The warden was a slimy figure with gelled hair, scraped back, and a
pinched look. His eyes squinting and his nose slightly scrunched as I
imagined a rodent would look with human features. He glared at me, up and
down from his fancy leather chair.
The handcuffs pinched at my wrists as I was forced into the seat
across from him.
“You’re in early,” I said, wiggling my arms from behind my back
down to my feet as I pulled them up, so my cuffed wrists were in front.
“Much more comfortable now.” I laid my hands on my lap. “I mean, you
could give me another jumpsuit. I’m not keen on how stiff these are. If you
wanted, I could be put on job detail. I wouldn’t use nearly as much starch.”
“Shush,” a guard behind me snapped
The warden shook his head. “Please.” He pressed a forefinger and
thumb into his eyes, massaging the bridge of his nose. He mumbled
something beneath his breath.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Shush,” a guard grunted.
I craned my head back to see the guard, dressed in his pretty little
riot clothes like he was at fancy dress. “Easy now, Neanderthal. I know you
want to make your ancestors proud, but you can use your words.”
The warden slammed a hand on his desk. “You’re not worth it. I’ve
had it up to here!” He gestured with a hand at his forehead.
“So, like, what’s that?” I asked. “Five-eight? Five-ten? I can’t tell if
you were those insole heel things, so I don’t know what your true height is.
And you’re not six-foot tall.”
He snapped his fingers. “Shut up. You’ve been nothing but a
problem. A year. An entire year, and not a single break.” He stood, pacing
the office. My eyes got a chance to wander the room. Scanning it for any
changes. He had the same pictures with the same politicians. And not a
single image of anyone that might be family, but even if he had a family, the
man was too stressed to show that they were even part of his life. “They
said a couple months, max. Then they’d move you to maximum security.”
“No,” I whispered to myself. “I can’t do that.”
“Can’t do what?” he asked.
 “They told me there’s at least sixteen items in here I could use to
burn the office down with,” I told him. “It’s ok though, I’ve got the voices
under control.”
And when all else failed, just play crazy, or at least that’s what
Daddy’s letter said.
‘And you know we’re all going to go crazy soon without you. Hope
you’re keeping well. Your great aunt says “hello”, she’s begging for you to
visit, but I’ve explained your situation.’
I was just doing what he told me.
“That’s enough,” the warden said. “If they want you, they can go
find you somewhere else. You’re not staying here.”
Pushing my lips over my teeth to suppress my smile. I’d broken
him. I was getting what I wanted. I wasn’t sure if that was freedom, or
another hell, but any transfer was good.
I had nothing with me in here. Every letter I was given was quickly
removed from my possession, which was unfortunate because they were
scented with something flammable. My guess was acetone. He’d been
preparing for me to start little fires. They were easier to burn with some
good friction.
“Sit him outside,” the warden instructed. “He can wait for
transport.”
As the guard touched my shoulder, I turned and pushed a hand up,
colliding with his nose and an almighty crunch. Reduced to his knees with
all that heavy riot gear on, I led myself to the bench outside the warden’s
office door.
In the many months inside, I’d broken lots of noses, sprained a
couple of arms, and I threw a guy over the railing when he tried to touch my
ass. There was a net that caught him, otherwise splat. I hadn’t been able to
write any letters back, but I assumed he had people on the inside watching
me because nobody, except that one guy, tried to touch me.
The warden’s phone rang uninterrupted. He ignored every ring that
came to him, from the office phone to his personal cellphone. I was getting
my wish of leaving this hellhole, and he was getting his wish of no longer
having me take up a room he could’ve easily fit four other prisoners in.
Nerves weren’t something I felt, at least not all the time. I got
nervous about the results of things, but usually, I was calm. I’d been taught
from a young age that the most unsettling thing you can be in a room full of
people running around like headless chicken, is being calm. I took that with
me everywhere I went, and it worked well.
Over their radio, I heard them talk about me. I was the prisoner
being transported. They had a spot for me at a nearby psych hospital. If this
place was a bigger prison, they might’ve had their own ward, but I was
lucky they didn’t.
A tall man with scruffy facial hair approached me, sat on the metal
bench outside the warden’s office. “Jasiel Acevedo?” he asked, looking me
up and down. “You don’t look like too much of a threat to me.”
“Come a little closer,” I whispered. “I can show you.”
He chuckled, slapping a hand on his chest. It was a different uniform
than the one I’d seen here. “I’m just here to take you where you need to
go.”
The warden appeared from his office. “Finally. He has nothing
here.” He sucked back a deep breath. “Just take him.”
“Will do,” he said with a nod.
“There should be another officer waiting with our transport van,”
the warden added.
“Another officer?” he asked. “I’m from the psychiatric hospital. I’m
pretty sure I can handle this one.”
“Handle me?” I scoffed. “How about I hand you your own ass?” I
clicked my tongue at him. “Officer—I don’t care.” I tried reading the
scuffed nametag.
The man chuckled. “Let’s not get ahead of yourself.”
“Protocol,” the warden said. “Plus, this one’s a bit—slimy. Watch
out.”
I didn’t like the fact he called me slimy. I wasn’t dipped in kerosene.
I wasn’t going to keep testing him or pushing his nerves. I was getting what
I’d asked for. A transfer. Now, if only I could get word to Daddy about it.
Prison seemed like something that would’ve inevitably happened to
me. Since a teen, I was always being arrested with the threat of juvie. Then,
as I got older, those arrests were easier to evade, and then when I met Atlas,
they didn’t happen at all. Now, I knew that was because the officers in the
area were paid off by a certain crime family.
As we made our way out of the prison through the rear exit, where I
was forced to stay in my cuffs. The burly man with the beard was joined by
another officer. He held the keys up in front of his face.
 “Take it they had to bring in the big guns for this one.” He playfully
gave the guard’s arm a tap. “Oh. Yep. Those are big.”
“The warden said I could take this one,” he said in a dull drone.
The outside world awaited, and I pitied these two men. As soon as I
was on that little metal shuttered bus, I was basically free. They just didn’t
know it yet.
As they fought it out, raising their voices over each other, I walked
toward the huge metal gate. Above, in the stands, there was a man with a
shot gun guarding the perimeter.
“I’m getting bored,” I called out to them, waving my cuffed hands in
the air. “And the voices are telling me to do some very dangerous things.”
The guard in the tower glared at me.
The engine on the bus began as the bigger, burlier man came to
collect me from the gate.
“Listen,” he said in a hushed voice. “This road might get a little
dangerous. Keep your head down and we’ll be ok.”
“Sorry?”
“Atlas sent me.” He had a wide, grinning smile as he stared at me.
Tickles prickled up my neck and cheeks. “Then what are you doing
talking to me?” I scoffed. “Let’s go.” I tutted at him. “And stop smiling.
You look insane.”
His smile vanished as he nodded. “Inmate,” he said. “Let’s go.”
The bus was sectioned into small metal cells in quadrants. As much
as I wanted to get excited about this man being here to help me escape, I
was worried he’d ruin it for the both of us. And if it was so easy for one of
them to get in here, why didn’t someone come for me sooner?
With a gnarly frown on my face, I stared blankly ahead, growing
annoyed that I’d been in here for a year and they had the means to come in
all that time.
The other guy drove, and for about twenty minutes, nothing
happened. I was waiting for some big action to take place between them.
Like, taking his hand to the back of his head and slamming it down on the
steering wheel. I wasn’t afraid of this thing going off the road.
A black SUV approached us head-on.
The transport bus beeped, but the SUV didn’t budge.
“Pull over,” the man said. “Better than colliding with some maniac.”
“Protocol,” the driver answered back. “We can’t stop.”
 This wasn’t how it was going to be. I couldn’t lose it all now when I
was so close to being free.
Staring ahead, trying to see inside the car, everything was a blur.
Three...
We were ready to collide.
Two...
They were screaming at each other.
One...
The wheel spun out of control.
Thrown about inside the metal cage.
A long creak whined as the bus turned on its side.
Whacking my head on the side. I tried to keep my eyes open and
focus.
Smoke filled the surrounding air.
A gunshot pierced through metal with a solid clang.
My vision blurred and my eyes blinked slowly. I was losing
consciousness as the world around me spun like a wash cycle of bloodied
clothes.
“Baby,” a voice said.
I was out of the metal cage, but there was smoke in my vision.
“Baby,” the voice came again as the smoke cleared.
In a teddy bear mask, I knew that voice.
“Daddy?” I said, reaching with my hands cuffed together at the
mask.
He pulled it away to reveal a new look. He’d bleached his hair and
grown out a small beard. “You made it back to me in one piece,” he said,
his face coming in close as he pressed his lips to my forehead.
“Your hair looks nice,” I said, trying to stroke his face.
Another gunshot popped. We both looked in the direction of the
sound. Two men appeared through the smoke. One in the guard’s uniform,
and the other in a rabbit mask. “They’re with me.”

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER TWO
ATLAS

I tried not to let Jasiel sleep. He didn’t seem to care that the way the prison
bus turned on its side, or how he’d hit his head could’ve left him with
concussion. All he cared about was squeezing himself as tight and close to
my body as possible.
For months, we’d been trying to get him out of that prison. We knew
there was only one clear way out, and that was through the transport
system. My two associates, Midas, who I’d trained with and knew for years.
He was partially blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. He’d been the one
who went to pick Jasiel up. Trojan, he was Midas’s protege.
Technologically trained, he kept us on the inside of the prison system and
knew if there was anything new on Jasiel.
We were first on the scene when we got the notice of the transfer.
Although, we couldn’t celebrate that one accomplishment until he was with
us.
Our current safe house was in South Miami Heights. A tenement
building in a poor area. There wasn’t a single ounce of cold air. It wasn’t
anywhere you wanted to find yourself in summer. Some people didn’t have
a choice but to live there, so we made it bearable by hacking the buildings
electricity meters and giving everyone free air conditioning use.
Nobody had followed us from the scene, and nobody had seen our
faces. My face needed to be hidden. I was still presumed dead.
“Are we home?” Jasiel asked through a groggy sleepy voice.
The SUV came to a stop at the light. “Almost,” I told him, on guard,
looking around. “I’m glad you’re back with me, baby.”
“Daddy—” he said, pausing and looking at the two men in the front.
“Who are they?”
“Friends,” I said. “They’re helping.”
Trojan turned. “Hey!” he said, holding a hand to Jasiel. “Name’s
Trojan. I’m the reason we could get all those letters in. You were on a no
letter notice for a while.” Trojan was a wild card, I had to admit. I’d
originally sought Midas out after the shooting, and Trojan was there with
him. He pulled out a gun on me, a mistake he’d never do again. “I’ve heard
so much about you.”
 Jasiel’s heated gaze stared up at me before looking at Trojan. “Who
did those tattoos?”
“Looking to get some ink?” he asked, enthused to discuss the tattoos
on his neck and contoured to the side of his chin. “Well, I’ve got the hookup
with this great guy near Miami Beach.”
“No,” he grumbled. “I want to know so I can avoid them, at all
costs.”
I’d missed Jasiel’s sass and dry delivery. Even Midas chuckled from
the driver’s seat.
“Don’t take it personally,” I said, stroking my hand on Jasiel’s
forehead. “He just got out of prison.”
“I mean it though,” Jasiel grumbled. He looked up at me and smile
before burrowing his head back on my lap, searching for my cock like some
type of truffle pig.
We parked up outside the old, crumbly building. Our favors for the
people inside had gone a long way in buying their trust and silence. We’d
been here for nearly two months already, and we should’ve been thinking of
moving onto another. We had options; a safe house in Cutler Bay, and
another in Palmetto Bay.
Putting my mask on and a blanket over Jasiel to leave the car, I
carried him inside. He wrapped his legs around me like a koala. And by the
time we reached the apartment, he was asleep and snoring with his head on
my shoulder.
I allowed him to sleep this time. Lowering him on the bed and
cranking up the air-con. His humor was there, so I saw little danger in
letting him rest for a while. I’d never been in prison like that. I’d been a
prisoner, and I knew how difficult it could be to find peace and sleep
sometimes.
All the windows in the apartment were boarded up from the inside.
We were on the fourth floor with a view of the parking lot outside which we
could see from small moving slats in the wood. It kept things cooler without
the sun shining in, and these days, everyone and their mother was spying
with drone technology.
Trojan and Midas were in the kitchen. Midas stroked a finger at
Trojan’s neck and tattooed skin. “Did he mean it?” Trojan asked, pouting at
Midas.
 “Yes,” I said, plainly. “He’ll say whatever is on his mind, and he’ll
get away with it. But how could he not get away with?” I asked as a
rhetorical question. Jasiel was cute, sassy, and sometimes even bratty, but
I’d let him do that and much more if it made him happy. “Plus, if you think
I’m a little crazy, then he’s—he’s the crazy energy that charges me.”
Midas raised a brow. “We saw the security footage of him with that
knife,” he said, tilting his head. “You said he had a past in a circus, right?”
“For a few years, sure. Fire blowing, knife throwing, walking on
stilts, flexibility, but he can’t contort, so don’t bring that up,” I said,
watching their faces glaze over in both shock and excitement. They were
lucky he was on our side. “Anyway, he’s gonna have a lot of questions, just
don’t be intimidated, because he will act like he’s going to stab you at any
moment. Just know that he won’t. Probably won’t.”
“Probably won’t?” Trojan asked, grabbing Midas’s shoulder. “What
do you mean by that?”
“We’re in this together, stabbing you—or you, would be a bad
move,” I said. “And Midas has already earned his favor getting him out,
even if there was the whole turned over bus. Just hope he doesn’t blame that
on you.”
“He won’t, right?” Midas asked. “I don’t want to hurt your boy,
Atlas.”
A snicker shot from the back of my throat. “Guys, relax. Don’t be
silly. And don’t think like that,” I said, still smiling. “I wouldn’t let you
touch him. Don’t even think like that. We’ve all got one aim in this. Wipe
the Coronado family off the map.”
They both nodded. It was cute of them to think I’d let them harm
Jasiel, or to think they could harm him. Trojan was upset because of
something Jasiel had said, and he’d need to get over that fast.
“And don’t take anything he says personally. It a defense
mechanism,” I told them. Stuffing a hand into my pocket, I pulled out the
silver metal lighter. “Plus, when he gets his hands on this, you’ll see just
what my boy can do.”
As the two of them left the apartment for food, I cuddled up in bed
beside my boy. For about twenty minutes, he didn’t notice, and then he
rolled over on top of me and put a hand to my throat. I countered it,
grabbing his throat in return and letting my thumb linger over his carotid
artery. He smiled, letting go.
 “I forgot,” he grumbled, resting on my chest. He wiggled around.
Kissing his forehead, I reassured him everything was going to be
fine. Or at least it would be fine once we got what we’d come for. We
could’ve left Miami, the State, even the country and found somewhere else.
We tried to take that easy way out, but they wanted bloodshed. They wanted
ours, and I gave them a little bit when I was shot in my arm, I think they
assumed it had been my chest, but I’d taken a shot before on purpose, better
hurt for a little while than dead forever.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, planting lots of kisses on my face.
Sitting on my abdomen, he unzipped the onesie down to his waist. He wore
a white vest under it, and I got to see more of his beautiful olive skin.
I rubbed a hand on his chest. He’d grown a little hair on it in the
time we’d been apart. “I thought you liked everything smooth?”
“I do,” he huffed. “But who was I going to be shaving for in
prison?”
I suppose he had a point there.
He leaned on me once more. “You know what I’ve missed more
than everything else in the entire world.” He slipped his hands down the
front of my jeans, pulling them out almost immediately. “You have it!” He
revealed the lighter up in the small stream of light coming into the
bedroom.
“Is that all you’ve missed?” I asked, stroking a finger down the side
of his face.
Jasiel clicked the top of the lighter, pulling the lid. A spark popped
and the flame appeared. “So pretty.” He clicked it shut again and looked
down at himself for a pocket. “Ugh, tell me I have some clothes here.” His
brows knitted together as he glared. “Well, do I?”
“Yes, yes, yes. I have all your things here,” I told him, trying to cut
anything before it happened. Jasiel hadn’t napped properly, and soon he’d
be threatening to burn the place.
The apartment door opened and in with it came the smell of fast
food, more importantly, Jasiel’s favorite fast food.
“Food,” he said, rolling off me. “For me?”
“For all of us,” I said, enamored by the way he looked in the light. I
hadn’t seen, smelled, or touched him in so long. It was almost a dream had
come true for me to feel him beside me. I reached out, but he ran off.
 In the living area, Midas and Trojan were opening the takeout boxes
on the small coffee table. Jasiel watched over them, his hands itching to
grab a paper plate.
Fried chicken was takeout of the day. Jasiel loved fried chicken, off
the bone, in a burger, he was one of the skinniest people I’d known, and he
could eat his entire weight in food without putting on a pound.
We sat on the couches and ate while Trojan flicked through the TV
channels until a familiar setting appeared. The highway road we’d been on,
and the prison bus still turned on its side.
“They’re gonna be looking for me,” he said. “Can I dye my hair like
you?” He ran his greasy fingers through my hair.
“Jasi, don’t do that,” I said.
“Why not?” he asked. “I can do whatever I want to you, or don’t
you want me to touch you?” He pouted and let out a sniffle. “It’s ok if you
don’t want me to touch you, I’ll just—” he let out another fake sniffle. “Just
touch myself.”
I grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it. “You’re mine. I’m
yours. Of course, you can do whatever you want to me,” I said. “But that
goes both ways, baby.”
“Fuck, they have his picture up,” Midas grumbled.
Jasiel snatched his hand away from me and grabbed another piece of
fried chicken. “Don’t worry,” he said. “If they think about coming near me,
I’ll kill them like—like real good.”
Midas and Trojan watched with wide eyes.
“He’s dangerous, but he’s not going to be doing anything too
dangerous,” I told them. “Not when I’ve just got him back. Isn’t that right?”
Jasiel looked up at me with his mouth full of food and greasy lips.
He swallowed. “The only dangerous thing I can think about right now is
getting my back blown out,” he said. “I haven’t had sex in a year.” He
wiped his mouth with arm sleeve from the prison jumpsuit like it was a stiff
napkin. “Wait. You haven’t had sex with anyone, right?”
“No,” I said, immediately. “The last thing on my mind was fucking
anyone.”
He smiled wickedly. “Good. I didn’t want to have to cut it off.”
I pressed my face closer to his. “The only way it’s coming off, is if it
gets stuck inside that tight pretty hole,” I whispered. “Now, eat your food,
get some energy, because that ass is mine, and I’m going to do whatever I
want with it.”
Jasiel looked at me, wiggling his brows at me. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Uh—yeah,” Midas began. “So, let us know when you two—you
know, and we’ll head out for a bit.”
I looked over at Trojan’s face, staring at us with a little jealousy.
“But why do they get to, and we don’t?” he asked.
Snickering, I shook my head. “I told you, you could, but not near
me,” I said. “And now that Jasi’s back, I don’t care.” I cupped a hand under
Jasiel’s chin and guided it toward my pursed lips. Giving him a large
greasy-lipped kiss on his cheek. He immediately tried extending his tongue
to lick at the kiss. He couldn’t.
Midas stood with his paper plate of food. “Give us a text when
you’re finished, we have work to do, remember?”
He called it work. We called it revenge.
And we were ready, we just needed to reconnect and recalibrate our
bodies.

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER THREE
JASIEL

I went straight to the bathroom after eating. I needed to get all cleaned up.
Daddy handed me a shower caddy filled with all the things I used to have. It
had been a while since I’d been able to use products like these. There were
scented soaps, multiple shampoos and conditioners, and a razor blade that
didn’t hurt, plus sensitive shaving cream.
Even with everything in the caddy, I still only took a couple
minutes. I’d been waiting for this moment for a year. I was surprised I
hadn’t already jumped on Daddy’s body and taken him for a drive to pound
town, or at least for him to take me there.
“Babe!” I called out. “I’m all wet and I don’t have anything to
wear.”
The bathroom door burst open seconds later. Daddy was in his black
shirt, already slightly unbuttoned near his navel. His belt unbuckled around
his jeans. He stared at me, a smile on his face, as he looked me over, naked
in the shower.
“Look at you,” he said, blowing little kisses with his lips. “Now, are
you sure you want to put clothes on?” he asked. “Or should I carry you to
bed?”
I sighed. “If you’re going to make me decide, we’re going to be
waiting all day.”
He tilted his head to the side. “You’re right.” He rolled up his
sleeves. “I’ll decide then.” He opened his arms to me and let me leapfrog
into his arms and to his chest. I clung to him and planted a million kisses on
his face.
“I’m going to take to rip those clothes off you,” I whispered in his
ear. “And then—”
“I’m going to going to push your legs apart into splits, and just see
how flexible you’ve stayed all this time,” he whispered back, his mouth at
my ear, giving it a nibble. “Now, you know the rules baby, if it goes too far,
we say Nicaragua.” He carried me through into the bedroom, the stark
darkness hit as there wasn’t a single light on.
I tutted. “I know that.” I licked up the length of his neck. “Do your
worst, Daddy.”
 He threw me to the bed. I bounced, turning around and propping
myself up on my knees. Shoving my ass in the air, I gave it a wiggle,
teasing him.
Sitting on the end of the bed, he slowly took off his shirt. I clung to
his back, my hands in claw formation as they dug into his chest. I pulled the
shirt, and with several tears of fabric, I tore it from him. “Easy,” I said,
throwing the scraps of shirt fabric to the floor. It was expensive, I could tell
by the feel.
“Look at you,” he said. “I thought it was going to take forever for
you to do that.”
My grabby hands dug into his chest, collecting a handful of his
muscle and the hair in my palm. I squeezed hard, letting my nails go into
his skin. He placed his hands on mine, holding them tight.
“You need to do harder than that,” I told him. “Make me feel
something.”
“I’m just making sure you’re adequately teased,” he said, letting go
of my hands. “So, keep clawing at me baby, I’ve missed how close to
bleeding you get me.”
I scoffed, throwing myself back on the bed. “Don’t ruin my fun,” I
said. “Be like, ouch, or owie.”
“Ow,” he tssked his teeth. “Like that?”
“Noooooo.” I rested my feet on his back, gently kicking. “You’re at
like sixty and I want you to be at one hundred. No, no. A thousand.”
Resting on my feet, he let out a relaxed sigh. “Like a massage,” he
snickered. “Let me get the coconut oil, baby.”
Our love language was physical touch, if that was through grabbing
each other, clawing at each other skin, biting, and of course, fucking. The
closer we could get to trying to be inside of each other, the happier we were.
“No, no, no, no.” I kicked his back with the rhythm of my words.
“You’re making me wait. I don’t want to wait.” He was teasing me, and he
knew I didn’t like being teased. I mean, I liked to be teased, but only if that
teasing went straight to dick inside me. “I’ll give you ten seconds.”
“Ten seconds?” he asked, standing up from the edge of the bed. He
dropped his trousers. In the dark, I could barely see anything in his dark
briefs. That was a tease within a tease.
“Nine,” I grumbled, covering up my cock with a hand so he couldn’t
see me. “Eight.”
 He kicked off the rest of his trousers. “Don’t be silly, baby. You’ll
never get to one.”
Perhaps he was right about that, I would’ve drawn out those
numbers for as long as possible.
Pouncing on the bed, he dove headfirst between my legs with his
head at my crotch. “Don’t make me bite them,” he said, stroking his hand
over my mine as I continued to cover my growing erection. “Unless you
want me to pry those hands away. You want me to work for this?” he asked.
“I have worked for it.” He nuzzled his head to my hands. Placing his lips to
my hand, he opened them and let his teeth gently press against my skin.
“You taste divine.”
I removed my hands and gave him control. The way he called me
divine sent a trilling shiver through my back and face. I couldn’t deny him
my skin after he’d waited so long to have a taste, but that worked both
ways, I’d get my taste too.
Lifting my legs and parting them, he stuffed his face between my
cheeks, his tongue licking my hole. My head spun with the tingling
sensation of his tongue. Pushing my legs and my knees to my chest, he
continued to get a deeper angle of my hole.
“I’m never let you go again,” he said, looking up at me. His hand
extended up my chest and grabbed my hand. “Never again.” His head went
back down and with his tongue, he continued to work his magic. His tongue
at my balls and traveled to my shaft. “I can’t describe your taste.” He
continued to lick. “But I know it’s mine.”
We’d already agreed on that. He was mine. I was his. If weren’t
trying to get revenge or fuck, we might’ve gotten married. He came up for
air a moment later, taking his weight and pinning me down on the bed. I
wiggled and writhed like it was a game. The boner inside his briefs was
rock solid against my cock, but it was unfair that his wasn’t out like mine,
and I couldn’t get it with his hands pinning me into the bedsheets.
Teasing me with the cock in his briefs, gyrating his hips and
pressing it down. “I didn’t masturbate for three months,” he whispered in
my ear before nibbling at the side of my neck. “Three months.”
“I didn’t masturbate for six months,” I said, clenching my legs
around his waist. I dug my knees into his hips until he let out a gentle laugh.
“An entire year. I haven’t touched it in a year.” I tried digging my legs into
him harder, but he only chuckled louder.
 I knew he didn’t believe me. I wouldn’t have believed me either. My
dick was like my best friend. It was always there for me, and it would give
me those happy rushes of energy whenever I was feeling a little down, so
when I couldn’t get those rushes by threatening people, I got them from my
friend lefty, but I could also do righty too.
We wrestled around on the bed, rolling over with me on top.
There wasn’t much I could see in the dark, so I turned on the lamp
from the bedside table. Now, I was ready to inspect his body. I was looking
for new marks, bruising, or scratches. If he really had been faithful, then
there’d be nothing to show on his body.
Thrusting at his hips, he was trying to distract me from counting the
scars and dots on his body.
“Twenty-two,” I said. “Just like I remembered.” Every mark on his
body. It was a history map I saw every time I closed my eyes. My fingers
traced it to calm me down, and each time I lingered over fond memories,
and most of them were sexual.
“I haven’t done my count yet,” he said, raising a hand. He let his
finger boop at my nose. “One. Ok, like I remembered.”
In the moment, I knew he was teasing me, but then I felt the second
boop from his briefs.
With ravenous feral bunny energy, I pulled myself off his body and
tore his briefs away from him, yanking at the center to snap the band, then
the rest of them came away easily. His cock was hard, curved up to his
belly, the foreskin slightly covered the head, letting the pink tip peek
through.
It had been too long; I couldn’t help but grab it with both hands and
start sucking. He was my favorite flavor of lollipop, and I could suck his
juicy tip for hours. Precum added taste to his tip, and I continued to suck
with the intention of being rewarded by more of that magical flavoring.
His hands ruffled through my hair before he pressed, trying to choke
me on his cock. He’d taken his time. I’d wanted him to be pushing my head
down a lot sooner. I wanted to force it inside my mouth and reach the
dangly thing at the back of my throat.
Thrusting his hips as his hands got greater control of my head with
his fingers intertwined in my hair. “Yeah, baby,” he let out. “Tell me how
much you’ve missed me. How much have you wanted this?”
 In my attempt at speaking, my throat vibrated against his cock. I felt
his salty sweet precum trickle down inside me.
Pulling my head away and fighting his hands as he kept pushing my
head back. I won, pouncing on his chest, I backed up a little, so my ass was
at his cock. “Fuck me,” I said. “If you don’t make this last year of no sex
worth it, I might put myself back in prison.”
He stuck his tongue out. I stuck mine out, meeting his as I lowered
my head. And as I got close, he pulled his tongue back in and bit mine,
holding it inside his mouth. His licked the end of my tongue with his. He
wasn’t even biting that hard.
Releasing my tongue, he shook his head. “Don’t tell me what to do.
I’ll do what I want, when I want, and how I want.”
Now, he was speaking my language. I stroked a hand at the side of
his face. “Then do it already.” My brows furrowed together. “Or I might
just rub my cock against your belly and cum all over you.”
A light tut came from his tongue. “What happened to foreplay?” he
asked, reaching around my body. He touched my hole and entered it with a
single finger. “What happened to not rushing things?”
We’d had enough foreplay, sometimes a little knife action,
sometimes he’d throw me around and test my flexibility, but most of the
time, we’d see who could last the longest without cumming, and that was
difficult for him because I practiced tightening my hole daily, so I knew I
was about ready to rock his entire world.
As he pressed his finger inside me, I squeezed my hole around it.
“Baby,” he whispered. “If you don’t let me inside that sweet,
delicious hole, then I’ll have to take it.”
I squeezed around it harder. “Then take it. Do your worst.”
I needed him to bite back. Now.
With his hand around my back, he rolled over with me. “Then I’ll
fucking take it,” he said. “It’s mine.” He leaned in and kissed my nose.
“What exactly can you do to stop me?”
I raised my foot, pressing my heel against his chin. “Don’t ask me
that,” I said, softly. “You know it drives me crazy.”
He turned his head and pressed his teeth into my foot. “Not stopping
me.” He flashed a grin at me, running his tongue over his teeth. “Come on
then, baby. Look—” he removed his hand from my hole and whacked at his
hard cock. It barely moved. “I’m about to win.”
 I didn’t know what he considered winning, but if I got fucked, then I
was winning. “No.” I raised my second leg, pressing the heel to his throat.
It was gentle, but it was in place. “I could hurt you real bad from here,” I
said. “Like, real, real bad.”
“Do it.”
Both feet pushed together, closing in around his neck. “You’re
getting me harder, baby,” he whispered. “You want to reach out for that
coconut oil?”
I stretched out to the bedside table and grabbed the coconut oil from
the drawer. As I did, he parted my legs, diving between them and pressing
his hand to my throat. “Not fair,” I moaned, pushing my lips into a pout.
“All is fair in love and sex, or whatever the saying is,” he snickered,
pressing his lips to my cheek and kissing.
I handed him the jar of coconut oil. The seal was still on the lid. Not
that I was surprised, he hadn’t been fucking.
It didn’t take him long before he was pressing getting my hole ready
with the coconut oil. Penetrating deep with his finger. It was harder for me
to squeeze around it with all the lubrication from the oil.
“No stopping me now,” he said, kissing me, his tongue deep in my
mouth. I toyed back with it, biting it like he’d done with mine. He stretched
my legs around him, readying his cock at my hole. Now, he was teasing me.
That’s why we worked well, we teased each other until we couldn’t help but
fuck each other’s brains out. It was better than blowing them out.
As the tip of his cock went inside me, he wrapped his hands around
my throat.
I smiled at him. “What else?”
He thrust his hips down between my legs, his cock going all the
way. He stared intensely into my eyes.
Butting my lips, I wasn’t making a sound. I fought desperately not
to let out a moan.
He fucked me harder, the springs in the bed were making all the
noise.
I let out a moan after holding them back and he pressed a hand over
my mouth to muffle them. “You don’t get to do that,” he said, smirking. He
pressed his cock deep inside, keeping it there. “Look at you, fighting the
urge.”
 Biting his hand, he didn’t flinch or let go. I gyrated my hip, making
him fuck me as he laid still on me.
Forcing his body down on me and hooking his legs under my knees,
he pressed them apart and pinned me in place. “Baby, what have you been
doing all this time?” he asked. “Don’t tell me you’ve lost your spark?”
I bit harder. He removed his hand. “My spark!” I scoffed,
maneuvering my legs to wrap around his waist. “I’m gonna make you cum
inside me so hard, you’ll still be cumming long after I’ve hopped off your
dick to clean myself.”
He grinned, but I meant it. “Talk dirtier. What else?”
We rolled over once more. On top of him, I sat on his dick, wiggling
around in all motions as he laid with his hands under his head, enjoying the
experience. He was clearly having too much fun.
I leaned across him and placed my mouth at his nipple. “Is that as
hard as you can get?” I asked, biting around his nipple and leaving my teeth
marks. He wrapped his fingers around the back of my head and pressed me
harder on his chest.
“You know I can get harder,” he whispered.
I had needs, and right now, I needed to be filled with cum.
Pulling from his skin, I gyrated my hips on his cock before I started
bouncing on it.
Each time I came away, he went back inside, and my hole tingled.
My toes curling at the sensation.
Daddy played with my nipples, squeezing his fingers on the hard
nibs.
I shot my load up his chest and kept bouncing.
He pulled me down on him and with the swift motion, the bed gave
way as both the legs snapped, sending us down.
He kept me in his arms, squeezing me close. He stood with me and
started fucking against the wall before he unloaded his cum inside me.
Minutes later, he was still inside me, letting me experience what I’d asked.
Keeping his cock cumming in me.
My year of abstinence was finally over.
And I was never doing that again.
“Can we go again?” I whispered in his ear.
Through his chest, heavy, pressed against me, keeping me pinned
against the wall. He let out a chuckle. “We have work to do.”
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER FOUR
ATLAS

Jasiel had almost worn me out, but I’d been saving myself up for him. I’d
been waiting and building up everything inside me, all for it to come out in
the form of me breaking our bed. The last thing I needed, but perhaps a
reason to leave this safe house.
Midas and Trojan were back after a call. I showered and Jasiel
rummaged through all the things I had bagged for him when he arrived. He
dressed in a blue tie-dye crop top and a pair of short denim overalls. He
wiggled his bum around the living room as he walked around, showing off
his new freedom to wear what he wanted after a year in prison.
“Are we going to talk business now?” Midas asked, looking away
from Jasiel, even though everyone in the room knew he wanted the
attention.
I patted a hand at my knee, getting him to sit beside me. He tucked
his hand into mine, squeezing it. “Come on,” I said. “We can have our fun
later.”
“Business,” he said, nodding. “Who’s first on our kill list?”
Trojan laid out a map. It was south Florida, focused on Miami. Our
location was pointed with a red dot. The known locations of the Coronado
family were all dotted in blue. There were a lot of them, ranging from
where they lived to where they occasionally went.
“I’m surprised you didn’t kill anyone already,” Jasiel said in a sigh.
“I thought you were some cold-hearted killers.”
“We were waiting for you,” I whispered to Jasiel. “I’d never do
anything without you like that.”
He rolled his eyes at me. “Just say I’m incredible and you can’t do
this without me.”
My hand at the back of his neck, I pulled him close. “You’re my
breath, you’re my blood, and without you, why would I do anything?” I
pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Now, let’s not be bratty, take this seriously.
Who do we kill first?” I asked, although we had a couple of hits planned
already. I liked to give him a little control. My little firecracker enjoyed
power, but for real power, he handed it all over to me.
Midas and Trojan looked to each other before looking at me.
 “You decide,” he told me. And I knew he would. I had control.
There were many people we had to get through before we got to the
man who sat at the top of the crime family organization. The same man who
I’d worked for, killed for, and even recruited for. But the moment he put a
gun to me and told me my option was to either continue working for him, or
die, we all knew how that was going to work out.
“The good news is, they still think Atlas is dead,” Midas said. “The
bad news is, Jasiel made the news, and they know he’s on the loose. We
stopped by a gas station and his face was all over the TV.”
“How did I look?” he asked. “If they posted the mugshot they took
when I was taken in, then I’m gonna be mad. They didn’t let me do this, or
this.” He threw up a peace sign and stuck out his tongue. “I’m probably
unrecognizable.”
I wouldn’t have said so, but those actions made him much cuter.
“We should be careful then,” I said, stroking his leg. “That means—” I
paused, knowing halfway through that there was no way I could possible
control anything he did. “We won’t draw attention to ourselves.” An issue
Jasiel had. I didn’t have the same issue. As an assassin, it was my job to go
unnoticed, and I did that incredibly well. People didn’t know I was there
until after the job was done.
“I think we wanted to go for the person who shot Atlas first,” Midas
said, stabbing a finger on the map. “It wasn’t any of his boys,
unfortunately.”
Benicio Coronado had six adult children. Benicio Jr, Jesus, Luis,
Miguel, Rosa, and Silvia. Luis was the one who Jasiel had killed when he
pointed a gun at us in a threat that we weren’t to leave the family. Benicio
was being groomed to take over. They were a dangerous family, each part
of them spreading fear throughout Miami. They were extorted, kidnapped,
trafficked drugs and weapons, and a laundry list of crimes.
“Alonzo,” Trojan said. “Alonzo Gambaro. He’s the one. He took
credit for killing Atlas. A couple of men at a bar were talking about it.”
“A bar,” Jasiel gasped. “I haven’t had alcohol in a year. Can I go to a
bar?” He asked, hanging from my arm, tugging it for attention. “Please,
please, please.”
“Later,” I told him. “Maybe you and Trojan could go, get to know
each other.”
 He let out a small celebration wiggle in his seat. “We could play,
who can take the most tequila shots without passing out,” he said, nodding
across the room to Trojan.
“Do not play that with him,” I said. “He could drink a grown man
under the table and walk away with only a wave in his step.”
He gently whacked my arm. “It’s not my fault I’m talented.”
That was one word for it. He had developed an intolerance, after
years of drinking hard liquor from being a teen, to working as a carney.
“Alonzo frequents Sambo, a bar a couple blocks away,” Midas
continued. “Trojan has the hook up with the closed security system. So, we
know when he visits. What we’re looking for, is a way to get him without
alarming the Coronado family. So, we need a plan.”
“Kerosene on his body, then light him up like a Christmas tree?”
Jasiel suggested. “Or if we’re looking for like torture, I have my knives, or
we could—oo oo, we could use him to send a message, like we’re coming
for you, or the for as a number 4.”
“Great ideas, babe,” I said. “I’ve been thinking of it for a while. I
want to know what the Coronado’s are planning. Trojan got up a cargo
manifest, so he knows they have shipments coming in, but they’ve got more
shipments coming in that usual lately.”
“What shipments?” he asked.
“We don’t know.”
When we worked for the family, we saw them bring in guns and
drugs, but those shipments were small. If they were increasing operations,
then we should be worried. The last thing we needed was for them to be
expanding, because expanding meant more people, and more people meant
more mess. I ran clean operations, the fewer people I had to kill, and the
less blood I got on myself, the better it was. Unlike Jasiel who, much like
fire, would explode and consume whatever he could in a rage.
“So, the goal is to find the weasel who shot me, get what we need
from him, then end his suffering,” I said, cracking my knuckles together.
“I’ll be taking care of the information extraction.”
Jasiel yanked my arm again. “Can I watch?”
“Of course, baby.” I pulled his hand up to kiss it. “You’re my good
luck charm.”
The plan was split up into phases with our ultimate goal in getting
revenge. But we wanted to dismantle and disrupt as much of them as
possible, and that tasked us with knowing what was in those shipping
containers, and how we could best use them. If we cut the Coronado family
off at their blood supply, they’d collapse at their knees.
Jasiel and I left Midas and Trojan in the apartment. They had their
own room, a smaller room to mine, but now I’d emptied my balls into my
sweet boy, I was ready to begin. This had been a long time coming, and
they weren’t prepared for me to unleash every force I had. When I was
alive, people knew to watch out for me. But since I was dead, they had no
idea what was coming.
We wore masks animal masks, similar in a way to the Japanese Oni
masks. I’d trained in Japan for a short period, learning to use their weapons
and different techniques. It was a time I’d treasured. It came in use
constantly. I was in the teddy bear mask, and Jasiel had picked out the mask
of a cartoon mouse.
In the car, I drove us around. Jasiel stared out of the window as he
played with the air-con on the console, pushing the plastic ridges that were
directing the air in all different directions.
“I want a slushie,” he said, turning to me. He lifted the mask up
from his face and gave me puppy dog eyes and a pout. “It’s all I want. A
cold slushie with all the blue raspberry tanginess on my tongue.”
“Then let’s go get a slushie,” I told him. “Maybe we can pick up a
couple wooden crates to shove under the bed too. Unless you don’t mind
sleeping on a diagonal slant.”
“I just got out of prison. I’ve slept on worse.”
That was true for both of us. At least the bed had a mattress. The
only time I looked forward to sleeping on a cold solid floor was when I’d
pulled a muscle in my shoulder. “Never again though,” I told him. “From
now on, only the best for my baby.”
“Good,” he said. “Because I also want to help. I want to be a bigger
part. I’ve been so—ugh.”
“It’s ok,” I said. “Let it out. It’s been a lot for you. Maybe tomorrow,
we could do something fun together. The zoo, maybe?”
“I love the zoo!”
I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t know he loved zoos. “And
when we leave, after all of this shit is over, we can go take a Safari tour and
see lions up close.”
 “Are you being serious with me right now?” he asked, yanking my
arm as I drove. “Because you know how much I’ve always wanted to go on
one of those. See the elephants, zebras, giraffes, like, are they even real?”
“Yes, they’re real.”
“No, but I mean, I’ve only ever seen them in the zoo, so like, do
they even exist outside?” he asked, pulling my arm again. “You know what
I mean.”
I pulled into a gas station where I could see large wooden crates
going unused. I parked up and let Jasiel wander off inside the convenience
store for his slushie.
The wood crates were near the dumpster, and it wasn’t the first time
I’d fished inside a dumpster for something. But I wasn’t going into one this
time, I was just grabbing what I could see. The two of them looked like
they’d prop the bed up for a night or two, but we’d probably be moving
onto another safe house after that.
As I finished packing the crates, I heard Jasiel’s voice from inside
the store.
The man behind the counter raised both his hands up as Jasiel stood
in front of him, his mask pushed up from his face as he slurred down the
large blue slushie.
“I—I—I—” the worker stuttered.
“I was waiting for you,” he said to me. “I told you I wasn’t stealing.
And I didn’t even threaten to kill him, I promise.” He said, his brows
pinching together.
His face was completely visible, and so was the screen with his
mugshot. “Fuck,” I grumbled. I sucked in a deep breath and approached the
man at the counter. “Listen. You didn’t see anything. If you say you saw
anything to anyone. I’ll come back and make a pretty little painting with
your brain on this.” I tapped a finger on the scratched plastic.
“Understand?”
“I—I understand,” he said, his hands still high in the air.
“Good,” I said, tucking a hand into my trouser pocket. I had a stack
of bills inside a gold money pin. “I’ll know if you say anything.” I threw a
small bill at the counter.
“He doesn’t deserve that,” Jasiel said, snatching it away.
“Come on,” I said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “And put
that back. We pay for things, like silence.”
 He sighed, throwing the bill to the ground as we walked out. He
continued to suck at the slushie through the straw, the sound was like a dry
scratch as he got every ounce of blue raspberry liquid flavoring, leaving
nothing but the white-gray of the ice.
“Don’t cause trouble,” I told him as we sat in the car. “We’re
keeping a low profile for the moment.”
“I know, I know,” he said, pouting his blue-stained lips at me. “I was
just—I wanted to drink it so fast.”
“And no brain freeze?” I asked.
He scoffed. “I’m a professional. This mouth doesn’t experience
brain freeze.”
I hummed, reaching over to him and stroking his chin. “You have a
talented mouth.”
His hand grabbed at my crotch. “You want to see if I can make it
blue?” He stuck his tongue out, showing me how his entire mouth had
turned blue, looking like he’d blown a Smurf.
“Please do,” I said, unbuckling my belt.
BANG.
A gunshot whipped through the air, shattering the back side window.
Immediately looking to Jasiel to see if he was hurt, my eyes then
glanced to the sound of the shot.
The skid of a motorcycle screeched on the road.
They were gone.
I held Jasiel’s hand, double checking he was ok.
“Let’s go get them!” he said.
“No. We have a plan. All that matters is you’re safe. Let’s head
back.” I looked behind to the side window that was shattered. The bullet
had landed in the headrest of the back seat.
It was close.

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER FIVE
JASIEL

I was ready to get out of the car and fight whoever shot at us. We needed to
know who it was, and thankfully Daddy stopped me from making any big
mistakes, like getting in way over my head. I knew I could sometimes bite
off more than I could chew, and jump the gun, but I didn’t like people to
think they could just come to us and shoot without there being any
repercussion.
We went back into the convenience store off the gas station while
Daddy spoke to the man about getting CCTV footage, or whatever it was
Trojan could do, and I refilled my big slushie drink. I got a couple extra to
save for later.
Back at the apartment, he told Midas and Trojan about what had
happened. It was apparently the same gas station they’d been at earlier
when they saw my gorgeous face on the TV.
“I spoke to the man working there,” Daddy said, squeezing a hand at
my knee as we sat on the couch. “He said didn’t know about how to give
access to the footage, but I think if you go down there, you could grab the
footage and we could see who it was.”
I slurped on my slushie, going slower this time to savor the flavors
on my tongue. “Don’t worry, we paid him off too.”
Trojan nodded, glancing at his laptop screen. “I haven’t had any
police alerts, so I believe that.”
“I also grabbed this,” he said, revealing the shell from the bullet.
“Might trace it back to the Coronado family, but honestly, it could be
anyone. And they’ve probably put a bounty on Jasiel’s head too.”
I let out a giggle, musing about my potential price, and whether they
wanted me dead or alive. Quickly, the idea dissolved into anger as they’d
shot at me and that wasn’t something you did to someone you wanted to
keep alive. “When we find them, there’s gonna be a bloodbath,” I said
before returning to my slushie.
“Absolutely,” he said, giving my inner thigh another squeeze. “We
also need to remember to keep our masks on, even in the car, well
especially the front seats, the back windows are blacked out for that
reason.”
 “We’ll head over, and I can see what serial numbers are on that
shell,” Midas said, taking the shell. “I think it’s also time we think about
moving.”
There was an agreed nod around the room. I didn’t care much, I
probably preferred a change of scenery, especially since the bed was broken
here. And I cared little for how rundown the entire place was.
“Where’s Blubby?” I asked.
“He’s with your things, baby.”
I hadn’t noticed him earlier when I went to get dressed, but there he
was, at the bottom of the bag surrounded by all my clothes. I’d missed him
the most. Almost the most, Daddy was the one person I’d missed since he
made me feel like I could do absolutely anything, but the one item I’d
missed was Blubby.
I’d had this worn brown bear since I was a child. It was probably
won at some carnival, but my mom gave me it, that’s all I remembered. And
it was the only thing I had from her when she died. Over the year, its
stuffing had come out and there were all different things that happened with
him, like stains, and tears, and even a torn limb. But my grandma always
took care of him, until she died as well. Then Atlas came into my life, and
he was good at sewing, probably from sewing cuts up on his body, but he
saved my little bear so many times, it was the one constant in my life.
“Missed you,” I said, squeezing Blubby to my chest. “I hope you’ve
been taken care of. If he’s kept you in this bag all this time, I won’t be
happy. You need sunlight and love, otherwise you get depressed.
Remember. I don’t want you to be unhappy.”
Blubby was a worrier. He took all my worries. It’s why I lived as
freely as I did, because I didn’t have any worries left. Blubby took them all.
He ate every single last one with his soft furry feel.
“Hey,” Daddy said, kneeling behind me. he stroked a hand down the
front of my chest and cuddled me. “We can’t be reckless like we used to
be.” He kissed at the side of my neck. “And you know I love letting you do
what you want, but in our current situation, we can’t afford it.”
I understood that, and I didn’t want to blow his cover. The entire
thing hanged on balance of everyone thinking he was dead. Me, being an
escaped prisoner, put me on blast for every TV station. If they found me,
they’d find him, and then we’d never get our dream. “I know. I won’t do it
again.”
 His soft chuckle came at the back of my neck and prickled my hairs
on end. “Don’t change, baby,” he said. “But they’re all looking for you. So,
we’re gonna get packed up here. Trojan is running the serial numbers. Then
we’re going to see who that bullet belonged to. We’ll bring them here, and
you can have first cut.” His finger traced a line down my neck. “What better
way to welcome you home?”
“Sex,” I said. “Are you ready for round two?” I turned around on
my knees, still squeezing Blubby at my chest. “Because—”
His phone rang, cutting me off. “Always,” he said, grabbing his
phone. “But it’ll have to wait.”
My pushed out my bottom lip and huffed. “Fine,” I said. “But only
because you promised me first cut.” And that was exciting. I was going to
use a knife again. It had been so long since I’d had a real metal knife. None
of that plastic cutlery bullshit they gave you in prison. I was going to put
the point of the blade to someone’s skin and watch as it made a nice new
opening.
He spoke on the phone, presumably to Midas and Trojan who were
at the gas station.
I continued to muse about what I would get to do when we found
the person who tried to kill us today. I had had plenty of time to think about
this, but now it was becoming a reality.
I wasn’t listening to their conversation, but I heard him confirm they
found out it wasn’t someone from the Coronado family or connection. It
was highly unlikely that someone noticed me long enough for them to
figure out it was me who had a bounty on their head, which I still wanted
more information on. How much was my life really worth?
“They found the guy,” he said, coming off the phone.
Jumping with excitement, I yanked on his arm. “Let’s go get him!”
“Someone already shot him. Bullet to the head. Dumped him by the
dumpster where I grabbed those crates,” he said, shaking his head.
“The CCTV?”
“They’re looking at it,” he said. “That’s how they know it’s the
same guy. The person who dumped him there was wearing a balaclava. But
the dead guy has no ties to the family.”
I sighed, throwing myself back on the bed, forgetting it was broken,
I slipped down it. “When we find out who killed him, then we find who told
him to shoot us,” I said. “And I want to know who that was, now.”
 “Baby,” he said, picking me up. “We’ll find them. But we need to
stay focused. The man who shot me could pop up at any moment.”
In his arms with my legs around his waist, I rested my head on his
shoulder. “Do I still get first cut?”
“Of course.”
That was a relief. I didn’t like it when they were already hurt, and
that one cut was just adding to all the other pain in their body. I liked to be
first. It tickled my belly with power. I liked to see them suffer, but only if
they’d made me suffer first, and I think believing Daddy was dead for
almost a month was pain and suffering.
Midas and Trojan were back in the apartment, they brought a roll of
black bags with them, alongside plastic sheets and tape. It was looking like
they were preparing to set up a murder room.
“We got a partial plate on the bike,” Trojan said.
“No,” Daddy said. “We’re not chasing that lead. We need to stay
focused. Our first target is Alonzo. We need to stick with that. He’ll give us
the intel. I remember him being weak, so it should be easy.”
“He can still run the plates,” I said, nodding to Trojan. He smiled at
me, which I think made up for how I had offended him earlier. In all
fairness, I had just got out of prison and those tattoos weren’t exactly
amazing. “The man knows something. So, more knowledge is good.”
“True. Run the plate, but we can’t detour.”
“Fiiiiiiiine. No detour.” I winked, plus, I had my fingers crossed. I
had a lot of pent-up stress in me, and I wasn’t just about to let that leave my
body with sex, it needed another release, and I could soon get that release in
the form of violence.
They continued to talk about all the technological stuff about finding
the Alonzo. They had the plastic tarp sheets, ready for an interrogation. And
now, we were ready to pack up everything we had so that we could move to
our new safe house.
In the bedroom, I continued to go through all my things he’d bagged
up. We didn’t have much, since before we’d left, we decided to only have
our essential items, and that was mostly our killing equipment. I had my
lighter, and soon, I had my knives. They were all rolled into a bundle. My
throwing knives were special to me. I was given them by one of the
carneys. Mr. Bainbridge. He ran the entire operation and took me under his
wing for three years.
 “You’re not going to do anything dangerous with them,” Daddy’s
quiet voice came from behind me.
I pulled one out, slipping it upside my arm. “Of course not,” I said.
“And what do you mean by dangerous? I turned, pushing myself to my feet.
“Like, no stabbing, no slicing, no—” I swung my arm around and let the
edge of the blade touch his cheek.
He was completely unfazed by the action. “Baby, are you trying to
get me hard?” he asked, pressing the side of his cheek to the blade. “You
want to cut something? You want to make someone bleed?”
I pulled the knife away before. It left a small impression on his skin,
but no cut. “Not fair,” I sighed. “You always—you always stay calm.”
“Because you know I could hurt you,” he said, taking my hand by
the wrist. He pressed at a pressure point. My hand open as it shocked, and
the knife dropped to the floor. “But the only pain I want to give you is with
pleasure.” He turned my hand over and pulled the back of it to his lips.
“Tonight, my sweet boy, we’re staying in, packing up, and I’m going to
show you exactly what we’ve both been missing out on.”
I liked the sound of that. “So, we are talking sex,” I whispered.
“Depends on how fast you can pack,” he said. “We’re turning the
living room into our interrogation room when we get Alonzo.”
Sex and interrogation. My cock became alert, and my hole tightened
with excitement.

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER SIX
ATLAS

Waking, I cuddled Jasiel. It was always instinctive of me to reach out in the

middle of the night, and in the morning, and whenever else I felt like I had
lost myself. I squeezed him close. Today was the first day he was back, and
I could wake with him.
He was naked, although he had got into bed in a bear onesie with me
but since I couldn’t bear to be with him in bed and not have our bodies
touching, skin to skin, that I didn’t want to go another moment without him
against me.
“You’re awake,” he whispered, scooting back against me. “You’ve
been awake for ages.” He grabbed my cock, it was solid.
I gave his neck a gentle kiss. “You know you can use it whenever
you want baby,” I told him. “If it makes you happy, I want you to have it.”
Plus, it was nice to feel myself inside him, and what better way to wake.
He continued to back up against my cock. “I hope you’re ready,” he
said.
Stroking a hand down the front of his body, my fingers down each
of the rivets of his muscle. I recalled every moment I’d ever spent with him
as my fingers traveled the map of his skin, considering all the way in which
I remembered him.
I wanted to fuck him so hard, for so long, and I never wanted to
leave him ever again. I pressed my hands into his hips, backing him a little
further against my cock.
“Put it in me already,” he grumbled, pressing his abdomen against
my hand and arching his back. “Right now.”
Reaching over him, I grabbed the coconut oil, and like a sweet
cookie ready to go in the oven, I placed my fingers dripping in oil against
his hole and along my shaft. It made a mess, sure, but it created a sweet
scent in the air, and left the skin feeling soft.
I didn’t give him any warning. My cock went deep, almost
immediately. His legs spread and his back arched more, his shoulders
against my chest.
Fucking him, I pulled him on my chest and rolled on my back.
Thrusting my hips and squeezing him down on me with my hands digging
into his waist. He laid back on me, moaning, he didn’t hold back. He wailed
and panted.
“Harder!” he screamed. “Harder!”
I had harder in me, pinning him on my body like he was crucified by
my cock. He lived for the pain our pleasure created when our bodies
collided.
With his arms out at his side, he pulled at the sheets of the bed,
yanking them away from the mattress.
It didn’t take him long to cum. His hole had a vice-like grasp around
my cock, throbbing like a closing-fist until I came inside him, making a
pretty picture inside him, just as he’d made a similar image up across his
torso.
A bang came at the door. “Guys, come on, we’re trying to eat
breakfast in here,” Midas called out.
I chuckled to Jasiel as I kept my cock pinned inside him. It was still
hard, and slowly becoming soft. I kissed the back of his neck.
“Did he say breakfast?” Jasiel asked.
“We just had breakfast,” I told him with another kiss. “What more
could you want?”
Wiggling around on my cock, he let out a giggle. “I could want a lot
more.”
I knew that was true.
We had a big day ahead of us. We had to get the apartment ready.
The living room was being transformed into a torture room. The safe house
in Palmetto Bay was already equipped with everything we needed.
The living room had turned into a plastic tarp wrapped room. I had
no issue with making a mess, or leaving blood splatters, but Midas was a
little more of a perfectionist when it came to things. He always wore gloves
and tried never to leave a mark of trace behind.
Coming out of the bathroom with a towel around my waist, I
saw Jasiel sat on the plastic covering the couch. He had a plate of confetti
cake with frosting, and a large spoon, cutting into it. “I don’t want to wear
masks,” he said.
“Let me get dressed and we can talk about it,” I said. I knew it was
dangerous for him not to wear a mask. He was the one with his face
plastered all over the news. And if he didn’t want to wear a mask, I couldn’t
force him to. I couldn’t force him to do anything he didn’t want.
 I wasn’t sure if it was a second slice of cake, or the same slice he
was still working on, but Jasiel’s mouth was covered in colorful frosting
when I walked back into the living room. “It’s fantastic,” he said, smacking
his lips.
“No mask,” I said, bringing it up with him.
“Yeah. I don’t like to cover my face.”
And honestly, I didn’t see why he should either. His gorgeous face
deserved to be always on show. But for his protection, there had to be a
compromise. “I think I have some shades and a baseball cap you can try,” I
said, pre-prepared. “I’m not sure if it’ll work as a disguise, but it’ll mean
you can drink your slushies.”
“Slushies!” He said, jumping up from the couch, the cake and the
plate fell to the plastic wrapped floor. “I have a slushie in the freezer!” He
raced into the adjoining kitchen.
“Baby,” I said, my voice a little firmer. “Let’s remember to keep
focused.”
He nodded, grabbing his frozen solid slushie from the freezer. “Oh,”
he said. “Do you think it’ll be ok?” he asked, digging at the ice with the
straw he pulled free.
“Let it melt a little first,” I said. “And let me make you some actual
breakfast.”
His smile dropped. “What do you mean?” he asked. “Cake is
breakfast. Cake is absolutely breakfast. Are you saying it’s not breakfast?”
He walked closer. “Because it would be make me super sad if you told me
that cake wasn’t a suitable breakfast.” He pressed the ice cold slushie cup to
my chest.
“Baby,” I whispered. “Cake can be breakfast, but all that sugar in
the morning isn’t good.” I grabbed the cup from his hand. “Now, clean up
your mess. Just because they’ve turned this into some type of plastic
sweatbox, doesn’t mean you can throw your food on it.”
Jasiel mumbled to himself. “Only because I love you though.”
He’d always been messy, but in a controlled type of way. I loved
that about him, the outward chaos. Mine was all inside, I’d been taught long
ago that chaos had its place on the outside, but to be good at what I do, I
couldn’t let anyone see or know that I was sweating.
The door opened minutes later as I continued packing and Jasiel
continued to eat the cake he’d dropped on the floor.
 “That was mine,” Midas said.
I thought the four of us as a group would get along well. I just didn’t
account for Jasiel’s manic state. My energizer bunny was, and always
would get me in trouble. “What happened?” I asked at the bedroom
doorway into the living room.
“Nothing,” Midas chuckled. “The lady downstairs was selling cake
to make some extra cash and I bought a sheet cake.”
I glanced at Jasiel; his cheeks stuffed with cake. “You ate an entire
sheet cake?”
He shrugged, chewing on the food in his mouth.
Midas checked the fridge. “There’s a slice left,” he chuckled.
“Damn, your boy can pack it away.”
In the fridge, inside a large silver tray, a small slice of cake
remained. It caused a chuckle to break in the back of my throat. “Of course,
he did,” I said. “I don’t think I ever told the story about how I took him to a
doctor. I told the man, there’s something wrong. He ate this huge tray of
pastries in a restaurant. The boy looked at me, licking his lips and asked if
they were going to bring more out.”
“I know you’re talking about me,” he called from the living room.
Midas placed his hand on my shoulder. “And I know you wouldn’t
change him for the world.”
He was right. If I was given the option to alter any part of him, I’d
shoot the person who gave me it. I’d never want to change him, not a single
hair on his head, and not a single impulse in his heart. He was perfect just
the way he was.
“Ok,” an exhausted Trojan said, bursting into the apartment. “Those
stairs are killer. But we’ve got our things packed now.”
“Right, you guys head over to the safe house in Palmetto Bay, make
sure the location is good, then let us know. We’re gonna finish packing our
things, then come back for us,” I said.
They both nodded. “I don’t think Alonzo will be at the bar tonight,
it’s a Wednesday, and he usually goes at the weekend,” Trojan said. He then
left to speak with Jasiel.
“Hope they’re getting along,” I mumbled to Midas. “Maybe once
we’re settled, they can head out and bond. Like we used to back in the day.”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “First, that wasn’t bonding, that was
us being assigned people to kill, and we turned it into a drinking game. And
second, I think that’s a good idea. He’s been so tense lately. We haven’t had
sex in weeks.”
“Not even when we left you both here yesterday?”
“Nope. Not even then. And I tried. I asked him if he wanted to test
out the bed one last time before we left, and he just shot me down,” he
whispered. “He’s got a million and one things running on that computer.”
“The boy’s a savant for tech,” I said, shrugging. “I think we’re just
waiting for a win. Plus, you’ve both turned down a bunch of hits just to be
here with me.”
Midas was clearly distressed. He looked tired too. When we killed
together, we were focused, and we got laid where and whenever we could.
Getting laid was the best highway to a clear mind. “It’s just like—” he
started. “Just like, he’s not pulling away from me, but at the same time,
we’re not pushing ourselves together like we used to.”
“As the leader of this little group, I’m gonna order the two of you to
fuck,” I said, patting his shoulder. “Soon. Maybe at the new place. Test out
the bed there. Go wild. Just fuck, alright.”
He chuckled, but for me, it was just that easy. If I wanted sex, I
knew Jasiel would drop everything, literally. And if he wanted sex, he’d get
it, maybe not right as soon as he asked, because I was still in control after
all, but we’d fuck on command when we could.
The two of them left. Trojan eyeing me up as he caught the tail end
of our whisper conversation.
Jasiel came to me in the bedroom, his head low and his lips thick
and pouty.
“What’s up?” I asked, folding the garment bags with my dry clean
suit into a box.
“You’re gonna say no,” he sighed, sitting precariously on the edge
of the bed, careful of the flimsy crate.
“Tell me.”
“Can I have the last slice of that cake?”
“Is that it?” I asked, smiling down at his adorable face.
“I was going to ask if I could scoop frosting on your dick and lick it
off,” he said in one quick breath. “But—” he paused. “I’m not that horngry.
Horny and hungry together.”
I knew what horngry was, and Jasiel was a classic case of hornger.
I’d had many creams and frostings on my body that his tongue worked its
delicate magic on. I loved it, in fact, I was a little disappointed I wasn’t
going to be getting any frosting on my dick this morning.

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CHAPTER SEVEN
JASIEL

I didn’t have to pack much; my stuff was already in bags and boxes. I’d
only just got here, and last night, I couldn’t rummage through it too much
since I didn’t want to pick out any of my cute bedtime onesies. I liked to
sleep naked with Daddy.
It was nice how we got to such a dynamic. It hadn’t always been
that way, not by a long shot, but when we first met, and I’d tried to rob from
him, he took me in under his wing and I playfully called him it once,
wondering if it was something that would get him aggressive. I rarely saw
an ounce of aggression from him, but I knew it was there since he showed
other people.
He cared for me, and I cared for him. And for the first time in my
entire life, I didn’t feel like I was on edge. He got me dressed in my onesies
and would cater to my every whim, including my addiction to slushies and
helping myself to every sweet treat on the restaurant’s dessert menu. I was
baby, or boy, and although at first, it started out as something that we didn’t
think was a big thing, became part of our dynamic.
We made it to the new safe house in Palmetto Bay, it was only a
short drive from the current place. It was a smaller apartment complex,
white walls, surrounded by trees and shrubbery. We were almost all the way
moved into this place, which had a nice feel to it, overall, but that was
probably because the windows hadn’t been boarded up from the inside just
yet.
“Baby,” he called me into the new bedroom.
“Yeah?” I asked, sucking on my blue raspberry slushie. The straw
permanently stuck in my mouth as I spoke.
Daddy was hiding behind a stack of boxes he held in his arms. “We
need to unpack. Where’s your stuff?”
“In the car,” I said.
“Baby,” he said through a strain. “You need to bring it up.”
“I’ll bring it up,” Midas said, eavesdropping.
“Wow, look Daddy, a gentleman,” I said, turning to see Midas.
“With big, strong muscles to carry all my things up.”
 He threw the boxes on the bed and stomped toward us. His eyes
turned to squinting slits on his face as he stared at the both of us. “Never
look at him like that,” he growled at me. “If you want to fucking flirt with
someone else, then I’ll make sure they won’t ever fuck again.” He stared at
me. His fingers inches from my neck, ready to grab hold of me. He was
threatening me with a good time, and I didn’t like being teased.
“Daddy,” I whispered, pushing the straw from my mouth. “Say
something else, I think I’m going to cum.”
“No,” he said, staring deeply into my eyes.
I tutted. “Fine.”
“I—I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offer,” Midas interrupted.
Rolling my eyes, I really thought things were going to get hot and
dangerous for a second.
“Actually, if you could grab them, that would be great,” Daddy said,
taking my slushie cup from me. “Jasiel is grounded. Which means, no bar
for you tonight.”
Immediately, I jumped onto him, spinning with the momentum of
my body, I pulled him in the direction of the bed. “Yes, I am.”
His mouth touched my arm as he sank his teeth into my skin,
holding it them, he sucked.
I liked it when he left little marks, plus, it tickled slightly when he
used his tongue to wet my skin. I let out a giggle. I couldn’t help myself;
this was the position he’d put me in. And as we spun around the room, the
ice from my slushie was wetting both of us.
He placed me down on the bed by the boxes, leaning over as he
poured the entire contents of the slushie on me. “There you go, my baby,”
he said and blew me a kiss. “Now, you want to try that again?”
“I’m going out tonight,” I told him, scooping a finger in the slushie
freezing the nipples on my chest. “And I’m going to—” I saw the menacing
glare in his eyes, and the biting smile on his lips. I wasn’t going to finish
that thought off, but I had gone to say I was going to flirt with some guys.
That was the only time I saw him see red, truly, like a bull, he’d charge and
wipe out whatever was in his path. It was hot.
“What are you going to do?” he asked, dropping to his knees as
came closer to me. He parted my legs, stretching them out. “Come on,” he
said. “Tell me. I’ll make sure you never do it again.”
 “Have fun,” I said, reaching out and putting my hand through his
hair. It was shorter than I remembered.
He extended his tongue and sucked up a mouthful of the slushie ice.
“If you ever compliment another man again,” he began, slowly shaking his
head. “I’d have to do something about those pretty eyes so you couldn’t see
them again.” Working his way up my body, he kissed me on the nose. “And
I don’t want to do that.”
“You know I only want you,” I said. “And if you don’t know that,
then maybe you don’t want me as much as you say you do.” I turned it back
on him, like I always did. If he wanted crazy, then he’d get it, with a little
extra Colombian spice.
He licked his lips, staring into my eyes, deeper, penetrating me. “I
don’t want you, Jasiel. I need you. I need all of you. I need to consume
every drop of you and cover every inch of your skin in my touch. I need
your eyes on me and only me, and if—” he whispered, his breath dragging
in deep pauses. “If your eyes wonder, I’d need death because I wouldn’t
know life without you.”
I craned my head to kiss him. “Are they vows?” I asked.
Smiling, he gave a slight nod. “When we get married, you’ll find
out.”
I held the back of my hand up to him. “And where is my ring?”
“Oh.” He pulled away, returning to the cardboard boxes on the bed.
“Baby. You didn’t think I forgot about your ring, did you?”
“You made me wait ages to get one, and then you said we were
leaving, so we couldn’t, and then—”
He pressed a finger to his lips. “I had time to get one. A black band.
One diamond. It cost a lot of money.” He pulled out the blue velvet ring
box. “See?” He opened it up to show me.
“Well, aren’t you going to ask me?”
The first time he asked, we were in bed. We’d fucked three times,
and he asked me, without a ring or anything. Not even a piece of tinfoil he
could shape like a ring.
Back on his knee, Daddy looked at me, a smile on his face as he
dusted the slushie off from my chest. “This is how you want to remember
it?” he asked.
I sat up and nodded. “Daddy threatened to kill me if I looked at
another man, and then he proposed,” I said, ticking it off an imaginary
checklist. “That’s how I imagined it.”
“Jasiel Acevedo, will you do the pleasure of being the only person in
the entire universe I would kill without payment for, and would you also
marry me?” he asked.
“You’d kill for me?” I asked with a fake gasp. “Well, since you put
it like that, yes.”
“And if you ever wanted a divorce, we would fight it out until
death,” he said, taking his firm hand against mine. “I’m serious. If we get
married, the only way either of us ends up divorced is if one of us is dead.”
“I thought I was the dramatic one,” I whispered.
Daddy smiled. “That’s actually what you told me; don’t you
remember?”
Oh. Fuck. He was right. As soon as he proposed the first time, I’d
told him that small caveat about divorce, and I still stood by it. So, yeah, I
was the dramatic one still.
“Of course, I’ll marry you,” I said, accepting the ring on my finger.
“Good, because you didn’t have a choice.” He stuck the ring all the
way down to my knuckle. “Now, tonight,” he began. “Some ground rules.”
“I can still go out?”
“Yes,” he said, hesitantly. “But you must wear the glasses, yes, even
indoors. And don’t get yourself into trouble, which as I say it, sounds like
I’m telling the wrong person. I’ll tell Trojan. He’s got a sensible head.”
I let out another gasp. “You’ve been looking at his head?”
“Absolutely not,” he said. “I’m just saying, compared to you, I’d
imagine he’s more sensible.”
“So, what are you saying about my head?” I asked, fluttering my
lashes.
“Your head is incredible,” he said. “It’s the best. I’ve never had
better head in my entire life. In fact, if we both die together, I’d like us to be
positioned so that you’re giving me head for eternity.”
He phrased it in a way that sent a tingle through my entire body.
Now, it was just dirty talk. And I was the one who’d been told we had to be
serious instead of playing around ready to fuck each other constantly. “No,”
I said. “I want us to be spooning, and your dick in me.”
It didn’t matter anyway, we were a long way from dying, even if we
were going into some dangerous situations. Our chances of death were slim,
with a small margin of error, those chances were still slim. Daddy was a
trained assassin, and I was trained to ruin lives. We went hand in hand
together like that.
We didn’t get to fuck, after all that, giving each other blue balls
because we had to put our plotting hats on. He was plotting to take Alonzo
in, and I was plotting to kidnap and kill the man who’d tried to have us
killed at the gas station.
Trojan ran the partial plate and found a match. He’d told me earlier.
Tonight, sure, we were going to drink and celebrate the gorgeous ring on
my finger, but we were also going to get a little skin in the game. After so
long, I finally had my tools, and even if that was just sharpened knives and
my lucky lighter, that was all I needed to get what I wanted.
With all our things unpacked, I could finally see everything in the
drawers, all nice and neat. I’d done most of it myself, stopping for a slushie
break every couple of minutes.
As it got darker, we were both given more instruction on what we
were not supposed to do. Trojan had offered them to come with us, but I
shut it down just as fast. We needed to bond, and Daddy wasn’t allowed to
be seen, so I made my case quick, and I made sure it stuck.
I dressed in my breezy sunset shirt, the top buttons undone to show
off my collar bones, and a pair of cream cargo shorts, plenty of pockets for
plenty of concealed items.
Daddy put the cap and sunglasses on me, he looked at me, up and
down. “I don’t want you getting into trouble,” he said, softly. “I know you
can handle yourself, before you even start.”
“I’m not going to start anything with anyone,” I lied, and he knew I
was lying. He could probably the smell the fact that I was ready to stab
something with my freshly sharpened knives. “And Trojan is going to be
there. He—he almost cried when I mentioned I didn’t like his tattoo,” I
whispered so he wouldn’t hear from the next room over.
“Well, Trojan is helping us out, so don’t go pissing him off please,”
he said, running his hand down the front of my shirt. He gently squeezed at
my chest and down to my waist.
“You think I’ve got a gun hidden?”
“You don’t use guns, baby.” He planted a kiss on my nose. “I was
making sure you’re not wearing one of those under shirt straps with your
knives in it.”
 I almost put that on under my shirt for easy knife access, but I knew
he’d look there. They were in one of the many cargo pockets, and I doubt
he’d go searching through them. In fact, I knew he wouldn’t.
“If anything happens, Trojan has a phone, he can call us,” he
continued. My nose wrinkled as my face scrunched. “Relax. If you want to
take a burner phone, you can.”
A phone was just another thing to carry, and the last thing I wanted
was to go into my pocket for a knife and end up throwing the phone. “No,
that’s ok. We won’t get into any trouble, so I won’t need to call you.”
He led me with a slow nod. “And?”
“And Trojan has a phone.”
“And?”
“I love you?”
“Ok, and?” he asked, smiling.
I smirked, trying to guess what I was missing. “When I get home
drunk, I’ll climb into our bed.”
The smile vanished. “Don’t joke about that.”
He was so possessive, it got me hard, but we’d have to explore that
later.
“And what else?” I asked, trying to guess what I’d missed.
He wrapped his arms around me in a hug. “And don’t forget to drink
water after each drink, but I don’t know what else, I was just messing with
you.” He held me in his vice like hold, his muscles twitching around me as
he squeezed. “Love you.”

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER EIGHT
ATLAS

As much as I loved and trusted Jasiel, I knew he didn’t follow orders, not
all the time. He liked to disobey, and he liked to push the boundaries, but I
was there to swoop in and protect him. I enjoyed taking care of him, it gave
me purpose.
“Fuck,” Midas shouted from the living room.
I was busy unpacking my guns in the bedroom. I liked to make sure
I kept stock of everything I had. Handguns, snipers, silencing equipment,
and ammunition. I liked to stay stocked up, and I liked to make I took
everything with me.
“What happened?” I called out to him as I pressed the barrel into the
handgun and lifted it, feeling the weight was nice. I hadn’t shot a gun in
months, mostly because I was supposed to be dead, so I didn’t have many
people after me, not like I usually did.
“They’re at the fucking bar,” he said. Midas sat on the sofa, looking
at a computer screen. He shook his head. “Fucking hell. Thought you told
them not to go there.”
“Sambo?” I asked. That was the name of the bar where we’d tracked
Alonzo, and now it was a waiting game to get him. “Are you sure it’s
them?”
Sure enough, it was them.
On the screen, there was a map with the signal from Trojan’s phone,
showing the location of the bar, and to the side of that map, there was the
CCTV live footage. Jasiel and Trojan were sat at the bar, pounding shots of
tequila back.
I let out a sigh.
“Aren’t you worried?” he asked. “Should I get them to come back?”
The moment I forced Jasiel to do anything that was remotely unfun,
and I’d be met with resistance. I knew what he was there for. He was going
there to cause trouble, and I couldn’t exactly blame him. He’d been in
prison, locked away against his will, and stripped of everything he’d once
had.
“No,” I said. “I’m not worried. Jasiel knows what he’s doing.” I
continued to watch the screen as the CCTV camera footage rotated between
the cameras, each one of them had Jasiel as a focus. There was a guy at the
end of the bar. They’d nodded to him. “You recognize him?” I asked.
Midas shook his head.
The man didn’t look like anyone I’d seen before, and he certainly
wasn’t Alonzo, but they were nodding and gesturing to each other, almost
like they’d picked him as their victim. I was considerably unhinged when it
came to violence, so I knew the signs of picking a fight.
“Well, now we have to get involved,” Midas said. For a moment, I
thought he was referring to our boys, but then I saw it, the snake in the
grass, Alonzo, walk into the bar. “I’ll text Trojan and tell him we’re on our
way.”
Jasiel stood and walked to the man at the bar. The man, sipping on a
small glass of amber liquid. There was no sound, but I could lipread well
enough to know he’s said. ‘You think you could fuck with me.’ And then,
from nowhere, he had a knife in his hand. He rammed it through the back of
the man’s hand, immediately striking a gush of blood.
It brought a smile to my face to see him do that. And he smiled too,
not directly at the CCTV camera, but he smiled, almost knowing I was
watching.
Trojan got the text seconds later, alerting Jasiel who pushed the
blade of the knife deeper through the man’s hand.
“We should go now,” Midas stressed me.
I was ready to grab some popcorn and let Jasiel play out, but Midas
was right. Alonzo was there, and I wanted to gut that rat bastard for what
he’d tried doing to me.
A knife sliced through the air of the bar, hitting Alonzo.
People were scattering.
“We need to go,” I said.
It was a short drive, even shorter when you were as reckless as me. I
wore my cartoon animal mask and got us to the bar within minutes. People
were still running out when we got there.
“Get Alonzo, get the boys,” I said to Midas as he jumped out of the
of the SUV. I had both hands on the wheel and my foot on the gas.
We were close to find out what was going down in those shipping
containers, and then fixing a plan to have it all seized or taking it for
ourselves if it was useful.
 Jasiel came out, dragging the man by a gold chain around his neck.
The same man he’d stabbed through the hand.
“Baby,” I said, shaking my head at him. “We don’t have time to play
with strays.”
“No, he’s the one who ordered the hit on us,” he said. “At the gas
station.”
The man on the ground whimpered.
“Put him in the back.” I had told Trojan not to bother with running
his plates or finding him, but since he did, and they found him, I couldn’t
exactly be mad. It was just not something high on my to-do list.
Jasiel stood around the back of the car, out of my view. I heard the
man continued to scream out in pain. I was jealous I couldn’t see, but I
assumed it had something to do with Jasiel’s penchant for knives.
Midas arrived with Trojan, and between them, they carried Alonzo.
His body had been stabbed several times with the throwing knives. Hitting
at his knees and arms, nothing fatal, but also like killing an animal slowly, it
stopped them from getting away.
In the back, the two men were lumped together, both bleating out in
agony.
Police sirens echoed out from a nearby street. My eye twitched at
the screech. I hated the sound of sirens; they triggered a part of me that told
me I was doing a bad job. I’d learned that if you could hear the sirens, then
you were close to being caught, and if you were close to being caught, then
you weren’t an asset.
Once everyone was in the car, I stomped my foot down on the gas.
Jasiel sat at the front, his hand wrapped around my forearm, getting
his bloodied hand on my skin. It was a familiar feeling, like we were
sharing.
Up to South Miami Heights where we’d prepared the plastic sheets,
I was ready to extract as much information from Alonzo as possible. Then,
he’d die. He wasn’t going to bargain for his life, he could try, but every
single person who worked for the Coronado family was going to be in some
type of grave. And it started with Alonzo.
Back at the old safe house, we had both men with us, and both tried
to call out to someone around for help. I had Alonzo in the living room, and
Jasiel took the rest of the plastic sheeting and took his man into Midas and
Trojan’s old empty bedroom.
 On a foldable metal chair, Alonzo was tied still.
I walked around his bleeding body with the knives still sticking out
of him. My mask still on, I hadn’t yet revealed to him who I was, but he
was soon about to find out, and then his bragging about killing me
would’ve all been for nothing.
“You know,” I said, grabbing his face by the chin. I wished my
hands were strong enough to crush bone. “When you go to kill someone.
Make sure it does the job.”
“You don’t know who you’re messing with,” he spat, writhing
around, he was only causing himself more pain with the knives still tearing
through his muscle tissue. “I’m—”
I pulled away the mask to reveal my smiling face. “You really think
you’re something special,” I said. “I saw your hesitation. I saw your feebly
shaking hands when you held that big boy gun.” I grabbed my handgun
from the holster around my back and shoulders. “It’s a shame, really,
because I thought you had potential when you first joined the family.”
“Listen, listen, listen.” His body continued to wriggle around, and
more blood pooled around him as he did. “I was just trying to impress them.
You know how hard it is to climb the ranks.”
“I—I know, but I’ve never climbed them,” I said, stroking the side
of his face with my gun. “I didn’t approach them. They wanted me. You
know how many people I’ve killed around the world? You know how much
money people have paid me to kill? And this—well, this one, I’m doing for
free.”
“Don’t kill me, don’t—don’t—please.”
Midas chuckled as he watched from the doorway from the kitchen.
They’d almost had him too, and I’m glad he turned down every opportunity.
My situation was different, I loved to travel, but I’d been searching for a
place to settle, and the Coronado family had given me that, until I wanted to
leave, and then they wanted me dead.
“You know,” I said, letting out a giggle from the back of my throat.
“It’s funny. I kept myself calm. I did everything I was asked. And you
thought you could take me out with a single bullet. Unless that bullet is in
my heart or head, then just assume it didn’t kill me.” I slapped his face with
the side of my gun. His head spun around on his neck. “Please, with
everything you have in that little head of yours, I want you to think real
hard.”
 Trojan and Midas whispered to each other in the doorway. I still had
to ask this man about the cargo shipments. And I should do that sooner,
since I was getting ahead of myself.
“So, now that you’ve made a little name for yourself,” I said,
pressing the gun to the side of his face to stop it going up and down, left to
right. “You know more than you did, right?”
“They’re going to—they’re going to send everything after you when
they find out you’re alive,” he said.
“Good,” I said.
“No, you don’t understand. They’re going to send everything.”
I figured that was a hint. “Is that what’s inside those shipping
containers?” I asked.
Alonzo’s bloodied face smiled. “I—”
“You know I’m going to kill you, so tell me, and I’ll make it quick,”
I said. “Don’t tell me, and I’ll—wait, what was that thing you once said to
impress me. I’ll take little bits of your flesh off until all your nerves are
exposed. Then, with some hot oil, I’ll splash at that exposed flesh so you
can smell yourself being cooked alive.” I smacked my lips. “Isn’t that what
you said?”
“That—that was just something I heard a serial killer do once, and
—”
“And you thought it would impress me?” I asked, grabbing the
silencer and twisting it over the end of the gun. Glancing at Midas in the
doorway, he frowned at me. We weren’t serial killers. We were killers for
hire, and that was completely different. “No. It didn’t. In fact, I was
concerned about you.” I wrapped a hand around a blade on his arm, near his
elbow.
“I’ll tell you—I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
“He got these in deep.” I dragged the blade of the knife from his
body. Jasiel continued to amaze me with his precision. Tonight, we’d fuck
until we had no fuck left in us, that was a promise. “So, those cargo
shipments coming in,” I said, wiping the blood from the blade across his
cheek, slicing him with the sharpness.
“Firearms,” he said. “It’s powerful stuff. They’re—they’re arming
themselves for war.”
“War?” Now my interests were piqued. “War with who?” It clearly
wasn’t me, they assumed I was dead, and it can’t have been with Jasiel,
those shipments were on the manifest long before we broke him out.
“The Agosti family,” he said. “They’ve been coming for our drug
territory, undercutting our prices, nobody is buying from us anymore.”
From memory, the drugs offered by the Coronado family weren’t
exactly high quality. Their cocaine was awfully chalky, like they were
cutting the product with cheaper substances to get a higher profit. I didn’t
take drugs often anymore since they impaired thought, but when I did, I
only went for the good stuff, gold standard, and the Coronado family were
anything but.
“So, the Agosti family are on the hit list,” I said with a smile.
“Things are getting interesting.”
“Listen,” Alonzo said. “You can’t let them know it came from me,
or—”
I held the gun to his head, placing a single shot through his skull.
“That’s how you kill someone,” I whispered as his head dropped back and
smoke from the tip of the gun dispersed into the air.

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER NINE
JASIEL

People didn’t attack me and get away with it. I’d heard the silenced gun
shot from the living room. But I was pissed. This man had been begging for
his life. I taped his mouth shut so I didn’t have to listen to the whining.
Nobody wanted to hear you whine when you were begging for your life,
especially not the person you had tried to have killed.
“I just want you to know, that when you’re ready to talk, I’ll listen,”
I said, walking around him.
His body was covered in slices and cuts. I’d poured a bottle of
tequila I’d found in the kitchen over them as he screamed behind his taped
mouth.
“I know there’s a bounty on my head, but I’m mad,” I continued to
tell him. “I’ve done nothing wrong to anyone. I was locked up, wrongly, by
the way. I could’ve been arrested for so many real charges, like the fire I
started that consumed an entire house, or when I blew up that fuel tanker.
So many things.”
He continued to hum behind his mask, trying to speak.
“Are you going to be good?” I asked.
He nodded.
I tore the tape from his mouth with one swooping hand movement.
“Let me go. Now!” he screamed at me.
The tape went back over his mouth before I punched him square on
the nose. It hurt my fingers. I wasn’t a punching person. “Ouchy,” I
grumbled, pouting at the man as he went limp in the chair. “Look what you
made me do now.”
The door opened as Daddy walked inside, a curious smile on his
face.
“Did you find out?” I asked him as I massaged my knuckles from
the pain the man’s face caused. He still hadn’t given me a name, the
asshole.
“Baby, I told you not to make a mess.” He gestured at me with
blood everywhere and to the man tied on the metal chair.
Pouting, I lulled my head to look up at him. “But Daddy. He was
wiggling too much, and the knife got stuck.” I tried pushing my hair back
with a hand, getting blood on my forehead.
“Oh. I’m not talking about the blood. You smashed the expensive
bottle of tequila.”
“Would you believe me if I told you, it wasn’t me?” Fluttering my
lashes at him, he smiled.
“Baby, I’d believe if you told me the sky was green.”
“Ok, good. Well, the tequila was in the kitchen, I didn’t know it was
yours. I didn’t know it was expensive either,” I told him.
He nodded, taking my hand as he watched me massage it. “What
have you found out?” he asked. “Who ordered the hit? He didn’t seem to
know who this was.”
“I don’t know,” I mumbled, pressing my body into Daddy’s body as
he cuddled me close. “I had to put the tape over his mouth because he was
spitting and—ew.”
I knew Daddy would sort this for me. I was never good at extracting
information, even if I liked to think I was. I was much better at robbing,
stabbing, and setting things on fire.
He tore the tape from the man’s mouth and squeezed a hand at his
throat as he came back to full consciousness, choking at the feeling of his
windpipe being crushed.
Letting out a giggle, I clapped my hands. “Tell me who ordered the
hit,” I said.
Daddy let go of the man’s throat. “Now,” he said, pulling on the
man’s chin to look him in the eye.
“Fuck you.”
“Ew,” I grumbled. “He wouldn’t touch you like that, even if you
begged.”
“What’s your name?” he asked.
The man spat blood, hitting Daddy’s black shirt.
“Did you look for a wallet?” he asked me, grabbing his gun from his
shoulder holster. “Maybe that’s the easier way to figure this out.”
“Um.” I hadn’t looked for a wallet, but in all fairness, I also didn’t
have a checklist to work through like Daddy did. I frisked the man’s
pockets and found a leather wallet. “Yay!” I opened it up to see inside. He
had a couple hundred bucks, a credit card, and his ID. “Mario tool.”
He glared at me, wriggling in his chair. “Kill me,” he said. “I’m not
telling you anything.” He then cocked his head and looked at Daddy, the
tension on his face seemed to both grow and ease. “Wait. You’re—you’re—
you’re supposed to dead.”
“Oh. So, you know who I am.”
“I—I work for the Agosti family.”
Daddy broke out into a fit of laughter. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
“No. They—they didn’t order the hit. One of my guys saw him.” He
gestured to me. I gave a big smile at the acknowledgement. “He’s got a
bounty on his head. He fucked up the hit. I got rid of him.”
Daddy’s posture changed. His shoulders hunched as he grew closer
to the man. “You mean to tell me, you tried to kill him,” he whispered
aggressively. “You shouldn’t have admitted that.”
“Wait!” I said before he could do any damage. “How much was the
bounty? And who put it there?”
Mario chuckled. “A hundred grand. But we weren’t even going to
kill you. We wouldn’t expect the Coronado family to pay up. So, we’d have
used you to broker a deal with them.”
“A deal?” I asked. Spitting up blood, I didn’t have time for his
theatrics right now. I placed a knife to his throat. “Come on. What deal were
you going to use me for?”
“The Coronado family are going to murder the Agosti’s for taking
over their drug territory,” Daddy said. “He was going to use you to broker a
deal to stop them from attacking.”
He continued to chuckle and sputter up blood. “Right.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Daddy said. “The Coronado’s have shipments
of guns coming in to wipe you off the map. And I’d hate to do anything for
them, but you tried to kill my baby.” He placed a hand on my shoulder and
massaged the back of my neck. “So, your time is up. We got what we
wanted.” He held the gun to the man’s head.
“No,” I said.
“Baby, please, come on.”
“Don’t—you don’t have to kill me.”
I took Daddy’s gun. “I think it’s best if I do it.” And with the
silenced gun in hand, I placed it to his temple and shot.
“How does it feel?”
“Like, I want to fuck you right here,” I said, licking my lips. “And
also, I want to set him on fire.”
 He smiled. “That’s why he stinks of tequila then. Baby, no fire.
There are people in this building who are innocent.”
I knew that, and I wanted to set him on fire, but obviously, I wasn’t
going to.
“The sex though,” he said, picking me up and wrapping my legs
around his waist. “We can absolutely do that.”
A knock came at the door. “You guys finished?” Midas asked. “We
should get back to the safe house.”
“We’ll continue this back home,” he said, kissing me. I slipped the
gun in his holster.
Once we made it back at the safe house, I didn’t spare any time to
clean the blood from my face or clothes. I jumped on Daddy’s body, almost
immediately, throwing him back against the bed. This one, more reinforced
than the last.
We tore each other’s clothes from our bodies, clawing and biting at
each other as our foreplay divulged into animalistic pleasures. I’d been
begging to be stretched out for so long, that now being forced into the splits
while he ate my ass, I was on the verge of cumming.
“Stop touching yourself,” he said, wrapping a hand around my wrist.
“If you fucking cum, I choke you with my cock until the only thing filling
that belly is cum.”
Now, I was being threatened was something I usually begged for.
I grabbed my cock. He slapped my hand away.
We continued to play until he threw me up against the wall and fuck
me. I came, but that didn’t stop him. His lips and teeth gave little pleasures
up my neck, leaving marks of ownership.
“That’s a good boy,” he said, pressing his mouth to my ear.
“Daddy’s going to give you a nice reward for what you did today. Using
that big boy gun.”
My skin tingled, almost on fire with pleasure. “I used it,” I said,
breathlessly. “And it was so powerful and strong.” I never used guns, ever,
that was Daddy’s style. He packed the heat with those short, heavy
handguns. I could whip a knife out with ease, they weren’t usually heavy,
not unless the handle was made was something dense. “I want to cum all
over you.”
He pressed a hand to my throat. “No,” he said. “I told you not to
touch it.”
 My hole squeezed around his cock as he did that, grabbing my
throat was hot, almost to the point of getting what I wanted from him
without him realizing. My cock throbbed, and I still wasn’t touching it.
My hands above my head, pinned in place by one of Daddy’s large
hands, and his other hand still at my throat. His warm fingers playing on my
skin like I was some time of guitar, and he was trying to find the perfect
note. He was trying to find a pressure point.
A dizzy haze came over me, and as it did, I came. The spurts of hot
cum covered our bodies in my slick, creamy supply. Through the dizziness
as he let go of my throat, I let out a giggle.
His hips thrust harder, smashing me against the wall. And for a
moment, I thought we were about to go through it, straight into the living
room. But we didn’t, and he came inside me. His cock delivering the hot
pumping blows of cum to my insides.
He carried me to the bed with his cock still inside me. I’d forgotten
how much I’d missed what Daddy could do with those thick thigh muscles.
He laid me down and gently pulled out before wiping the end of his cock
against my hole.
“I’ll go get us some water,” he said, leaning over to kiss me and give
the tip of my nose a gentle nibble. “Stay. I haven’t finished with you.” He
put on a pair of briefs before leaving, the gloss of cum on his chest was
visible as the light touched him.
I wiggled on the sheet and looked down at the cum on my belly.
With a finger, I gave it a taste, just a single dip. I was delicious, and there
was no denying that.
Daddy came back with bottles of water, partly frozen from being in
the freezer. He also held a small damp towel in his hand.
“I eated it,” I said, pouting at the cum.
He placed the bottles on the bedside table and sat. “I’m never letting
you go,” he said before gently wiping my skin clear with the damp towel. “I
feel so much better after tonight. We got what we wanted.”
“I didn’t get to set fire—”
Daddy hushed me with a finger to my lips. “Controlled fires, yes.
But baby, that building would’ve gone up and killed everyone inside it.
Especially with all that tequila you used.”
He had a point. “Next time?”
 “We’ll talk about the next step tomorrow,” he said. “I think Midas
and Trojan are finally fucking. Apparently, they went months without. Poor
guys.”
“We went months too.” But that wasn’t like we had a choice. We
went months because we had to. I was in prison. He was dead—undead—
alive, but everyone thought he was dead.
“Never again. Now, two options. We go take a shower. Get all this
blood off us. And fuck. Or I can make us a couple sandwiches. We can eat a
little, and then fuck.”
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
“What sandwiches?” I asked.
“Cock. I—I mean chicken.” He winked at me.
“Shower. Sex. Food. Sex,” I listed.

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER TEN
ATLAS

Finally, after months without killing, I’d satisfied my soul. I was becoming
further and further unhinged, with a need to see blood coating anything that
wasn’t on the TV or a nature documentary. I had a hunger to get revenge,
and last night proved that I hadn’t lost any of my instincts.
Beating eggs, milk, and flour in a bowl, I whipped up a pancake
batter. Now that one thing in my life felt like it was good, the murdering, I
could focus on the next thing: taking care of my boy.
I planned on surprising him with pancakes and syrup in bed, but he
came out to me in the kitchen, wearing a onesie half-undressed, the arms of
it wrapped around his waist. He hugged me as I pressed a spatula against
the pancakes to flip them on the hot plate.
“You remembered?” he asked in a sleepy haze.
“We’ve been together for years,” I said, holding his hand. “You’re
not exactly difficult to remember. Pancakes. Cake. Slushies. Anything with
sugar in really.”
He clicked his tongue, burying his head into my back. “You make
me sound so simple.”
Chuckling. I knew he was far from that. He wasn’t simple. He was
complex, filled with all types of history, and inside, he had a lot going on.
Outside, he might have looked like he was a pouty little princess boy who
got whatever he wanted, and he absolutely was, but he wasn’t always like
that.
Plating the pancakes for him on the small dining table, Midas and
Trojan came out of their bedroom.
“Made breakfast?” Midas asked. “I’m starving.” He reached out to
for a pancake from the stack. I grabbed the knife from the table, holding it
inches from cutting into his wrist. “Wow. Relax.”
“Like I’d ever make you breakfast,” I said. “Besides, remember
Osaka in ‘06?”
“Yeah,” he grumbled. “We took out two triad members.”
“No, no,” I tutted. “I bought you breakfast from that place. That’s as
close to breakfast from me you’ll ever get.”
 Jasiel stuck his tongue out. “These are all mine,” he said, grabbing
the bear-shaped bottle of squeezy syrup.
“Besides,” I said, looking to Trojan, stood behind Midas, stretching
and yawning. “You should feed your boy. We had quite the adventure last
night, we’ll need our strength for today.”
“Oh, I fed him alright.” Midas winked at me.
I knew that was regarding sex. I knew, we all knew, not that they
were as loud as me and Jasiel, but because the beds in these places were
extremely cheap and squeaked so loud like they were raid sirens.
Jasiel ate his pancakes, wolfing them down with animalistic speed. I
had wondered what it must have been like for him inside. Unable to eat
proper food, or at least, unable to eat the food he usually had.
I sat in the living room with my cup of black coffee, flicking
through the TV channels to see what the news headlines were, and whether
there was anything more about Jasiel there. Or the incident at the bar last
night.
Midas sat beside me with a slice of toast. “Who’s next?”
That was the multi-million-dollar question. Who? “I don’t want to
stray from our plans, but the Agosti family really tried to fuck with me by
shooting at Jasiel. But we know that the Coronado family will wipe them of
the map if they get that shipment.”
“So, what are we going to do?”
“Find out more about the Agosti family, I didn’t even think they
were big-time,” I admitted. “The last I remember, they peddled drugs on
street corners.”
Midas nodded, slowly. “I might piece together what you missed out
on then,” he said. “Eight months ago, Salvo Agosti was killed. His wife,
Vittoria is now the head of the family. I heard rumors she poisoned him, and
I’m inclined to believe them. After Salvo’s death, several other people died
under similar circumstances, and the one person who benefitted from that
was—”
“Vittoria,” I finished for him.
“They were always low-level criminals, but she had other plans. She
wanted blood. She wanted status. And more than anything, she wanted
money.”
“Why is this the first I’m hearing of her?” I asked him, taking a sip
of my coffee. “Assuming she’s been operating all this time, I should’ve
known.”
Midas shrugged. “Honestly, it hasn’t been on my radar either. I
heard from a friend who worked for Salvo when he died. He said the wife,
now a widow, she was looking to enact revenge on whoever killed her
husband. It was a lot, to be honest, and we had too much on our plate.”
My brows creased with curiosity. “But didn’t she kill her husband.”
He hummed, chewing on his toast.
“She used his death to get people to join her, and that’s how she
grew.” I had to admit, there was a small amount of genius in that.
“They say she’s ruthless.”
“Ruthless,” I laughed. “People who are ruthless do not poison.
Ruthless people point guns to people’s head and threaten their lives. They
give them to the count of three but shot on two. She isn’t ruthless.”
Midas agreed with me. “So, we already killed one of her guys,” he
said. “Are we going after them too?”
“No,” I said, plainly. “We don’t want to waste time and resources.
We only have one goal. And that’s completed when Benicio’s head is in a
box, and anyone who fucked me over from that family is worm food.”
Midas nodded. He understood. He also knew that I rarely veered
from the plan. I was calm, but that was temporary. My skin had a continued
itch, like small bugs were biting at my skin on the back of my head in my
hair and in the corner of my eye, causing me to clench a fist and not cut a
cross-section of my own skin out.
Trojan joined us as we went to talk about the shipping containers. I
watched Jasiel as he went straight to the bedroom after the pancakes with a
frozen slushie in hand from the freezer. I wanted to join him, but I knew we
had to talk about this, and last night, we’d all come back and decided that
we were too horned up from the violence to discuss plans.
“Since we know the shipment is guns, I think we only have one
option,” I began, looking at the two of them sitting together on a sofa.
“Well, there’s no use in having them seized because the Coronado
family own the police, right,” Trojan said.
“Exactly.”
“And if we don’t do anything, we’re basically giving them the
ammunition to prepare for our attack,” Midas added.
“Exactly, they don’t know we’re going to attack, since I’m still
dead.”
 “And what about the man you killed last night?”
I looked at the TV and flicked through a few more channels. “I don’t
believe he’s been found yet,” I said. “Anyway, I think we take the guns for
ourselves. The shipment arrives at port in two days.”
Trojan grinned, rubbing at his chin like he’d become an evil
mastermind, more so because he’d be the one in charge of getting all the
information from the cargo ship’s manifest. “So, what do you need me to
do?” he asked, already prepared.
“The container,” I said. “Have the details changed. Perhaps, give
them an empty container, or something like a container full of fish,
something stupid like that.”
He nodded. “I can see what they have. And—and who should I put
down for theirs?” He looked around, between us.
“A random name,” I said. While Trojan and Midas were both
aliases, their legal names were in systems that would get the container
flagged. As were mine and Jasiel’s names. We couldn’t chance any of that.
“I have a guy at a copy store who can whip up a good fake ID within a
couple hours too. So, if the name isn’t anything out of the ordinary, I say
put that down.”
“On it,” Trojan said.
“Other things we’ll need,” I said, snapping my fingers and looking
to Midas. “A van. I don’t know what they’ve got, but it’s big enough to arm
them in a turf war. So, let’s assume we’ll need a van, truck, whatever it is,
just big enough to take everything in that container.”
I hated giving this to them. I was so used to taking control of every
aspect of a mission, but my presumed death had put a stop to that, and I
wasn’t going to out myself until I was face-to-face with Benicio and the
only thing his gasping shocked face would’ve been useful for was as a
space for me to shove my gun, pushing his teeth apart and opening his jaw
much wider. I almost got off on the idea of putting a bullet in the back of
that man’s throat.
“I think it’ll be a lot,” Midas said, sucking on his teeth.
“Whatever we don’t use, it’s yours to sell,” I said. “I have my own
guns, Jasiel uses knives, we’d be taking it to cut them off at their supply, but
we have to assume they’re still loaded with fire power at that house.”
Trojan’s throat let out a light gulp. “You think we can be prepared
for this in two weeks?”
 “If this was happening in two days, we’d be prepared,” I said. “So,
yes. Two weeks. We’re going to be more than prepared.” I was finally
relaxed. I drank the rest of my black coffee, feeling the sweet syrupy sugar
from the bottom of the cup coat my tongue before hitting the back of my
throat.
They could’ve avoided all of this, but they got too greedy. They
tried breaking my sweet, Jasiel, and they’d put me in a lot of pain, but I
wouldn’t admit that it was ever critical, at least not to them. They were,
however, soon going to witness what it meant to fuck with me.

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER ELEVEN
JASIEL

When they started talking about all the plans, I decided it wasn’t for me and
laid back in bed. Last night had been so exhilarating, I almost forgot about
how exciting it was to get all bloody and take a life.
Snuggled up with Blubby in one arm and my slushie cup in another,
I watched cartoons on the wall-mounted television. I’d missed all of this,
what I didn’t miss was not being allowed to do anything, and until we got
rid of the Coronado family for good, I wasn’t allowed to do a lot of things. I
couldn’t go outside without Daddy being scared, and he couldn’t come for
walks with me either. And we couldn’t go to the beach or swim, or any of
the fun things we used to do together.
I was free, but it was almost like this place had become a prison for
me.
Slurping on the slushie, I was a little upset. I wanted revenge as
much as Daddy did, but I wanted him more. And he was in there, talking
about the big plans. I didn’t want to join them and get in the way, like I
usually did.
Part of me wished we could leave now and never come back, and
another part of me knew that we’d be constantly hunted if we did that.
Besides, Daddy was dead to many people, and I was an escaped prisoner on
the run.
The cartoons on the TV didn’t do much to drive out the sound of my
thoughts. They were bright and colorful, flashing on screen like gentle
lullabies. I drifted into my nap space a couple times, it was a hazy dream
like state that was sometimes lucid enough for me to act out the crazy plans
I had.
In my dreams, I could have loads of arms and all my knives were
thrown and then they came back for me to throw them again. They were a
bit like boomerangs, except they didn’t spin, and it was more like they just
came back into my pocket. Each throw of a knife hit where it was most
deadly, and it never missed.
Then the flames. With the bodies piled up and doused with my
favorite blue burning gasoline, I threw a match down on them and kaboom!
Their bodies went up without a fight, everything on them melted and turned
to a crisp.
“Baby,” a soft voice woke me.
Springing to action, I thrust my palm up with an uppercut, ready to
fight.
Daddy caught my hand before it could do any harm. He chuckled,
slipping onto the bed beside me. “You looked so peaceful sleeping,” he
said.
“So, why did you wake me?”
“Because I thought you’d want to know the plan.”
I did, and I didn’t. “Ok.”
“We’re going to get the guns from the shipping container when it
arrives,” he said. “Then we’re going to use it against them. It’s Benicio’s
birthday party in two weeks. That’s when we think we should attack.”
I nodded, smiling. “Well, speaking of birthdays. I missed yours, you
missed mine. We should do something special.” I pushed my hand into his.
“Like, maybe go for a meal somewhere or—”
“Baby.”
That was the sound of him about to let me down. I frowned at him.
“No,” I said.
“Once this is over with, every day can be your birthday,” he told me.
“And yes, that extends to cake for breakfast.”
My belly rumbled at the sound of breakfast. I had already had
breakfast, but my stomach had room for second breakfast, obviously. He
placed a hand over my stomach, stroking me. I let out a large yawn and
squeezed his hand on me harder, trying to pull him all the way on top of me.
“Come take a nap with me,” I told him.
In prison, I never had the time to nap, nor the comfort. Sure, when I
was alone, I could, but it was always sleeping with one eye open, just in
case someone tried to come in at night and threaten you. I’d heard of it
happening to the other guys, but I suppose the Coronado family didn’t want
me beaten. They knew in a fight of physicality, I had the upper hand, not for
my brute strength like Daddy, but because I could loop rings around a
person with my flexibility, agility, and all-around reflexes.
He laid in bed beside me, patting a hand on his stomach. I laid on
him, snuggling Blubby with one arm, and my other wrapped around
Daddy’s waist. I wasn’t letting him leave me, not to go talk plans with the
guys, or to go to the bathroom, he was staying right here with me, watching
cartoons.
“I can’t wait to take you away from this place,” he said, running his
fingers through my hair. “Once they’re gone. One the mission is complete.”
“Are we going to rob their money too?” I asked.
He let out a hum. “As payment for putting you in prison, absolutely,
we’ll take all their money.”
I didn’t know how much money we had together, which was strange
considering all throughout my life, I had always known how much money I
had in my bank account, or in my pocket, or stuffed in the springs of the old
mattress. I always knew, until I met Atlas, when I still referred to him as
that. He took care of me, he told me I’d never have to worry about another
thing if he was by my side. And it was all true, I didn’t have to worry about
anything, except revenge.
“And can I blow stuff up?”
“Sure.”
I turned my head on his belly to look up at him. Giddy excitement
bubbled around me. “Oh. I’ve always wanted to blow up that big fancy
house,” I admitted. “It’s like—around all the water too so it won’t hurt like
anyone else but the people inside.”
“Exactly,” he said. “And remember our rules. Only blow up the bad
guys. Civilian casualties are not what we want. If a civilian dies, we’re the
bad guys.”
Nodding along to him, I understood. He was a contract killer, but he
didn’t always accept contract to kill. He was good at what he did, he could
get in and out of a place without being found out.
“What if there are people at the house who are innocent?” I asked.
“We’ll do our best to get them out,” he said, stroking his hand
through my hair once more. “You won’t be blowing anything until after
they family are dead anyway. So, you don’t need to worry about that, baby.”
I wasn’t much of a killer, sure, I shot that guy yesterday, and I’d
killed a couple of men who got a little touchy with me, but I wasn’t anyone
they hired to kill. I was just Daddy’s little helper, and sometimes, I was
Daddy’s little disaster who would get in the way and make more trouble.
We watched cartoons together until I felt him wriggle around, trying
to get comfortable.
“You’re staying with me,” I said.
 “I know, I am,” he chuckled.
“Good.”
“You’re never getting rid of me,” he said. “I’d never let you get rid
of me.” He reached out for my hand, lifting it for the diamond to catch the
light. “This means you’re mine, now, and forever.”
“Not until we say our vows,” I told him before sinking my teeth into
my lip to hide my sneaky smile.
He didn’t smile back. He yanked my hand. “With or without vows,
you’re mine.”
I took my other hand and grabbed his cock with all my force.
“Mine.”
Daddy smirked. “If it’s yours, put your name on it.”
“What do you mean, if?” I sat upright, squeezing his soft bulge
inside his trousers.
“I don’t see your name on it,” he said, unflinching as I squeezed
harder.
I huffed and growled. “You won’t see it at all in a minute, because
I’m going to rip it off.”
Placing a hand behind my head, he hushed me. “And I already told
you once before, baby. The only way this is coming off, if it’s in that ass.”
Letting go, I rolled over in the bed and cuddled at Blubby. “I can’t
believe you’d tease me like that.”
He spooned me, wrapping an arm around my waist. “I could’ve
done worse,” he whispered in my ear. “I could’ve told you about how it’s
been so long, he forgot who you are, or how sometimes he got hard just at
the sight of your teddy.”
“You better leave Blubby alone,” I said, squeezing him.
“You should check the bottom; I think I might—”
I grabbed Daddy’s hand and yanked on his thumb, pressing it with
all my might as I would to sprain it.
“That tickles,” he chuckles.
We rolled over. I was on his chest, Blubby still in my arm. “Did you
fuck my teddy?”
“Why?” he whispered, pushing his hands behind his head. He thrust
his hips, knocking my balance to lay on his chest. “You want me to fuck
your teddy?”
 I knew he was only teasing me, but sometimes, I didn’t want to be
teased. Sometimes, I just wanted to be rocked asleep and maybe a dick
inside me at some point, either as a pacifier or a plug. I didn’t mind, I’d
missed out on so much of Daddy’s dick. All I wanted now, was for him to
just say it was mine, and I’d be happy. I knew it was, but all I wanted was to
hear him say it.
“Blubby is probably the closest you’ll get to fucking,” I told him.
“Because I’m closed.”
“Look at you being salty,” he snickered. “You know what else is
salty?”
“Your cum when you don’t eat pineapple,” I snapped back.
He pulled his hand from behind his head and wrapped them around
me. “I was gonna say the ocean, where we’re going to be soon, fucking in
one of those hammocks between two palm trees.”
Ok. I preferred that. “But before that, I want you to get my name
tattooed on your dick,” I told him. “So, you can never say it’s not mine,
ever again.”
“Your full name?” he asked, winking.
“Jasiel Federico Acevedo,” I stated. “It’s big enough for that.”
“Thick enough, maybe.” He kissed my forehead. “I missed your
crazy ass. And speaking of, you’ll need to get my name tatted on them
cheeks.”
“Done,” I said without hesitation. It wasn’t like I saw my ass
anyway.

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER TWELVE
ATLAS

The last thing I expected after napping beside Jasiel was to wake up and
find my cock had his name written on it in black Sharpie pen. It was in all
caps, but just his first name. It wasn’t a surprise to see when I saw it, more
so how he found a Sharpie.
He couldn’t contain his laughter at the situation, and then he flashed
his bum at me to show me the way he’s written my name on his skin. He’d
clearly done it himself; the S and the L were the wrong way around, almost
like he’d been looking in the mirror when he attempted it.
It would be on both of us for the time being. Plus, the least he
could’ve done was get me hard and then write it. The letters became
deformed as I tugged at the skin.
After that, we had to return to a level of seriousness. It was Jasiel’s
last favorite level, but we had to get a lot done.
It was time to head to the shipping yard. Eleven at night. Trojan get
the alert about the docked container at port.
“The van’s ready downstairs,” Midas said.
The van was large, three seats in the front, and one in the back to sit
with cargo. I was in the driving seat, masked up with a black scarf around
my face and shades over my eyes, it looked less criminal than driving
around in a cartoon mask. And carrying two guns, one in each shoulder
holster. We had to be careful, we were one wrong move away from blowing
everything. My identity had to stay secret.
Trojan had the documents, forged, of course. Midas had first-hand
knowledge of the docks from having his own ammo deliveries. Jasiel had
his knives; he also had a mouthful of complaints which I quickly shut down
with a large blue raspberry slushie.
The dock was busy with night workers and if it hadn’t been for the
black sky, I might’ve been convinced it wad daylight because of the large
lights forcing bright, hot white on everything from the tall light beams.
I stayed in the van as we were shown to the shipping container. My
objectives for tonight were clear, make sure we get in and out safely. If at
any moment, I think we’ve been made by anyone, we called the entire thing
off and we scrap this part of the plan.
 Usually, all parts of the plan had to be done and they must all come
together. Except, this time, if this part of the plan didn’t come together, it
wasn’t the worst thing that could’ve happened. It would’ve given the
Coronado family more ammo, but overall, I’d be able to keep my identity.
Midas came around to me with his phone in hand. “Look at this.”
There it was. The inside of the container. All that firepower.
Automatic rifles. Boxes stacked upon each other full of ammunition. This
was clearly going to cut them off at their knees, or ankles, depending on
what they had planned for it.
“We should be able to get most of it in,” he told me,
“That ammo,” I said, taking his phone. I zoomed in on it. “That’s
military grade. Foreign. These are strong. Take all the ammo. Don’t leave
any of it behind.”
They could have all the guns if that’s what we needed to leave
behind, but if they didn’t have the right ammunition for those guns, they
were as good as useless.
As Midas left, Jasiel arrived, heaving a large box in his arms.
“Look!”
“What is it?”
“Explosives.” He had the biggest, wildest smile on his face. Of
course, they were explosives, and of course, he probably sniffed them out.
“I can use these.”
I nodded at him. “Sure, baby. Put them in the van. And help with the
rest of it. I need to monitor what’s going on out there.” I stared ahead as
more people were coming to inspect their shipments.
It wasn’t sure the Coronado family who had shipments coming in.
They might’ve been the largest player in the current climate to get things
illegally passed through this port, but there were always smaller fish trying
to come up in this big pond. It was no longer my job to keep those small
fish down.
It took over half an hour until Midas slapped the side of the van like
it was some piece of ass. “All done,” he said.
His voice caught someone up ahead, it was followed by a war cry
scream, the type you deliver when you discover your shipping container is
filled with the finest Italian furniture.
That was them.
“Get in,” I shouted.
 BANG.
Shots were fired. The sound of their metallic pings like flicking
copper coins down the garbage disposal.
PING. PING.
They were shooting at us and getting closer.
“We’ve been made!” I called out to them. “Close up the van and
let’s go!”
They weren’t listening. From the side mirror, I saw Midas gearing
up to test out some of the automatic weapons and the long string of
ammunition, straight from the box.
I pulled out my gun and instead of shooting at them, I pointed it to
the large, craned light above us. One pop and the light went out. It wasn’t
the only light on the port dock, but it was enough so that we didn’t feel like
we were out in the open.
The sudden whir and orange glowing bullets popped from the
automatic gun in Midas’s possession, sprinkling shots out to the men
shooting at us. I heard people falling to the ground, their end-of-life moans
and the way blood caught in their throat as they tried to let out final words
—well, I’d enjoyed hearing that.
As an assassin, I’d heard so many last words, most people didn’t
know that they were their last words, and that was upsetting for those
people because sometimes it was comical. I’m not a fan of pizza. I recalled
one man talking about food, he was a kingpin from somewhere, I believe I
killed him for the Coronado family as well.
The lights on the car ahead flashed. I caught a look at Benicio Jr.
hiding behind two men and their guns.
“Get in!” I called to them. The last thing I wanted right now was to
have the entire operation blown. We had over a week left until I could
reveal myself and shoot Benicio point blank. The idea satisfied a part of my
brain that had been begging to be scratched. “Now!”
Jasiel jumped into the passenger seat, looking at me with his big,
beautiful bug eyes. I hadn’t meant to shout at him, but they weren’t
listening. “I was making sure we didn’t miss any explosives,” he mumbled
softly.
A gunshot hit the side of the van. “Fuck.” I throttled the engine
ignition. Trojan and Midas had to get in now. The back of the van shut.
They both must’ve climbed into the back. “You in there?” I called out.
 “Go!” They shouted.
I sped off in the van, careful of the cargo we were carrying, and
more careful not to get hit by any of the men who aimed their guns at us.
One stray bullet could blow this entire thing up if it hit an explosive.
Midas and Trojan continued to shoot from the back of the van until
we’d gotten away from the port and back into the nearby neighborhoods.
Nobody followed, not a single car was chasing us, and the only sirens we
heard came from the distance.
Driving the van to an outdoor vehicle storage lockup, we’d made it
all back in one piece. I made sure to triple check Jasiel for any cuts or
blood. There had been a couple times in the past when he’d been cut bad
and he hadn’t realized it, nor had he experienced any pain.
“I’m fine,” he grumbled. “Where’s my slushie?” He looked inside
the front of the van. “I’m so thirsty. And it’s so hot in here.”
He was right. The garage was hot, but we still had plenty of work to
do. We had to get the firearms unloaded and the ammunition checked out.
They’d be looking for us but with the growing tension between the two
families, I was hoping the Coronado family would think this was done by
the Agosti’s.
“Did any of you get a shot at Benicio Jr.?” I asked, finally freeing
myself from the heat in the scarf around my face.
“I saw him,” Midas said, pulling out the weapons and stacking them
along the width of the wall. “Figured it would spoil things if we killed
him.”
They were right. We had several plans, and they all hinged on one
thing or another happening. Our first plan was to take Benicio and the
family out months ago, but that hinged on getting Jasiel out of prison first.
Everything hinged on Jasiel being out. Now that he was, and we had an
opening to get at the family, we couldn’t let anything get in the way of
slaughtering them all. I didn’t choose to do that to them, they were forcing
me to.
“How much did you leave behind?” I asked, looking into the back of
the van. I grabbed a nice semi-automatic rifle. I never used these types of
weapons. I liked a one-shot gun because when I shot, I never missed, and I
never needed more than one bullet.
“A couple of guns. We took all the ammo and the explosives,”
Trojan said. “Once we’ve back at the safe house, I’ll pull up the security
footage to see if they grabbed the rest of the stuff.”
I placed the weapon against the wall with the rest of them. “This is
all yours,” I said to Midas. I had no use for it. I had my own guns. I peered
into the back of the van once more. “Where’s Jasiel?”
Outside the storage unit, Jasiel stood with his back against the wall.
He stared up at the stars in the sky.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I don’t have my slushie,” he grumbled, frowning at me as if it was
my fault, he’d drank it all. “Can we go home?”
“We need to unload the van first,” I told him. “And take stock of all
the explosives. If you really want to blow that place up, you need to know
what you’re working with.”
Excitement popped life back inside him. “Yes!” He jumped around,
clapping his hands. “Ka-boom!”

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
JASIEL

Ideas swam around in my brain juices. My brain juices weren’t like

everyone else’s, mine were made of propane, and when I had a little spark
of an idea, it would illuminate everything in my brain. I liked to think of it
that way.
In a past life, I was probably a demolitions expert because I knew
how to spot weak points on a building and exploit that to get a place to
crumble into hazardous dust particles.
“Ok, so they went over five minutes later,” Trojan said, redirecting
my attention span to the black and white footage on the TV screen. He’d
connected his laptop to the TV and was showing off what he’d found.
On the screen, there were several men, armed and dangerous, but
they didn’t exactly look like they were taking care of their blind spots.
Anyone could’ve been hiding on one of the containers further up to take
them out with a couple shots.
He forwarded through the footage. “And here,” he said. “Benicio
arrives.”
Daddy moved from the sofa and sat in front of the screen. He stared
directly at the frozen image of Benicio. He was the old guy who tried to
control everything. He walked with a cane, and he always wore a white hat.
When I knew Benicio, he seemed nice, he made everyone so happy, and he
hosted the biggest dinner parties where I tried expensive food and
expensive wine. It was sad for me to know that he was also the one who put
a bounty on my head, and not even a big one at that.
“Play,” Daddy said, snapping his fingers.
The camera followed Benicio as he approached his son at a car.
There were three bodies on the ground. And three men surrounding Benicio
Jr. with the cargo they’d collected from the container.
There was no sound, but I assumed they were saying something
with long breathy pauses the way Benicio spoke. He had a deep voice and
he sighed after everything. My impression of him was to say. ‘Don’t—come
back—unless—he’s dead.’ And that’s what I imagined him saying here too.
Benicio raised his cane, the tip of it glinted in the security camera.
Now, I was interested. I knew Benicio’s cane turned into a knife; it was
exciting to see him use it. One jab of the cane and it went through one of
the dead bodies on the ground. He walked closer to his son, stabbing at the
other body on the ground.
Daddy scoffed. “Look at him, I’m surprised he even did that
himself,” he said, turning to the rest of us. “He’s so used to paying people to
kill for him, I doubt he’s done any dirty work in years.”
Enthralled in the action on screen, I continued to watch Benicio. He
plunged the end of his sharp cane into a man’s chest. He dropped his
weapon and stood, dark liquid coming from his mouth. I assumed it was
blood, but the black and white on-screen made my brain disconnect that
from actual blood.
“I guess one doesn’t count,” Daddy said, rolling his eyes. “But my
point stands. He doesn’t do his own dirty work. He has his kids do it, like,
going to collect his shipments. Or he’ll hire someone or put a bounty on
someone’s head to get the job done for him.”
I knew Daddy was mad. We’d both been lied to, and then we’d both
been almost killed by that family. Mostly, Daddy kept a level head. He
didn’t act unless he had to, and he always watched. Sometimes, I’d catch
him watching me, a blank expression on his face like he was in the middle
of playing poker. His stare was hypnotic.
On the screen, men arrived in hazmat suits, carrying long sheets of
plastic. They wrapped the bodies like they were meat in a butcher’s store.
Pushing all the dead bodies together, they wrapped them up and tied them
off in place with large Ziplock ties.
“Good news,” I said, slipping on my melted slushie as the syrup
collected in the bottom. “They don’t know it was us.”
Daddy smiled briefly at that before joining me on the sofa. “They
don’t, you’re right,” he said. “So, who’s hungry?”
Midas looked from side to side. “Are you offering to cook?”
“Fuck that,” he snipped. “Order take out.” He slipped his hand into
mine. “You know I only cook for one person.”
“Is it me?” I whispered.
“Yes, it’s you,” he whispered back.
I wasn’t super hungry, but I could always eat, and I wasn’t going to
turn down the idea of food. I was still getting used to being out of prison. I
hadn’t had this much choice since before I went into prison, and quite
literally before that. Benicio had tried to ply me with food in order to get
me to speak before he tried to the hard way. But either way, I would’ve
never told them anything about Daddy’s money.
They ordered pizzas. Pepperoni, four cheese, and ham and
pineapple.
I claimed the four-cheese pizza for myself, taking the box with me
into the bedroom where only one other person was allowed to be. Daddy
came in, looking at me with a pinched glare. He looked from me in a pair of
underwear one of his oversized vests, to the pizza, and then to the cartoons
on the TV.
“I thought we were all sharing?” he asked, unbuttoning his shirt.
“You guys can share,” I told him as I licked a piece of string cheese
melting from the side of the pizza slice. “But I’m not sharing.”
On the bedside table, my half-filled slushie cup, and in a headlock
under my arm, Blubby. He didn’t eat, so it was fine.
“Do I get a bite?” he asked, kneeling at the side of the bed to me.
My body had a series of his little love bites, I wondered if that’s
what he was referring to, because the pizza in my hand had already been
spoken for. I folded it and stuffed it in my mouth.
Daddy opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. He pointed to the
remaining pizza in the box. I wasn’t against the idea of forcing all those
inches in his mouth, but usually, I was the one being stuffed with inches.
I fed him some of my pizza, but I also got the cheese and sauce all
over his face before I did it. “There,” I said, proud of myself.
I’d missed messing around with him so much. We started our
relationship in a mess, and I liked to make sure that theme continued.
He pressed his face to mine, getting all the sauce back on me. “Now,
we’ll have to take a shower together,” he said. “And—how did you write
your name on my dick earlier without me feeling it?”
I gave him a cute smile, full teeth. “Because I was soft. You didn’t
even get hard or anything. It was like a little worm.”
His face grew closer, pressing on mine. “Little?” he asked in a deep
voice. “You know what happened to the last guy who called it little?”
“Yes,” I said, applying force to my face as we mushed together. “It
was me.” I was the last guy who’d called it little as a joke, or at least I
hoped I was. “It better have been me.”
“Yes, and what happened?” he asked.
“You tucked me into bed, and we slept, happily ever after, the end.”
 “Before that.”
“You mean when you put it all the way down my throat, and I
thought you were going to rip through my skull?”
Daddy smirked. “Don’t worry though,” he said. “I won’t do that
now. You’ve just eaten. It would be a waste of food if you started throwing
up on my dick, not to mention, not my kink.”
My brows gathered at a central point on my forehead. “That’s not
my kink either,” I said. “I don’t want to puke.”
He pulled away from the bed. “Let’s go shower,” he said. “We smell
like gunfire and pizza. And now I’ll have to remake the bed. You’ve left a
fucking grease stain.”
“Relax,” I said, clicking my tongue. “It’s just pizza.” Daddy liked
clean things, he liked me clean, the bed clean, and his kills to be clean. And
I liked mess, I lived in mess. If it wasn’t for Daddy, I’d have been living in
a small box studio surrounded by takeout boxes and the remains of
whatever I’d stolen that day.
He carried me into the bathroom as I kicked at him to get the rest of
my pizza. “We’re showering,” he said, placing me in the tub with my
clothes on.
I refused to change out of my clothes because he hadn’t let me finish
my pizza. He liked that I did this, it was part of our play, but I also didn’t
want to get undressed, and I really wanted to eat more pizza and watch
more cartoons.
He undressed in front of me, pulling off his socks, unbuttoning the
rest of his shirt, and finally removing his trousers. It was a little
performance for my eyes only. I made sure for him to turn around as I
recounted all the marks on his body to make sure I had them all memorized.
“Your turns,” he said, a hand on the button for the shower. “Undress,
or—”
“Or?”
The ‘or’ had been the warning. He pressed the button and the
shower above shot out cold water, quickly turning hot, then back to cold.
I yelped, jumping and slipping around. Daddy grabbed my hand to
keep me stable as he turned the shower off. “Meanie,” I said, shivering in
my drenched clothes.
“Love you too,” he said, removing his oversized vest top from me.
“This could’ve been so easy. But you make it hard—you, always make it
hard.” He gestured to his cock as it was growing lively with a gentle
pendulous swing.
I couldn’t be mad, even fake mad at him, especially not when his
cock was right there, and my name was directly on the shaft. I allowed him
to continue undressing me before we took a shower together.
He took the best care of me. Scrubbing shampoo through my hair
and soap over my body with a loofah, gently caressing my skin. I wrapped
my arms around him, hugging him tight in my hold. I never wanted to let
him go.
“When we go to the house, I know you want to kill Benicio,” I said,
looking up at him. “But can I kill one of the sons?”
Nodding, he smiled at me. “Which one?”
There were four sons. Benicio Jr., Jesus, Luis, and Miguel, in that
order of succession. I’d already killed Luis, which was part of why they
came for us in the middle of the night, but also, Luis had threatened us with
death if we tried to leave, so they brought all of this on themselves. “Jesus,”
I said.
“Don’t get hurt.” He kissed me on the forehead, getting shampoo
suds in his mouth.
I giggled, watching him spit out the taste.

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ATLAS

Over the years, I’d grown accustomed to way of waking Jasiel. The best
way to wake him was with breakfast, already made. It was easy to do, and I
only had to deal with a little bit of his bratty behavior, but I didn’t mind it
because when he was locked away and I couldn’t get to him, I’d told myself
in little promises that I would do absolutely anything he wanted when we
were reconnected. It was nice, having the two of us together again. I drank
my black coffee, he ate his pancakes, and we stared into each other’s eyes.
“Trojan has the layout for the house,” I said.
Jasiel’s pinched, sleepy face glared at me. “I know the house
already.”
“This one shows everything,” I told him. “The water systems,
electrical, the vents. It’s like the central nervous system of the body. We
know the rooms and the layout, but we also need to know their security
cameras too.”
He scoffed, cutting up his pancakes with the side of his spoon. “We
know that.”
“We knew that,” I corrected him. A lot had changed, I was sure of
that. Plus, while we worked for the family, they made it a habit of changing
the security functions often, which meant increasing cameras and different
alert systems.
“Where are they?” he asked, looking around.
“They’re at the storage unit cataloging everything,” I told him. “It’s
almost twelve.” I could’ve woken him earlier, but in honesty, I didn’t want
to wake him. He was so peaceful when he was sleeping, and after
everything we’d both been through, I knew how important sleep was to
getting back to that place we were.
“They best not touch my explosives,” he grumbled.
There wasn’t any that could be done about that, we were both
possessive, and we both liked control. No amount of sleep could solve that
issue in either of us, ever.
Jasiel ate while I mentally planned everything out. The plan changed
often, and each change was progress. We were making progress by going
through the change, every time it crossed my mind, I’d add something new,
or flesh something out a little better.
The first plan, which I enjoyed parts of included pouring a noxious
sleeping gas into the vents, putting everyone into a deep sleep. I’d gather
everyone up, and then one-by-one, while Benicio watched, I’d kill his
children off. The idea of that still put a smile on my face, but that idea was
something I’d do alone, and since this was a four-man operation, there was
much more we could do.
Death was theatrical in my eyes. If I could stage a death to look
beautiful, I absolutely would. It’s part of why I could fake my death, the
way I fell back into the muddy waters and allowed myself to contain the
bleeding. It was a work of art. I was painting Goya’s with bodies, while
others painted amateur Jackson Pollock’s.
Trojan and Midas came in, mid-argument.
Jasiel flicked through the TV channels as I was busy in my thoughts,
fleshing out our plans.
“The news,” Trojan said, nodding to Jasiel.
On the TV, the news channel spoke about the events of last night.
Turf war, it was listed as, and how crime needed to be cleaned up from our
streets. I had to agree with the female news presenter. We needed to clean
these criminals up off the street, and there was only one way of doing that,
putting them to death. The prison system could only do so much when they
were the ones who owned it. If you had something they wanted, and
wouldn’t give it to them, you were imprisoned, and if you had something
they could take, you were killed. It was some fucked up type of ecosystem
I’d allowed myself to be bought for. Of all the places I could’ve been, I
ended up here.
Midas laid out the blueprints of the large Coronado family home on
the table. “We know they’re hiring from Vincenzo’s Catering,” he said. “So,
we have our in. Trojan has us both down on their system as employees.”
I nodded at him. This was the current working plan. “Good,” I said.
“What did you find out about the bullets?” I asked. “And anything on the
C4?” Jasiel’s sharp gaze locked onto me as I mentioned his precious
explosives.
“You were right,” Trojan said. “It’s foreign military. It’s high grade.
Armor piercing stuff.”
 “I doubt we’ll need it,” I said. “So best save it, who knows what job
you’ll have after this?”
Midas let out a deep cackle from the back of his throat. “After this,
we’re taking a long break, maybe find an island.”
“No,” Jasiel snipped. “That’s our plan.” He held him his hand with
the engagement ring on. “See. We’re engaged. We’re leaving this entire life
behind us.”
“There’s enough beaches out there for everyone,” Midas said.
Jasiel glared at me, pouting.
“Don’t copy us,” I said, although I knew they weren’t.
Jasiel tucked his hand into mine and sighed. “I knew they were.” He
continued to pout. “So, you three all know what you’re doing, but what
about me?”
“You know what you’re doing,” I told him. “You’re charging the
explosives and you get to level the house like you wanted.” But I knew he
wanted more than that. “And you get to kill Jesus too.” He continued to
nod, requesting more from me. “And—”
Midas and Trojan stared, wondering what I had in mind for Jasiel.
I’d just assumed he would’ve been with me; I didn’t want him leaving my
side where the potential for him getting hurt was high.
“Well, I have the best aim out of everyone here,” Jasiel scoffed.
I squeezed his hand, tight. “Not everyone.”
“I once killed a man wearing full body armor, and he had the teeny,
tiniest space on his face, and I threw the blade. It spun around and landed
right in his eye. It went all the way down into his brain and killed him,” he
said. “It took me forever to get that blade back. So much blood, brain, and
eye goo everywhere.”
It was futile, trying to argue with Jasiel, and sometimes I enjoyed
doing it because of how it wound him up. I gave him a small applause of
claps. “We can’t all be as talented as you, baby.”
“I think I’ll sharpen my knives,” he said, slipping his hand away
from mine. “Considering I can’t set any fires until everyone is dead
anyway.”
The risk of people surviving was too high if we were to just set fire
to the place. He knew that already, so I wasn’t going to argue with him. We
would have to stick to the old methods of murder, through blade or bullet,
or brute force with hands at a neck.
 I continued to tell them a variation of the plan. We all knew about
our attempt to safeguard the innocent people. This wasn’t a paid hit, this
was personal, and I wasn’t going to have the blood of innocent workers on
my hands, at least not this time.
“So,” I began. “I think it’s important not to stray from the plan.”
Midas nodded. “I have a contact who can get me some pills to put in
their drinks,” he said.
“And I can make sure that those drinks aren’t taken by anyone else,”
Trojan added.
“Now I’m thirsty.” Jasiel stuck his tongue out. “Like, I’m really
thirsty now because you’re all talking about drinks.” He sighed. “And I
don’t have a slushie.”
Jasiel only drank slushies and anything he could get full of sugar
and fizz. His insides were probably allergic to water which I found sweet.
“I’ll take you to a 7-Eleven once we’re done,” I told him. “Let’s finish up
these plans first. We have just over a week before we’ll be there, and we
need to know every single minute of the plan.”
I knew plans weren’t Jasiel’s favorite part of anything. He was a
wild card, a loose cannon, and he added a variable to everything we did
together, and ninety-nine per cent of the time, that worked out in our favor. I
didn’t want to take the chance to think that the one per cent of the time
when it didn’t work, would be when it mattered the most.
“I have the C4, I plan the C4 around the building, hitting all the
major spots, and then viola, I detonate,” he said, listing out the plan on a
hand. “Simple.”
“No. What else do you need to do?”
“Ok, fine,” he grumbled. “I also need to wait until everyone has
done their part. The blowing things up doesn’t happen until right at the
end.”
“That’s right, baby,” I said, holding his hand tight. Jasiel wasn’t
trained like Midas and Trojan, and not like I was. Jasiel was trained by
carnies, and their lessons included some of the wildest and messiest
murders I’d ever seen. A whole host of animals, mauling enemies to death,
chopped bodies, a putrid stink of plastic and body parts in the humidity. It
wasn’t pleasant. I liked my method to be bleached clean with precision at
every angle.
 “I’ll help you rig the C4 up to a timer, or a trigger,” Trojan said. “I—
I’ve done them before, if you need help.”
Jasiel looked at me, almost for gauging my expression on what I
thought about the offer. Jasiel didn’t like accepting help, ever. “I think you
said you wanted to learn more about that,” I said. “I think the two of you
working together on the explosives would be good.”
“Ok,” he said, standing and pulling his hand out of mine. “But I’m
still in charge, obviously.”
We all looked around at each other, then up at Jasiel, nodding and
smiling. “Obviously,” I said.

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
JASIEL

While they were busy talking about the plan in the safe house, I took a
couple whatever money I found in Daddy’s pocket from the bedroom floor,
and decided it was time I went to go buy myself my blue raspberry slushie.
Dressed in my short overalls and an oversized light blue t-shirt, I
only needed one more thing to complete the look and to stay out of trouble.
A baseball cap and shades. I also needed my knives, so I took two with me
and slipped them into the front pocket of the overalls.
Nobody even noticed me leave, but I was a master escapist, so that
wasn’t a surprise. I looked behind myself a couple times to wonder if they
were following me too.
I had always loved slushies, ever since I was super little. After
school, we would walked past one of those big convenience stores, my
mom would be a couple scratch off tickets and something for the lottery,
and I’d get a slushie. The flavors were always different, and some of them
were bad, but most of them were delicious because of all that sugar.
When my mom died, I was only eight. My grandma took me in,
which made sense because we’d been living with her for as long as I could
remember anyway. She had to, if she didn’t, I had nobody and nowhere else
to go. The only other family member was my father, but he was abusive, not
toward me, my mom had left Colombia with me in her belly to get away
from him.
Walking around the store, the freedom of being able to exist was
nice. I never wanted to end up in prison, even when I was robbing people, I
had never wanted to end up on the inside. The last place I had expected to
ever find myself was in a cell. But I did, and I made it work for me. If it
came down to going back inside again, I knew I could get out again—I
think.
I filled my slushie cup, drinking it as I poured, making sure I was
fill on sugar and my lips were all blue before paying at the register. The
attendant didn’t seem to care that I’d probably drank three cups before I’d
gone to pay for it, and good too, because I’d just sharpened my knives, and
I was desperate to use them.
 Something didn’t feel right, from the moment I stepped into the
store, I almost felt like there was something off in the energy of the place. I
was good at reading situations and people, to the point where I knew if
something bad was going to happen.
And something bad was going to happen.
Nobody had come in the store since I’d been there, that was the first
clue.
The second clue was the attendant at the register. The shifty bastard
couldn’t have kept a secret if his life depended on it. Scratching up his arms
and tensing his fingers before cracking his knuckles like an anxious reflex. I
knew, even with my disguise, that someone knew I was in here.
And I was right.
Three men were outside, trying to hide near parked cars. Black
balaclava masks covering their faces.
“Come on then,” I said, walking out of the store. I sucked deep from
the straw, getting as much of the slushie inside me as possible. It was a hot
day, and this was cooling the deep pool of intense fire burning inside me.
My slushie cup was knocked from my hand, thrown across the stone
paving outside the store.
A light grumble came from the back of my throat. “You shouldn’t
have done that.” My hand slipped inside the pocket of my overalls. “You
don’t want to try me.”
“Jasiel?” one of them asked.
“You’d have more luck trying a bag of cheap coke than you’d have
trying me,” I said, wrapping my hand around the handle of the knife. I was
poised and ready for the attack. “So?”
One of them pulled out a gun, aiming it at me, close range. I didn’t
know much about guns, but I knew they didn’t come with orange tips.
These men were boys, and they were playing, because that wasn’t a real
gun.
“Who do you work for?” I asked, the hold on knife handle
loosening.
“Come with us.”
“No,” I scoffed. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you.”
The three of them laughed at the comment.
I didn’t take laughter lightly. In a swift motion, I pulled my hand out
of my pocket and threw the knife at the man furthest away. The blade went
through his throat. He collapsed as the rich red blood gushed out from his
neck on the stone.
“You pushed your luck,” I said.
The other brought out a gun, this one looked a little more real.
“Dead or alive they said!” He stepped closer, waving his gun in the air.
“Don’t make me do it again,” I said.
The sound of two bullets fired, colliding with the two men.
Up on a building opposite the store, Daddy, in his cartoon mask
waved down at me.
So, maybe he had followed me. “I told you we’d get slushies later,”
he said.
On the sidewalk, our large black SUV parked up. Midas was in the
driving seat. “Get in,” he said.
Folding my arms, I huffed. I didn’t want to. My slushie was on the
ground now. I wasn’t going anywhere without another.
Daddy appeared at my side, in his black shirt and trousers, he
wrapped an arm around my side. “Come on, baby,” he said. “We’ll get you
another one later.”
I suppose I had slurped up several cups in the store, and my mouth
was adequately blue, like I’d just been giving head to Mr. Freeze from
Batman & Robin.
Before being hauled into the back of the car, I grabbed my knife and
wiped off the blood on Daddy’s nice, black shirt. I’d also swiped one of
their wallets, which was a trick I learned from my carnie days, not all of
them did that, but it was a skill I’d wanted to learn, putting your hand in a
pocket and going unnoticed. But I don’t think it mattered much when they
were dead.
“You guys were busy talking about plans,” I said as Midas left a
screeching tire mark impression on the road. “Plus, when have I ever waited
for someone to tell me I could do something?” It was their fault really. They
knew me, and they should’ve known I hated to wait around. It was boring
to live that way.
“You didn’t think we wouldn’t notice you sneak out?” he asked,
stroking a hand through my hair. He pulled my head back, stretching my
neck out. “I know where you are, all the time, if you sneak out, sneak in. I
always know baby.”
 I returned the favor, grabbing his hair with a fist and yanking the
cartoon mask from his face. “Maybe I wanted you to come with me,” I said,
yanking harder. “I just want to spend time with you. But you’re just talking
about the plan all the time. And you said—” I yanked his hair harder, but he
didn’t flinch, and he barely moved. “You told me we could go to the zoo.”
“We can go to the zoo once the mission is complete,” he said
through clenched teeth. “You know we don’t get the reward until after the
job is done.”
Letting go of his hair, I sighed. “I hate waiting.” In a huff, I folded
my arms.
“Did I see you grab a wallet before?” he asked, stroking my face
and hair from where he might’ve caused me any pain. “I want to know if
they were working for Benicio.”
In the wallet, there were a couple hundred dollars in bills. A small
plastic bag with tablets, and a couple of IDs. Although unless their last
name was part of the family name, I’d have to hand them over to Trojan for
him to run. When we did jobs, Daddy always had people at the house who
would run information like IDs and faces, so it was nice we had someone
who could do that, but it sucked because it made me feel useless.
“Marco Powell,” I said, reading his name. “Twenty-four years old.”
Daddy sighed. “Could be either family.”
The Coronado family and the Agosti family weren’t the only
families, there were more, smaller families around, but it was those two
who ran most of the crime in the city. Although until recently, the Coronado
family had built a monopoly on that crime, it was no wonder they didn’t
want me or Daddy leaving them. It opened them up to stuff like this, and
having their criminal enterprises attacked.
When we got back to the safe house, Daddy insisted on boarding up
the windows. He said they hadn’t done it already because they didn’t think
it was necessary, but now that more people are after Jasiel, the windows
needed to be boarded from the inside.
I hated living in the dark like they had at the last place, the idea of
all that light being kept out was borderline depressing.
“I’m not helping,” I said, leaving them to it as I went to the bedroom
and snuggled in bed with Blubby. I told Blubby all about what had
happened today and why I didn’t have a slushie with me. My stuffie made
everything better. He was always there for me, and sometimes the stories he
told me were just as wild as the stories I told him. I couldn’t quite believe
that he’d been able to survive at the bottom of a bag for months without
cuddles, even after Daddy promised me he cuddled with him while I wasn’t
around.

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ATLAS

It was close, Jasiel knew what he was doing, and he shouldn’t have gone
out on his own like that. I knew he could handle himself, but this wasn’t
like before when we were top of the food chain. Of course, we were still at
the top of that food chain, but now, there were more people coming for our
blood.
There was one way to get things into Jasiel’s head, and that was to
drill it into him. Drilling was one word for it. Laid in bed together, I took
his clothes off him and inspected his skin as he would do with me, time and
time again, looking over every part of me to see if there were any new
marks.
“Are you going to kill them?” he asked, quickly moving his hand to
cover his nipples. “They’re all hard like little frozen peas.”
Now, he was just teasing. I peeled back his fingers to look at the
hard nipple nubs. They were one of my favorite parts on his body. Rubbing
a thumb across the hardness of the nipple got him giddy and excited,
wiggling around beneath me on the bed.
He wrestled with me, pulling at the collar of my shirt to tear my
clothes. My shirts weren’t cheap, but I didn’t care about him ruining them.
Once he found a little leverage in my shirt, he’d abuse it and make sure it
was completely torn to shreds.
“Fuck me,” he said. “Now.” He stuck out his tongue at me, his
bright blue tongue in my face. I pushed my head to his face and took his
tongue inside my mouth.
This was Jasiel’s most fluent language, alongside English and
Spanish, body language and sex was a language filled with nuance and
pleasure. A language the two of us knew well, and we only spoke it
together.
As I got him naked, I went down his body, placing gentle kisses
across his skin. I didn’t want to stop. I couldn’t let him go. Each kiss was a
moment I wanted to be with him, but it had been stolen from us. My lips
longed for his skin, pressing deeply as I wished for our skin to fuse together
and attach.
 I never wanted to leave him again, grabbing his hands at the wrist
and pinning them above his head. He wrapped his legs around my waist,
like we were trying to have and hold each other still.
It didn’t take long before we were fucking, all the foreplay teasing
was nice, but after a while, we needed to be inside each other. I was inside
his tight hole, and his tongue was inside my mouth. Between us, he had his
teddy, pressed to our chests like it was a space divider to keep us apart.
Time didn’t exist when we were together, slow, passionate sex as I
gave gentle hips swaying action and he clawed at my back in languid finger
strokes like he was itchy at a scratch I never knew I had.
The relief we both needed was within each other, in bed. He
wouldn’t let go of me, his arms around my back, and I wasn’t going to let
go of him, my hands coming together around his back. With a light, gentle
tug, his back let out a gentle sighing crack. He moaned into my ear, letting
out a gentle beg for me to go harder.
It was a never-ending supply of dopamine, rushing throughout my
body, like watching two people in black silhouettes becoming one.
We went for over an hour before I finished inside him. He’d already
made a mess on his stomach, right before he’d threw his teddy across the
room, so he didn’t contaminate it with any of his body fluids.
Laid in bed, naked, Jasiel hugged my body like a baby koala. “I’ve
missed this,” he let out in a soft voice. “My big Daddy, I hope you haven’t
been practicing with anyone while I was away.”
I stroked a hand through the sweat in his hair. “My hand,” I told
him. It was true. The only thing I’d been practicing with was my hand, and
even then, I didn’t know what use that was. I barely touched myself because
I knew I didn’t want to feel any amount of pleasure if I didn’t have my baby
beside me to experience pleasure with me.
We’d already discussed it. He’d touched himself in prison, and I
didn’t like the idea of that. I didn’t want him to mention it again. The idea
that I wasn’t there to take over and give him everything he needed turned
my blood molten in my veins. I never wanted him to need for anything ever
again.
“It’s ok,” I whispered. “This time, in a couple of weeks, we’ll never
have to think about anything else. We’re staying together, forever.” I took
his head to see the ring, the gorgeous sparkle of the diamond glittered in the
stray beam of light from the window. “I’ve been thinking about our
honeymoon.”
“I want to travel the world,” he said, pushing a single finger through
the hair on my chest. He was drawing swirls around my nipples.
“We can do that,” I told him. “But I also want to get you something
special. Something you’ve always wanted.”
“Oh?”
I was expecting for him to tell me what he’d always wanted. We’d
been together for years, and in that time, we’d only ever told each other we
wanted each other. We completed each other, like broken ceramic that were
rebuilt together with gold, and together, we were rebuilt stronger.
“What do you want?” I asked.
He went quiet. I knew he wanted a lot. He wanted his mom and
grandma, but I couldn’t bring people back from the dead. He wanted his
own slushie machine, and I’d get him one of those, obviously. And together,
we both wanted freedom, we both wanted to kill the people who tried to
take our freedom from us.
When I was a child, my freedom was taken from me. My parents
were both killed. I was sent to live with an uncle in England. A wealthy man
in Mayfair, he sent me away to a training school. I didn’t know it at the
time, but that school turned me into an assassin. I didn’t blame my uncle for
what he did, he told me it gave me the skills to turn myself into a business,
and it had.
“Baby?” I asked, giving him a gentle nudge.
“I’m thinking,” he said.
“What do you want the most in the entire world?” I wasn’t making
the question any easier on him. “But something I could give you.”
Snuggling him closer, latching onto my arm, he looked up at me. “If
I have you, I don’t think I’d ever want anything else.”
“You don’t think?” I asked.
“You satisfy me, so far.” He let out a giggle. “But as you know, I’m
not easy to please.”
That was a lie. Jasiel was easy to please, all you had to do was know
him, intimately. I was Daddy and he was my boy, it wasn’t exactly a
dynamic everyone could get behind. I cared for him on a level I’d never
cared for anyone else before, and he’d never had someone to admire.
 I reached out around him and grabbed a handful of his ass. “I’m
pretty sure I’ve pleased you enough for one lifetime.”
“You might’ve pleased me, but you have to be working at it,” he
said. “I need round-the-clock pleasing.”
I knew he wasn’t kidding about that either. He needed to be cared
for, and I knew how to care for him unlike anyone else.
As we laid together, our fingers intertwined, I felt myself slipping
into sleep. It was difficult for me to sleep sometimes, especially with
everything swimming around in my mind. Sleep never came for me in the
same way it did for him. He could sleep easily, sometimes at the drop of a
hat. I was always on alert; it’s how I knew to follow him when he went out
earlier. I stalked him like I would if he was about to be assassinated. From
rooftop to rooftop, I watched, able to pull my sniper out at a moment’s
notice.
Having Jasiel beside me was infectious in a way, he gave me the
ability to fall asleep like he would. And when I woke, the room was dark. A
cold spot at the side of the bed where he’d been. The bedroom door was
ajar, and the canned laugh track from the TV seeped through, alongside the
bold splashes of bright color against the darkness.
I didn’t think anything of it, except Jasiel usually watched cartoons.
He didn’t watch sitcoms.
Jumping out of bed. I knew something was wrong.

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
JASIEL

I rarely admitted being wrong, if ever. I didn’t like to think I ever did
anything that was wrong, because I was so good at protecting myself and
I’ve been known to get out of some tight situations with only a little spit
and a very tough fist.
Tonight, maybe I was wrong for ignoring Daddy’s wishes and
leaving the apartment safe house to go get a slushie. But in my defense, if it
pleases the court, I didn’t want to wake him. He was so peaceful and asleep.
And I didn’t want to ask Midas or Trojan to come with me, like I needed a
babysitter.
Except, maybe a babysitter wouldn’t have been so bad right about
now.
Strapped to a metal chair, a blindfold tight around my face, and the
low hum of people around me speaking. I knew I was in trouble. I’d done
such a good job, so far, at not being caught, and now, I had no idea where I
was, and I didn’t even have my slushie to show for it.
“Finally,” a voice snapped, letting out a series of tuts. “We’ve been
trying to get you for a couple days now, and every single time, my men
die.”
Wiggling around in the chair, I wanted to see the person behind the
voice. It was oddly feminine, with a vocal fry. “Because your men suck,” I
scoffed. “Like, what am I supposed to tell you? They put up a good fight.
No, they didn’t. And I’m guessing the fake gun was your idea. Well, that
was laughable.”
“We don’t want to hurt you.”
The blindfold was removed. My eyes quickly adjusted to the light.
We were in a warehouse. I didn’t know how far out I was, but it couldn’t
have been long after they’d whacked me on the back of the head and drove
me here.
“You know who I am?” The woman came into focus. She was an
older woman, dressed in black with a veil sitting on top of a graying
bouffant of combed back hair like she was fresh off the pageant circuit from
fifty years ago. A small leather bag swung from her arm down to her wrist.
 “No,” I said, half a lie. I assumed she was the woman from the
Agosti family. I knew they were looking for me. “Do you know who I am?”
She chuckled, as did several other men around her. “You’re the
escaped prisoner,” she said. “You’re a wanted man.” She came closer. I saw
more of her face than I’d wanted. The fine lines and fake tan on her skin.
“And you’re going to be very useful to me.”
“Why?” I asked. “I’m not a doctor. I can’t tell you if your use of
tanning beds is slowly killing you or not. But, if I had to say, I’d probably
guess that they are, in fact, killing you.”
She ignored me, turning her head and gesturing to someone else
with a nod.
“So, what are you going to use me for?” I asked.
She turned back to me. “I’m Vittoria Agosti,” she said, as if
revealing something important, she waited for me to look surprised. I knew
this already.
“Ok, well, I’m not sure where we are, but I hear there’s a lovely
retirement village up the road,” I told her. “They probably have name
badges too, so you won’t have to reintroduce yourself every five minutes.”
Pulling away one of her white leather gloves by the fingertips, I
watched as she prepared to slap me. “I hope he kills you,” she said before
delivering a mediocre whack against the side of my face. Even if I had use
of my hands, I wouldn’t have gone to touch it. I’d felt more pain from a
mosquito bite.
“Who?” I asked.
“Benicio Coronado,” she said, slowly slipping her glove back on.
“I’m delivering you to him on his birthday. It’ll be a gift so that he stops
coming for my family.”
“Oh, you’re the one stealing his drug turf,” I said. “I’m surprised
you’re not already dead.” Although, if Daddy was still working for Benicio,
she probably would be dead. When we worked for the man, he would order
people dead at the slightest whiff of them gaining control of traction on any
of his drug empire.
“Well, we’re not the ones who stole from him,” she said, smirking.
“I heard from a little birdie about a theft, someone stole a big chunk of fire
power from him. He’d smuggled it into this country for someone else.”
“He smuggled it in to kill you,” I said. “You think if you give me to
him, he’s not going to just shoot you dead?” Although he probably wouldn’t
shoot her at all, he’d have someone else do it. “What’s your play here?”
My question stumped her. I knew Benicio. He didn’t give anything
to anyone, it didn’t matter how valuable you were, he wasn’t going to part
with anything that belonged to him, including his territory.
“You,” she said. “In exchange for you, we get everything this side of
Miami to sell on.”
I shook my head at her. “It’s not gonna happen like that.”
“Benicio has given me his word,” she said. “He knows we didn’t kill
his people, and I know he didn’t kill mine. So, I’m sure you and your
friends who helped you escape are planning this masterful idea about how
we’re going to fight and kill each other off because we think we’re killing
each other already.”
She wasn’t completely far from the truth, but that wasn’t what we’d
planned. We’d just assumed that’s how those chips would fall; it had no
bearing on what we were going to do. “They’ll be coming for me,” I told
her.
“Whatever. Knock him out, have a doctor called in to put in the IV,”
she said. “We need him subdued for transport.”
One of the men came close and as he extended his arm, I lifted my
legs and wrapped them around it. Yanking him closer, I twisted his arm
until it popped. I knew they weren’t going to hurt me. She’d told me as
much. I was needed alive. After the pop, a sharp crack splintered.
Vittoria watched as I used my feet to grab the gun. “Well, aren’t you
a slippery one?” she snickered.
I pulled my hands out of the rope. It was easy once I’d built the
momentum and adrenaline through me, my body didn’t think about the
pain. I grabbed the gun and shot the man in his chest as he laid on the
ground, cradling his arm.
“I’m leaving,” I said. Looking around, more men flooded through
the open warehouse door. “I—”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Vittoria said. “In fact, you’d do well
to not make this harder on yourself than it already is.”
I held the gun to her. “How about I do Benicio one last job and kill
you?” I said, stepping closer. I hated using guns, but guns were the one
language these people knew.
“You do that, and you’re dead,” she said, unphased by the gun in her
face. “Now, I don’t know about you, but if you didn’t want to live, you
wouldn’t have tried so hard to escape prison.”
“I—”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “If Benicio wanted you dead, you’d be
dead.”
A heavy whack thudded at the back of my head, throwing me
forward. I tried to recoil and shoot, but the gun slipped from my fingers and
skidded across the concrete.
I watched from the ground as Vittoria left and the men picked me
up, putting me back on the chair and hauling me out. I took one last look
around as my vision went dark around the edges.
In the floor, the man I’d shot was dead. There was also my slushie
on the floor. I didn’t even recall the taste of it on my tongue, or being
captured, it all happened so quickly, and now I wasn’t even able to conjure
the thought at all.
Slapping my tongue against the roof of my mouth, there wasn’t any
taste there at all.
The darkness took over my vision. It was both painful and easy to
slip into a sleepy state.

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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ATLAS

I gave an inch, and they took a fucking mile. He was gone for thirty
minutes, but that’s all they needed to get him. I threatened to put a bullet
through both Midas and Trojan, my hand around Midas’s throat as I pressed
the end of the gun to his forehead, asking him to tell me why I shouldn’t
shoot him.
In the moment, it was the adrenaline. I knew I couldn’t shoot either
of them, or I didn’t want to shoot either of them either. They’d done so
much to help me, that shooting them would be like taking a shot myself.
We took the car out. Trojan stuck to the laptop, searching for any
records of Jasiel on the police system or radio. I almost lost everything in a
single moment when I forgot to put my mask on. There was a spare mask in
the car.
There was a little relief and solace in knowing that they were asking
for Jasiel to be taken alive. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to kill the
chancers who’d took him. They had to have taken a cheap shot at him, or
he’d have been back by now.
Driving around in circles around the blocks, I was looking for
someone who might have an answer. I was searching for someone who
could be connected. I was looking for someone selling drugs. They fled the
scene on every corner as I drove slow and close. It didn’t help that the car
looked like something a cop would drive.
I knew what they were going to do, so the next guy who tried to run.
I pulled my gun out and took a shot at the leg, piercing the flesh, they
dropped to the ground and tried to pull themselves across to a dumpster.
Jumping out of the car, I approached him.
It was dark, late at night, and if they thought this gave them any
advantage, they were mistaken. I’d lived in complete darkness for months
before, I didn’t completely rely on sight in these situations. But this wasn’t
complicated, people begged and cried.
“Which family do you work for?” I asked in a calm voice. “Tell
me.” I pulled out my silencer, fixing it to the end of the gun. “I’ll ask you
once, and once only. Who do you work for?”
“The—the—the—”
 I pointed the gun at him. “Three. Two.”
“Agosti family,” he said.
“The boy?” I asked. “Where did they take the boy?”
“Boy—boy? I don’t know. I just sell weed, coke, E.”
I fired a warning shot into his other leg. “Please, you talk. I know
you talk,” I said. “Where’s the boy?”
The man blubbered, crying as he clutched at the pain in both of his
legs. He’d survive, but if I didn’t get an answer, right now, he’d be finding
his final resting place among the trash in the alley.
“The boy,” I repeated. “You know who. Where did they take him?”
“Warehouse,” he said. “They have a warehouse. It’s just off
Brewster Street. The one with the shark on the sign.”
“You’ve earned your life today,” I told him, slipping my gun inside
my holster.
The man sputtered in his attempt to say something. “You—you want
me to tell them anything?”
“No,” I said, walking off to the car.
Midas looked at me, his brows turning together. “We killed three
men, why did he survive?”
Before him, there had been three others who didn’t give me any
answers. They valued keeping information to themselves than to use that
same information to free themselves and live another day. “He told me what
I wanted to know,” I said.
I wasn’t in the business of sparing lives, but this wasn’t business at
all. This was personal. And if the intel was wrong, I knew exactly where
this man was, and I knew exactly who to look for. Two holes, one in each
leg. Even a good patch job on those would require a good hospital, and I’d
come back for him if I’d been played.
“Where?” Midas asked.
“Warehouse off Brewster Street,” I said, nodding to Trojan in the
back. “Shark logo. I want to know who owns it, and if there’s any available
footage. If Jasiel isn’t there, I’m going to make sure it’s everyone’s
problem.”
I knew it wasn’t anyone else’s problem. Jasiel did this, but I wasn’t
going to blame him. I was blaming myself, and everyone in this car.
Nobody stopped for a moment to realize that he was the expensive cargo we
should’ve been caring about the entire time.
 “Owned by Vittoria Agosti,” Trojan said. “And there’s closed
security cameras on site, but I can’t access them. If he’s there, then we can
assume they’ve got men all over that land prepared for us.”
That didn’t scare me. I’d take on an army of men. I knew I had good
chances, if I had a gun, and a moment to prepare for the attack, then I
already had the upper hand.
All the lights were out near the warehouse.
I drove right up to the door. There was nobody around. Not a single
sign of a soul. No cars. No lights. Absolutely nothing to say anywhere was
inside.
Twisting the silencer off the gun, I stepped out of the car.
Midas and Trojan followed with guns and flashlight in hand. But it
wasn’t looking good, I didn’t know if Jasiel was in here, but the likelihood
I’d be going back to finish killing my fourth person of the night was
looking more likely.
Bursting through the warehouse doors, Midas shone his torch over
the empty room. Except it wasn’t completely empty, there was a spilled
blue slushie on the floor, and a metal chair on its side in the center of the
room.
“Fuck!” I roared, raising my gun to the metal ceiling, I fired a shot
into it. It didn’t bring the relief I’d wanted. Not a single sigh of sweet relief.
I could’ve unloaded shot after shot in several men and still felt nothing but
anger.
“There’s an envelope,” Trojan said.
At the far end of the room, a letter flittered around with one side of
it stuck in a small pool of liquid on the ground.
On light blue paper with a familiar wax emblem, I knew
immediately this was a letter from Benicio. Unfolding it, I saw it addressed
to Vittoria. It was an invite to his birthday on the twentieth. I knew, without
a doubt, that’s where she was taking Jasiel.
“Where are we going now?” Midas asked.
“I can get intel on her base,” Trojan said. “I assume we’re going
after her.”
“Find her,” I said, storming out of the warehouse. “I want to know
exactly where she is, and I want him located. If he’s not found within the
hour, we’re going after every person she loves, and killing each one of them
until he’s back with me.”
 Back in car, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was an unknown
number, no caller ID.
“Hello,” I answered. “Who is this?”
“I don’t have him,” a voice replied. Female.
“Vittoria?”
“Yes, and he’s property of the Coronado family now,” she said. “I
take it you’re the one who broke him out of prison?”
“Where is he?”
“If I could ask, what makes him so special?”
She didn’t know, that was ok. I could forgive her and her ignorance
for not knowing how special Jasiel was. “We’ll find him. We’ll find you. I
hope you have your last words prepared.” I hung up on her before she could
get more from me. I was a ghost; I was surprised she knew my number.
“She called you?” Trojan asked as I approached. “I’m guessing she
has a tech. He could’ve pulled your number from the GPS and tracking in
your phone. You should destroy it.”
It was a burner phone for a reason. I threw it out of the car. “She has
him, but—she said she doesn’t. She’s giving him to Benicio. So, either we
push up our timeline, or we wait.” I didn’t like either idea. If we pushed up
the timeline, there was a lot we hadn’t planned for. If we waited, something
could’ve happened to Jasiel, and I wasn’t comfortable with that.
“It’s your call,” Midas said.
I knew it was my call. Did he want a reward for reminding me I had
to decide on what I wanted to happen next? I couldn’t even look at him,
either of them. They were pissing me off, but I needed them, and they
needed me for this job to be complete.
“We’ll wait,” I told them. “But I also don’t think she’s given him to
Benicio yet. She’s going to do this at his birthday. It makes the most logical
sense since she’s trying to broker a deal with him.”
Trojan nodded. “I’ll continue trying to track them, I have security
footage from the road, but there’s a lot of cars going through this area.”
“Let me just remind you,” I said. “If anything happens to him, I’ll
kill all three of us.” I pulled the door shut. I wasn’t joking around either.
This wasn’t a time to play, and I was far too serious for them to think this
was playtime.
OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER NINETEEN
JASIEL

I didn’t know how long it had been since I was last conscious. All I knew
was that I was in different clothes, tight, but through my groggy eyes, I
couldn’t make out the type of clothes they were. A suit, perhaps.
A pain twitched in my wrist, and another pain twinged at the inside
of my elbow. There was a darkness shrouding my eyes, but it wasn’t a mask
or a hood, it was just dark where I was. A low bleep with a mechanical hum
like I was in a hospital room.
Everything changed once more, seconds later as I became motion
sick and felt wheels on the ground. I was in the back of a van, and I was
sitting in a wheelchair. People spoke, but their voices were distorted
through the heavy sedation.
With two middle fingers, I collected part of the IV tube and tugged
it. Immediately, it was a source of pain. I could handle it; I could handle
anything they threw at me. And a little pain on my body wasn’t something I
hadn’t experienced before.
Once the IV was free, the tubing came out of my sleeve. I held it in
my hand, placing my hand loosely over the side of the wheelchair handle to
hide it in case someone would come to inspect. Whatever it was in that
tube, it must’ve caused the sleepy haze in my face and body, but also with
the immediate removal of the IV, whatever pain meds they’d been pumping
in me was gone.
“Precious cargo,” a voice called out before the van doors opened.
“Worth half-a-million. C’mon people, move. Boss, where do you want
him?”
“I just spoke to Mr. Coronado and he’s looking forward to
inspecting him,” Vittoria’s voice was clear. “There’s a room down the hall.
Wheel him in without causing suspicion from the guests. His words, not
mine.”
I kept my eyes closed, loosely. I didn’t want my facial expression to
give away the fact I wasn’t knocked out. Slow, deep breaths. I was at the
house on Indian Creek Island. I’d been here a million times before. This
wasn’t going to be difficult to navigate once I was left alone.
Someone climbed aboard and took control of the wheelchair.
 “Keep the sedative bag filled,” Vittoria commanded. “Our lives
depend on him.”
It was probably unwise to bet on me, not because I wasn’t a good
bet, but because I rarely acted or did the things people wanted me to. It was
a curse, I was always bound to go against what people wanted me to do,
unless I was being paid for it.
Once I was wheeled out of the van, I heard the voices and laughter.
This was the birthday party. I’d been knocked out for a week. An entire
week, and Daddy hadn’t even come to get me in that time.
I controlled my breathing. I knew he would’ve had his reasons. If I
was still here, then he must’ve been close.
Applause came around me as I was wheeled down a hallway.
“You got him,” a voice said.
“Wow. He doesn’t look like much of a threat.”
“Is he going to kill him?”
I wanted to break the fake sleep I was in to tell them no. But I
assumed my life depended on me keeping character until I was alone. I’d
been under heavy sedative a couple times before, and in those times, it had
been a bitch to come out of. There was nothing worse than the way limbs
wouldn’t wake up, and I knew from trying to twitch my toes that my limbs
were full of fuzzy pins and needles.
The house was huge, and I could’ve been placed in here at any
single point and been able to know where exactly I was. There was an
elevator on the premises, but we didn’t use it, so I could safely assume we
were on the ground floor. It was a large amount of area, and I knew they
could’ve had me taken in through the service entrance underground and
placed in one of the underground storerooms, cool enough to keep dead
bodies for a little while, and where Benicio would do that.
“I wish I could be around when he kills you,” the man who’d been
pushing the wheelchair said to me, whispered close to my head.
He pushed me into an empty room. A study, I realized from the brief
opening in my eyes. This potentially, wasn’t the best place for them to put
me. I’d already spotted several paper weights and a letter opening knife on
the desk.
Hearing for the door closing, I stayed still for a moment.
“I wonder how he’ll do it,” the whispering voice came again.
“Maybe he’ll torture you first. Maybe you can tell me what he wants to
know, then I can sit and watch him murder you.”
The sound of him shifting around and chuckling to himself as he
continued to speak and embarrass himself. He was playing tough. I was in a
wheelchair, sedated, it wasn’t like he was face-to-face with me. I’d toppled
men twice my size. And it was just my luck, he was such a man.
His bald head, polished like a bowling bowl caught my eye as he
turned away and looked at the items on the desk in the study.
Now was my time to overcome to the sleep that had settled in my
limbs.
I stood on my wobbly legs, the needle end of the IV in hand. His
size was clearly an advantage. I swung a leg, whacking at his knee. He fell
forward on the desk, impaling himself on the moose head paper weight.
“Ugh, fuck,” I grumbled, falling back into the seat of the wheelchair.
“I didn’t even get to kill him.”
He wriggled and writhed, shocking me for a moment at the sudden
jolt of movement.
I still had my chance.
Pushing the wheelchair back up against the door, I forced myself
forward, leaping on his back. I grabbed the letter opener from the desk and
stuck it into the side of his neck. It wasn’t my ideal choice of knife, but it
could still be inserted and cut through flesh given a nice, forced push.
I sat back in the wheelchair, exhausted already for having to exert so
much energy. I couldn’t believe I’d been out of it for an entire week. They
must’ve had me hopped up on some strong sedatives, even if there was
once a time when I took sedatives recreationally.
The glimmer of a mirror on the wall caught my eye and I became
aware once more that I was dressed in clothes I hadn’t put myself in. It was
a stiff black suit, formalwear, with a tie. Either this was how I was going to
look in a casket, or they were trying to get me married off. I didn’t like
either of those ideas.
I frisked the man slumped over the desk, bleeding out on everything.
He had a gun, his ID, and a talkie in his pocket as well as a clear earpiece
dangling out the side of his ear. I yanked the comms piece from him and
listened closely to the muffled echo inside. The chatter was lively, I
wondered if any of them knew what I’d just done.
Kicking the man away from the table, I rested on it, coating my
hands in his blood. It quickly became cold in my touch. I applied a single
smeared line of the blood beneath each of my eyes like war paint.
As the large man, splayed out of the ground, I saw a bulge in his
jacket pocket. It was a flask of alcohol. At first sniff, I wasn’t sure what it
was, but as I took a gulp, my mouth realized it was spiced rum. It was
practically part of my blood at this point.
“Ok,” I said, taking a much larger gulp of the liquid.
I needed to get my energy back up. I paced the box study room for a
moment, stretching out my limbs until the long fuzzy feeling like my skin
was covered in thick wooly socks disappeared. I didn’t have long until
Benicio would come to the room for his goods inspection.
The wheelchair was rammed up against the door handle, so I knew
that bought me a little extra time to figure out if I was going to escape from
the window or up into the vent.
I moved the blind an inch to glance out of the window before
decided on the air conditioning vent. Today was Benicio’s big birthday,
everyone was here, from police chiefs on his payroll, to the underbosses in
control of smaller areas around Florida. Everyone was armed with a gun,
and while I had the dead man’s gun, I didn’t have my knives or my lighter,
so I was basically useless against them all.
The vent system was easy to navigate, but difficult to move in the
suit, so I stripped to the vest and my underwear. I’d been in these vents
before, so coming back to them was nice. I could work my way along the
pathway until I found another room. The storeroom. It was visible from a
purple UV light in the lamp. This is where they put everything, they had on
men they killed, and with any luck, some of my stuff would’ve been here
too.
Pushing the vent open, I swung on the hinge, smacking the wall.
It was a dark room, locked from the outside, much like an evidence
cupboard, this place was damning. The blood on my hands was visible
under the UV black light, and on all the clothes there was any speck of
blood on. It was strange to be in here after all this time. Plus, it smelled like
I’d walked through the doors of a retirement home.
I came across a garment bag with my name on. And there it was. My
onesie from Halloween. I was a mouse, duh, except, unlike Karen from
Mean Girls, it was a pink and gray mouse with ears and a tail. But this was
also covered in blood. It was old, dried on the fabric blood. That was out of
the window.
 Then I came across Daddy’s name on a bag. It was a vest top, a pair
of shorts, a baseball cap, and shades. This must’ve been from one of the
beach days when we went to kill those two men and make it look like a
boating accident. And from what I could see, there was no blood.
Dressed in his clothes, I didn’t know where to put the gun, and I
knew Daddy would scold me if he saw me shove it down the front of back
of the shorts. His voice snapped through my mind, telling me that’s how
people shot themselves.
I heard voices outside the door. That wasn’t my way out. I climbed
back on the ledge of the storage rack, barefoot, and back into the vent,
pulling it shut as well as I could before the door bleeped and opened.
Two men entered, dressed similarly to the man I’d shot.
“He has a huge surprise for us,” one of them said, pressing a
garment bag on the hook. “I need to get on his protective detail so I can
watch.”
“I don’t think he’ll kill him,” the other said.
“I do.” They chuckled. “He killed Luis last year. I’m surprised he let
him live for as long as he did.”
That wasn’t completely fair to say. Luis threatened me and Daddy.
We were trying to leave this life, but they wouldn’t let us. We weren’t
running away; we were just trying to leave without any trouble. He brought
this on himself. They all did.

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER TWENTY
ATLAS

Jasiel was here, somewhere. Midas had already spotted Vittoria inside the
house. Trojan was on her tail, trying to follow her to find out where they
were keeping him.
I came in through the service entrance and settled in their basement
level. All roads led to Rome, and in this house, the basement was that
central level. There were service elevators and dumb waiters to deliver and
collect, while also being where all the laundry chutes came out to.
Nobody, but the staff came down here, and it was the perfect place
for me to get word out for them all to leave before it was too late. They
were collateral, but only if they stayed.
Dressed like I attended a masquerade party. I wasn’t letting anyone
uncover my mask until I could come face-to-face with Benicio, and only
then, when my face was the first and last thing he would see before killing
him, would I pull my mask away.
In one of the basement rooms, I’d set up a small base of operations.
Traditionally, these were interrogation rooms. They came equipped with a
metal table and chairs. They were also well ventilated and came with outlets
too. I had Trojan’s laptop with the blueprints of the house loaded onto it in a
3D model and the tracking from the earpiece wherever Midas and Trojan
were.
Trojan was walking around the house, while Midas stayed at the bar
pushing alcohol on people and trying to get information from them. I heard
everything as it happened, trying to listen for any familiar voices among
them. I knew these people, at least, I thought I knew these people.
A knock came at the door.
“Busy,” I called out.
“You’re not supposed to be down here.”
Fuck. It wasn’t one of the service workers.
Pulling out my gun, I waited for the door to open so I could shoot.
Another voice came near the door. “He’s just getting changed,” a
voice said. “Sorry, he’ll be out in a second Mr. Coronado.”
“Come in,” I said. “I actually need some help.” I stood against the
wall, prepared for him. I didn’t know which son it was, but any of them
were fair game.
The door swung open, and he stepped inside. “You know these—”
I whacked him with the end of the gun against the side of his head.
He dropped like a sack. Dressed in his expensive suit. Miguel was known
for dressing in the finer things.
A woman stood behind him at the door, she shook her head and
apologized to me before walking off. She hadn’t seen my face, but she
knew what I was here for. I’d given them each a large cash tip to keep
anyone away from this part of the basement.
Tying him up to a chair, securing him tight against the metal. Miguel
was a squealer. I stuffed one of his socks inside his mouth before wrapping
his pretty tie around his head.
With a smelling salt, I cracked it beneath his nose. He woke
instantly, gagging and trying to pull himself from the chair. He had a thick
head of curly hair, all of it getting in front of his face. He stared at me with
my mask on.
“Jasiel,” I said. “Where’s Jasiel?”
He shook his head.
Wrong place at the wrong time. I placed the end of the gun at his
forehead and drew a little X on his skin with it. “I know you can’t speak
right now,” I told him. “But I have a map. Tell me where Jasiel is, and I’ll
—” My face cracked a smile and let out a chuckle. “I’m not going to let you
live, unfortunately, but if you tell me where he is, you’ll have the privilege
of dying with your father.”
He tried, with as much power as he could to get himself free from
the binds tying him to the chair. It was useless to try. I was taught by the
best of the worst. He wasn’t getting free unless I freed him.
“Look at the computer,” I told him. “Where is he?”
Of all the siblings, Miguel was probably the weakest of them all.
From the time I was introduced to the family, Miguel had been more
interested in silks and trying to import expensive fabric. Not that he didn’t
have blood on hands. Everyone in this family had blood on their hands.
“Blink for me,” I said, pointing at the map. “Ground floor? Two for
yes, one for no.”
He blinked twice.
“Great. Now, is he in the east wing of the house, or the west wing of
the house?” I asked. “Wait. That’s not a yes or no. Is he in the east wing?”
 Two blinks.
“The study,” I said. “Trojan.”
“Yes? You want me to check the study?” His voice came through in
my ear.
“Check it. If he’s in there. Bring him straight to me,” I said, looking
back at Miguel as he continued to struggle against the metal of the chair.
The skin around his wrists was already bleeding. It was awfully silly of him
to try, but perhaps he didn’t know it was me behind this mask.
Miguel whimpered behind the muffled sound of the sock in his
mouth.
I waited, watching Trojan’s dot move on the screen as he grew
closer to the study. It wasn’t exactly where I’d have expected them to take
Jasiel, or any prisoner, but if he was there, then that was easy.
“There’s a wheelchair. It’s empty. And a man. Looks like Jasiel killed
him. Knife mark to the neck,” Trojan said.
“He’s not there,” I said to Miguel and aimed the gun at his head.
“Now, I know it pains you to get blood on your clothes. You’re like your
father. I’ve seen him look away and kill a man because he didn’t like the
look of blood.”
In the moment, his eyes opened with a realization about who I was. I
pulled the mask away to assure him he was correct. I wasn’t dead, and I was
coming for every person in that family.
“What’s your father planning to do with Jasiel?”
He shook his head. Either he didn’t know, or he didn’t want to say.
But I didn’t accept no, or a head shake as an answer.
“I’ll remove it, and if you scream, I’ll shoot you,” I said, screwing
the silencer on the gun. I didn’t want to alert the entire place to a gunshot. It
was sensible to have every shot I took go unnoticed until I needed them to
notice me.
He nodded.
I pulled the tie from his mouth and pulled the sock out. “What’s
your father planning to do with Jasiel?” I asked once more.
“I thought you were dead,” he said.
Clearly, he didn’t understand the question. I asked it once more.
“He knows where your money is,” he said. “My father wants
everything you have. But he thinks you’re dead.” His eyes opened wider.
“Wait. You killed Alonzo. You—you broke Jasiel out of prison.”
 I checked my wristwatch for the time. It was just after two in the
afternoon. “It’ll take more than a gun to kill me,” I said, waving the gun
around. “But I’m surprised you think Jasiel knows where my assets are. In
fact, I’m stunned by your stupidity. He is my asset. He all the wealth I
own.” It wasn’t a lie. Jasiel didn’t know where my money was, but he did
know, at the same time. He just didn’t know that’s where everything was.
“That’s not true,” he said. “My father paid you millions. We checked
every registry. Nobody knows anything about you.”
“I’m a ghost,” I said. “You think it would be easy to get everything
I’d ever worked for? You thought you could kill me. And that’s—” I let out
a forced laugh. “Well, I have no idea why we’re even discussing this. You
can’t possibly have any more answers for me. Jasiel isn’t in the study.”
The door swung open with force, smacking at the side wall.
Jasiel stood, blood smeared on his face, and dressed in oversized
clothing. He aimed the gun at Miguel’s head and without hesitation, he put
two shots into his skull. The swing door closed behind him, cutting off the
screams of the people as the gunshots shocked them.
“Daddy, I found you,” he said in a soft voice.
“Baby.” I ran to him and picked him up. He wrapped his legs around
my waist as I pinned him against the wall. “I told you not to fucking leave
my side,” I whispered in his ear. “Now, if you ever pull that shit again.”
“He’s back?” they both asked in my ear.
“I got him,” I said.
“It wasn’t my fault,” he said, hugging me and resting his chin on my
shoulder. “You know I can’t control my urges.”
“You know I’d go to the end of this earth for you,” I said. “And that
includes killing whoever and whatever gets in my way.”
“We both made it here,” he said. “But you didn’t even come and get
me?”
He was testing me. “I tried,” I told him, kissing at his neck. He
didn’t smell like his usually scent. It wasn’t pleasant on my lips. “They had
you. I knew they were bringing you here. I could’ve gone, shown my face
to everyone and killed them, blowing everything we’d been waiting for. Or
I could’ve waited, knowing you’d be here then take you.”
“I’m just saying, we’re engaged, you—” he gasped. “Where’s my
ring?”
 He didn’t have his ring on. But I knew this wasn’t a case of him
losing it. “I bet she’s got it,” I told him. “Looks like she’s just become
number one on our hit list.”
“She also has my knives and lighter too,” he said, pouting out his
bottom lip.
“I have eyes on Vittoria,” Midas’s voice came through my ear.
“Right,” I spoke back. “I’ll get him set up with a comms piece, and
—” I looked him over. He couldn’t go out dressed like that. He’d stand out
for all the wrong reasons. Not because he’s Jasiel, but because everyone
was dressed in suits, and he was dressed for the beach, which was fine,
considering there was a beachy area surrounding the island.
“Did you bring the C4?”
“We did,” I told him. “And the trigger device too. I knew you’d
want it.”
“I’m not getting changed,” he said as my eyes lingered over him. “I
want to be comfy when I’m killing, plus, suits are itchy.”
“And what will you wear when we get married?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “I plan on being naked, covered up only by a light
Egyptian cotton bedsheet.”
I suppose that would work for them, and I wasn’t going to force him
to dress in something uncomfortable now. But we had a job to do. I handed
him a cartoon mask from the black bag. “Let’s go find Vittoria.”

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
JASIEL

I knew, more-or-less, the plan for today. I’d wracked my brain to remember,
and when it mattered the most, my brain worked to tell me. The basement
was connected to everything, and I partly remembered it being mentioned,
so that’s where I made my way to and that’s where I found Daddy.
He wasn’t impressed that I’d got myself caught, but in all fairness,
this was their third time trying to get me, and by the third time, luck was
already on their side.
“Vittoria has just gone into one of the rooms on the first floor,”
Trojan spoke through the comms. “How far away are you guys?”
We were in the service elevator. I had a mask on, and the bag filled
with C4 on my shoulder. As nice as this place was, the only way we could
get what we wanted, was if this place was leveled out and everything in it
was turned to ash.
“I want to be the one who kills her,” I told Daddy as we stood,
staring at our reflections in the metal surface on the inside of the elevator.
“You can kill Benicio but I want to kill her.”
He turned to me, adjusting my mask. “Don’t let it slip,” he said.
“You can have whatever you want, baby. Just get everything back first.”
I didn’t even realize she’d taken my ring from me, but now that she
had, my hand felt naked. I’d only had it for a few days, and it was part of
me. And if she didn’t have it with her, we’d have to go find everyone she
knows, kill them, and blow up everything in my path until it was back in
my possession.
“She’s alone. If you’re going in. Do it now,” Trojan said through the
comms. “I’ll make my way down to the basement now.”
Out of the elevator on her floor, I didn’t waste a moment. Into the
room, we caught her undressing out of a dress Trojan had accidentally
spilled a drink on.
“Get out!” She screamed at us. Her large, oversized pageant hair
wobbling as she shook.
Daddy locked the door, standing behind it as I barged toward her,
swiping her legs out from beneath her. She dropped to the ground in bundle
of fabric. Her beige underwear on show, alongside several weapons she’d
been concealing.
“Who are you?” she asked. “I’m a guest here. You can’t hurt me.”
I handed Daddy my bag with the explosives before turning back to
her. “It’s me,” I said, taking my mask off. “Surprise.”
“You. I—”
Holding up my bare hand where there should’ve been a ring, I
forced it in her face. “Where is it?”
“What?”
In my other hand, I wielded a knife with a serrated edge. It wasn’t
my usually knife, not the best for throwing, but good for making fine slices,
usually against animal product, but just as well against human skin. “My
ring.”
“Your ring?”
“My ring!”
“I—” she grabbed her clutch purse. “I have it somewhere.”
“You know, you should have people following you around,” Daddy
announced from the door. “You don’t think you’re leaving this place alive,
do you?”
She looked at him. “The man from the phone,” she said. “I’ve heard
you from somewhere before.”
He pulled his mask away. “The ring,” he said. “You know. You
didn’t have to do what you did. You touched my boy. You’re lucky I didn’t
come after you that night. I killed what, three of your men to get the
location of that warehouse. I would’ve killed every single last person who
had the slightest connection to you just for his location.”
“I—I didn’t know you—you—”
I dropped into a squat at her eyeline. Placing the blade at the side of
her face. I forced her to look back at her clutch bag. “The ring.”
“If you’d have just waited, we were coming here today, Benicio
won’t see much beyond his birthday, and unfortunately, neither will you,”
he said in a calming tone. “You couldn’t see the bigger picture. You wanted
to make a deal by giving Jasiel to him. And for what, exactly?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t want to be one of his underbosses. I
wanted my name and business,” she said. “He’d agreed to give me that. It
wasn’t personal. It’s just business.” She pulled out the black metal ring with
the diamond. I snatched it from her and placed it back on my ring finger.
 Daddy placed his mask back over his head, reminding me to put
mine back on.
“This was yours too,” she said, offering me up my lighter.
“I would say thank you, but I can’t,” I said. “I’m not thankful for
you, in fact, this is extremely personal, and not at all anything business
related. I wish we were getting paid for this.” I looked deep into her eyes
before sticking the blade in her throat. Blood immediately sprayed out a line
across the room. It gave another dramatic pulsing spray when I pulled the
blade back out.
Before we left the room, I placed a little block of C4, already
prepared with the trigger embedded. Each of the blocks had a trigger
embedded, and I had control of that trigger, once pressed, each block would
blow. The idea excited me, and since we had the floor plans, we knew
which walls were keeping the structure of the house together, and those
were primary targets.
Over the comms, they were talking about the next phase.
I’d been safely rescued, although I didn’t need rescuing since I’d got
myself free, much like when I could get myself free from the prison. Sure,
they drove the bus, and they turned it on its side, but, I was the one who
was able to press all those buttons in the warden’s office to get myself on
that bus.
And after I got my ring and lighter back from Vittoria, and she
unfortunately had an altercation with the sharp end of my knife, we were
moving onto the next phase of the plan. Getting as many innocent people
off the island as possible.
Trojan had been slowly getting the service people to leave without
causing a panic, and Midas had been hitting up the wall and floor vaults.
Given his name, I thought everything he touched turned to gold, but it was
more of a case that he could sniff out gold through vaults.
Most of the bedrooms had vaults, and I knew from experience that
Benicio was paranoid, so he split his precious belongings up between many
different vaults.
As we went around the upper floors of the house, planting the C4
bricks, we were taking out the security on their routine walks to make sure
the house was still secure. One by one. Before they could reach for their
gun as they approached us in the hallway, I threw my serrated knife with a
sixty per cent chance of the pointy end hitting them.
 Hit after hit, I got bullseye!
I gave Daddy a high five as I pulled my knife from a man’s eye
socket. It still had the gooey eye on the end. “Ew,” I let out, wiggling the
knife around to get the eye off, whacking it against the wall.
“It’s a shame we’re blowing this place up,” he said. “The neighbors
are gonna be pissed, but at least we’ll be giving them all a show.”
“When we’re on the island, will we have a house like this?” I asked.
I didn’t know much about our plan for leaving. The less I knew, the better.
“I don’t think I want somewhere too big, like, all this space, why would we
even use it for?”
“It can be as big, or small as you want,” he said, lifting his mask
slightly as I lifted mine to kiss him. “And if you don’t want to stay on the
island, we can travel too. But I’m not letting you out of my sight, ever
again.”
“Good,” I told him, reaching out and touching the scratchy facial
hair on his chin and cheek. “Because I never ever ever ever ever want you
to stop watching me. But that’s only because I might do something super
cool and if you’re not watching me, then you might think I was lying about
it.”
I felt his face smile before I pulled his mask down. We still had a job
to finish.
“You two finished?” Midas asked through the comms. “I got the last
vault. A lot of diamonds in here. Are we doing a fifty-fifty split?”
Daddy shook his head at me. “All yours,” he said. “We’re going to
head into final position. When you two are ready, send out an alert to let
everyone know there’s been an attack.”
My belly tickled. I was excited to hit the final phase of our plan,
although I might’ve not been paying attention to it, I knew it was the final
phase, and final meant last, so, we were super close to leaving this place
and blowing it all to dust.
Daddy took my hand. “Remember,” he said. “I got to kill him. You
get everyone else. But he’s mine.” He was referring to Benicio, and I’d
already agreed to let him kill him, even though he’d put me in prison, and
I’d suffered, but I got to press the trigger once it was all done, so if he
didn’t die, my explosion would kill him.
A countdown went from five, as Trojan was ready to sound the
alarm.
 Once that happened, Benicio would be taken away from any harm.
The rest of the family would be forced to go into hiding spaces around the
house, and all the remaining guests would be ushered off the island.
We knew this because Daddy had been part of the team that put all
of this into action to save Benicio if his life was ever under threat.

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
ATLAS

Once the protocol was activated and Benicio was forced to go into hiding,
the game changed. We were one step ahead, and we were prepared for
everything. Inside a door you could only see or find if you were looking for
it. There was a panic room. It only opened once protocol started, and it only
shut when Benicio was inside.
It was roughly the size of a standard bedroom, there was a single
bed, cupboards, and a wall of monitors. It was also soundproofed to keep
noise from getting in, and sound from getting out. This truly was a hell of
his own creation.
The door shut as he entered, sweating through his shirt. He rested
against the wall, placing his cane on a hook. He swiped a hand across his
wet face and through his balding scalp. He hadn’t realized the two of us sat
on his bed, fully masked like we were street performers frozen in time.
“Wow,” I let out in a whisper, startling him. “You came right to us,
didn’t you?”
Flinching, he fumbled for his cane as he dropped to the floor.
“Here,” Jasiel said, leaping across the room to him. “Let me get that
for you.” He pulled the cane, whacking the end against the floor to reveal
the knife. “Wow. Dangerous. Thankfully I got it before you hurt yourself.”
He pointed the end of the knife at him, but that wasn’t what we’d agreed on.
“Mine,” I said. “Remember.”
He stepped away, sighing.
“Jasiel?” Benicio grumbled. “But you’re—you’re supposed to be—”
I pulled my mask away. “And me,” I said. “Surprise. I’m not dead.”
He pushed himself further against the wall, his hand searching the
wall for the release. “What—no you—no, no—but you—”
“If you’re looking for the handle, let’s remember who helped get
this installed,” I said, approaching him. “Now, this could’ve gone so much
better, for you that is.” I pulled my gun out of the holster. “The release
handle isn’t on the door you came in through. The release is over there.” I
nodded to the key and button beside the monitors. “Remember?”
“Atlas,” he said, clutching his chest. “I treated you like a son. I’d
never done anything to hurt you.”
 “You might have never done anything before you gave me that
ultimatum,” I said, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and pulling him
back to his feet. “And you’re not going to have some cardiac event before I
get the chance to kill you.”
“Atlas, you know there’s no way out of this game,” he said. “You’d
be hunted by every assassin. I was telling you that. I tried to let you know
you had to keep a job to keep them off your back.”
I stuck the gun at the side of his head, letting the metal tickle at his
temple. “You don’t think I know that?” I asked, rhetorically. “People have
always wanted to kill me. Few have got a shot at me. But you knew our
agreement was temporary. Don’t forget who helped you build your
business. I—I helped you.”
Jasiel kept himself busy, and a distraction as he dragged the knife
through the bedding and mattress, pulling out all the stuffing.
“And I paid you,” he said. “I fulfilled our end of the agreement. You
agreed to protect me. You agreed to make sure my name was the only name
when people were looking to do business.”
Pulling the gun away, I smiled at him. “And I did that,” I said. “You
threatened me. I don’t respond well to threats, Benicio.”
“You killed my son.” He spat as he spoke.
“Your son’s death was a warning,” I said, turning my back on him.
“You forced our hand. You could’ve let us go. And I’d have been happy to
protect me and Jasiel for as long as it took. But you did me a favor. People
think I’m dead.”
Jasiel stopped what he was doing to stare at me. There was stuffing
all over the place. He smiled, collecting the white stuffing and pretending to
have a thick Santa Claus type beard. He was what I was doing all of this for.
I was doing it all to give him the life he deserved.
“Aren’t you going to tell him?” he asked before falling to his knees
in a coughing fit. “He deserves to know.”
“Tell him?” I asked.
“Me?” Jasiel said, wiping at his face. “Tell me what?”
I shook my head as Benicio looked at me, a devilish glare and glint
on his face. He knew exactly what he was doing. And if I didn’t already
know his imminent death was coming, I would’ve been willing to extend
the pain.
 “The entire reason you ended up with Atlas in the first place,”
Benicio said before coughing once more.
“It’s not true,” I said, but I didn’t know what Benicio was about to
tell him. “Baby. Don’t listen to him.”
“No,” Jasiel said. “I want to know. Tell me what you mean.” He
gave Benicio a tap with his bare foot. “Come on. He’s told me everything,
so let me know what you think he’s been keeping a secret from me.”
Benicio smiled. He was going out with a bang and trying to take my
relationship with Jasiel down with him. “Atlas was told to kill you,” he
said, pushing himself on his knees. “You have no idea, do you?” Through
coughing, he laughed. “Your father—your father is my brother. He wanted
you dead.”
“My father?” he asked, taking a hold of my hand. He squeezed it
tight. “My mom ran away from him before I was born. He was a horrible
man.”
He continued to chuckle and wheeze from the ground. “My brother.
He ran things from Colombia. I ran things from here,” he said. “It’s no
accident the two of you met.”
“Is it true?” he asked quietly, staring at me with his big bug eyes.
“You were going to kill me?”
“Not for a second,” I said. “When I met you, when I saw you, I
knew I’d never harm a hair on your body. And I told him as much.”
“Did he?” Jasiel gave Benicio another kick. “Did he tell you that?”
He wasn’t going to take my side, not when he knew there was a
bullet in the chamber with his name on.
“I did,” I said. “That’s what matters. You know he has two brothers,
and you’ve only met one.”
“Sal,” he said. “There’s you, Sal, and—and—”
“Andres,” Benicio said. “Your father.”
Jasiel’s hand shook in mine. “That’s—that’s his name. But his last
name is different.”
“Coronado is the chosen name,” he said. “You know—” he began,
wheezing. “Why we never let anyone hurt you in prison, why we made sure
you were brought back to us without hurting you, because you are family.
You’re blood, Jasiel.”
“That’s not why he wanted you,” I said. “You wanted him because
you thought he knew the plan.”
 His large eyes looked wet, like he was about to cry. I’d never seen
him really, emotionally cry before. And I didn’t want to see it now or know
that it was potentially me that was the cause for those tears. “You both lied
to me.”
“I didn’t want to upset you,” I told him. “I never wanted to hurt you.
Not now, not ever.”
“Where’s Andres?” he asked.
Benicio snickered. “That man is more of a ghost than either of you,”
he said. “Just kill me if you’re going to kill me. We’ll rise again. This city
needs us.”
“No, they don’t,” I said. “This city needs cleansing. And my baby is
going to give them just that.” I gestured for him to take Benicio’s life. It
didn’t feel right now that I took it, especially since he’d been told that he
was his uncle.
He shook his head. “I don’t believe you ever would’ve tried to hurt
me,” he said. “Because there’s no way you would’ve made it out alive.” He
smiled at me as I reached to his face and wiped away the stray tears on his
cheek. “Our crazies are too compatible for either of us to take the other
out.”
“You’re right baby,” I said, aiming my gun at Benicio’s head. “I’ve
only ever tried to protect you, you know that, right?”
He nodded. “After this, can we go get slushies? All this murder has
really dried my throat.” He stuck his tongue out. “See.”
I stuck my tongue out to touch his, and as we went to kiss, I pressed
the trigger and shot Benicio, square in the center of his forehead. I unloaded
a second, and a third in quick succession. Usually, I didn’t care for shooting
a body once it was already dead, but in this case, I would make the
exception.
We continued to kiss as the emotion of the moment wrapped us up
together.
“I’m sorry I never told you,” I told him. “But only because I’ve been
searching for him myself. I’ve never liked anything he tried to get me to do,
or what he means. I wanted to offer his head up inside a box.”
Jasiel cried. “I don’t even know what he looks like,” he said, letting
out a laugh. “You could’ve put anyone’s head in a box and told me it was
him. But I’m glad I know about this now. And I was also keeping a secret
too.”
 “Oh?”
“Yeah,” he nodded and sniffled. “I wasn’t a virgin when we met.”
“What?” I asked, faking a gasp. “But I checked.”
“I’m just really good at faking it,” he snickered. “Anyway, are we
ready to blow this place up?”
“You two finished?” Midas asked through the comms. “The sooner
the better. The last thing we want to hear is you two fucking.”
The fucking wasn’t going to happen here, mostly because Jasiel had
destroyed the bed and mattress.
“We’re ready,” I said.
“Everyone is out. Benicio Jr. and Jesus are knocked out,” Trojan’s
voice came through.
“Want to go kill them?” I asked him, taking a tight hold of his hand.
“We’re almost free now.”
“Almost free,” he repeated back. “I’m ready.”

OceanofPDF.com
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
JASIEL

Everyone and everything were taken care of.

The four of us sat on the boat, within radius of for the radio to
trigger the C4 explosives, but far enough so that we wouldn’t be caught and
crushed under the weight of it all.
The sun was setting, the sky was turning pink and orange, and we
were counting down from five until the moment I could press the button.
It didn’t happen as soon as I pressed the button. A delay or a timer
that last an additional five seconds before the first crashing thud boomed
and echoed out. It was followed by a second, a third, a fourth, and a final
fifth boom. The large, tall house fell.
The explosives sparked fireworks that had been prepared in the
garden for Benicio’s birthday. It was the perfect way to end the day.
Watching as dust formed over the collapsing house and fireworks shot up
from the ash.
I was handed a glass of champagne as Midas went through duffle
bags of everything he’d swiped from the vaults around the house. And a
pendant I saw, it was familiar. Too familiar. I reached into the bag and
pulled it out.
“This was my mom’s,” I said, opening the locket up to see an image
of me and my mom when I was only a baby. “She wore this for years. It
went missing before she died.” A wave of realization washed over me.
Andres must’ve been there. I could only imagine it was him who took that.
“I want to kill him,” I whispered.
Daddy wrapped an arm around me as the boat sped off. “We’ll kill
him,” he said. “Don’t you worry about that.”
A week went by as we prepared to leave this place for the final time,
and neither of us were leaving alone. Except Midas and Trojan, they were
leaving with their pockets full, and we were leaving for good, to go get
married and honeymoon around the world.
Before we could do any of that, our final trip to the zoo.
My face was painted with oranges, reds, and yellows to make me
look like a lion. Daddy carried the bag with everything I’d bought from the
gift shop, and he also held onto all the helium animal balloons I’d collected
too.
The only thing I was holding onto was my slushie. It wasn’t the
same as the one I got from the 7-Eleven, but it did a decent job at giving me
all the slushiness that I enjoyed.
“We have our flight tonight,” he said. “So, you’ll have to pick what
you want to keep because I don’t think we can fill another suitcase. We
could put it storage, but I don’t want you to take something we could lose.”
He was right. We were soon going to be jet setting from country to
country, this wasn’t the time to take everything I ever had with us. “I like
them all,” I protested. “But I’m not going to keep them. I’m going to donate
them all to the orphanage, the nice one, not the one I thought was raising
serial killers.”
He pulled me in close. “What’s wrong with serial killers?” he asked,
pressing his nose to mine and getting a little of the orange face paint on his
skin. “I mean, a lot, but we’ve done our fair share, people would call us
that.”
“But we’re better,” I said.
“I’m sure they think the same as you,” he said, lifting his arm to
look at his wristwatch. “Oh. Speaking of killers, we’re going to be late for
the big cat feeding show.” He walked off, gesturing for me to chase after
him.
“Wait, wait, but the timetable doesn’t show any feedings,” I said,
keeping up and chewing on the slushie straw.
“It’s a private showing,” he said. “C’mon.”
We went straight to a metal gate where we were met by a man in
uniform. He welcomed us behind the metal fence and into a control room
where we could see all the big cats inside the cages. It was awful that they
were kept like this, but we’d just finished getting rid of one family, we’d
battle the zoos next.
In a chair at the far end of the control room, a man was tied to a
chair.
“You’ll have to make it quick,” the worker whispered.
Daddy placed my things on the floor before handing him a stack of
bills. “We’ll be gone in five,” he said as the man walked out. “Surprise.
Look what I got for you.”
“Sal?” I asked.
 “I saw him sniffing around the ruins of the house, weren’t you, Sal,”
he said, kicking at the man in the chair. “You always were a roach. And you
were also someone I never thought I’d see again.”
His mouth was taped shut, but I wanted to know what he had to say.
I tore the tape, pulling away some of his facial hair with it. “Oops,” I
chuckled. “You know where Andres is?”
“I’ve tried that,” he said, handing me one of my knives.
“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “If Andres doesn’t want to
be found, he won’t. You said I’m a roach, well he’s worse.”
“Umm.” I gave him a slap with the back of my hand. “I’m worse
because I’m not going to hire someone to kill for me. I don’t mind getting
my hands a little dirty, or bloody.”
“You don’t have to do this,” he said. “I could help you draw him
out.”
“I’m not sure if you could,” I answered. “Not because I don’t think
you know exactly how to get him out of his hidey hole, but because I
couldn’t trust you, not now, not ever.”
Daddy smiled at me. “And for what it’s worth,” he said. “It’ll taste
that much sweeter when we pull him out of that little cave ourselves.”
I nodded at him. “So, how do you feel about being eaten?” I asked.
His eyes grew. “What?”
“Not by me, I’m not a cannibal, ew,” I chuckled. “Context clues,
duh. We’re in a zoo. I’m going to kill you, and then you’re going to be fed
to these cats. They look super hungry by the way,” I said. “And if I
remember rightly, you used to feed people to these cats all the time. So, I
think they have a taste for human flesh.”
“You have no idea just how hungry they are,” Daddy chuckled.
I wasted no more time. I stuck the knife into his chest, listening for
that chorus of crunches as I punctured through his ribcage and got to the
lung. I went in another, another lung. It was a slower death, and maybe he
deserved a faster one, but I wasn’t feeling as generous as I had been at
Benicio’s birthday party last week. I didn’t know exactly why he wasn’t
there, because he could’ve solved a lot of those issues then.
“I’m not sure if you’re going to get the answer from anyone else
here,” Daddy said. “So, let’s throw him in, and let’s go.”
He was right. We still had that flight to pack for tonight, and then we
could both be free, finally. I wasn’t keen on the idea of changing name, but
that was a requirement to starting over. Starting fresh came at a price, and
that price was a lot of money, but we’d been saving. And by saving, I meant
taking on high contract kills for years to make sure we had a lot of money
squirreled away.
The cuts to Sal’s body were mostly contained and clean. I threw him
into the feeding pit for the cats to go wild. And they went wild, tearing his
clothes from him and tugging his limbs away from his body like tough
chicken.
I watched with amusement, knowing we’d got all the major players
in the Coronado family, even if they told me the family was in my blood, I
never felt like I was one of them. I’d fought with my fists to get to where I
was. I’d overcome everything to be me, and I wasn’t going to allow the
words of a dying man to get inside my head, they didn’t deserve to be there.
We finished out tour of the zoo as our last final goodbye to the city
we’d lived in for years. It was a nice final goodbye, but I felt a longing to
stay since it’s where both my mom and grandma were buried. But I knew
they’d want the best for me. They’d want me to get out of this place and
every single ounce of pain it had caused me would be wiped clean.
In the apartment safe house, Daddy presented me with an ID.
“Who is this?” I asked, looking over the card. The man on the ID
looked like me, but I wasn’t Juan Carlos.
“It’s just for travel. Our new life,” he said. “You’re still my baby.
You’re still Jasiel.”
I snatched the other card from him. “And you’re David. Why do I
have to get Juan Carlos?”
He pulled me into a hug as I fought to release myself. “It was your
mom’s dad’s name, remember, you told me that if you ever had to use a
fake name, you’d use his,” he said.
He might’ve been right, but it was a surprise, both that he
remembered, and because I never even met the man. He was buried in the
plot beside my mom and grandma, but I never physically met him. “Fine,” I
grumbled. “So, where are we going first?”
“First,” he chuckled, planting kisses on my face. “We’re going to get
on the plane and we’re going to get married, then, we’re going to
honeymoon around the world, we’re going to take plenty of pictures, and
we’re not going to kill anyone or—” His eyes pinched together, looking me
over.
 “Or?”
“Or set fires,” he said.
“What if—”
“No,” he snickered, placing a hand over my mouth.
“What if,” I continued, pressing my tongue against his hand. “What
if it gets cold and we need the fire to stay warm?”
There was always an exception to the rule, and I knew what it was
in advance so I could exploit it.
“In that case, sure. Now, do you have everything packed?”
I knew he’d be mad if I told him I hadn’t been packing, instead, I’d
been giving all the teddies we got today different names. They weren’t
sticking around with us, but I liked to name them.
“I’ll take that as a no,” he said, looking at his single suitcase as it sat
by the front door. “We’re gonna be late to start the rest of our life together.”
“How can we be late?” I asked, pouting at him. “It’s our forever. We
can take as long as we like.”
He chased after me, running into the bedroom and wrestling me into
the teddies I’d lined up on the bed. In his arms, he nibbled at me softly with
mouth over his teeth. “Fine,” he said. “Let’s get packed so we can get
married, then start our new life.”
It gave me butterflies when he talked about marrying me and
starting a new life. We had enough money to set us up to do whatever we
wanted. We had the fake IDs, and we were ready. All we needed now was
for me to finish packing.
Besides murdering, escaping was the only thing I’d been able to
think about.
And now it was finally happening.
We were free.

OceanofPDF.com
EPILOGUE
ATLAS

THREE MONTHS LATER

We’d spent three months traveling the world so far when I got the call from
my uncle in London. I didn’t know if he was my real uncle, but he was the
man I was sent to live with when I was a child. He was also the man who’d
sent me away to become the assassin I was today.
He must’ve been in his sixties. He ran quite the high-profile
criminal ring in London. I enjoyed visiting him and the rest of the family in
that area, although I never knew them properly, they were part of my life in
terms of blood but beyond that, they were completely different to me.
On the doorstep of a large Georgian townhouse in one of the most
affluent areas, I fended questions off from Jasiel who asked why we didn’t
have a big, fancy house like this.
An old man in a suit answered the door. “How may I assist you?”
He’d aged some, but I recognized him as their butler.
“Atlas!” a voice called out from the hallway. “What are you doing
here?” From the darkness of the hallway, my cousin, Samuel approached,
stirring a spoon inside a teacup. “Thought you were dead.”
“It’s for me,” a roar came.
“You’re here for him?” Samuel asked, referring to his father, my
uncle.
Jasiel was quiet now, for once. He clenched my hand tighter as he
pressed his side to mine.
“He has a gift for me,” I said, holding Jasiel’s hand up. “We got
married.”
“Married,” Samuel chuckled, his gaze washing over us in the
doorway. “I suppose you best come in. You never know who’s watching.”
Lead inside the large house, I could tell Jasiel was asking why we
weren’t staying here instead of the hotel I’d booked us with views over the
city. The place hadn’t changed a lick since I’d been here last, many years
ago.
Uncle Alistair was in his grand leather chair, an air cannister at his
side as he pulled the mask to his mouth and sucked in deep. “Come, my
boy, sit,” he said between deep, heavy breaths. “I got you a wedding
present.”
“Is that what the racket was this morning?” Samuel asked, tapping
the spoon on the side of his teacup.
“Oh hush,” he growled at his son.
It always amused me to see families like this, mostly to satisfy my
own morbid curiosities, since I didn’t have a family dynamic.
“Suit yourselves,” Samuel said before taking a sip from his cup. “I
have a meeting to get to. I hope you’ll stick around for dinner later.”
Jasiel continued to hug at my side. It was unlike him to be so quiet,
although he’d expressed to me earlier about being worried, he’d say or do
something wrong. The Maxwell family had quite the reputation, and he
knew that, but this wasn’t going to be a situation like we had in Miami.
“I’ve got you a gift,” Alastair said. “Hadley will take you down into
the basement. It’s something you asked for.”
“I asked for?” I mused aloud. I rarely asked for anything since that
meant there was a favor owed and a debt due.
“Just go see,” he said before coughing up into his mask.
The butler took us from the living room and down the hallway to a
white door. Jasiel wandered behind; his eyes fixed on every detail. The
wood boarding on the walls and doorways was ornate and decorative. The
wallpaper had the slightest gold embossing that glittered in the light as you
passed it. The entire house smelled of money.
In the basement of the house, we were lead through another door
into darkness. He turned the light on before making a swift exit.
Under the light, a man was chained to the floor. Held in place at his
wrists and by his ankles, the chains rattled as he moved around to look at
us. Dressed in torn clothes, his skin dirtied with blood and filth.
It took me a moment to place the face.
“Andres,” I said.
Jasiel stared up at me. “Is it?”
The rattling grew restless as the man tried to back himself up into a
corner. “No, no,” he grumbled.
“That’s him,” I said.
He let go of my hand and approached the man on the floor. “You’re
Andres?” he asked. “You tried to have me killed?” He chuckled. “You! You
tried to have me killed.”
 “Now he’s yours,” I said, spotting a small end table by the door,
clearly out of reach from the man. On the table, there was an array of items
to use in torture, from bone saws to needles to knives. I always knew my
family here were fans of cruel and unusual punishment, but this impressed
me. “If you want closure, now is the time to get it baby.” I took a knife by
the handle, swinging it around in the air to see if there was any drag on the
movement.
“I didn’t want you,” he said, coughing. “It wasn’t supposed to be
like that. I tried to kill you many times.”
“You probably shouldn’t admit to that,” Jasiel said, softly. He
squatted to Andres’s eye level. “You know, I learned about how disgusting
you were, from the moment you beat my mom to the way you spoke to her.
I—I wish I knew you were connected to the Coronado family beforehand; I
might’ve used them to get to you a lot sooner.”
“Baby, there are knives here.”
“No, no, if you kill me, you’ll never know the real reason your
mother left,” he said.
“She left because of your abuse,” he snapped back, raising a hand.
He fiddled with the ring on his fingers, making sure all the pointy bits were
out. “She left to give me a better life.” He gave him a backhanded slap, the
diamonds on the ring sliced through Andres’s face with buttery ease.
Andres coiled, pushing himself against the wall. “No,” he said. “She
stole my money. She stole millions. And I was told if I let you live, I could
have that money back.” He sucked back in a breath. “She died before I got
it back.”
Jasiel pulled himself away from the man and approached me,
stroking a hand over his ring finger as he collected the droplets of blood
from his skin. “I think he’s telling the truth,” he said. “In fact.” He grabbed
the old gold locket from inside his t-shirt. “I wondered what these numbers
meant.” Opening the locket, on the inside, there were numbers. “But maybe
it’s a code or something.”
I knew almost immediately what those numbers meant. “They’re co-
ordinates,” I told him. “That’s where, whatever it is, your mom wanted you
to have is.”
Jasiel ran his finger across the engraving. “I thought it was a
birthday or something.”
 Massaging a hand on his shoulder, I presented the knife to him with
my other hand. “I know we said no more killing, but this is our wedding
present,” I said. “And once we’re done here, we can go find that money.”
Andres held his hands up in front of his face, begging for his life. It
was a futile effort since Jasiel went for his body. It wasn’t like he could
easily pierce his skull and get to the brain, but the body was soft and
squishy.
I watched with delight as he finished what we’d started.
He looked at me with pride in his eyes and blood on his face.
Stabbing at the Andres’s torso repeatedly, getting every single last lash of
anger from within out onto a man who’d tried to have him killed many
times.
Andres exhaled his last breath. Jasiel dropped the knife with an
almighty clang against the stone. He came back to me, wrapping his blood-
soaked body of clothes around me, squeezing me.
“How do you feel?” I asked him.
“Thirsty,” he said. “Where can we get a slushie around here?”
All was right in the world.

THE END

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 MAYFAIR PLACE DADDY
Copyright © 2022 Joe Satoria
All Rights Reserved

This title is written in British English and is set in the UK.

Warnings & Tropes: light age play, D/s relationship, hurt/comfort, murder,
blood, kidnapping, mention of drug abuse, and family drama.

OceanofPDF.com
 BLURB
“I’m your Daddy now.”

Leo Conroy is a sleight-of-hand savant, except sometimes it gets him into

trouble… and an organised crime family are the last people you want to
make mad. Even if he pouts and puts on a cute onesie, little Leo isn’t ready
for his new Daddy.

Will he give in to the whims of Mr Maxwell?

Samuel “Stabby” Maxwell will do anything for the family’s crime business,
but he won’t punish the boy who robbed from him… because sometimes
forced servitude is all the punishment required. Samuel sees himself in this
boy, every night.

Can he protect the boy from his secret history?

Together, they discover a unique dynamic. Samuel, with all his money and
power, will do anything for what’s his. And Leo, with his hand tricks, will
always look to please those in charge.

Nothing is going right, and people are out for blood. Will everyone in the
Maxwell crime family make it out alive?

Mayfair Place Daddy is a deliciously dark story about a rich mafia

Daddy who discovers a boy in need of taming. Includes: Daddy/boy,
rich/poor, age gap, and a HEA. This book contains content which isn’t
suitable for all readers. Please read TW. Written in British English.

OceanofPDF.com
1. LEO
Rich men were easy targets. They were usually busy on their phones, acting
like they were the only people around. Often, I heard them talking about
money and stocks. To be fair, I did most of my work outside some of the
financial buildings.
These men were far too distracted to notice as I unclipped their
fancy watches and slipped them off their wrists. Or when I dipped two
fingers into a pocket to fish out their wallets. I had years of experience
pickpocketing, but I only did it to people I knew could afford it. People who
bragged about wealth. Even if I didn’t hear them, I saw it on their faces, in
their clothes, and how they smelled.
Today’s mark had been a man, smelling like a vanilla Yankee candle
had smoked a pack of cigars. He was probably in his thirties, pre-occupied
on his phone. He walked like someone who had always had money. It was
effortless. The suit was tailored, not that ever had a tailored suit, but up
close, you learn to tell the difference between cheap and expensive.
This man was expensive, and so was every other wealthy Mayfair
man. I had no guilt, and not a single ounce of remorse for what I did.
Besides, they didn’t know it had happened until I was long gone down an
alley, or across a road, or escaping into Hyde Park while I rummaged
through their wallets.
My regular pawn shop, Platinum Pawn, just outside Chelsea,
welcomed me with open arms. It wasn’t like they were a reputable business.
They had one window boarded with wood. It was sprayed with graffiti. It
looked abandoned from the outside, unless you noticed the dim sign above
the door flashing to say it was open.
“Derek,” I said, walking into the shop.
A plump man sat behind a reinforced plastic window, a pair of
magnifying glasses over his eyes. He pulled them away to look at me.
“Leo,” he grumbled. “I’ve already told ya. That last piece you brought in
almost got me raided.”
“Well,” I snickered, holding up the fancy silver Rolex in front of
him. “This one doesn’t have an inscription on it. So, it’s safe.”
He grunted, pushing the counter slot open. “Let me see.”
 As I handed the Rolex over, I looked at the glass shelves in the
pawnshop. They were filled with rings. None of it was what I’d pawned. He
knew better. Everything I sold to Derek was stolen.
“I’ll give you two grand,” he said, clearing his throat.
“Two grand, c’mon, look at the condition of it,” I said, placing my
hands on the security partition before pushing my face to it. “It’s in mint
condition.”
“Take it or leave it,” he said, snapping his fingers at me. “And don’t
put your grubby fucking hands on the glass.”
I rolled my eyes at him, pulling myself away. I tugged the sleeve of
my jacket over a hand and buffed out the marks. “I’ll take it, but this man
was so oblivious. He didn’t even know what happened. I should be paid
more for my skill.”
“You’re not taking any of the risk,” he said, glancing at me and
shaking his head. “I won’t be able to take anymore high-ticket items from
you for a few weeks. I still have one to sell.”
“Fine, fine.”
Derek counted the money in twenty-pound notes before collecting
them all together and sliding them under the slot on the counter. “I’m being
serious, Leo,” he said. “You need to cool it around here, at least for a few
weeks.”
I nodded back at him as I grabbed the stack of notes and gave them
a count. Derek wouldn’t short me, but I counted them anyway. “Yeah, yeah.
A few weeks.”
Stuffing the stack of notes into the depths of my pockets and zipping
it shut. I felt like I’d done a solid day’s work.
On the way home, I stopped by Tig’s Chicken Shop to grab some
lunch. Fried chicken and chicken salt chips were my favourite way to
reward myself after a successful swipe. I also grabbed something for Susie,
my friend, who I lived with. It was her father’s council flat, but he passed a
couple years ago, and she got to keep the flat. It was great because it was
rent controlled, but it was in this huge block of flats covered in this piss-
colour yellow and grey stone. They really made them look the most
unappealing places to live.
Seeing the flats after being around the huge Georgian style
townhouses and modern glass structures, it was depressing. But living in
any of those places, you had to be making a high six-figure salary. And
pickpocketing wasn’t a salaried job.
I stood outside the front door of the building and checked the Little
Me app on my phone. It was a location-based app for people who enjoyed
roleplay, different dynamics, dressing up, and exploring. But most of the
time, it was for hooking up. I rarely hooked up with anyone, but I always
liked to scan the area to see if there was anyone around. Mostly faceless
people. I was there, in my onesie, with my stuffed panda teddy tucked under
an arm proudly. I got messages, and most of the time they were from blank
profiles, so I never responded. I mostly used it to talk to other littles in the
area and see where they were buying their onesies.
“Great, you’re back,” Susie greeted me as I walked through the front
door. “I’m picking up another shift this evening, so I won’t be in to do face
masks and movies.”
I held the white bag with the food inside. “I brought lunch.”
She hurried into the kitchen, tying her hair up into a ponytail.
“Please tell me you didn’t.”
“I didn’t.”
“Leo,” she groaned. “I can see it on your face. All smug. Well?”
Unzipping my pocket, I dug a hand inside and grabbed out the wad
of bills. “Two grand,” I said. “I’m putting some in my savings, and then the
rest is for bills.” I knew she didn’t approve of what I did, but she couldn’t
resist good fried chicken with the chicken salt chips.
“If you want a regular income, I can talk to my manager about
getting you a trial shift,” she said, batting her eyelids at me.
Susie worked in a coffee shop, but she was also an aspiring actress
who wanted to work on the West End in the theatre. She also didn’t
complain when the money I’d made off the rich men in Mayfair afforded
for our tickets to see those big musical productions.
I didn’t even have to reply to her. She knew the answer, she always
knew the answer. “Tomorrow night then?” I asked. “Movies and face
masks.”
“Yes, oh—wait, maybe. You know Harry asked me out on a date,
right?” She dug into the box of chicken. “Well, he said he’ll text me with
the details, so I’m waiting to know what he wants to do. I mean, I don’t
even know why I care. He asked me on a date.”
 “While you wait on that text, I’m gonna go eat, take a nap, and
count my money,” I said, bubbling over with excitement.
People always told me that money wouldn’t make me happy,
because I never had money. My mother worked two jobs to take care of me,
so I grew up on the struggle bus. My father, or sperm donor, wasn’t in the
picture at all. Maybe I’d seen him once or twice, but that was it. And at
sixteen, my mother kicked me out, something about not being paid enough
to look after me. So, I knew money made people happy, with money,
perspective changed, life changed, and I wanted that.
My room had a small dresser and a single bed. The walls were
painted light blue, like I was looking at the sky on a clear day. I also had
one poster pinned to it. It was a scratch-off map of the world. Because that
was my plan. I wanted to have enough money saved so I could travel and
see all the animals. So far, I’d seen bits of England, Wales, and Scotland,
although I’m not sure if accidentally sleeping on the train and arriving at
Glasgow counts as Scotland, but I was there once, so I scratched it off.
“One day,” I said before tearing into the chicken from my box.
I saved almost ten thousand pounds, and my goal was thirty
thousand. It was a huge goal to have, and it had taken me nearly two years
to build to ten thousand. I was still confident I would one day reach it.
Inside a safe under the final drawer in my dresser, I kept everything
important. Like my money, and the list of things I needed to travel, like a
passport. There was also my list of animals I wanted to meet and maybe pet
if they allowed me to.
I rarely got as lucky as I did today with the Rolex. Most of the time,
it was cheaper, imitation jewellery, and Derek lowballed me at every
chance. But I couldn’t say no to those offers. He knew they were stolen, and
he was still willing to buy them.
On my iPad, I put on a series I’d been watching on Netflix. It was
background noise while I counted the money and cuddled up with my
stuffed teddy, a panda I named Tuffy. I had him for over ten years, won him
at a carnival when I was little. It was my dream to go visit the big panda
sanctuary in China.
After counting the money in the safe, and adding in some from
today’s haul, I was just over eleven thousand. I didn’t put it all in. I needed
to live, of course.
 I grabbed the man’s wallet. There hadn’t been any money in it when
I’d checked.
It felt expensive, alligator skin, probably. All his credit and debit
cards were metal. That’s how I knew he was rich. He’d have them replaced
easily. And inside, where money would go, I discovered a key. It looked too
small to be a house key, but I wasn’t worried about that. Whatever it was
for, I was sure they had several other keys just like it.
‘S Maxwell.’ The name on the cards. There was even a business card
for a Maxwell Holdings which sounded incredibly rich and fancy. He
clearly had all the money in the world. I threw his wallet into the safe with
everything else.
Cleaning my hands with alcohol wipes, I dug back into the box to
eat the cold chips.
I cuddled Tuffy as we both watched the Netflix show. I dreamed of
one day having my own, but instead of a comedy, it would be a travel show
where I was paid to visit all the different countries and live out my dream.
And of course, I’d have a giant estate of land where I could house rescue
animals too.
But that’s what it was, a dream, and I was heading for a nap to
continue it.

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2. SAMUEL
I hadn’t noticed anything missing at first. I thought I’d taken my wristwatch
off in the bathroom, or I’d misplaced my wallet. I hadn’t seen either of them
since yesterday. I knew someone had stolen from me. I knew it wasn’t
anyone who worked for me, people valued their employment too much, and
most of them knew the monster behind the smile.
Sat in the comfort of my leather office chair, I stared out of the
window onto the street below. I had a vague recollection of bumping into
someone yesterday, but he was just a kid, and kids these days were always
so clumsy, their faces in their phones. They were all going to be part of the
generation that required the use of neck braces after augmenting their
posture to an inoperable position.
It angered me. My jaw clenched. I feared for whoever was on the
receiving end of my words.
“Your coffee, sir,” a soft voice spoke. Kelly, my office assistant
walked in, carrying a white cup, filled with black coffee. “Two sugars, like
you asked.” She smiled, her teeth digging into her thick bottom lip. Kelly
was nice, not my type at all, but she appeared to flirt.
“Have you had more filler?” I asked, wondering if the swelling in
her lip was from this new excessive biting or filler.
“It’s just a little,” she said. “A new aesthetics clinic opened. I
wanted to try it out.”
“Aesthetics clinic?” I asked. “A Maxwell one, right?”
“Yes, your cousin came in and gave me a coupon. She told me you
knew, but she also told me to keep her visit a secret,” she continued. “But I
—I thought you knew. Do they—do they look bad?”
“They look good,” I said. “Next time Rebekah visits, I want to be
told, even if she asks you not to tell me.”
Kelly nodded, flashing a plump pouty smile at me. “Got it.”
“And close the door on the way out.”
My office was in Mayfair Place, a prestigious and expensive
building. We didn’t do much here, it was where all our businesses were
registered. My father was the head of the business, but in recent years, he
rarely left the family home, hooked up to an oxygen tank, pretending like he
was still in control, even after putting me in charge as the head of the firm.
 I took the cup of coffee, sipping it from the rim as I turned in my
chair to look out on the street. I needed a name for the person who’d stolen
from me yesterday. Whoever it was, they’d find themselves come to
understand why I garnered the nickname, Samuel ‘Stabby’ in my late teens
and early twenties.
Finishing my coffee, I buzzed for Kelly.
“What can I get for you?” she asked.
“Security footage from the street,” I said, gesturing to the street
below. “Check with the businesses to see who has street-facing cameras. I
want to see it from twelve to two, yesterday.”
“On it,” she said.
The Maxwell name had sway in the area, both through fear and awe.
Depending on who you were talking to would depend on how they felt
toward me. Newer businesses were in awe and wonder about how we’d
become so successful. But those who knew, they feared the name. We
hadn’t always been associated with art galleries and million-pound trades.
Back when my grandfather got his start, it was smuggling and trafficking
precious gems and stones, but those wells dry quick. The Maxwell firm was
once associated with protection racketeering, loan sharking, counterfeiting,
and more unsavoury types of crime. Now, all our legitimate businesses were
fronts. However, it was much more professional now. It allowed for me to
wear three-thousand-pound tailored suits.
A knock came at the frosted glass office door before it swung open.
My younger cousin, Preston, sauntered in. He had an uncontrollable
smile on his face and a light wiggle of a shimmy as he walked over.
“What’s got you excited?” I felt forced to ask.
He laid himself on the sofa. “Just checking out the office space,” he
said. “You know, for when I take over.”
“Don’t piss me off.” I couldn’t deal with his smug riddles today.
“What do you want?”
“It’s no secret that your father is on his way out,” Preston said,
getting comfy. “I mean, you can’t be serious to think you’ll take over,
right?”
“My father has a couple more years, at least,” I told him. “And yes.
I will take over once he’s dead. So, let me ask again little cousin, what are
you doing here?”
 Preston chuckled, sitting upright, he adjusted his suit. “You get to sit
up here all day, doing nothing. I’m on Savile Row watching over our
assets.”
I stood, pushing the chair out. “Same could probably be said for
Elias, he’s on Park Lane, watching over assets. What do you want? A medal
for working?”
He stood, face-to-face with me like we were squaring off for a
boxing match. “No,” he said. “I just don’t want you in charge.”
“I’ve been in charge for two years,” I told him. “Why do you
suddenly have an issue with who takes over once my father is dead?”
Preston stepped back, like I knew he would. We had one rule, don’t
fight family, you only had one family, and it was always best not to see their
blood on your knuckles, because sometimes you couldn’t take back the
damage. And we had a legacy to secure. “Well, we have my father, or Uncle
Reuben, both could take over,” he said.
“Your father is always drunk, and as for Uncle Reuben, well—” I
couldn’t control the smile on my face at the mention of him. “He’s lucky we
even consider him family, or don’t you remember him stealing fifteen
million?”
“Fifteen million we all had claim to,” Preston said as he walked
around my office. “What’s the point in having the money if we don’t get to
spend it?”
“And that is why you can’t take over,” I said. “You don’t look or
think of things as business, you look and think of them as something to
spend to get a little gratification from. You have money, you’re paid a
salary, and if you took over, we’d all be fighting each other within months
for scraps.”
Preston grabbed a glass paperweight from my desk. “You really
think you’re smarter than the rest of us, don’t you?”
A rhetorical question, surely. “I went to university, remember? I’m
the most qualified to run everything.”
“You killed your professor, remember?”
“That man was a prick.”
He grinned at me. “I want more control,” he said. “I want us to
expand. We have the money.”
I shook my head; this wasn’t a negotiation. We were talking
hypothetical. My father was alive. “I won’t make the same mistake our
fathers did,” I told him. “They had the police on them for years for growing
operations too fast. They still try audit us constantly; we have an on-site
accountant in an office out there making sure everything looks legit. And
sometimes they have questions, and I don’t think you’d have the slightest
clue how to answer them.” I grabbed the paperweight from his hand. “But if
you want more assets to manage, let me know what you think you can
handle.”
The cogs turned in his eyes. “I could handle the diamonds.”
“No, you can’t.”
“Fine. What about opening somewhere else to launder money?”
I shook my head. “Our aesthetics clinic opened recently. Your sister
is cleaning money there. And no, we’re not opening another yet.” I wanted
to bite my tongue and not say anything else to him. Preston had one of the
easier jobs in the firm. He watched over a couple tailors on Savile Row, it
was a business, but it was also a money laundering operation, alongside
selling drugs to wealthy clients. Once we realised rich people abused drugs
as much as poor people, they were an easy mark to get hooked, plus, they
had the money to pay.
“You know, Elias isn’t happy either,” he said, approaching the door
to leave. “And the reason I came,” he chuckled. “I heard you got robbed.”
My smile dropped. I don’t know how he heard. I kept it between me
and Kelly. “What?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Some guy is out there trying to sell your watch.”
He gestured with a hand to his wrist and looked at mine. “Oops.”
As he opened the door, Kelly stood with an accomplished grin on
his face, or perhaps she’d had Botox with her filler. “I got word from a man
named Derek at a small pawnshop, he has your watch, and he knows who
stole it.”
Preston rolled his eyes, beaten to the punchline. “Good talking to
you, cousin,” he grumbled before leaving.
I sat back at my desk, relaxing into the leather. “Who?” I asked her.
“Do you have his name?”
“That’s the thing,” she said, approaching me. “The man wants to
speak with you, directly before he’ll give you a name.”
“In person?” I asked, wondering if I’d recently sharpened any
knives. I wasn’t going to be had by some small-time pawnshop owner, and
he should know better than to even try anything like that with me. “Or over
the phone?”
“I’ll call and ask,” she said. “He said he bought the watch for two
grand. I think he might want you to pay him for it.”
I couldn’t be mad at a man doing business, but that watch was worth
ten times that amount. Whoever had stolen it from me must’ve been
desperate to only take two grand for it. “And you’re sure he has the name of
the man who stole it?”
“He seemed very sure,” she said. “I’ll call back and double check.”
I didn’t mind paying him for what he’d bought it for, but only if he
had the name. I’d get that money back, and then I’d take interest payments
out on his skin with some nice delicate, yet painful slices. It was only fitting
for theft.

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3. LEO
I lived a cheap life; I hated all these big businesses with their big
businessmen who lauded their wealth over people like it couldn’t be taken
from them.
I sat on a grassy mound beneath a tree in Hyde Park. It wasn’t too
hot, but there were people around on their blankets, catching the last of the
summer rays. I enjoyed coming to the park, there were people around to
watch. People watching kept me on my toes and my senses sharp. It also
allowed me to make stories up for people I would never see again.
Concealing a small bottle of a sugary alcopop inside a plastic bag, I
drank from the mouth hole at the top. It was difficult to tell if you were
getting drunk or surfing a sugar high with fruity alcopop drinks.
When I was much younger, I came here with my mother. We had
picnics, it was nice, and for a short period after she kicked me out at
sixteen, everything we did together felt tainted. I saw her twice a year now,
if that. But only when she needed money from me. She stole once, it’s why
I had the safe under my drawers now. I’d never be robbed from again.
The irony of me, sat, grinning to myself about robbing from the rich,
all to be annoyed at my mother for robbing from me. It wasn’t like I
should’ve been surprised, someone had to teach me to steal, and that was
her.
Taking another gulp of the alcopop, my mind regress. As a child, a
sweet, innocent, bug-eyed child, I was taken around the city. We’d go
through the big department stores, and I took people’s wallets and purses. I
was so small, nobody ever looked to me as the thief.
I stayed at the park until it became dark, laid on my open jacket,
staring up at the glimpse of the moon as it peered through the layers of
clouds. I created faces and animals in the moving clouds, wondering what
existed beyond them, up in the sky, in space, far beyond everything here on
Earth. It wasn’t the first time I caught myself smiling from this thought. I
barely explored any of the land I lived on, it was funny to think of exploring
the worlds and lands beyond.
“Leo?” a voice caught my attention, turning my head in the
direction. There was nobody.
“Yeah,” I answered, looking now in the opposite direction. “I’m—”
 A force stomped on my stomach, pushing out all the breath in my
body. I gasped for air, curling up into a ball.
“You’re coming with us,” the gruff voice grumbled, picking my
limp, writhing body from the grass.
My breath stalled in my chest. I couldn’t push the air out, and I
couldn’t inhale anymore. A low, humming whimper came from my throat,
not by choice, I couldn’t control the sound or actions of my body. Nor could
I concentrate on their voices as they spoke, either. There were two of them,
or three of them.
Wheezing as I eventually found my breath, I tried once more to
move from the way I was being carried, over a shoulder it seemed as I was
jolted around as an increased pain throbbed in my stomach.
“Put the blindfold on him.”
“Why?” the other laughed. “Not like he’ll make it out of this place.”
We paused, people passed, chuckling and making comments about
how I was just a drunk friend. I couldn’t speak, my mouth was open for
letting air inside, but I couldn’t muster or summon a single chord. They put
a blindfold on me, wrapped tight around my head.
Walking again, my body jostling around like I was a bag of bones.
Sounds changed around me from the busy cars on the street to the
sound of a TV playing and the gentle echo of whispers carried along a
hallway. They became quiet too as they carried me down steps and placed
me on a cold, metal chair.
“Don’t,” I mustered through the pain, my voice hoarse.
Wet rope wrapped my legs to the chair. They pulled my arms back
and tied them together. The damp rope burned into my skin as it settled in
place. And before I could ask anything, my face took a hit. Sent into a dizzy
spiral, my head wobbled on my neck.
I didn’t feel the next hit to my face, but I knew it happened. Blood
and tears soaked into my skin. A tape placed over my mouth, which I only
noticed when I tried to open it.
For a moment, I thought I was dead, and then I heard the door open.
“You’re stupid for only taking two grand,” they said. “You’re not a
very good thief, are you?” They walked around me, the sound of their
stomps echoed. “You don’t sell where you steal from. It’s like me stealing a
shipment and then selling it to the person I stole it off, they’ll laugh, then
they’ll fight, and then someone will die.”
 Through the clog in my nose, I could smell the faint scent of
expensive cologne. Vanilla, it penetrated my nasal passage. There was a
faint musk that followed, like rolling tobacco. And I knew who this was. Mr
Rolex, Mr Tailored Suits. This wasn’t the first time I’d been caught, or the
first time I’d taken a hit to the face, but it was the first time someone tied
me to a chair with rope and threated me with death.
“You’re a kid,” he continued. “You know, if you’re going to make
someone your mark, investigate them first. Make sure you know who
you’re stealing from before you do. Some people write theft off and claim
on their insurance, and then some.” He snickered. “Well, some people will
request their payment in flesh.” He pressed a sharp point against my cheek.
I tried to scream from beneath the tape on my mouth. It was painful,
the point dug into my skin. Worse than the blunt force of a fist to my nose.
“What’s that?” he asked, tearing the tape from my mouth. “You
were shouting. Nobody can hear you here.”
“Please,” I begged. “Don’t. I can give you the money. I can—I can
give you it all back.”
He pulled the blindfold up over my head, throwing it against the
wall. It splattered with the sweat and blood it had collected. “Oh,” he said,
softly.
My eyes screwed tight. I didn’t want to see. “I won’t tell anyone I
was here. I promise. Just—just don’t kill me.”
“You’re just a precious boy,” he whispered, the hairs on my neck
tingling. “Look at what you’ve made us do.” He stroked the ridged edge of
his knuckles down the side of my face. “Well, I—well.”
“Please, please.” Tears broke through the dam of my screwed eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“I was going to hurt you,” he said, sighing in my ear. “But now, I—I
can’t hurt that face more than they have already.” He continued to stroke at
my cheek with his knuckles. “Open your fucking eyes and stop crying.”
Opening my eyes, there was pain behind them. I saw my
surroundings for the first time. A dingy, damp basement with a single light
above me. That man squatted, staring at my face. He wore a white shirt,
droplets of blood on it. In one hand, I saw a knife, and his other hand made
a fist. He pressed it gently to my face.
“How old are you?” he asked, pulling his hand away.
“Twenty-three,” I answered.
 He smirked. “You should know better than to steal from someone
then, shouldn’t you?”
“I—”
He stood and turned, walking to the wall of knives. “Many men
have died in that very spot, if you look at the stone, you can see blood
stains,” he said, glancing to my feet. “I don’t want you to become another
blood stain on this stone.”
“I don’t want to die.”
“And I don’t want to hurt you, no more than you are,” he said, still
facing the wall as he sorted through the knives. “It was ignorance, on your
part to steal from me. And hypocritical of me to talk about how people
shouldn’t steal.”
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else I could say. I’d give him the
money; I’d give him his wallet. I couldn’t get his watch back, but— “The
watch.” I noticed on his wrist as he reached up. He was wearing the Rolex,
the same one I’d stolen.
Returning to me with a smile, he presented the watch. “You might
not know about me, which is unfortunate, but I am not one of those
businessmen you see on the street talking about the big trade they just made
on the stock exchange. I’m wealthier, and with all that money, comes
power, and with power, well, you’re seeing exactly what that means. I can
get away with murder.”
“I didn’t know, I’m sorry.”
“No, no, don’t be,” he said. “I’m only mad because I was impressed.
Nobody has stolen from me in broad daylight like you did. Nobody has
done it without me noticing, at least. And I didn’t notice until hours later.
Your finesse is there, but—but your look is just.” He clicked his tongue,
looking me over, his deep blue eyes were intense. “You don’t look like you
belong around here. Sweatpants and jacket matching combo, it’s very
pedestrian. I’m sure that works when you’re walking through the city,
stealing from tourists, but class it up a little if you’re going to rob from
someone like me. In fact, I have security footage of you stealing from two
other people on that street, it’s so obvious when I see it, because of how out
of place you look.”
I didn’t have words for him. He’d read me to filth. I thought I’d
been doing well, and then in the space of a day, I was made to feel like
complete scum. I wanted to pull my limbs into my body and curl up, cry,
and contemplate the future—or my lack of a future.
“You look sad,” he grumbled. “Don’t do that. I can see myself in
you.” He smirked. “By the way, I’m Samuel, or Sam, or—Boss, sometimes
Sir. And I want to offer you a job.”
I didn’t know how serious he was being. I was apprehensive to
accept anything he said, since he had just told me I was almost another dead
body in his basement.
“You can say no, but I don’t know why you would,” he continued.
“This is a live-changing job. You’ll be my assistant. There are rules. And
I’ll have to make sure you stop dressing like a walking ASBO,” he
chuckled. “Do you have an anti-social behaviour order?”
I shook my head. I had been arrested before, but that was for
trespassing, not stealing. “I—”
He turned his back on me and approached the door. “The alternative
isn’t ideal,” he added. “I’ll give you some time to think about it. And don’t
scream, you’ll only piss me off.”
I didn’t have a choice. I knew the alternative he was hinting at
wasn’t letting me free.

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4. SAMUEL
I couldn’t hurt him more than they had already. He was young, precious,
and I wanted a taste. I exercised caution and a watchful eye as I showed
him to a room in my father’s house. It was the middle of the night; my
father was sleeping in the lounge while the TV played sports news.
Leo. His name. I’d seen him on the Little Me app. I debated
messaging him there weeks ago, under an anonymous account with zero
pictures. But I knew that face. It was him, little Leo, searching for a Daddy,
someone to dominate his life. And he didn’t know it yet, but I was staking
my claim.
My mother had seen me in the hallway as she watched me lead the
blindfolded boy to a bedroom.
“Stay there,” I said as I left him standing in the bedroom. Stepping
outside to meet my mother, I pulled the door shut.
“You know, I don’t ask questions,” she said. “I won’t start now,
except, how long is he staying?”
I gave her a hug. “Just the night, then he’s coming with me. I want
to get him cleaned up.”
“You need to get cleaned up. There are spare clothes upstairs.” She
hugged me back and kissed my cheek. “Make sure you don’t get blood
everywhere, you know how much bleach we went through last time there
was an incident.”
“Mother, this is different.” The last time was murder, I’d stabbed a
man, slowly, making sure he begged for his life. The blood went
everywhere. “I don’t want to hurt him. He works for me now.”
“Well, be safe,” she said.
She knew the business the family were in, and I knew there was
something that put her mind at ease when she told me to be safe. “I will.”
“Right, now I’ve got to go wake your father, he’s going to get sores
on his legs with the time he spends in that armchair,” she grumbled before
leaving.
Inside the dark bedroom, the boy stood where I’d left him. I turned
the light switch. This was my bedroom when I stayed the night, which I
rarely did anymore since I owned a 3.4 million pound flat fifteen minutes
away.
 “I’m going to take the blindfold and binding off you now,” I said.
Reaching behind his head, I pulled the knot loose, letting it fall down the
front of his face. “You can open your eyes. I’m not going to hurt you.”
He had green eyes, bloodshot and watery. It made his eyes seemed
brighter. I stared into them as he blinked.
“There’s a shower through there. Go clean yourself. I’ll get you
something to wear.”
He nodded, turning on my order.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I asked.
Pausing, he must’ve forgotten, or at least grew used to it. “I—thank
you.”
“No.” I grabbed his hands, still tied together. “You’re not going to
achieve anything if you can’t use your hands. And allow me to warn you,
don’t steal anything, and don’t attack me. If you do either of those, I’ll tie
them behind your back, and—” I didn’t want to threaten him. With what I
knew about him, the last thing I wanted to do was make him fear me more
than he already did.
“Ok. I won’t.”
“Your name is Leo, right?” I asked, tugging the rope free from his
wrists. “Or is that just a name you go by when you’re stealing?”
“Yeah, that’s my name.” He lulled his head. “Do you have my
phone?” he asked. “I should tell my friend where I’m at. I live with her, so
—so I don’t want her to worry.”
I had his phone, and I was desperate to check it to make sure he was
the little from the app. I was ninety-nine per cent sure. But if he wasn’t,
then I didn’t know what I’d do. It was downstairs with his other belongings.
“I’ll bring it up. And something for you face.” It was going to take a
while for him to heal, and I wanted to see him in his perfection now rather
than later. “Take a shower, then we’ll talk.”
He walked to the adjoining bathroom, massaging his wrists and
pulling his hands to his face to feel the swelling on his skin. He turned to
me. “I’m sorry,” he said, once more. Apologies meant little to me, even
coming from his gorgeous mouth. “You promise you won’t hurt me.”
“I promise that the longer you stay on my good side, the longer
you’ll live,” I said. It was a fact. I couldn’t promise I wouldn’t hurt him,
because I often hurt people, I grew close to, and I wanted to grow close to
him.
 Closing the bathroom door, I waited until the shower was on before
leaving. I had to collect his things, and while downstairs, I asked the butler
of the house, Borley, if he’d make a sandwich and some hot chocolate and
bring it to my room in fifteen minutes. I couldn’t have the boy go hungry.
The bathroom door was ajar when I arrived with his things. For a
moment, I thought he’d tried to escape. I looked to the window; it was too
high. I squatted and looked under the bed. He wasn’t there. I went to the
door and pushed it with my foot. In the mirror, I saw him behind the mist of
the glass shower door. It obscured his body.
I watched for a moment, resisting the urge to claim him right now.
He only had a wallet and a phone, alongside a grass-stained dirty
hoodie. I placed them on top of the dresser before I went in search through
the drawers to find something for him to wear. There were my clothes in
here, which meant they were now too small for me, and perfect for him.
I’d put on a lot of muscle, if I was to be the head of the family, then
I had to be in shape. I worked out most mornings from my home gym, it
was a room with a large glass pane window overlooking the park. I had a
treadmill, a stationary bicycle, a rack of dumbbell weights, and a boxing
speed bag.
I pulled out a pair of thin cotton shorts and a t-shirt for him, at least
until I told him my terms, one of which being he was required to move into
my flat and live there. I needed to keep a close eye on him, and there was
only one way I could do that.
He came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel around his waist.
“I—I—I didn’t know if you had clothes, or—”
“I do.” I handed him the pile, including a pair of unworn underwear.
“I have food coming in a moment. Then we can talk. I say we, but you
know I mean, me.” I flashed him a smile.
Nodding. He seemed obedient for someone who was confident
enough to steal. I wondered if this was an act as well. With the clothes
under his arm, he walked back into the bathroom to change.
In the past, I’d never been with anyone who wasn’t sweet and
innocent. And yet, he wasn’t innocent at all, and I wanted him more than I
wanted anything else. I waited, sat on the side of the bed for him to come
out. There was no escaping from the bathroom, unless he could climb to the
ledge through small, frosted window.
 “So, what do you want me to do?” he asked, standing in the
doorway.
“Take a seat.” I patted the duvet.
He sat, playing with his fingers and massaging at the muddy
bruising on his wrists. “I’ll do anything.”
“For someone who had the balls to steal, now you seem to have lost
them,” I said, looking him over in my old clothes. They were still too big
for him. “It shouldn’t be a surprise that they hurt you, considering what
you’ve been doing.”
He nodded. “I always thought I was careful, stealing from people
who had money, they could afford it.”
I couldn’t deny that I admired the Robin Hoodesque charm to him.
“You won’t have to do that for a while. Because if you agree, then you
become mine.”
Looking away to his hands, he was nervous. “What does that mean?
You know, I need to text my friend. I pay rent. I—I can’t just be here. Is this
kidnapping?”
A smile touched my lips, it wasn’t going away. “Yes,” I scoffed. “I
kidnapped you. But it was a necessary action. Now, I know I said we’d talk
terms, so.”
“Can I see my friend?”
“Well, you don’t get to request terms,” I snickered. “They’re
simple. I’ll clothe you, house you, feed you, and keep you until your debt is
paid.”
Stuttering over his words, I placed my open palm beneath his chin.
He looked up at me. It was a reminder of the pain he’d been through after
being punched. But I didn’t want him to suffer.
“How long will that be?” he whispered.
“As long as I feel like it,” I whispered back.
There were tears in his eyes, and I felt for him, I wanted to console
him with my dick. I refrained, of course, patting myself on the back for not
trying to use my cock as a tool of persuasion, or that to keep him quiet.
“I can help you with things,” he said. “I can rob for you.”
“Good.” I patted his knee, my hand resting on his inner thigh, I
squeezed. He didn’t flinch or try bat me away, he just accepted my hand on
his body. “Well, I—I’m not sure what I want from you just yet. Maybe your
skills as a laughable low-level criminal. Or maybe just to take notes for
me.”
Or maybe I wanted to get to know him better. His profile from the
Little Me app was on a carousel in my mind.
“Can I ask you a question?”
The paradox of him asking to ask a question. I grinned. “No. You
don’t get to ask questions. I believe I’m being fair.” I pulled my hand from
his thigh. “You listen. You obey. You don’t ask questions.”
Leo’s bottom lip trembled. “What do you do?”
I suppose he’d found his balls and with it, confidence. “You’ll find
out soon enough. Text your friend,” I told him, handing him his phone.
“And don’t tell them anything that happened. I have friends in high places.”
I stared deep into his green eyes, on the verge of tears. I liked to see fear,
genuine fear, but this also wasn’t any way to start a relationship. “I want it
back after you’re finished, unlocked.” I was desperate to figure him out.
“I believe you,” he mumbled.
A knock came at the door. “That’ll be dinner.”
I had to remind myself, even with his puppy eyes, he wasn’t
innocent. No matter how cute he looked in those clothes online.

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5. LEO
I thought he was going to kill me, several times. He restrained himself from
me. But when he touched me, I could feel him trying to claw back control.
The way he’d placed his knuckles to my face, or when he grabbed my
thigh.
He fed me; a sandwich, a cup of bitter hot chocolate, and a muffin.
He took my phone from me once I’d told Susie I was staying out for the
night. She didn’t seem to mind. I wanted to tell her about this, but I didn’t
want to piss him off.
His eyes were like daggers when he stared, the pinched eyebrows,
connecting with tension wrinkles. But when they eased up, they were
deeply blue, and almost caring, if not sympathetic. I wanted to understand
him, I wanted to know why he didn’t hurt me.
I woke to him, standing at the foot of the bed, a cup in hand, the
scent of coffee filtering through the air. He dressed in a blue suit jacket and
a white shirt. His hair, freshly coiffed, and a rested flush to his face.
My face killed. Swelling was bitch. I forgot the last time I’d taken a
hit; it must’ve been years ago.
“I have something for you to wear for your first day of work,” he
said, placing the cup and a handful of white tablets on the bedside table.
“How did you sleep?”
“I—um—”
“There’s a toothbrush in the bathroom, and clothes in a garment
bag,” he continued. “Put them on. I’ll be back up for you in ten minutes.”
He turned on his heel, the gentle clack of his shoe as he walked out echoed
on the floor.
I eyed the tablets; they looked like pain killers. I didn’t have any
reason to trust him, he’d told me himself he could kill me. But he also told
me he wanted me alive to work off my debt, a debt he wasn’t putting a price
on. I’d be his servant forever.
If they weren’t pain killers, I hoped they’d knock me out. Either
way, I’d win, getting rid of this pain and passing out were both nice options
to have in mind. I took the tablets, washing them down with the warm black
coffee.
 I’d only seen the bedroom of this house, but from the window in the
bedroom, I could tell this was an expensive area. Although I didn’t need to
be a genius to figure out that a man who could afford to hire two men to
beat the shit out of someone and then dress in expensive tailored suits lived
in a wealthy area.
On a hook in the bathroom, the cloth garment bag. Inside it, a white
shirt and a pair of pressed grey trousers. They felt like the expensive clothes
I’d rubbed against wealthy men.
Looking at myself in the bathroom mirror, the glass and chrome of
this place was like a hotel. I stared at my face. There was more bruising
now, including a black eye. And a line at my cheek from where I’d been cut.
I knew as soon as I saw Susie again, she’d immediately question what had
happened, and then do that thing where she doesn’t want to say, I told you
so, steal from the wrong person and you’ll get hurt look. The second part
would be a new addition, but her I told you so look was a cocked brow
while she butted her lips and shook her head.
Samuel startled me at the bathroom door. He held a tube in his hand.
“This should help the bruising heal faster,” he said. “Put it on.”
It was arnica cream. I applied it to my skin as he watched. I could
usually get a good read on someone through the way they looked at me, but
with him it wasn’t like that. His face had the same calculating cogs whirring
behind the eyes expression.
“I’m going to take you by my office,” he added. “You’ll familiarise
yourself with the area. You should know where it is, since it’s where you
robbed me.” He smiled, but the rest of his face seemed to stay the same. “I
don’t want you to leave my side. And later, you can collect your things
before I move you into my flat. This is not a reward. This is so that I can
monitor you.”
“Your flat?” I asked.
“Yes. I don’t live with my parents,” he said, once more grinning. “If
anyone asks about your face, you’ll tell them you got jumped. Understand?”
I nodded.
“Understand?” he repeated with a vicious tone. “Tell me you
understand.”
“I understand.”
“Good. Now put some cologne on. I can still smell the street on
you,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “I have a pair of shoes picked out for you
in here. They might be a little tight on your feet at first as they’re leather,
but you’ll wear them in. I want you to look professional. Or, as professional
as I can make you.”
It scared me to speak. I didn’t know what to say, or what would get
me hurt, although he’d sort of promised not to do any of the latter. All I
knew was I had to listen, and I had to obey.
He walked me out of the room, no blindfold this time. The house
was huge. I was more curious now to what he did, or what his family did.
Eventually, something like this was bound to happen with me, some rich
man from a rich family was going to catch me for what I did, and then I’d
end up in prison. Except, he didn’t threaten me with prison at all. His threat
was death, and now, forced servitude. It was better than going to prison.
Stopping as we reached the foot of the stairs, he pulled something
out of his suit pocket. “Oh, I forgot.” It was a plaster. He peeled back the
ends and stuck it gently across my cheek. “Remember what I told you.”
I nodded. Of course, I remembered, it was hard to forget, and I
didn’t want anyone coming after me if I told the truth, which didn’t look
good for me either. I was the one who’d done something wrong first.
Out of the house, I glanced back on it. It was one of those fancy
townhouses with several storeys. My mother always walked us around these
parts of London, telling me that one day she’d have a big house just like it. I
believed her as well.
As we walked, the leather shoes pinched at my feet and toes, I did
my best to keep a brave face. I’d seen how I looked in the mirror, people
would see that too.
“When we reach my office, I’ll introduce you, but they’re not your
friends,” he said. “You don’t confide in them; you don’t tell them about this
little arrangement. You do as you’re told, and if I find out, then—” he
paused, turning to me. He looked me over. “Well, I don’t think either of us
want to find out.”
Samuel wasn’t the first person I’d stolen for, assuming that’s what
he’d want me to do. For a period, I stole for a man who would give me food
and a place to sleep each night. He’s the reason I knew I could trust Derek
at the pawnshop. At least, I thought I could trust him.
After a brief walk, we reached the street where I’d bumped into him
and robbed his watch and wallet. It was almost like I could witness the
event again as it happened. Now, I regretted it.
 He reminded me as we entered the office building with the glass
walls about how I had to stay quiet, listen, and obey. By now, he drilled
those words into my mind. I tried not to open my mouth, fearing for the
pain in the side of my jaw.
His office space was on the top floor, we took the lift to get there. A
cheerful blonde woman who introduced herself as Kelly greeted him.
Samuel didn’t allow me to speak, giving her my name before we moved
around.
Kelly sat at a desk facing the lift door. Large, frosted glass
windowpane offices surrounded her.
“It’s like a maze,” she said to me.
“I’ll show him around,” Samuel said. “Could you make me coffee?”
“Sure, and can I get you anything?”
I glanced to Samuel as he stared at me from the corner of his eye.
“He’ll have a water,” he said, and I nodded.
Samuel walked me around the maze of glass office space, some of
them had desks and were empty, others had people and the blinds were
closed. And one of them was a large conference room. There was a kitchen
stocked with fruits and individual wrapped muffins.
“My office is here,” he said, opening the door to the largest space. It
was decorated, unlike the other plain rooms. “I conduct most of my
business from here.”
“Ok, it’s nice,” I finally spoke, my voice cracking.
“There are cameras in the building, so if you think about doing
anything, I’ll see it.” He gestured to the sofa against the side of the glass
wall. “Sit.”
The door closed behind us as he took his spot on the large white,
leather office chair. He turned to face the view with his back to me.
“Can I—can I ask why you’re doing this?” I’d prodded with that
question before, but I wanted more of an answer. I didn’t know what he did,
or how I could’ve been useful. He wasn’t like the last person I’d stolen for
at all.
“I’m feeling charitable,” he answered. “Besides, you’re clearly lost.
You’re stealing to stay alive. It’s dangerous.”
The door opened as Kelly arrived with a coffee for Samuel and a
fancy bottled water for me. “Anything else?” she asked. “Elias called. He
was talking about Preston being here yesterday. You want me to put him on
your schedule?”
“Fucking Preston,” Samuel grumbled, taking his coffee, he blew at
the steam. “I’ll call Elias myself later.”
She nodded, then left.
“So, what do you do here?”
“I’ll have my men escort you later,” he said, ignoring my question.
“You’ll collect a couple things, and they’ll bring you directly to me.” His
eyes lingered, up and down, like he was assessing me.
My stomach tingled with excitement when I saw him look at me like
that. It was almost like he wanted something. I’d seen that look before in
men, the powerful ones I knew were bad for me, and liked to take
advantage of what I liked. My little space was where I went when I felt
comfortable, I filled it with rainbows and colouring books, stuffed teddies
and cartoons from my childhood. I didn’t feel comfortable with him, but I
could feel that he wanted something more from me. “Are you—gay?” I
blurted.
He let out a chesty chuckle. “Why?” he asked. “Are you looking for
ways to pay your debt faster? Or does the idea of being on your knees
excite you?”
“No, I—”
“It doesn’t excite you, or you don’t want to be on your knees?” he
asked, grinning. “To answer your question, it doesn’t matter what I am. All
that matters is you learn to be quiet. No more questions.”
I nodded, butting my lips shut.
“The more obedient you are, the more I might treat you,” he said.
“Now, drink your water. You should stay hydrated. I don’t want you
collapsing. And—as a freebie, to answer your other question. What I do
here, is almost like what you do out there, except, I do it better.”
I didn’t believe for one second that he was also a thief. He was
much more dangerous than that. I’d felt it first-hand, and I didn’t want to
feel it again.

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6. SAMUEL
I allowed Leo to collect his things. I didn’t give him his phone back. I knew
what I needed to know about him. He was the one. He was the cute onesie
wearing boy who’d occupied my mind on that app. But he didn’t look like
that now, he dressed in a tracksuit, it was a far cry from the boy in those
pictures.
I wanted all his things here. And the two men who’d grabbed him at
the park accompanied him. He wouldn’t try anything, especially since he
wore the bruising from their actions on his face.
My flat was on the penthouse floor overlooking Hyde Park. It had
four bedrooms, although I’d converted one into a gym and the other into a
home office, alongside three bathrooms. Two en-suites, and one for guests.
It wasn’t as grand as my parents’ home, but it was mine.
The décor and colour palette of the place came from me. I made
sure it all looked sleek with the white, silver, cream, and chrome over
everything. I enjoyed the futuristic look and feel to things.
Nobody knew my plan with Leo, in fact, the only people who knew
about him were the two men who’d picked him up and brought him to the
basement of my parents’ house. But I had big plans for him. My family
weren’t at war, but it was only a matter of time. Tensions were growing
heavy and pulling us apart, but the last thing the family needed was to be
split.
I swirled the amber scotch in my glass as I called my cousin, Elias
to figure out what he wanted. I knew Preston would’ve been talking in his
ear like the devil he is.
“Hey cousin,” I said. “I hope I haven’t called you at a bad time.”
“No, no, it’s good,” he said. “I called earlier at the office. I know
you met with Preston, and I had some ideas.”
Although my father was the head of the firm, I was acting head
while he was sick. “What do you need?”
“I want to do more than smuggle drugs through art,” he said. “I
want to have more responsibility.”
“Listen, Elias. Drugs account for most of the money coming in,” I
lied. “You already have a huge responsibility. I don’t want you to be spread
thinner than you already are.”
 “I don’t feel like it is though,” he said. “Preston seems to think
you’re keeping us out of all the important business stuff. Our father’s have
little say now. This is for us to control. We shouldn’t be sitting on our hands
doing what they’ve been doing for the last—however many years. We need
to grow.”
“Elias, you’re like a brother. We’re family. And since we’re family,
I’m going to trust that you’ve got my back with the decisions that I’m
making,” I said, taking a sip of the scotch. It warmed my throat like a
pleasant spice. “In fact, I wanted to let you know about an idea I had, but
we’ll have to figure out a meeting for that because like you said, this is ours
now.”
“Of course, I trust you,” he answered with a sigh. “But Preston is
telling me one thing and I don’t even know who to believe.”
“Believe me,” I said. “So, I’ll have Kelly call you and we can set
something up.” My phone buzzed in my hand with a text. “Right, I’m
going. And stop listening to Preston, you know he’s just trying to goad you
into getting stressed so you’ll explode at me rather than him.”
“Talk soon.”
Elias had a loose wire in his head, it’s probably why he enjoyed
being around art so much. One of our business fronts was a gallery. Elias
was also a painter; it’s how he channelled his anger. I had one of them
hanging in the flat.
I turned to the painting as I looked at the text to tell me Leo was on
his way back. The painting was splatter art. Shades of red in all its deep,
dark hues, like actual blood. There were bold strokes, brush splatter, and
other techniques I wasn’t versed in. It calmed me as I looked at it, the
aggression in the art quelled the heat in my mind, almost absorbing it.
Elias was talented, but I couldn’t have him teaming up with Preston.
A knock came at the door.
The two men stood behind Leo as they carried two stuffed black bin
bags.
“Are these your trophies from stealing?” I asked, gesturing to the
bags.
“No, it’s—just my things,” he said, locking eyes with me before
looking away.
“Come in then.” I welcomed him. The men dropped the bags off in
the hallway before leaving me alone with Leo.
 Wandering off inside, his mouth agape with awe. It was a usual
response.
“Don’t even think about trying to steal anything,” I said, snapping
my fingers at him. “I’ll know.”
“It’s—it’s nice.”
Stating the obvious. I knew it was nice. It was my place. I made sure
it was nice. “I’ll show you to your room.” Down a hallway with many
doors, there was one open. “This is yours. Mine is opposite.” I nodded to
the closed door. “Don’t go in there. Understand?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. And I’ll need my wallet back. There was a key in it. But
whenever you’ve unpacked will be fine,” I said. Clapping my hands for him
to move faster. “Grab your things, unpack, I’ve ordered food from a
restaurant downstairs. I want to get to know you better,” I told him. “I want
to know why Leo Conroy steals.”
“Ok. Can I ask?” he asked. Again, a paradox of asking a question to
ask a question. I stayed silent. “How long will I be staying?”
Much like asking how much he owed me, I didn’t have answer for
it. “Until I feel properly compensated for what you did.” It was a non-
answer, as he should’ve expected, it wasn’t going to be as easy as just
giving him a date.
I left him to it; he had two bags. I hoped they weren’t filled with
clothes because the last thing I wanted him to wear were clothes like the
stuff he’d been in when I found him. They were far too pedestrian, and I
didn’t like to see the clumsy comfort of that type on someone as attractive
as Leo.
Food arrived from the Italian restaurant. I’d ordered a choice of
items. Spaghetti with Bolognese, a carbonara, breadsticks with cheese, a
salad with balsamic vinegar, and their choice dessert platter. The restaurant
never delivered to anyone, except for me, since the firm owned half of it.
They catered to a wealthy clientele, people who ate at tables under a single
candlelight, creating the most delicious ambient feeling of luxury.
I approached the bedroom, pushing the door ajar to peer inside. He
had clothes piled on top of the bedding, and between the two pillows, there
was a panda teddy. I stood for a moment, inspecting what he’d brought. A
selection of colourful onesies were among the pile.
“Food is here,” I said, startling him.
 “Oh—oh ok.” He stared at me, his face contorting in all directions.
“I’ll—I—”
“Come.”
I lead him to the dining table. I hadn’t created the same ambience as
I would if this was at the restaurant. A single dimmer light above us was
almost as effective in setting the scene.
“Carbonara or Bolognese,” I said, nodding to the set table with the
plates. Between the plate, the salad, and breadsticks.
“The Bolognese,” he answered, quietly. “If that’s ok.”
I was fine with either option. The pasta was handmade, and
everything was delicious. “I have a red wine too,” I said, forgoing the type
of red wine, I knew that knowledge would’ve been wasted on him. It was a
pinot noir, taken straight from my wine collection. I had decanted it when
the food arrived and had it breathing while I plated.
“I’m not—I don’t really drink wine.”
“Then you don’t have to drink wine,” I said. “Perhaps I could get
you a little baby’s bottle with some fruit squash instead.” I almost bit my
tongue, trying to hold back, but sometimes I couldn’t help it. I’d been
holding back already.
He sat and looked up at me, excitement in his eyes. “You have fruit
squash?”
I didn’t. I was a functioning adult, and a member of one of the most
powerful current-day crime families. I drank wine, spirits, and coffee. “No.
I’ll get you a water.”
Filling him a glass with water, I sat across from him at the table. He
was waiting for my cue to eat. At least this was a sign he was learning to
obey.
I extended the wait, sipping at my wine, and letting the dry fruity
taste of it wash over my tongue. “Parents,” I said. “Where are they?” I
grabbed my knife and fork, signalling for him to do the same.
“I don’t see them,” he said. “I saw my dad a couple times growing
up. He didn’t want anything to do with me. My mum lives about thirty
minutes away, but we’ve got a pretty strained relationship. She only wants
to see me when she wants something.” He twirled the spaghetti on a fork,
using the spoon to collect it on. “Do I get to ask you a question now?”
Again, with his asking to ask a question. It was borderline driving
me crazy. “You just did,” I said.
 “Another one then.”
“Fine.”
He didn’t seem as prepared to ask his question as he had been
prepared to ask whether he could ask me something. I enjoyed the silence,
watching him mull in thought as he spun the spaghetti around his fork.
Droplets of the sauce were already on the white shirt.
“What’s your question?” I asked, gritting my teeth, annoyed seeing
him stain a shirt.
“How much are you worth?”
My mouth twitched into a smile. “A lot, I suppose.” As a family, we
were worth hundreds of millions. “I don’t trust you, but I know you won’t
tell anyone. Worth fluctuates, I have tangible assets, those are things you
can touch and see and own. This flat, for one. But most of my worth is tied
to the family business.”
“And what do you do?”
“You asked your question,” I told him, sipping at my wine once
more. “My turn. Why haven’t you put up a fight? I mean, someone with the
balls to rob people in broad daylight, you seem quite weak now, easily
taken.”
“I’m not weak,” he whispered.
“If you’re not weak, why didn’t you put up a fight?”
He glared at me, shocked that I’d heard him whisper under his
breath. “I—”
“C’mon,” I chuckled. “You could’ve struggled, at least. I like a
struggle; it shows that you’ve got something to take. Right now, I don’t feel
like I’m taking anything at all.”
“You’ve taken me from my friend, you’ve—you’ve taken me away
from saving up, and now I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.
“The reason I’m not fighting you is because I want to live. You said you’d
kill me.”
A harder laugh rolled out of me. “That’s right. I said that.” But I
couldn’t, not to him, not to that face. “What are you saving for?”
“I want to travel the world.”
The was admirable. “If you sold my watch for what is was worth,
you might’ve been able to do that already.” I flashed the watch at him on
my wrist. “You know, you need better contacts. That—that man, he sold
you out so fast.”
 “He’s a dick,” he grumbled.
“He’s dead now,” I said under my breath before taking another
drink. “What would you do to him, if you could do anything?” I was
probing to see if we fit well. I’d been burned by boys like him before. Early
twenties, a little fire to them, but then they grew distant when they couldn’t
handle all the sides of me.
Leo spooned another forkful of the Bolognese into his mouth,
getting sauce everywhere, staining his skin the tomato orange. “I don’t
know.”
“Would you kill him?” I asked, closing my eyes to imagine a less
messy eater in front of me.
“No. Do you want me to kill him?”
If I’d wanted him dead, I wouldn’t be asking him to do it. Besides,
he was dead, hanging in the back of a butcher’s freezer. I had done that after
collecting my watch. I didn’t like snitches. “No,” I said, opening my eyes to
see more of the sauce on his shirt. “Listen to me. You’re going to have to
stop eating like a pig at a trough. It’s disgusting.” I grabbed his foot beneath
the table with my feet.
He stopped chewing.
“I’m no longer hungry,” I said, taking my wine and leaving the
table. “Once you’ve finished eating. Go to your room and get some sleep.
I’ll have new clothes for you. Mess them and your debt increases.”
I had a low tolerance for people, and yet, I’d brought him into my
space, where my tolerance was even lower. Perhaps it was pure desperation
to have someone like him around me, or maybe I hadn’t been touched in so
long, I wanted him to stick around to see where it went. He was clearly gay;
I didn’t have to look far into his social media to see the pictures of him with
ex-boyfriends.
Now, he was mine. He’d have to delete those.

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7. LEO
I had so many questions I wanted to ask; I just didn’t know how to be
upfront about them. When I saw Susie at the flat, she gave me her signature
look and told me to not get hurt whatever I was doing. I told her it was a
job; I’d be able to make all the money I needed in a shorter period. It was
the only thing I knew would stop her from asking me more questions about
it.
Samuel had wild eyes, and I couldn’t help noticing as they glossed
over me when they did. I felt incredibly self-conscious. He’d made me feel
like I had to change. I was a messy eater, that was just me. The amount of
clothes I’d almost ruined with grease stains was way too many.
In the bedroom, I couldn’t believe he’d forced me to stay here. It
was like a hotel room, immaculately clean compared to me, covered in
tomato sauce. “He’s a millionaire,” I grumbled to myself, running my hand
along the top of the real wood drawers. “A fucking millionaire.” I gave
them a tap with my knuckle. This wasn’t like that plywood stuff that
collapsed after a couple months.
I continued to unpack my things from the bags. I looked at the
unbuttoned shirt on me, the sauce stains were bad. And I didn’t even know
how much these things cost. For all I knew, he was going to be talking
about my debt until I was ready to die.
I took everything with me. My clothes, my poster, my stuffed teddy,
the only thing I left behind was the safe, although I had taken Samuel’s
wallet out of it to give it back to him. I just didn’t know when or how to
give it back to him. He was an asshole, I didn’t want to give it back, but
he’d already asked for it.
Leaving the wallet on top of the drawers while I considered what to
do, I took a moment to relax on the edge of the bed. The mattress was
comfy, and a little bouncy. There was an adjoining en-suite bathroom with a
shower. There were windows in both rooms, but neither of them were
suitable to escape through, although escape wasn’t on my mind right now, I
just wanted to make it through the night.
Once I’d packed away my collection of onesies, underwear, and the
clothes I wore every day, I took a shower. The pressure was intense, and the
products he’d supplied were fragrant and expensive, leaving my body and
hair feeling soft. Everything in this place smelled and felt luxurious.
I towel dried and put on my panda onesie. I wanted to go to bed
right there and then, but I couldn’t. I wanted a glass to fill with water, and
perhaps leave Samuel his wallet on a counter.
It took me ten minutes to build the courage to sneak out of the
bedroom. On tiptoes, I walked down the hallway to the large open space
with the lounge, dining room, and kitchen. Each one a huge space on its
own, but together, it was the size of several bowling lanes. It was pitch
black, except the light from the night sky shining in through the windows.
“Why aren’t you asleep?” his raspy voice grumbled.
“I—” Turning my head to source the sound.
A light turned on in the kitchen. Samuel stood over the plate of
carbonara. “What do you need?” he asked. “Oh—well.” He stared at me, up
and down with his cold gaze. He smiled. “You look adorable.”
I clenched the wallet in my hand. “I was going to leave this for you.
And I wanted a glass of water.”
“You know, I’ll have to get new cards,” he said, approaching me. He
grabbed my hand by the wrist, pressing his finger and thumb into pressure
points. My wrist went limp, dropping the wallet. “I can’t trust that you
didn’t have the numbers written somewhere.”
“I didn’t,” I said. Although a lie, I’d taken pictures of them on my
phone, but he still had that with him as well.
He let go of my hand. “Pick that up for me,” he said, walking back
to his plate of food. The large glass he’d poured wine from earlier was
almost empty, sitting beside him on the counter. “I see you’ve taken
advantage of the soap. And I’ll get you more of that cream for your face.”
I picked the wallet up and massaged my wrist at where he’d touched
me, secretly begging for him to place his hand there again, or perhaps pin
me against a wall. “Thank you.”
He didn’t search far before reaching into his pocket and pulling out
the tube I’d used earlier. “Apply it liberally. Tomorrow morning, I have a
meeting at the dock yard. There seems to have been some trouble with my
order.”
“What order?”
He smiled, flashing his teeth at me. “Look at you,” he said. “Found
those balls, I see, even dressed in—what do you call that, an adult baby
grow?”
“This?” I asked, pulling the fabric of my onesie. “A onesie. It’s for
adults, not babies.” Perhaps he’d caught onto me.
“Keep telling yourself that.” He smirked. “Do you find comfort in
those clothes?”
“I do. You should try one.”
Samuel let out a laugh. “You should go to bed now. Tomorrow is
going to be fun.”
“When—when can I get my phone back?”
He looked me over, surely his eyes had grown sick of looking at me
by now. “Maybe when I can trust you.”
“I’m living in your flat, what makes you think you can’t trust me?” I
asked. “I just like to watch funny videos before I go to sleep.”
“You managed fine last night,” he said.
But he wasn’t considering how frightened I was for my life last
night. I was a lot more comfortable now. I took what he said anyway and
nodded. Samuel enjoyed having power, and he had power over me. I just
wished it could’ve been used in a way that wasn’t so threatening.
In the bedroom, I dug through my things to find my iPad. It was
mostly useless since I didn’t have any connection to the Wi-Fi in the flat.
But I had my games on it, and if I knew this was going to be my situation, I
might’ve also downloaded some films or shows to watch.
I must’ve fallen asleep while playing as I woke to my face against
the black screen.
Samuel was at the bedroom door, watching me. He saw me, cuddled
up with my teddy and my face against the iPad. “It’s seven. Get up.” He
pushed the door open. Dressed in a blue bathrobe, showing off his hairy
chest. He placed a cloth garment bag on the ridge of the door frame. “I have
clothes for you. They’re more your size. You’ll be taking notes for me, so I
need you to look like you represent the brand.”
I didn’t say a word, hoping he hadn’t seen the iPad or Tuffy, my
stuffed panda toy. I was also doing my best to push away the erection, but
all the pushing made it harder.
If this was happening to anyone else, I would’ve said they deserved
it. But since it was happening to me, I didn’t like it. I wanted to sleep in
longer, and I didn’t want to wear another shirt again, they made me feel like
I was going to an office and look all important.
 Inside the bag, there was more than just a shirt and trousers. There
was a suit jacket too. All of it in a navy blue. My fingers rubbed at the
fabric. I knew I couldn’t wear this; I’d end up getting it dirty like I did his
other clothes.
The door opened wider to reveal Samuel, standing in a pair of black
boxers as he buttoned up his shirt. “Why aren’t you getting dressed?”
“It’s—” I almost bit my tongue as I told myself not to look at his
bulge. But it was right there. It begged my eyes for attention. And my eyes
told my brain, and my brain sent blood back to my erection. “I—"
“Get dressed now and you can have breakfast.”
That was my worry, I’d probably get the food on it. “Can I have
breakfast first?”
His tongue rested between his teeth. He shook his head and smiled.
He was trying to get me to make a mess, clearly, but it was his so-
called brand I’d be ruining if people saw me looking a mess. “Fine,” I
mumbled under a breath as he walked away. I had no choice. I put the suit
on and looked at myself in the long mirror. I looked like I was going to a
wedding, except, without a tie.
“Come on!” he shouted. “Get your ass moving.”
I walked out of the room into the hallway. He stood at the other end.
“There’s no tie,” I said.
“Of course, there isn’t,” he said, snapping his fingers for me to
move faster. “It’s the casual part of the outfit. Ties are like walking nooses,
a reminder that you’re not in control. Someone else pulls the strings, and at
any moment it could kill you.” He smiled at the word. “Perhaps I should get
you a tie.”
“I’m ok, actually.”
He walked into the kitchen with me following behind. There were
several cereal boxes, a loaf of bread, and a selection of jams. “Help
yourself,” he said, grabbing his toast from a plate.
The cereal on closer inspection were all the healthy food stuff. I
didn’t want any of it. The bread had little seeds too, right in the middle of
the bread. I didn’t like the look of that either.
“Do you—have anything else?” I asked.
“What like?”
“White bread, or like chocolate cereal, you know the one that turns
the milk into chocolate milk,” I said. “I just—I don’t like these.”
 Samuel nodding, chewing on his piece of toast. “I suppose I said I’d
feed you.”
“I don’t want to sound ungrateful.” And I really didn’t. I didn’t want
to see the side of him that scared me, the side that raised his voice, or the
one that cut my cheek. “I just—”
“It’s fine,” he said. “Make a list of food you enjoy, and I’ll have
them brought in. For now, you can have a—” he looked around the kitchen
and pulled the metal fruit bowl forward. “A piece of fruit.”
I grabbed the banana. “Can I have a coffee?” I asked, noticing his
cup.
“I gave you permission to ask one question over dinner, and
suddenly I have a list of demands,” he snickered. “Sure,” he said. “There
are pods and cups in the cupboard, put the pod in the machine, press it
down, and push the button.”
I’d used one of them before, but it surprised me he had one, given
how much money I assumed he had in the bank, he could’ve probably had
an entire fancy espresso machine like they had at Susie’s work.
“Make it quick as well, I have a car coming to pick us up in thirty
minutes,” he said. “And let’s go over those ground rules for when you’re
with me and other people. You are my assistant, you don’t speak, even if
someone asks you a question, unless that question is from me. I’ll give you
a notepad and you’ll make notes on numbers, dates, places, and names.
Anything you think I might need to know in future, I want it noted.”
I nodded. This was not the career progression I’d expected from
pickpocketing rich men on the streets. “Ok,” I offered back in a meek tone.
I had to remember; this was only temporary.

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8. SAMUEL
I wanted Leo. But I hadn’t thought about him being here constantly. This
morning, I watched him sleep, cuddling his teddy while dressed in those
insanely adorable clothes. I had to keep myself composed, I couldn’t expose
my hand to him, the one hand that wanted to take hold and touch him in
places that excited me.
His habits, while somewhat endearing, by the way he spilled food
on himself, and the way he’d looked at me like he was completely innocent
in all of this. As if I should feel sorry for snatching him away from his life
of thievery so he could join me. People would fight for a spot at my side,
and I’d gone ahead and given it to him.
We were in the car I’d hired, a Mercedes-Benz S-Class in black. I
never used my cars. They could become damaged, and some of my
meetings didn’t always leave in such a clean-cut way, but the cuts were
always clean.
I had my regular chauffeur, Jim, an old man I’d grown to know over
the last couple years. He was quiet, and he could keep a secret.
“What’s at the docks?” Leo asked in a whisper. “I don’t really like
the smell of fish.”
I pressed a hand to my face, massaging my eye sockets. It started
out he didn’t like fibrous cereal, and then he didn’t like the seeds in bread,
and now he doesn’t like fish. “Have you written your list?” I asked. “The
sooner you write out what you do like, the sooner I can get them.”
He smiled, it dimpled at the crease on where I’d cut his cheek.
I’d been nice to him, and I rarely knew how to do that. I could be
nice to people I’d never met before, it was a curtesy, but being nice to
someone who’d stolen from me, that was different. I wanted him, and that’s
why I was being nice. I had to remember that.
“Can I put anything down?” he asked. “I love energy drinks over
coffee, so maybe I could have those.”
“In the morning?” I grumbled, my face wrinkling in disgust. “Where
were you raised?”
“Here,” he said. “And I don’t usually get up until the afternoon, so
yeah, they’re my breakfast some days. It’s got sugar and caffeine, which
replaces my need for breakfast. Then I usually eat lunch, probably
something from a chicken shop because the chips they make are so good.
And dinner is usually what we have in, so maybe noodles, or it depends on
whether Susie makes food.”
I paused, a finger tapping at my lip. “Well, that’s fascinating. That
will all change now.”
Leo’s shoulders seemed to deflate into himself. “So, is that a no to
the energy drinks?”
I didn’t want to say no to him. Asking me in his quiet tone with his
wide eyes, those same eyes that were now clear of any redness, but still
surrounded by light bruising. “Add it to the list, and I’ll see, but no
promises.”
He turned to face the window and smiled, but I saw his reflection.
He lit up.
“If I get you those sugar dense drinks, you’ll need to work out in the
home gym,” I said. “As my live-in assistant, I require you to keep fit, plenty
of stamina.”
“Stamina?” he repeated back. “So, like, how fast I can run? Because
I can run quick. It’s how I can get away so easy.”
I didn’t doubt that one bit.
The car pulled to a stop as we arrived at the fish market. It was just
after it closed at 8:30 A.M. but we weren’t there to purchase fish from the
wet market stalls. I knew my way around this place, and I knew exactly
where I was going.
Jim waited outside in the car, and I led Leo in through the infamous
arch of the market. People were cleaning up and packaging all the orders
and deliveries for the day. My appointment was with Dave “Stoney” Stone.
He headed up this particular import, and he’d called me about a
discrepancy.
Walking into a refrigerated storeroom in the back of the large
warehouse, Stoney was sat at a table with weighing scales. Behind him, a
tall stack of fish in large white crates. There were three other men in the
room. I didn’t know their names, but I trusted Stoney to employ those he
felt could handle the pressure of our work.
Leo was going red in the face as I watched him, confused on how to
breathe without the smell of fish getting into his mouth or nose. I snapped
my fingers at him. “This is my new assistant, Leo,” I told them.
“What happened to the last geezer?” Stoney’s raspy voice let out.
 “I fired Carl about four weeks ago,” I said. “He was stealing. You
know I don’t like thieves.” I snapped my fingers at Leo ago. “He’s learning
the ropes. He’ll take notes.”
Stoney nodded. “Well, Boss, you know everything is weighed
before packing, then inside the fish, and we like to make sure everything is
accounted for.”
I understood my business. I didn’t understand why he was trying to
explain it to me here and now. “Is that what the discrepancy is?” I asked.
“Has someone been stealing?” I couldn’t control the humour of the
situation. After mentioning my previous assistant was taken care of, and
since they didn’t know about Leo, they might not have seen the same
humour in it as me. “Because that would be incredibly stupid. I pay your
men fairly, don’t I?”
“Yes, Boss,” Stoney agreed, nodding.
I stared at the two men behind him. “Do you two agree?”
“Yes, Boss,” they said in unison.
“Then why would someone steal?” I looked to Leo. “Do you
know?”
His wide eyes stared up at me, a bunny in headlights. “No.”
“Tell me,” I commanded.
“Well, we usually account for a couple grams of weight loss due to
travel, but we saw a huge loss, and when I went to inspect. Well, let me
show you.”
“And you’ve had these here since—”
“Yesterday evening,” he said. “Right when I called you. We arrived.
We unpacked. We collected and weighed everything out.”
The man passed the large fish across to him. He placed it on the
scale.
“Is it caviar?” Leo asked, quietly.
“Caviar,” I snickered. “Show him.”
Stoney dug his knife into the belly of the long silver-blue scaled
fish. He pushed back the flap to reveal its insides. There was a small pocket
made to store precious gems and be smuggled into the country. This pocket
was empty, except for a few remaining small diamonds on parchment paper.
“How much did they get away with?” I asked.
Stoney stood, removing the plastic gloves and placing the knife on
the table. “I think he’s still here, actually.”
 “You think, or you know?” I asked, my tongue becoming more
aggressive. “And how much was it worth?”
“Around a quarter million,” the man said. “But we don’t know what
carats they were, could be anywhere up to a million.”
Stoney cleared his throat. “Well, no use in speculating that, I’ve kept
this guy busy all morning, he’s being watched until you arrived.”
“Why are you suspicious of him?” I asked. I knew better than to get
angry without all the facts in front of me. I was a businessman, and I had to
be contained in public settings, even if we were currently standing in closed
walk-in refrigerator.
“He mentioned to someone he was quitting, on our way back. We’d
just—come out of the—the Black Sea into the Sea of Marmara,” he said.
“He said he’d saved enough money now to start his own business.”
Sure, that was suspicious. “Who told who? And who told you?”
The same man who’d answered my earlier question stuck his hand
up. “Well, Boss, he told me. It wasn’t until we were weighing when we
were even suspicious.”
“Ok, bring him in,” I said.
All three of them walked out, leaving me and Leo alone.
His teeth chattering, Leo spoke. “What are you going to do with
him?”
“With him, I’m not sure,” I said. “The facts are the facts. And I
don’t like to be stolen from. You know that.” I walked around the counter
and grabbed a pair of plastic gloves from the dispenser. “If one person
thinks they can steal from me and get away with it, more and more people
will try.”
“You didn’t tell me about your previous assistant, did he live with
you as well?”
“No. Carl wasn’t my type,” I mumbled beneath my breath, although
I was sure Leo heard me. The way he stopped looking at me to stare down
at the notepaper he now furiously scribbled on. I looked around and
grabbed one of the large, serrated knives, the best and easiest for gutting
fish and slicing straight through scaley flesh. “After this, we’ll go to the
office, and I can give that list to someone for you.”
“Ok,” he said, avoiding eye contact. I’d flustered him.
The men brought back another with them. An older man with a face
weathered by time at sea. He didn’t look like someone who would steal.
 “This is the one,” Stoney said.
“How long have you worked for me?” I asked.
“Since your father,” he answered.
I walked around him, interweaving myself between all four men.
“And which one of you two said it was him again?” I asked, tapping the
bottom of the knife against the palm of my hand. “I just want to make sure
we’ve all got our stories straight.”
“It was me,” he said. “Bazza said he was quitting. He’s got money
now, or something like that.”
“Bazza,” I said, turning to the accused. “Well, do you have anything
to say?”
“Sir, I—I haven’t taken anything. I’d never. I’ve worked here for
years. I’ve been through a lot with your family. I—”
I thought it would’ve been an easier confession. “That’s a shame.” I
raised my hand with the knife in it, sticking it through a man’s throat. The
man who’d accused Bazza of theft. I saw the signs on him from the moment
I walked in. He was the one who’d robbed those diamonds. “You didn’t
take them, but he did.” I yanked the knife out of his throat, escaping the
gush of blood as it squirted. He dropped to his knees, both hands on his
neck, gagging from the blood collecting in his mouth.
Everyone stopped cold. I walked around and handed the bloodied
knife to Leo. He held it without question, letting the blood get on his hands.
He didn’t realise what it was until too late.
“Check his pockets,” I said, snapping my fingers at Stoney.
Stoney checked the man’s pockets, coming out of them to find a
velvet pouch filled with my diamonds. It was almost a miracle, except, I
knew people. And rarely did they disappoint. “Sorry, Boss,” Stoney said,
opening the pouch. “We’ll get these sent off with the rest of the shipment.”
“I only take slight pleasure in doing that,” I admitted. “If I find
anyone else stealing, they know their fate. Give Bazza a bonus, if he’s
leaving, I at least want him taken care of.” I nodded.
“Can I—” Leo’s soft voice spoke, his hand shaking as he held onto
the bloodied knife.
“Put it down,” I told him as I pulled away the gloves and threw them
to the ground. “If I have to come here again, it won’t be pretty.”
The three of them nodded. Bazza clearly putting on a brave face as
he knew that the dead body on the ground could’ve been him.
 We walked out, Leo still shaken up, holding onto his breath like he
was trying to stop hiccups.
“Don’t,” I said to him. “Pull yourself together.”
“I’ve—I’ve never seen someone—I’ve never seen that before.”
“And your fingerprints are on the weapon,” I said. “So, I suppose
you’ve earned enough of my trust to get your phone back. And I saw you
had an iPad. I’ll give you the Wi-Fi later.”
“My—my fingerprints,” he gasped.
“I said don’t,” my voice deepened.
My phone rang from my inner pocket. It was my mother.
“Morning,” I answered.
Her voice was weak, sobbing in distress. “Sammy, it’s—it’s your
father,” she said, continuing to sob. “He’s dead.”
My body washed over with numbing grey noise. It couldn’t be
possible. “I’ll be right over.”

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9. LEO
I hadn’t been able to process anything from the moment he handed me the
knife. I had blood residue on my skin. I didn’t want to move my hand, but I
couldn’t stop looking.
Samuel finished his call and stared at me with his brows together.
“Wash your hands,” he grumbled, fishing inside his trouser pocket, he
pulled out a small compact hand sanitiser. “We have to be somewhere now.”
He squirted some of the sanitiser on my hand and a little on his. Making eye
contact again, the white of his eyes was now light pink.
If he was upset about what he’d done to that man in there, at least I
knew now he was human.
I stayed quiet until we were out of the fish market. We walked
together, alone up the road to the car.
“Do you kill many people?” I asked.
He stopped me. A hand at my shoulder, he pressed his thumb into
my collarbone. “Why?” He smiled, although I still saw the sadness in his
eyes. “Does it upset yet?”
“I don’t—I don’t know how I feel about it,” I admitted. Sure, at
first, I was in shock, but then I didn’t know how I felt. The man stole a lot
of diamonds from him, and then lied and tried to blame someone else. He
tried to have someone else murdered.
“Now you know what happens to people,” he said. “Besides, he had
guilty written all over his face. It’s always the people who try pin the blame
on others.”
“So, it was a hunch?” I asked.
“Listen, Leo, we can talk later about this, but right now, I need you
to shut the fuck up because this never-ending game of twenty-one questions
is growing old.” We broke eye contact and he walked on ahead of me.
I knew I’d pushed it, and I had been pushing it with each question.
Samuel reached the car before me. He sat in the back, his eyes looking
sadder now. I’d pissed him off, clearly. I had to make it right. I didn’t want
to end up like that man did in there. I liked my throat the way it was.
“Leo,” Samuel said in a hushed voice as the driver started the
engine. “We’re going to my parents’ house. My father has died.” He sucked
back a deep breath. “I don’t want you to say a word when we’re in there.
We’ll be in and out, fifteen minutes.”
The phone call he’d taken when we left, that was someone telling
him his dad was dead. My stomach knotted itself together with
embarrassment as I’d assumed he was mad at me. He was human after all,
and death did actually affect him.
“Ok,” I offered back.
He took the notebook from me. “I’ll give you your phone once
we’re back at the flat,” he said, opening the notebook. He flicked through it
to see what I’d written. Inside it, there was my list of foods I enjoyed, and
then I’d written up what I’d heard. It was as he asked, write the numbers
you hear. “You’re observant.”
I nodded. It’s how I’d stolen from people. I couldn’t steal from
someone who looked hypervigilant. I had to pick the right mark, someone
who didn’t look like they had anything to worry about, the ones who were
occupied on a call or in thought. I had to be observant to survive.
“I’ll get you your food requests,” he said, closing the book and
handing it back to me.
We drove for about thirty minutes as the radio played quietly.
Samuel was on his phone, texting furiously, and I couldn’t do anything but
see the man’s face as Samuel stabbed him straight through the neck with
that long sharp knife. The same knife I held. Although my hands my clean
now, I still thought I saw those pinkish-red blotches on my skin.
“Remember,” Samuel said as we left the car, “not a word.”
There was an ambulance outside the tall Georgian style house. The
same one we’d walked out of the other morning. It was strange walking
back into it now. Samuel was popular, talking to everyone we saw.
I stayed quiet, like he asked, waiting around in the hallway like a
spare part, just getting in the way. I leaned against the white wall and had a
view of the lounge through a small crack in the door.
Samuel was on his knees, sobbing in front of the man in the chair. I
didn’t hear what he was saying.
I wanted to look away. I was prying. But I couldn’t. This humanised
him. He was a human. He cried at death, he mourned people.
A grey-haired woman walked out of the kitchen, sobbing into a
handkerchief. She walked straight up to me. “You must be Sammy’s new
assistant,” she said, taking my hand. Her warm touch squeezed at me.
“Make sure he doesn’t overwork himself. I know he doesn’t take orders
well, even from his mum, but please make sure he takes time to grieve.”
“Mother,” Samuel said, appearing at the doorway in front of us.
“I’m fine.” And he looked fine too, there was still a sadness in his eyes, but
not in a way that made him look weak. “Where’s Uncle Reuben?”
“Your—your—your uncle just nipped out,” she said. “Are you going
to stay until your sister gets here?” She placed a hand at Samuel’s suit
jacket, straightening it out. “She was just here. We—we went out this
morning. She’s coming back with Daisy, and her husband. You haven’t seen
your niece in weeks.”
“I’m busy,” he said, pulling his mother into a hug. “I’ll be back. I—I
have to figure some things out. Like, what was Uncle Reuben doing?”
“Oh, you know, he likes to visit every now and then,” she said. “I’m
glad he got to see your father one last time. It’s awful. He had a couple
years left, that’s what the doctor said.”
“You know Uncle Reuben took all that money once,” he whispered.
“Check the house to make sure nothing is missing.”
We left after that. I didn’t see his dead father, nor did I want to. I’d
seen one dead man already today. I didn’t know if I had the stomach to see
another, although I’d only eaten a banana, so there wasn’t much in my
stomach to begin with.
We walked to Samuel’s flat. It was a short walk. Neither of us spoke
on the way. The air cleared my mind from obsessing over the man’s face as
he laid in a pool of blood. I was now thinking about my relationship with
my father. I didn’t have one. I’d never had one. But Samuel did, in fact,
Samuel was so connected to his family, it pinched me in the chest.
In his flat, he collected two small glasses from his cupboard and
grabbed a bottle of vodka from the freezer. He pulled his suit jacket off and
rolled his shirt sleeves before pouring two fingers worth of vodka into each
glass.
“Drink it,” he said, sliding the glass to me across the island counter
in the kitchen. “It’ll help.”
I sipped the icy vodka; it both burned and chilled my tongue and
throat.
“I think someone killed my dad,” he said, shotting the vodka.
“Bastards.” He poured a second.
 “I never knew my dad,” I said. “Well, I met him once or twice, but
he was horrible. I bet he has so many kids running around, brothers and
sisters I don’t even know about.”
“I didn’t ask, nor do I care about your sob story,” he said, plainly as
he shot back the second drink. “In fact, take your phone and go to your
room, I’m in no mood to have this conversation with you right now.” He
reached into a drawer and pulled out my phone. “And don’t be stupid with
this.”
I wouldn’t dare, not after today.
I took the phone and skulked back to my room. As soon as I closed
the door and I was alone, I started crying. The tears came and they didn’t
stop. I didn’t know how much longer I could cope with this whiplash from
him, and I didn’t want to see any more people being killed. It set my teeth
on edge and a painful vibrating shiver down my spine.
I didn’t have his Wi-Fi, but I did have data on my phone. I also had
my charger packed with the things I’d brought. I saw the stream of texts
from Susie asking if I was ok, and if I had time to meet with her to talk
about what had happened.
Ignoring her texts, I couldn’t talk right now. I’d accidentally blab
about what happened, and then we’d both be in danger.
Undressing, I inspected the clothes he’d made me wear to make sure
they weren’t scuffed or dirty. I didn’t want him to lecture me again about
how I was a vile person who couldn’t eat properly.
“Deep breaths,” I panicked, standing at the foot of my bed in my
underwear, looking at the folded suit. There was nothing on it, that I could
see, but it was hard to tell if there was any blood on the dark colour.
The thoughts of all that blood and the smell of fish consumed me, I
took a shower and allowed for the scalding hot water to shoot spurts of
skin-melting heat at me. The physical pain quickly outweighed the mental
stress, but once I was clean, I dressed in the comfort of a grey onesie and
laid on the bed.
The burn from the jot water only lasted a moment. Then the trauma
came back.
I sobbed into Tuffy, trying my best to keep the sound muffled.
A knock came at the door before it opened without further warning.
Samuel stood with a brown paper bag in hand. “It’s a Happy Meal,”
he said. “Now, stop crying.”
 I wiped my eyes. “I’m not crying. I’m just—”
He smiled, tapping his teeth together before running his tongue
across them. “Then dry your fucking eyes,” he snickered. “I got food from
your list. Eat it. You’ll feel better. There’s nuggets and ice cream.”
I had written McDonald’s down as one food I liked, but only so I
could mention chicken nuggets and only those skinny French fries they
serve there. Plus, I did like their ice cream too.
Using Tuffy to absorb my tears, I climbed out of bed. “Thank you,”
I said, accepting the bag. “Can I—can I also have the Wi-Fi to watch TV on
my iPad?”
“Of course,” he said. “You have an hour to eat, cry, and watch TV,
and then we’re going talk about today.”
It sounded ominous, but those were the terms to me staying here. I
just nodded along.

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10. SAMUEL
I didn’t bother Leo again after giving him his food. I wasn’t a nice person to
be around right now, and I didn’t want him to see me in this way. My father
had just been killed, because that’s what this was, this wasn’t a death by
natural causes, this was murder. So, I left him in the flat alone while I
tended to raising hell.
My cousin, Elias was usually at the gallery. It’s where I tried to find
him first. Nobody had seen him there all day. His laptop wasn’t in the
office, and he wasn’t answering any of my calls.
Reuben was Elias’ father. I knew there was something more to this.
First, two of my cousins come to me with questions about who would take
over when my father died, and then he did. I was more than just a
coincidence to me.
I left Elias and Preston messages with their assistants and through
text message. Neither of them responded to me, but I’d told them I would
meet them at the winery. Maxwell’s Winery was part of the firm, an upscale
wine bar in the centre of town. We also had our own vineyards across
Europe.
It started out as a front for smuggling. You could smuggle and
import a lot through wine bottles. But then it became an actual thing, and
the wine was good too.
Up some old stairs above the winery was a temperature controlled
private tasting room. I sat, waiting for my cousins. If neither of them
arrived to meet me, then it was safe to assume one of them did it. My
mother said she’d only seen Reuben that morning, but she also said she
went for coffee with my sister, Belinda. Plus, the butler had left the house as
well. All my trust went out of the window when I saw my dad’s body in his
chair, the hum of the oxygen tank still trying to pump as if it was doing any
good now. I’d have thrown it out of the window if my mother hadn’t
wheeled it into the hallway.
Uncorking a bottle of white wine, I poured it into a glass and swilled
it around before sticking my nose into it. Alcohol soothed me, like an
incredibly affective numbing agent. I sipped the wine, savouring the dry
fruity taste.
 At the glass door, Elias arrived, looking sharp and formal in a suit
with a bowtie. He walked in and sat opposite me at the table. He shook his
head. “I’m so sorry, your dad was an incredible man,” he said.
“Did you kill him?” I asked, twisting the cork away from the screw.
“No, fuck, Sam, you think I killed him?”
Over the sharp point of the screw, I rubbed my thumb. “Someone
did. You know he had a couple years.”
“You know, they give you those figures as like the best outcome.”
Family didn’t hurt family, but I imagined killing my second person
of the day. I pierced my thumb with the end of the corkscrew, letting a small
amount of blood appear. “Where’s Preston?”
“I haven’t spoken to him all day,” he said.
“And why didn’t either of you answer any of my calls?”
He looked around, as if there was an answer written on a wall
somewhere.
I snapped my fingers.
Elias moved back, toppling the chair dramatically. “If you think I
fucking kill him, just say that,” he said. “I didn’t. What do you want me to
tell you? I was at an exhibition opening. It’s what I do. Look at me. Do I
usually dress like this?”
Leaning back in my chair, I chuckled. “I thought you were going to
tell me you got married,” I said, pressing my thumb to my mouth and
sucking the blood. “You dated that Hungarian guy, right?”
Elias grinned, pulling the chair out to sit. “We broke up months ago.
Seriously, Sam. I’d never do anything like that.”
“It’s just—you and Preston both spoke to me about who would take
over when my dad died,” I said. “A weird coincidence, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is weird.”
“Your dad was there when he died, did you know that?” I asked. “If
I were you, I’d speak to him and see what he has to say. The only reason I
came to you first is because we’re the ones running things now, but if your
father had anything to do with my father’s death. I can’t say what I’ll do.”
Elias stopped smiling at me, his face pinched as he worked out what
I was trying to tell him. “Are you threatening me? Listen, I know he stole
that money once, but he wouldn’t do that.”
“If a threat motivates you to find out what the fuck happened, then
yeah.”
 The squeak of his teeth grinding made my eye twitch. Elias was
probably the most unhinged of all three of us. He did a lot to hide that part
of himself, but it was there, and you could always see it attempt to rear its
head. “Sammy, you know—” he paused, his teeth clenching his mouth shut.
“Don’t fucking do that.”
Rattling a caged beast wasn’t anything that scared me. I picked the
empty wine glass and smacked it on the side of the table, shattering onto the
floor, except the sharp stem in my hand. “You’re not special,” I said. “I’m
going to tell Preston the same thing. And now that my father is dead, I am
the head of the family. So, go crazy, but remember who holds all the
power.”
Elias strained himself across the table. “You only hold the power
because we let you,” he said through his gritted teeth. “Now, if you don’t
mind. I’m going.” He grabbed the bottle of wine and stood.
I was sure of one thing. Elias didn’t kill my father. Elias was a
messy killer, controlled by emotion, he wouldn’t have left my father
looking like he had. Preston, on the other hand, he showed restraint in some
of his kills, and he was a creative, not in the way Elias was with his
paintings, but Preston didn’t kill the same way each time.
Preston arrived in his gym clothes just as Elias gulped down wine.
Letting out a burp, he swung his arm around and threw the bottle to
the floor. “Hey, cousin,” he laughed, seeing Preston. “Did you kill Uncle
Alistair?”
Preston’s red face shook as he looked from Elias and then to me as I
held onto the sharp stem of the wine glass.
“Well, did you?” I asked.
He sat in Elias’ chair, stretching himself out in his matching
sweatpants and hoodie. “Why the fuck would I do that?” he asked. “I know
I talked hypotheticals with you earlier about who would take over, but I
meant that as a way to get more business my way.”
Too comfortable, too confident. Preston pissed me off. “What about
your brother, Louie?” I asked.
Preston scoffed. “If we’re bringing our siblings into this, why don’t
you ask me to call Rebekah too, and what about Auntie Adeline, she’s a part
of this family, and she was a Maxwell until she got married.”
“Why are you deflecting?” I asked.
“Yeah, Preston, why are you deflecting?” Elias mocked.
 “Louie doesn’t even live in the area, Rebekah on the other hand, you
just gave her the aesthetics clinic. And I’m sorry that you took a couple
psych courses and think you know people, just throwing around big words,”
he chuckled. “I didn’t kill him. Seriously. It’s not like that would win me
anything. If I wanted to be the head of the family, I’d do it by showing the
family my worth, and you know we don’t hurt family.”
I nodded at them. “That’s what pissed me off,” I said. “We don’t
hurt family. But someone killed my dad. I know they did. Nothing sits
right.”
“Then I’ll fucking help you figure it out,” he said, pushing his hand
across the table. The temptation to stab the stem into his wrist was strong.
“And I only just got your calls and texts. I was out on a run. I don’t take my
phone out with me. It’s nice to take time away from technology.”
“I’ll help too,” Elias mumbled before letting out another wine burp.
Nodding in agreement to the proposition, I had suspicions, but I also
knew that no matter how pissed either of them got, we didn’t hurt family. I
had to believe they still held that standard. “Fine,” I said. “And when we
find out who did it, I want to be the one who kills them.”
They agreed to those terms.
I placed the broken glass down. “I want it done before his funeral.
I’m gonna have our security firm looking into anyone near the house and
I’ll make sure all tests are run to figure out what the cause of death was.”
Before we left the private wine tasting room, I grabbed an unopened
bottle to take with me.
I got back to the flat late in the afternoon. That’s when I saw Leo
standing outside the door, his iPad, his teddy, and a small plastic bag filled
with clothes in hand. He gave me his puppy dog eyes as he looked at me.
“You were going to leave,” I said.
He shook his head. “No, I—”
“Don’t play me for an idiot,” I told him. Closing the space between
us, I smelled my scented soaps and shampoos all over him. “What were you
doing?”
“Ok,” he mumbled. “I—I was going to leave, and then I walked
outside and I—I didn’t want to go. But the door shut behind me and I didn’t
know what to do.”
I looked him over with an intense gaze. Of course, he didn’t want to
really leave. This place was a palace from wherever he’d been. He should
take advantage of that, or at least known how to take advantage of it. I
allowed him to do as he pleased, mostly in the apartment, I’d shown him
the gym, the kitchen, and I’d given him the Wi-Fi. What more could he
want?
“I suppose we can have that talk now,” I said, tucking the bottle of
wine under an arm while I grabbed my key.
“How—how are you feeling?”
I didn’t have an answer for him, or anyone else who asked that
question. I was pissed off, but I was also tipsy, and that was a dangerous
mix. “Not a talk about my feelings,” I said. “I gave your list to my assistant.
She’s arriving with the shopping later today.” As I opened the door, I stood
in the frame and looked at him. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m—I’m fine,” he said. “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to
be doing, or why you even wanted me here. So—” he whimpered. “What
do you even want from me?”
I wanted all of him. And I needed him to stay. He was special to me.
All those days I’d spent staring at his face online. It was all for nothing now
I’d kidnapped and forced him to work. Plus, his whimpering wasn’t exactly
a turn on.
“Everything,” I whispered. I walked inside as he followed. “When
you’re done putting your things back, I want you to come—come and sit
beside me.” My face itched to smile as I said come and my brain tingled to
think of how he made me want to cum.
On the sofa, I sat with my bottle of wine and a glass. He joined me,
sitting nervously on the edge of the cushion.
“So, you want to travel the world?” I prompted.
“Yeah,” he said, nodding his head like an excited dog. “I’ve barely
left London. It’s so expensive.”
“Well, I can help you,” I told him. “Of course, that means you have
to prove yourself.”
“Oh.” He shuffled back on the cushion. “I can. I’ll do anything.”
My last relationship ended because the boy was genuinely innocent,
and completely offended by violence and what I did. Leo was different
because struggle in life already tainted him. “What did you have in mind?”
He placed his hand at my thigh. “I—”
“No.” I batted his hand away. I didn’t want him to try that because
he thought he’d get my favour for it. I wanted that when it was true and
real. “You don’t really want to do that, do you?”
Leo shrugged, his hands and arms coiled to wrap around himself in
a hug. “I don’t know.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
He smiled. I understood the irony. I was doing the same thing I
hated. “Sure.”
“You sleep with a teddy; you dress in those—things. Do you have a
little space you go to in your head where everything is rainbows and
happiness?” I asked. I knew he did, and I wanted to know more. I wanted
him to blurt out all the answers to my questions, since he had so many of
his own. It was my time to ask him.
His smile faded, almost as if I’d uncovered a secret he thought had
been sealed. “It’s—it’s not really like that.”
Placing a hand behind his neck, I stroked a thumb at side of his face,
just below the cut I’d made on his cheek. “I had a boyfriend once who did
that,” I said, my wine-induced loose lips were trouble. “He was like you,
sweet, innocent-looking, and he would just—just be the sun, like an entire
solar system of warmth from him. It was like we were the only two people
around.” My eyes grew glassy and tearful.
“Why—why did you break up?”
I pulled my hand and turned away to wipe my face. “Because
sometimes the things I do don’t help.”
He tugged at my shirt. “Like killing people?” he asked. “I’m
thankful you didn’t kill me. I owe you for that.”
“You should go. We can talk when I’m sober,” I said. “I don’t want
to say something I’ll regret.” And I’d already said something I regretted. I
didn’t want him to know about my ex, or that I knew about his precious
space.
“Ok,” he replied, softly. “Thank you, again, by the way. The food
was good earlier. And I—I shouldn’t have tried leaving. I don’t know—I
don’t know how to explain it, but I feel weirdly protected.”
He was protected, here, and anywhere he went with me. I’d already
promised him I wouldn’t hurt him, maybe not aloud, but in my head, I had.
Or at least, I wouldn’t let anyone else hurt him. I ended that with a nod and
stood.
Now, I had to deal with the erection in my trousers. It was sudden,
like standing brought all the blood to it.
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11. LEO
I waited in my room until I heard the bedroom door across from mine close.
I didn’t want to leave this place, it was so nice, but I also didn’t enjoy
feeling like a prisoner. I thought he’d wanted me to do that for him, touch
him perhaps, but I was wrong, clearly.
I’d also only ever experienced the death of a grandparent before, but
I was too young to attend the funeral. I hadn’t experienced the death of
someone close as an adult. Sure, I’d witnessed one today, and then I’d seen
the pale blue hand of his father on the armchair, but I hadn’t really seen
him.
Opening the bedroom door, slowly, I creeped out into the hallway.
His flat was huge, I’d explored it briefly when he was out. There were two
doors that were locked, his bedroom and another room, I assumed an office.
Perhaps that’s what the key was for. He also had a gym, and he’d told me
I’d need to use if I was going to be eating all the food I’d listed for him to
buy.
On my tiptoes, I walked to the window and looked out over the
park. It was early autumn with some warmer days, but most of them were
chilly. I didn’t hate the cold weather, since I could always add layers.
I tried not to touch the windows. I knew he’d probably shout at me
for leaving fingerprints and streaks on the glass. The way that Derek had at
the pawnshop. I didn’t mind making Derek mad, but I didn’t want to make
Samuel mad. He was the first person who looked at me, just stared without
my body feeling like I was about to be attacked. When he looked at me, it
felt like he was still deciding, but it was oddly warm.
Snapping a picture on my phone, I sent it to Susie.
—Can you believe the place I’m in? I sent her.
Her response was immediate.
—No. I’ll have to visit and make sure you’re not being used as a
drug mule.
—Send me a picture with you in it.
I didn’t want to. My face was still bruised, and it ached when I
touched at it. I didn’t want a picture of my face like that existing forever.
Pulling the selfie camera up to view myself for any potential picture,
I noticed him standing in the hallway far behind. He leaned against the side
of the wall; his head cocked as he stared at me.
“Are you taking pictures of what you plan to steal?” he asked,
stumbling forward.
I walked over to him, shaking my head. “No, I was sending my
friend a picture of the view.”
He kept his balance as he planted his palm firm on the wall. “Why
are you staying?” he grumbled. “You had all the time to leave. What’s
keeping you?”
I lulled my head, scared to make prolonged eye contact.
“Come on,” he said, grabbing my upper arm and squeezing. “What’s
keeping you here?”
“I—I—I thought you were going to teach me, take me under your
wing,” I said, my voice weak as I spoke. “You were going to help me, and I
was going to work for you. Then I could be more like you and stuff.”
He took his hand and grabbed my other arm, shaking me. “You
don’t want to be more like me,” he said. “Why would you want that? I’m
not someone you aspire to be, not any normal person would anyway.”
Forced to look him in his crazy pink teary eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he said. “Don’t be fucking sorry. I’m never sorry.
I’m—” he hesitated, his grip on me loosening. “I’m not good. You can
leave. Go on.”
I had that chance earlier, and I didn’t want to go. Sure, selfish
reasons told me to stay, but now, I wanted to stay because he was upset, and
I didn’t know what he would do when he stopped being upset. He’d
probably come back for me like an unfinished project. “No,” I offered
weakly.
“But look at you, you’re special with your—stuff.”
He was talking about my little space, the way I liked to dress in
comfort and how I had my stuffed teddy. I didn’t know if he knew about my
love for cartoons, or how I enjoyed drawing like I was a six-year-old unable
to hold a pen. All those things brought my happiness and joy, but they
didn’t complete me. Those were just the things I could do for myself. “Do
you—do you want me to leave?”
Samuel was silent. His breathing hitched in the back of his throat.
He slowly shook his head. “Why would I want you to leave?” he asked,
raising a hand to my face, he stroked me clumsily. “You’re—you’re my
new obsession.”
 “I think you might need to go to sleep,” I said.
“No, I’m serious,” he said. “I—I’m an asshole. You should run. You
want me to get you some money. Go travel. Go do what you want. There’s
no reason anyone should have to be saddled with me.”
I licked my dry lips wet. “I think you’re drunk.”
“Drunk,” he scoffed. “I don’t get drunk. I’m an adult. I’m thirty-
seven. I can handle alcohol. I’m like—like what, fifteen years older than
you?”
“Fourteen,” I said. “And that’s ok if you are, you know. Today’s
been stressful. Let me help you into bed.”
He pulled me into his arms, pressing my head against his chest. The
mix of vanilla and tobacco from his cologne was almost overpowering, if it
wasn’t for the smell of alcohol on his breath. I wondered how much he’d
had to drink. There was the vodka, the wine, and possible more while he
was out. He squeezed. “You just want to get me in bed.”
“No, I don’t.”
Letting go of me as I pulled away, I dropped to the floor.
“You don’t—you don’t think I’m attractive?” he asked. “You don’t
think I’m strong? You don’t think I’m—protective?”
He seemed like he was all three things, alongside aggressive, a
murderer, and somewhat unpredictable. “Yeah,” I mumbled, dusting my
hands off. “But I don’t want to do anything with you like that. Not if you’re
drunk.”
Holding out a hand, he helped me to my feet. “I’m not drunk.”
It was a lie, but I didn’t want to call him out more than I already
had. “Maybe you could go for a nap then,” I said. “Just because of how
busy today has been.”
“Sure,” he grumbled. “I’ll take a nap.” He turned and walked into
the wall.
I didn’t want to show him to his room, we were only a couple feet
away from the door. But there was something in me that told me I had to
take him. I held his hand and guided him into the huge master bedroom. It
was breath-taking with the dark wood, completely contrasting the white of
the flat. There were heavy blackout blinds, and on the ceiling, a mirror,
right above what looked like the world’s most comfy bed.
“I’ve got something to tell you,” he said.
“Yeah?”
 He pulled me in his arms as we fell on the bed. He placed his mouth
to my ear. “Is this what you want to hear?” he asked, his voice and breathy
rasp tingled my skin. “I’m your Daddy now little boy, and you’ll do
whatever Daddy says.”
My body tensed, not in fear, but with excitement. His words had
power, they set my teeth on edge and my toes curling, trying to suppress the
growing erection in my pants. “I—” I pulled away on my feet and looked at
him, laid on his back, his shirt lifted by his waist to reveal the cum gutter V-
shape. “What did you say?”
“I’m going to sleep,” he grumbled as his eyes fluttered back.
I backed out of the room, my body slick with a coating of sweat. I
stared at him as he laid there and the mirror right above him. I left the door
ajar and walked back to my room, wondering what I was supposed to do
now.
“I can’t leave,” I mumbled to myself as I cuddled Tuffy. “He’s going
to be helpful.” I reassured myself and the teddy that we were fine. I didn’t
expect for him to say what he’d said. My little space was my safe space,
and I didn’t know how he knew about it, or whether I even wanted him in it
at all.
In the past, I’d had older men who liked to take on that dominating
Daddy role. It was hot, sometimes, but most of the time they lacked the true
care and touch of the role. It’s where most of them failed for me.
A buzz rang at the door.
It rang twice before I hopped up from the burrow in the bed and
checked what it was.
There was a phone and a button. “Hello?” I answered.
“Mr Maxwell?” It was Kelly, I could tell by her voice. “I’ve got
what you wanted.”
“Oh. It’s Leo,” I said. “I’ll buzz you.” I placed the phone down and
pressed on the button. I couldn’t let her see Samuel. Hopefully, he’d stay in
bed asleep.
Kelly arrived at the door with three bags of shopping. “Where’s Mr
Maxwell?” she asked.
“He’s sleeping.”
“Oh, ok,” she said, quieter. “I was going to check if he needed
anything else. Has he said anything about his dad?” she asked.
 I shook my head. “I think it’s all been a lot for him.” I knew as soon
as I spoke, I had said too much. I should’ve left it at no. “But thank you for
bringing the food.”
“That’s ok,” she said. “When he wakes up, let him know I got
everything from his list, including the extra something he asked for.”
“Ok, I will do,” I said, taking the shopping bags and pulling them
inside. “See you later.”
I unpacked the shopping and explored more of the kitchen. I didn’t
know if I was overstepping, but I also knew that Samuel wasn’t in the right
place, mentally. His father had just died, I needed to be accommodating to
him like he was being for me.
He’d also really got me everything I’d listed. Including the energy
drinks. It was sweet. He was probably a decent person hiding under all
those menacing expressions.
And one more thing, that wasn’t on my list. It was a small bar of
white chocolate, except, it was heavier than normal. It didn’t look like any
white chocolate I’d ever had. I opened it up to see a thin layer of plastic
wrap around it, it was white, but I knew immediately what this was. It was
cocaine.
Surely, it made sense, he was a criminal, not a petty thief like me,
but he dealt drugs, and he probably did them as well. I didn’t know how to
feel about that. My mother had been addicted for years, and the only reason
she kept me as a kid was because the government gave her money for me. It
all went on drugs.
Seeing them, open on the table. The rush of emotion slithered up my
back and wrapped its tight coil around my neck. I cried, running off to my
room as I buried my head in a pillow and cried.
Trauma was a beast when it hit, and today it knocked the wind out
of me.
Now, I didn’t know if I could stay.

OceanofPDF.com
12. SAMUEL
I woke to the vibrating throb of a headache on the corners of my mind, and
as soon as I opened my eyes, all the pain flooded to the centre, bursting. My
room was dark, and the best place for me to wait out a hangover headache,
but I rarely listened to my body. Except when I climbed into bed, or I
must’ve fallen into it.
With pains and aches, I stumbled away from my bed and toward the
bathroom. I had some heavy painkillers stashed away inside a medicine
cabinet. It helped when you had people with pharmaceutical experience
under your employment for them to make you something stronger.
My hands turned to clenched fists at the brightness of the bathroom
lights. I was ready to punch a hole through the cabinet glass. My reflection
had looked worse. My hair stuck up in all places, my shirt unbuttoned at the
collar and half-tucked into the waistband of my underwear while my
trousers were ready to slide down my thighs.
“Fuck,” I grumbled, staring directly into my eyes. I was angry at
how I’d got like this. The last thing I wanted was to be a drunk. My father
drank every single night until he couldn’t, he’d only become nicer in the
last few years. And now he was dead. Killed. Someone murdered him. I
knew it. “Fuck.” I slapped myself, aiming for the pain behind my eyes.
It was 2:11 A.M. and I recalled little after seeing my cousins. My
gut told me to trust them, my gut didn’t like to think we would hurt each
other. But I also wasn’t convinced they wouldn’t. We were the third
generation, I couldn’t trust them as well as my father had trusted his
brothers, or how hungry my grandfather had been when he started the firm.
Back then, we were hardened criminals, scrappy, and spilling blood on
every corner as a warning. I never lived through any of that, but those
stories were still family history.
I took a tablet from the unmarked pill bottle and undressed.
I knew what my father would’ve said if he could see me. He’d tell
me to take a fucking breath, a step back, and sort yourself out. At least,
that’s what he’d told me before when I’d been overwhelmed with anger and
frustration.
The shower helped, as did brushing my teeth. I felt renewed, and
while there was a horrible sense of dread in the pit of my stomach,
something I couldn’t shake, no matter how much I cleaned my outside.
Into a pair of gym shorts and a vest top, I was going to exercise my
demons. But first, I noticed a small opening in the Leo’s doorway. He was
sound asleep, the colourful lights from his iPad played in his face as his
mouth was open and he snored.
I approached him, slowly, I examined the room he’d made his own.
A scratchable world map poster tacked to the wall. He dressed in a grey
onesie, wrapping an arm around his teddy. I stared over him for a moment
as flashes of our interaction earlier appeared in my mind. His scared little
face staring at me while I held onto him in my drunken stupor. I’d told him
I wasn’t going to hurt him. I hoped I hadn’t broken that promise.
Before leaving his room, I turned the iPad off. I wanted to kiss him,
but he was sleeping, and I didn’t want the first kiss to be a stolen one. I
wanted it from him, his choice, and for that, I needed to show him I was
more than a killer.
“Sleep well,” I whispered.
I’d missed a lot while I passed out, including Kelly, she was
supposed to come and deliver the food, alongside dropping off a package.
But the only part of that I’d missed was collecting it myself.
On the kitchen counter, the opened bar of cocaine in a plastic wrap.
They disguised it as chocolate, fitting, given that some people referred to it
as nose candy. I knew Leo must’ve opened it. But it wasn’t for me. This
was for a meeting tomorrow.
I sealed the wrapper of the bar and tucked it away.
In the home gym, I had my running shoes on, tied tight and ready to
get moving. I didn’t play any music, just the sound of the machine and my
thoughts were enough noise to deal with at once.
My mind wondered, trying to figure out what was going on in Leo’s
mind. He wasn’t supposed to see me drunk to the point of passing out, and
he knew the business had ties to drugs, so he couldn’t be shocked by it. I
was just glad he wasn’t into them. I didn’t have space to deal with someone
who needed a fix every couple of hours.
After an hour and a half, I finished and took another shower. My
headache was gone, but the memories, like implanted thoughts were strong.
I’d almost forced Leo to spend the night with me in bed, my hands and
fingers continued to curl up with a muscle memory of how he felt.
 I dressed in a white shirt with the collar unbuttoned and a pair of
grey trousers. Suits always made me feel professional, they made life seem
easy, and you could always command respect from someone when you
were dressed well.
A large dish of scrambled egg and toast later, and I continued to sit
at the dining table with a view of the hallway. I waited for Leo to make an
appearance. I didn’t want to wake him this early again.
I took a moment away to load the dishwasher, and then search for
my phone.
It was tucked between the cushions of the sofa. Another memory
came forward. Leo placing a hand on my inner thigh. My heart racing. He
was asking me if that’s what I wanted him to do. Obviously, I wanted that,
but not because he thought I wanted it, but because he wanted it too.
Elias had texted several times.
—My dad said when he got to the house, your mum wasn’t there.
—He said your dad was out of breath and slurring. He tried to get
the butler, but he wasn’t there either. He tried the oxygen but it was turned
off.
—I didn’t tell him you think he did it, or that I did it. I just told him
you were mad because your dad is dead. He understood.
—He told me he was talking about seeing someone he hadn’t saw in
a long time before he died. Maybe he was hallucinating, you know, how
people see dead relatives and stuff.
I trusted Uncle Reuben. He was the fun uncle. A crazy uncle. He
took me and Elias out on day trips to watch him beat people up for money.
He wouldn’t have hurt my father, there was nothing in it for him to gain
from doing that.
I sat back at the dining table, this time with a coffee as I continued
to watch the hallway.
Leo appeared, first poking his head out. He saw me and flinched.
“Good morning,” I called out.
“Morning,” he said, walking out of the room. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“Can I—”
“Ask me a question,” I finished for him. “Just ask me.”
His eyes looked to the counter before looking back at me. “Do you
do drugs?” He closed his mouth as his face became pinched with curiosity.
 “There’s a rule, don’t get high on your own supply,” I snickered.
“No. I don’t do—I don’t do party drugs.” I gestured to the counter where he
must’ve left the bar of cocaine. “That was a gift for a friend we’re meeting
today.”
“Oh. I’m sorry for looking.”
“Don’t be sorry, it’s human nature to snoop, to investigate, to
question,” I said, tapping a finger on the dining table. “Grab some
breakfast, we have another exciting day today.”
Leo’s face eased at my words. “You know I’d never tell anyone
what you do, right?”
“I know that.” But I wasn’t sure if he meant I trusted him, or that
felt threatened because his fingerprints were on a knife that had been used
to kill a man with.
Pausing at the table, he looked lost for words. “Are you—are you
going to kill anyone today?”
“Why?” I whispered. “Do you want me to kill someone?”
“No, I just—”
“We’re going to visit someone who works at a public security firm,
they control the public CCTV cameras,” I said. “My contact there is private,
but they will have the information I’m looking for. He is the one that gift
was for.”
“Do you always pay people with—that?”
I shook my head, looking him over as he grew in his confidence.
“No. But people with dependencies and addictions, they’re easy to buy.
Money is good, but if you can give them what they want, right at the
source, then that’s even better.” I lifted my cup of coffee and tipped my
head at Leo. “Do you have any dependencies or addictions?” I sipped from
the cup.
He turned and walked into the kitchen. It seemed like a sore subject.
But in my findings of him, he didn’t seem to have anything that stood out.
Not like his kink did, although I didn’t even know if it was a shared kink, or
just a pleasure he experienced alone.
Leo sat back at the dining table with a bowl of chocolate cereal and
milk. He wolfed it down without taking a moment to even notice the
chocolate milk dribbling down his chin and catching on his onesie.
“Want me to get you a bib?” I asked as he paused to breathe.
“No, I’m—I’m just hungry.”
 I hadn’t told him he couldn’t eat, in fact, I assumed he would’ve
made himself more at home here. And now that he had food in the
cupboards, I wanted him to eat, to fill his belly and smile more.
“Our meeting is in a couple hours,” I said. “I assume the clothes I
gave you yesterday are still clean?”
He nodded.
“Good. I’ll take you to my tailor this afternoon to get measured into
something more fitted,” I told him. “She’ll have a couple suits ready for you
by the end of the week. I’ll leave the colour and pattern choices up to you.
Of course, make it professional.”
I assumed that’s what he wanted, a little more choice and freedom.
He could’ve left yesterday when I vaguely remembered seeing him standing
outside the door, a handful of belongings. He didn’t want to leave, and why
would he? I had everything he could ever want or need right here, myself
included.
“Thank you,” he said, leaving the dining table with the bowl in
hand.
“There’s a dishwasher.”
He looked completely confused by what I was saying.
“Leave it on the side,” I continued. “I’ll add it later.”
Forcing a smile on his face, he nodded and left.
One day, that smile would be genuine, and I’d get to touch it, all of
it.

OceanofPDF.com
13. LEO
I didn’t know what it was about him, but he made me feel something.
Maybe it was my brain connecting all the things he’d done and said last
night while he was drunk, or maybe it was because he was now being nice
to me. He wasn’t shouting or snapping his fingers anymore.
After I finished getting dressed, I made my bed and stuffed Tuffy
between my pillows so that nobody would see him if they sneaked a visit to
my room.
Samuel was at the door, almost like he was waiting to knock or open
it. “You’re ready,” he said. “Good. Good. It’s almost time for us to leave.
Do you have everything?”
I didn’t have anything to have with me, so I didn’t know what he
meant. I stared blankly at him, surely, he got the message.
“Your phone,” he prompted. “We’ll need it to talk to communicate.
Since I will have to leave you at the tailor later, ok?”
He trusted me. I grabbed my phone from under my pillow.
“And the notebook,” he said.
“It’s in the kitchen, I think.”
He looked less impressed with that. He didn’t like uncertainties. He
liked solid fact. And I could appreciate that. I liked facts too, like, the
answer to questions. I wanted to know if he meant anything he’d said last
night, or was he just drunk?
I liked to think that he got everything out of his system last night
when he was drunk, but something told me it probably wasn’t even the start
of his grieving. I’d almost told Susie everything after I’d been triggered by
what I’d found. And he didn’t even know.
We rode the lift in silence. The notebook pressed against my chest as
my eyes darted to view his feet to see how wide his strides were and how
fast he was going. It almost felt like I was sizing him up as a mark. The
faster someone is, the more focused they are in where they’re going, an
easy target. People walking slower tend to be more aware of themselves. It
was one of the things I looked at when stealing from people on the streets.
But I couldn’t turn the voice off inside me that was giving me the thumbs
up to try something.
Pausing, I almost tripped over my feet in front of him.
 “We’re meeting him here,” he said.
A nice café, it wasn’t one of those chain shops, this looked rustic
almost, like a café frozen in time. Wood panelled walls, windows with half-
scratched decals, and table menus with pen on them.
“You own this place?” I asked in a whisper as we sat at a table.
It was busy, mostly people coming in for take-out cups of coffee.
Samuel smiled. “Of course,” he said. “Not me, personally, but the
family; the firm.”
My eyes wandered around, tracing the counters, corners, and all the
spaces between people. I was curious as to what they were selling here
besides the coffee and from the menu, the selection of breakfast foods.
“Why do you look so—” he began, his eyes narrowing as he stared
at me, forcing me to make eye contact. “—so scared?” he asked. “Like
you’re looking for someone to jump out at us with a knife.”
I didn’t want to answer that question, mostly because that was a real
fear. I’d seen what he’d done to that man. Nothing was impossible to me
anymore. “I’m just thinking.”
“What do you want to drink?” he asked, spinning the menu around.
“You look like a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows to
me.”
For once, he might’ve been right. Maybe he remembered what he’d
said to me last night. I hoped he did, I wanted to talk about it again. “Ok.”
He reached into the inside jacket pocket and pulled out the
chocolate bar I’d seen yesterday. He placed it on the table. “I’ll go order.”
“What’s that?” I whispered.
“You know what that is.”
My body tingled and my throat became tight. “I—”
“A man is going to come in, he’ll have a bird tattoo on his neck.
He’ll place a flash drive on the table. I want you to offer this to him,” he
said, standing, he buttoned a single button on his jacket. “Can you do that
for me?”
I didn’t have a choice, but he wasn’t lying when he told me this
wasn’t for him. “Sure.”
Samuel walked away into the small wave of people talking and
making their orders. I opened the notebook on the table and made notes to
calm myself. I started with the date, and then I noted where we were. I drew
a picture in the margins of the page, smiling faces. They were basic shapes;
lots of circles, building blocks together to create a sitting teddy bear.
A rough grumble came at side of the table. A large man with a tattoo
on his neck. He placed the flash drive on the table. “For you,” he grumbled.
“This is for you,” I said, sliding the heavy bar along to him.
“Where’s Sam?” he asked. “I thought I was meeting Sam.”
“Um, I—” I didn’t know there would be any talking involved in this.
I thought it was a simple trade. “He asked me to give you this. It’s—it’s all
there.”
He chuckled. “Tell Sam it’s always a pleasure.” He grabbed the bar
and stuffed it into his pocket before turning and leaving.
I looked around for him, but he wasn’t anywhere in sight. He
wouldn’t have left me here alone. Or maybe he would.
A couple minutes later and Samuel arrived at the table with a large
mug, the top of it, covered in cream sprinkles, and marshmallows. In his
other hand, a smaller cup with his coffee. He smiled, placing the mug in
front of me.
“I see he’s been,” he said, taking the flash drive and tucking it into
his pocket. “What did he say?”
“Pleasure doing business, or something.”
He grinned. “Are you sure he didn’t ask where I was?”
“Well, yeah, he asked, but I didn’t tell him anything, I just said you
wanted me to give him this when he arrived.” And I hoped that was the
right thing to say. I didn’t want to get anything wrong here.
“Good, good.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the
glossy silk handkerchief. “Use this.” He leaned over the table and stuffed
the corner of the handkerchief into my shirt, acting as a bib for the drink.
He smiled, sitting back in his chair and looking me over. “You want me to
get you anything else?”
“You’re being nice,” I blurted. I hadn’t meant to, that was supposed
to exist in my mind. “I—”
“No, you’re right,” he said. “I am being nice. You work for me. I
trust you completely. Why wouldn’t I be nice to you?”
I paused, looking away from him and down to the cup. I scooped up
a small amount of cream with a finger and licked it clean. He couldn’t stop
watching me.
 “There’s a spoon,” he said, sliding it across to me. “Use it. You’ll
get your hands all sticky doing that.”
I wanted a better answer. He wasn’t just being nice to me because I
worked for him. He had no reason to be nice to me, even now. I thought he
was going to make working for him hell, but he was treating me with hot
chocolate, buying me food, giving me the freedom of having a phone back.
“Last night,” I began, taking the spoon to scoop the cream and
marshmallows. “You got really drunk.”
“Is that relevant?” he asked. “To anything.”
“No, I—”
“Then why are you bringing it up?”
“Because you said some things.”
“I say a lot of things. I do a lot of things. Did I in some way offend
you?” He stared directly into my eyes, glaring deep into the depths of my
soul. “I would hate to have in some way made you feel sad.”
I knew that was a lie, there was just something in the way he spoke
that told me he wasn’t telling the truth, or at least not being completely
honest with me. “It’s ok,” I said. “I had to take you to your room. You like
—pulled me on top of you. It’s—”
A slight grin appeared, lifting the corners of his mouth. “I can’t say
I’m surprised by that, considering you were the one who actually touched
my leg and hinted at going down on me,” he said. “Or maybe I read the
situation wrong.”
My back straightened. I didn’t think he would’ve remembered that.
He filled the silence of my thoughts with more observations.
“Yesterday was a one-off. I drink, not to excess, and never to the point of
blacking out. And if you must know, you’re not the first to try that. People
see me, they want what I have, and I’m giving you a taste of it,” his soft
voice broke through all the noise as it touched me directly.
I didn’t know how to respond. He was being strangely upfront and
honest about everything. “You—you also mentioned that you knew about
me.” I didn’t want to push, but I was a pusher, I always did that to people.
“Listen, I know more about you than you might think,” he said. “I’m
sorry I got drunk and let a little of that slip. It won’t happen again. Now,
that’s enough questions. I want you to drink your hot chocolate, and I can
drop you off at the tailor. Understand?”
I nodded.
 “Tell me, verbally, that you understand.”
“I understand.”
I didn’t know what he meant. He knew more about me than I
thought. It was ominous, and I was slowly learning that he probably wasn’t
someone I should push with questions. He wasn’t an ordinary guy. He was
part of a mafia, and clearly, his family had businesses everywhere, and he
wasn’t afraid to kill someone. He didn’t flinch, not once when that blood
came out of that man’s throat.
Finishing my drink in silence, only getting a little of it on the
handkerchief he’d made me use. I knew our dynamic, but I pushed at the
boundaries, and I tested things. But he wasn’t the first man who appeared
angry to everyone else and smiled at me. Those were the dangerous ones;
those were the men who could switch up on you in the blink of an eye.
I almost felt lulled into a false sense of security when he allowed me
to ask questions. He did, once more, allow me to ask questions as we
walked to the tailor.
“Will all of this be added to the debt I have to work off?” I asked as
we reached the area known for its expensive suit shops and tailors.
“This is a gift,” he said. “More than that. This is how I want the
world to see you. Not as Leo, the pickpocket in his—tracksuit, but Leo, in a
luxury suit, stitched to fit him like a glove.”
I didn’t see what was so wrong with the one I was wearing now, but
I supposed it didn’t fit me like a glove, there was a little bagginess in the
shirt, and the sleeves were just a little too long for my arms. But I’d never
complain about small things like that, I was just grateful I’d kept it clean.
“I’ll leave you here,” he said as we reached a storefront with suits
on mannequins in the window. “My number is in your phone. Text me when
you’re finished.”
“Wait.”
“Charmaine is great, she knows you’re coming,” he said.
“But—”
“I’m not holding your hand while you go inside.”
I didn’t want it holding as much as I wanted him to go in before me
and make the introduction. I was out of place going into fancy shops like
this. I’d only ever walked by them, and now, I had to go in and act like I
was one of them.
This was a test, clearly. And I could do it.
 Samuel had already walked off just as I opened the door. There was
no going back. I had to commit to the part. I was part of this world now,
part of the people who had tailored suits.

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14. SAMUEL
I got to my office and locked the door; I shut the blinds, and I started the
computer. It overwhelmed me with pure adrenaline; it differed from the
adrenaline I usually felt that made me act impulsive and do dangerous
things. This was a tingling type of adrenaline, it started in my stomach, and
driving a force to my cock.
Leo had something in him, and it wasn’t me, unfortunately.
I was just in time to view the live footage from the tailor’s fitting
room. They left Leo alone to undress out of the suit he was in, stripping
down all the way to his animal-print briefs. I hadn’t noticed them, although
I hadn’t looked through his things either yet. He was special.
I unzipped my trousers and grabbed my cock. While Charmaine was
still out of the room, Leo wondered around, staring at himself in the
mirrors, getting all angles of his body. He was slim, but there was muscle
on his shoulders and arms. There was still bruising, bruising I hadn’t really
seen on his chest, probably from where my men punched him.
I wanted to stroke his skin, to kiss it better.
He made it obvious, he was staring at his own ass, he grabbed it, as
if performing for me. Watching himself in the mirror, he gave it a jiggle
with his hands and smiled.
There was no sound, but I watched his lips move.
My cock was hard in my hand, throbbing for attention. I placed the
handkerchief he’d worn across my chest before I played. Smelling him
from the handkerchief, mixed with what I was seeing. I masturbated, staring
as he took to the centre podium and turned around on it like he was the
prize I was ready to claim. It didn’t take long for me to cum, most of it
caught on the handkerchief, but some of it hit my chin.
“If only you were here,” I said, cleaning my chin off and licking the
cum away.
Hangover horniness was the best, but also the worst. I wanted to
fuck him when I saw him this morning, then when I was at his bedroom
door, again in the café, and now, right here with him mostly naked as he
was being fitted for clothes.
Masturbating my feelings away never worked, but it was a nice rush
when it all came to a climax.
 I would need to tell him I knew about the app. Although it didn’t
appear as if he had even been on it at all since coming into my home. I
thought he would’ve spotted me, right next to him, the blank profile with
the description that fit. It described me as wealthy and discreet, as someone
who wanted to play, but I didn’t want temporary. I was searching for
something permanent, and not someone who would be scared and run out
on me at the first sign of a simple killing.
After cumming, I couldn’t continue to watch him get measured for
his suit. I enjoyed seeing him in his cute clothes, but I wanted to see him
obey me and dress fancy. I wanted to see him go from professional to
precious when he would eventually strip for me.
I had to wait for him to come to me on that, I might’ve seemed like
some heartless mafia head, but with relationships, I didn’t want to take a
thing from them. I needed their consent for the type of romance and
relationship I wanted.
As I let air and light back into the office, I stuck the flash drive into
the USB slot on my computer. The post-nut dread took over my body as all
the dopamine seemed to leave my body. It reminded me I was looking for
suspects in my father’s killing.
My mother had called a couple times, but I knew she’d lecture me
about what I’d said to Preston and Elias, no doubt, they’d both complained
to her. Because if you wanted to get to a powerful man, you go to their
mother, and we all knew that, except, Elias’ mother died during childbirth,
which might’ve explained why he was the unstable cousin.
The street camera was useless. There were blind spots everywhere. I
had four squares on my screen, each with a different angle, but they didn’t
catch everything.
Nobody stood out. Nobody that I knew anyway. I would’ve said the
street was busy for such an early morning, but the streets were always busy,
people didn’t sleep in this city, people did the drugs I sold them, they
worked, they partied, and they bought into their addictions.
My sister and niece were on screen, walking beside my mother.
Belinda looked angry almost, probably another fight with her husband.
After them, I saw Borley, the butler, he left, most likely with his list of
errands for my father.
Not once did I see my Uncle Reuben on those cameras. I had to
think it was him, but I also had to trust that Elias would speak to him and
clear that up before I got in the way, and then I really would break the
family and spill blood.
My phone rang, distracting me. I thought I’d have to finally speak to
my mother, which I should’ve been doing already, she was grieving as
much as the rest of us. But it was Leo on the line.
“Hi,” I answered.
“I’m all finished now,” he said. “Do you want me to come to the
office?”
“I will meet you outside the building,” I told him. “You could
probably be here in what—ten minutes?”
“Sure.”
“Also, did you pick out some colours and patterns you like?”
There was silence, as if he was questioning my motive. I didn’t
blame him. “I just got similar stuff to you, the woman, she was super nice
and everything.”
“Great. See you in ten.”
I needed him to trust me more. I needed him to feel like he didn’t
need to second-guess himself. We’d started this entire thing on the wrong
foot, although, he was the one who’d robbed from me, so perhaps I didn’t
have anything to feel bad about.
Leo stood outside the office building, the same road he’d swiped my
wallet and watch from. I wondered if he still thought that way when he saw
people walk on by flashing their expensive suits with their gold-plated
cufflinks.
“We’re going to see my mother,” I said.
He blinked, wildly, almost unsure of what that meant. “Ok.”
“She’ll ask you questions about me, don’t answer them,” I
commanded him. “In fact, I know she will ask you questions. All I want
from you, is a smile, a nod, and if I ask—and only me, if I ask you a
question, I want you to answer.”
He nodded.
It sounded harsh, and I’d just lectured myself on not being so
demanding so he would learn to trust me and perhaps even like me. But this
wasn’t something I had place to negotiate on. The family was going through
hell.
My sister, Belinda, and niece, Daisy, were in the living room where
my father had died. Neither of them on his armchair. It would become a
shrine in time. She waved at me. “Mum is in the kitchen,” she said. “She
wants to speak with you. Your assistant can stay in here with us.”
“Nice to see you too, sister,” I said. “And no. He comes with me.”
“Suit yourself. She doesn’t look happy,” she sighed.
She didn’t have reason to be happy. But I knew I should’ve been
there for her more yesterday. It was a decision I made, and I’d have to take
the consequences on the chin.
My mother stood over a stove as she stirred a wooden spoon into a
pan. On the counter, there were several pies, some fresh from the oven, and
other waiting to go in. She was in a world of her own, humming to herself.
“Mum,” I said, catching her attention. I stepped closer, gesturing for
Leo to stay behind at the doorway.
She turned to me and clicked her tongue. “Took your time.” She
turned the stove down and wiped her hands on her apron. “Oh. We should
probably talk alone.” She nodded at Leo.
This was one way of getting his trust, to keep him around at
moments like this. “That’s ok,” I said. “I trust him.”
My mother stroked my chin before grabbing my shoulder. “It’s your
father,” she said. “I—I think he was killed.”
Her words to my ears and a shiver down my back. “Why do you
think that?”
“Someone stopped his oxygen tank,” she whispered, pulling me into
a hug. “We time it to swap it out, and there was still a whole lot left inside it
when my timer went off to change it. I didn’t want to believe it, because
who would be stupid enough to do something like that?”
“What else did you find?”
She sighed, pulling away and tending to the stove. “The neighbour
next door, her kids saw a dog coming into the house, she wanted to know
what breed it was.”
“Dad’s allergic.”
Pointing her finger at me, she nodded. “Right. If his oxygen was
stopped and he breathed in any of that dog. He—he well, he was going to
have an attack, clearly.”
My jaw tensed. “Did they say what kind of dog it was?”
“You know kids. To one of them it was small, the other it was huge.
I’ve already asked. And no, you’re not going to ask them again. I know the
reputation we have as a family. We’re a real rags to riches.” She picked up a
knife from the counter and waved it around. “I remember your
grandparents, Dorian and Gloria, they would’ve had no issue tearing down
every house on this street to find out who did it.”
“And I’m—supposed to be different?” I asked.
A clang took my attention. It was Leo, he’d dropped the notebook
he’d been doodling in. I wondered if he was making notes.
“Are you sure you want your new assistant listening?” she asked,
returning to her chopping board to cut a potato.
“He knows,” I said. “So, what do you have in mind?”
My mother smiled at me. “We find out who did this, family or not,
and I want them dead. Your sister doesn’t know, you know she gets
squeamish watching Holby City, never mind talk about murder.”
I explained to her how I’d spoke with Elias and Preston, she had the
same thoughts as I had. It was one of them, or Reuben. But none of them
had pets, except Elias who had a snake. Neither of us knew who it could be,
now that there was a dog in the mix. But the list was endless, we had
enemies in all corners.
“Take a pie,” she said, gesturing to the countertops. “This one is
steak. And—there’s an apple pie—here.”
I’d never turn down home cooking. “You should get some rest,” I
told her, giving her a final hug.
“I’ll rest when we found out who killed your father.” She gave me a
kiss on the cheek. “Now, you do that for me, and I’ll get everything else
sorted.”
I suppose it was a fair deal.
Leo carried the two pies, and he didn’t say a word until we were
outside of the house. He had written notes, although I hadn’t asked him to,
but I appreciated it. I had a new objective, find out which dogs were on the
road that morning, and to gain more of Leo’s trust. I needed that.

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15. LEO
I felt sorry for him, but I knew I shouldn’t have felt sympathy. He was
someone I would actively walk away from if I knew how batshit they were.
Not only was he someone on a murderous killing spree to find out who
killed his father, but he was being fuelled by his mother, there was just
something about the way this family functioned and organised itself that
made me wonder just how long I was going to stick around. Perhaps for as
long as he found me useful.
“You like pie?” Samuel asked as we rode the lift to his flat. “I think
she said that’s beef, and the other is apple. I can order in some custard.” He
stared at me, silent, selectively becoming a mute as if he’d ordered me to.
“Well?” he asked, once more, his face pinched into a glare, staring deeper
into my soul. “If you don’t like that, it’s fine. I’m not going to force you to
eat anything you don’t want.”
“I do—I do like them,” I said, and they smelled quite nice. I was just
scared. I’d seen how many pies she’d made. That had to have been a lot of
meat. And I knew something that had a lot of meat on it. Humans. “She—
she made a lot.”
“She bakes when she’s stressed,” he said. “She always did. Pies,
cakes, anything.”
“Anything?” I asked as the lift doors opened. I wasn’t sure I liked
the sound of how he’d said that. She baked anything, so that could’ve been
humans.
“Why?” he snickered. “You have another list of baked goods you
like to eat?” We walked in the direction of the door. “She probably wouldn’t
even mind, actually.”
I stayed quiet. I didn’t want to overstep, and I didn’t want to insult
his mother. She seemed nice, although with a knife, I felt threatened.
Perhaps because of how much she had the same menacing eyes as Samuel
did when he had that knife in his hand before killing that man.
In the flat, I should’ve felt comfortable and at ease. Instead, I saw
the trauma of last night unfold once more in front of me. The way I’d been
standing in front of the mirror, to being dragged into his room, and then
seeing the bar of cocaine.
 “Let’s talk about it,” he said, grabbed two small glasses from the
cabinet. He then grabbed a bottle of vodka. “Last night, I wasn’t the nicest,
and I certainly wasn’t the best host.”
Placing both the pies on the counter, I shook the thought away. It
would be cannibalism to feed someone human meat, not only that, but I was
sure there was some disease associated with it, and she didn’t look like
someone who would poison her son.
“Fine,” he grumbled, pouring two shots of vodka. “Don’t speak. Let
me. I don’t want you to think I’m the world’s biggest asshole. I’m not. I’m
not half as bad as some people make me out. The stories are always much
worse than what the actual truth is.”
“I—”
“Go on.” He pushed the glass across to me.
“Last night, you—you said something.”
“I saw you on the app,” he blurted before shotting the vodka. His
face didn’t flinch. “I probably brought it up. Although even if I hadn’t, it’s
not exactly rocket science to figure out. You’re—”
“The app,” my voice croaked, breaking in pitch. The Little Me app
wasn’t even something I’d used since I’d got my phone back. The last thing
on my mind was looking for someone to be cute with. “You’re on the app?”
Samuel pulled his suit jacket off and folded it over the counter. “Big
bad criminals don’t always have to be big bad criminals, do they?”
Yes, they did. That was who they were. I was a petty thief. I stole
from those who could afford it. I noticed the prolonged silence and took the
shot of vodka.
“Good,” he said, waiting for me to place it on the counter he held
the bottle, ready to pour another. “I didn’t know that at first, when you
robbed from me. I’m assuming you didn’t either considering I’ve never
once shown my face there.”
“So, you—you have a type then?” I asked, gulping at the burning in
my throat. “Can I have a water?”
“Yes, and yes,” he said, walking around me in the kitchen to the
refrigerator. “It’s not so much that I have a type, more of a taste.” He
handed me a bottled water.
“A taste?”
“People don’t stay, they get scared, being with me is a blessing and
a curse. You’ve seen the blessings. Haven’t you?” His eyes widened.
 I gulped down the water. The blessings were probably the flat, and
all the things he’d done for me while I was here, which was a gesture, but
he was keeping me here, to work for him. “So, what do you want from
me?”
“I mean, you still have to carry out duties as my assistant,” he said.
“I haven’t forgiven you of that debt, and it was more than just money you
took from me. You invaded my personal space, that type of debt seems
steep.”
I could’ve left already, I knew I could, and yet, there was something
gluing me to him. Perhaps he it was a toxic glue, and my mind was spinning
because of it, or maybe it was a genuine care now that I’d seen him express
genuine human emotion.
“And I know, I know,” he said, taking another shot of vodka. “You
could’ve left already, and I’ll tell you why you haven’t.” He leaned in close.
His scent, that was another reason, it was divine, like someone was lifting
me off my feet. “You haven’t left because this is the most luxury you’ve
ever had. Those sheets on that bed, you’ll never feel finer. Those products
in the bathroom, expensive. And these views, incredible.”
Ok. Perhaps I’d missed those off my list. I was materialistic, and
he’d caught onto that. I liked expensive things; I enjoyed selling them.
“Also, because you said you could help me,” I whispered with his face
close to mine. “And—and—”
“That’s right,” he said, moving his head away as if to tease me with
how close he’d been. “You want to travel the world. You want to explore.
And yes, I can help you with that, I told you, I’m not always a big bad
criminal.” He walked to the window view outside.
“What about killer?” I asked.
He chuckled. “I’m always that, I suppose, but I already promised I’d
never hurt you.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Yes.” He turned, concerned with the question. “Why?”
Here went everything. After a deep breath, I allowed myself to
explode. “You sell drugs. My mum’s an addict. You’re the reason she’s the
way she is. You, and money. She’s a drop in how much you’ve made, but
you’re the reason I grew up the way I did. So, you’ve already hurt me.” My
words trembled off my lips. I broke down on the floor.
 He picked me up and carried me to the sofa as I cried. My head on
his lap. He stroked my face and head. “Maybe we shouldn’t do shots,” he
said. “I don’t want to see you upset. People might think I’ve done
something to you.”
I couldn’t string a sentence together. It wasn’t like he was the one
directly going to my mum and giving her the drugs. I just needed someone
to blame, and right now, he was that person, but it changed. Most of the
time I blamed a father I never knew, as did she. I was still hurt though.
“I can see who’s selling to her and stop them,” he said. “If you want
me to, I can make sure she never gets anything else from me again.”
It was a nice offer, but I couldn’t exactly tell him what to do about
his business, and if my mother was cut off like that, she’d probably come to
me again, and I wasn’t emotionally prepared for her. Plus, she’d probably
do worse things to get those drugs, I didn’t want that on my shoulders.
“Can you just—” I grabbed his hand and placed it on my head. “Just
do that.”
I stared at the unlit fireplace as he stroked my head, his finger
drawing lines and patterns down my cheeks. The shirt was uncomfortable, I
didn’t want to be laid on his knee in these stiff, wrinkled clothes. And I
didn’t even want to be dressed in those clothes he’d had tailored to fit me
either. I didn’t like suits.
“That’s enough now,” he said. “You’re still my assistant. I’m not
going to blur the lines.”
Sitting upright, I looked at him, my eyes pink and raw from tears.
“Blur the lines?”
“I’m not going to treat you like I would someone I was sleeping
with,” he said, tilting his head. He looked me over. “And I don’t know if
that’s what you’d even want anyway.”
“You’re right,” I said. “Just because you know about me, and—”
“Well, you also know more about me too,” he added.
That was true. We both knew about each other, more than we had. I
didn’t know if I liked the entire pictures I saw of him, but I knew it
comforted me to have a full picture of him now rather than the fragments
I’d seen.
He stood and snapped his fingers. “We have a killer to find, catch,
and kill.”
“We?”
 “You’re my assistant, you’ll assist me.”
“In the—”
“No, you’re not a killer, you’re a thief,” he said, snapping his fingers
at me again. “A conman in training. And I’m going to use that.”
I stood, feeling awkward. “How?”
“We’re going to start with finding out who walked their dog near the
house,” he said. “It could be anyone. But I know they had a dog, or a cat.
But no, the neighbours saw a dog.” He rolled his eyes. “The neighbour’s
kids saw it. If they weren’t children, I’d have been submitting them to
further questions.” A devilish smile crossed his face. “Obviously, I’m not a
monster, so I won’t.”
“What will you do?”
“What will we do? You mean.”
I hadn’t intended on doing much more than taking notes, although
the urge to pickpocket was real. “Ok.”
“Clean up, we’re going back to the office,” he said. “Then we’ll see
what happens. If there was a dog on the street. We’ll see it on the street
footage.”
After that small cry, I was hungry, even for the pies I’d been
assuming had been dead people. “You need me for that?”
“You have other plans?” He raised his brows; it was a good
question.
I just wanted to sit in bed now, get comfy and watch TV on my iPad.
“Well—”
“The answer if no, you’re only plans are with me,” he said. “Unless,
of course, no—” he paused, biting into his smiling lip. “You wanted to get
closer to me. You did just lay on my lap.”
That could’ve been part of it. I wanted to get closer. He was a man
in proximity. More than that, he was a man in charge, with demands and
control, that was basically what I’d been looking for on the Little Me app.

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16. SAMUEL
I couldn’t fucking believe it. There wasn’t a single dog on the street that
morning. I’d checked and I’d rechecked the footage. I thought it would’ve
been an easy catch. People walked their dogs every day, except that
morning.
Clearly, frustrated, I recruited Elias and Preston to investigate it
further. If they wanted to be useful, they would help with finding out more
information on my dad’s murder. Both agreed, and I knew they would, they
had a lot to lose if the family turned against itself, especially considering it
was mostly in mine and my father’s name.
For dinner, we ate the pies. I made sure that Leo dressed in
something comfortable so he could make that a mess rather than some of
the nice clothes I bought for him. He went to his room and bed early,
leaving me to exercise alone before bed.
Leo’s magnetism was unavoidable. I felt drawn to him in most
thoughts, and if it wasn’t in thought, it was standing outside his door,
wondering what he was doing. I checked the app, and he’d been active
recently.
I needed more from him, I needed to stop being teased, and I
suppose I had to stop teasing him as well. But I needed to know the
boundaries between what he wanted to do and what he felt like he was
being forced to do.
After a shower, dressed in nothing but a bathrobe, I stood outside his
door again. This time, intending on knocking.
He opened it before I could.
Leo dressed in a blue dinosaur onesie with his hood up. He was
adorable. I wanted to grab him by his throat, pin him to the wall and take
every single stitch of fabric from his body just so I could be the one to
cover him.
“I saw your feet,” he said.
“I was just coming to tell you, you should probably go to sleep
soon,” I said. “My mum found hair she thinks might belong to a dog, so
we’re going to take them to Elias’s gallery and have them checked out by
an expert.”
He appeared puzzled. “At the gallery?”
 “Yeah. It’s a perfect location,” I said, watching as his eyes looked to
my chest and then down my body and back up again. “That’s everything.”
Leo smiled. “Ok.”
“I like the onesie,” I said. “You’re a dinosaur.”
His face blushed across the bridge of his nose and cheeks, it had to
have been hot in there. Although not as hot as my bathrobe was making me.
I went to my bedroom and laid in bed. I stared at the ceiling mirror
and admired myself in it. I was a catch, an incredible physique, which I
teased myself with in my reflection, showing off a defined thigh, tensing it
like I was some amateur bodybuilder.
Pulling more of the bathrobe away, I kept my cock concealed. It was
nice to get this type of view, but I wasn’t my type. My type was Leo. Slim,
although desperately in need of a filling meal. I allowed myself to pretend
my body was a three-course meal he could get everything he needed.
Under the door, I saw the light turn on and a dark shadow at my
door. I wondered if he’d always seen me when I’d stood outside his door,
perhaps only when the hallway light was on.
“Yes?” I called out.
The patter of feet. The light turned off.
He wanted to play.
I crept out of bed and quietly opened the bedroom door. With the
hallway light off, I approached his bedroom door opposite mine. I waited a
moment until I heard his handle turn.
He walked right into me, headfirst against my hard pectorals. “Aw,”
I chuckled, wrapping an arm around his head to keep him in place, pressed
against my chest. “What did you want?”
“I’m lonely.”
Letting go of him, he almost stumbled back. “How can you be
lonely?” I asked. “You can have anything you ask for. You want more
stuffed teddies to comfort you in bed? I can have some sent over. We have a
store that sells teddies, mostly as a front, you know, you can stuff—” I
watched Leo’s face turn. He wasn’t interested in that, not one bit. “Is this a
ploy for me to ask you to come into my bed?”
“No,” he grumbled, avoiding eye contact.
“I hoped it was,” I said. “Well, good night then.”
Turning to leave, he grabbed my hand. “Ok,” he said. “Can I bring
my Tuffy with me?”
 I smiled at him and his cute little confidence. “Sure. But there are
rules,” I said. “Don’t touch me. Just a formality. I don’t want to wake up
and think I’m being attacked.” I’d never think that, but he didn’t know.
“Oh.”
“Come on then.”
I wondered if that had scared him at all, but it didn’t.
He grabbed his teddy and followed me into my room. I assigned him
half the bed. And I had to admit, I enjoyed sharing a bed, I enjoyed waking
to seeing someone in bed beside me, to see them in the embrace of happy
sleep. Perhaps I was lonely too.
We both stared at each other in the ceiling mirror.
“You’ve always had that?” he asked.
“You don’t like it?” I asked him, watching as he pulled his teddy
closer. “It’s ok if you don’t. I never got it for you. This is all for me.”
“So, you fuck a lot of guys then?”
“Go to sleep.”
“I’m just asking, I mean, I’m curious.” He turned his head to me.
“Your pillows are comfier than mine too.”
I turned to him. “Go to sleep. You’re in my bed, what more do you
want?”
There were many answers I’d accept to that question. I doubt he
wouldn’t answered with any of them, maybe with his found confidence, he
would, but I didn’t count on it.
“Can you put something on your TV?” he asked. “Just something
like a nightlight. So, maybe like a cartoon.”
I rarely used the wall-mounted TV in my bedroom. He’d have been
lucky if I even knew where the remote for it was. “No,” I said. “Sleep.”
He went to sleep before me, as I stared up at us both laid in the bed.
I didn’t know why I’d agreed to let him into my bed at all, it seemed almost
against everything I’d been saying. I wanted to draw the line, but it was his
choice, and I certainly didn’t force him to.
I woke to the alarm clock in my body that forced me awake around
6 A.M. but as I blinked my eyes open and attempted to move, I noticed a
weight on my chest. It was Leo’s precious onesie wearing head. Wrapping
an arm around me with his head planted firmly.
Staring at him from the ceiling mirror, I saw him cling to his teddy.
He was curled up, right beside me, and on top of me. For a moment,
everything felt right. This was just the right amount of touch I needed to
survive. All the good in the world came from moments like this, from
people like this, in their little play thinking happy thoughts.
But I had to move. Peeling away his head and shimmying out of the
bed as his head dropped to the mattress. He moved a little, tucking his teddy
tighter to his chest. My tongue toyed with my teeth, nipping at the end, I
needed him to do that with me.
I took my morning shower, leaving the door ajar in case he wanted
to watch or try make a move. The idea he could come in at any moment
kept me hard, but I didn’t want to play with myself just yet.
Last night seemed to have calmed all the thoughts of going around
and killing every single suspect. My thoughts were now on him, wondering
if he was going to make a move and prompt a discussion. He was the first
one to have ever seen me kill and not leave immediately. But they didn’t
understand, we were sharing. I didn’t kill as often anymore, or as freely, but
it was still part of me.
In the bedroom with a towel around my waist, I saw the empty bed.
Perhaps I’d missed him looking in on me.
“Leo,” I called out.
He walked into the bedroom, yawning as he held his teddy’s hand.
“Yeah?” he asked, rubbing at an eye.
“Get some breakfast, take a shower, then get dressed. I have another
shirt for you, it’s—it’s a playful colour blotch shirt.”
Leo’s little smile was contagious, I wondered what else was
contagious about him, since I couldn’t get him off my mind, and he wasn’t
doing anything to stop it. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” I grumbled. The shirt was the only thing I had
left in his size. Plus, we were visiting a gallery, I’m sure it made him fit in.
His eyes lingered over my wet torso. “Anything you want to ask?”
He shrugged before letting out a yawn. “Nope.”
I hoped he’d seen me in the shower, even just a glance inside. I
couldn’t stop thinking about his behaviour last night, telling me he as
lonely, asking to come into my bed. It tingled my insides with a strange
pleasure. I could never have said no to that, but anything else was off the
table.
After breakfast, Leo dressed in the colourful shirt, seemingly happy
about the change from the formal dress shirt I’d forced him to wear.
 I looked through his notebook and at the notes and drawing he’d
made from yesterday. It was nice to see the doodles there, like part of his
mind. He drew a lot of circles and teddy bears. He’d made notes at my
mother’s, mentioning what she’d said.
Inside a small plastic sandwich bag, I had the hairs my mother
collected. She didn’t know if they were hairs from people, or from the dog
that had been in the house. But I had a guy who worked as a lab tech who
would tell me, and that’s who we were meeting.
We were meeting at Elias’s gallery; the man was Elias’s contact.
Around Park Lane, we had one of our galleries. Inside, it had many
different types of art, most of it made by Elias under different names to bulk
the place out. Some were installation pieces, mostly the glass blown stuff.
Elias led us inside. He wore a kimono with his hair all out of shape.
“I don’t know why you had to do this so early.”
“Because you said your friend could meet with us in the morning, or
after work. I prefer to get things done sooner, then we can find the killer,” I
said. “Unless you don’t want to find them?”
“Fuck, Sam,” he grumbled. “It’s just early, of course, I want to find
them. And my dad doesn’t know shit. He said you dad was already out of it,
but now come to think about that, he probably means dead when he got
there.”
I turned to see Leo dawdling behind, staring at all the spotlights
shining on the art in the dark gallery.
“Don’t touch anything,” I warned him. Leo wrapped his arms
around himself.
“So, what do you do here?” he asked.
Elias chuckled. “I sell art.” He stared at me. “I thought your
assistants were quiet.”
“This one is new.”
Leo butted his lips together.
“Did you give him that on his face as well?” he asked, nodding to
Leo’s faint bruising. “Anyway, we’ll wait in the office until my friend
arrives. Chris is the best at this type of stuff.”
Inside the office, there was a candle melting wax all over the
counter. It was messier than I’d have liked to see. But since Elias lived
above the gallery, this acted as an extension of that home for him.
“How did you meet this guy?”
 “Chris is a girl,” he said. “Short for Christine. And she helped me
out when I thought my ex was cheating. She took the hair I found on him
and from that, she helped me figure out who it was.”
“Great,” I chuckled, clapping my hands. “So, do you know anyone
with a dog?”
Elias rolled his eyes. “I have a snake, why would anyone have a dog
when you can have a snake?” He grinned. “You know, I gave Nera these
live mice and I watched her hunt around her tank for them. She unhinged
her jaw and just swallowed that fucker whole.”
I glanced back to Leo, almost telling him I wasn’t that fucked up.
“And to answer your question, it’s a front. The art is a front, like most of the
businesses.” Elias glared at me. “He’s my assistant, he has to know these
things. And he knows, it’s not worth his life to spill our secrets.”
Leo nodded vehemently, butting his lips tighter over his teeth.
“I trust you,” Elias grumbled. “Want a coffee while you wait?”
“I’ll have a—” Leo began, as we both stared at him. “Um. A—a—
coffee, if I can.”
He was adorable, I don’t know how anyone could say no to him.
“Sure,” I said.
“Well, through this door, there’s a set of stairs, and at the top is my
flat,” he said. “I have a machine up there that makes them. I’ll have one.
Sam?”
“Sure, I’ll take a coffee.”
“Oh.”
We were an assistant, after all.
He walked over to the door with Elias’s final words. “Don’t fear the
snake.”

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17. LEO
It was creepy. Going upstairs in the darkness to the flat. There were lamps
on, but they weren’t bright. My body on edge because I knew there was a
snake somewhere, maybe around my feet, waiting for me to come in so I
could become a snack.
The flat was one large open floor space, white walls with spotlights
showing off the colourful paint splattered canvases. There was a messy bed
by the window, and against a wall, a huge snake tank with thick branches
and types of camouflaging materials.
I approached it, the lid was secure. I don’t think I’d ever seen a
snake before, not in person. I’d seen them on TV in the nature
documentaries, but never so close. This one was green, thick, coiled up in a
circle on the dust covering the bottom of the tank. It blinked open its eyes
and flickered its forked tongue.
I stepped back, almost stumbling over my feet in these horrible
shoes Samuel continued to make me wear.
At least I knew I wasn’t going to be attacked now.
Elias had a similar machine that Samuel had in his kitchen. I knew
how to use those, and even if I didn’t, I had Susie on speed dial, she could
guide me through a coffee machine if I asked her too. Maybe not so early,
but she would.
Waiting for the coffee, I swiped a magnet from fridge door.
As the coffee came out of the machine and filled a cup, I was losing
myself in thought. Last night came out of nowhere. It’s almost like we were
playing some cat and mouse game, and I was happily the mouse, if that
mouse did some of the chasing too.
I’d even looked in on him while he showered. It was brief, I tried
not to, but I couldn’t help myself. His back was turned, I saw the definition
of his muscle and the way soap suds washed across his skin. It made me
jealous I wasn’t one of them.
I walked down with the three cups of coffee, a skill I’d learned from
being fired after part-time work in cafés as a server. Plus, I was just great
with my hands.
“She’s running a little late,” Elias said, accepting a cup from me.
“Any sugar in these?”
 “No, I—”
“That’s fine,” Samuel said, taking a cup. “So, what did you see up
there?” he snickered. “Any skeletons?”
“Skeletons?”
“No, I cleaned the bodies,” Elias said with a wide grin.
I didn’t know if they were being serious, or just having a laugh at
my expense. “I saw the snake. Does she always stay in the tank?”
“No. She sleeps in there,” he said.
“I hate them,” Samuel said, snarling his upper lip. “They don’t have
legs and they look like they’d be incredibly slimy.”
They both got into it over how snakes weren’t slimy. I almost
thought there would be a fight. I stepped away from them and sat on a chair.
It was early, but I still send Susie a message. We had to meet up so I could
tell her all the things, just none of the crazy things about Samuel.
The woman arrived. Christine. A young woman with blonde hair
slicked back into a tight ponytail. “I’ve got fifteen minutes,” she said.
Samuel pulled out the plastic sandwich bag with the collected hairs
inside. “I’m not sure which are dog hairs,” he said. “But how long could
you get me results?”
“A couple days,” she said. “I’ll have to figure out which ones are
dog, and which are human. Then I’ll have to analyse them. Your brother
said—”
“My cousin,” he interrupted her.
“He told me you’re looking to find out what breed of dog it was,
right?”
“Yeah. A couple days.”
Looking at his body movement, I could see him tense up. I knew
he’d tell her he didn’t have a couple days.
Elias produced a stack of bank notes from inside a filing cabinet.
“As fast as you can,” he said. “Remember. Nobody can know.”
The woman smiled, accepting the stack of notes. “I can’t rush the
machines, but I’ll do what I can. Pleasure doing business with you both.”
As she left with the money and the hair, I watched Samuel pace the
office. Elias was more relaxed, sitting on his swivel office chair.
“C’mon,” Elias said, swotting at Samuel. “I told you she’s good.”
“I thought we’d have results today.”
“Today, tomorrow, we’ll get them,” he said.
 I knew he didn’t like that news.
We didn’t stay much longer after that. I wanted to see the gallery in
the light day, real day, not this weird morning bullshit. Nobody except the
marks in their expensive suits got up this early and dressed in their fancy
clothes.
Samuel saw me. Really, saw me. The cogs turning as I looked at
someone walking in our direction for a little too long. It seemed to be part
of my nature to size people up and what their potential net worth was.
Lucky for everyone involved, I wasn’t as good at that as I once believed,
otherwise, I might not have gone anywhere near Samuel.
“You can’t turn it off,” he said.
“Huh?”
“I’m the same. Every person I see, I wonder how I could take
everything they own, but I grew out of that,” he continued. “It’s not so
much of doing it to everyone, but the people who deserve it.”
It seemed we were alike. I only did it to those who could afford it.
“But I’ve never—you know, done that.” I placed a finger under my throat,
as if slicing it.
“Yeah,” he chuckled. “You’re not a killer. So, what do you want to
do today?”
“I thought we were going to the office,” I said, stopping in the street.
We were walking toward his office.
“Not anymore, I want to do something else. Something to take my
mind off all of this.”
“We can go back to the flat and watch TV,” I said, trying not to let
out a yawn. I was one and a half cups of coffee down, and still yawning. It
must’ve been because being awake this early was criminal. “Yeah?”
Samuel adjusted his suit jacket and pulled out his phone. “If that’s
what you want. Let’s do that.”
“But—but don’t you have like business and stuff to do?” I asked.
The stuff in that sentence was referring to all his criminal actions. I didn’t
want to see him kill someone else, but I enjoyed that crazed look he got,
almost like he would sweep me off my feet. Literally.
“That’s why I have this.” He waved his phone in my face. “You
know that office space is just a shell, nothing really happens there. It looks
pretty, people use it do a little creative accounting, but it’s not where the
real business happens.”
 I was full of questions, I felt like my little was coming out, the
curious side of me with an endless supply of why and why not questions to
every answer he had. “So, what else do you do?” I asked. “I saw the fish, I
saw the—chocolate bar, but like, what else do you do?”
We continued to walk as he didn’t look away from his phone, typing
on essay on it. “The business has existed since before I was born, since my
father was basically a boy. We run security, you met two favourites, Edgar
and Bill, they’re the men who gave you those nasty bruises.”
“Isn’t that not like when you go to a business and offer your services
and you say no, so you smash their windows in and then they hire you?” I
asked.
He stopped, abruptly and placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Are
you calling me a criminal?” he asked, before smiling at me. “I’m kidding.
Sure, it probably started out just like that, but now, there’s much more to it.
It’s a legitimate company, they’re all legitimate.”
“You have a big family too?”
“That coffee surely perked you with questions,” he grumbled,
looking back to his phone as we walked again. “It’s big. What do you want
to know?”
“All of it, I guess.”
Samuel gave me a brief rundown of his family until we got back to
the flat. His grandfather was the famous mobster, Dorian ‘Deadly’ Maxwell.
He had an internet page all about him. They had four kids: Samuel’s dad, a
twin sister, and two brothers. There was a lot of them, but so far, I’d only
met the one cousin, and his uncle, and briefly, I met his sister.
“So, Adeline, my dad’s twin sister, she moved when she got
married. I rarely see my cousins there,” he said. “They don’t have any say
in the firm, mostly because they’re not Maxwells, they’re—something else,
I forget the name she married.”
It was fascinating. “So, the women don’t have a say?”
“If they keep the name, sure,” he said, nodding at me and smiling.
“And you don’t think that’s sexist?”
His smile dropped. I’d pushed too hard, once again, I knew I
should’ve stopped while I was ahead, but something told me to add another
question in.
“It is,” he said, as we walked to the front door. “My sister doesn’t
have a say, but I don’t think she minds. She gets her own business out of it,
like playing in her own sandbox, but the company business, she doesn’t
have a say.”
“How many people get a say?”
“Are you making notes?” he asked, opening the front door.
I fumbled to pull the notebook out. “Should I?”
“No,” he grumbled, taking his suit jacket off. “So, there’s me. Then
there’s my Uncle Bennett, his sons, Preston and Louie, his daughter,
Rebekah. Then there’s my Uncle Reuben and his son, Elias. So, that’s what
—” he counted out on his fingers. “Seven. It was eight, until—my father,
you know.”
I didn’t push him any further than that. It was nice to get more
information, since he was willing to give it, but I didn’t want to look like I
was getting information like some mole. “Are you sure you want to watch
TV?”
“I don’t usually,” he said. “But I’ll give it a shot. What do you want
to watch?”
“What channels do you have?”
“Like, all of them, I hope,” he answered.
“All of them,” I whispered under a breath. “Ok. I’ll get into my
onesie and then I want to see.” I was excited. I never grew up with those
fancy cable packages or shows. I was only currently able to watch what I
could find on the streaming app Susie let me use.
In a light blue onesie covered in red stars and carrying Tuffy, I
walked back to the living room to see Samuel laid out on the large sofa. He
moved his legs and waved the remote at me. I turned it on, and I could
navigate to watch security footage and news, but beyond that, I didn’t know
there were other channels.
Sitting down, he laid his legs over my knees. “What do you do if
you don’t watch TV?”
“Kill people, sometimes.”
I knew he was being serious, but I couldn’t help stifle laughter. “So,
you just never watch TV?”
He shook his head. “I work out, I meet people, I make money. I
never sit down and just—” he sighed. “I never really rest more than I have
to at night in bed.”
It was making more sense now why he was the way he was. He was
a workaholic. Even now, he thought resting was laying down in his shirt
and some trousers.
“If we’re going to rest and relax, we should at least do it properly,” I
said. “Do you have any other clothes?”
“Gym clothes?”
Grabbing his shirt to undo the buttons, he allowed me. I thought he
would’ve slapped my hand away and told me he could’ve done this himself.
Last night might’ve changed things, or maybe it was the way he confessed
to seeing me on the Little Me app.
“Are they comfy?” I asked.
“I’m comfy the way I am already.” He took my hand and pulled.
Laid on his body, my face almost against his. “I don’t think this is
comfy,” I whispered.
“What about this?” He kissed me on the lips.
I froze. I thought he would, but I didn’t really think it would happen.
We both stayed silent and still, staring into each other’s eyes as the cogs
turned about what had just happened, and what that meant.

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18. SAMUEL
After I’d kissed him, I left him alone on the sofa. It wasn’t like I’d meant to
do it, not while we hadn’t cleared up the boundaries. I was learning from
my mistakes, it’s what I knew how to do, and it’s what I did best.
I came out of my bedroom half an hour later in a pair of shorts and a
t-shirt. I was intent on going into the gym and working out the demons in
my mind, but I walked back to the living room to see Leo curled up on the
sofa, watching a cartoon about three bears.
“I’m sorry,” I said. Words I rarely said, and if anyone knew I’d said
them, my reputation would’ve decreased. I wasn’t the man people went to
for apologies, I was the one they went to because they needed something
done. He looked up at me, wrinkles knotting on his forehead almost in
confusion. “About the kiss.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because I—I usually take whatever I want, but—”
Leo’s expression eased as he smiled at me. “You took me already,”
he said, letting out a chuckle. “You basically told me I had to live with
you.”
“Yes, but I didn’t want you to think you had to give me more,” I told
him, keeping a stern expression for him to know I was serious. “I’m a
monster, sure, I’m a whole lot of things, but I’m not someone who forces an
attraction where there isn’t.”
“So, you like me?” he asked, pulling his teddy bear to his face and
hiding behind it.
I touched the side of his cheek and stroked him with my thumb. “I
like that you’re—someone I know about. It touches a part of me inside.” I
got on my knees and placed my head on the back rest of the sofa to look at
him. “I’d never take advantage of that, and I don’t want to now.”
“But what if I wanted you to?” he moved the teddy to look me in the
eye.
My head perked. “You—you what?”
“I know you treat me differently,” he said. “I was thinking about it.
You—you hurt that person who stole from you, and—”
“I killed him, but yes.”
 Leo shied behind the teddy once more. “It was scary, but you said
you’d never hurt me, so you were different to me.”
I reached for his face once again, this time, aiming to stroke at the
mark I’d made on his cheek. “And I meant that. I didn’t really have a game
plan when I invited you to stay with me. My dad’s death threw a wrench in
the mix too. My assistant has been fending off calls since it happened from
people wanting to know who is going to lead the firm.”
“Won’t you lead?”
“I’m trying. But I’m distracted.” Leo was my distraction, it was
more than just him being here, it was also him seeing me and being afraid
he didn’t like what he saw. I almost second-guessed my actions now.
“Anyway, I don’t—”
Leo pressed his fingers between mine and held my hand. “I liked it
when you kissed me, and I’m not saying that because you’re basically
forcing me to be here, but because I wanted to kiss you too.”
“You’re too sweet to get involved with me.”
He clicked his tongue at me, pulling us from the moment we were
sharing. “I’m not that sweet,” he said. “I once stole a small shipments of
company phones and then sold them all, well, the guy I worked for at the
time sold them all, but I made it into a building and back out with like a
hundred grand worth of phones.”
Leo was impressive. It was hard for me not to want him. Not only
did we share something on a romantic level, but we also shared something
on the criminal. He was a missing piece of the puzzle I’d been trying to fill.
I wanted to say that to him, but it was too romantic for even those words to
come out of my mouth.
He opened his mouth as the silence went on. “When you were
drunk,” he began, “you—you said something. I mean, now, I know it’s
because you saw me on the app, but—”
“What did I say?”
Butting his lips to suppress a smile, he finally let out a giggle. “I’m
your Daddy now.”
“Oh. I did.” I held his hand firmer, pulling on it. “We can talk about
that, if you want?”
He nodded.
“I—I have had many littles, not like you though,” I told him.
“You’re special. You have something the rest of them didn’t.”
 Gulping loudly, I saw his expression change, unknowing what it
wanted to look like. His palm grew sweaty against mine. “What?” he
whispered.
“You’re the only one who’s kept me interested,” I whispered back.
“There’s so much to you I want to know, and I want to know everything.”
“I’m—I’m—well, you can ask me anything.”
I kissed the back of his hand. “What type of little play do you
enjoy?” I asked.
“I—I like the things that make me feel fuzzy inside.”
Joining him on the sofa, we laid, side by side, our faces almost
touching as we talked about everything he enjoyed, and I enjoyed. He
admitted to enjoying the kinkier side of the play, and I didn’t object.
Everything that had happened recently left me vulnerable, but Leo’s
presence filled that void with his questions.
“I’m not—a mean Daddy, I like to be dominant and strong, both out
here and in a bedroom,” I admitted.
Leo’s infectious smile wasn’t fading. “I like being told what to do,”
he said. “I like it when you tell me I had to go to bed, or to get dressed, and
to take a shower, but—but I prefer bubble baths because showers aren’t fun,
and—and you don’t have any toys.”
I remembered that about a previous little, but I never kept anything
to do with them. What I had with them was fleeting, and often led to me
spending a lot of money, only to throw or have it donated.
“If you want to do this, we can do this,” I said. “I don’t want you to
think you have to. If it makes you uncomfortable, then say it. I don’t mind.”
“I want this,” he barely moved his lips as he whispered it. “I
promise. And I won’t change my mind. You—you have done more for me
than anyone else has in a while.”
Things moved fast, it was the curse of being me, I wanted
everything immediately. I should’ve been awarded a commendation for
going as slow as I had with telling him I knew about his kink.
“Let’s discuss ground rules then,” I said. “You’ll sleep in my bed
now; you’ll do as I say—”
Leo interrupted me with giggles. “You already told me I have to do
as you say.”
“That’s true. And you must address me as Daddy.”
 Leo’s body let out a shiver as he pressed it closer to mine. “I like
that, Daddy.”
“In that case, not much changes. You don’t speak to anyone else.
People are dangerous. I still need you as my assistant, I can trust you,
right?”
“Of course.”
“What else would you like?”
I watched the wheels spin in his eyes. “Are you being serious?”
“Anything.” I had unlimited resources, and I was committed to
giving everything I had to the person I was looking to please.
“Well, I like teddies, and colouring pages, and I also like onesies,
and comfortable things,” he said.
“Everything. It’s yours.”
“But those are rewards. You can’t give me rewards unless I do
something good, right?”
Stroking a hand behind his soft head of hair, he’d already done
enough to be rewarded. “You do as I say, you get dressed in the clothes I
ask you to, and you’ve kept all the secrets, haven’t you?”
“Yes. Yes, I’ll never tell anyone.”
I kissed his forehead. “Then I want to reward you for being good.”
“I also like being undressed and I like—other things.” He wrapped
his leg over mine.
“What are your limits?” I asked. “I’m a very different person in that
way.”
“Is that like, what positions I like?” he asked, raising his brows. “I
like being on top and sometimes, I like being picked up against the wall.”
I couldn’t control the warm embrace of a smile on my face. “Your
limits are where you don’t go,” I explained.
“Oh. Oh, ok. I don’t—I don’t like being hurt, so I don’t like being
spanked and—and I don’t like that type of thing.”
He was sweet. It was bedroom vanilla, with sprinkles of Daddy. I
didn’t mind that at all, some littles didn’t like to take it into the bedroom at
all.
Controlling myself from trying to take him there on the sofa, all the
while the cartoon played in the background, I created reasons we needed to
wait. I hated to rush things, I was a pre-meditated person, everything with a
plan.
 I kissed him just as someone knocked at the door.
The knock turned to a loud banging.
“Fuck.”
“Naughty word,” Leo gasped.
That was adorable. “Got to our room, and stay there, ok.”
He nodded, jumping up. I saw the tenting in his onesie from where
his cock was hard. Mine was too, but I tucked that sucker up into my
waistband, concealing it just in case it popped up.
The banging continued. I grabbed a sharp butcher’s cleaver from the
kitchen and approached the door.
Through the peephole, I saw my cousin, Preston, furiously smacking
his fist against my door.
Opening the door, I brandished the cleaver at him. “What the fuck
are you doing?”
“Sam,” he said, gasping for breath. “It’s my dad.”
“Yeah?”
“He’s—he’s missing. I—I threw my phone against a wall, but—
there’s blood in the kitchen.”
“When?”
“Now, last night, this morning, I don’t fucking know.” He slowed
down and I saw his fists were bruised and bloodied.
“What have you done?”
“No, what have you done?” he asked, looking from the knife and
back at me. “You know we don’t do anything to hurt family.”
I chuckled and welcomed him inside anyway. “Why would I take
him?” I asked, leading Preston to the kitchen. I continued to hold the knife;
I wasn’t going to put that away until I figured out if Preston was a threat.
“Uncle Bennett sides with me, he’s the one that supported me stepping in
while my dad was home.”
“I don’t know,” he said, opening his hands to show the damage. “It’s
just—you put all these thoughts in my head about thinking I killed your
dad, so I—I thought you tried to get back at me.”
“Preston, the reason I thought that was because you were talking
about him dying, and then he died.” I cocked my head at him. “If I was
going to get back at you, I wouldn’t go for your dad, I’d go your throat. You
know I would. And rinse your fucking hands, you’re getting blood on the
counters.”
 “I don’t know what to do.”
So now whoever it was who killed my father, they were coming for
the whole family, first my dad, then Preston’s dad. “We need to tell Elias,” I
said. “And—your brother and sister. I’ll tell my mum too.”
“If someone is trying to pick us off, they’re not going to win,” he
said, rising his off his hands in the kitchen sink. “You’re the acting head of
the family. What are we supposed to do?”
“I’ll think,” I told him. “You should get your hand seen to as well.
Surely someone at the tailor can stitch up those cuts.”
Preston sighed. “Fine,” he said, turning to the TV. “What the fuck
are you doing watching cartoons?”
“It was just on,” I said. “I tried to find the news.”
As soon as Preston left, Leo appeared in the hallway, creeping out of
the bedroom with his teddy tucked under an arm.
“Can I come out now?” he asked.
“Yeah. Let’s—let’s cuddle for a little while.”
I needed him next to me, to lower the blood pressure throbbing
through the large vein in my neck. And while he watched the cartoons, it
gave me time and a chance to think about who could have a personal
vendetta against the family. But that list wasn’t getting any shorter anytime
soon.

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19. LEO
I’d listened to them talking, I didn’t tell him I had, but after all that banging,
I had to listen to what they were saying. He was different now around me,
his hands on me, cuddling me and touching. It was nice to feel someone
embrace me the way he did.
My dangerous Daddy, he made me fuzzy inside. I knew he could
kill someone, I’d seen it, but I knew he would never do that to me. It as an
incredible feeling, like a thousand small massaging hands on my body.
“Is there another episode?” he asked, pulling my attention away
from auditing my thoughts and feelings.
“I think so.”
“Ok. I need to go out, but I don’t want to leave you here alone,” he
said, his squeezing my arm. I looked into his eyes. His pupils grew bigger.
He smiled. “It’s dangerous, and I need to see my mother. She hasn’t
answered the phone, but she’s probably just baking still.
“I’ll come with you.” In all honesty, I didn’t want to stay here alone.
I liked being around him, if for nothing but the fact that he intimated
people, and that made me feel protected. “You want me to put something
formal on again?”
“Formal,” he repeated with a slight chuckle. “You mean a shirt.
Sure, the one you were wearing earlier might brighten things up.”
I knew he wanted to tell me about what he’d spoke to his cousin
about earlier, but he seemed hesitant. I didn’t blame him, it was scary.
Dressed in the clothes from this morning, we made a round trip from
his mother’s house. She was fine, she’d moved on from pies, and I carried a
tray bake of chocolate brownies back to the flat with us. He tried to be quiet
when he talked with her, but she knew to be on alert. She had all her doors
double locked with the latch, and he’d phoned to have someone from his
security team stationed at the house too.
When we got back, I grabbed a slice of chocolate brownie and
stuffed my face with it. I was a messy eater, not by choice, but through
habit. If you didn’t eat food fast enough, you didn’t eat at all, and speed
beat cleanliness in terms of eating.
Samuel smiled at me from across the counter. I didn’t think he’d
seen me.
 “Now, I find it adorable,” he said, grabbing the kitchen roll. “You
won’t have any room for my plans later if you eat now.” He wiped at my
face, getting all the chocolate brownie that had found its way around my
mouth, chin, and cheeks. “Are they good?” He leaned in and kissed my
nose. This was the actions of a Daddy, caring and sweet.
“It’s really good,” I whispered. “What plans did you have later?”
“Let’s get you out of these clothes first.” His fingers were precise as
they unbuttoned my shirt at the collar. “Are you ok with me undressing
you?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You know the traffic light system?”
I nodded. Green for go. Red for stop. “Green.” A shiver ran the
length of my back, leading my shoulders to shimmy forward, almost
throwing myself into him. I wasn’t complaining, I’d wanted to throw
myself at him, and when we first met, unofficially, I had thrown myself at
him, but that was to steal.
Daddy’s fingers were slow, teasing me as he unbuttoned the shirt.
“I’ll run you a bath with bubbles, and—I might have some unopened bath
toys, if you like octopuses.”
A gasp escaped. “I love animal toys.” I once had a dolphin toy, it
was my favourite, it squirted water out, and sometimes I would put the nose
end of the toy inside me. I’d lost it a couple years ago when I was sorting
through my things because I hoarded what I could. “Does it squirt?”
He paused and stared at me. “Me, you, or the toy?”
My skin became hot. “Um. The toy.”
“I can check.” He slipped his hands down trousers and grabbed at
my ass in my tight underwear. “I feel like I’m ready for a reward of my
own.”
I hooked my arms around his neck and placed my mouth to his ear.
“Is it me?” I whispered. “Am I the reward?”
He licked my neck. “And what a tasty reward you are.” With his
hands on my ass, he pulled me up to place my legs around my waist.
“You’re ok with that, right?”
“Yes.”
He carried me through his bedroom and into his huge bathroom. It
was gorgeous. The tub was huge; enough to fit three people or for one small
person to pretend they were swimming in. He sat me on the bathroom
counter beside the sink. While there, he started running a bath and adding
bubbles that filled the room with his vanilla smell. He came back to finish
undressing me, pulling my trousers off and folding them on the counter.
On the cool marble counter in my underwear, my hands covered my
cock in my briefs, I was already excited, and I didn’t want to show him
everything right away.
“Here we are,” he said, showing me a package with three octopuses
and the product design showing they were light up and flashing octopuses.
“You want to play with these?”
I looked him up and down. I was in a playful mood. I wasn’t sure if
I wanted to play with toys, or what I imagined his body looked like behind
his clothes.
“Are you going to join me in the bath?”
“Do you want me to?”
“Get clean too,” I said.
He kissed me, his lips lingering against mine and I never wanted
them to go. “Then you should get me undressed, unless you want my very
nice and very expensive clothes to get wet?”
That would’ve been funny, to get his clothes wet, but I also wanted
to satisfy my curiosity.
I tried doing the same technique as he had, except my fingers
weren’t as steady as his. I never usually had this issue, my hands were
great, but I wanted to impress him now. I got the first two undone before he
ripped the shirt, and the buttons went flying across the bathroom, pinging
off the tiles. “Well, I’m impatient,” he said.
Under his shirt, there was a white vest top, but his nipples were
visible, and hard. I took one of his nipples between my forefinger and
thumb and gave it a light squeeze. Watching his face for an expression of
joy, he smiled.
“You keep doing that and I’ll fuck you,” he said.
I took his other nipple with my other hand. “Ok.”
He grabbed both my hands, pulling them away. “You can play with
them later,” he said. “Take off my trousers. And don’t touch my cock.”
His voice was serious, but his actions were playful. I’d listened to
his orders and followed as instructed. He wore breezy checked boxers and I
saw the complete semi-erect outline of his cock. I looked up at him from
my knees. “Is that everything?” I asked.
 “My socks.” He leaned against the counter and lifted his leg, waving
his foot in front of my face. I saw right up the briefs to his low hanging
balls.
He had big, veiny feet, I pulled away the socks, one after the other.
My cock was harder after catching glimpses of his cock in his briefs. I just
wanted to see it now.
“You go in first,” he said. “Take off your underwear.”
I turned away and took my briefs off. He watched, but only caught
my bare bum before I got into the bath. It was warm, and all the bubbles
cuddled around my body.
“Look at you, being a tease.” He dropped the toys into the water. As
they hit, they became alive with flashing colours. “Want me to turn the light
off?”
“No,” I said, immediately, I wanted to see him get naked. I also
wanted to see the octopus toys turned colour and make the bathroom light
up. “Ok.”
They glowed in the darkness. Flashing between different colours.
Daddy climbed into the bath. I didn’t see his cock. He sat opposite,
his legs extending to touch mine. “I needed this,” he said, sinking into the
water as he laid his head back.
I was busy, preoccupied with smashing the octopus toys together.
The harder I smashed, the faster the colours changed, and then the more
light there was. I almost forgot he was in the tub with me until I felt his
legs.
“I don’t know what brought you to me, but I’m glad it did,” he said.
“You—you basically kidnapped me. So, you brought me to you,” I
said, snickering. I dipped one of the octopus toys under the water and tried
to clear some bubbles so I could see if there were any trouser snakes down
here. “I saw it!” His cock was flaccid, but it looked thick, or maybe that
was that weird water thing where it made objects appear weird, plus, I saw
it in several colours as the octopus changed so quick.
“What did you see?” he chuckled, grabbing the bubble, he blew
them to me from his palm.
“Nothing,” I offered in singsong attempt to be sweet and innocent.
“It was just another toy.” At least, I hoped it was going to be another toy I
got to use. And soon. I was covering up my excitement with a hoard of
bubbles over my body.
 “Come here,” he said. “I want you to sit between my legs.”
“Already?” I chuckled.
Manoeuvring around, I found myself between his legs, feeling his
cock rest at the base of my back. Daddy placed his hands on my chest,
rubbing them up and down my body, stopping himself as he reached my
cock. “You’re so soft,” he whispered. “I don’t want anything to go wrong. It
had to be perfect.”
“This is a good start,” I said, leaning back into him, relaxing. “Not
many people do this. I usually play alone.”
“I’m happy to play,” he said. “Everyone needs a break; everyone
needs the touch of someone else. Some people just take longer to get there.
I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been thinking about this moment for so long.”
I was glad too. I didn’t know what he might’ve done if he was alone
when he found out about his dad. I was the relief. Clearly, he’d been
thinking about me like that. He’d been looking at pictures of me long before
I even knew he existed. I’d probably been his relief for a while now.
“How long, exactly, have you been looking at my profile?” I finally
asked.
“Enough to know what I want, but not long enough to have
organised someone to find out who you were,” he said, kissing my ear. “I
was almost there though. I nearly asked someone to find you from your
pictures.”
Nobody had ever done that for those reasons before. People had
investigated me because I might’ve stolen from them, or maybe because
they were my mum and she was—ruining my mood, even just to think of
her. “And—and what would you have done or said when you found me?” I
asked. “Because you know, you could’ve just messaged me on the app.”
“No,” he said, letting out a small chuckle in my ear. “I don’t chase
after people like that. I would’ve probably seen you somewhere, saw what
you wore, and told myself I could take better care of you. I might’ve even
offered you this same job now. Or made up some story about how you look
exactly like someone I knew.”
It made the moment give me fuzzies again, my body doing a shiver
shimmy against him. “Wow. Ok.”
“So,” he began, leaving a kiss on the left side of my neck. “It was
always,” he kissed the other side of my neck, “meant to be.”
 “It was,” I whispered to myself. I’d just sped the timeline up a little
bit, and perhaps this way was better, since he knew me for my worst first,
even if his worse was worse than mine.
He gave me another kiss, this time, extending a hand up my throat to
lean my head back. “I’m gonna get out, but I want you to keep playing,” he
said. “I’ll get the bedroom ready. I want it to be special.”
My legs squeezed my hard cock between them. I was already ready
to burst with all the teasing, and now he had an entire plan for the bedroom.
I just wanted him to take me here and now. At least I got a glimpse of his
cock against as he climbed out of the tub and wrapped a towel around his
waist.
“Be good,” he said before leaving me.
I didn’t know if I could be good. I wanted to touch myself so
desperately, but if I did that, I’d cum and then he might not want to touch
me because my cock would need ages to refill itself again, and then he
might think I don’t like him if I can’t cum. So, I didn’t touch myself—that
much.

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20. SAMUEL
Being honest with myself, I knew intimacy was difficult and hard to come
by. Having sex was the easy part, admittedly. I wanted to connect with Leo
on more than just a physical one. I wanted to connect with him mentally
too.
While Leo was in the bubble bath, talking to himself and the
octopus bath toys I’d given him. I turned the LED colour changing
lightbulb on. It was something I’d had installed a while ago. It went through
all the colours of the rainbow, and sometimes it was nice at calming me
down when I found myself in a fit of rage.
I made the bed with new sheets and a cover and pillows cases. I
fluffed the pillows, imagining laying his head down on one of them. Sex
was different with different people, I could be known as someone who
enjoyed putting their hands on another person’s throat, but at the opposite
end of that, I was also someone who liked to be soft and tender in my touch,
no pain, just pleasure.
“I’m ready to get out now,” Leo called out.
“I’m ready too,” I said, opening the bathroom door into the
darkness. The low intensity colours of the LED trickled into the darkness.
“Let’s get you out.” I took a fluffy, warm towel from the heated towel
wrack on the wall.
“But you’ll see me naked,” he whispered.
“I’ll close my eyes,” I said. “You know I’ll see you naked soon.”
“I want to see you naked first, actually.”
I pressed a finger to my lips and hushed. “I have a secret, but under
this robe, I am naked.”
Leo let out a giggle as his arms gentle splashed around. “Ok. Close
your eyes.”
I didn’t close my eyes. It was already difficult to see; the lights were
off, the blinds were drawn, the only light came from a lamp in the bedroom.
The colourful toys were at the bottom of the tub doing their light show.
He stepped out of the tub, straight into the towel. I wrapped it
around him and took another towel and begin drying his body.
“This is nice,” he said. “So warm.”
“The towel rack is heated,” I said.
 “Not—not in the other bathroom.”
“Did you turn it on?”
“Oh. Um. Maybe not then.”
Adorable. I patted the towel over his body under the guise of drying
him, I was just satisfying my want to touch him.
Once he was dry, I carried him into the bedroom and laid him on the
bed. He cupped his hands at his cock as I pulled the towel from around his
waist, the one he’d clung to in the bathroom. Leo watched himself in the
mirror. Removing one of his hands, he stroked it up his torso.
“Is that what you came to see?” I asked him as I pulled the rope
holding my robe shut. “Or do you—”
“I want that,” he said, turning his head to me at the side of the bed.
He reached out with a hand, and I stepped back, away from it.
“Do you enjoy looking at yourself?” I asked, walking around the
bed to the other side. His eyes followed. “I like looking at you.” I dropped
the robe and climbed onto the bed, laying on my side to stare into his eyes.
“You’re going to be nice, right?” he whispered.
My hand went to his skin, stroking at his torso until I found his
hand. “I’ll be whatever you want me to be.” I leaned into kiss.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“Touch me,” I said. “Touch Daddy.”
He didn’t need any more encouragement, both hands were on my
body instantly. He turned on his side, and I saw the semi-erect cock curving
up slightly toward his belly. I went all the way down with a hand to touch it,
and he touched mine.
Radiating warmth and heat, our bodies came together, squeezing
each other as our cock became thicker against each other.
“It’s like a sword fight,” he giggled, reaching down to take control
of his cock from the base, using it like a sword to hit at mine. Mine was
bigger, and thicker, I allowed him to keep whacking his cock against mine
as if mine wouldn’t decimate him. Like a pup going up against an Alpha, it
was adorable, and I allowed it.
My hands were busy mapping out the curvature of his back and
spine, going to his bum and pulling apart his cheeks. My finger touched his
hole, the delicate smooth hole was clenched shut. I wet my finger with a
little spit before going back to it. Just the tip of my finger.
“Baby,” I let out. “I want it.”
 “Then take it.”
Pulling him on top of me, I grabbed his ass and forced him to my
face. He planted his hands on the wall as he tried to be delicate and keep
himself from putting all his weight down on my face. But I wanted it, all of
it.
My tongue licked at his hole as my hands pulled his cheeks to open
him wider. I needed to get inside. He moaned, losing composure as he
finally gave in and applied pressure. He was tight and delicious.
“Yes, Daddy,” he moaned. “Please, Daddy.”
Moving him down my face slightly, his smooth balls on my mouth, I
gobbled them both up inside and felt as he writhed around on top of me,
gyrating on my mouth, back and forth.
I reached his cock, fully erect and curved up to his belly. The
foreskin pulled all the way back. “Give me it,” I said.
His body jerked with excitement, all those nerve endings from the
tip of his cock made him shiver. I finally got it in my mouth and allowed for
him to thrust it as far back as it could go. I liked to taste every part before
they got a taste of me. He pulled out of my mouth, squeezing his thighs
together with his cock between them.
“What happened?”
“I don’t want—to cum yet.”
I didn’t care if he came now, or later. If he came now, then I’d still
fuck him until he came again. He was in his twenties, when I was in my
twenties, I could three or four times in one night, and this was only the late
morning, he could be cumming all day.
“Cum,” I said. “Cum for me.”
“But—but—”
“Cum for Daddy.”
“What if—”
I sat upright, moving with him. He put him on his back. “Now,” I
said. “You either cum now, or you cum when I put my dick in you. I want
you to cum both times.”
“Both?” His wide eyes stared up at me. His cock still concealed
between his clenched thighs.
“Please, for me.” I parted his legs at his thighs with a hand.
His cock flung back, hitting his belly. His toes curled as he pressed
them into the duvet. “What if I can’t.”
 Between his legs, I leaned across him. “I’ll make sure you can.” I
gave him a kiss on the lips, then down his neck and chest. “Go on.”
While he pleasured himself, I grabbed a condom from the bedside
table. I already knew what I was going to do.
“Fuck me,” he let out through a deep panting breath. He came, the
translucent cum pooled on his chest. “Daddy. I did it.”
Immediately, I touched it and with the cum on my finger, I pressed it
against his hole, lubing it up. There was a rhythmic clenching, like a
heartbeat as half of my finger went inside. Hooking my finger to press at his
prostate, I listened to his gasp. He grabbed the bedsheet and tugged them
toward him.
“You like that?” I asked.
He moaned louder. “I’m gonna use your cum,” I told him, pulling
my finger out of him. “You want to suck it first?”
His cock twitched as he nodded.
My cock was hard, the foreskin still over the head, it was incredibly
stretchy skin. I could’ve docked his cock all the way inside mine.
Using both hands, he guided my cock into his mouth. He used his
tongue to wrap around the head and push the foreskin back. I leaned my
head back and watched from the mirror above. His head bobbed around on
my cock, his attempt to take it all the way into the back of his throat. It
would’ve widened his throat passage if he could, that was for sure.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I pulled out of his mouth while he
begged for more.
I needed to be inside him so that I could kiss his mouth and letting
my tongue feel his tongue. So that we could become a connected circle with
our bodies meeting at mouth to mouth and ass to cock.
The condom was slick with lubricant and rolled over my cock,
fitting like a second skin. I dipped a finger into his cum and applied it to his
hole. Using my cock, I pressed his cum back inside him and pulled out. I
did it again, and again, feeling out his hole with each stretch as my tip
entered and came out.
“Fuck me please,” he said, his cock already semi-erect. “Put it in
me. I want it.”
Taking both his legs, I pulled them up against my body. The tip of
my cock inside him, I leaned out slowly as I went deeper inside. With his
legs up, it allowed me in easier. A trick I’d learned for tight bottoms. His
moans were louder as he begged for it.
I couldn’t tell if he was staring at me or the reflection of us in the
ceiling. “You feel nice,” I whispered. Lowering my head to meet his, I gave
him kiss. “Do you ever put anything else up here?” I asked, gently fucking
him, in and out like we were being rocked together on a boat.
“Sometimes, my—my finger,” he whispered back through bated
breath.
“Good, good.” I grabbed his hands and pushed them above his head.
His fingers were quite dainty. I doubt they did anything to stretch him out.
He moved his legs to wrap them around my waist.
I fucked him for a moment until I wanted to see what he was seeing
in the mirror.
Switching up, I laid on my back and his back laid on my torso.
I guided my cock into him as I watched our reflection. This was
better. I could see everything. I stared into his eyes as my hands grabbed his
body from all angles. He gyrated himself, moving up and down on my
cock, back and forth as I pushed my legs up and thrust my cock to his
rhythm.
He moaned like an angelic choir begging me to go deeper. I
continued, as far as I could go and as soft as it would let me. I didn’t want
to be rough or hurt him, I just wanted to listen to his moans as my body
embraced him.
His cock was already hard again, but I kept his hands from touching
him. I played with his nipples like he had played with mine. He didn’t last
long; he shot the more liquid cum up his body and chin. His hole clenched
down around my cock, squeezing my shaft and tip in a synchronised
motion.
I pulled out of him as he laid, exhausted across my chest.
“Your turn,” I said, scooping his cum with a finger and allowing
myself the taste. “Suck it for a reward.”
Quickly, regained energy, he pulled himself from my body and
appeared between my legs at my cock. I pulled the condom off for him. He
didn’t waste any time in wrapping his lips around it and taking it as far as
he could, his nose in my trimmed hair at the base of my cock. He was
choking himself on it.
He wanted me to cum in his mouth.
 His fingers were at my nipples, both hands. A warning I’d given him
earlier about what it would do to me. The way he was sucking down on my
cock, I wondered if I’d been accidentally starving him. Or perhaps he was
just really excited to get a decent amount of protein in his body.
I lasted a couple more minutes before he hit a spot with my nipples
and my exploded with cum in his mouth. Shot, right to the back of his
mouth. He went deeper on it, gulping it down like it was his responsibility
to clean up if he had a mess. He pulled away after another minute of licking
at my tip and smiled at me.
“You got it all?” I asked, panting out of breath.
Leo wiped his mouth with the back of a hand. “Like the best tube of
yoghurt, I’ve ever tasted.” He smacked his lips. “Do we get to cuddle now,
Daddy?”
“Since I’m in charge,” I said. “I command we cuddle now.”
Instead of laying beside me and cuddling against me, he crawled up
on top of me and laid his head on my chest. I felt overcome with emotion,
not wanting to cry, because I was much stronger than that, but I wanted to
break down in some other way after the intensity.
He was asleep within minutes, and I finally let out a little emotion
with a single tear down the corner of my cheek. I’d be fine now; everything
was going to be fine now. And it had to be, I was a cold-stone killer, but
now, I came with a warm little who defrosted me temporarily just for the
relief of an orgasm.

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21. LEO
I woke in his warm embrace, his hands wrapped around my back. And
between us, his cock was already hard, poking me in the belly. He was
sound asleep. A buzzing vibrated against the bedside table. That was what
had woken me.
The dark LED colour lights continued to change colour around me, I
thought for a moment everything had turned violet purple. I rolled off his
body to see his dick in all its glory and the rest of his body, I wanted to
sleep on him again.
The phone vibrated once more, reminding me someone was trying
to reach him.
I nudged him gently. The sudden fear of him freaking out about
being woke from a nap almost stopped me. “Your phone is buzzing,” I
whispered.
“Aw,” he mumbled. “Come back to sleep.” He pawed at his chest,
sleepily. “Come on.” He wrapped his arms around me and turned on his
side. “Shhhh, let’s sleep.”
“It’s your phone,” I said, although I didn’t want him to stop cuddling
me like this. His cock against my back was getting me all excited.
He let go. “Fuck.”
“What?”
Reaching over me, his chest on my face as I slipped down the bed.
He grabbed his phone. “I told Preston to call if it was important,” he said.
“Is it—is it important?” I asked, inhaling his scent from his body
being pressed against me.
“Five missed calls,” he said in a heavy sigh before slumping beside
me in the bed. “We slept for three hours.” He smiled. “Go put some clothes
on, we’ll need to head out.” He gave my bum a squeeze. “As much as I’d
like to see you without anything on, I don’t want everyone else seeing you
like that.”
I scurried off to change and tell Tuffy about what had happened. I
heard him on the phone from my room, speaking loud to his cousin, almost
shouting.
“He’s nice, actually,” I whispered to Tuffy as I looked through the
underwear drawer. I was feeling the stripes today, rainbow-striped briefs. “I
mean, I know he might sound mean and sometimes look mean, but I
promise, he’s actually really warm and nice.” I carried Tuffy and sat him on
top of the drawers. “I think we knew that though, because he didn’t hurt me,
he gave me this room, he bought me all the things I like to eat, and stuff like
that.”
I knew Tuffy couldn’t talk, but he was my secret keeper. He would
never tell anyone anything I ever told anyone. And if he did, then I’d be
shocked because the last time I remembered, Tuffy could only talk back to
me when I was all cuddled up in little space, and only to me.
Putting on the colourful shirt and the trousers, I was looking
professional. I admired the change in the mirror. Daddy probably liked to
see that too, when I was in the shirt, I was his assistant, and then when I
was naked or in a onesie, I was little Leo, looking for someone to cuddle
and kiss, as well as other things. I was also looking to draw and host tea
parties, but I only had Tuffy, and I’d spilled a lot of tea on him, he might not
last another soaking.
He came to the bedroom door, only dressed in a pair of navy-blue
suit trousers with a belt tight around his waist. The hair up from his belly
button and chest transfixed my gaze on him.
“I want you to wait here,” he said. “My cousin thinks he found his
father.” He looked me over and pulled my head to his, kissing my forehead.
“It’s dangerous out there. I don’t want you to answer the door to anyone.
And if someone knocks, I want you to take a knife and prepare yourself.”
I could see that he didn’t want to tell me that, he didn’t want to turn
me into a killer, even if that was self-defence. “Wouldn’t—wouldn’t it be
easier and better if I came with you?”
“As dangerous as it is, it’s much safer for you in here,” he said,
walking back to finish getting dressed. “I don’t want to leave you either, but
I have to. Keep your phone charged and keep it with you, I don’t know how
long I’ll be.”
“Wait, wait, no, I should tell you to keep your phone charged,” I
said, standing at the bedroom door and watching him stare inside his closet.
It was filled with garment bags. “I don’t—I don’t want you to do anything
dangerous.”
“Come here,” he said.
I stood beside and clung to his body, wrapping my arms around his
waist. I squeezed tight. “You’ll be safe, right?”
 “I’ve just had incredible sex, there’s no way I’m not going to give
that up,” he said. “But remember, you must listen to me. I know what I’m
doing.”
I nodded.
“What were my instructions?”
“Phone on and charged. Don’t answer the door. And have a knife.”
“See, I told you I’d teach you something,” he chuckled, ruffling his
hands through my hair. “I’ll bring you something nice home to eat as well.
So, that’s my promise not to be home too late.”
My belly was already rumbling, and I knew he heard it too.
“There’s food in, if you’re hungry now.”
It was nicer now he wasn’t angry at me, but I realise that his anger
probably came from his inability to tell me how he felt or what he’d seen
with me being on the app. “Ok,” I said. “And what if I need you for
something, should I text you?”
“If you need me, sure,” he said. “But it must be an emergency. My
cousin is a bit of an ass, no, he’s a full ass, and if he has anything to do with
this, it’s going to be all hands-on deck. So, try not to need me for anything.”
I sighed, letting go of him so he could finish getting dressed. “But I
need you now.”
“Fine,” he chuckled. “If you feel like you’re in danger, then you can
call. Oh. There’s a wooden wedge you can use, when I leave, put it under
the front door.”
My anxiety was climbing. Perhaps it was because he’d mentioned
someone might come to the flat, and if I was alone when someone started
banging like they had earlier, it would send me into a spiral. I’d dealt with
that enough as a child, I didn’t want to go back there.
He left me in the living room with the TV on, giving me a kiss on
the forehead and telling me not to worry. But it was hard not to worry when
you’d seen what he was capable of. Half of me wanting to call Susie and
tell her to come over, and the other half knew he wouldn’t like that.
I sent her a picture of the view and told her I had the day off.
—Let’s meet up for coffee then, I need you to tell me everything. And
I also want to make sure your face is ok. She messaged.
—Maybe another time. I’m watching some TV and I’m waiting for
Sam to get back. He said it was a day off, but between me and you, I think
he likes me.
 —So that’s why you took the job?
I could almost sense her laughing away as she typed that.
Maybe it helped me ease into the role.
I sent her a picture of my face just so she could make that it was
healing. And then she reminded me that sleeping with your boss is never a
good idea, especially when they also let you live at their place.
She didn’t know what she was talking about though. It was different
between us, he wasn’t like a boss, he was in charge, but he was much more
than that.
As I sat, watching the cartoon about the three bears, I ate all the
chocolate mousses from the fridge. And I was still hungry, I wanted to eat
my anxieties away. He promised he’d be back, and he promised he’d have
food with him.
It was also getting darker, and my belly was rumbling louder.
The cupboards were mostly empty, except for the alcohol he stored
in them, or the plates and bowls. There was an entire cupboard filled with
wine glasses too. I knew he wasn’t much of a cook, not like his mother.
That’s when I found the tray of chocolate brownies, we’d got from
her. It was under a tinfoil wrap over the tray on the bottom shelf of the
fridge. I forget all about my worries and sat with the tray on my lap as I ate
piece after piece of fudge brownie.
It had been four hours since he left. He hadn’t called or texted. In
fact, I wanted to text him because he hadn’t updated me. But I didn’t want
to look like some clingy guy who he just had sex with and now wants to
know his every move.
I waited and waited until my gut told me something wasn’t right.
Before I could call him, three loud bangs came at the front door.
I froze. My hands shaking.
The handle wiggled as they whacked it.
“Open up.” It was his voice.
It took a moment to understand what was going on. I rushed to the
door, pulling out the wedge so I could open it.
At the door, his shirt and hands were bloody. Gasping out of breath,
he stumbled inside. “I need you to clean the door and I need you to get the
first-aid kit,” he said, holding the back of a hand as blood dripped on the
floor.
 I shot into action, following behind him as he walked into the
kitchen.
“What happened?” I asked.
He ran his hands under the water in the sink. “Listen, can you go
downstairs and come back up, wiping any blood you see on the floor, the
lift, the floor pad. Anything, I need you to clean it. There are some alcohol
wipes under the counter.”
Under the counter, following his orders, I grabbed the wipes and
pulled the first-aid kit out. But I dealt with cleaning up the blood first, and
there were lots of it, not large pools, but droplets, everywhere. He’d touched
the buttons in the lift, and his prints were on the door in blood. I cleaned it
all before going back to him, trying not to think about what had happened to
him. I hoped that was all the damage.
Daddy Samuel continued to rinse his hands until I got back to him.
He smiled, hopefully reassured I’d done a good job, and by the sight of all
the blood-soaked wipes in my hand, I’d done well.
“What happened?” I asked again.
“My—my uncle, we didn’t find him yet, but we found his phone,”
he said. “Things got pretty messy, we—we went to the place, asked what
they knew, they didn’t take us seriously. Then we had one guy run, so I had
to go after him.” He sighed. “People should tell the truth and not run; guilty
people run.”
I chewed on my lip as another question appeared on my tongue.
“Did you kill him?”
He turned the tap off and presented his hands to me on the island
counter, under the central spotlight, like I was in some type of hospital.
There were cuts on his knuckles and they looked like they were swelling.
“Wow,” I mumbled.
Chuckling, it clearly wasn’t as painful as I imagined. “I usually use
knives,” he said. “Ok. What I’m gonna need you to do is get the antiseptic
stuff, and put it on there, then there’s a cream, I need you to coat it in that.
Ok. I might look like it hurts, and it probably will, but you must do it.”
Opening the first-aid kit, I didn’t know if I was ready. He looked in
my eyes, he trusted me to do this. “I don’t want to hurt you,” I said,
organising the steps out on the counter.
“It’s ok, I’ll be fine, just be glad I don’t think I need you to stitch
anything,” he said, laughing at the idea. I didn’t find that super funny; it
sent a shiver through me.
I followed his steps, cleaning the wound, creaming the wound, and
then applying a bandage around both hands that extended around to his
wrists, and some woolly substance on the cuts.
When I finished, he smiled at me and gave me a hug. “Your lip is
bleeding,” I said, looking up at him.
He licked at the cut. “Forgot about that,” he said. “Think it will
scar?”
I didn’t want it to scar, but it would make his face look a little
meaner even when he wasn’t trying. “Maybe if I kiss better, it won’t,” I
said, kissing his bottom lip.
“Fuck,” he grumbled, clenching his freshly dressed hand into a fist.
“I promised you food. I’m sorry. But I can see you ate that entire thing over
there.” He gestured to the tray baked brownie. “Are you hungry?”
My belly rumbled. So that was a yes.
“I’ll order food,” he said, kissing my forehead. “What do you like?”
“Hmm, burgers, chips, chicken nuggets,” I began listing off until he
got an idea of where I wanted to eat from.
He pulled his phone out of his suit pocket, showing me the smashed
screen. “Where’s your phone?”
In my pocket, right next to me, waiting for his text or call from
earlier. He smiled, the cut in his lips appearing to grow wider. I just wanted
to kiss all his wounds better like I knew he would to me.
But I was glad he hadn’t taken on any more damage, there was only
so much I knew how to do.

OceanofPDF.com
22. SAMUEL
I woke on the sofa, cuddling Leo. My hands were in agony from the beating
I’d handed out. I was past using my fists. I wasn’t some low street gang
criminal, recruited to peddle drugs on street corners. I was the head of a
family; we dealt in party drugs and smuggling.
Trying my best not to wake Leo, I looked around. The sun was
rising. I was still in my clothes from last night. Leo was in a onesie. He
must’ve put the fleecy blanket over us. I hadn’t seen it before, so it must
have been his. Covered colourful stars.
He rolled back into my spot as I climbed from it.
The blood soaked through the gauze around my hands. I killed the
man. His mangled face went lifeless in front of me. It was his fault, of
course, he’d attacked me. It was probably a job Preston could’ve got the
security involved with instead of me.
Security eventually got involved to clean the mess. And all for a
phone that led us down a dead end.
I went to the bathroom to make less noise as I redressed my wounds.
It was painful, but I could handle it. I’d handled much worse growing up,
my family had a saying, you had to take a beating to know how to give a
beating, maybe not a saying so much as a training motto.
I swallowed a painkiller and examined the rest of my body as I
undressed from the shirt. They’d got one shot at me, hitting my ribs. It was
bruised and a little tender, but I hadn’t even felt that last night. My lip was
also sore, prodding it with my tongue, I knew it would take time to heal.
The worst part of last night was how we didn’t even find my uncle.
We found his phone. They eventually told us it was on the street. It
reminded me again, I needed a new phone. But that was fine, Kelly would
import everything over from the old one.
Leo was awake when I walked back into the living room in a pair of
boxers. His eyes lit up, like he’d just won a golden ticket. His prize, which
he knew, was my body. And I knew the regenerative powers of sex. I was
already chubbing up a semi in my boxers.
“Are you ok?” He let out a little gasp. “That looks sore.”
“I’m fine.”
 Leo jumped over the sofa, almost slipping as he raced to me. “And
your hands?” He took my hand inside the bandage, turning them over as if
he knew what to look for. It was endearing.
“You wanna help me?” I whispered, placing a hand at his cheek.
“You want to look after Daddy, do you?”
Nodding, he almost had his tongue wagging too. “Anything.”
I unzipped his onesie, as it fell from him, revealing him in all his
naked glory. “Against the window.”
He stepped out of it and walked toward the large glass window. His
bum pressed against the glass, I shook my head and gestured for him to
turn.
On my knees behind him, I pulled his cheeks apart and licked his
hole. He mushed himself against the glass, rubbing his cock on it as he
moved back and forth on my face.
In motion, I ate his ass while he left an imprint of his body against
my window.
He stayed there until I could get a condom and lube. He hadn’t
moved a single inch, I would know, his imprint was a memory now turning
to condensation from his heavy hot breath.
There was no wasting any time, I went straight inside with my lubed
cock, as far as I could before he let out an almighty moan. I reached around
his body to grab his cock and with the limit use of my hand, I masturbated
him.
“Tell Daddy what you want,” I said before nibbling at his earlobe.
“I want you to cum in me,” he said. “I want Daddy’s dick to cum in
me.”
I would’ve preferred to do that without a condom, but this thing was
still early. There would be plenty of time to fuck without them in the future.
“I’ll paint your insides, baby,” I said through a shallow breath.
“I want—I want—I want your cum,” he said, backing up against me
before thrusting himself against on the window. His hole puckered tight
around my cock. And I saw the long line of hot cum across the window, like
a small hose he’d created a mess.
I rammed my cock against his throbbing warm hole as he leaned
against me and begged in his breathless panting. I filled the condom inside
him, keeping my cock up there until I felt every drop teased from the tip of
my cock.
 We both stayed together in that position for a moment. I didn’t want
to leave him and feel disconnected from his warmth, or the happy hormones
he gave me that put a temporary end to all the pain in my body.
Leo was my happy hormone, long before I ever met him. His
images on that app kept me feeling something. And I never thought I’d get
it in my hands. Previous relationships and flings failed constantly because
they couldn’t handle the other side to me, the side they feared. But Leo saw
that, and me, and he still wanted more of it.
As he showered, I made him breakfast. It was a mess, I tried to
make him French toast, something I grew eating. Instead, I burned the bread
and filled the kitchen with smoke. I had a good ventilation system so it
wasn’t much of a problem, but I couldn’t feed him burned food.
“Oh my god,” he said, appearing in the hallway, freshly dressed in a
clean onesie. “I love burned toast!”
“No, no, no,” I said, scraping the burnt crisps from the pan. “You
don’t have to.”
“I do,” he said. “When I was younger, my mum used to burn the
toast like all the time, and so now, I like to make sure my toast is burned.”
“This is—” I showed him the charred bread.
“That’s incinerated,” he chuckled. “Maybe not that burned.”
I pulled a bowl from the cupboard. “Safer if I just make you some
cereal then.”
“Last night, are you ok?”
“I’m great,” I told him. “You go sit at the table. I’ll make you the
chocolate cereal.”
He followed my instruction. “What are we going to do today?”
“Today, I have to get a new phone. I should probably call Kelly
before she gets to the office.” She could go to the store and buy one with
the company card. It was probably better the security cameras see her do it
rather than me and my bandaged hands. “Then, I think I’ve got to go sit
with my mum while she calls around about funeral arrangements. My sister
will be there as well, so I probably won’t stay long, just to show my
support.”
“Should I come with you?”
I wanted him to come with me, but I didn’t want to risk him being
seen with me right now. I didn’t know if it were the Russians or the
Chinese, or one of the smaller gangs who had targeted my family, but I felt
like I was being watched now for my next move. “You should go see your
friend,” he said. “I don’t want her to think I kidnapped you, even if that’s
kinda what I did to you.”
He chuckled, although I was unsure if it was a sincere chuckle, or a
nervous one.
I didn’t want him to leave the flat at all. “Maybe once there’s a date
set for the funeral, we can get out of the city to one of the houses
somewhere,” I said. “There’s a country house with trees and fields. It’s
nice.”
“I’d like that. I always wanted to travel, and I suppose where better
to start than in England.” He was enthusiastic and excited about the idea. I
liked that about him, switching on his childlike explosion of excitement. It’s
what I craved, to have someone who could beat down all the stress of what
I do. “You know, I think there’s a lot we could do in England, because we
have beaches too. And I’ve never really been to the beach before, maybe as
a kid, I barely remember it, but what if we see like dolphins and sharks
there too.”
“I—I don’t think we have those,” I said, handing him the large bowl
of cereal. “But we could go somewhere that did.”
His eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Absolutely!”
I left him to eat as I got dressed for my day. I looked pretty patched
up, and less like I’d just stepped out an underground fighting ring. My
mother and sister would both be obsessing over every little detail for the
funeral procession, while I would organise the family meeting afterwards. It
was a perfect situation, the family would all be together after the funeral,
and we needed to take a vote on who to put in charge. The obvious answer
and step would be to place me there.
Another morning at my mother’s house smelled like baked goods.
I tried to be present with her and joke about her opening a bakery,
but my mind focused on Leo, alone at the flat. I had no way of getting in
contact with him until I was back at the office where Kelly was currently
swapping over all my phone data.
My younger sister, Belinda, was writing a list. “We’ve got flowers
booked now,” she said, ticking the page. “We need to know where you’re
holding the wake and meeting to organise catering,” she said, glaring at me.
“So, the sooner you get that done, the better.”
 Our mother hummed a tune as she opened the oven door to check
her cakes. “I heard about last night,” she said, without even glancing at me.
“Your Uncle Bennett is still missing.”
“Uncle Bennett is missing?” Belinda gasped. “I’ve been here for an
hour waiting for Sam to show up and you didn’t tell me any of this.”
“Relax,” I grumbled, sitting at the island counter. I laid my
bandaged hands out. “It was nothing. It didn’t lead us anywhere. We were
tracking his phone. Someone stole it. Or found it. Either way, they’ll think
twice about picking something off the floor that doesn’t belong to them.”
I could hear Belinda grind her teeth. “I thought you were both over
that,” she said. “Violence doesn’t solve anything.”
Our mother turned, throwing her head back, she cackled. “Don’t be
silly. Violence solves many things. And it teaches people valuable lessons.
There’s a—there’s a—what do you call it? A law. That’s it. There’s a law
somewhere that’s in a foreign country about if you steal, you get your hand
chopped off, or fingers.”
“Mum, that isn’t this country,” Belinda argued. “And I don’t want to
know about chopping fingers or hands off, or anything like that.”
Our mother was sweet, but she’d witnessed a lot of dark things.
Belinda was guarded from ever having to see any of that. Belinda married a
wealthy man, she never had to work.
I grabbed an apple from the fruit basket. “You wouldn’t last a day
doing what I do.”
“You’re hardly like dad,” she chuckled. “I heard those stories. He
had guns.”
“We still do,” mother chuckled. She placed her hand on mine,
holding it. “Of course, they’re hidden away now, but you better be thankful.
If it wasn’t for those guns, we wouldn’t be where we are now, in such a
beautiful home. And thankful for the homes you both have.” She squeezed
my hand. “Now, I want to get the matter of your father’s death cleared up
before we bury him. I won’t let him in that grave until we know who killed
him.”
I agreed with that. I knew he couldn’t be put to rest until we figured
out who’d killed him. And it was possible the same person who had taken
Uncle Bennett.
“Someone knew about dad’s condition,” I said. “It can’t be anyone
too far removed from the family.”
 “And it can’t be family,” Belinda added. “There’s no winning if
we’re all at war.”
Our mother nodded. “It could be any number of people. But we
know it’s not the Russians, or the Chinese. We all deal in different things.
Our territories don’t overlap. We’ve always made sure of that, and I assume
it’s still the case.”
“It is,” I said. “Unless they think I’m weak, and it was easy to take
over with me in command.”
It was a mind fuck of scenarios and situations. But each of them led
me back to the same conclusion. It had to be someone who didn’t want to
leave a mess. No blood. Someone who wanted to make it look like he died
from natural causes. I knew the Russians loved to poison and overdose, and
the Chinese were very particular in their slices, hitting the main arteries. I
didn’t know if that was true for all Russian and Chinese mafias around the
world, but in this part, that was what I grew to know of them.

OceanofPDF.com
23. LEO
I went to surprise Susie at her job. I wore a pair of the smart trousers and an
oversized t-shirt. I wasn’t the same person he swept away. I was completely
different now, and everything in my life had changed.
“Oh my god,” she said, seeing me enter the small coffee shop on a
quiet street in Chelsea. “You could’ve texted me or something to say you
were stopping by.”
“I have the day off,” I said.
“Another one?” she asked. “I thought you said it was going to be a
full-time intense job, no days off.”
I might have told her that to explain why she might not see me a for
a while, but everything was different now. I was sleeping with my boss, and
even if he wasn’t my boss, it was only an eventuality that we would sleep
together. And I didn’t have any issues with that.
“Wait,” she mumbled. Gasping, she pressed a hand to her chest.
Seating myself at the counter, I watched and waited for her to finish
her throat. “What?”
“You’re sleeping with him,” she said. “I know it. I can see it on
you.” She looked around to make sure nobody was watching or listening.
“You’re fucking him,” she whispered, leaning over to me.
I couldn’t control the giggles. “Yes, but it was sweet when it
happened. I didn’t think it would, because he’s super serious, but like, I
don’t know, I kinda just fell for him.”
She shook her head. I couldn’t tell if she was impressed or not.
“Swelling has gone down on the eye too. Just a little bruising left. I have
some concealer.”
“I don’t really mind it,” I said. “Anyway, how are you?”
“I should ask you that. How is everything? I still don’t understand
everything that happened, and I probably don’t even want to know.”
She probably thought this was something dirty, the way we met,
probably through a hook-up app that advertised jobs. It was almost the case,
if he had decided to message me when he stalked my Little Me account.
“We basically just—you know, bumped into each other,” I said. It
wasn’t a lie either, that was a fact about how we’d met. “Do you think I’d
just do something like this on a whim?”
 “Um. Leo, I’ve known you for a very long time. This is exactly like
something you’d do on a whim,” she said. “So, what can I getcha, on the
house.”
“No, I’ll pay,” I said. Daddy had given me some money before he
left. There was at least two-hundred pounds. I didn’t know if he knew I was
only going to a café, or whether I was going to a swanky restaurant, but I
accepted it. “And I’ll have a hot chocolate, extra cream, extra sprinkles, and
that toffee syrup stuff you squirt on top.”
“Of course,” she said. “I could’ve guessed.”
As she busied herself, I checked my phone to see if he’d messaged
me. He hadn’t, he didn’t even have his phone on him, at least not his new
one. Susie continued to stare at me, her eyes squinting as if she was trying
to solve some horrible maths equation.
“So, when do I get to visit that flat?” she asked. “It’s huge.”
“Sam is super cautious, so I don’t if he’d ever let you visit, I mean,
not right now, but like maybe if he comes and visits you first, then maybe
he’ll be fine with it.”
“So, it’s that serious?” she asked as a loud growl came from a
machine, followed by an intense roar of steam. “He’s like a boyfriend, or
something now?”
My face was heating, but I couldn’t be sure if that wasn’t just from
the steam. “I—I—well, you know, it’s early, but I think he really like me,
and I really like him.” Grinning, my cheeks ached from the expression. “He
also said we’re going to travel as well.”
Susie was quiet as she focused on my drink. She finished it on the
counter in front of me with the extra I’d asked for. “Leo.” She pawed a hand
at mine. “I don’t want you to get hurt. People promise things to people all
the time. I know he’s rich, or whatever, but I just don’t want him to be
playing you, you know. If he’s promising to take you travelling, which is
your ultimate life goal, then I’m just worried what he wants in return.”
I didn’t think he wanted anything in return. I dipped my finger in the
whipped cream and licked it clean. “I don’t think he wants anything but a
good time. And I know you don’t want me to get hurt. He won’t.”
“When I thought he was just your boss, I was ok, but you’re seeing
him. I want to meet him, Leo.”
I knew she would. And I didn’t want to tell her right away. She saw
it on my face. I had a crappy poker face, and she saw it before I could even
lay out my cards and tell her that work was amazing. Even if I’d seen a man
killed and dressed bloody wounds.
She went off to serve another customer. I checked my phone again. I
hoped he’d text me when he got his, but I didn’t know how long that would
be. I could always go to his office and see if he was there, or I could’ve
texted him to come here and then I’d get the awkward interaction Susie was
looking for over and done with.
“Leo,” she whispered. “It isn’t Samuel Maxwell, right?”
“What?”
“The guy,” she said. “Samuel Maxwell.”
“Yeah. That’s him. Why?”
She sighed, leaning across the counter to get closer. “I didn’t even
want to say, but he’s dangerous. You know that, right?”
“Where did you even hear that?”
“I kinda—I kinda used the find my friend app and saw where you
were the other day. It was an office building, obviously I had a look who
worked there. The Maxwell family are bad news.”
I stuffed my mouth with the side of the cup and drank the sugary
liquid gold to occupy myself from adding to her worry.
“Then you said Sam before, and I made the connection. There’s like
newspaper articles on that family,” she said. “Dangerous, dangerous
things.”
Her manager called her over, probably for looking like she was
taking a break. It was good for me; I didn’t have to answer that question. I
knew first hand that they were dangerous, I’d witnessed the danger. And I’d
probably been a party to it as well; Sam made me handle that knife, and he
also made me hand over drugs too.
Susie was the worrier, of the two of us, she was the one who had
taken care of the bills. I was just along for the ride, and I was naive to think
I could continue doing what I had been doing for so long. But meeting
Samuel changed everything.
“He’s a great guy,” I said as she came back, hanging her head in
shame after the stern word with her boss. It was loud enough for people to
hear.
“Who? Him? He’s an asshole. But I have to remember not to throw
myself over the counter, or whatever he said.”
 Great. She’d moved on from Sam already. “So, when do you break
for lunch?”
“An hour,” she sighed.
“I can wait around, or—” I caught her boss’s glare. “Maybe not. I’ll
finish my drink, and you can text me. In fact, let’s go somewhere fancy for
lunch, my treat.”
Oh no. She hadn’t moved on from him. “With his money?” she
asked. “You know where that money is from, right?” She sprayed the
counter, leaning in slightly. “It’s from drugs,” she whispered as she wiped
the counter down.
That was mostly true. A lot of it was drug money, but he smuggled
too, and he also had plenty of legitimate businesses. There was the gallery,
the tailor, he had his own security firm, and so much more, I was sure of it.
“It’s not like he’s on the street doing it. And he doesn’t sell it himself.”
“When I meet him, I’ll ask him that myself,” she said, raising her
brows at me.
“Susie, please. This is special, and I don’t want you to ask all the
questions in the entire world just because you’ve heard rumours and looked
at tabloids. You know most of that stuff is sensationism,” I said. And I knew
she thought that because we spoke about how funny some of those
headlines were.
I knew she just wanted the best for me. She was one of the only
people who knew what life had been like for me. She cared and I couldn’t
fault her at all for it.
“I am on your side,” she said. “You know I am. And I’ll be here if
you need me, but I don’t know if he’s right for you.”
“You haven’t met him.”
“Fine,” she said. “But when I meet him, can I have an opinion on
him then?”
That sounded fair, even if I hated the idea because I knew Susie as
much as she knew me. She wouldn’t change her mind, even if she got to
know him.
I finished my hot chocolate, paid her, including a tip with whatever
was left from the note. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go to lunch with her
now. I needed time not to be told that the nice guy I was dating and working
for was a monster.
 Outside the café, I walked ahead to see a woman with a swam of
small white fluffy bouncing pomeranians. They were exactly what I needed
to see right now.
“Oh my god,” I said, stopping the woman. Dressed in a fancy fur
coat. She looked like a film star. “Can I—can I pet them?”
“Sure dear,” she said, brushing back her long blonde-grey hair.
“They’re a handful, but they need to be walked every day. They’re used to
the country air.”
On my knees, I didn’t care that I was on the floor, surrounded by all
the fluffy balls as they pawed me and pounced. “What are they called?” I
asked through giggles as they tickled me. I’d never had pets growing up,
and I loved animals so much.
“They—well, they all look alike, so they have names, but if you
wanted me to point to them and say which is which, well, I’d look silly,”
she chuckled.
I spotted their name tags. “Millie,” I read as one of them licked my
face. “Oh. Davie. And—” Everything went dark. A thick sack scratched at
my face as someone dragged me.
Harsh metal doors crunched as they opened.
“In, in, in,” the woman said.
A hand around my throat cut off my air supply until everything
turned dark and I couldn’t feel the scratchy material covering my face.

OceanofPDF.com
24. SAMUEL
Leo told me he was only going to be out for a few hours, and I was
apprehensive about that since there was no saying what was going on. I’d
been out for a while too, and I assumed he would be back at the flat before I
arrived.
He wasn’t.
I wrapped my arms around the huge teddy, almost as tall as me. It
was a surprise for him, I knew there were a few of them in the toy store, and
sure, it had a previous life of smuggling objects in and out of the country,
but now it was going to get a home.
Since my new phone was all set up. So, I called his number as I
walked around the flat, searching. There were places for him to hide, under
the bed, or a blanket, but he wasn’t anywhere. And even if he was a world
class hide and seek champion, Leo was a giggler, I would’ve heard him.
Leo knew to keep his phone on him and on. He’d seen what had
happened to my hands last night. He saw the danger of this world.
I called Preston to get him to track Leo’s phone. He gave me hell for
wanting to track my assistant and laughed about giving him the day off.
“Wait,” he said. “Are you fucking him?”
“Jeez, what’s it to you?”
“No, it’s not my business,” he chuckled. “I’ll see where he’s at. You
need back up?”
“From you?” I forced a laugh. “After last night, I’d rather not.”
“Oh, so now you’re blaming what happened last night on me?”
“All I’m saying is, you went in with the aggression. You know, you
can be aggressive, but it must be controlled,” I’d already explained this to
him. “Anyway, run the number, see where it’s at, and text me the location.”
“I’ll get my guy on it.”
I hung up and checked to see if I had any missed calls or texts from
Leo. I had the same number, so he should’ve been able to contact me. I
checked his things to make sure he hadn’t left, but it was all there.
Pacing the flat, I wanted to hit a wall, or the speed bag in the gym,
but my knuckles weren’t in any shape to hand another punch out.
The phone rang in my hand. I answered immediately. “Preston?”
 “No, Chris, from the lab,” she said. “I’m calling about the results
you had me do on the animal hair.”
“Right, right. What’s the news?”
“Well,” her voice perked. “It’s from a white pomeranian. But the
results weren’t all from the same dog. There’s three, I’m waiting on results
from another couple hairs, but there could’ve been more.”
I wracked my brain to think of anyone I knew who had a white dog.
They were small, fluffy dogs. Thinking about it made my skin itch, and I
wasn’t allergic like my father.
I got on the phone to my mother. “Pomeranians,” I said.
“Cucumber,” she replied.
“No, pomeranians. That’s the dog.”
“Oh, I thought it was an odd way to start a phone call,” she
chuckled. “Well, I don’t know anyone who even has a dog.”
“If you think of someone, let me know. More than one, like a herd
of them, or whatever a bunch of them is called.”
“I will do. Want me to ask your sister? She’s getting Daisy from
school and coming back here for the night. I’ll ask her then.”
“Yeah, maybe she knows someone,” I said. “Talk later. Love you.
Bye.”
“When you find them, you know what you’ve got to do,” she said,
adding in a sound effect of someone’s throat being slit.
I knew exactly what needed to be done. And when I found them,
they’d pay in blood. I still had to find Leo; he wasn’t missing until he was
missing. Maybe he’d lost his phone, or put it down, perhaps he was still at a
very late lunch with his friend.
Preston texted me the address of the phone. It was at a café close by.
Wasting no time, I headed to it. Nerves powered me, telling me all
we needed to do was set eyes on him and everything else was fine. The last
thing I wanted right now was for someone else to disappear, especially
someone I’d been the most raw with in a long time.
Through the window, the café seemed quiet. There were people
seated and a girl behind the counter, drawing with chalk on the menu board.
But there was no Leo. After a moment of checking myself out in the
window reflection, I walked in.
“Hi,” the girl said. “How can I—”
“I’m looking for someone,” I told her.
 “You’re Sam, right?”
“Yes, and you—you must be Susie.” I stared at her flustered face as
she shuffled around on her feet.
“Leo told me about you.”
“Well, he’s not told me anything about you,” I said. “In fact, I am
looking for him.”
Her eyes looked everywhere, but at me. “He was here,” she said.
“But he left a couple hours ago.”
“Then why does his phone’s location say he’s here?”
“Oh.” She dug a hand into her apron and pulled Leo’s phone out.
“Someone brought it in. It was on the floor outside. I—I didn’t see him drop
it or anything.”
This wasn’t good. “Where was he going?”
“He said he’d come back for my lunch break, but he didn’t.”
Then it was just as I feared. Someone had taken him as well. I knew
there was a possibility of it happening, but I didn’t think it would. I had
only been seen with him a couple times, someone had to have been
watching me closely to even know we were connected in anyway.
“Can I take that?” I laid my hand on the counter for the phone.
“I—” Her eyes scanned my hand, staring at the bandaged palm.
“I’ll take it.”
She laid it flat in my hand. “Do you think something bad
happened?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “Can I speak to your manager? I want to
view the security footage.”
Susie lulled her head. “The security cameras aren’t wired. It’s just
for show,” she whispered.
Useless. “Then tell whoever needs to be told that they should do a
better job,” I said. “There’s a camera with a view of the door and the street.
If it was wired and working, we might’ve seen where Leo went.” I gave her
a final look of disdain before leaving.
I could assume now, whoever took my uncle, had also taken Leo.
Whoever it was, they knew to leave their phones behind. I looked up and
down the street in search for working security cameras. They weren’t
stationery cameras, which probably meant they didn’t catch Leo.
This wasn’t the time for people to play games. I needed to know
where Leo was, I bet whoever had pomeranians was behind it. Which also
prompted me to think about how I hadn’t seen them on the street security
footage. Unless they hadn’t gone through the front of the house.
Elias called me up as I was on my way back to see my mother. I
didn’t want to visit her neighbour without her. She hadn’t said which side of
the house they’d seen the dogs come in through.
“Preston said you needed some help,” he said.
“I’m fine. Unless you know someone with pomeranians.”
“Yeah. That’s why he told me to call you,” he continued. “Anyway, I
saw Aunt Adeline a couple weeks ago in the gallery. I don’t know what she
was looking for because she didn’t buy anything. I think she was just
coming to talk with me. It was weird, actually, because she was asking how
the firm is doing.”
Adeline was my dad’s twin sister. We barely saw her. She married
and moved out into the country. I had two cousins I rarely met on that side
too, but I knew they existed, and my father had always told me to treat them
like part of the family, but without the voting power.
“Fuck. It’s her, isn’t it?”
“I don’t imagine her doing something like that though,” he said.
“She was nice. She always sent cards at Christmas, and my dad always said
we sent them money.”
“Did we continue sending them money?” I asked him. He was the
wrong person to ask. The only person I could’ve trusted to know that
information was laid on a metal table as a coroner ran tests to figure out
what had caused his death. They had given us a basic answer, but my
mother was forceful when she wanted to get her way. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll
check the books and see. Do you know where her house is? Last I
remember it was in some countryside.”
“No. She’s moved closer. Her husband died last year, or at least I
think that’s what she said.”
It was making sense now. But why would she kill my father, her
twin? I didn’t understand what she could gain from his death. Especially if
it was something to do with not being given the money she used to get.
Changing course, I hung up on Elias and went toward my office. I
called my mother this time. If Aunt Adeline had been near, she would’ve
visited, or called.
“She’s in the countryside, you know she was never a big fan of the
city,” my mother answered my questions. “As for the money, your father
was generous, but he knew when to stop, especially to people who weren’t
putting in any work.”
“So, she hasn’t been to the house?” I asked. “Apparently she’s
back.”
My mother clicked her tongue in thought. “No. Wait one second, I’ll
ask Borley, but I’d been told if she came by. Well, I tell a lie, she was
supposed to visit a couple months ago, no, maybe a year. Not sure. Her
husband had died or something, and your father couldn’t travel given his
condition. Anyway, that’s a long way around no, she hasn’t been. But give
me a second.” She placed her phone down. I could still hear her as she
called out to the butler.
I knew he wouldn’t have kept her visit a secret. Borley had been in
the family for years; he was completely loyal. She came back to the phone
with the answer I’d predicted. I asked her to talk to the neighbours about
which direction the kids saw the dogs, if it was the backdoor, then that
might have gone to prove Adeline had been there. Nobody used the back of
the house, mostly because it was impossible to get to unless you had a key,
and only family members had keys, or at least knew where the spare was
hidden.
As soon as I arrived at the office, I approached the accountancy
office to speak with Michelle. She organised the finances and she had done
for many years. She was an older woman, dressed in a sweater vest and
carried a vape around with her since she couldn’t smoke indoors, and hadn’t
been able to for many years.
“What’s up?” she asked in a croaky gravel of a voice.
“I need everything you have on Adeline Maxwell,” I whispered.
“Westly,” she replied. “She doesn’t go by Maxwell.” She sucked on
her vape, the crackle of the vaporiser, followed by the smell of toffee
popcorn was a strange combination, almost like she had a popcorn machine
in her hand. “We don’t have anything recent on her. We stopped sending her
cheques maybe a year and a half, two years ago.”
“That’s after they put me in charge,” I said. “Fuck. I stopped them?”
“No, no,” she chuckled into a coughing fit. “Your father, God rest
his soul, he put a stop to them himself. He wouldn’t elaborate, just told me
not to cut anymore cheques.”
“Ok, what was her address, do you have that?”
She nodded. “I’ll bring it to you.”
 I went back to my office, my phone clenched in my sweaty palm,
waiting for a call or text to say they’d found Leo and my uncle. Or better
yet, something from my aunt to tell me what’s going on.
Kelly came into the office with a coffee. “Did he like the teddy?”
She asked, placing the coffee on the desk.
“I have no idea. He wasn’t there when I got back,” I said. “It’ll be
there when he gets in and he’ll love it, I’m sure.”
“And how’s your mum?” she asked. “Tell her those cakes were
delicious. I might’ve saved a couple before the vultures got them.”
“Will do.”
“Let me know if you need anything else.”
Michelle brought me the address she had on file.
Unfortunately, it was sold months ago for five million pounds.
Wherever Adeline was, she was close, and I had to find her before
she broke my promise to Leo, the promise that I’d protect him.

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25. LEO
Waking to a headache, I remembered what had happened. There was still
something over my head and as I moved, I felt my wrists together with
something sharp jagging into my skin.
I stayed as quiet as I could. This was different from the last time. At
least I wasn’t being beaten.
There were voices. I tried my best to listen to what they were
saying. I didn’t know if they worked for Sam, or they worked against him,
and this is what he warned me about.
“He’s awake,” a voice spoke.
My eyes adjusted to the light as it hit me. Disoriented, my head
wobbled.
Fingers snapped in front of my face, like a camera and sound crew
trying to synchronise their shot.
“Hi.” A woman walked toward me.
We were inside a living room, the walls were beige, no pictures
anywhere. A couple of cardboard boxes by the wall. And in an armchair
across the room, an older man sat, his body strapped into the chair with
rope.
“I’m Layla,” the woman said. “Speak then.” I focused on her; she
was a younger version of the woman who’d been walking with her dogs.
She wore a deep red lipstick, her hair in curls, and she wore in an elegant
black dress with gems on the shoulder.
“I’m—I’m Leo.”
“Right, Leo Conroy, pickpocket, and assistant to one of London’s
famous old mafia families,” she said. “You know, Samuel Maxwell, they
don’t look like the criminals but they are.”
“Are you the police?”
She threw her head back in laughter. “The police. Wayne. He wants
to know I’m with the police.”
A man in a farmer’s cap and a tweed jacket walked into the room,
cleaning blood off a knife with cloth. “No,” he said. “We’re not the police.
We’re people interested in teaching someone a lesson. Obviously, it didn’t
have to be like this, but we’ve got no choice left.” He looked like someone
who’d been brought up shooting clay pigeons on some fancy country estate.
 “You’re not police, then do you work for the Maxwell’s?” I asked
The man in the chair chuckled. “They are Maxwell’s,” he said. “By
blood, not by name.” He turned his head to me, sighing out of breath.
“These are my niece and nephew. And I don’t know where my sister’s got
to, but I’m sure she’ll be in here to tell you what they told me.”
Layla snapped her fingers. “No, this one is different,” she said.
“He’s not a Maxwell, he just works for one, and sleeps with one.” Her
mouth turning into menacing smile. Of course, the family resemblance was
there.
Wayne approached the knife in his hand. “We’re going to—”
“They’re going to use you,” the old man butted in. “They want my
vote. They’ll try for Samuel’s vote through you.”
“His vote?”
Layla and Wayne looked at each other. “Yeah,” Layla said. “And
he’ll do that, if he loves you, and if not, then you’ll probably end up dead.
So, ask yourself, do you think he loves you?”
They were trying to get into my head, and so far, they were doing a
good job at it. Thoughts swirled and spiralled as I questioned what it was
me and Sam had. He was a protector, a Daddy, and I was just someone who
caught him in the wrong place. I didn’t have an answer to their question,
because it had only been days since we’d even come together.
“Leave the lad alone,” the man said. “I don’t know why you needed
to get him. I told you, when I overheard your stupid plan. You could’ve got
either of my sons, or my daughter, they have votes.”
The two of them shared a menacing laugh.
“Uncle Bennett,” Wayne said, plunging his knife into the cushion of
the armchair. “You and your three will vote the same. We go to the top of
that family, which is you, you have the single most votes. Four of you.
Again Sam, Reuben, and Elias. That’s a majority.”
“Then why do you need him?” he asked, glaring me down from
across the room.
The heavy click-clack of heels on hardwood brought all three of
them to pause.
In the furs from earlier, the woman walked into the room. “I can
hear you all the way from the kitchen,” she said. “So, I’ll answer that
question for you brother. We need him to make sure we’re given what we’re
owed.”
 He scoffed. “You’re owed nothing. You’ve not done any of the
work. You swanned off up the country. Alistair was the one who was
insistent on sending you money. I voted against it, if you must know.” He
shook his head and snarled his upper lip at the woman. “You married rich,
Adeline. I didn’t see what you needed our money for anyway.”
“Because I’m still part of the family, I am a Maxwell, I grew up as a
Maxwell, I saw what dad and everyone did to get us out of the dirt,” she
said, approaching the man in the chair. She peeled off a black glove. “You
think just because I married Clark and he had money, that I considered that
my money as well. No. That was his. And even after he died, that money
still wasn’t mine.”
“Who—who’s money was it?” I asked. I couldn’t keep quiet. I’d
tried, but my mouth and brain didn’t operate that way.
“When he died, he left his money to charity,” Layla said. “He left us
with the house. A debt sinkhole. That’s it. And mother had to sell.”
“And we only got five million for it,” Wayne added.
The old man snickered to himself. “You know. I wondered who
would sell an estate of land with a house on it for so cheap,” he said. “I
didn’t even realise it was yours when I put the bid in for it.” He laughed.
The woman slapped him without warning. One clean sharp slap
across his face. He laughed louder.
“It was a good investment call,” he said. “We buy houses all the
time. But I saw to it that we bought that one.”
“So, you also operate under ARB Property Holdings too?” she
asked, putting her glove back on.
“Yep. Alistair, Reuben, Bennet. It would’ve been ABR, but that
doesn’t sound good. Abr. Arb on the other hand sounds fun.” He shrugged.
“It’s a company under the company. There’s lots of them. You wouldn’t
even know where to start if I handed you control today.”
The woman walked around the room with a smile. “We’ll see about
that. Layla, Wayne, let’s talk in the kitchen.”
As soon as they left, the man talked with me.
“I’m Bennett,” he said. “They say you work for Sam. And I’m
guessing also sleep with him too. Maybe you’ve met my son, Preston.”
I didn’t recall him. I’d met Elias. Preston was the one who’d come
in screaming and shouting, the same one who’d taken Samuel out last night
and bust up all his knuckles. “I haven’t met him.”
 “I’m sure they’ll be here soon,” he said. “I’m hoping so, at least.”
“Are we far?”
He puffed his cheeks. “No idea. They did the same thing to me. A
bag over my head. I couldn’t concentrate on how long I’d been in the van
before they pulled me out and threw on this.” He heaved his body against
the rope before getting out a breath and sitting still.
I saw the knife, still stabbed into the cushion of the armchair. I was
on a basic dining chair. I scooted across the floor to him. “I think I know
how we can get out,” I said. “What happened with them?”
“Huh?”
“They killed Samuel’s dad, right?”
“Actually,” he snickered. “That was an accident. Adeline had gone
to surprise her brother; they hadn’t seen each other in years. She took her
dogs with her, forgetting his condition, or telling herself it wasn’t a big deal.
Because usually, he could get by with allergy medications and the sort. But
since his airways were already compromised, the allergy attack was critical.
Although she admitted to turning his oxygen tank off to teach him a lesson
for cutting her payments off.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “That’s awful. You don’t think they’re going to
kill either of us, do you?”
His silence didn’t lend me any confidence. I wanted to hear him tell
me they wouldn’t.
I reached the knife and from its position, I could cut the zip lock ties
from my wrist. They were already bleeding from the little plastic teeth
going back and forth against my skin. They were sore to the touch.
“I’ll do yours,” I said, pulling the knife out and attacking the thick
rope.
“No. You should go. Tell them where I am. And we can get this over
with. Wayne just killed a chicken, a live chicken, and he said that’s what
we’d be having for dinner. So, if you could hurry, I’d rather not be subject
to that,” he let out a snort of laughter. “Please. Just go.”
I hacked at the zip lock around my ankles and stood with the knife
in my hand as if I knew how to use it to protect myself. I suppose it couldn’t
be that difficult, just swipe and chop.
At the window, I checked to see if I noticed anything familiar. We
were in house that looked out directly onto the road. Outside there was a rat
removal van. Probably the same one they had forced me into.
 It didn’t look like any part of London I was familiar with.
I listened at the door, knife in hand. A door slammed shut. There
were no footsteps.
A slow creak came from the door hinge as I opened the door to the
hallway. It was empty. Opposite me was a stairwell. Their voices were
distant, muffled in a room down the hall.
Creeping along the floor to the front door, there were deadbolts,
latches, and locks. They didn’t want anyone getting in, or out, apparently.
With the knife in one hand, a tight grip. I tried to sort through the
maze of locks. At first, unlocking the latches, they were simple chains you
had to swipe across to open.
“Now, where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
No. I had no options.
I had one. Actually.
I ran upstairs, my hand shaking as it held the knife, my only weapon
of protection. I ran to the front bedroom. It was empty. Locking the door. I
sat behind it as Wayne hammered his fists on it, threatening me.
Frisking myself for my phone, I walked toward the window to see if
it was possible to jump. That’s when I spotted a house phone on the
windowsill. It looked old, but it was connected to the wire in the wall box.
But I didn’t have my phone to even get a number to call anyway.
“Think. Think.” I picked the phone up and placed it to my ear. There
was a tone. It was working.
There was only one number I knew by heart, and it was mine. A
number I’d had since I was a teenager.
I punched in the number and waited for it to ring. It gave me hope.
But there was no answer.
“Fuck!” I smacked it against the window. “Pick up. Someone.” I
dialled it again.
His voice answered. “Hello. Who is this?”
“Help me,” I said, holding back my tears. “It’s—it’s Leo.”
“Leo! Leo! Where are you? Tell me. What happened?”
A heavy bang blew against the door, knocking it from its hinges.
I dropped the phone to hold the knife with both hands, waving it
around in his face. “Stand back,” I said, sobbing. “I’ll hurt you.”
“Nobody wants to get hurt,” Wayne said. “Drop the knife. And—”
he spotted the phone. “Trying to call a friend, were you? Listen, I just want
what we’re owed, if you help us, I’m sure there’s something in it for you
too.”
I shook my head, going dizzy behind the blur of tears in my eyes.
“No.”
He tackled me to the ground, pulling the knife from my hand. He
threw it against the wall. It implanted itself in the drywall. “Now,” he said.
“Go to sleep.” His hand at my throat. Cutting the air off once more.
I was out.

OceanofPDF.com
26. SAMUEL
My hands tightened around his mobile phone.
I saw the number. It was a landline. A home phone number.
And I could only bet there was another person with Leo.
“Preston,” I said, pressing my phone to my ear as he answered.
“Any news?”
“I need you to track a number. But you can’t do anything with the
address. Tell me and we’ll go together.”
“You found them?”
I couldn’t take the credit, but I would. “Yeah. I’ll give you the
number. See what your guy can do. Area code is local, so we shouldn’t have
trouble finding it.”
It didn’t take long for Preston to call me back in a fury. “I’m going
now!” he spat.
“Give me the address. We’ll send—”
“Are you going to tell me you’re not going?” he asked. “If it’s who
you say it is, then it’s family. We need to go ourselves.”
He was right. I was trying to be cautious. Last night turned into a
nightmare for some people. I didn’t want the same thing to happen again. It
was bad enough my dad was dead, the last thing I wanted was to be
arrested.
Preston gave me the address.
“That’s South Kensington,” I said.
“Anything sound familiar? It has to be her. Isn’t that where they
grew up?”
“That’s the property we own on Collingham Road?”
His silence was an answer. Uncle Bennett dealt with the properties.
We rented them out, and they were also perfect places to store items.
Especially in the larger townhouses where we could rent out floors as small
studio flats.
“I’ll meet you on the way,” I told him. “Don’t do anything until I’m
there.”
In the locked top drawer of my office desk, I pulled out a sharp
knife from inside it’s leather sheath. It was one of the sharpest blades I had,
and I kept it here since it was a gift from my father when I took over. But
now, it would come in use. Family didn’t hurt family, but we weren’t the
first to spill blood, and that made what I had in mind fair game.
I placed it back inside the sheath before slipping it into the inner
pocket of my suit. Whoever took Leo and my uncle were in for the shock of
their life.
Preston was at the end of the road, kicking his feet on the stone and
scuffing his shoes. His face was a little more beaten up than mine, the men
last night got more sucker punches in on him. His hands were wrapped as if
he was about to get on the speed bag and start boxing.
“Let’s kill these fuckers,” he said, raising both hands up in a fighting
stance.
“Calm,” I said, resting a hand on the shoulder and dusting his suit.
“We should’ve got changed.”
“I was at the tailor getting my hand stitched,” he said, bobbing and
weaving as he threw out a couple practice punches into the air. “I’m ready. I
took a couple pain killers. I don’t feel a thing.” He gave my arm a jab.
“Let’s go.”
“They’ll see us coming.”
“It makes sense they choose one of our places. They think they’re
family, but after this, it’s an act against the family,” he said. “They’ve
probably got demands. Everyone always wants money.”
“They’re not getting any.”
Preston grumbled to himself. “It’s also your fault. The guy. You
didn’t have to fuck him.”
“What?”
“The guy they took. If you didn’t fuck him, you could’ve just cut it
loose.”
My hand clenched into a fist and without thinking, I swung it.
Missing as Preston stepped back, pressed against the brick wall of the side
of a house. I grabbed him by his shirt, pulling it tight in my grasp as I
pinned him. “Don’t.”
“Relax. Jeez.”
“Don’t. Leo isn’t just some guy. Ok. You’d understand if you ever
had a meaningful relationship,” I said through gritting my teeth. I hadn’t
known Leo that long, but I’d seen him. I’d felt for him. And he was my
responsibility now. I’d made him the promises. I wasn’t going to fail him.
“We should fight them, not each other.” He smacked my hand away.
 Preston knew which house it was. It was a house we owned.
Currently with no tenants. It was four floors. And from his description, we
had recently renovated it into smaller studios. He also had a key, which
made everything easier.
As we reached the house and he placed the key in the lock, I placed
my hand at the handle of the blade in my pocket.
The door didn’t budge.
“Are you sure it’s the right key?” I whispered, as I examined the
outside of the house to see if there was any movement.
“Yes. It works. It’s bolted probably.”
Three mental hunking whacks came before the door opened.
It was just as expected.
“Auntie Adeline,” Preston said, taking a step away from the door.
She stood with a huge smile on her face. Behind her, our cousins,
Wayne and Layla. He was dressed for a day on a posh farm, and she was
dressed ready to hit the wine bar.
“I knew you boys would come,” she said. “I—I expected you to
bring more. Like, Louie, Rebekah, Reuben, and Elias. You know, just the
voting powers that be.”
“Where’s my dad?” he asked.
Through the heavy netting and the split in the curtains, I saw Leo,
strapped to a chair with tape over his mouth. “What do you want?” I asked.
“Money? It’s always money. Isn’t it. I told you, Preston, they’re just looking
for a handout.”
Adeline cackled. “You think that’s your money, huh?” she shook her
head. “Come inside. We’ll talk terms. And I mean, real terms. Not some pay
us off type deal and we’ll leave. We’re here to stay.”
Preston turned and looked back at me. He nodded. “What are we
waiting for then?” he asked. “I want to see my dad first.”
“Fine, fine.”
She ushered us inside. I saw Wayne holding a knife and Layla
carried a hammer. Watching us both in case of any sudden movements.
Uncle Bennett and Leo were both in the room, both with their
mouths taped. They tried to speak; their voice muffled.
“I’ll get you out.” I mouthed to Leo as his eyes grew bigger and
panicked.
“Dad. Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Preston said.
 Adeline snapped her fingers at us. “Dining room. I’ve prepared
some tea.”
I stood closer to Preston. “Don’t touch anything,” I whispered. I
wasn’t going to be the victim of poisoning. That wasn’t how I saw myself
dying. My death was going to be glorious and blood, and not for another
fifty years. At least, that was the goal, to be almost ninety and still getting
my hands dirty.
Sitting at the dining table, set with teacups and a pot of tea. I was
planning my attack. My cousins stood behind my aunt, their objects
catching the light.
“You killed my dad, your brother,” I started.
“Tea?” she asked, picking up the pot. “And no, I didn’t kill him. He
died while I was visiting. I—I tried to save him.” She poured the tea into
her cup.
I placed a hand over mine. I wasn’t touching anything she gave me.
“You knew he was allergic. You came in through the back of the house. If
you were visiting, you would’ve come when people were there. But no, you
waited until after everyone had left.”
Adeline smiled, turning her head slightly to look at Wayne, then to
Layla. “My brother was a nice man, generous, but two years ago that
generosity stopped. It was sudden. I’d asked him for a little extra cash to
help us. You see, my dead husband, he wasn’t always a nice man. In fact,
when he died, he left all his money to charity. The only thing I had to my
name was that house. It needed a new roof, plumbing, and anything else
you could think of. It was turning to crumbs right under our hands.”
“The ceiling and floor collapsed while Wayne was in bed,” Layla
added. “He went straight through to the dining room.” Her lips pursed into a
smile. “Luckily he wasn’t hurt.”
“My brother could’ve helped us,” Adeline said. She pulled the cup
to her mouth and sipped, leaving red lipstick marks around the rim. “I never
asked for anything from the family. I always knew what the deal was. You
had a vote. You were part of it, if you had the name and the blood.” She
scoffed. “You know, it’s a very misogynistic way of running a business.
Only allowing the men to stay on until their dead.”
“It was your dad, our grandfather who made those rules,” I said. We
all knew the stories.
 “And you can change them,” she said. “Allow us back into the
family. The three of us will change from Westly into Maxwell. We’re
blood.”
Preston slammed his fist on the table. “You killed Alistair.” Blood
already seeping through the bandage around his knuckles. “And now you
want us to pay you, give you a seat, and all so you can take over, right?”
I saw the sign. They had three votes. “You want me to agree. Then
whatever you’ve told Uncle Bennett, you’ll force him to vote for you, he’ll
sway Louie, since he doesn’t do anything anyway, and you’ll probably get
Uncle Reuben on board too.”
“Actually,” she said, rapping her fingernails on the table. “I was
going to say, I’m not asking. I have Bennett and—the boy, Leo. See, I will
have the votes, and I will take over. He was my brother, my twin, it’s right
for me to take over since his unfortunate accident.”
I slipped a hand inside my suit pocket, ready to pull the knife out.
“We can just go in there and get them,” I said. “And you realise that I have
a security firm. What’s given you so much confidence that the three of you
could stop me?”
They looked to one another. Smiling like they shared a secret. I
wanted to know.
“If you don’t, they’ll both die,” she said. “They’ve probably got an
hour.”
“Poison,” Wayne added. “We want what we want, and if we don’t
get it, they’ll both be dead.”
My finger tugged the handle of the blade, and with a swift action. I
threw it at her. A bullseye shot straight to her forehead. Square between the
eyes.
It was a killer blow. But I wasn’t someone who needed to be tested.
I leaned over to grab the knife as Layla and Wayne froze in shock. I yanked
the blade out of Adeline’s face, seeing the depth it had penetrated.
Her head dropped to the table against the pot of tea.
“The poison,” I shouted. “Where’s the antidote?”
The jumped into action, ready to fight back. Layla hitting and
missing as the hammer went into the walls. Wayne almost immediately
dropped the knife as Preston hit him with an uppercut.
It was safe to say, they didn’t have the training we had. We disarmed
both of them within minutes.
 Preston placed his knee on Wayne’s back, pulling both arms up.
“Where’s the fucking antidote?”
“There—there—” he panted.
“Come on,” I said, pinning Layla’s body to the wall. “Where is it?”
“There isn’t on,” Wayne said.
Placing my weight against Layla, I couldn’t accept his answer.
“What does he mean?”
“There wasn’t any poison,” she said into a sob. “I told her—her not
to say that. Fucking stupid. We didn’t poison them.”
A wind of cold relief almost knocked me back.
The destruction of the room came to colour again. Aunt Adeline’s
dead body slumped across the side of the table. “Well,” I said, stepping
back and letting go of Layla. “You’re lucky. It could’ve ended much worse
for you.”
She dropped to the floor and scrambled to her mother.
“Call the security to come clean this up,” I told Preston. “I—I need
to go see him—them next door.”
I wiped the blood from the knife on the inside of my jacket. Leo’s
watery eyes and shaky body were pleased to see me.
“I’m here,” I said, gently pulling the tape from his mouth. “I’m
sorry. I’m never letting you leave my sight again.” I glanced to my uncle as
he watched. He seemed fine, Preston could check him over.
“I—I heard. I thought something happened,” Leo sobbed.
I sliced the zip lock ties around his wrists and ankles. “It did. But
I’m ok. We’re ok.”
“Ok.” He swung his arms around my shoulders.
Preston walked in with the knife and hammer, Layla and Wayne had
been carrying, alongside a bag of zip ties. “They just keep these things lying
around. I got them tied to some chairs in there. They have to stare at their
dead mother, but—” he paused, seeing his father.
Uncle Bennett’s eyes were pink and glossy. It wasn’t how I’d ever
intended on telling someone we’d killed their sibling. But he’d understand.
I lifted Leo up into my arms and carried him as he wrapped his legs
around my waist. “Can we go now?” His body shivered against mine.
“You can handle this, right?” I asked.
Preston nodded, taking off the tape covering his father’s mouth.
“People are coming to clean, but what do we do about those two?”
 Uncle Bennett sighed. “They’re still family,” he said. “Misguided
and all, but they’re family.”
Until the vote took place, I was still in charge, and since that was the
case, I would need to think about it. I gave them both a nod before leaving.
I didn’t want Leo to see more than he already had. This wasn’t protecting
him; not like I’d promised.
He rested his head on my shoulder and I carried him all the way
back to the flat.

OceanofPDF.com
27. LEO
I slept in his arms, and I woke up in his bed. On top of the duvet with a
blanket around me. I didn’t realise it at first. I was in a t-shirt and
underwear. My wrists had a thin layer of bandage around them.
“Hello,” I called out.
I couldn’t tell if it was the middle of the night or the morning. His
room had heavy blackout blinds against the windows. I almost scared
myself as I rolled on my back and saw my reflection.
Wrapping the blanket around my waist, I walked out of the room.
There was a deep orange light shining through the flat from the sun setting.
“Hey,” he said, walking up to me. I didn’t even really see him
standing there. He wasn’t dressed like he usually did. He was in a pair of
green shorts and a blue vest top. He waved a hand in front of my face. “You
feeling ok?”
“I’m—ok,” I said, grabbing his hand. He was really there.
“I got something set up for you,” he said. “Do you want to change
into something? It’ll make you happy.”
“What is it?”
He led me to the bedroom with my clothes. “I can’t say, but it
involves a lot of cuddles.” As he turned to open the drawer, I hugged him
from behind. He’d saved my life. I didn’t want to ever let go of him ever
again. “It’s ok. You’re ok now.”
Dressed in my teddy bear onesie, I had the ears on a hood, and a
fluffy tail on the back. It was one of my favourites because inside it was
lined with a comfy plush material.
“Now close your eyes,” he said.
Panic caught me off-guard. “No. I—” I didn’t want to close my
eyes. It reminded me of having the hood over my head. “Maybe I can walk
backwards.”
“Sure. Hold my hand.”
He led me down the hallway. I was half expecting Susie to jump out
and shout surprise.
“Turn.”
“Oh.” Teddies. One giant teddy, and a bunch of smaller ones. “Oh
my god.” They were all surrounding the coffee table, and, on the table,
there was a blue teacup set with plates and a pot. “Where’s—where’s
Tuffy?”
“He’s right there.” He nodded to the lap of the bigger teddy. “Now, I
figured, you’d want to have fun and play. Today was difficult, and I don’t
want you to have that in your head. I want you to have this. A teddy bear tea
party.” He gestured with his hand, but I’d already stopped listening to him.
This was my dream. I’d only pretended to have this many teddies
and a tea party set. I sat at the head of the coffee table and thanked my new
friend for looking after Tuffy. There were so many of them and they didn’t
all have names, or at least they weren’t telling me them just yet.
“Ten, and Tuffy,” I said, counting them. “Ok. I’m Leo, and now,
you’re all my friends. We’re going to have a party and get to know each
other. So, let’s go around the table and say something about ourselves. Ok,
ok.” I raised my hand. “I’ll go first. I’m Leo, and this is my first tea party.”
Daddy came and placed a tray of biscuits on the coffee table,
alongside filling the tea pot up with water. He asked if he could join, but I
told him it wasn’t for Daddies. It was for littles and their best teddy friends.
As I gave each of them a name, I wondered how I’d fit them all on
my bed. They definitely didn’t want to be on Daddy’s bed with the mirror.
That’s where we did the naughty things together.
They were each a different animal. An octopus, a bunny, a dragon, a
unicorn, a cat, a dog, a lion, a tiger, and an elephant. As well as the huge
bear, almost as big as Daddy. It reminded me of all the animals I wanted to
see, except for the animals I only saw in my dreams, like dragons and
unicorns.
I went on for as long as I could before Daddy called me for dinner.
“Let’s eat,” he said.
I excused myself from the tea party. Taking Tuffy with me, I sat at
the dining table. There was a large brown paper bag on the table, and I
could smell the deliciousness coming from inside. My stomach let out the
biggest of grumbly rumbles.
“I saw you eat all those cookies,” he said. “I bought us McDonald’s.
And yes, I bought you some extra toys. I always hate that you’ve got to
collect them all, but they never let you choose. Anyway, you should have
the complete toys thing.”
It was amazing to see them all. They were little buildable figures,
each one a different character from a film that had just released. I almost
forgot about the food.
Daddy stared at me from across the table and smiled. “I told you,”
he said. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again. Which means, you’ll
be coming to work with me, whenever I go to work.”
I liked that idea, even if I knew his work sometimes involved him
killing people. “What happened to that woman today?”
“You really want to know?”
I was too curious. I didn’t want to know. I had to know what
happened. There was a big fight. Something bad happened. I just didn’t see
it.
“She—she was the one who killed my dad,” he said. “Then she—
she said she was going to kill—” He looked away from me and screwed his
eyes shut. “It’s ok now. She got what was coming to her. She tried to play
the game. She paid the price.”
I knew what that meant. He just didn’t want to say it.
“Anyway,” he said, forcing himself to smile. “I was thinking. My
dad’s funeral is next weekend. I obviously want you there with me.”
“Ok. I’ll come with you.”
“And afterwards, I want to take you on a trip somewhere, maybe see
some of those animals you like,” he said.
“A zoo?”
“Sure, or maybe somewhere abroad.”
He was smiling, but it wasn’t a happy moment for me. “I—I don’t
have a passport. And you need that to travel. And—and I don’t even know
where my birth certificate is, so I probably can’t even get a passport.” My
hands were shaking. I was letting him down for his big plans.
“Hey, hey.” He reached out to my hand. “It’s ok. We can sort that
out. And we can wait. But in the meantime. We can visit the zoo. We can
visit some places we own up the country, maybe near a beach. I just—I
kinda want to get out of the city for a little bit.”
I held his hand, although I was full of nerves. I knew I’d have to tell
him eventually. “My mum. She has my birth certificate. She never gave it to
me. If I wanted to get a passport, I’d have to speak to her.”
“And we can do that together, if you like.”
“But I already told you about her.”
“Listen.” He took a firmer grasp of my hand. “It wasn’t us that did
to her. It was the people who deal harder stuff.”
 “It was cocaine too,” I told him. I knew that was something his
people dealt. “But I don’t think I can see her yet. She’ll just ask you money.
And you’re a nice guy, so you’ll give it her.”
He chuckled. Maybe it was the comment about him being a nice
guy. He wasn’t seen as a nice guy by everyone. But to me, right now, he
was nice, and he would do anything for me. “I promise, I won’t,” he said. “I
don’t even have to be there, and you know, you can go to one of the
government offices and request a new one. You don’t need to see her.”
“Is it really that easy?”
“We don’t have to talk about it,” he said. “I don’t want you to go
through any more stress today. So, which animal are you most looking
forward to seeing?”
“Pandas!” I exploded. “Are you being serious? Because if we see a
panda. I might scream really really loud.”
“Then let’s do it,” he said. “After next weekend, we’ll find out
where they are, and visit.”
“Edinburgh Zoo,” I stated. “It’s the only place in the UK that has
them. What—do I need a passport to get into Scotland?”
He smiled. “No, you’ll be fine.”
The buzzing whir of thoughts and emotions were wild inside me. I
almost forgot about the day I’d had. My biggest dream ever was to see a
panda, no, my biggest dream ever was to visit China and go to the place you
can hold a baby panda. I suppose that one would have to wait until I got my
passport.
“What other animals do you like?” he asked.
“All of them.”
It was true. Animals were incredible. They were so different. I
envied them. Their parents weren’t trash. They didn’t get hooked on drugs
or leave, and the ones that left their kids, well that was probably in their
DNA.
He paused me in the middle of my excitement. “It’s going to be
difficult to make sure you’re always ok,” he said. “And I want to know if
you think I should continue to take over the business.”
“You—you want my opinion?”
“Yes. I want to know what you think.”
It wasn’t my place to say. “If you didn’t, who else would do it?”
“Good question.”
 “And I think you’re the best,” I told him. “I think you should do it
because you know what you’re doing. And—and I think you’re the best at
giving orders because people listen to you.”
Smiling, he tried to force it down by biting on his lip. “People don’t
have a choice, they have to listen to me,” he said. “I just don’t want to put
you in anymore danger.”
“I’m good at escaping things. I escaped a lot.”
He stroked a finger across the bandages on my wrist. “I just don’t
want to see you in pain. You shouldn’t have to escape from anything,
because you shouldn’t be in danger.”
“Before you, I was in danger, like all the time. Then with you, I was
in danger, and now, I’m not in any danger because we’re in your flat, and
nobody can get us here. Right?”
Daddy clicked his tongue a couple times, looking me over. “I’ll add
a couple more bolts to the door, then I think we’ll be fine. Also, start doing
more cardio, just in case you’re chased. And maybe some boxing lessons
would be a good start, just to put my mind at ease.”
He’d saved me, literally rescued me, from the life of robbing people
on the street, to a situation where someone waved a knife in front of my
face. “I’ll do anything.” Plus, it couldn’t hurt to learn how to properly
defend myself.
“Great,” he said, tapping my hand. “Finish eating. You need all your
strength. You were a good boy today.”
My toes curled under the table. “I was,” I said at his affirmation. “I
was really good. I called and—and you picked. I knew what to do.”
Although I had no idea who would answer, I just knew someone had to.
He wrapped his leg around my leg. “What do you think about hot
chocolate, cuddles, and whatever we can find on the TV for dessert?”
I enjoyed both cuddles and cartoons, but that wasn’t a dessert. “Um.
Ice cream?”
He agreed to it, smiling at me. He looked sad though, in his eyes, I
knew ice cream would make us both happy. As long as it was full of sugar. I
didn’t want to see him sad; he was my hero today. And I wasn’t going to let
him think he was any less than that.
OceanofPDF.com
28. SAMUEL
For the last week, Leo hadn’t wanted to remove the giant teddy from our
bed. He’d named him Growly, and he cuddled him more than he cuddled
me. Which I was thankful for since it allowed me to leave the bed in the
middle of the night when I woke up in a fit of sweat over how I was going
to prepare for my father’s eulogy.
Tonight was different. Leo wouldn’t let go of me. He knew what
tomorrow was, and I wasn’t allowed to leave him alone. We’d shared a bath
in the dark where he fell asleep against my chest as I ran my fingers through
his wet hair. We ate food he’d made in the oven, although after three
chicken nuggets, one of which was still cold inside, I skipped to dessert.
“Are you ok?” he whispered, looking up at me from my chest.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Really. I’m fine. Do you want to go sleep?”
He tightened his grasp around my waist. “I can’t sleep.” He turned
away.
“Why not?”
“Well, because your dick is right there. And you haven’t asked me
once if I wanted to spend time with him.”
I hadn’t thought he wanted to play tonight. “I’m not good enough
then?” I chuckled. “You can always spend time with him. Wake him up.”
Leo wriggled around with excitement. He placed a hand over my
cock in the boxers. It was already a chubbed just from being near him.
He wasted no time, switching it up from being a sweet little who
wanted things done to him, to being a demanding little who wanted to do
the things to me.
I placed my hands behind my head as Leo gave me head, getting me
harder in his mouth. He moved between my legs to get a better view of my
entire body from my cock, almost like he was trying to see how I looked
when I saw my cock.
“Can I—” he paused, tilting his head from side to side. “Can I sit on
it now?”
He was so horny, all the time. I loved that about him, he had energy
for sex all the time, it didn’t matter what time of day. And he was still at
that age where he could cum, and then ten minutes later, he’d be horny
enough to cum again.
 “It’s yours,” I told him, reaching out to the bedside drawer. “You
want to put this on him?” I asked.
“Ok, and maybe—like next week, or whenever, we can do
something where we don’t have to use that and you can put there,” he said,
taking the condom. “Not that I don’t value safety, but if we’re just us
together, I want to feel it without this too.”
I leaned on my elbows to get a better look at his face. “We can do
whatever you want,” I said. “I like the sound of it. It’s a next step, are you
sure you’re ready for that?” I asked, double checking it’s what he wanted. I
wanted it more than anything, to be skin on skin, skin in skin, to be inside
him completely without a layer between us.
Leo chewed on his bottom lip, nodding with excitement. “But—” he
giggled. “Butt.”
As he placed the condom over my cock, going hard with his hand
down the shaft. I pushed myself up to kiss him on the forehead. “I want to
be inside it now. So, take your onesie off.”
He listened and obeyed, stripping from his clothes and throwing
them across the room.
We wasted no time. He climbed on top and rode my cock as I laid
back with my hands behind my head, experiencing the pleasures as they
trickled through me. I didn’t want the feeling to go, it was like holding an
orange and being tempted to squeeze it, and once you squeezed all the juice
out, you couldn’t put it back in. It was like that, I knew once I came, there
was no putting that orgasm back in me to hold.
He masturbated himself as bounced up and down on me cock.
“Cum for me, Daddy,” he said as his free hand stroked through my
body hair. He squeezed at a nipple, pinching the end gently. “I want all your
cum. Please. Cum—c—c—cum.” He leaned back and came all over
himself. He knew I didn’t like to get it in my body hair.
Under the throb of his hole against my cock, I bust my nut inside
him, wishing it was inside him instead of the condom. I pulled his hand
back to my nipple for him to play with while his hole milked every drop of
cum from me.
It was just what I needed. The warmth of being inside him, mixed
with the pleasure of knowing I had someone to spend the night with. He
didn’t want to get off me, but eventually he did so he could clean himself
off. He also took my condom off as well and wiped away the lube from my
cock. I fell to sleep while he took care of me, it was nice to swap caretaker
roles like this.
My alarm woke me in a panic.
Today was going to be hell.
Leo had turned over in the middle of the night and clung to the
enormous teddy bear we shared the bed with now. I never had night terrors
or sweat in my sleep.
There was a real fear I could lose everything today. I’d be resigned
to oversee a shop like Elias or Preston had been. It would’ve made my life
much easier, but Leo wanted me to stay in charge, he told me I was a good
boss. He believed in me, even if I didn’t want to put him in anymore danger.
I showered, careful not to wake Leo up yet. I still had to go over my
eulogy in my head. They were burying my aunt as well. They ruled her
death an accident, a slip and fall, with a knife to the head.
Wayne and Layla were both offered jobs, but I knew that wasn’t
what they really wanted. The two of them hadn’t worked a day in their
lives. It was clear when the options were presented to them. I hated what I
did to Adeline, only because she was family. If it had been anyone else, I
wouldn’t have even hesitated to kill them at the first chance. They
understood that, but I wrote them both a cheque each, and called them
consulting fees.
I was already getting dressed in my suit when Leo woke up.
“You want to eat some breakfast before you take a shower and get
dressed?” I asked, sitting on the edge of the bed to stroke his sleepy face.
Leo wanted to come with me. He wanted to be there for me, to hold
my hand. I wanted him there too, mostly to keep an eye on him. I didn’t
want to lose sight of him again. But the last time that happened, was
because of family.
The service was planned, and it was going to be attended by over a
hundred people. My father worked with so many to build the empire his
father had laid the groundwork for.
Leo was fed and cleaned. He stood in front of me, waiting to be
dressed. He had a tailored black suit, matching mine as they were both from
the same fabric. We wore the same suit, trousers, shirt, and tie. Our only
difference was that he wore a pair of briefs with cartoon rocket ships on
them.
 “Today might look like it’s tough on me,” I said as straightened his
tie before leaving. “But it’s not. I’ll have you with me. You’ve helped.
You’ve been a good boy at making me feel everything I’ve felt since I met
you.”
“I love you,” he said.
Frozen on the spot, in front of him. “I love you too.” I kissed him. “I
do, you know, a lot.”
Leo giggled, wrapping his arms around me as he kissed all over my
face.
“We won’t stay long today,” I told him. “Funeral service. The wake.
Then the vote.” I counted out on a hand. “And after that, train ride straight
to Edinburgh. Well, we’ll come back, pack a bag, then to the straight
station.”
He asked me again about needing a passport. He was a worrier. And
I reminded him it was within the UK. He didn’t need a passport yet.
As often as I killed people, I rarely went to funerals. The last funeral
was probably my grandmother’s funeral. She was eighty-something. I
didn’t like funerals, although I wasn’t sure if anyone did. Perhaps the
people who made money off them did. Being surrounded by crying people
was annoying, and for the first time as I went over my eulogy, I wasn’t the
least bit sad.
Held in a large church, the two caskets, one at either side of the
podium where the priest talked over hymns and making sure everyone had a
copy of the two individual procession books.
Leo sat beside me; he squeezed my hand tight. He’d already told me
he’d been to a funeral once when he was little, but he didn’t remember
much about it.
Wayne and Layla were on the other side of the church pews. Almost
like it was a marriage. The entire thing was almost poetic, if I knew any
poetry at all. She’d killed him, I killed her, they were twins, and now they
were about to be buried side by side at the family plot.
It wasn’t until I was called up, that I realised I was still smiling as I
mused about the entire thing. My mother had already been up, and she left
the stand bawling in tears.
I knew what my father would say. ‘Don’t fucking cry about it.
What’s done is done. Make it short and sweet. I’m not going to help you
with your homework.’
 People stood at the back of the church, unable to sit. It showed how
many people had been in my father’s life, or perhaps my aunt’s life. I zoned
all those other faces out and stared at Leo. My comfort.
“Hello,” I said into the small microphone. “As most of you know,
my father was incredible, sometimes to a fault. He was so incredible that
people forget things about him. But he was amazing, and he put family first.
He instilled that in me. I remember him saying, ‘we’re family, we’re not
going anywhere’, right before he forced him to leave the house and try
accomplishing something alone.” I paused as people chuckled. “No, he
helped, a lot, with everyone in the family. In fact, the family is what it is
today because of him, and because of those tough lessons he taught me. We
lost an amazing man, who always told me he was living on borrowed time.
We also lost his twin sister.” I paused, I hadn’t planned on saying anything
about her, but she was right beside me, and I’d done it. “She wasn’t
involved much in the family. She left, but I’d like to think she got to see my
dad one last time before he passed.” And I knew she did; the entire family
knew now.
I finished as my father would’ve wanted me to and spoke directly to
the family in telling them I was ready to step up completely.
There should’ve been peace and ease after that, but there wasn’t. I
still had to face the family and get them to vote me in charge. Leo continued
to hold my hand as we sat through the rest of the people as they talked
about my father.
The wake for my father was set to take place at a pub. It was owned
by the family firm, and we had a back room with a table and chairs for
meetings like this.
Leo waited outside until it was over with. I told him not to eat
anything or touch anything until I was out. I’d also asked him not to speak
with anyone, but my mother’s voice penetrated through the door. I knew she
was asking him a hundred and one questions.
“Make it quick,” Louie said, straightening his back out on the chair.
“So, are we just voting?” Louie lived outside London but was still part of
the family. He extended our reach, but he wasn’t usually vocal.
I stood at the head of the table, making eye contact with everyone;
all six people. “In the last two years, we’ve been making more and more
money,” I said. “I’ve done a good job. I will continue to do a good job. I
know my way around it, and I’m not scared to make difficult decisions. You
all know what I did. And I understand if you don’t want me to head the firm
anymore.”
“Well,” Rebekah said. Preston’s younger sister, and the only woman
in the room. “I think it’s time for our corner of the family to take charge.
There’s more of us. My dad knows the business, Preston knows the
business, and—well, Louie is married with a kid, so he’s out of the
equation, but he has a vote. Unlike, if I got married, I wouldn’t have a
vote.”
“Do you want to take charge, Rebekah?”
She stood and took her black chiffon funeral hat off her head.
“Actually,” she said. “I would like to. My businesses have washed a lot of
money. I think it’s about time you consider putting a woman in charge.”
All day I’d had this swelling notion in my throat about fucking this
meeting up, and then the solution to everything appeared. “You have my
vote, as long as I can take control of investment properties—around
Europe.”
“Wait,” Rebekah chuckled. “Are you—are you being serious?”
I unbuttoned my suit and sat. “Absolutely.” I raised my hand. “All
those who vote to put Rebekah in charge, raise your hand.”
Everyone, except for Preston raised their hands.
“What?” he grumbled. “I could do it.”
“Bad luck, brother,” she said. “Looks like I’m going to be your new
boss.” She smiled at me. “And I agree, you can oversee that. So, do I get the
fancy office and stuff now, or—”
“Whenever you want, I’ll call Kelly, she’s your assistant now,” I told
her, standing again. “I’m gonna leave now, and I’m going to be enjoying
my free time. Also, there’s probably a couple of things in the desk drawer,
I’ll just have someone come and pick that up, and the rest of things.” I
snapped my fingers at her. “Best of luck, and don’t—don’t fuck it up.”
It was a relief. I left the pub with Leo on my arm. I didn’t even tell
him what had happened until we were already on the train with our bags
packed to start my tour of never letting a happy moment pass me by.

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29. LEO
We arrived in Edinburgh from the train as it got dark. Daddy allowed me to
take one teddy, Tuffy, and two onesies. He said it would be a quick break,
and then he didn’t tell me anything else until we were on the train, and he
finally told me what had happened.
I didn’t want him to give up being the boss. Mostly because I was
scared about what would happen to him if people knew he wasn’t the big
boss anymore. It turns out he was still protected because he was part of the
family.
At the hotel, the first thing I did was run around the penthouse suite.
There was an amazing view of houses and the cobbled streets. But I was
more interested in ticking something else off my world map, which I hadn’t
been able to bring with me.
“Want to order room service?” he asked, laid back on the bed. He
was looking up at the ceiling. I wondered if he missed not having the mirror
to watch himself on.
I leapt on top of him, bouncing on the soft bed. “Yes. What can I
get?”
He reached for the menu on the bedside table by the phone.
“Whatever you want.”
“What are you gonna get?” I took the menu from him. “Why don’t
they have the prices on these?”
“I rarely look at the price anyway,” he snickered as he wiggled on
the bed, shaking me on top of him. “They’re usually pretty good at doing
whatever you ask for too. I think they’ll have nuggets and French fries if I
ask.”
That sounded good. My belly let out a grumble. “Ok. I want that
then.”
“You want to get dressed in something comfier?” he asked, giving
my upper thigh a grab. “Unless you want to go out somewhere. Maybe we
can head out for a walk and see if there’s a restaurant.”
I sighed, laying across him. I placed my ear against his chest and
listened to his fast heart. “No, I’m tired. We can explore tomorrow, and
we’re going to the zoo, and—” I froze.
 “And, you get to see the pandas,” he finished for me, taking the
menu to look for himself. “But that’s ok with me, it’s been a long day, the
funeral, the travel. I’m just glad I got to do it with you.”
His heart raced faster as he said that. He was emotional, but I didn’t
want to mention it. I pulled myself off him and went to get changed into my
panda onesie. I’d asked him on the train if I could wear this when we went
to the zoo, but he said no, and the compromise was that I could wear some
panda ears instead.
He tackled me from behind in a hug once I was dressed, lifting me
high as he nuzzled at my neck. “Food will be thirty minutes,” he said. “So,
just hope it arrives, or I might be forced to eat you.”
I wiggled free of his grasp. “You know it’s illegal to eat pandas,” I
said.
Daddy laid back on the bed once more, he looked at the ceiling. “I
know all about what’s illegal,” he said. “You know, we smuggle in illegal
meat for rich clients too.”
A shriek projected from my throat. “What?!”
“Never pandas though. It’s ok. It was mostly zebra meat and
pufferfish,” he said.
I was stunned. “But—but they’re like, aren’t they—”
“They aren’t pandas,” he told me again.
I sat on the floor, ready to sulk. “Have you eaten them?”
“No, they’re usually banned or something for a reason,” he said.
“I’m not going to put myself at danger like that. Most of it is seafood
related and I’ve never been a fan of that, unless they’re carrying millions of
pounds worth of gems in their bellies.”
I suppose I’d seen worse. I climbed on bed and cuddled up beside
him. I wanted to ask more questions about it, but I also wanted to still be
hungry for dinner when it arrived.
The food came in on a fancy cart with metal cloches over the plates.
There was also a bucket of ice with a bottle of wine inside, and a big glass
filled with strawberry milkshake and ice cream. My hungry hadn’t
disappeared.
He ordered a steak, medium rare, or whatever that meant. It was still
a little pink inside, and I was worried it would make his belly upset. But he
enjoyed it. And I enjoyed every single bite of my nuggets, fries, and the
thick, creamy strawberry milkshake.
 I was ready for bed, and maybe a lie-in. I hadn’t had one of those for
a while.
“What other animals do you want to see tomorrow?” he whispered
as I laid on his chest and he stroked my head.
“All of them,” I said. “That’s a silly question. I want to see them all.
And I want to take pictures to show Susie.”
“One day we’ll go to that place in China, the one you told me
about,” he said, kissing me on the forehead. “Now—” he yawned. “Let’s
get some sleep.”
It was difficult trying to sleep with all the excitement swimming
through my body. I was going to see the animals in person, the animals I’d
dreamed for years of seeing, the ones I’d only seen on documentaries.
I did eventually get some sleep, and when I woke, I was in bed
alone.
The hotel door opened as it bleeped. And Daddy walked in, all
sweaty from a run.
“I needed it,” he said. “Want to come shower with me?”
Now, I was awake.
I never wanted to miss an opportunity to see him get all naked, and
better, never missing an opportunity for him to wash my body with his
body. His hairy chest was a little bit like a soft sponge as he used it against
me.
But I wasn’t going to be distracted by him, or his horny trunk.
I’d been preparing for this visit for the last couple of days. I got
some panda ears, and a t-shirt with pandas on them, it was an extra-large t-
shirt, and I was a medium, but I liked the oversized look. I wondered if the
pandas would know I was wearing it. Maybe they’d think I was one of them
and invite me into the panda home for bamboo.
Daddy dressed down for the first time in a while. He wore a white t-
shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a jacket. You’d never tell he’d killed a whole
bunch of people from how he looked. Maybe if you saw his knuckles, they
weren’t fully healed yet.
When we finally made it to the zoo, everything I saw overwhelmed
me. There were exhibitions all over, and schedules written to tell you when
different animals were getting their feedings. I wanted to see them all. And I
think so did Daddy, because he perked up when they were talking about a
big cat feeding. Those animals were vicious, so it’s no wonder he liked
them.
I dragged him away from all that schedule noise, and we went
directly to the pandas. My body vibrated like I was about to be raptured by
the panda gods as soon as I saw the images of them on the advertising
posters.
There was a queue to see them. And no flash photography. I took
deep breaths and held Daddy’s hand so I didn’t lose him, or he lose me,
since I was ready to bolt in a moment’s notice at the first sign I could see
those pandas.
And there they were, behind the window. Just sitting, one of them
on the climbing frame, and the other in a corner. They didn’t even look at
me, but I didn’t blame them. People were overwhelming.
“They’re so big,” I whispered, looking up at him.
He smiled at me. “Stand there, and I’ll take a picture of you.”
“Ok, ok. But—but no flash, remember.”
I blushed as he forced people to move so that he could take a picture
of me. He did that very well, command people around. It’s why I thought he
should’ve stayed on as the boss. But he told me he could spend more time
with me this way, and I couldn’t complain about that.
So giddy with excitement, I’d finally done it. I’d seen the pandas in
real life. The next step on my list was to hold one, but for now, this would
do, and I wouldn’t complain because it was more than I ever thought would
happen.
I’d been to a zoo once before in my life, I think, a lot of my
memories were hazy. I didn’t know if that was something I’d done, or
something I’d dreamed of doing vividly from all those TV shows I’d seen.
“I’ll have a lot more free time now,” he said as we sat down to eat in
the animal themed restaurant. “We should see every animal.”
“No. I don’t want you to give everything up.”
“Leo,” he said, stroking my face. He didn’t even care if people were
watching us. He stared deep into my eyes. “I’m not giving anything up. I’m
happy. For the first time in a while, I don’t have this stress to make the
tough decisions in front of me. And for what it’s worth. Giving the reins of
the company to Rebekah, even if it’s only temporarily, is one of the easiest
decisions I’ve made in a while.”
 I was cautious of the people around us. I saw their eyes dart at us
from across the tables. I held Daddy’s hand as he pressed it to my face. “I
think I want to work with animals. Maybe not in a zoo, but like maybe a pet
store or something.”
He grinned. “We own a couple pet stores,” he said. “That’s were
Elias started, and why he’s obsessed with snakes.”
My immediate head shake was an accurate response. “Maybe like
dogs or cats, or something. No snakes or mice, or bugs, or anything like
that.”
“I’ve waited years to find someone who accepted me for the things
I’ve done, someone who knows how I operate, and they don’t care,” he
said.
“You know,” I said, leaning in close to him over the table. “I find it
difficult too. I want to take from people. It’s—it’s a habit. I see the man
over there; he’s wearing a Rolex.”
“That’s a fake,” he said.
“It is?”
“Yes,” he snickered. “I love that about you though. You have
impulses. I have them too. It’s why I think we’re perfect together.”
My toes curled up inside my shoes. I thought he was perfect. I was
the one who brought mess into his life. Everything he did was calculated
and meticulous. Although maybe that was just because of the people he
knew who could clean his mess up.
“I want to give you this.” He pulled out a ring box.
I grabbed his hand. Shaking. “What?”
“It’s a promise ring,” he said, opening it up.
My heart throbbed. “I—”
“It’s my promise to protect you, to think about us and not just me,
and it’s also because I didn’t want to go too fast. My impulse told me to go
as fast as a moving train without brakes. But my brain correct itself. What
do you say?”
Sobbing at the sight of the gorgeous black, shiny black band inside
the ring box. “I—I don’t have anything for you.”
He took the ring from the box and slipped it on my finger. “I take
that as a yes to my promise then.” He lifted my hand and kissed the back of
it. “Now, we should go see what they’re selling here before we go watch
those big cats eat their lunch.”
 It was everything I’d ever wanted.
Stability and warmth. A love I’d craved for the longest time, I didn’t
even know if that type of love even existed beyond my dreams. But it did. It
existed here, now, within me and him. Within us. I never wanted this
moment to end.

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EPILOGUE
NINE MONTHS LATER

SAMUEL

The freedom to not be in charge of everyone had helped me do so much

more with myself. My father had always put pressure on me to take over
and be the best. I was actually happy with how things had worked out. And
while Rebekah was doing what she could, I was exploring the world with
Leo, as well as meeting some of our foreign suppliers on the side to do real
work for the family.
We were in Chengdu, China, after several planes, trains, and a
private car hire. We were ticking off the one thing he’d wanted to do more
than anything else in the world. And on his birthday no less.
“What does he feel like?” I asked as I snapped a picture.
He was speechless as the sleepy little panda sat on his lap. He’d
been talking non-stop until we arrived at the panda sanctuary, the only place
in the world you could have a panda sit on your lap and get a photo to take
home as evidence.
“Smile,” I said.
Leo smiled with tears in his eyes. It was no less than a miracle we
got here. But we did, and I was thankful for every single moment I got to
see his face beam with excitement.
He didn’t want to let go when it came time to leave the panda since
there was always a large queue of people also waiting for their moment
with the sleepy little pandas. They were most likely sedated, but I wouldn’t
tell him that.
He didn’t say a single word to me until we were out in their
giftshop. “I want one,” he said.
Maybe when I told him he could have whatever he wanted, I
should’ve specified that we shouldn’t get things that would be difficult to
take care of. “I know I have contacts, but I—”
“No, this,” he said, tackling the large panda teddy. “I want one. Can
I?”
Much better than what I’d been thinking. “Of course, but how will
we get it back home?”
 “It can take my seat on the plane,” he said.
“How about we buy it, and I’ll pay someone to ship it over?”
He smacked his fists into the teddy with excitement. “Yes, yes. Ok.”
I pulled a piece of paper from my pocket. It was a list Leo had
created. We’d agreed that once we completed the list, we would get
married. It was my idea, I told him I wanted him to see the world before he
agreed to be with me forever.
“Pandas, tick,” he said, snatching the list from me.
“Next up?”
“Koala bears!”
I knew that. We had our flights already booked to Australia.
“Let’s get a move on then,” I told him. “The driver is waiting for us
outside. You pay for that first.” I fished a hand into my pocket for my
wallet, but it wasn’t there.
Leo waved my wallet in front of my face, proving once more that he
hadn’t lost any of his flair. “Already on it.”
I watched as he paid for things he wanted, and I enjoyed seeing him
spend my money. It was wild to have such a huge bank balance with nearly
all the possibilities in the world opened to you. And it was incredible to give
some of that to him.
“So,” I said, as he came back carrying the panda teddy in a
chokehold. “We only have two weeks left until we have to be back in
England.”
“Why?”
“You know why. Your mum is getting out of rehab. And you
promised you’d be there when she did,” I said. “Do you remember what we
said about promises?”
He lulled his head and nodded. “Promises need to be kept, or it
compromises all the other promises you’ve ever made.”
“Exactly.” I gave him a kiss on the head before noticing people turn
to us and stare. “We can visit the animals in Australia, and then we can head
home. I want to see the kangaroos, and—what were those small things you
were talking about?”
“Small things?” he asked. “The kangaroo babies?”
“No, you showed me a picture of them.”
“Quokkas!”
“Those,” I chuckled. “I can’t wait to see those.”
 He never failed to make me smile. And I didn’t want there to ever be
a day he didn’t smile like that for me. Soon, once the list was complete,
he’d have a reason to smile every day because that would be my promise to
him.

THE END

OceanofPDF.com
 BAD BOY
Copyright © 2023 Joe Satoria
All Rights Reserved

Warnings & Tropes: This book contains violence, revenge, and lots of
spice. Age gap, D/s dynamic.

OceanofPDF.com
 BLURB

A high-stakes game of love and survival.

Sutton Levan, a fearless and cunning hacker, thrives on the adrenaline rush
of breaking the rules. But when he crosses paths with Danya Alexeyev, a
murderous mafioso, his life takes an unexpected turn. Mistaken for
someone else, Sutton finds himself entangled in a deadly web of deception,
where trust is a luxury he can’t afford.

Their chemistry is explosive, and their connection irresistible. But as they

navigate the treacherous waters of their entwined destinies, the dangerous
Alexeyev crime family closes in, threatening to tear them apart. With
danger lurking at every corner, Sutton must summon all his wit and courage
to stay one step ahead.

In a world where passion blurs the lines of power and desire, Sutton and
Danya walk a tightrope between ecstasy and destruction.

Can they survive the dangerous dance they’ve entered? And will their love
be strong enough to overcome the deadly fate that threatens them?

Bad Boy is an enemies-to-lovers romance. It involves a ruthless crime

family, bonding with your captor gone wrong… or right, a D/s dynamic,
and a ten-year age gap.

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1. SUTTON
The music in the earphones cut.
The sharp click of a gun cocked behind my head.
This was the end.
“Put your fucking hands up,” a gravelly voice snapped. “Now.”
There was a slight Eastern European twang to it.
My mind raced, trying to place the accent through the muffle of my
earphones in. I knew having my desk face the window was a bad decision.
Picking my gaze to see his reflection in the glass. A tall man in a suit jacket.
It confirmed that noise was a gun.
“Take what you want,” I said, pulling my earphones out as I raised
my hands from the computer keyboard.
“Four million.”
I burst into laughter. “I—I don’t have that. Be reasonable. Who sent
you?”
“You stole it.” A firm hand on my shoulder, he tugged the hood of
my jacket and spun me in my desk chair. “Look at me. In the eye.”
It was hard to look past the big silver gun in my face. It wasn’t the
biggest I’d seen, but it was still in my face. “Listen. I don’t know who you
are. You have the wrong person. Plus, it’s late. Come back tomorrow during
business hours.”
He stood straight, revealing his true height and how broad his
shoulders were.
“Are you a stripper?” I asked. “Your body is just.” I popped my
tongue.
He combed his slicked black hair back. “Don’t play games.” He
tutted, shaking his head. In the light, I noticed a shiny silver scar beneath
his eye. “You’re a boy,” he said, lowering the gun.
Maybe I was the person he was looking for. I was taught that
fucking around with dangerous men could lead to having their load fired in
my face.
“How old are you?” he asked, snarling. “No more than what—
twenty?” He holstered the gun inside his jacket.
“Twenty-five, actually.”
“And you own this place?” His head panned around.
 “Ownership is a broad term,” I said. “Who owns anything
anymore?” I copied his head movement, scanning the apartment for points
of entry and exit. I lived in a loft in Williamsburg. There were plenty of
windows, but I wasn’t eager to free fall.
“Listen kid,” he said. “I’m not a bad person. I’m trying to get back
something that was stolen. Tell me who owns this place?” He stared at me.
His cheek twitched where there was a scar.
“Is this the person who stole that money?” I asked, shaking my
head. “What does four million bucks even look like? Was it in gold bars? I
watched a show where they melted them into little balls. Super creative.”
“No, no, no.” He waved his hands over each other. “This was
worse.”
“In cash? Was it a briefcase or something? You know you should
have an armored truck and those FBI guys transport it.”
“Stop. Tell me. Who owns the apartment? Wait. No. Who lives
here?”
“I do.”
He laughed a little before cutting himself off. His face turned stern
and his gaze cold. “So, you stole four million, huh?”
It was probably more than that. I pressed my lips together, keeping
myself from any snarkier remarks. “First off, who are you?”
“No, who are you?”
“And how did you find me?”
“I’m asking the questions,” he said. “I have a gun.”
“You’re right,” I said, smiling. “Ask your question.”
He walked back and forth across the floor. “First, your name? If it’s
the same name I know, you’re coming with me. Second, how did you get
into the bank and steal so much? Three, who—who do you work for?”
I spun in the chair back to my keyboard. My fingers punched in an
error code. The computer screen turned black. The lights shut off and a loud
beep screeched from the speakers in all corners of the loft.
Dropping from the chair to my knees, I crawled toward my
backpack by the mattress on the floor. Into a crouch, I swung the bag over
my shoulder and pushed my hood over my head before leaving.
Two shots whipped through the air, cracking into my computer drive
and monitor.
 “Not so fast,” he said as the lights flickered on. “You think you’re
slick. Computer boy. Huh.”
In a slow turn, I contemplated throwing myself that free fall from
the window. I was almost at the door. But he had a gun, and I didn’t know
how many bullets he had left.
“Listen,” I said, holding my hands in the air as he aimed the gun at
me. “I’m not the one you want. I don’t own this place. It’s—it’s somewhere
I crash.”
“You’re right, a woman named Wendy owns this place, but I’m not
looking for her,” he snickered. “Yes. I did my research.”
“I could be Wendy for you,” I said, trying to not smile.
Rule number one. Don’t let anyone know anything about you. You
can scrub your records clean, but you can’t erase the information someone
remembers. “If it’s all the same with you, I’d like to live, and I’d like you to
stop pointing that gun at me.”
“Listen here you little—little—”
“Ok, I’m five-seven. You don’t have to make a joke about it.”
“Weasel,” he said. “Come here. I’ll cuff you. You’re coming—
coming with—”
“Coming,” I snickered. He was making the jokes far too easy. “Buy
me dinner first.”
He growled. “You’ll be the prettiest example I make.”
“Aww,” I cooed. “So, you think I’m pretty?”
He grabbed me by the arm and tugged me like a rag doll. “Start
talking and talk quick.”
Too close, an array of combating cologne scents assaulted me.
Wrinkling my nose, I let out a sigh. “You don’t have a clue about what
you’re doing, do you?” I stared blankly at him. “I’m not the one you’re
looking for.”
“Listen, kid.”
“I’m an adult.”
“Kid. Listen. You stole from my family.”
I tried to wriggle out of his grip. “I didn’t.” A lie: I stole from many
people, mostly bad people. It wasn’t my fault they were easy to get a
keylogger access on one of their computers. “Do you seriously think
someone like me would steal over a million dollars?” I shrugged,
continuing to struggle out of his grasp. “Could, on the other hand, I could.
But four million is too much.”
He must’ve been wracking his brain; I watched his eyes ping-pong
from left to right. “With that stunt you pulled on the computer. Maybe.”
“Oh, I can see that, you Neanderthal.”
“You got a smart mouth,” he grumbled, pulling out a zip tie from his
pocket. He pulled my wrists together, zipping them tight.
“You know, the least you could do is tie me with something a little
stronger.”
Sucking on his teeth, I’d gotten him riled. “You’re going over my
shoulder.”
“As kinky as that sounds, and this roleplay is cute, I’m kinda
booked solid for the week,” I snipped back. “So, if you could give me a
name, it might jog my memory and we can part ways. Unless what you
want is—” He placed his hand over my mouth.
“Enough talking,” he said. “I’m Danya Alexeyev.”
The Alexeyev Crime Family.
Color me surprised. I always imagined that if it were to happen, they
would’ve arrived with a small army. Instead, they sent one man. An
Alexeyev by name, maybe also by blood.
“Eh hon,” I garbled behind his hand.
“What?” He removed it.
“You’re the son,” I said. “You’re important, right? So, why are you
here alone?”
Tutting, he shook his head. “Top secret.”
“Unless—unless you’re here without telling anyone. No. You’re
here because they used your name in the financials. That’s how the money
was taken. It was your fault.” I wasn’t speaking from knowledge of the
situation, just guessing.
His smile dropped. “Think you’re funny, don’t you?”
“I’ve been told I could do well on the comedy circuit,” I admitted.
“So, when are you throwing me over your shoulder? And where are we
going?”
“No, I told you my name. You tell me yours. And who do you work
for little boy?” He tugged at the zip ties, pulling them tighter.
“Ouch.” I pouted, wincing my brows together. “I didn’t hurt you.
Why do you have to hurt me?”
 The question stumped him. “Listen. I need the money back. Can you
—can you do that?” He gestured to the computer.
“Why are you pointing at that?” I asked. “You shot it.” Although
that didn’t matter, I’d already sent the error code. I’d never had to use it
before. “Take me home to your daddy and explain to him why you’re
dragging some poor, innocent boy home with all your wild theories. I can
cry on command, if that helps.”
He threw me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing. “You’re
right. My father has worse means of getting information.”
As soon as we were out of the apartment door, I began flailing my
limbs around with my backpack hanging at the corner of my elbow. “Help!”
I called out. “Help! Someone is trying to kill me. He’s got a gun!”
Danya huffed. “You know help doesn’t work. You’re supposed to
yell fire. And telling people I have a gun won’t help. They’ll run scared.”
“Why? Is it really big?” I chuckled. My eyes darting around the
hallway, examining escape routes. Step one was already in place, disarm
with jokes. “I bet it’s super hard as well.”
“Stop.”
“Your gun,” I quipped. “If I had a gun as big as yours, I’d want
everyone to see.”
There was my escape. The trash chutes. It was large enough for me,
but getting it open long enough and overcoming the fear that I might break
both legs wasn’t going to be easy.
“I’ll tell you one more time,” he said. “Shut up.”
“Got it,” I said, trying to sway him with my weight. I didn’t weight
much, so it was difficult, but I saw the pattern in his steps and the length of
his stride from behind. As he lifted his left foot, I rocked myself on his
shoulder, forcing him to walk closer to the wall.
“Stop wriggling.”
“You know, I bet you’d be more attractive if you didn’t kidnap
people,” I said, step two, compliments. “And, if you wore a little less
cologne. Unless you fell into a perfume vat before coming here.”
My leg touched the wall.
I had one shot at this.
“You’re lucky,” he grumbled. “If it had been anyone else, you
would’ve been shot already. Maybe that can still happen.”
“Why am I different?” I asked.
 “Well, you kinda look—”
My foot caught the handle of the chute. I pulled it open and threw
my weight into it. I slipped in with ease, but before I could slide to freedom
and doom, he caught the backpack. My arms in the air clinging to the bag.
It was stuck in place from the way my wrists were bound. “Let me go,” I
shouted. It echoed.
“Why are you making this difficult?” He said, his voice turning into
a low growl. “You’re a kid.”
“Yeah,” I said, trying to strain the handle of the bag in my grasp. “A
kid who stole four million.”
He let go. I dropped through the chute into the dumpster below. The
trash cushioning my fall. Thankful the chute led to a dumpster on the alley.
I laid in the sour stench of trash for a moment, counting my lucky
stars as I made it out alive. The last place I wanted to be was in a mafia safe
house pleading for my life.
“We got your message,” a voice said, banging on the side of the
container. “Come on.”
Peering out of the bin, a man and woman stood in colorful comic
slogan T-shirts and cargo shorts. “Who—who are you?” I asked. “Oh.”
“I’m Star and this is Lazer,” the woman said.
I rolled my eyes. “No. I know you.” I nodded at Lazer. “What are
your real names?”
“We’re taking you back to base. Boss wants words with you,” Lazer
said, sucking in a sigh. “She sounds pissed, by the way.”
Star whacked Lazer on his chest. “No, she didn’t. But she told us to
say, welcome back.”
“Right. Well, there’s a big Russian guy about to get here any minute
now, so—” I rubbed the zip tie against a piece of blunt rusted metal and
freed my hands.
Star snapped her fingers. “Come on then. We have a car at the end
of the alley.”
“Welcome back,” Lazer grumbled. “Nobody missed you,” he
whispered. His voice traveled in the quiet alley.
Climbing out of the dumpster, I wasn’t sure which fate was worse.
Being taken in by Russian mobsters or going back somewhere I left four
years ago. Either way, I searched for another escape route.
“Come on!” Star said. “We’re not waiting here all night.”
The lesser of the two evils.

OceanofPDF.com
2. SUTTON
Sitting in the comfortable leather interior of the car, I hugged my backpack
to my chest. Star and Lazer argued quietly in the front seats. They drove
through the reflective neon lights of New York City as they twinkled on the
windows.
“Is she still in the same place?” I asked.
Star turned in the seat and glared at me. “We can’t say.”
“I’m guessing the shutdown error triggered you to come.” I tried to
figure out how they arrived within minutes. They were an easy escape, but I
was forced to go with them.
“You think Maura didn’t know where you were?” Lazer snickered.
“That code in the shutdown was hers. We were close when you triggered it.
She asked us to come and get you.”
“So, she’s still underground?” I asked.
They locked eyes with each other.
“Put this on,” Lazer grumbled, throwing a scarf at me. “Around
your eyes.”
“I know you’re not new, Lazer. You don’t have to treat me like we
didn’t train together,” I said, slipping the scarf around my head and eyes. “I
don’t blame you for being cautious, but you know me.”
They continued to talk about Maura. I didn’t care what she’d said. I
thought about throwing myself out of the car, but they’d locked the doors. It
was safer. At least I knew Maura wouldn’t torture me.
“She didn’t stop paying attention to you,” Star said. “She let you get
away with shit the rest of us would lose everything over.”
Lazer chuckled. “Seriously. The shit you’ve pulled over the years.
I’m surprised you aren’t in a super max cell.”
“I was in prison, for a time,” I told them, clutching my bag. “They
let me out within forty-eight hours, and I scrubbed every trace of it from
any record. I’m surprised Maura even asked you to pick me up.” We hadn’t
parted on the best of terms, so it was a surprise to know she cared enough to
have people collect me. “I can handle myself.”
“I don’t remember you being such a talker,” Lazer scoffed.
The noise outside changed from the bustle of the late-night streets to
a quiet echo. I knew where we were. A parking lot. We came to a stop. The
faint smell of engine fumes and the screech of tires confirmed my
suspicion.
“I don’t know why you need the blindfold. We’re in the parking lot.
There’s a maintenance door and a tunnel to the base,” I said. “Unless she’s
moved. There’s a lot of real estate in underground New York these days, but
also more tour groups acting like modern day explorers.”
They stayed quiet as one of them opened the door and tugged my
arm.
The squeaky hinge of the maintenance door opened. It hadn’t
changed in all those years. It was odd, the way they treated me like a guest.
This used to be my home. I could’ve come here anytime I wanted. They
weren’t protecting themselves from anything.
I hadn’t missed the faint damp smell or the quiet drip of water
pooling in corners on the ground.
“We’re here,” Star said.
Lazer removed the scarf from my head. I caught Star parting a
hanging blue tarp. It concealed a metal door with a key code. The door
unlocked as metal wheels tapped together.
At the door, standing in wait, Maura Zims. She had brown and gray
untamable curly hair and big green eyes. She dressed like one of my art
teachers from school, denim overalls covered in colorful substances.
“My boy,” she said, opening her arms wide for me. “I’ve missed
you.”
I hugged her. “Missed you too.”
We were standing in the dull, flashing orange lights of a dark
hallway.
“Her boy?” Star mumbled.
“She’s not my mom,” I said before she got anymore wild ideas.
“No, no,” Maura said, ruffling a hand through my hair. “I found
Sutton on the streets when he was young. You’d ran away from foster care.
Well, he’d been waiting outside enormous office buildings and stealing the
wallets.”
I’d come a long way from that. “Maura taught me how to hone my
gifts,” I said. “She made me the criminal I am today.”
“I don’t think—well, let me show you around. Things have changed
since you left,” she said, tugging my arm into hers. “Star has been with me
for a year now. We’re working on our pink initiative.”
 “What’s the pink initiative?” I asked.
Maura tutted at me. “That’s not for sharing yet.” She dismissed Star
and Lazer as they walked ahead into another room. “I’m glad you’re back,”
she said, pulling me into another hug. “You’re my prodigy, but I taught you
better than to fuck with the mafia.”
“I’m not back,” I said. “I didn’t code that message. I wasn’t asking
for help.”
“I saw him. The big guy. Russian,” she said, nodding at me. “It sure
looked like you needed help. But if you’d rather I left you to be tortured,
then be my guest, I can have the Alexeyev family collect you.”
“How did you—how did you know it was the Alexeyev family?”
She tutted. “I know more than you think. And I hear everything.
Someone recently robbed the Alexeyev family through a cyber-attack. It
wasn’t anyone on my team, but the fingerprint said Myriad, and the
transaction had your name. Well, Sutton. And only you know the one. So—
what is it, Sutton?”
“I didn’t steal his money,” I said. “I’m not stupid enough to take so
much from someone’s account. I know it’s all about the micro transactions.”
But now, I knew that the Russians had my name.
“So, you didn’t leave a Myriad print for them to find?”
“I’m not part of Myriad. Why would I?”
“Well, that’s the question I had,” she said. “And I’m inclined to
believe you didn’t. You’ve never lied to me before.”
“Unlike you,” I snipped back.
“Please, Sutton, this is the first time I’ve seen you in years. We
should wait a little before getting into all that mess,” she said. “I’ll show
you around. I take it you’ll be staying with us for the night.”
I didn’t have another option, and I wasn’t ungrateful. After
everything Maura had done for me, the last thing I wanted to be to her was
a dick.
A lot had changed. The underground settlement used to have wires
dangling from the ceiling, but they had all been cleaned and concealed.
There were several more rooms and much longer hallways.
“We cleaned a lot,” she said. “There’s a room for sleeping, and we
converted it into sleeping pods. There are a few spare pods. It’s a quiet area,
so we have a no coding and no talking policy in there.” There was a
hallway, down which there were the pods. They appeared to be bunk beds
placed on top of each other but curtained off from prying eyes.
“It’s an upgrade,” I said. “I’m assuming you have a new coding
room too?”
She tutted her tongue at her teeth. “We’ll get there.”
“You haven’t changed much,” I told her.
“We’ve got a kitchen and some more plumbing. Oh, and a games
room,” she said. “This is our home. You remember a time when this was
your home too.”
“And then I moved on. I have an apartment. I own.”
She stopped me in the doorway of the kitchen, her hand on my arm.
“I’m proud of you for that,” she said. “And I hope you know I haven’t
stopped paying attention to you. So, I also know that Wendy Eccles owns
that apartment.”
I scoffed. “Rule number—whatever. No real names. Plus, if you
hadn’t stopped watching me, then you’ll know I didn’t do it,” I said. “Now,
we’re on the same level. We need to talk about who you think is using the
Myriad name.”
Into the kitchen, it was much bigger. There were counters,
appliances, and a long table. Two people sat eating and talking. They
couldn’t have been older than their late teens.
“You have a way to go before we’re on the same level,” she said.
“It must be someone here.”
“No,” she quipped. “I trust everyone here.”
“You have more people now. You can’t trust everyone.”
Raising her brows, she shook her head. “I once thought I could trust
you, so I suppose you’re right.”
“Trust is a deadly game.”
She turned to the guy and girl at the table. “Stell, Bones. If you
could give me the room for ten minutes,” she said. “I need to speak in
private.”
They nodded, following her orders and left with their food.
“Are none of the old team still here?” I asked. “Except Lazer.”
“People don’t stick around when they learn all they can,” she said,
filling a teakettle with water. “What about you? Have you found yourself a
boyfriend?” She chuckled. “I remember when you were obsessed with
finding one and being normal.”
 “I thought you’d been watching me.”
“You’re right,” she said. “But I’m not intrusive.”
I’d had a few boyfriends, and of course, none of them stuck around.
I learned too much about them and once the mystery was gone, I was done.
“None worthy of mentioning.”
“Take a seat,” she said. “Stop standing around like some ornament.
You want some tea?”
I sat at the table, the bag on my lap. “Sure. Are you still making
your own blends?”
“Absolutely.” She placed the kettle on the stove. “So, how did he
find you?”
“I think someone gave him my address.”
“When we got the message, the camera turned on to capture data. I
ran facial recognition to find out who it was.”
“The son,” I said, cutting her off. “Danya. I know. I asked him.”
“He told you?”
“Yeah. You taught us the people not to steal from. Mafia are at the
top of that list,” I said. “But I—I didn’t let him believe I didn’t steal from
him.” A way of saying I might have admitted to it.
“Don’t you find it strange?” she asked. “He pinpointed you, exactly.
And I’d be silly not to say how everything points to you currently. Or at
least, us.”
My mind raced as fast as hers to make sense of everything. I
couldn’t. “He didn’t have any back up. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
“You don’t look like a threat,” she chuckled, pawing a hand at her
chest. “I’m sure they didn’t think they’d need more than one person.”
“You know me, I’m a little slippery.”
“I know. I also know it’s the people we least expect who are the
ones who eventually fuck us over.”
“So, you do think it’s someone here?” I asked.
“You know, I love you like a son.”
The teakettle whistled, turning our attentions to the stove.
I almost regretted telling him I had the money. I wanted him to think
I had one over on him. He shot my computer for no reason. Trigger happy
asshole.
“I’ll leave tomorrow,” I told her. “I want to get this figured out.
Someone told them it was me. I want to know who, and I want to know
why.”
She hummed, heaping her tea blend into the strainers. “I’ve got my
people looking into it,” she said. “I’m glad you came.”
My third option had been to do what I always did; survive. I knew
not to book into hotels or leave a trail of receipts for them to follow. I had a
couple of fake IDs, but I didn’t know which ones were compromised.
“Maybe it was someone from our past?”
“If it is, they’re a couple years too late,” she said. “Why would they
want to bring us back together now?”
Her answer to that was as good as mine. I didn’t know.
“Drink this. It’s a new blend,” she said, placing two mugs on the
table.
“You always had the best teas.” I wrapped my fingers around the
ceramic. “And you know, if I had millions of dollars in assets, I’d have
more security. At the least then I wouldn’t be ambushed.”
She sat beside me again. “Tomorrow, we’ll get some answers.”
I sipped the tea, my mind transported back to being a teen. Her
calming teas relaxed me and put me at ease. She also had stimulant teas,
and they helped for those long nights on the computers.
“How are you feeling?” she asked, patting a hand on shoulder.
My blinks were slow, and a yawn opened at the back of my throat.
“It’s—” Everything blurred out of focus. “Oh—what’s—what’s—wha—” I
fell into an unconscious void.

OceanofPDF.com
3. DANYA
A black Mercedes screeched beside me. The back tinted window opened,
cigar fumes escaped, and my father’s aging face appeared, glaring.
Nobody knew I was coming here tonight.
“I almost had him,” I said through a snarl.
“Get in. Idiot. You don’t think. You never think. Your brother told
me where you were.”
Gritting my teeth for words of weakness to stay inside. “I tried.”
The door opened, ramming my legs.
“Trying and failing is still failing,” he snapped, slipping across to
the other seat. My father’s signature look was a pinstripe suit; navy and
gray. My mother once told him stripes were slimming, and now in his age,
he’d stopped exercising and started relying on those stripes.
“I’m sorry,” I grumbled as I slipped into the back of the car. “I
almost had him.”
“Danya, sweet boy.” He smacked my knees with his cane. “Why are
you like this?”
Sinking into the seat, I rubbed my eyes. “I’ll find him again.”
“It’s fine,” he muttered. “Seems to have worked in our favor. You
know better than to play hero. Your brother—” he scoffed. “Grigory would
never do something as stupid. He’s a team player.”
“Maybe if you didn’t bench me,” I grumbled back.
He tutted, tapping at my knee with his cane again. “Stop it with your
American shit.”
There was no winning with my father. Compared to my older
brother and sister, I was the disappointment, and having my name attached
to losing the money didn’t help. It was my responsibility to make it right,
and that started with finding the guy who’d taken the trash chute rather than
the stairs. I’d keep that detail to myself. I didn’t want to look more like an
idiot in front of my family.
“I’ll get the money back,” I said.
“We got a call already,” he said, turning to me with a menacing
smile. “He’s being collected.”
“Who called you?”
“Not your concern.”
 “You know I got a good look at him,” I said. “He—he’s this skinny
thing, cocky, short hair, a little sassy.”
He scoffed. “Danya, Danya, please. You talk about him like you
want to fuck him. It’s embarrassing.”
“Oh. Really. Because I’m gay.”
He tssked, rambling something off in Russian. “Enough of the
dramatics,” he groaned.
My Russian was rusty at best. I had a small accent, but only from
proximity to my family. They figured if I immersed myself in American
culture from birth, our family wealth would multiply. And it had.
“You can drop me off near my apartment,” I said.
He smacked his cane at my knee again. “You’re coming back to the
house. I want to keep an eye on you.” He shook his head. “So, what did he
say?”
“He admitted to stealing the money.”
“Good. Arkady will handle it from here.”
“Who told you?” I asked again.
He pressed a finger to his mouth, hushing me. “You’ve done
enough.”
My uncle, Arkady, headed security for the family. He also had his
hand in the treasury. At first when the money went missing, Arkady almost
lost a finger for refusing to admit fault. He was my father’s brother, and
clearly, he didn’t have an issue disfiguring family.
“Where are they taking him?”
“Why?” he snickered. “You want to save the day? It’s your fault.
We’re in shame. Your fault we were hacked. You’re lucky I’m not throwing
you in the pit.”
I knew he hadn’t meant to tell me where, but he told me. The pit
was a secure base in the back of the house. It’s where they took people
accused of crimes against the family.
“We’re almost home,” the driver said.
“What will you do?” I asked in a whisper. “He could be an asset.”
“He stole from us. Don’t you understand?” he raised his brows at
me. “I’m ready to have his fingers pulled off. One by one. Well, once he
pays back the money. With interest, of course.”
Seeing where he lived, it didn’t make sense. He could’ve moved
country. If I’d stolen four million, I would’ve been on the first flight out.
“Who told you who it was?” I asked.
“I got a call,” he said. “How did you get to his apartment?” He
asked. “If you tell me he’s an ex, and he got into our account using you,
then maybe I’ll go easy on him. Or maybe I’ll make you watch.”
“He’s not an ex,” I snarled. Although there was no certainty to that.
He was my type.
“I wish I believed you.” He clipped the back of my head with an
open palm. “What happened to the Danya I trained? Since when would you
let anyone escape?” He scoffed. “You see, this is why I can’t be sure he’s
one of your boys. They scrambled your brain and made you soft like egg
yolk.”
“Oh, of course, because I leave important information around,” I
said. “You don’t trust me.”
“America made you soft.”
“I was born here,” I snapped back.
“Watch your tone, boy!”
Folding my arms, I hugged them against my chest. I was the
youngest child, and the only one born in America. At first, they wanted to
go back to Russia to give birth, and then they realized the worth of
citizenship. My older brother, Grigory, and my older sister, Evelina, were
both born in Russia.
We arrived at the family home. It was a big house surrounded by
land. In Russia, my father had been successful in different industries, which
I found out were mostly arms dealing, and the natural progression of that in
America meant the head of a criminal organization. It was only right, it was
a business, the business of people paying for protection.
“Listen,” my father grumbled before I could leave the car. “Don’t
disturb your uncle. He’ll get the information. And I’ll stop blaming you
soon.”
It was my fault. I was the reason the account was four million short.
I’d disobeyed my father many times, but this time, I couldn’t do
that. No matter how much I wanted to question him myself, I knew not to
interfere. But I also knew that sometimes disobeying a direct order could be
good.
At the front door, Lev stood, stuffing his hands into his overcoat. He
nodded at my father and grinned at me. He had a gnarly scar at the corner of
his mouth that traveled across his cheek to his ear.
 “What’s he doing here?” I asked.
“I’m not letting Arkady and Grigory be alone with the boy,” he
snickered, climbing out of the car. He held onto his cane, keeping himself
upright. “Plus, your sister is worried, so she’s staying over with the
children.”
Lev was my father’s head of operations. He was also married to my
sister.
Everyone in the family had a role. But my role changed. I’d gone
from being groomed to take over security, to the forgotten one, until the
money went missing, and my name was all over the paper trail.
“Keep yourself out of trouble,” he grumbled.
I walked inside and inhaled. Home always had a bleach smell warm
inside my nostrils. Everything was white marble against dark wood. My
mother designed this place.
Grigory poured drinks in the kitchen. Vodka. No ice. The bottles
were kept in the freezer. He handed me a glass. “Sometimes, I wonder if
you get yourself in trouble on purpose,” he said. Clinking his glass against
mine.
I shotted the vodka. Ice cold against my teeth. “I tried to prove I
could handle it.” I sat at the table, thudding the glass against the wood.
“Another.”
He snickered, pouring me another shot. “He thinks you’re weak.”
“I know,” I said through clenched teeth. “I don’t know how to prove
otherwise.” I sucked back the second shot. “Another.”
“Evelina’s putting her kids to bed, but I’m sure she’ll have an
answer.” He sipped his vodka. “If you want my input, I’d say mom was soft
on you.”
“Fuck off.” I was sick of hearing it, every time I did something a
little emotional, it was always an issue of me being coddled. “You piss me
off.”
“You know, Arkady is bringing that boy here, the one you failed to
get,” he snickered. “I’ll pull his fingernails off, then after he transfers the
money, we’ll see what he can do for us. Maybe we’ll chop him up.”
“I suggested he could work for us.”
“To dad?” he chuckled. “Oof. Maybe he’ll think it’s a good idea if it
comes from someone else.”
 There was truth in that. It wasn’t a secret our father would take an
idea suggested by someone else. “Fuck off, Grigor.” I threw the glass
against the floor. It shattered across the marble tile.
“Ooo. Take a joke, will you. Mom will be pissed if you don’t clean
it.”
I couldn’t deal with him now. I let the boy slip between my fingers,
almost literally. I went to my room upstairs. I wasn’t allowed to leave.
Passing my sister on the stairs, she shared the same look of humor as our
brother.
It wasn’t funny. There was nothing to laugh about. I’d show them
what was funny eventually.
In my room, I had a view of the yard out back. I watched for almost
an hour before there was any movement. Arkady and Grigory dragged a boy
with a sack over his head through the grass as Lev followed behind.
The bedroom door creaked open. My father’s cane stomped at the
wood. “Your mother said you should come watch,” he grumbled. “It might
help you to see what we do. In case you forgot.”
“What do you want me to do to him?” I asked. “Shoot him?”
“You had no problem unloading your gun in his computer,” he
snipped. “I thought I taught you better. You know how to slow someone
down.”
He had taught me. Go for the foot. Feet are sensitive, and if they’re
shot, it makes escape difficult. “I won’t let you down next time.”
“Don’t make empty promises,” he grumbled. “Show me. Words are
useless. Action is everything.” He waved his cane. “Go. You might get to
extract something.”
This was a moment for me to be a hero. I’d get the information. I’d
figure out how he stole the money, and then I’d get him to steal money for
us. It was less barbaric, but the idea wasn’t who could get away with killing
the most, the idea was who could make the most money for the family. We
were creating a legacy, and our legacy couldn’t be all murder and death.
That was a cliché.
In the yard, there was a shed, and beneath the shed, there was a
bunker. That’s where the fun took place.
Crying screams came as I opened the hatch. Nobody heard when the
hatch was shut. It was the perfect place. Lev and Grigory stood behind him,
strapped to a metal chair, and Arkady stood in front.
 There was something off about his voice.
“Wait,” I said.
“Fuck, Danya,” Grigory growled, turning to me. “What now?”
They parted to reveal the bloody lips and eyes of the boy.
“That’s not him,” I said.
He sobbed. “I’m—I’m—”
It wasn’t the same person I’d met at the apartment. “This isn’t him.”
“It is,” Arkady snapped. “The Winch family handed him over. They
said it was him.”
“No, this isn’t—”
“I—I didn’t take your money,” he continued sobbing on the chair,
blood pooling in the corner of his mouth. “Please.”
Grigory grabbed me by the collar and pinned me against a wall.
“Don’t fuck this.”
Grinning, I held my hands above my head. “I haven’t fucked it. This
isn’t your guy. Do what you want. But I’ve seen the boy.”
He let go of me. “The Winch family?” he asked Arkady.
Arkady nodded. “They owed us.”
“Wait,” Lev grumbled. “The Winch family uncovered a mole.”
I tutted my tongue. “Look at you. Doing their dirty work. They want
you to kill him for them. He doesn’t know shit.”
He shook his head. “I—I haven’t—haven’t taken money. I—I’m an
informant. Please, I won’t say anything about you. Let me go.”
“Fuck!” Lev roared, smashing his fist into the wall. “Fucking
idiots!”
“Me?” Grigory shouted back. “Arkady didn’t verify the information.
He’s the idiot.”
Arkady punched Grigory in the jaw. “Show me respect, boy.”
Grigory turned away, massaging his face. “Apologies.”
“Who will tell Konstantin?” Lev asked.
Arkady raised a hand. “It’ll be me.”
“He’s gonna be pissed,” I snickered. “Let me know when you tell
him so I can watch.”
“Asshole.”
The guy in the chair sobbed.
“God, shut it!” Arkady snapped. He held his gun to the man’s head
and shot without a second thought. “Danya. You’ve met the boy. What
happened?”
They all stared, expecting an answer.
Great. Another area I’d failed. But I wasn’t about to admit he’s
slipped out of my arms.
“He—he—”
“Durak,” Arkady scoffed. Russian for stupid.
I might’ve been insulted, but I was the only one who’d seen his face.
And I wouldn’t forget that anytime soon.

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4. DANYA
Father was furious to discover the man in the pit wasn’t the man who’d
stolen from us. We’d been used to carry out a hit for another family, it was
beneath us.
In his fury, he’d thrown an expensive glass as he paced in heavy
stomps with his stick in hand. It was funny to see, especially since I had
been the problem, and now, I was the solution. This boy had been in my
grasp, and I’d let him go, but I wouldn’t do that again in a hurry.
He’d best hope and pray I never found him. The honor of my family
was something I needed to regain. I would do anything.
As soon as I was allowed to leave the following morning, I went by
the boy’s apartment building. I had to find something to lead me to him.
Approaching the building, I spotted cop cars in the alley by the trash
chute drop. I’d wondered if he’d made it out alive, or whether his body was
inside.
In a nice white polo shirt with a sweater over my shoulders, I
could’ve pulled off snobby and preppy easily. Except, I was six-something,
stacked with muscle, and had a gnarly scar beneath my eye. I looked tough
and I stood out in a lineup. Lucky for me, the police weren’t the type to
come after my family.
I kept that in mind as I approached the loft where I’d carried the boy
out over my shoulder. I made eye contact with the trash chute opening; now
taped shut. The door was taped off and an officer I hadn’t met before
guarded it.
“Officer,” I said with a nod.
He held a hand at me. “I can’t let you in.”
“Officer—” I looked to try and find a name on him.
“It’s officer Kaminski,” he said, nodding. “And I can’t let you in.”
“Who do you work for?” I asked, licking my tongue over my teeth.
Kaminski smiled. “Well, I’m a member of the NYC police force.”
He was new. I glared at him. “Did someone steal a fortune from
your family?”
Slowly, creasing his brows together, he shook his head. “Nope, I’m
—”
 The door opened and the officer snapped into position, almost like a
cadet.
Detective Sam Sanders. “Danya,” he said, looking me over. He
sighed, sucking up his gut. “I take it this is something you had a hand in?”
“Detective.” I chuckled, reaching out to shake his hand. “You look
busy. What happened?”
Hesitation hovered around the detective’s mouth, twitching slightly.
It was unwise for him to get on my wrong side, not for anything I would do,
he was an officer of the law after all, but for what he wouldn’t get. And by
the looks of things, he enjoyed the perks of helping the family.
“Can you grab Santi? He’s outside,” the detective instructed his
minion officer.
As the officer left, the detective invited me into the apartment. There
was another officer I was much more familiar with, and a photographer
snapping pictures.
This place looked different in the light. I hated it. Thinking of that
boy’s smug face and his bratty attitude, he was the type of guy who said
they liked it rough then cried because we had two different meanings to the
word deepthroat.
“The apartment is under a woman’s name, Wendy Eccles, no record
of her anywhere. We found men’s clothing, and well, a couple other
surprises in the wardrobe.”
“Surprises?” I asked.
He led me over to the wardrobe and opened the door to reveal a
small collection of dildos. Some of them didn’t look human, at least, I
hadn’t seen any with such warped shape before.
“We’re trying to look at the computer, but someone put a bullet
through it,” he said, raising his brows at me.
“Yes,” I snickered. “That was me. The guy here. He’s a lead on the
theft.”
“The money,” he said in a whisper.
I nodded back. I knew a name for him, but I hadn’t managed to get
it confirmed. “I’ll find him again.”
“Danya,” the detective said, shaking his head. “I told you what I
know, and—and if we uncover anything related to the money from that hard
drive, I’ll tell your family.”
 It hadn’t been a completely wasted journey. I’d seen his collection
of toys. Maybe we had fucked, and I forgot. If I had, he was somewhere in
my camera roll. That wouldn’t have surprised me, but it was something I
couldn’t let my father find out. The last thing I needed was for him to know
the boy who stole his money was gay. I’d be in a shipping container to
Russia headed to some icy prison. But I suppose that was better than death.
On the way out of the building, I spotted the officer bringing in
some guy. He wasn’t in uniform and carried a heavy bag on his back. He
was probably here for the computer. They always looked like civilians. I
made eye contact with him, hoping to stare into his soul and put fear there.
Heading home to my apartment in Brooklyn Heights. A nice place,
although currently under threat of being taken from me because of the
money I’d lost.
Walking in through the front door, the smell of espresso hit my nose.
My uncle, Arkady, was making himself at home.
“Found anything?” he asked, a snarl on his upper lip as he stared at
me from over his little cup of coffee. It was always humorous to see such a
big man drink from a tiny cup.
Holding back my grin, I shook my head. “They know shit,” I told
him. “The boy is a computer wizard. We don’t even know if his name is real
or fake. We only know his name and address because of the receipt on the
transfer. It could all be fake.”
Arkady glared across the kitchen. “Your father, my brother, we don’t
want you to get any ideas about trying to do this alone, so stop playing
amateur detective” he said. “You saw him last night; the man ruined
imported vodka.”
I scoffed. “You know he’s all drama.”
“One day, he might act on it.” He shot the coffee into the back of his
throat. “So, you’re the only one who saw him. I tried to get CCTV but
apparently whatever existed, it’s gone.”
“I told you,” I said, starting the espresso machine. “The boy is a
computer wizard. We’ll need to find another way. But I am the only one
who saw him. And I will get him.”
Arkady nodded. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but you’ve hardly
proven yourself. You were a talent once.”
I was still that same talent. I might not have been at the top of my
father’s good list, but there was a time when I was his guy. I’d kidnapped
and killed so many people under his command. My aim was amazing, much
better than my older brother. And Arkady was skilled with a knife, that’s
how I got my scar.
“Uncle,” I said, attempting to hold my anger. “If you don’t get the
fuck out of my apartment, I’ll show you that talent. Besides, don’t you have
a mistress somewhere to give you an heir, or has all that time snorting
product you were skimming made you sterile?”
Arkady stood. “You’re a little asshole.”
“And you’ll die alone,” I said. “Now, get the fuck out. And I’ll do
whatever I want. Clearly, you’re the disappointment now. I’m surprised my
father didn’t kill you for doing the Winch’s dirty work. My mistake. But
you did that to yourself last night.”
There was the anger in him, resurging from last night. I’d had
enough of him, and I couldn’t speak to my father like this, so he was a good
alternate to get my own frustrations out on. “You’re lucky,” he said, gritting
his teeth. “And I wasn’t skimming. It was product testing. And—” a sharp
creek sounded through his gritted teeth. “The Winch’s will get what’s
coming to them.”
I shrugged. “How would I know anything about that?” I asked. “You
keep the books; we have to trust you.”
Arkady shook his head, his hand wrapped around the small cup. I
felt his want to throw it, but he restrained.
Once he was gone, I locked and bolted the door. I wasn’t going to
have any more surprise guests today.
As the espresso dribbled into the cup, I plugged my phone into the
charging cable. With everything that had happened last night, I almost let it
die on purpose.
The phone screen flashed. I saw the messages stream in from my
family asking if I was coming back over. The answer to that was a
resounding no. It was always a flip of a coin, not knowing what side of
them I’d get when I went over.
An unknown message ID flashed.
There were several missed calls, the number withheld.
And then the messages. They weren’t sent from a number, but a
string of random letters in different cases.
—I can help you.
—I know who you are, Danya Alexeyev.
 —I’ll help you, but I need something first.
—Put the cactus from the coffee table in the window.
—I’ll be watching.
My skin crawled as I read them. They’d seen inside my apartment. I
glanced at the small cactus on the coffee table.
With my espresso in hand, I sat on the sofa, looking around at the
viewpoints into the apartment. There were windows everywhere. They had
to be around somewhere, unless they’d bugged the place.
Fuck.
I’d been gone all night.
I threw the cup against the white wall, creating splatter art with the
coffee.
Nobody was spying on me and getting away with it.
First the money, now the spying.
Someone would die for this.

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5. SUTTON
I woke in the confined space of a sleeping pod. At first, I thought I’d been
buried alive. And then I saw the light at my feet where the curtain swayed.
When I’d been here last, this place was different. Now, she had more people
working under her. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck in this place and
under her thumb. Even now as I forced myself out of the pod with the
strange hazy fog in my head, I knew I couldn’t stay.
The layout was the same. I found myself nodding at people as they
walked by with large over the ear headphones blasting music in their ears. I
needed to find Maura and I needed to get my things and leave.
Dragging my numb, sleepy limbs, I walked along a hallway, one
hand on the wall to keep myself steady.
It was a cheap shot for her to spike my tea and put me to sleep. On
the outside, sure, she had a maternal image, but inside, she was controlling,
and that’s part of why I left. I couldn’t trust her.
“Where is she?” I asked a familiar face. Star, the female who’d been
outside my apartment when I came through the trash chute. “Where—is—
she?” I asked, pausing between each word to get my point across.
“Huh?”
“Don’t play stupid. Maura. Where is she?”
She rolled her eyes before nodding at the open door of the dining
hall I’d been heading. Maura never left this place, if she could help it, so I
knew she’d be around somewhere, and wherever she was, I knew she had
my things.
A door opened as I got closer to the end of the underground hallway.
Maura clicked her tongue at me. “You’re cranky still,” she said. “You’re
twenty-five, Sutton. Take a break, pop something for your nerves.”
“Listen,” I said, holding myself against the wall. “I wouldn’t have
come here. You picked me up.”
“I did it for your safety,” she said. “People were sniffing around,
looking for a hacker in the area. I know all the hackers. So, I had someone
head over to you when I got the alert in the code that shut your computer.
Erased everything.” She shook her head. “Your laptop is in here, with the
rest of your things. I had to make sure it wasn’t you. You’ve got to
understand that.”
 “Why?” I asked, breaking out in a chuckle. “You’re not my mom.
You can stop looking out for me. And if you asked, I would’ve let you look
at my laptop and I would’ve made sure you knew it wasn’t me who stole
that money. I’m not dumb.”
“Sweetie,” she said, extending a hand to cup at my chin. “The mafia
don’t play. They were ready to come for you. They were ready to slice and
dice.” She snickered at her own words.
“I would’ve let you look,” I told her.
“I did, anyway.”
“And?”
“I know you didn’t have anything to do with it,” she said, although
it didn’t reassure me. I knew I didn’t do it. “But I want you to stay. I want to
make sure you’re protected.”
“Against that big man who came into my apartment?” I asked,
smiling at her as she looked me over. “Because I can handle myself. I took
self-defense classes.”
“It’s not the big man,” she said. “It’s the entire Alexeyev family.
They’re looking for someone to pin this on. Not so they can put them in
prison, but for someone they can use as target practice. It’s not safe out
there.”
“I’ll take my chances,” I told her. “And maybe if you didn’t drug
people, you might gain more of their trust.”
“It was sleepy tea,” she said, the corners of her lips curling into a
smile.
I knew it was more than that. It was drugs. It didn’t matter what she
said. Drugs were drugs, and she was pumping them through everyone in
here. Stimulants and sleepers. She couldn’t have my trust back even if she
needed to save her life with it. “My things,” I said, holding out a hand.
“I know you don’t have anything,” she said, slowly shaking her
head at me like she was disappointed. “So, I’ll give them back. I don’t want
you to leave. You know it’s safe for you here. Safe from anyone who wants
to come and destroy your life, because they will try, and they will come to
destroy it.”
I hadn’t seen her in years, but suddenly she was an expert in my life.
It was almost funny, or perhaps that was the drugs running through my
system. “Like I said. I can handle things. They don’t know what I look like,
they don’t know my name, so unless you’ve given them anything like that,
then I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Maura gave me one of her long stares, examining me.
I waited outside for her to bring me my things in my backpack. I had
my laptop, some clothes, and a wallet with money and ID. It wasn’t like I’d
prepared to be attacked, if I’d been prepared, I wouldn’t have waited in my
apartment for the man waving his gun at me.
“I’ll know if you’ve put a keylogger on this,” I told her as I put my
jacket on and flipped the hood over my head. “So—”
“I didn’t,” she said. “You’re not one of our targets, but I’m here for
you if you need me.”
“I don’t,” I said, plainly.
Approaching the vault door, I saw her shaking her head. She thought
this was her way to get me back. I was great at what I did. She would’ve
wanted me to stick around and become part of her team. I was beyond that,
far beyond wanting to come back. I took one last look at my mobile phone
screen, double checking the time. It was the middle of the afternoon.
Outside the secret vaulted space, and out of the parking lot it was
built within, I took in the cool, fresh air.
“Fuck,” I grumbled, flicking my hood.
I walked back in the direction of the apartment. I wanted to know
what the situation was. This man had acted alone, someone from the
Alexeyev mafia. Everything I knew about them told me they weren’t lone
wolves, they did things together, one to watch and one to fight.
As the fog cleared in my brain and I grabbed a water and a hot dog
from a vendor on the street, I continued to head back toward my apartment.
I couldn’t go back there, but I could scan the street to know what the current
situation looked like.
There were police cars and more officers than usual near the
building. Someone must’ve reported the gun shot, which meant now my
apartment would be swarming with officers trying to piece together the
events, and that meant my computer would’ve been taken in for evidence,
and—
I paused on the street as a thought crossed my mind. There were
things in that place I’d never want anyone to find, ever. It opened a pit in
my stomach. If someone saw anything inside there, I’d die of
embarrassment.
 My sex toy collection. It started small, literally, small dildos, but
then I liked to find unique ones. Monster cocks made of silicone and bright
colors. I’d amassed quite the collection, and that collection might’ve made
it look like I’d torn my ass to shreds, but that wasn’t the case, my ass, when
in that situation, was perfectly lubed and still perfectly tight.
Taking myself into the alley, I paused and pressed my back against
the wall before drinking the entire bottle of water. My body was panic
ridden. Those dildos had taken years to collect, getting that many again
would’ve taken forever.
There wasn’t any way I was getting back into that apartment, at least
not until the police cars had left. I was kicking myself, not literally, but I
should’ve been prepared for an event like that. I had the system on my
computer to wipe the drive.
I made my way across the road to the coffee shop opposite the
apartment building. It was nice there. I could charge my computer, use their
Wi-Fi, and drink something to wake me, more than I’d been rudely awoke
by the aftereffects of the drugs Maura had put in my system.
Picking spot in the cafe where nobody could see my computer
screen and my back was against a wall, I felt like I could finally breathe.
My senses were alive with everything happening. People talking,
coffee brewing and milk being steamed. The intense smell of coffee was
like heaven, if heaven was overworked and understaffed, and the people
talking had turned to arguing.
With my coffee in hand, I took a sip, trying not to get overwhelmed.
I plugged my Bluetooth earphones in and relaxed my shoulders, rolling
them around as the numb drugs were starting to completely wear-off.
I had the apartment wired with cameras, and that included a small
camera overlooking the front door too. Unfortunately, any recordings they
took were stored on the computer I’d wiped. But it was nice to see the
apartment again, even if there were people inside, inspecting every detail, I
was furious.
“Fuckers,” I grumbled, barely able to hear myself through the loud
music banging in my ears.
While the security footage floated on my screen, I looked through
file history to see what Maura had been searching for. She hadn’t touched a
single file, or she’d erased her fingerprint on them. I ran programs in the
background, trying to uncover any malicious programs she’d installed while
I was knocked out.
Trust no one. A lesson I learned early on in my life. I couldn’t trust
anyone. A birth family who abandoned me, an almost adoptive mother who
used me at every opportunity, and friends who tried their best to be nice, but
all they wanted was for you to spy on their significant other. So, I had
nobody, truly. I didn’t mind it. I could hook up with guys whenever, and I
had a skillset people begged me to use. I was alone by choice.
“Wait,” I grumbled, spotting a face appear in the corner of the
camera. Someone was examining my computer. They’d already laid a sheet
of plastic, ready to unscrew and peel back the fixtures. “Santiago.”
I knew him. He was another one of Maura’s ‘adopted’ street kids,
except, he used Maura’s last name, Zims. I suppose that explained why he
wasn’t underground with everyone else. He was working for the police now.
Maura had always wanted one of us implemented in different areas
and departments. The more of us out there, the more control we had. From
within the police force, Santiago would’ve had access to all types of data,
and usually, I wouldn’t be worried about someone having my computer, but
if there was anyone who could uncover anything from it, it was Santiago.
“Fuck.”
There was incriminating content on the drive. Evidence I’d
collected. I’d been looking into the hackers who’d taken that money. It was
a large amount, and there was a forum user, Cerbertaur, a mix between
Cerberus and minotaur, who’d bragged. I assumed it was Maura, but now, I
had no clue, and everything I’d found was on that drive.
If there was anything still on it. I had to get it first.
I needed to see what Santiago was doing.

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6. DANYA
I turned my apartment over, looking for a bug. Someone had been in here,
not including my uncle. Someone had been through my things, and now
they had a view inside. I closed the blinds before becoming destructive.
The stuffed material from inside the sofa was now torn into shreds
on my floor. It looked like it had been snowing chunks of yellow. But there
was no listening device in there.
This was the final straw. The last thing I needed was to be known as
the son who had his apartment bugged. My father would never forgive me.
Not like he’d forgiven me for anything. I was responsible for the money
being stolen, although not true, and I had been the gay son, again, not my
fault.
It would’ve been unwise for my uncle, Arkady, to leave a listening
device, even if he thought he was doing something for the family, I
wouldn’t allow myself to be spied on.
There was nothing in the stuffing of any of cushions. It was already
bagged and ready for the trash. I checked the cupboards, the lamps, the
outlet sockets. I was searching in places I had used to store my own
devices. If I needed to get in their head, I needed to know exactly what they
would do.
Beads of sweat travelled my face and stained my clothes with dark
patches.
I stripped into a vest and a threw on a pair of gym shorts. I hadn’t
started on a bedroom yet. My bedroom was my sanctuary, it wasn’t part of
my business, it was the pleasure room. The mattress was imported, the
fabrics were expensive; they weren’t taking away this pleasure.
My phone buzzed on the kitchen countertop.
It was them.
—Your blinds are closed.
—I can’t see the cactus.
That might’ve had something to do with the fact I’d pulled the
cactus from the pot as one of the first places I wanted to investigate. It was
a peculiar request, so there must’ve been something to it. But there wasn’t,
and so, I’d ruined a perfectly good cactus.
—Your help is on the street. Heading near your apartment building.
 —Call it a gift. And treat it like one.
I didn’t like playing games. Unless I was the one in charge, but
when I was the one being played, I wanted to flip the board from the table
and have all the little pieces fly into the sky. Goodbye to playing the game
when you have no board to play on.
But I was curious. And maybe they were right.
There was a gift.
The boy.
The little squirmy boy who’d wiggled out of my arms.
I admired his tenacity. I wouldn’t have fit in through the tiny hole
anyway. But after seeing his collection in his apartment, I wasn’t so sure
about his tiny hole.
He was walking slow, staring at his phone. He wore the same
clothes, and I caught a glimpse of his face. I knew for certain it was him.
And this time, I wasn’t letting him get away.
I threw on a hoodie and a pair of black leather gloves. And waited
in the shadows of the doorway at the apartment building. In a scrunched
handkerchief, chloroform; a small amount to knock him out.
And—
One arm around his neck, I pulled him into the entrance of the
building and placed the damp handkerchief over his mouth and nose until
he became limp. That was a good boy. He wasn’t fucking me around this
time.
I got him.
At the far end of the entrance of the building was the elevator. And
since the boy was sleeping now, I could hold him against my body and act
like I was taking care of a drunk friend. But nobody saw me, so the act was
only for the elevator camera.
I took him to my apartment and tied him to a chair.
He had several IDs inside his backpack, and a computer. As well as
a couple other bits I didn’t care for.
Most of the IDs in his possession said his name was Sutton. That
was the name on the bank receipt. Other names were Christopher, Marcus,
and Theo. Each one a different state, and each one with a picture of him. I
compared them to his sleepy face.
It didn’t take long for me to throw a large glass of water at his face
and wake him.
 Gasping for air and writhing on the chair. I chuckled to myself. I
knew it wasn’t something he wanted to see when he first opened those
bright eyes, but it made my day to finally get him back into my possession.
He let out a few false starts of what he was saying before ultimately
giving in to gasp for air.
“Spit it out,” I laughed. “I got you now. Look at you. You’re mine.”
“I—I—”
“It’s your unlucky day, and I suppose my lucky day, I don’t know
how else I can tell you this, but I don’t think this will end well,” I said. I
lowered myself on my knees and looked at him, forcing him to make eye
contact. “Is that ok with you?” I laughed, as if I was asking for permission.
“I didn’t—I didn’t—” he continued to flounder, searching for
something to say, but there was nothing he could say, unless it was the truth.
“What? Tell me what you want to say.” I snapped my fingers in his
face.
He tried to push himself from the bindings around his legs and arms.
“I’m not the person,” he said. “I didn’t take anything.”
“You said you did.”
“Yeah, I lied.” He strained himself, pushing against the rope.
“Well, if you say you lied about that and that you lied about
something else then I don’t know what else to believe because maybe
you’re also lying about this, maybe it’s a lie within a lie, and you’re lying
right now!” I smacked both my hands off my incredibly thick thigh
muscles. A small boom of sound as my skin tingled from the smack.
I watched his head spin. I rarely used chloroform, but when I did, I
loved to see the look on the little confused faces that went back and forth.
“No, that’s—that’s—not what I’m lying about it.”
I honestly didn’t know what to expect, or what to believe from him.
He’d evaded me once. I could only assume he would try and get me to undo
the binds on his body for some reason or another. “Forgive me if I don’t
think you’re not full of shit,” I said, slapping a hand off his knee this time.
“But I want the answers, and I want the truth, and I want them all to be told
to me right now and if I don’t get those answers, and if I don’t get
everything, then I don’t think I will have much opportunity to keep you
around. Do you understand?” I asked. “Do you—and I want you to answer
me, ok!” I became aggressive and growled as I spoke. “Do you understand
that your life hangs in the balance of me doing everything I can to get my
family to trust me again?”
His eyes were going around and around. He didn’t know what to
say. There was nobody here for him to consult with. He didn’t have his
laptop, and he definitely didn’t have an escape plan. I’d removed all of that
from him, and because I’d done such an action, he was stuck.
“I—I understand,” he mustered out. “But—but I don’t know who
did it. That—that is serious.”
“I think you’re full of shit,” I said, standing and walking away. I
wanted to know if the person or organization behind those texts had an eye
on my apartment. I twitched the blinds, trying to be inconspicuous as I
looked to the building opposite, and to the other building at its side. Back
when the apartment was purchased, I had researched places people could
see into my apartment from, I needed to know the vantage points, of course.
“Please,” he begged. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you it was me.
I—if I took that much money from you, do you think I would’ve stayed in
the city? Do you think I’d be stupid enough to stay somewhere I could get
hurt?”
It had been my thoughts as well, I mean, it was stupid for him to
have this happen. But he also had a point. He seemed like he knew what he
was doing, and for what it was worth, any hacker worth their salt wouldn’t
have made it as easy as it had been for me to find him. But I also wanted
answers on who he was, and what he could do for me.
“You make valid points little boy,” I said, walking back. I grabbed
my phone to see if they’d messaged me. I wondered who was on the other
end of it, and why they wanted me to find him, or worse, kill him, because
that was the only reason, I could think of them for having forced me to
come face-to-face with him—again.
“Let me help,” he said. “Don’t hurt me.”
“Firstly,” I said, snapping my fingers in his face. “I asked you a
question last night. And I want an answer for it. What is your name?”
There was a long pause with hesitation. I wondered if he’d forgotten
it, or if he was calculating something. “Sutton,” he said. “You’ve seen my
ID.”
“I’ve seen several of them.” I nodded to the mess I’d made on the
floor with the contents of his bag. “So, Sutton is your name, your real
name? Or is it like one of those stage names, I know that you hackers
sometimes go by stage names, or no—what is that word?”
“Screen name,” he said. “No. That’s not a screen name. Sutton is my
real name.”
“Ok then, Sutton. I wasn’t sure how much I liked the name as it
clung to my tongue with two T sounds. “I visited your apartment again
today, you see, I’m friendly with the police.”
“You did?”
“Yes, and I saw your little collection of big toys, get it, little and
big.” I chuckled to myself. “Anyway, I don’t know what to believe about
you, except, you are a hacker, and you are a liar, and—you probably know
more than you’re letting me believe.”
Boys like him were my weak spot. Maybe this person on the phone
knew that. Maybe that’s why they put me in his path. I’d be blinded by his
looks and sass, and maybe even impressed by his collection of toys.
Sure, I was all three. But I’d never let my personal interests get in
the way of work for my family, and if they knew he was here, he’d already
be dead.
“If you help me,” I said. “I can help you.”

OceanofPDF.com
7. SUTTON
I didn’t feel even the slightest bit embarrassed that he’d seen my collection,
if anything, I now knew his intentions. And I couldn’t help but thinking
about how all of this seemed like one giant inside joke. It was always a sort
of kink of mine that I would one day potentially be taken in by a hunky bear
of a man and be used in the ways I figured he was hinting at.
“You have to untie me first,” I said. “I can’t help you much without
using my hands.” I tugged against the constraints of the rope.
“You do not get to make demands,” he grumbled.
“So, what are you gonna do?” I asked. “You’ve got all that
aggression in you. I’m not asking you to direct it at me, but—” I rolled my
eyes and smirked. “If you want to direct it at someone. I’m more than
willing to take some of the weight off your shoulders.”
His eyes were telling, glancing me over like I was a lollipop ready
to be sucked to the bone. Although he gave off major top energy, I’m sure
he still gave head. “You’re not taking me serious,” he said.
“I am serious,” I told him, still unable to keep a straight face. “In
fact, I already told you if you let me out of these things, I’ll do whatever
you ask.” I leaned forward on me the chair toward him. “You’ve got a
captive audience.”
“It’s all a joke,” he said, becoming frustrated and red in the face.
“I’m—trying to find out the truth.”
“Untie my hands then,” I said. It didn’t look like he was playing at
all, and that might have been on me for sexualizing this mafioso escape
room. “I can’t hack without my hands.”
Finally, a smirk. He went around my back and tugged at the rope
binding my hands together against the frame of the chair. He pulled one
hand out and pushed at a pressure point right at the center of my palm.
“Ow! Ow! You’re hurting me.” I tried wiggling free from it, but the
way he had my hand stopped me from doing anything. “Please. Jeez.”
“I can make it so that you can never hack again,” he said. “Maybe
my family will thank me for it too. You know what they’ll do to you,
right?”
He’d made that abundantly clear. I was a lamb to the slaughter if
they had me. And these people didn’t wait around for you to plead your
case. They shot, sliced, and diced you before you could even try and reason
with them. I knew that because of Cal’s boyfriend, Frankie, that man was
dangerous. Maybe after everything I’d learned from Cal and Frankie, I’d
become slightly desensitized and potentially even assuring myself that it
would never happen to me.
“You made your point,” I said, clenching my teeth.
As Danya released my hand, there was a cold numbness to me,
almost like pins and needles or the way sparkling water felt in my throat,
and the static buzz of a television without signal. It was painful.
He chuckled. “I’m playing with you,” he said. “I wanted to make
sure you understood. If you don’t help, I have no problem sending you to
my family. Pretty boys like you are everywhere.”
I knew I shouldn’t, but my natural instincts took over. “So, you
think I’m pretty?” I asked, pitching my voice higher.
He snorted. “If you play your cards right, maybe you’ll keep that
pretty face,” he said.
“Unless you plan on smashing my face in with several inches, I’m
not into it.” Sense memory from ropes and all this roughness was getting
me going. And as the sensation came back into my hand, I realized it was
doing the same for him. In my hand behind my back, I held something hard.
“It won’t compete with your toy,” he snickered. “But—”
I looked around to see his thick, uncut cock resting in my hand. It
wasn’t even completely hard. It was there. My hands cupping his giant
balls, and a little silver trickle of precum was already seeping from his tip.
We were on the same page of where this was going.
I was hot for my kidnapper. It was in my top three fantasy sex
scenarios. The first one being an actual fantasy involving orcs.
“This is payment,” he said, laughing. “It isn’t a toy; this is the real
thing. So, it can be a little unpredictable. I know what you’re thinking.
You’re thinking, Danya, you cannot be completely serious, my tiny little
hole cannot take such a monstrous cock.”
“Actually,” I said, smacking my lips. “I was actually thinking you’re
gonna need lube. And I—I—I didn’t bring any condoms.”
He took both hands to lift his cock out of the palm of my hand. He
tucked it back inside his trousers. I saw the cock ring at the base. “I’ve got
plenty.”
“Do you pump?” I asked. “It—it kinda look like a pumped cock.”
 “Pumped cock?”
“Yeah. When you use the pump to make your dick swell so it’s
thicker and bigger, you know?”
He winked at me. “You think you can handle thicker and bigger,
huh?”
“No, I wasn’t—” my throat dried as I gulped hard. “I mean, I could.
That wasn’t what I was saying, but I was asking if you already pumped.”
“Not all the time,” he told me, tapping an open palm against his
crotch where I now knew there was a monster hiding. “I do use a ring. It
makes me fuck for hours.” He walked over to the kitchen and looked inside
his drawers. “XXL, I’ve got it.”
“Good,” I said, still trying to feel the full sensation in the one hand
he’d let free. “Because I can go for hours too.”
“Lies,” he said. “All you boys are the same. You come to ride on my
dick, you cum, then you go. I’m serious. It takes me hours to ejaculate. I
mean, seriously, hours of edging. And you’re here to witness it, take it, and
then when you can’t take anymore, I might release all over that pretty face.”
The foreplay of him talking about it was getting old quick. I needed
him to take me out of this chair and throw me onto a bed already.
Almost like a mind reader, he untied my other hand. “Don’t try and
fight me,” he said. “You want this, I want this, and if you fight, I’ll fight
back, and maybe you won’t like that.”
And the foreplay of his words had got me harder. “I don’t have any
limits,” I told him. “Ok, no. I have one limit. Don’t fall in love with me.”
“Fall in love, I don’t even fall into like,” he scoffed. “Now, if you
use your teeth, or try anything like that, I might accidentally hurt you.” He
held his hands in the air and shrugged. “Not my fault; the fault of being too
thick, and I have the reaction time of a—a—” he snapped his fingers at me.
“A subway driver?” I giggled.
He tutted at me. “You like to make me annoyed, don’t you?”
It was entirely possible. “Why? Is it working?”
He tutted once more, almost like popping gum. “Come on, boy.” He
grabbed me around my waist and pulled me out of the chair with ease. “Ah.
That’s more like it.” He snickered, throwing me over his shoulder like a rag
doll. “You’re so light. I forgot that the other day when you threw yourself
into the trash chute, well, maybe if I don’t get what I want from you, I’ll do
it for you instead.”
 In his bedroom, I was thrown onto the bed. There wasn’t even a
sheet on the mattress. The entire place was a mess, almost like a tornado
had run a course through it. I smirked at him. His nostrils flared, looking at
me like he was hungry for what was directly between my legs. “So?” I
asked, opening my legs for him. “I half thought the other night you were
something my friend bought to come in and fuck me.” Although I doubt Cal
would’ve even thought to do that from wherever he was in the world right
now. He was traveling with his fiancé, not that I was jealous. Ok. I was.
Danya tore his shirt off, the buttons popped off in every direction.
He whipped his belt out from around his trousers and they dropped to his
feet. The bulge in his boxers was to the side, making a cone-shaped tent. He
smirked. “Look at you,” he grumbled. “You’re mine, aren’t you?”
“I’ll be whoever you want me to be, as long as you know how to use
that.” I licked my lips.
“Oh. I know. It will be a magical experience for you, I am sure,” he
snorted. “You must promise you won’t fall in love with it. It will bring you
pain, but you’ll love it.” He nodded; his big smile painted on his face.
“Now. Roll over. I’ll undress you.”
If I knew this morning that this was on the menu, I might have worn
cuter underwear. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t douched because I was on a
high fiber supplement, I was as clean as a whistle.
Following his orders, but without seemingly like I was enjoying it, I
let out a couple sighs.
He grabbed at me from the back of the trousers and yanked me
across the bed until my knees were on the floor. He grabbed at my briefs
and pulled me by them a little, letting me dangle with the briefs as butt floss
between my cheeks and compressing against my balls.
Turning my head to look at him undress. I wouldn’t fall for him, but
it was possible that third leg would trip me on the way.
I stared at him from his bed, wondering if he would get me naked
next. “You know,” I said, smacking my lips. “I’m gonna need plenty of lube
for that thing. I don’t think my mouth has enough spit in it.”
Danya scoffed, yanking on my leg to pull me. “I have lube,” he said.
“I might have a reputation of being a monster, but I’m not a bad monster.”
“With that,” I said, locking eyes with his cock as it grew thicker
with momentum. “I’m not surprised you have a reputation.”
 He tssked at me. “Maybe this is too much for you,” he said. “I knew
you wouldn’t be able to handle it. You’re already imagining your life of sex
with me. It’s natural. And you are—well, you are a pretty boy, but maybe
this is a mistake.”
Fuck. Now, he was making me want to fuck him. if I’d been told
earlier that I would be put in front of a man with a cock like that, I wouldn’t
laughed, and then maybe I’d have offered to blow it, but now he was
threatening to take it away from me when I hadn’t even experienced it.
“Fine,” I grumbled. “If you don’t fuck me, then I won’t help you.” I pushed
on my elbows.
Danya placed a hand under my chin, squeezing. “You have no
power without your little lappy toppy,” he snickered. “I have the power
here. And I say, on your stomach. Now.”
In all my wildest fantasies, this was probably one of the tamer
encounters that had happened. “Yes, sir,” I giggled.
On my stomach, with my ass in the air. I wasn’t fully prepared for
what came next.
His face went straight into my ass. He held me in place with both
hands and devoured my hole and my cock from the back, balls first and
then the shaft, leaving me dripping in his saliva.
“You like that?” he asked.
Moving my face to the side to speak, I let out a moan. “Yes.”
“Then act like it,” he snickered. “Moan for me. Loud. Real loud. I
don’t want you to stop being all sassy now because you’re getting what you
want.”
I could do that. I could show him how sassy I really was. “Next
time, can you try and put some movement in your tongue,” I said. “There’s
nothing worse than feeling a flat tongue as wide as yours making a mess.”
He spanked me. “Good boy,” he laughed.
A finger went inside me. A complete shock as I jolted forward,
pushing with my hands.
“What?” he continued to laugh. “It’s a finger.”
Clenching my hole with the finger in there. “Nobody told me I’d be
fingered by the Jolly Green Giant,” I said trying not to bite too hard on my
lip.
“Maybe I will get more lube,” he said, pulling his finger out of me.
“But you know I’ve seen those toys. I know you can take it.”
 I’d prepared myself for this type of moment. I had a lot of toys,
some long, and some wide. Each toy, however, never went in without being
completely lubed from the tip to the shaft. I always eased myself onto it.
Danya played in my ass with lubed fingers. I was in heaven, feeling
his touch become softer. It got the most moans out of me.
He pushed a hand on my head into the bed and squeezed the tip of
his cock inside me.
“Wait,” I let out.
“What?” he asked. “Is it still too painful?”
“No, no, it’s nice,” I said, looking behind at him. “Are you wearing
—”
Danya was wearing an almost neon blue condom. He smacked his
lips at me and gave my ass a spank. “Of course, I’m protected. I’m not
trying to get something from you.”
“Ew, you’re the one who sleeps with anything that moves,” I said.
“I’m not trying to get something from you.”
“That’s right,” he snickered, planting a hand on my head, pushing it
into the mattress. “You keep moving for me, go on. I like it when they
wiggle.”
I didn’t know if he was being serious or not, so I wiggled around.
Turns out, wiggling made it easier for him to get his cock in me. From the
second the tip was in me to the moment I moved my ass from side to side,
he was already deep in my guts.
He was slow with it too, long strokes. I couldn’t wiggle anymore,
almost like he was poking at my stomach from the inside.
“It’s like taming a wild beast,” he said, leaning across my back so he
could whisper into my ear. “You’re all quiet now, all submissive. I can do
whatever I want with you, can’t I?”
Through the uncomfortable pain, I was experiencing waves of
pleasure. “Yes,” I said. “Anything.” And I meant it.
“That’s a good boy,” he said, pulling out and slamming his cock
back into me. “Now, lemme ask you one more time. Did you take the
money?”
Now wasn’t the time to be asking me this. I moaned, trying to cling
to something on this bare mattress. “No,” I said.
He thrust deep again. “Do you know who did?”
“No.”
 Yanking me by the hips, I was dangling off the edge of the bed.
“Would you steal from my family?” He spread my cheeks as wide as they
got and pulled his cock out. My hole must’ve expanded so much, as I
clenched, I couldn’t feel it close. “Answer the question.”
The answer to that question wasn’t one he probably wanted to hear.
“Maybe,” I said. “I don’t—I—I—”
He jammed his cock back inside me. I yelped, trying to get upright.
Danya pulled me back to his chest. He wrapped one hand around my neck
and another under my chin. “So, what are you saying?” he asked.
“I—I—” I came. My cock shooting thick ribbons of cum across my
torso.
Danya fucked me harder against the throbbing of my ass muscles. “I
want an answer,” he said. His hand came from around my neck and
travelled the length of my torso. He collected cum on his fingers before
shoving them into my mouth. “Why would you steal from someone who
could possibly kill you?”
I sucked on his fingers for a moment until he pulled them out and
pushed me back over the bed. “I—I only do it to people who are rich,” I let
out through my own exasperated gasping. “It’s never more personal than to
people who have more money than—” A smack to my ass had me stopping
to moan.
He stopped thrusting and filled the condom inside me. I didn’t know
if I should’ve been impressed or shocked that he only lasted so long inside
me. “I believe you,” he said. Although he’d already told me that several
times before. “I needed that.” He gave my ass another spank before pulling
his cock out, removing all that pressure he’d built inside me. “What were
you saying?”
I laid over the end of the bed like a deflated balloon. “Um. More
money than they’ll ever need in this lifetime.”
“Ok,” he said. I turned around to see him pulling the condom off his
cock while also simultaneously grabbing at his clothes. “Are you gonna lay
there? We have work to do.”

OceanofPDF.com
8. DANYA
Before any major job I did, I’d always masturbate first to let out some
steam. Before I went to confront Sutton in his apartment, I’d come like a
fountain. Sex was constantly on my mind. And if I managed to cum before
something, I could stay focused for longer.
Sutton wanted a shower after sex. I wasn’t letting him do that alone.
I didn’t know if he was planning on trying to escape out of the bathroom
window or wherever the closest fire escape was in the apartment.
I climbed into the shower with him.
“You didn’t have to,” he said. “You didn’t get any cum on you.”
“I need to keep an eye on you,” I scoffed. “No chance. And you’re
not using my good soaps.”
Sutton snatched at a soap from the tray on the wall. “You think
this is good soap. I’ve stayed in some of the nicest hotels. I’ve felt good
soap. I’ve smelled like it. And this is probably mediocre.”
I glared. “Why do you do that?”
“Do what?” he asked, rubbing the bar of soap on his stomach.
“Confrontation. Sass. All the time. I thought it was an act. I like
bratty boys, but maybe not all the time bratty,” I grumbled, my upper lip
turning into a snarl.
He turned away, facing the shower head. “Can you get my back?” he
asked, passing me the soap.
I washed his back for him. It wasn’t something I’d ever done before.
I’d slept with many guys. None of them accused of stealing millions from
my family. None of them ever staying long enough to use the shower either.
“Since you’ve got the brains, tell me, what’s next?”
He was quiet. I must’ve hit a nerve with what I’d said about his
character. He turned back to me, a big, forced smile on his face. “Next, we
make a list of people who hate me, and a list of people who have the skills
to take millions from your family’s bank account.”
“Is it a big list?” I asked.
His eyes dipped to my cock and then to my eyes. “I’d say fairly
big.” He pressed his lips together into a thin, precious smile. “But whoever
it is must be close. And potentially want me dead. That list is much shorter.”
 With the soap in my hands, I grabbed his soft cock. “Shorter,” I
chuckled.
“That was a one-time thing,” he said.
“What?” I snickered. “I’m getting you clean. Now turn around. I
made a mess of your ass. But I worry if I put this soap close to your hole,
it’ll get swallowed inside.”
He smacked a hand against my chest. “You’re a comedian.”
“No, I’m Danya.”
Clicking his tongue, he rolled his eyes. “You can stop,” he said.
“I’m also thinking I could try and get a tap put on the unknown number that
contacted the both of us to see where it came from. But if it’s anyone with a
good knowledge of how to get around, they’ll have their location pinged
through probably every neighborhood.”
“Sometimes, your magical computer skills aren’t so special then,
huh?”
“And you think because you have muscles on muscles that makes
you special?”
I flexed for him. That’s what he was getting at. “Like this?” I asked,
raising both arms above my head. “You didn’t pay for tickets to the gun
show, but it’s ok. I’ll give you this one for free.”
His perfectly blue ocean eyes were fixed on me. I’d told him not to
fall in love, and he was about to make a fool of himself with the way he was
staring. “I was serious about your ass,” I said. “I had to put so much lube on
it, someone is gonna mistake it for an oil spill and invade.” I laughed at
him. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. You’re already in America, they’ll take it.”
With one hand on his hip, I pushed to turn him. “Get all nice and clean
now.” I rubbed the soap across his ass cheeks, sliding it between them to get
him all nice and soapy.
After the shower, we dried ourselves in the large warmed fluffy
towels from the heated rack. It was a delight on the senses. Then he laid
himself back on the mattress, complaining about why I hadn’t put a sheet on
it.
“Enough whining,” I told him. “You’re not staying here, so it
doesn’t concern you.”
“Wait. What?” he lifted his head. “Where will I go? Everyone is
looking for me. Your family has connections all over this city. You can’t
throw me out after I help you.”
 I stared at him, and the towel delicately wrapped around his waist,
threatening to come undone. “Then you’ll have to get to the bottom of this
faster, otherwise the city will eat you whole.”
“Please,” he said. “You can’t send me back out there. I don’t have
anywhere to go.”
Looking at me all sad with his big eyes. “Get dressed,” I told him.
“And get to work. If you give me some answers, then maybe I’ll think
about letting you sleep on my sofa.”
“You mean the sofa that you ripped?”
“Yes,” I said, shrugging. “What’s that saying? Beggars cannot be
choosers.”
He threw his head back on the bed and groaned.
I was finally feeling better about the whole situation. I put on a nice
shirt, some slacks, and spritzed myself with a nice cologne.
Sutton came out of the bedroom in the same baggy, unwashed
clothes he’d had on when I brought him in here. “Ok, let’s get to work.”
“Coffee?” I asked, grabbing at a coffee pod for my machine. “I’m
having one, with a little caramel vodka. It might help you take the edge
off.”
Sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, he nodded. “Sure. I have
another question. If I manage to get myself a hotel room, can you drive me
there?”
“No. You’re not going anywhere.”
He turned and gestured to the mess in the living room. “And I’m not
staying here. I’ve lived in worse places that looked nicer than this.”
On the coffee table, both of our phones buzzed at the same time.
He went over and grabbed them both.
“What does it say?” I asked.
They both had the same message.
—Did you hurt him?
I snorted. “They think you could kill me. Didn’t they see me pull
you in off the street?”
“Obviously, they’re also asking if you killed me,” he said, a shudder
running through him. “What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing,” I told him. “Not until you can text him and get an answer
on where they’re located.” I snapped my fingers at him. “Go get your laptop
and get to work. The sooner we figure it out, the sooner I can be hailed a
hero, and we can clear your name, I suppose.”
Sutton grabbed his bag while I made us both coffees. The blinds in
the entire apartment were still shut. I knew now at least whoever it was
sending those messages didn’t have an eye inside this place. If they did,
they’d have known the answer to that question.
Killing people wasn’t what I did. Sure, I looked like I could, but I
was more of a lover than a fighter. It was cliche, as my older brothers would
say. Or call me a pussy for not wanting to deliver the final gunshot to a
man’s head. I could be cruel in other ways, like starving someone out, or
water torture, that was my favorite.
Sutton was all set with his laptop and a bunch of gadgets. There
were so many wires, it was impossible to know what was what. He grabbed
both phones and plugged them in.
“You might see photos on my phone that you don’t want to see,” I
told him. “So don’t go snooping snoopy boy.”
“Oops,” he chuckled. “Already did.” He seemed to joke at first, until
he gave me that slack jaw expression. That’s when I knew he’d seen the
phones.
“Relax,” I said. “It’s all consensual.” I placed the coffee in front of
him. “Unless you’re wondering where your picture is.”
“I—”
On my phone, I took pictures of every guy I fucked. It was a before
and after experiment. Before they took dick, and after they took dick. The
before was them on their knees, in the same position all excited. The after
was them in bed, defeated by their new nemesis, my dick. Some of them
were bound in positions by rope, and others laid there like the little pillow
princesses they were.
“I told you not to look so that you would,” I admitted.
“You have ropes?” he asked.
“You’re one and done,” I said. “If you wanted ropes, you should’ve
said that before we started.”
He rolled his eyes. “You didn’t take a picture of me though. So, I’m
not sure if it even counts.”
“Oh, a loophole,” I snickered. “Get to fucking work.”
“I’ve hooked both phones up, they’re being tracked to ping anything
they receive. Do you want to text them, or should I?”
 I would have that privilege.
—Not dead. Do you want him dead?
We waited for about fifteen minutes for him to message back.
—I never said he was the one.
We both stared at the text.
“Now, that you have confirmation it’s not me, what do you think?”
he said.
I knew it wasn’t him. If he’d taken that much money, he might’ve
afforded better clothes, or maybe even a security detail to prevent people
like me from snatching him off the street.
“Text them back then,” he said. “I’m trying to get a lock on their
location. It’s bouncing around between cell towers everywhere.”
—Then who is it? Is it you? My family are not happy. They’re out
for blood.
Sutton’s face dropped seeing my response. “Maybe don’t threaten
him.”
“Maybe if he’s not threatened, he won’t answer.”
“If it was me, and someone threatened me,” Sutton said, clearing his
throat and gesturing to his current situation. “I might also get scared.”
“It’s different,” I told him. “They’re out there, somewhere, and
you’re in here, you have no weapon, except that—that thing. And I have
ultimate power. These guns, and this gun.” I reached under the counter and
pulled out a small handgun. “Don’t worry, I won’t use it on you.”
Sutton edged away from it. “I have friends who can help,” he said.
“Maybe. I’m not sure where they are right now, but one of my friends was a
hitman for the Italian mafia in—”
I spat. “Italians.”
“Ew,” he groaned.
“I’m not asking for help from a rival. In case you forgot, my family
is the Alexeyev family, and we do not ask for help from rivals.”
Sutton tilted his head. “You asked for my help.”
“Uh-huh. You offered help. You offered help in exchange for your
life,” I corrected him. “But if you want to rescind you help, then I’ll force it
out of you.” I placed my palm around the handle of the gun. “The choice is
yours.”
“Ugh.”
“Indeed,” I said, putting the gun into a holster beneath my arm.
 “Can I ask you a question?”
“You did,” I snickered.
Sutton tapped his fingers on the countertop. “Why do you even want
to get the money back? Your family are monsters. They basically stole that
money anyway. Or what, they stole lives for that money. Of course, I’ve
heard horror stories about what happens to people who screw over your
family. I’d never fall into that trap.”
“Because family are everything,” I told him. “And if I don’t have
my family, I have nothing.”
He closed the laptop. “I don’t have a family. I grew up in foster
homes. Family is something people hold over your head to get you to do
their dirty work.” His brow furrowed. “And I think I’m ready to go find
somewhere to stay.”
I stepped toward him. “No, you’re not going anywhere.” Family was
important to me, to every family like mine, it was everything. But I could
understand why he didn’t feel the same. He didn’t have a family to go to
when things got rough. “Right now, we’re in the same lifeboat, except, if I
kicked you out of it, you’d drown. If I was kicked out of it, I could float on
by until I was found.”
Slowly, he opened his laptop again. “I’m doing this to clear my
name,” he said. “I’m not doing this to help your family. Do you understand
that?” He glared deep into my eyes.
“Understood,” I told him, a big smile picking at the side of my
mouth. “You have the skills to keep yourself alive. I have every faith you’ll
find out who did this and get the money back.”
He took the coffee and sipped it. “At least you can pour a good
coffee,” he grumbled. “What about food?”
“You think there’s anything in that fridge?”
“I’m hungry. So, I hope there is. If you’re keeping me captive here, I
at least want to be given food. Otherwise, I’ll go ahead and scam my way
into a nice hotel with room service.”
Clicking my tongue at him, like I was training a wild animal to
respond. I shook my head. “I’ll order food,” I told him. “But you have to
keep working. If there are no leads, you get no food. And if you do find
something, I might reward you again in the bedroom. Because you’re
right,” I pushed my face closer to his. “I didn’t give you the proper
treatment, and I would like to have you in my collection.”
 He turned his head so that we were nose to nose. “You have my
consent,” he whispered.

OceanofPDF.com
9. SUTTON
The scariest thing about Danya, way before he pulled that gun out was the
size of his dick. And even then, I feared his cock was still the biggest
weapon he’d had. And strangely enough, I wasn’t scared of it.
He threatened to starve me if I didn’t get a lead, which wasn’t a
threat at all. Some days, I survived off energy drinks and coffee before
realizing I hadn’t eaten. Although the way he threatened me with the slight
Russian in his accent was turning me on. I needed to cool it and keep my
cock calm before it got me into trouble again.
There weren’t any leads jumping out at me. I’d been looking. It was
something I might have had more luck at if there were more people helping,
but I couldn’t trust anyone. Not Danya, and certainly not anyone at Myriad.
I wanted to mention them to him, but bringing Myriad into this would’ve
set something into motion I couldn’t control.
It had been hours of me tapping away at keys, looking for backdoor
access into information that went straight into dead ends and security
lockdowns. I’d never felt so sloppy looking for answers in my entire life.
Danya cleaned the mess he’d made before he’d kidnapped me, and
while I’d been here. There was a paranoid side to him, and it had me on
edge. I didn’t want him to change his mind in a split decision that it was
actually me, but I knew that it could happen. Mobsters, mafia, and those
types of men weren’t the most collect and levelheaded. Fortunately, I’d only
ever dealt with one of them, and he’d been my friend’s fiancée, so not quite
someone who was trying to kill me.
“Takeout has been ordered,” he said. “Have you made any
progress?”
I hadn’t. But there was one person I could mention. I held my
tongue for a moment.
“It’s Chinese food, so if you don’t like it, more for me, but if you do,
then I need a progress update,” he said, spinning me in the chair at the
breakfast bar. “Well?”
“There’s a guy on the police force, he’s a prolific hacker. His name
is Santiago Zims,” I revealed. “He’s good at what he does, and he knows
how to clean any step he takes. But he’s on the force. He’d never do
anything to jeopardize that.” I knew he wouldn’t because Maura wouldn’t
have allowed that to happen.
“You think he has answers?” he asked.
“I—” My jaw clenching. “I don’t know, but he’s older and more
skilled than me. Plus, if there’s someone who has it in for your family, it’s
gotta be someone on the force, right?” I was keeping my distance from how
I knew Santi, but it was information I needed to use to make sure he didn’t
think I wasn’t being serious.
“The family pays enough money to the force,” Danya revealed,
nodding. “I don’t believe that. If I give you a list of names, you can search
their bank information for any large movements. Correct?”
“I can try my best,” I said.
He pushed a hand between my thighs, parting them. “And if you
make a list of these names on your laptop, I cannot be blamed for any
actions that are taken.” He grabbed at my cock and balls. “Understand?”
“Understood,” I squeaked.
“Are you always hard like that?” he chuckled. “Or does my touch
turn you on?”
“This entire situation has got me hard,” I admitted. “You know how
many times I’ve fantasied about being kidnapped and used? No, you
probably don’t know. I’m dick depraved, and having had some dick, of
course I’m all chubbed. The pressure is intense, there’s a gun in your
holster, and a weapon in your slacks.” I grabbed it like he grabbed mine.
“And all I can think about is how your family might surprise us at any
moment, and all that I’ll be able to remember is how ten minutes of sex
with you was the best sex I’ve ever had.”
I hadn’t intended on saying any of that for him to smile. “You’re a
thrill seeker, huh?” he squeezed his hand harder around my cock. “What
about pain? Does it make you feel something? I bet it cures some of that
loneliness you must feel.”
Squeezing his cock harder than he grabbed mine. “I don’t need to be
psychoanalyzed,” I said beneath my gritted teeth. “But if you want, we
could talk about how your family doesn’t give you any real power, so you
take power where you can, like in the form of all those guys who have such
little muscle mass you overpower them at every corner.”
He freed my cock. “You forgot to mention they’re all so submissive
to me. But maybe that’s why I like you more than them. You fight back a
little. It’s fun.”
I continued to keep my hand on his cock, not breaking eye contact
with him. “And I’m far from lonely,” I said. “I’m selective with who I make
friends with. And I hate being used by so-called friends or family. But
you’ve settled for being used, haven’t you?”
He stopped smiling. “Enough,” he said, whacking my hand away.
“I’ll make you a list of officers. I want details of all money going into their
bank for the last month.”
I swirled back around to my laptop. “Give me their names,” I
grumbled. “And should I add Santiago to that list? In case it is him and I’ve
blown this whole thing open.”
Danya let out a deep chuckle. “If you do, maybe I’ll let you sleep in
my bed.”
I wondered if he’d put a sheet on it yet, otherwise I might’ve
preferred to sleep on the hard floor. “And where would you sleep?”
“See,” he snickered, opposite me on the breakfast bar. He rummaged
through his drawers. “You’re playful. But remember, I’m in charge. And if
you sleep in my bed, you will do so with me.” He grabbed an envelope and
a pen, scribbling names on the back of it.
“Aren’t you worried I’ll leave in the middle of the night while
you’re asleep?”
“Aren’t you worried I’ll tie you to the bedpost?” He smiled at me,
leaning across the counter. “I’ll make sure one hand is free for you to keep
working, but I’m not playing little games like, what if Sutton tries to
escape, because little boy, you will never like the outcome.” He booped a
finger on the tip of my nose. “I promise you.”
I didn’t know if he intended on getting me so hard that I needed to
slip my cock into my waistband. “I know you said you believe I didn’t take
the money, but if we’re open and honest with each other, would you have
killed me if you found out that I did?”
He pushed the paper across to me. “I never said we would be open
or honest,” he said. “And no, I would’ve made sure you gave the money
back. It’s a lot of money. My family, on the other hand, they might’ve hurt
you.”
“But you wouldn’t?” I asked. I didn’t know why I was pushing him
on it. Perhaps it was the feeling it gave me. A tickle, breaking out all over.
“No,” he said. “Find them. Now.” He snapped his fingers.
 Looking at the long list of names, I wondered if there was a cop in
this city that wasn’t on their payroll. And at the bottom, he’d listed Santi’s
name. I’d asked him to put that there, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he
knew him already. “How do you remember all these?” I asked, surprised
there was something going on in the upstairs department of Danya’s body.
He grunted. “If we get caught, we know we have someone on in the
inside that we can trust and talk to,” he said. “This information is only for
the family. Nobody else has this information. So, do your searchy search,
and then we can figure out who is fucking us over.”
I wanted to find something for him, he was clearly going through it.
I’d seen people go through it like this before. They were searching for
anything, something to cling to put themselves back into the good graces of
their family. I had been him when I considered Myriad my family.
“How much is your family usually paying these people?” I asked,
after finding two officers and their bank statements. It was easy to find it
when you had access to the backdoor of the internet. “I don’t see any big
deposits. Usually, a couple hundred going into savings here and there
throughout the month.”
Danya glared at me. “You think we move our money in bank
transfers?” he scoffed. “Use your brain. They get hard cash money. You’re
not looking into my family. You’re looking for any large amounts, like a
hundred thousand, or a million. Something so obvious a child would
notice.”
“Forget I ever asked,” I grumbled, looking back at the laptop screen.
Danya’s family must’ve been deep in the police force, it was almost scary
to think about all the crime they’d committed and gotten away with. And
they paid people to clean their tracks for them.
The phone by the door buzzed. “If you don’t find anything, you
don’t get food,” he reminded me as he went to answer the door.
I wondered if Danya knew the power I had at my fingertips. I
could’ve called a SWAT team to raid his apartment and find me in there
being held hostage. I could’ve mimicked his father and texted him an
emergency SOS asking him to meet. But I didn’t. I wanted to help him. It
was surprising even to me. Maybe because it was a challenge, and I hadn’t
felt challenged in a while.
None of the names he’d given me, or Santiago came up with
anything. I couldn’t trust anything I found on Santi though. He knew how to
create false documents and float them out there on the net. I was hoping
he’d gotten sloppy since leaving Myriad to work for the police force.
“You can eat,” Danya said, coming back to the counter in the
kitchen. He placed the large white plastic bag filled with containers on it. “I
might’ve ordered a lot. I eat when I’m stressed.” He gave me a nasty side
eye. “Not like that matters to you. Ok.”
“Is it possible that the money was taken by someone on the inside?”
I asked, testing a pressure point in Danya’s familial relationships.
He scoffed, a smile forming on his lips. “They thought it was me, so
I suppose it could be someone in the family. But don’t say that to anyone,
otherwise you could end up eating a bullet.” He opened the bag, pulling out
the contents of it. “And what about your friend?”
“Not my friend,” I corrected him. “And no. A dead end. He’s so
good. I can’t even tell if he forged his way into his job, or whether he got it
on his own.” I didn’t want to dig any deeper. I knew Santiago would’ve had
files under watch and trigger to alert if someone opened them. But those
files were easy to figure out by looking at their properties and knowing
certain strings of code.
“Are there more people like you?” he asked. “People who steal and
give to the poor.”
“Yeah, but we steal from billionaires. We take from people who
don’t see the money leave. We comb through accounts in offshore accounts,
and we make sure that not to take from people who might kill us,” I said.
“And one thing we never do is leaving any of our information like some
calling card.” Which is how they’d pinpointed me as their suspect.
“Someone planted that information.”
Danya grabbed bowls for the wonton soup and plates for everything
else he’d bought off their menu. “Make your list,” he said. “And contact
your friends, maybe. Someone must know who did this.”
Someone had to know. And I wished it was me. I nodded at him. My
stomach letting out a deep unsettling grumble.
“You can eat first,” he said. “But afterwards, I want some answers.
Understood?”
“Got it,” I said, nodding. “I’ll try and find something.” It was
entirely possible that someone was doing this for something I’d done years
ago. There were certain things in this community that people didn’t do.
They didn’t use your tag, but if they did, their goal was to wipe you out,
either by death, or imprisonment and never being able to touch another
computer in your life.
With a little food in him, Danya didn’t seem as angry. He even
smiled at me as he made small talk about my life.
“Pretty much, I give every cent I steal to charities,” I told him. “I
made money before. I get a nice return on it. It’s in stocks.”
“You know, you were a little right,” he said, smirking and gesturing
with his fingers almost touching. “You are a little like me. We both get
money from people. Except, we offer protection, and you give it to
someone else. It’s a waste, really.”
“I don’t think it is,” I said. “There’s a huge issue with poverty in this
country. You’re collecting money with the purpose of buying a flashy car or
a new fancy house, or coffee machine. Some people struggle to afford rent,
food, to—to—to take care of their children, and the rich get richer.” I was
telling on myself there. Everything I did was to try and stop families from
breaking apart like mine did because of things out of their control.
“Hey,” his voice came softer. “I think what you do with the
billionaires is good, they don’t miss the money. My family are not
billionaires. Sure, I have relatives in Russia who live like billionaires. We
have money, and the name of the game that my family play is, fuck around
and find out.”
I looked at the spring rolls and dipping sauce on my plate. “I guess
you’ll never understand what you’ve got until you don’t have it anymore,” I
said it, but I didn’t know if he was taking it in.

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10. DANYA
Life had been hard on Sutton. I saw him hold back, hiding behind his jokes.
I felt the pain in his words. It wasn’t something I wanted to think about for
too long. We had different lives. His had been filled with misery and pain.
Mine had been filled with a different type of pain.
I didn’t push him to keep looking for answers that night. But it
didn’t stop him from spending hours on his laptop.
From the bottom drawer in my dresser, I grabbed him a pair of
pajamas to put on for him to sleep in. They were clean, and too small for me
now since I’d put on a lot of muscle.
I left him to change as I brushed my teeth and gave myself a deep
staring at in the bathroom mirror. I tried a little pep talk, telling myself to
stop being an ass. Sutton was my key to getting out of this situation, and
keys sometimes snapped under pressure. I didn’t want him snapping.
He was sleeping when I got back into the bedroom. He could’ve
been faking it, but the day had drained me far too much to even want to test
that theory.
My body clock was close to being perfect, giving me a solid seven
and a half hours of sleep every single night.
When I woke, Sutton’s arm was over my chest and his leg over my
legs cuddling me.
I laid still. I’d never had a guy stay the night. I’d certainly never had
one cuddle me like this.
Sighing, Sutton woke and freaked, pulling himself together off me.
“Ugh, I didn’t mean to do that.”
“It’s ok,” I said, pushing my hands behind my head. “I get it, my
body is naturally a warm pillow.”
He pushed himself out of bed. “Well, I—I—” he rubbed at his eyes,
blinking wildly back at me. “I’m not entirely sure you didn’t put my arm
over you yourself.”
“Trust me, you did all that,” I said. “I’ve got a good feeling about
today.”
The bedroom door opened.
Sutton jumped back into the bed, inching to me.
 A cloud of smoke came in before my uncle Arkady. He puffed on a
cigar. “I didn’t want to interrupt you lovebirds,” he said. “But Danya, we
have business.”
Sitting, I hated that my uncle thought it was ok for him to come into
my apartment like he owned the place. “What are you doing here?”
“Making sure my nephew wasn’t getting into any trouble,” he
snickered. “Looks like you’re not wasting any time. I thought after
everything that happened; you’d start being more careful with the street
boys you bring back.”
“I’m not a—” Sutton began. I wrapped my hand around his head
and mouth.
“I’m busy,” I said. “I’ve got a lot on my plate today.”
“Actually, your father asked me to drive you to the house,” he said.
“He called a meet.”
“I’m bringing my friend then,” I said, stroking Sutton’s cheek with a
finger. “His name is Zack.”
“Zack,” his voice mumbled under my hand.
“I don’t care,” Arkady said, taking a long drag on his cigar. “As long
as your friend knows how to keep his mouth shut. And make sure he
doesn’t get in your father’s way. You know he’s not into your lifestyle like
that.” He snickered. “Get dressed.”
As Arkady left the bedroom, closing the door, I peeled my hand
away from Sutton’s mouth.
“What did you do that for?” he asked, slapping me with an open
palm against my chest. “I’m not walking into the fucking lion’s den.”
“What do you think will happen?” I asked.
“Um. How about a bullet to the brain?”
“Your name is Zack,” I reminded him. “And I’ll be the only one to
hurt you, well, I will be if you don’t get to the bottom of who stole from us.
Oh, and another thing, you’re gonna have to hold my hand, and kiss me in
front of my family, they’re gonna hate it.” I was over playing. They were
always going on about how I was gay, so I was ready to show them a little
gay.
I dressed nice in a clean shirt, slacks, and polished black shoes. If
my father had called a meeting and sent over my uncle, there had to have
been a reason for that. I tried putting Sutton in a shirt too, but everything
was too big for him, so I let him wear the clothes I’d snatched him in.
 “You took your time,” Arkady said as we walked out of my bedroom
together.
I wrapped my arm around Sutton’s waist and kissed him. “You
didn’t exactly give us any time to finish what we were doing,” I said.
Sutton glared at me before giving me a small peck back. “It was my
fault,” he said. “I don’t have clothes here. It’s all new.”
“So, it’s not a serious relationship?” Arkady asked.
“It’s serious,” I said. “Very serious. I think I might even be in love.
We may even get married.”
“Married?” Sutton choked.
Arkady pushed himself from the stool at the kitchen counter. “Your
father will love that,” he snickered, grabbing a knife and stabbing it into the
cutting board. “Does your—boyfriend know about the family?”
“No,” he said, softly.
“Yes, he knows,” I said. “It’s why we’re getting married. He’s trying
to save himself. You can understand his willing to lie to protect us. He’s so
adorable, isn’t he?”
Arkady scoffed. “Are you fucking done?”
Sutton pinched at my back. I wouldn’t let him try and wiggle his
way out of being my captive boy. “He’ll get along well with Evelina,” I
chuckled. “She’s always been looking for a gay best friend.”
“You are gay,” Sutton grumbled.
I grabbed him by the neck with one hand, and by the chin with
another, pinning him against the fridge door. “You’re so lucky,” I said,
kissing his squished lips. “You get to have such a passionate lover in your
life. It’s a shame my uncle is here, otherwise breakfast would be a scramble
—” I leaned my head to his ear. “Inside your fucking guts,” I whispered.
“You want that, huh?”
He cupped a hand around my cock and squeezed.
“Jeez,” Arkady let out. “Please don’t do this around people. It’s
unsettling. Keep your hands to yourselves. I get it. And I do not care to
fucking see it.”
Sutton had a wicked smile on his lips as I moved my hand. His
lingered on my crotch for a moment. “You have bad follow through,” he
whispered at me. “But what will you do about it?”
“It doesn’t matter what you say now, because later, I’ll make sure to
give it back to you,” I said, taking hold of his hand by the wrist and
squeezing. I kissed his cheek, lingering to whisper. “Because you know,
until that money is back in the account, you’re mine.”
He bit my ear, not enough to break the skin, but enough for me to
step back. “I’m glad you’re letting me stay here while my place is being
fumigated,” he said, louder. “I’m also so glad you promised to buy me new
clothes. I can’t be walking around dressed like this next to you.”
Arkady nodded. “I agree with him,” he said. “Unless you want your
father to mention how you’ve picked a boy up from the street, I’d get him
dressed properly.”
“Do we have—”
“We have time,” Arkady said looking to his watch.
“Great, great,” I said. “Let’s go buy you some new clothes.”
Arkady nodded. “Usually, I’d have said no, but since the two of you
seem to actually be in love, I don’t want your father to have one more thing
to be in everyone’s ear about.”
“Thank you,” Sutton said. “Danya is so sweet to me. Sometimes, I
forget what his hands have done before because they are so tender.”
Arkady turned his head and walked off. “Come on,” he shouted.
I couldn’t help but smile at Sutton for how he’d played this entire
situation. “You’re paying me back for everything I buy,” I told him.
“But I thought you wanted to marry me,” he said, pouting. “That’s
no way to speak to your future husband. You must treat me right, otherwise,
I might find someone else who can do me better.” He sucked on his bottom
lip.
With a thumb on his chin, I pulled his mouth open. “You’re never
gonna find someone who can do you better,” I told him. “There’s a recovery
center out there for guys I’ve fucked, and you’re about to find yourself
joining it.”
“Surely, if you so desperately want to marry me, then I’ll become
the president of the club,” he said, sticking his tongue out at me.
There was something in the way he spoke back to me that made me
feral. “Shush,” I said. “Grab your bag, and let’s go.”
He let out a snicker. “You know, I’m rethinking the whole, I want
you to add me to that collection on your phone thing,” he said, grabbing his
laptop. “In fact, I think I’d prefer it if you deleted them all. I don’t want to
start out our marriage with all that baggage.”
I gritted my teeth. “We’re not getting married.”
 He shrugged. “Depends on how long you have to keep the lie,” he
said. “And FYI, I’m good at lying.”
“You want me to pin you against the wall right now, don’t you?”
Visibly excited, Sutton looked away as he smiled.
“When we get to my parents’ house, I don’t want to hear a word out
of you, understood?” The last thing I needed was for him to accidentally
blab. “And your name is Zack. Ok?”
“I don’t even look like a Zack,” he grumbled. “But fine. And I want
access to your Wi-Fi when I’m there. You know, maybe there’s an answer
somewhere buried on the network.”
He had a good point, and we weren’t ruling out that this was an
inside job done by someone in the family.
We headed to my parents’ house, stopping on the way at a
department store for Sutton to get something smart. A nice shirt, some
slacks, a pair of shoes. He seemed uncomfortable in all it, and that brought
a smile to my face.
According to Arkady, we were now running late. He raced the car,
skirting the speed limit. In the back of the car, Sutton grabbed hold of my
hand. He was adorable.
“Aw, little kotik,” I snickered. The way he acted was like a kitten,
pushing at my side scared of the speed.
“He’s gonna kill us,” he said, squeezing my hand tighter. “I don’t
wanna die.”
“Relax,” Arkady laughed from the driver seat. “I’ve been driving
since I was eleven.”
“Yes, but you only got your license five years ago,” I added. And it
was mostly true, he’d been driving for a long time, but he only got his
American driving license a couple years ago.
We parked at the large gate outside the family home. The gates
opened as Arkady chuckled.
Sutton had started to hurt my hand, making it cramp from the way
he’d been squeezing. “Ok,” I told him. “We’re here. And you remember
what I said, right?”
He nodded, staring directly at Arkady in the rear-view mirror. “Stay
out of everyone’s way,” he whispered.
“You’ve got your boy trained,” Arkady noted. “I’m impressed. I
wonder what else your boy is good at.” He winked.
 I spat at him. “Don’t you dare. He listens to me, not you.
Understood.”
“Ah, Danya, I was joking,” he said. “But if he tries anything funny,
it will not be a joke anymore.”
Sutton looked from me and back to Arkady. “I’m not gonna say
anything. What would I tell people?” he raised his brows. “You’re a
reckless driver. I don’t think that’s news to anyone.”
There was an intense, heated stare off between the two of them.
“You’re a clever little fucker, aren’t you,” Arkady said, slapping his leg and
laughing. “Get out. I need to park.”
Immediately, Sutton grabbed at the door handle. He hooked his arm
around his bag and almost threw himself out of the car like it was getting
ready to speed off again.
“Relax,” I said, climbing out and standing beside him.
We were on the pebble driveway, staring at the doors to the house.
My mother stood at the open door, a big smile on her face.
“Remember to play it cool,” I told him. “You’re the first person I’ve
brought here, and we need to keep this up. I won’t let them hurt you, but if
you bring it on yourself, I don’t think I’ll be able to help you.”
He hooked his arm around mine. His chest dipping and raising with
increased panic. “Ok.”

OceanofPDF.com
11. SUTTON
The last place I ever expected to find myself was inside the house of the
family I’d been told would kill me if they ever found me. Granted, that
tidbit of information was only gleaned because they assumed that I had
taken their money. Thankfully, they only knew my name, they didn’t know
what I looked like. So, for now I had to pretend to be a Zack while I was
playing pretend boyfriends with Danya, and oddly enough, I didn’t know if
he was playing, or this was real.
I was introduced to his mother. An adorable woman who guided me
to the kitchen where another a man was pouring vodka over rocks. I didn’t
get an introduction as he rolled his eyes and passed by me.
“Ignore him,” a voice chuckled behind me. “That’s Grigory. He’s an
asshole to everyone.”
“Hi, hi,” I said, tugging at the strap of my bag on my arm. I didn’t
know where Danya had disappeared to. He could’ve been anywhere, and I
was told not to do anything, but wait. “I’m—”
“Zack,” she said. “Uncle Arkady called ahead and mentioned Danya
was bringing home a boy.” She pulled out a lipstick from her little clutch
purse and freehanded it over her lips. A deep red. “I’m Evelina,” she said,
smacking her lips together. “And you’ll get used to them talking. Danya’s
my younger brother. My husband gets to go to the meetings, but me,
someone who has some business knowledge, I’m the one who must wait.
I’m the—”
“Evelina,” her mother said, tutting. “It’s not a woman’s job. You
know they get their hands far too dirty.”
She wiggled her manicured fingers at me. “My mother still thinks a
woman must be background to their husbands. Which makes me curious
about you.” She tilted her head and stared deep into my eyes. She shared
that dead stare that Danya had, almost like they were pulling information
from my core.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Danya is nice. I didn’t think he would ever
let me meet you.”
“Danya is a private boy,” their mother said. “He has always been
that way. We do not push, and we do not pry.”
 “Well, they don’t,” Evelina said. “But that’s because my mother
pretends he isn’t gay sometimes. Look at her. She’s doing everything in her
power to take her mind off you even being here.” She chuckled. “I bet he
only brought you over because he’s trying to piss them off.”
I never liked being in the middle of people. I looked at their mother,
and she was right, she was doing the most to try and keep herself busy,
scrubbing away at non-existent grout with a toothbrush at the splash tiles.
“Is there anywhere I could sit?” I asked. “I’ve got some work I need
to finish. Danya also mentioned getting me the Wi-Fi too.”
“Sure,” she said. “I’ll take you to the dining room.”
Their house was big. I’d never imagined I’d be on the inside of a
mafia boss’s house before. In fact, I never thought I’d be on the receiving
end of a mafioso’s witch hunt. But here I was, trying to fit in, acting like I
wasn’t waiting for Danya to finish and take me away.
Evelina sat at the dining table with me. “How long have you known
my brother for?”
I placed my bag on the table and pulled out my laptop. “Not long,” I
said. “But it feels like forever.”
“He’s never spoke about seeing anyone before, so I’m surprised he
brought you with him,” she said, tapping her manicured fingertips. “Do you
love him?”
Trying to keep my cool was growing difficult. I opened my laptop.
“Yeah,” I said. “I think he’s different to how you see him. I see all sides of
him, and he’s special to me.” I was nauseous, not from lying, but because I
could smell food, and yet I hadn’t had any breakfast.
“Oh, I’ll get you that password,” she said, pushing out of the chair,
the legs scratching on the floor. “You want some coffee?”
“I’ll—” I paused. Coffee would’ve gone right through me if I drank
it without food. “A fruit juice, maybe.”
“Got it,” she said.
It felt like an intense game of operation, except, I was both the one
on the operating table, and the one doing the operating.
Evelina came back with a bottle of orange juice. “My dad keeps
bottles of this in the fridge, all freshly pressed and shit,” she chuckled. “Oh,
and here’s the passcode.” She presented me with a small slip of card.
“Oh, you have it printed out?” I asked.
 She shrugged. “It’s better than just telling people. There are parts of
the house where mobile signal doesn’t reach, so they need the internet.”
That struck me as odd, not the fact that parts of the house were
inaccessible to mobile signals, because that was expected for all the horrible
things I imagined happened here. I was surprised that they had the Wi-Fi
printed out on a card for guests to come in and take. In some ways, it was
like using a public Wi-Fi, and that was sometimes the worst decision
anyone could make.
“So, what do you do?” she asked. “I’m guessing something to do
with business. That looks expensive.”
She was talking about my clothes. They didn’t itch like the fancy
clothes I’d been forced to wear when I was in foster care, trying to make an
impression on the adults as they came by and we had to be on our best
behavior like animals in a shelter, waiting to be rescued.
“Yeah,” I said. “I—” I hadn’t thought of an answer. “Freelance
consulting for firms about their businesses. I look at how they operate, and I
see how they can achieve better results, whether that’s cutting, or increasing
production.” It wasn’t exactly a stock answer, but something I’d lied about
before. “It’s boring, but I’ve got to send some documents over.”
“Ugh,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes. “You know they’ll keep you
out of their business, it doesn’t matter that you’re a guy, whenever they all
meet, you’ll be here with me.”
“I don’t think I’ll be here every time,” I said. “Your uncle surprised
us. We’ve got plans after we’re finished here.”
“Lucky you,” she sighed. “My plans involve getting home, opening
a bottle of wine, and then making preparing dinner for my kids before
passing out with my bottle of wine, and then probably starting an argument
with my husband to feel something.”
I knew not to get involved, but she was bringing my energy further
into the abyss. “Perhaps you could get a job,” I said. “I’d never want to stop
working because I had kids or a husband.”
She snickered, tapping one of her manicured talons on my hand.
“Danya won’t want you to work if the two of you do make it official,” she
said. “He’s always had a thing about keeping his prizes close.”
“Prizes?”
Her laugh startled me. “As a kid, he’d keep little prizes from things
he did,” she said. “He once stole a bike and kept the wheel. Then he once
broke someone’s leg and kept their shoe. He’d even once killed a bird, and
then kept the egg by its nest. He didn’t know the first thing about raising a
bird, so that eventually died too. I’m assuming he keeps prizes of the guys
he sleeps with too.”
I knew that to be true. He kept prizes. He kept photos of them on his
phone. I didn’t know if I wanted to be on there, even though I’d given him
my consent at the time, I wasn’t ready to become someone who was
worried about him leaking pictures. “I’ve not seen anything like that,” I told
her. “Maybe he outgrew it.”
“Well, he is thirty-six now, and those were all from his younger
years,” she said. “Speaking of, how old are you, Zack?”
Addressing me as Zack, a name I didn’t identify with was jarring.
“I’m twenty-five.”
“Ten years,” she scoffed. “Don’t you think you’re too young for
him? You’re probably fresh out of college. He isn’t someone you want to be
around long-term.”
I knew she had good intentions behind her words, but she didn’t
know the extent of the relationship I had with Danya. This wasn’t a long-
term thing. “I like him,” I said, protecting the lie. “He’s nice to me.”
She leaned in and whispered. “You know, he’s been accused of
stealing from the family. It wouldn’t surprise me if he did it.”
I pretended not to know, a wide-saucer eyed expression on my face.
“No,” I said. “I don’t think he would have ever stolen from his family.” I
looked to the laptop screen, scouring through all the connected devices that
were active or had been active on the Wi-Fi network in the last month.
“Anyway, I’ll let you work,” she said. “But think about what I said.
You don’t want to have your life tied to this family. Take it from someone
born into it.”
I smiled at her, waiting for her to leave before feeling the hitch in
my breathing return. It was panic, taking over me. At any moment, I
could’ve been found out.
On the network, there were a lot of them, and most of them had
connected to an online banking facility. I was surprised nobody hadn’t
fleeced them for every dollar they owned. They were sorely lacking in the
online security department. It also went to prove that because you had the
entire city scared of you, that didn’t mean anything on the internet. People
were ruthless behind an IP address.
 Danya stormed toward me. “We’re going,” he said.
“What happened?” I furiously tapped on the keys.
“We’re going.”
“But I’m—”
He glared at me. “Come with me.” He grabbed my arm.
I tilted the laptop lid before he dragged me away from the table.
“What happened?” I continued, quieter.
He opened a door and pushed me inside to a bathroom. “They’re
about to start a war with another family,” he snapped in my ear. His face
close to mine.
“I—I—”
Locking the door, he grabbed my chin and turned my head to the
side. “You need to figure this out, or it’ll blow up.” With his nose pressed to
my cheek, he inhaled. “I know you can do it, and if you can’t, then steal it
from someone else and put it back. You like to be Robin Hood so bad, then
show me.”
My hands on his chest, but far too weak to push him off me.
“What’s a couple million to your family anyway?” I asked, slipping my
hands behind his belt.
“You don’t want to find out,” he said, gently biting my chin. “You’re
gonna need to shave that stubble. I don’t like the way it feels.” He let go of
me, but my hands remained on his belt.
Something clicked in my head. “Unless it’s not their money that was
stolen,” I said. “Your family has ties to Russia; I can’t imagine anyone there
is happy about someone stealing their money.”
“How do you know that?” he asked, confirming it to me.
Pushing a hand into the front of his slacks, I found his hard, thick,
bulging surprise. “It was a guess,” I said. “By the way, I’m removing my
consent for you to take pictures of me. I don’t want to be a memory on your
camera roll.”
Danya rolled his shoulders and glared at me. “What are you doing?”
He tilted his head. “If I don’t get a picture, then you don’t get this dick.” He
licked his lips.
I kissed him. “Then stop me,” I said. “Or maybe you want me to
grab your dick in here. Maybe you want to fuck me. Make me moan so
everyone hears. Isn’t that what you want? Isn’t that why you brought me?”
 “I brought you because I’m not letting you out of my sight,” he said,
giving my lips a quick kiss. “And I’ll do whatever I want to you.” He kissed
me again. “And what I want from you right now, is on your knees, and stop
playing with your food.”
With my back against the tile, I slipped from the wall until I was
kneeling in front of the warmth of his crotch. “Like this?” I asked, tugging
at his zipper. I reached inside and pulled his thick, chubbed cock through it.
“You know, you didn’t even feed me breakfast.”
Looking at me, he caressed my cheek with his thumb. “This is your
fucking breakfast.” He snarled. “Go on. That’s a good boy.”
Sure, I’d been thinking about being face-to-face with his cock again
ever since last night, but I wasn’t completely doing this because I was
horny. I was biding my time. My laptop needed roughly fifteen minutes to
finish its download.
Sucking his dick was a workout for my jaw, opening wide enough
for him to attempt to fuck my throat against the wall.
His voice turned soft. “Take it,” he said. “Take it all. Go on. Good
boy.”
I hummed, letting the vibrations from the back of my throat tickle
the tip of his sensitive cock. Tasting precum as my first meal of the day was
something I fantasized about. It was delicious, his cock holding my tongue.
Once I struggled to breathe through my nose, panic crept in, and I
choked on his cock. He took that as a sign to hold me as my throat tightened
on his cock and he filled my throat with cum.
“I might keep you around,” he said, pulling his cock out and
walking with it in his hands to the wash basin.
I sat there, taking deep breaths and trying to hide my smile. That had
to have been long enough for the download to have completed. “I still want
a proper breakfast,” I told him, wiping my mouth. “But that was a good
little snack.”
He snickered, smiling at me. “You’re so eager,” he said. “Stop it.
The world will eat you alive.”
Turning my head to roll my eyes. I wondered if he thought I was
helpless. “Are you the world?” I asked. “Will you eat me alive?”
He splashed water in my face. “Maybe.”
My cock hurt it was that hard, a mix of excitement about what I’d
done in secret, and from tasting Danya’s dick.
OceanofPDF.com
12. DANYA
My father dropped the bombshell on all of us. This wasn’t family money
that had been taken. It was the Sokolov’s money. They’d been funneling it
through our family for years. Since people were rising against the oligarchs
and shutting their operations, having American dollars washed and ready
for use when they came over was what my family was being paid for.
I’d heard stories about rows of houses being blown to bits because
of money. I always thought my father was ruthless, but the people still in
Russia were worse.
I had to stress Sutton to get more information faster. And by the way
he’d taken my load in his throat. I knew I wasn’t going to have any
problems getting him to do what I wanted.
We took a cab and sat in silence as we went for breakfast. After that
rude awakening and even ruder interaction with my family, I needed to line
my stomach. Nobody in my family minced their words, they said it how
they meant it, and if you couldn’t handle it, then that was on you. I handled
a lot of what was thrown my way, but I didn’t know if Sutton could do the
same.
He had his laptop open in the fancy restaurant. The type with place
settings, shiny cutlery, and someone playing on a harp. I was making full
use of him being dressed all nice. And then his laptop ruined it. It was dirty,
with stickers all over the back of it.
“What are you doing?” I asked him. “You found anything yet?”
He briefly looked at me from over the screen. “I’m combing through
data,” he said. “When are the waffles arriving?”
I scoffed. “We’re not in a fucking diner. You’ve got eggs benedict.
You mentioned eggs, so that’s what you get.”
He looked away. “Are you gonna tell me why we had to leave so
fast?”
“No.”
“Fine.”
“What do you mean, fine?”
“I mean, that’s fine, I’m not pushing you. I know what boundaries
are,” he said, smirking at me. “So, when are my eggs benedict coming? And
I also need a coffee. A large one.”
 Maybe it was a mistake bringing him to a fancy place. “What are
you doing?” I asked.
“Waiting for food and doing the job you asked of me. I’m trying to
find the money that was stolen from your family. And I’d like a large coffee
to make sure my eyes stay open long enough to comb through all the data.”
I raised a finger, gesturing to a server. I needed a coffee too. My
family hadn’t let up on the fact that my name was on the withdrawal. But I
didn’t have a couple million dollars. And I wasn’t ready for my head to be
put on the chopping block by the Russians.
We got our coffees and breakfast plates. I watched Sutton with a
keen eye. He didn’t look at me once from his laptop screen. There was
something going on behind his eyes, and I wanted to know what. Sutton
seemingly multitasked, eating the eggs, drinking the coffee, and tapping
away at the keys.
“Any lead?” I asked, wiping my mouth with a napkin.
“Nope,” he grumbled, not breaking eye contract with his laptop.
“You know, I’ll tell you if I get a lead. It’s not like I’m gonna not tell you.”
“So, you wanna tell me what you’re doing?”
I caught him roll his eyes. “Not in particular. Our methods are
different. Your method is to take someone and drill holes in them until they
speak. My method is to set tiny traps all over the web and wait for them to
creep around the edge.” His brows raised on his forehead, and he sucked on
his teeth. “Once they creep, I can scrape their information, but depending
on how long they were there will depend on how much information I can
get.”
It was all far too complicated for me. “Whatever.”
“Are we going back to the apartment?” he asked. “I’d prefer to do
this somewhere other than public Wi-Fi, and while this place seems nice.
You should have protection put on your phone. In fact, everyone connecting
to the network here is at risk of having someone rifle through all their data.”
“You too.”
He scoffed. “My shit is encrypted. My laptop would sooner burn
from the inside than have anyone hack it. Self-destruct buttons on
everything.” He smiled all cocky. He straightened his back and looked over
his laptop screen. “Oo. Are you gonna finish your toast?”
“No, have it,” I grumbled. “So, big brains. If you’re all so brainy
and shit, why aren’t you working for a tech company doing security for
them, or like the FBI.”
He laughed. “Oh. Wait. You were being serious?”
“Yeah. It’s a serious question. Why aren’t you working for a
company instead of doing what you’re doing?”
It seemed like this wasn’t the first time he’d asked this question, or
the first time he was even being asked to explain himself about it. “I’ve
never had a formal education,” he said. “Everything I do is slapped together
haphazardly. I exploit weaknesses. I rarely do any of the big programming
hack legwork that—” he chewed his lips together.
“Go on,” I encouraged, pushing my plate across to him. “Like
what?”
“I’m not having this emotional breakthrough with you over
breakfast,” he said, taking my plate and putting it over his fork scraped
clean plate. “But there are others out there, people better than me. Most of
them are better than me.”
That wasn’t what I’d been led to believe about him. I thought he was
some big-time hacker. “Oh.”
“Don’t oh, me. I can hear the sympathy. I’m probably on a watchlist,
that’s another reason I’m not allowed to work for the FBI,” he added,
digging into my breakfast leftovers. “Question for you, why do you still go
back to your family when they don’t respect you?”
“They do respect me,” I snapped.
Heads turns in our direction.
“They do respect me,” I repeated softer.
“I’ll rephrase the question, why don’t you leave your family?” he
asked. “Don’t you want to go out into the world and do your own thing?”
I stared at him across the table, wondering what other thing I could
do out in the world. I knew the family business, I relied on those
connections. Putting on a resume that your father is the leader of a crime
family isn’t exactly something people do. “What job do you think I’d do?”
“I barely even know you,” he grumbled. “I’m just saying. There’s
gotta be more to life than doing what your father tells you.”
I understood his jaded feelings toward family. He didn’t have one.
Of course, he was jaded. “It’s ok,” I said. “I get to live where I want. I get to
come to nice places like this. You’re only putting that thought in my mind
because you want me to stop pushing you and leave.”
“That would be one benefit,” he said.
 My phone buzzed on the table, rattling against the ceramic cup.
Sutton reached over and grabbed it. “It’s from them. Look. Blocked
number. I need to know.” He reached into his bag, rummaging around all
hectic, pulling out wires. He was causing a scene. This wasn’t how to
behave in such a nice place.
I snapped my fingers. “It’s important,” I announced a little louder.
“I’m sorry.”
He seemed to derive pleasure in this, a little smile on his face as he
sat upright in his chair again, wire in one hand, phone in the other.
“You did that on purpose,” I said.
“And what if I did?”
“You’re testing me, aren’t you?”
He continued to smirk at me as he plugged my phone into the
computer and tapped away.
“Well?” I asked, growing impatient.
Sutton cleared his throat, looking at the phone screen. “Tick tock,
tick tock. That’s the sound of your clock running out.”
I reached out and grabbed the phone to see for myself. I didn’t know
what any of it meant. There hadn’t been a clock on anything.
“What does it mean?” we both asked each other at the same time.
Sutton pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I don’t have anything.
So, it’s clearly aimed at you.”
“Someone is fucking with us,” I said. “That is the only explanation.
Correct?” It had to be.
“Duh,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Of course, someone is fucking
with us.” He chewed his lips together, opening them a little, there was
blood.
“Stop it,” I said, pressing my foot against his under the table.
“Fucking stop.”
“What?”
“Biting your lips. Put some Vaseline on them too.”
Screwing his lips together once more and frowning at me. He didn’t
like being told what to do. “Why?” he mumbled. “So when I go down on
you again, you don’t feel my dry lips? News flash, I don’t have a fucking
apartment anymore. I don’t have my face moisturizer, my hand moisturizer,
or a lip balm.”
 “Or your toys,” I added. “Maybe if I can get you your toys, then will
you relax?” Those large dildos I’d been surprised to see in his closet had
been playing on my mind. And now that I knew he could for sure take me
without crying, I was growing fond of him. And it was rare I ever thought
about fucking someone twice. Once was enough for most guys; they’d
become all teary-eyed and apologetic for what they’d asked.
He stood on my foot this time. “Are you being serious?”
“Yes. Of course. And since you look like that, I can potentially
swing that you’re looking at the place. The police are for sure gone. And
most of it they didn’t take. Only your toothbrush for DNA.”
He snickered. “Good luck scraping that for DNA. I always keep my
toothbrush in my bag. The decoy goes in the holder by the sink.”
“Smart.”
“When you do what I do, it’s important that you don’t leave your
shit behind,” he said. “Except for like the things I couldn’t carry, but those
are silicone, and they do not store DNA on them well. At least, I don’t think
they do. Anyway, are you being serious, can we go back and get my
things?”
Seeing how bright this potential news made his face. I used it to my
advantage. “Sure,” I said. “But if I’m going on a limb for you here, then
you’re gonna have to make sure that you are putting in one hundred percent
of yourself in finding the person behind those texts.”
“What you’re saying sounds like we’re a team,” he snickered.
“You’re the muscle and I’m the brains.”
“I have brains too.”
Sutton squinted, looking at me. “Sure, you have one, just like I have
muscles, except, neither of those are our top attributes. Like, you couldn’t
do this, and I couldn’t kick a door in.”
“Ok, ok, I get it. But it would look funny to see what impact your
body would do to a door.”
Sutton’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it for a moment before
switching out the wire into it.
“C’mon,” I grumbled. “If we’re a team, you’ve got to tell me what it
says.”
“It says, this is a game of cat and mouse, except we’re both looking
for the cheese, and cats eat mice.”
“Cat and mouse,” I snickered. “We’re clearly the cat. Right?”
 He shook his head. “They’re the cat. Unless you’re the cat and I’m
the mouse.”
“Maybe if we make ourselves more like cats.”
“What are you smoking right now?” he chuckled. “It’s a riddle, or
bullshit. Whatever it is, they’re saying that we’re both looking for the same
thing. Only one of us can find it, and if we find it first, they’ll kill us and
take it.”
I had the intense urge to pop the buttons on my shirt with a nice arm
and chest flex. “Ask them to speak normally, please. It’s too early for these
shenanigans.”
“Shenanigans,” he giggled. “Well, it’s still a dead end. They’re
pinging from cell towers all over the city. I think we should go and get my
toys now. It would motivate me to work harder.”
Looking from his cute little smile to his hands in a prayer. I couldn’t
say no to his little request.

OceanofPDF.com
13. SUTTON
With my things back in my life, I was only somewhat content. I didn’t like
the fact that Danya had seen all my toys. And how they hadn’t even been
moved from the apartment. The apartment had been pretty much left the
same. There was police tape covering the door, but that was it. They’d taken
the computer hard drive that had the bullet through it, but none of my
clothes. I managed to pack two boxes full of my things. I was always on the
move, so I always had flattened cardboard boxes waiting to be taped and
crammed with all my personal items.
We took it all to Danya’s apartment where I was still being held
captive. That term I was using loosely as I could’ve left him if I hadn’t been
the mildest bit curious of where this was going, and because it had been
over a month since I got dicked down before him, and I was craving that
hunk of engorged meat he called a dick.
“Question,” Danya grumbled, glancing into one of the boxes.
Sitting at the breakfast bar with my laptop and the appearance of
someone who was working hard, I turned to him on the swivel chair.
“Yeah?”
He was sat on the floor, organizing my dildos by size. “These aren’t
human,” he said.
“Is that a question?” I asked. “Because you know, I’m busy, trying
to get your family their money back.” I still hadn’t told him how highly
impossible it was to get the money back. Whoever took it cleaned their
tracks, and the tracks they wanted found pointed at me.
“Yes,” he said. “What are they?”
“They’re all based on fantasy creatures. That one is an orc. Oo, the
green one is a goblin. I needed to get that one after I watched this cartoon
porn one. It was about these captive humans who were taken by goblins
into a cave. There were these small goblins and then these big ones. And
they—”
“I don’t watch porn,” he said.
Now, I knew he was lying. It was almost impossible not to watch
porn if your dick got hard like a hundred times a day. Mine was chubbing at
the thought of that goblin cave, all those big dicks stretching out those tiny
holes, and then the other big dicks, but not as big as the others that went to
town. I let out a breathy gasp, only signaling all the blood to hit the dick
and get harder. “Ok, well, I’ve gotta—”
“You cannot take one of these,” he continued, wrapping both hands
around the base of the dildo. “You struggled to take me, and I’m not a
fantasy creature.”
“You’re—” I was getting all hot under the shirt collar he’d forced
me in. “Hung like one though.”
“Ok, ok,” he said, smiling. “Which one am I most like?”
It was impossible to tell. My throat becoming a little dry as I was
put on the spot. “You’re like the purple one. That one isn’t a monster one
though. It’s one of the ones from the website. Their own creation.” It was
also my first. It was curved and girthy, with a lightly textured shaft that led
to a firm base that looked like a set of hairy balls. There was also an
attachable suction cup for use on hard surfaces.
Danya seemed to admire it, sloping his hand down the curve. He
gave it a tap and smiled. “It’s hard,” he said.
“I’m hard,” I let out, gasping.
He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Oh no, it’s not
playtime.”
Licking my lips wet, I wanted to argue with him. “When is it
playtime then?”
“Let me see,” he said, grabbing the largest dildo of the collection.
The dragon dick. It was the same of his forearm with a thick head and a
tapered shaft. Textured with small, raised bumps. “You can take all of this?”
“If I’m prepared,” I said. Preparation was key to a toy as big as that,
and it was only fun if it was clean. “But it takes a while.”
“You’re right,” he continued. “You should be working. And I’ll
make sure to pack these away somewhere you can’t find them until you’ve
finished.”
Squeezing my erection between my thighs. “What?”
“I don’t want you to be distracted.”
He was the one who had distracted me. I hadn’t even wanted to
think about them until after we’d got a lead. And now, I was the hardest I’d
been in a while. Heat radiating from my crotch. I wasn’t letting him sit there
and tell me to get back to work. “No,” I said, standing. “You’ve done this to
me.” I yanked my slacks to my thighs, showing him how hard my cock had
become.
 “Congratulations,” he said, placing the dildos back into the box.
“But it’s not my fault that you can’t control your urges.”
Undressing out of the slacks, I kicked them across to him from
where I was. They landed over his head. “Not my fault. I can’t concentrate
now even if I tried.”
“What do you want me to do?” he shrugged. “You took all my juice
away this morning.”
“I know what I can do,” I told him, looking at the purple toy. “I
don’t need you for that.”
He grabbed the toy I was staring at and stood. “Well,” he grumbled,
walking over to me. “I guess I can do you a favor since you did one for
me.”
“Yeah,” I let out, the word stuck on my throat. “What are you gonna
do?”
“Bend over the stool,” he said. “I wanna see how much you can take
of this—this—this knock-off version of my dick you’re craving so much.”
He saw through me. I was craving that dildo as much as I craved his
cock.
I leaned over the stool, my ass out for him. “Give it to me.”
“You want me to go in dry?” he asked, sucking on his teeth. “You’re
asking for trouble. I’ll get the lube. I know your limitations. And going in
dry is a limit.”
“Obviously, you’re gonna need lube,” I said, tugging at the buttons
on my shirt. I couldn’t be in this tight constricting straight jacket for another
second.
When Danya came back with the lube, I was naked, my back
arched, leaning over the stool at the breakfast bar. My cock pointing to the
floor, pressed at the base by the stool.
His sleeves were rolled, like he was about to get ready do some
work. “You shouldn’t do things I might like to get used to,” he grumbled.
Kneeing at my ass, he grabbed my cock with a warm, wet hand. Tugging
and tossing it, his grip becoming stronger at the tip like he was attempting
to milk me. “You’re gonna have to make some noise. I need motivation to
get hard.”
“I thought you—” I bit on my lip as his finger touched my hole by
surprise. “I didn’t think you wanted to fuck me.”
 “I never said I didn’t want to fuck you,” he pushed his finger inside
me. “I said you’d taken all the juice out of me. If you want me to fuck you
without juice, I can, but I don’t want to hurt you by fucking you for too
long.”
All his concerns were not mine, because as he milked my cock with
one hand and pushed a finger into my ass with another, all I could think
about was how I was willing for him to fuck me for as long as he wanted. I
signed, sealed, and delivered the waiver with my rights for him to take
control over my body. Even if he wasn’t asking, I was giving.
“You’re eager,” he continued, pulling my cheeks with both of his
warm, lubed hands. “You know, boys like you are always eager at first. You
love being overpowered, don’t you?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“And you love it when your hands are tied behind your back, and
you lose control over your body.”
“Tie my hands?” I asked.
“You saw the pictures,” he said, tugging a hand I had out in front of
me to my back. “You know that what’s I like.”
“No,” I said. “I’m not being someone on your camera roll.” My
cock throbbed. I turned away and sat on the stool. In front of Danya’s
kneeling body. “I’m not something you get to look back at. I’m an
experience you get in the moment.”
Danya’s face danced through several emotional states. “Fine,” he
said, smiling. “No pictures. But I get to control your body while you’re in
my apartment. You do everything as I say.”
“What do I get out of it?”
“Sex.”
It was a big motivator. “What else?”
“Use of the bedroom.”
“I’ve already got use of your bedroom. What else?”
“What else do you want?”
It was a battle for power. “I want you to delete all the pictures of
every other guy from your phone. Forever.”
“No. That’s years of conquests. I’m not—”
“Then you don’t get to control me.”
He grabbed my hand by the wrist. My cock throbbed again, pushing
precum to the tip. “But—”
 “If you delete all those pictures, then I’ll let you tie me to your bed
and fuck me.” I knew it sounded like it was something I was saying he only
wanted to do. But I wanted it. And I also didn’t want him to consider me a
conquest, or as a prize, and to do that, I needed for him to get rid of all
those previous prizes on his phone. “Whenever you want.”
“And what about the big toy?”
“Full consent,” I said, watching the light behind his eyes grow. “But
I have to be prepared to take that. Understand?”
“Ok.” He pulled out his phone. “Delete them. I’ll go get my toys.”
All that talk got my cock throbbing harder. I quickly plugged it into
my laptop and erased every image he’d taken of a guy before. There were
thousands of images. I was jealous of each one of them having been the
subject of Danya’s affections once before. This whole thing between us
started out with hate, I didn’t think he’d hated any one of those smiling
boys faces before. I made sure the deletion was permanent. I didn’t want to
see them ever again.
“Get in here,” he called to me. “And bring the lube.”
I grabbed the toy and lube he’d brought into the kitchen.
Danya stood at the foot of his bed, his shirt already off to reveal the
small white tank top stretched across his large frame, exposing every
muscular vein across his chest and abdomen. “I’ll ease you into it,” he said.
“Some hand stuff, then maybe we’ll play around with tying your hands to
things, like the bed posts, and maybe even your legs, stretched wide open
like an invitation to eat your ass.”
Panting like an excited dog, I was ready. I handed the things to him
and got on my knees. “I’m ready,” I told him. “Let me take it now.”
He threw the toy and lube onto the bed. “The game has changed
now,” he said. “You’re mine. And you’ve been a bad boy, haven’t you?”
“The worst,” I said.
Gripping me by the chin, he pulled me to my feet. “Let me taste.”
He placed his lips on mine and forced his tongue inside. My tongue was far
too weak and submissive trying to battle against the strength of his. After
all, he had plenty of training from eating ass. “Mhmm.” He moaned directly
into my mouth. “Now, you can get on your knees.”
Obeying him, I got on my knees to see the friend I’d made earlier
bulge in front of my face. I wrapped my arms around his legs and squeezed
my head against it. There was a heartbeat coming from inside it. Thumping
away at the side of my head. He kept thumping and thumping like he
wanted to be freed.
“Get it out then,” he said, unbuckling his belt. “And suck it.”
As I got to work, letting my mouth and tongue do the moves he’d
liked earlier, I looked to see him playing with a blue rope. He was twisting
it, making loops, and snapping them shut to make tiny whips. I was so
excited by what I saw, my teeth touched his shaft, and he pushed me away
by my shoulders.
“You need better training,” he said. “Don’t worry. I’ve trained boys
in less time.”
Their faces flashed in front of me, obedient smiles. I wasn’t like any
of them though. “You can try,” I told him. “But I will push back
sometimes.”
“You’re different,” he said. “I’ll fuck that right out of you.”
It sounded like he was threatening me with his dick. And while his
dick should’ve been considered something that required a conceal and carry
permit, I didn’t find it as threatening as his tinted Russian accent made it
seem. “I already gave you permission,” I reminded him. “So, what are you
waiting for?”
Pushing his buttons was fun. His eyebrow twitched and the corner
of his mouth lifted slightly. “Turn. Hands behind your back.”
This was where the fun happened.
He wrapped the rope around my hands, making a knot then tugging
on it to make sure it was secure, and controlling me. With the positioning of
my arms, any tug of it made my entire body move with it. I didn’t
understand how it all worked, but it kept me on the edge of excitement, and
if he kept edging me without fucking me, I’d blow my load and be big mad.
“I’ll start with your toy,” he snickered. “I wonder which you prefer.
Me or this cheap knock-off.”
“Hey,” I snapped. “Those aren’t cheap.”
“How do we feel about a muzzle?”
“A what?”
He pulled out a roll of tape. The same tape he’d used over my mouth
when he’d kidnapped me off the street. “Oh.”
Over my mouth it went.
“I want you to moan so loud that it’s vibrating from your body,” he
said.
 That was fine. Most of my moans came from me in deep throaty
waves.
Finally on the bed, he pushed forward and then tugged at the rope to
pull me again. “Just like that,” he said. “Now, take a deep breath.”
In through the nose. I sucked in deep.
The end of the dildo went inside me. I quickly went to the base of it
as I leaned back to sit. My mouth trying to open wide, pained and strained
by the feeling of the tape. I moaned, my legs letting out jolts as I went from
sitting on my knees, to being flat on the bed with my ass taking the dildo to
the flared base.
“Look at how deep you can go,” Danya whispered in my ear. “How
often do you practice on this one?” he chuckled. “Wait. You can’t speak.”
He kissed my cheeks, rubbing his stubbly face against mine. “And I told
you to shave this.”
I didn’t have a razor to shave. But I did now. I tried to speak using
my vocal chords in my throat. But none of it made any sense, and almost
sounded like I was making a song.
He lifted my ass in the air and then let go, forcing me back onto the
toy. Reaching around, he grabbed my cock. “I can get a rope and tie it
around this to stop you from cumming. But I think it’s only fair that you
made me cum today.”
Moaning in my throat, I was ready to cum.
He made me bounce on the dildo for another couple of minutes
before he pulled me off it. It felt like I’d lost part of myself, like when he’d
fucked me so deep, I thought he’d displaced my inner organs with the
sensation he’d created inside me.
“Let me put a condom on,” he said. “I don’t want to catch
anything.”
I couldn’t even say anything sassy back. Like, I was the one who
might’ve caught something from him, but I couldn’t. Instead, all I could do
was let out a series of hums and grumbles.
“I’ll be gentle,” he whispered, tugging my ass off the side of the
bed. He then thrust his cock deep inside me. “That’s what I call a joke,” he
said, wrapping his arms around me to get a better angle at fucking me.
I lasted minutes before letting go. My dick bounced around,
spraying cum in shots across his bed. He fucked harder against the pulse of
my hole. My body tingled, battling the want for him to let me go and the
need for him to hold me close and keep fucking. I was desperate to never let
the feeling fade.
Losing all energy, he continued to fuck me as I surrendered to
flopping around on the bed in front of him. He was still in control of my
body with each tug of the rope, I was yanked against his body where his
lips kissed the back of my neck and he whispered about how this was what
I’d wanted.
And that was true. I had wanted his dick, even without all the juice
I’d taken from him earlier. Now, I was enjoying the dick-sized hole he was
carving out inside me for his pleasure, and future pleasure.
“That’s it,” he said. “Oh. Oh. That’s it.” He laid on me, his body
convulsing as his hips tried to bury his boner into me. I barely felt him full
the condom inside me from how numb he’d turned my insides. “Good,” he
whispered, sweat from his face dripping on my neck. “You’re not like the
others,” he said. “You’re better.” He tore the tape away.
“Next time,” I finally said, panting. “I’m going on top.”
He kissed me again. “Next time, you mean tonight?” With his bared
teeth he pushed them into my skin, leaving and impression. “I think I need a
nap.”
“Untie me first then,” I said, wiggling my arms at my back.
“You wanna take a nap with me?”
I did. I was so tired after today. “You might have to change the
sheets again,” I told him. “I think I even hit the headboard.”

OceanofPDF.com
14. DANYA
I laid there beside him, wondering how he’d passed out so quickly. Sure,
maybe I’d fucked the life out of him. I hadn’t ever knocked someone out
through sex before—wait. There was that time a couple years ago, that guy
got me all heated, asked me to put my hands around his neck, and one thing
led to another, he came, I came, and then he was out like a light. I woke him
quickly. There wasn’t going to be anyone staying over like that.
Sutton was different. He had a brain. I didn’t like that. It almost
scared me not knowing what was going on inside his beautiful mind. He
knew all these crazy things about the internet that I didn’t even think were
possible.
I was tried, but I couldn’t nap. I left the bed, quietly and headed
back to the living area. Sutton’s laptop was there, on display on the
breakfast bar counter. The urge to look through and see everything he’d
been typing like a feral animal who’d learned to use its fingers for the first
time.
Skimming my finger across the trackpad, the laptop screen shone
onto a login. Of course. Master hacker wasn’t letting me anywhere near him
without a login page or a phishing expedition.
Instead, I made coffee from my fancy machine and went to my
phone.
He’d gone and deleted every single image I’d ever taken of a boy in
ropes, looking at me with their begging eyes, asking in all different
languages for me to cum on their faces, but not in their hair.
It buzzed in my hand, flashing with a text from the unknown
number.
—Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
Nearly throwing it across the room, I put the phone on the counter
and screwed my knuckles tight beside it. If I’d punched it, my hands would
probably break.
—What are you counting down to? I asked. Although probably
unwise considering if they replied, we didn’t have much chance at locking
in on their location.
—I’m helping.
—Don’t be stupid now.
 My head hurt from it meaning one thing but they also meant
something else.
—You stole the money. Didn’t you? Who are you?
The bubbles of text appeared before vanishing off the screen again.
—I didn’t take anything. I led help to your front door. And you’ve
been looking for me this entire time. You’d make a really bad detective.
Now. I was confused. It had taken them an entire day to correct me.
I shouldn’t have captured Sutton and instead told him that we were both
ushered together. I suppose it somewhat made sense. Both of our names
were on the line. The only exception was, he could leave, and I’d always
have to report back to my family.
—Then who are you? And why have you done this? Do you know
who took the money?
There was a long pause as I stared at the screen and sipped the hot
coffee.
—I know it wasn’t Sutton. Tell him there are people looking for him.
People worse than you and your family. Protect him, and if you can’t, tell
me and I’ll find someone who can.
Confused by what was going on. Easily confused. I didn’t know
what was happening. As I went to respond.
—Give me something to work with then.
And the message didn’t go through. Then the texts disappeared
completely, all of them.
I stared at the screen. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t real.
Sutton stood in the doorway; he’d put my bathrobe on. Incredibly
oversized, draping off his shoulders. What was I supposed to do with him
now? I couldn’t tell him about the texts. There was no proof. And I couldn’t
exactly tell him to stop finding this person, not without making him
suspicious.
“Did you make me coffee?” he asked.
Great. I had to protect him. And I didn’t even know who I was
supposed to be protecting him from. People shouldn’t have my phone
number, especially when they were in there acting like Dr. Seuss with their
nonsense. “No,” I told him. “I’ll show you. You can make your own coffee.
I’m not your caretaker.”
Rubbing his big eyes, he stared and shrugged, tugging the sides of
the bathrobe onto his shoulders again. “Ok,” he said. “I never said you had
to do everything for me, but it looks like an expensive machine, I didn’t
wanna break it.”
I scoffed. “Fuck. You’re right. Sit. I’ll make you a coffee. And we
should focus on tracing where that money could’ve gone, not the person
sending those texts. They’re a confusion. We need focus.”
He nodded, swiveling around in the chair at his laptop. “Did you try
and get into this?” he asked, a big smile on his face.
“What? No. Shut up.”
“I know you did,” he snickered. “My webcam takes a picture
whenever someone wakes it. And your picture is right there. Damn. You
look confused as hell.”
“What else do you know?” I grumbled. He knew all about his little
machine, but he couldn’t work the espresso machine.
He rolled his eyes, hugging the bathrobe tighter around his body. “I
know that you have good taste in fabric,” he said, snuggling his chin against
the wool inside. “And I know that you probably checked your phone to see
if I had deleted all those pictures.” He glanced at the phone beside my hand.
“I told you to,” I reminded him. “I didn’t need to check. I know you
would’ve done it anyway.”
Blowing out a raspberry, he tried to hide his smile.
I turned away so he didn’t catch me smiling at him. “One coffee
coming up,” I said.
He clicked his tongue. Making all types of noises, almost like he
wanted my attention. “So, I’m thinking outside the box. My enemies. What
if it’s someone I used to work with? I often make enemies and friends
everywhere I go. Often, friends become enemies, and enemies become f—”
“Lovers?” I interrupted his flow, patting ground coffee into a puck.
“We’re lovers?” he asked. “I thought we were now friends. Or, well,
engaged in your family’s eyes. So, I guess that does make us lovers.”
Bastard. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning at what he’d said. It
was true, there was something there. It was different. We were relying on
each other for survival. My survival was in his hands, getting the money
back, and his survival was in my hands, protecting him from my family.
Even after marching him right into the den.
“You wish,” I grumbled. “Once this business is dealt with, we can
go our ways. I’ll even offer to drive you to a train station or something.”
“You think I’m leaving the city?” he asked.
 I focused on pouring the hot water through the coffee, letting it drip
into the cup.
“Because I’m never leaving the city,” Sutton continued. “This is my
home. I’m not leaving, it doesn’t matter if I’m being hunted for sport, I’ll
find a way to hide. I’ve been hiding for years. I know how to do it.”
“You don’t do it well,” I told him.
“Yeah, I do. You found me based on luck.”
I’d found him because of that same unknown number. Whoever it
was, they were trying to push us together. I couldn’t recall what the text had
said. But it listed him as the one who knew how I’d be able to restore my
family’s bank balance.
“Come on,” I grumbled, handing him the finished coffee. “We need
a lead. Go back into the bank. Go back into everything. I don’t want to get
distracted on those texts anymore.”
“Yeah, you said that,” he said, taking the coffee. “At this rate, it
might be easier for me to hit microtransactions on a thousand accounts over
the next months and build it up.”
“Months?” I asked. “We don’t have months.”
“Tick tock.” He rolled his eyes. “I get it. But I can only do so much.
And I’m not saying it’s impossible to get it back in bigger chunks, but
microtransactions usually go under the radar, and when they’re under the
radar, nobody goes snooping.”
I know I kept reminding myself that he hadn’t taken the money, but
now I was even more certain. He played it safe, even with how reckless he
was, he was a safe boy. “Can’t you steal from already stolen money?”
“Pretty much what someone did to your family.”
It was a fair comment. Some of my family’s business practices were
unethical, and it involved a lot of criminal things, but the money that was
taken wasn’t the family’s money. It was even more important that it was
returned.
“But if they stole from your family to give to the poor,” he mused, a
smile on his face, like he knew what he was doing when he said it. “I can’t
exactly say they were wrong for doing it. You do the same thing, but in
person instead of over the internet.”
He was a broken record now. My family were horrible. Some of the
worst people you could ever come across. In fact, I would not wish my
family on anyone, unless they did something wrong. “People steal from
each other. We get it. But the people that stole the money from my family
have not taken money from my family, they’ve taken it from someone much
worse.”
The smile faded as the serious tone of my voice settled in. “It’s a
tough break for whoever did it, but they’re not easy to track.”
“Then people will keep thinking it’s you.”
His phone buzzed on the counter, and he snatched it. “It’s from
them.”
“Read it.”
“Tick tock, time doesn’t stop, the city doesn’t sleep, and you can’t
make a peep,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes toward the end as it rhymed.
“It’s cat and mouse, everything is on the line.”
Realization rushed in my face like heat ambushing my skin. “I
know.”
“What?” he asked. “I fucking hate how they keep saying the most
random fortune cookie crap.”
Snapping my fingers as thoughts zapped around in my mind. “I
know.”
“I know too. Fortune cookies aren’t real.”
“No, not that. They’re talking about Times Square,” I said. “Tick
tock, clock, time.” I continued snapping my fingers. “Time doesn’t stop
there, obviously, and New York City, the city that doesn’t sleep.”
“Cat and mouse,” he said. “So, we have to go to Times Square to
look for a cat and a mouse, right?” His smile returning, big and beautiful.
“There are always so many people there dressed up. It’s gonna be hard to
find the person they’re talking about.”
“The line,” I said. “Ok. Get dressed. You can—” I sucked on my
teeth looking at how the bathrobe wore him. “Wear your normal clothes.
The hoodie and things. I don’t want you standing out in a suit. You make
them look so uncomfortable.”
“And why do you wear a suit?”
“Not all the time,” I said. It was something my father had taught me.
Dress nice and people think of you better. It legitimizes the business we do.
“I’ll wear what I usually put on for the gym.”
“As long as you don’t mind me staring at your crotch,” he said.
“Assuming you wear sweatpants, and those boxers.”
 I leaned over the counter and placed a finger under his chin. “I told
you not to fall in love.”
He whacked my hand away. “Ew. I don’t love you. I like the way
your dick makes me feel. Trust me, if I could have like—” he squinted, his
eyes scanning across my body, “from your torso to your thighs. Cut off the
arms. All of that on a silicone body with a dick attachment, I’d be happy.”
It was something I always knew guys thought about. I was meat in
their eyes. And they were a nice hole to bury my meat inside. It was a good
give and take. “If we get through this alive, you can have a cast of my body
and then a drive to the nearest train station.”
“We’re back on that again,” he grumbled. “I told you; I’m not
leaving the city. You can leave, and I’ll take that cast. I might even tuck it
into bed at night so that there’s always someone in bed waiting for me. And
someone I can wrap my arms around.”
“Are you trying to make me jealous?” I asked. “Because it’s not
working. Now, let’s get dressed.” I clapped my hands. “Let’s go.”
“But I haven’t even finished my coffee!”
“Drink it and dress.”
“It’s still hot.”
“Then blow on it.”
He giggled. “Probably not the first time you’ve given that piece of
advice out.”

OceanofPDF.com
15. SUTTON
I was a little annoyed that Danya figured out the riddle before I did. I was
usually good at figuring out riddles like that, but I didn’t think it was a
riddle. I thought it was someone trying to get in our heads.
Times Square was hell. Although on every other occasion, it was
incredible. Tourists flooded in to take their pictures with the people who
walked around in their cartoon costumes. Street performers and food
vendors. It was also good for having a portable wireless network on hand
too, the number of people who connected to free Wi-Fi was incredible.
They laid all their data out there for my consumption. I hadn’t had a real
feast like that in over a month. Collecting the data from their fancy hotels
and managing to transfer over all the reward points to me. That was one
perk.
We didn’t have time to do my free wireless network con. We had
bigger issues to deal with, like finding people dressed in cat and mouse
costumes. Strangely enough, today seemed to be a convention. A meeting of
the minds. Everyone seemed to be dressed in a cartoon cat or mouse
costume, or perhaps wearing a mask.
Wearing hoodies, we obscured our faces from all the nearby
cameras.
“We might have to split,” Danya said. “Someone is handing out
masks. I’ll go look around.”
“It’s not them,” I told him. “When you want to disrupt something, or
send a signal, you hire someone through a third party to do shit like that.
They’re not gonna know.”
People passed us by as we stood still. Their pissed off faces, glaring
at us like we were tourists, taking up space.
“Fine,” Danya said. “But where will we find them?”
“On the line,” I grumbled, recalling the text from memory. “Check
for a line on the ground. Someone pacing in a line. Maybe it’s in front of
the steps.” I nodded to the famous red steps tourists sat on to get their
pictures. “There’s that discolored brick in front of them. Maybe there.”
It was within view, but it was also incredibly crowded. It was the
middle of the afternoon. Of course, it wouldn’t be easy to find out who
those texts had been talking about.
 “You check there, and I’ll check in the opposite direction,” he said.
“We have a better chance if we split.”
“Agree,” I told him.
“Keep your head down, and don’t make a move if you find
someone. Call me when you do.”
I nodded. “And don’t shoot them.”
“Shoot,” he scoffed. “I didn’t bring my gun.”
Looking at the front of his sweatpants. “Oops, my bad. It looks like
you’re packing heat.” I smirked.
“Stop flirting, dirty boy.”
It was a distraction, and I couldn’t help myself. I’d only had one
coffee before we left, focus wouldn’t come easy until I was on my third.
Parting ways, I headed to the red staircase. The flash of cameras and
people shouting over each other was a little overwhelming. I made my way
through the crowds until I was in front of the stairs and people shouted at
me to move. There were too many people here. Whoever had sent that text
clearly didn’t want us to succeed.
Then through the crowd. A figure in an orange tabby cat outside
stood facing me. It was unnerving to see the large eyes on the head glare at
me. I knew that wasn’t where they were looking through, but they were
looking at me.
Grabbing my phone to text Danya, when I looked up, the figure was
gone.
Through the crowd, I searched for the bright orange fur, seemingly
blending in with the flashes from cameras coming from all sides of me.
I spotted it.
Heading away from Times Square down West 45th Street. With my
phone in hand, I typed a message to Danya telling him to look out for
someone in a giant orange tabby cat outfit and that I was headed to follow
one.
It wouldn’t send.
Hit back with error messages.
My phone had no signal. Not a single bar.
Chasing after the costumed figure, I got caught by the change in
traffic lights. They weren’t walking particularly fast. In fact, they paused to
look at themselves in a window of a coffee shop. Then, as the lights
changed, they picked up the pace.
 I got half a block away before they turned into a small alley with a
dead end.
“Hey,” I called out to them as they waddled closer to the trash cans.
“Hey!”
The costumed figure took a sharp turn, swinging an orange
backpack around on its arm. I walked closer to it. Standing still.
“Why did you run from me?” I asked. “Do you know me?”
It took a single step closer.
“Hello?” I glanced at my phone again. The text message to Danya
still hadn’t gone through. “What do you want?” I asked. “Do you know
something? Do you have anything you want to say?”
Another step closer.
At this point, it would take us all afternoon to take enough steps to
be close. “Fine, I’ll come to you,” I said. “Are you the one I’m supposed to
meet? You know, it would’ve been easier if you didn’t text in riddles.”
I didn’t know what to think or who to trust. People didn’t lead other
people into alleys with dead ends if they weren’t doing something
suspicious. It was also possible that whoever was behind that costume was
also like everyone else; paid to be a distraction.
“Is it in that bag?” I asked. My heart pounding in my throat as I
closed in on them.
The bag dropped to the arm of the costume and into their hand.
“You know how to speak, right?” I asked. “Nobody is stopping you
from saying anything to me right now, are they?” I looked around. There
were doors on either side of the wall at the alley from the businesses at both
sides. As I turned with my back, I heavy thud whacked the side of my head.
I dropped like a heavy sack.
Heavy panting in my ear. “Goodbye, Sutton,” the voice let out.
My body was dragged from behind. The blur of my vision made it
impossible to see, mixed in with the searing pain of a headache, and I didn’t
even want to open my eyes. “Who are you?” I let out through a raspy groan.
A buzz in the palm of my hand vibrated as my body was dragged
further back into the alley.
“Tell me,” I whispered, feeling consciousness slip. “I was told to
find you.”
“You weren’t told to come alone,” it answered. “Now hush.”
 My head dropped against the cobbles of the alley, making it harder
for me to keep my eyes open.
A thwip noise passed me, it was followed by a splintering thud.
“Agh, fuck!” the costumed person screamed.
“Sutton!” Danya shouted.
Fuck. He’d shot someone.
I tried raising my head.
The blur of orange stepped ahead of me and fled through an open
metal door at the side wall.
He dropped to my side, placing my head on his knee. “What
happened? I got your text.” He gave my cheeks a couple gentle slaps.
“Did you shoot him?”
“No. I heard the shot. Like a rifle. Whoever it was, they were
watching you.”
“Let go.” I turned my head. “Get the bag.” They’d left it behind.
Behind the haze of my vision, I didn’t know what was going on, all I knew
was that someone had whacked me over the head, and then there was a
gunshot, and they ran off. “Are you sure you didn’t shoot?”
Danya blew his minty breath on my face, stroking at my cheek. “No,
I didn’t even bring my gun. You told me not to. I didn’t want you getting
your panties in a twist, so I left it.”
“Go get the bag then,” I said, screwing my eyes shut. “It was
heavy.” It had to have had something in there to make my head feel like it
was nearly removed off my shoulders.
In the space Danya had been in, I saw the roof of the building across
the road. There was movement. Although there was a film of tiny stars
falling in front of my vision. It couldn’t be trusted.
“There’s some type of machine in here,” he said.
“A blocker,” I grumbled. That was why the text didn’t send until
after he’d hit me. “Right. What else?” I tried focusing all I could on the roof
of the building, but there was nothing else happening.
“There’s a sandwich, and that’s it,” he said. “We can’t stay here.
Let’s get a cab back and we can look at this machine.”
He clearly hadn’t heard me, for whatever reason.
Danya’s strength was good for something other than intimidating
people. He wrapped an arm under me, carried me out of the alley and hailed
a cab. I knew I shouldn’t let my eyes close for long periods of time, I didn’t
know if I had a concussion.
In the cab, he kept talking to me, making sure I was responsive.
It wasn’t until we were back at the apartment when the flash of
something happening right after being hit around the head came. Holding
myself steady against the wall of the hallway into the apartment, the flashes
grew intense.
“Sit,” Danya said.
“Where? You tore the cushions on the sofa.”
“Jeez, sit on the floor then,” he said. “I can’t keep you propped up
all day. I have a flashlight. I’ll see if you’re concussed.”
I waited in the hallways, pressing a hand against my chest as it
tightened. My brain zapped, making connections; like dominoes, they fell,
some of them into place, but others missing the mark completely. “He said
my name,” I said. “He—he—he said Sutton.”
“Huh?” he called out from the kitchen.
“The person in the costume, they knew who I was,” I told him,
stumbling forward on my feet like they were anchored on the spot with
cinderblocks. On my knees, I surrendered my body to the floor, rolling over
on the spot and looking at the ceiling.
“I told you to sit,” he grumbled, coming back to me with a small
flashlight. “Ok. I think if the black part of your eyes doesn’t grow, you’re
concussed, but if it does, then you’re fine, right?”
“He said my name,” I told him. “He knew who I was.”
Danya kneeled above my head, tapping me in a grip with both of his
knees. “I’m not a doctor.” He shone the bright light into my eyes. I flinched,
trying to bat the flashlight away. “The black parts got smaller. I don’t think
you have concussion. Maybe a headache. I’ll get you an Advil.”
“Are you listening to me?”
“Yes, but first, I need to make sure you’re ok,” he said. “You were
hit over the head. And no offence, but it’s your head that will probably save
us.”
“I know I’m good at head,” I snickered, “but I don’t see how it
could save me, unless I start charging for it, and I’d probably get lockjaw by
the fourth guy.”
He shone the light in my eyes again. “I’ll get you a muzzle too,
you’re not going around sucking dick,” he said. “Not unless it’s mine.”
 My jaw would’ve locked with his dick alone. “I feel like you’re
punishing me,” I let out in a grumbling whine. “Can you stop squishing my
head with your thighs please?”
“At least your personality hasn’t changed.” He scooted away from
my head. “So, he knew your name. Do you think he really knew you? Or
was he hired like those other guys handing out masks?”
It was impossible to tell. Staring at the ceiling, it was like staring at
the clouds, the little markings were beginning to form pictures before my
eyes. “I don’t know,” I said. “I thought you were getting me an Advil and
some coffee?” I tried pushing my head back to see him. “And can you get
me something comfy to sit on.” I wouldn’t sit on the springy mess he’d left
from those sofa cushions.

OceanofPDF.com
16. DANYA
I was supposed to be making sure Sutton wasn’t hurt, and then he goes and
gets himself between a heavy machine in a bag and an alley. That could’ve
ended much worse than it had. I hoped that whoever had been on the
sending side of those texts didn’t know. Sutton was the key to solving all of
this. He was quite literally holding my balls and by extension my life in his
hands. And sure, sometimes I enjoyed my balls being played with, but not if
that playtime had also involved a serrated knife brushed right against the
skin.
Sutton laid on a series of cushions and pillows on the living room
floor. His head propped against a sofa. He had an ice pack on his head and
his laptop on his knees.
“So, what do you know about this machine?” I asked, looking it
over on the coffee table. It was a black box with buttons and small inserts
for wires.
“Don’t touch it,” he said, pushing the ice pack on his head. “When I
was whacked with it, something turned it off. I’m not sure if that was a
button, or if it was something inside.”
“Do you think it tracks?”
“There’s no indication it’s even on right now,” he said. “So don’t
touch it, otherwise it might turn on and then it could have a large power
outage radius. I don’t know. But I am gonna find out.”
“Can I have the sandwich then?” I asked.
“Sure, unless it’s poison,” he said.
“Why would it be poison? I know the deli that makes these. It has
the logo on it.”
He shot upright, the ice pack falling from his head to his chest.
“What?”
“What, what?”
“You know the deli that made the sandwich,” he said. “That’s a
lead.”
I shrugged. “It’s a popular deli. Anyway, I’ll eat the sandwich, if it’s
not poisoned first.” I rolled my eyes. How stupid to think that one of
Weisel’s Deli sandwiches was poison.
 “I don’t know CPR,” he called out after me as I was already on my
way to grab it from the fridge. I wanted it cold when I did eventually eat it.
It was a meaty sandwich. My mouth salivated as I unwrapped it.
And before taking a bite, I pulled the first piece of bread away. “Oh fuck.”
“What?”
“Is this supposed to be in here?” I pulled away a cellophane
wrapped USB drive slotted into the center of the sandwich. “I don’t
remember them coming with fun little toys.”
Sutton reached me. “Gimme that,” he said. “That’s obviously a lead.
Well, unless your deli guy has started putting little gifts inside of all his
subs.”
“My subs,” I snorted, wiggling my brow at him.
“My head is hurting, don’t give me those, I’m ready to take you to
bed, eyes,” he said, pushing the ice pack on his forehead again. “If it’s all
right with you, I wanna look at the USB. But first, I’ll need to make sure
my laptop is secure enough to take it.”
I tossed it over to him. The mayonnaise on the cellophane from the
sandwich getting all over his T-shirt. “There,” I said. “I’m eating this.
Unless there’s something else in here.”
Snarling at me, Sutton’s upper lip curling. “Do whatever you want,”
he grumbled. “But if you get sick from it, I’m not holding back your hair
while you vomit in the toilet.”
“My hair?” I asked, wiping the back of my hand over my buzzcut.
“What do you mean?”
“Ugh. Nothing,” he said, and as I turned around, he started speaking
again. “I meant to say, if you get sick from eating that sandwich, I won’t be
good at taking care of you. And I also don’t want to share a bed with
someone vomiting either.”
I gave my chest a good pound with a closed fist. “I don’t get sick,” I
told him. I took a bite from the sandwich to prove a point to him. It was
stale. Sour on my tongue. I might’ve felt a little sick.
“You’re looking a little green.”
My jaw stopped chewing and my throat closed, saliva filled my
mouth. It was rancid, like expired milk. Without being able to utter a single
word to him, I took myself to the bathroom, closed the door. I threw up
everything. It wasn’t my greatest moment, but it also wasn’t my worst, and
if the sandwich hadn’t been so warm and stale, it would’ve been nice. It
even had me craving a visit to Weisel’s Deli.
Sutton didn’t look too impressed when I came back out of the
bathroom. I was in a tank top and using a cold wet hand towel to press
against my face. He smiled at me and rolled his eyes like he was trying to
have me second guess my call of him not being concussed.
“What did you find out?” I asked, blotting my face.
“It’s encrypted,” he said. “Obviously. The encryption is hardcoded
to the device, which makes it both easier and more difficult to crack.”
“What do you mean?”
“The USB has a passcode lock on the drive.” He demonstrated,
showing the numbers on the side of the drive. “Look, you need to input the
code, which could be anything from four digits to ten, I’m guessing, but
there’s no real way of knowing until I plug it in and check.”
It wasn’t making much sense to me. When things have passcodes or
locks on them, I broke them until it let me inside. I assumed this would be
like that. “And why can’t you break the lock?”
He cocked his head a little, staring at me. “You think it’s that easy?”
He gestured for me to take the USB. “Then be my guest.”
“No, no, I’m just saying, you could break the lock, like physically.”
I shrugged it off, I hated it when I was made to feel dumb or even a little
stupid. “You could, right?”
“Wrong. USB drives like this are used mostly for one thing. Storing
crypto passkeys, this could be the solution to putting all the money back
into your account,” he said. “If we break it, we lose access to it, in fact, if
we break it, everyone loses access and whatever is on here is probably
erased.”
“Then don’t break it,” I told him. It was simple. I didn’t know why
he was talking around in tales. “Obviously, try and get in, but if it’s got
money on it, we want that more than anything else.” It was my priority; no
money meant my hands or head were on the chopping block. “Ok?”
“I know what I’m doing,” he said. “And I’m not breaking it. Trust
me. If there’s money on this, and after you’ve got your money, I’m taking
the rest of it, call it compensation for being kidnapped.”
“Kidnapped,” I scoffed. “I saved you.” At least, that’s what I’d been
told to do by that unknown number. It struck something in me, taking orders
from some unknown entity. That wasn’t what I was about, I took orders
from my father, and that was it.
“Wh—” he started.
“But we’re not getting into that right now,” I said. “I’ll follow up at
the deli. You stay there. Don’t go anywhere. Please. It feels like we’re so
close to getting somewhere. If you leave with the money on that thing, I
will have to hurt you. Understand?”
A wicked smiled formed across his mouth. “I understand,” he
snickered. “And don’t worry, I don’t feel like going outside again for a
while. I don’t want to be hit over the head.”
Dressed and smelling fresh in a clean shirt and a pair of navy slacks,
I headed to the deli. It wasn’t far from the apartment. It was local. And
potentially had a lead to who hit Sutton, and maybe who had been sending
those texts. The two didn’t line up. In one message I was being told to save
Sutton, and the next, they were trying to drag him away after almost leaving
him with a concussion.
Through the glass, I spotted the owner, and he spotted me, moving
away from the cash register. I walked right into Weisel’s Deli passing
everyone as I approached Henry Weisel at the end of the countertops by the
back of the store, he was man in his mid-sixties. Worry had permanently
etched wrinkles into his face.
“Hey,” he said. “Long time no see. What can I get started for ya?”
“I’m here to get answers,” I told him. “Earlier today, someone in an
orange cat mascot outfit hit my friend over the head. He had one of your
sandwiches on him.”
He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “I don’t know if I can
help ya,” he said. “We get all sorts of street performers coming in here.
Everyone is going rave over that new cat movie. We have a handful of them
coming into the deli every day. And I couldn’t tell you who was who.”
“This one has an orange backpack,” I continued, staring him down.
“It’ll be worth your while if you have any information.”
“Danya, you know I’d do anything I could to help, but those
mascots are a dime a dozen,” he said, shrugging at me. “Maybe if you knew
what his order was, that could jog my memory. It’s all a little hazy in here,
but I’ll be damned if I ever forgot an order.”
Without offending him, I didn’t know how to explain the order. “It
was a couple days old, it smelled bad.”
 He pounded his hand on the counter and sighed. “What a waste of a
perfectly good sub,” he said, raising his hands. “I wish I could’ve helped.”
I couldn’t tell him there was a USB on it, he probably had zero clue,
but maybe one of his workers knew. I scanned the two younger guys
standing behind him, making orders and cutting meat with the slicer.
“Can I speak to your guys?”
“My sons,” he said. “They don’t know anything. And we don’t want
any trouble.”
A loud car horn beeped outside.
I only needed to glance from the corner of my eye to see it was a
family car. A black SUV that had an engine hum so sweet it was almost a
lullaby. I knew who it was for. “You ask them for me,” I said. “I’ll be back
later to see what you find out.”
Henry nodded. “I will do, I promise.”
My older brother, Grigory was in the back of the SUV. He opened
the door, scowling, he didn’t say a word, only gestured with a nod for me to
climb in.
“What’s happened?” I asked.
Grigory grumbled, steam nearly coming out of his ear.
“Hey,” I called out to the driver. “Where are we going?”
The driver didn’t speak either. He glanced at me, I couldn’t tell if he
was Piotr or Ven.
“They’re here,” he said. He whacked a hand against my knee and
turned to face the window. Steam fogging the glass as he let out and
exhausted sigh.
I gave his hand a tap with my knuckles. “Who?”
“Who do you think, brother?”
“No, no, no.” I shook my head. It wasn’t possible. “But we were
only talking about how they weren’t coming for another two weeks. What
changed?”
Grigory with his flared nostrils turned to me, both of his hands in
fists. “Word spread that you let the money slip right through your fingers,”
he said. “They’ll wipe us off the face of the Earth because of you. Because
of your fuck up.”
“Not possible,” I said. “Nobody would’ve told them. I didn’t.
Nobody in the family did.” I glanced at the driver, locking eyes with him in
the rearview mirror. “Would you?”
 “Leave Piotr alone,” he said. “He’s driven for the family for twenty
years. Father has his suspicions about who it is.”
“Who do you think?”
“Danya, please, don’t play stupid now. You made a mistake, you’re
a liability, we need to blame someone, so think fast before we get to the
house, and before they get there too.”
My mind raced rapid and wild. Unpredictable thoughts of every face
I’d ever seen seemingly flashed before my eyes and melded into one being.
And then to Sutton. He was at the apartment. A nervous knot squeezed tight
in my stomach.
“Can we go back to my apartment first?”
Grigory let out a throaty laugh. “Someone is already going there.”
“So, you didn’t go there yet?” I asked. “So, how did you find me?”
He rolled his eyes. “Your phone, dummy. Father has them tracked.”
We were fucked. And not the pleasurable type of fucking.
This would hurt.

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17. SUTTON
Sticking the USB into a device that I stuck into my laptop offered me a little
protection. There wasn’t a lot I could do but wait for my programs to run
and try to pick the lock. Back at the Myriad HQ when I was taken in by
Maura, we would train on similar USB drives. They probably had much
nicer tech now.
It wasn’t even ten minutes after Danya had left when a flurry of
messages appeared from my phone.
—Get out.
—Now.
—Sutton. You need to go.
—This is not a drill.
—They’re coming.
And before I could respond, the messages deleted themselves.
In a panicked scramble, I pushed myself onto the sofa to look out
onto the street below. Two black SUVs pulled to a halt, their tires
screeching as they parked in place.
Sucking in a couple deep breaths, this wasn’t the first time I’d had to
deal with the idea that someone would come and grab me. In fact, it had
already happened twice this week. And one of them I’d managed to squeeze
my way into a trash chute.
I knew I had a couple of minutes. The elevator here didn’t take long.
I already lived out of my bag. I closed my laptop, bundling the USB
drive and all the tech I’d been using. There was no time to see the progress
I’d made on unlocking the USB, I had to leave.
Under the crunch of knowing the apartment was about to be
stormed, but I didn’t know who by, I kicked my feet into my sneakers and
put a jacket on over my hoodie, my bag over my shoulder, and headed out.
The stairs were an option, as was the elevator. I knew that either one
of them could’ve meant I was about to run into the people on their way to
me. I took my chance and got on the elevator. My stomach in knots.
Tugging my bag tight to my chest and squeezing my phone in my
hand, I wasn’t ready to be ambushed again. And I had nowhere to go.
My phone buzzed.
It was Danya.
 —Out. Now.
He must’ve known. I continued to ride the elevator until it reached a
lower floor. I got off. I knew they’d been waiting in the apartment lobby for
it. From the third floor of the building, I took the stairs.
A cool wind washed over my face once I was outside, almost like
the universe knew of my relief.
I’d been trained at Myriad about what to do next when someone was
on my tail. I had to go to a coffee shop, sit in the back, be quiet, tip well,
and contact for help. The only issue with that was, there was nobody I could
contact for help. In that case, I had to help myself.
There was a small coffee shop nearby that looked busy. I carried out
the first couple steps, finding a table in the back, ordering a coffee, paying
and tipping all in cash to keep anyone from pulling my card transactions.
Coffee settled my nerves. I opened my laptop and continued to
decode the USB. The spot I picked had a direct view of the door, and my
back to a wall so nobody could look at what I was doing. That, mixed with
the privacy screen I had that meant you could only see my screen if you
were looking right at it.
—You evaded them.
A text came through from the unknown number.
I didn’t know if they were trying to help or hurt me at this point.
—Find somewhere to lay low. They won’t stop looking for you until
they have what is theirs.
And suddenly, they’d stopped speaking in riddles.
—That USB isn’t what you think.
Perhaps the riddles were back.
—What do you mean? Give me a straight answer. What’s going on?
I asked.
They deleted all the messages, pushing me out and back to the home
screen of my phone.
“Fucker,” I grumbled, my eyes back on the door as the bell sounded
and a man in a suit walked in, leaning on a cane in his hand.
I tried not to make eye contact with him. He seemed out of place in
this hipster hub. Everyone here had a somewhat feral scent about them, a
mix of patchouli and a splash of something fruity, it was like LaCroix
decided to make deodorant.
 Sipping coffee to calm the nerves of seeing the man approach the
barista at the counter.
My laptop was running a program to break the keys of the USB. I
didn’t know how long it would take. These things could take hours, or days
depending on how long the passcode was, and because of how old my
software was.
“It’s ok,” I whispered to myself. “It’s all ok.” Glancing back at the
man, he was taking his to-go cup of coffee and leaving. The pulsating throb
of my heart had me by the neck.
It was times like this when I hated not having a group around me.
Doing all this alone was scary. Usually, I had people around to hype me. It
was scary when that hype disappeared, everything came crashing.
As the software continued to run code through the USB, I opened
the documents I’d downloaded from Danya’s family Wi-Fi network.
There had to be some intel in here. Their system was so easy to get
into. And from the looks of it, a lot of people had been in there already. I
almost felt bad for them. A family who garnered as much hate and respect
as them, they’d have hoped to have some better beefed-up security.
The list of suspects was long, since the list of devices that had
connected to their network and some form of banking device had also been
strong. There were several ways someone could’ve gotten their hands on all
that money. A keylogger was at the top of the list. And it had to have been
on someone Danya logged in on. Either that, or it was someone close to
Danya that knew his information.
It hurt my brain to stare at all the information trying to make heads
or tails out of it. The money had been transferred into a dummy account
under my first name, but that was the thing about dummy accounts, they
didn’t exist. I couldn’t trace where the money went to after that.
Getting to the last of my coffee, I knew I needed to make my move
somewhere else. The longer I stayed in a single spot, the easier it was for
someone to find me. If I moved around, then there was less chance of being
caught, or more chance. The math wasn’t mathing in my mind. Statistics,
probabilities, numbers, anything with a numerical value turned to mush
inside my mind’s eye.
I gestured over to the barista. A woman came toward me, stopping at
the counter, she smiled. “Can I grab a white chocolate mocha?” I asked. I
needed something sweet to help my mind make sense of everything again.
“Thank you. Oh, and if you have a bag of chips or something, any flavor.
I’m not fussy.”
It reminded me of comfort.

* * *

Five Years Ago

Maura had me training on stealth machines. It was all about running code
and script to bypass security. If you tripped any part of the code, then you’d
get this huge flashing error message in front of your face. And if you
bypassed all the security measures, then you’d get rewarded with hot
chocolate usually, or something sweet.
I worked beside Star and Lazer. Competing to be the fastest to get
through a firewall, plant a bug, and get out undetected.
A single bead of sweat formed on my brow. It was light work, but
the air conditioning was on the fritz, so it was hotter in here. And we were
also underground, which seemed to make heat stick around.
Lazer snapped his fingers. “Done.” He leaned back in his chair,
pulling my focus as he cracked his knuckles.
“Done?” Star scoffed. “How? No. I don’t believe you.”
Maura cleared her throat in the doorway. She held a stopwatch.
“Three minutes, fifteen seconds,” she said. “You’ve got to be faster than
that. You won’t have all this time in the real world. People will be coming
down hard on you. There’ll be pressure. Heat.”
I didn’t stop for even a second to wipe my brow. My fingers danced
on the keys like it was a piano recital and the audience were gearing to give
me a standing ovation. “Done,” I said.
“Star,” Maura said. “You got distracted, again.”
“Can you fix the aircon now?” I asked.
“Get it under two minutes, and we’ll see,” she said. “Close your
programs. And open another file.”
Each of us were given a different program to get through. It
would’ve been fair if we all had the same, but Maura taught us that being
fair didn’t exist in the real world. The sooner we learned that the sooner
we’d be better.

* * *
Staring at the white chocolate mocha the barista brought over to me with
the bag of sour cream chips, I knew I didn’t deserve them. I hadn’t done
anything to deserve them. I hadn’t found a lead, this information was full of
leads, and only some of them might’ve taken me somewhere.
People didn’t understand how much their internet network stored
their data, not like anyone was rifling through it anytime soon. I got names
from the devices they used and checked to those against the information on
people who’d visited First Trust Bank, where the family had stored all that
money. Unfortunately, it seemed like everyone in that house visited that
site.
Criminal organizations and operations needed somewhere to put
their cleaned money, something to funnel their legitimate operations
through. I found strings of data showing a payroll of sorts, large sums of
money being transferred from accounts. It was always around the same
time.
The same time stamped on the transaction details.
11:23 A.M.
Every Tuesday money was sent around in what looked like a game
of pass the parcel.
When I thought I’d found a lead. A popup appeared as a notification.
The USB passcode had been cracked.
Looking around myself to make sure nobody else saw, I let out a
sigh and finally took a drink of the white chocolate mocha. It seemed well
deserved now.
On the screen, it was an eight-digit code.
19982905.
A hand grabbed my shoulder.
I turned.
And as I turned back, there was an error message.
‘The device has either stopped responding or has been
disconnected’.
It was gone.

OceanofPDF.com
18. DANYA
Sutton hadn’t tried to contact me, which either meant he’d been taken by
them, or he escaped and was laying low. Probably feeling smug that he’d
managed to escape. But these men were trained in capture, they wouldn’t let
him slip away as easily as he’d slipped away from me that first time.
I knew it was only a matter of time before the Sokolov family came
to New York. The head of the Sokolov family had been found dead this
morning, which is why I’d been pulled into a meeting by my uncle at the
ass crack of dawn.
My mother had a bottle of strong Russian vodka waiting on the
dining room table. She poured a shot for both my brother and me. “They’re
upstairs,” she said. “You’re gonna need this.”
“He’ll need both,” Grigory said. “He’s the one going down.”
Mother marched over and gave him a backhanded slap across the
face. “We’re family,” she said. “You do not wish that type of thing on
family. Your brother might have done something foolish or even stupid, but
we do not wish death on each other. We’re not animals. This is not the
wilderness. We do not have to sacrifice to survive the winter.”
Grigory held firm, holding the side of his face he’d been slapped on.
I took my vodka shot and passed the other to him. He would need it
after that whack. “To getting through this,” I said.
He rolled his eyes, taking the shot and then pouring himself another.
“We’re still waiting on one more.”
“Your fiancé,” my mother said. “I got a call. I don’t think he was at
the apartment.”
Relieved, oddly, by the news. “I don’t know where he’d be.”
“Call him,” Grigory said. “Get him to come here. Surely, you have
sway over him. Unless he’s the one who gives the orders.” He snorted
before taking another shot.
I took my shot, slamming it on the table for another. Of course,
they’d need me to call him in. But that meant the rouse was up. They
must’ve known he was Sutton. “Sure,” I said. Fumbling with my phone in
hand. I changed his contact in my phone.
“Call him.”
I went to a deadline. Thankfully. “Disconnected line.”
 “Well, my theory is winning out then,” he snickered, pouring me
another shot. “I guess we’re not waiting.”
Maybe I was shortsighted in that move. Fuck.
In a room on the upper floor of the house, my father, my uncle, and
my sister’s husband were sat with their backs to the wall. Two people, a
man and a woman, in grand fur coats stood with their backs to me and
Grigory as we arrived.
“You took your time,” my father snapped.
The man turned, a big smile on his face. He was over six foot, but a
touch shorter than me. “I’m Mikhail,” he said, his hand leaving the hold it
had of the fur on his shoulder, pushed out to shake my hand. “I’m assuming
you’re the one who lost my family all their money. Huh?”
Firming my brow and clearing my throat, I nodded. “I’m getting it
back.” I shook his hand.
“Nice to formally meet you,” he said, his grip becoming tense on
my hand. “It’s not every day we get to meet someone who screwed us
over.” He snarled.
“I’m Anastasia,” the woman said.
“Your wife?” I asked.
“Sister,” he grumbled, squeezing my hand. It didn’t bother me. My
hand had training with all the ropes I’d wrapped and wrangled. “And we’re
here to get to the bottom of our stolen money. Since our father is dead, and
may he rest at the bottom of an ice lake, we have taken over all the Sokolov
interests.”
“We want the money back, with interest,” she said. “You’ve been
washing money for our family here in America for over ten years now. Your
deal with our father is dead, like he is right now. Dead.” She giggled.
Glancing at my father as he placed his head in his hands. It felt like I
was the one who’d royally screwed up, even though I was being framed.
“You said on the phone that you’d honor your father’s deal,” Arkady
added. “Do you wish to go back on that deal?”
Mikhail turned to the men at the wall, his fur cape whipping the air
as he moved swiftly. “You operated in bad faith first,” he said. “By allowing
our money to be stolen, you’ve shown us that you cannot be trusted.”
“So, we’re moving to America,” Anastacia said. “And we’re cutting
out the middleman. That’s what you say, right? Middleman.” She continued
to giggle. “In fact, I’m looking for a husband to seal the deal.” She glanced
over at both me and Grigory.
“I’m engaged,” I proclaimed. “And I’m gay.”
“I didn’t ask for children,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes. “And as
it turns out, you’re the only one in this family born on American soil.”
Everyone stared in my direction, almost expecting me to do or say
something else.
“I’m not marrying you,” I said.
“As it appears, you don’t have a choice,” Mikhail said. “In fact, I
think you should be grateful. My sister’s hand in marriage would stop us
from killing you.”
“He’ll do it,” my father said.
It was rare to see the side of my father that looked almost scared. I
wondered if he was stuck in a stone-like state after so long of not
expressing a real emotion. I didn’t anticipate anyone in my corner. If
anything, this was what they might’ve considered something I deserved.
Evelina walked into the room.
“Baby, this is no place for a woman,” my father said.
Anastasia snapped her fingers at him. “I’m here,” she said. “Your
daughter can be here if she wishes. She’s family.”
Evelina chuckled. “I overhead that. I was coming to say that Danya
isn’t even engaged. The boy he brought to the house earlier. That was
Sutton. The name on the account where your money was moved to.”
“Shut up.”
“Son.”
“Danya, jeez,” Arkady let out. “I knew it. I told you it would’ve
been someone you had been fucking.”
“It’s not him,” I told them. “Whatever it is, or whoever, they’re
framing him, and me. They want to see us both attacked. I promise.”
Mikhail mocked me. “I promise.” His sister joined in.
“Listen, I’m being serious, someone, maybe the Winch family, they
want to see us crumble, whacked from the knees up,” I said. “Remember
how they sent over someone for you to take care of. They planted him in
your lap. They’re not friends of the family.”
“Winch,” Mikhail said, he paced, whipping his fur coat from side-
to-side. “That name.” He smacked his tongue, almost tasting it. “Ah.
Winch. We got a call from someone. They told us you’d lost our money and
were scrambling to find it.”
My father grumbled. “That’s not information we want getting out.”
“It looks like we arrived in time,” Anastasia said. “And I’m thinking
we’ll need to do some redecorating too. And of course, we’ll have to get
some of the decorators from Russia, you know, the ones with taste.”
“Marry Grigory,” I said. “That way you have some chance at
combining the families.”
“Combining,” she laughed.
“No,” Mikhail said. “We’re not combining. We’re taking over. Just
like we did with father. That man was on his last legs.”
“We gave him the push to ending it all.”
My father let out a cough. “You killed Ivan?”
The brother and sister laughed.
“Well, he wouldn’t kill himself,” she said. “And once we’re married,
you can consider the money you had stolen from us no longer an issue.”
I looked for someone to have my corner. Someone to tell these
psycho siblings that I wasn’t being married off. I didn’t care how much of
their money was stolen and my name used as their bait. “Grigory has
American citizenship,” I said. “If that’s the whole reason you want to marry
me, to give you some legitimacy, then marry him, you’ll get your Green
Card.”
“Listen,” she said, swishing her fur coat in her approach to me. “If
this was about me marrying some American, I would’ve done it.” She
placed a finger under my chin. “But since this goes much deeper,
connecting our families by the root, I’ll marry you.” She smacked her
cherry red lips. “You’re the scapegoat. I can feel it from you. The way the
money was taken under your name, and the way they all look to pass the
blame to you. I know, I know, that unfortunate habit you have probably
makes them do that.”
“Unfortunate habit?” I repeated, my lips barely moving.
“You like men,” she said. “It’s ok. I like men too. In fact, in Russia,
I have a man for every single day of the week. How about, when we get
married, you can have a man for every day of the week as well.”
I glanced at my father, uncle, and brother-in-law as they remained
with their backs to the wall. I wondered what was going on in everyone’s
minds. “I don’t get what either of us is getting from this.”
 She placed a finger on my mouth.
“Take the deal,” Evelina said, strutting forward on the clack of her
heels. “If you don’t take the deal. They’ll kill all of us.”
Anastasia giggled. “She’s right. Our men, and even your men will
turn on you. They’re loyal to those with the deepest pockets.”
“And our pockets are freshly deep,” Mikhail added. “The money
you lost was a drop in the ocean. But we know better than to let any of your
rats think it’s ok to get away with that.”
Arkady cussed them out in Russian. I didn’t understand the last part
of it as his Russian grew thicker after insulting his mother and insinuating,
she was a farm animal.
Mikhail laughed, stomping forward to my uncle. He pulled out a
knife and held it to his face. “I’ve heard tales of you. You’re a great
bookkeeper, you’re the one we might let live. You know where all the
money is hiding in this house.” He pulled the blade away and danced
around in a circle, staring at the ceiling with a smile. “So, I hope you’re all
ready to welcome me in as your new boss. And we’ll start it with the
wedding. Ana, go put on the gown.”
“This is no day to get married,” I said. “We don’t have guests, or a
cake, or even a marriage license.”
He waved a hand at me. “That is not important. What is important,
is that we have a wedding hunt.”
My father and uncle seemed to know what he’d meant by this. I
stared at them. Hoping for some information. They seemed to have grown
quiet.
“Sister-in-law,” Anastacia said, grabbing my sister’s arm. “Would
you help me into my gown?” she asked. “It has a lot of buttons and there’s
an entire lace bodice that needs tying.”
“I can’t do it,” I said, once more, my protest falling short of them
taking me seriously. “This isn’t right. You can’t expect me to go along with
this. You—you—you can’t seriously think this will work.”
Anastacia left, laughing with my sister. Her voice still going off in a
high-pinched excitement, talking about all the things she was excited for
about bringing our families together.
Of course, nobody would bat for me. Not a single person was
sticking their neck out and telling them I wasn’t a bargaining chip.
 “Unfortunate for you,” Mikhail said. “This was already decided on
the flight over here. You’re the one who was responsible, so you must
marry my sister. If your sister wasn’t already married to that over there, I
might’ve changed my mind.”
Lev glared. He knew that any sudden move or attack against
Mikhail would have a hail of bullets from his armed guards coming down
on him.
“Your mother is pressing a suit for you,” my father said.
“She knew?” I asked.
“She knew,” he answered, looking away.
Mikhail gestured wildly like some type of circus performer with his
knife precariously in the tips of his fingers. “Your mother sold us the idea.
We were coming here to kill you and take over, but there wouldn’t be any
foundation if we did that. Instead, we come here, take over, but nobody has
to die, except for the one who stole, you know, the one you’ve been
protecting.”
Grigory let out a grumble. “Have you found him?”
“Sutton.” His name rolled off my tongue. “He has nothing to do
with this. This is all a huge set up. He didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. He’s a kid.”
“A kid who hacks,” Mikhail snorted. “We will start with his fingers.
Make it slow. One finger, and then wait, another finger, then wait. Make
sure the pain lasts.”
My jaw clenched, almost aching my face.
“They’re gonna make you do it,” Arkady announced. “I told you.
You weren’t careful.” He sucked back on his teeth before spitting on the
wood panel floor. “Sloppy. It’s what you deserve.”
I nodded. There was no escaping this. My only hope was that Sutton
had cracked the code on the drive and taken the money somewhere far.

OceanofPDF.com
19. SUTTON
I threw a bunch of crumpled dollar bills on the table before throwing my
laptop and gear back into my bag, including the unopened bag of chips.
The theft had happened seconds ago. And whoever it was had left
through back.
Chasing every instinct in my gut, I went through the small
kitchenette in the back, seeing the exit door swing open. I raced to it and out
onto the alley.
There were two exits, but no movement at either side.
Whoever had stolen from me was a professional. Either that, or they
were good at hiding.
Seconds away from crumbling to my knees and sobbing, I heard a
bottle clink and roll out from under a dumpster.
“Hey,” I called out, trying my best to deepen my voice. “Hey.”
Movement caught my eye. I turned on a foot.
It was a shadow.
I looked around, not wanting to move from my spot in the middle of
the alley in case they were still here. My eyes scaled the walls. There was
no way they were able to climb either wall, not unless they were some
fictional web-slinging superhero.
Another glass bottle rolled out, and a mumble cussed out.
Without another word, I slowly stepped toward the dumpster.
There was a gap behind it, but not big enough for a person to fit.
“Hello,” I whispered, pushing it. The wheeled of the can buckled as
it moved forward. And in the space it left, there was a cat, its tail pushing
against the glass milk bottles it had as a wall. “Oh. Hello.” The cat hissed. I
backed away. “Well fuck you too then.”
A deep hum of laughter came from behind. “What are you doing?”
I knew that voice anywhere. “Lazer,” I said, without even turning to
see his smug face. “I guessed it was you.”
“This?” he asked.
I sucked in and turned to him. “Listen,” I said. “I need that. I’m
trying my hardest not to get killed. And if I don’t get to see what’s on that
drive, then I’m pretty much dead.”
 “Maura asked me, specifically to come and get this from you,” he
said. “I don’t know what’s on it. But it must be important if she’s asking for
it.”
I gave him a once over, wondering why he hadn’t already left to go
give it to her. “Do you know what’s on it?”
“No,” he said.
“It’s the keys to a crypto wallet,” I told him. “And I’ve got the
passcode for it. How about, you give it back to me, I’ll unload the wallet,
split the profit, and you can give her that drive?”
“No deal. Maura has done so much for me,” he said. “I won’t spit in
her face like you did.”
My jaw clenched, trying not to get dragged into another repressed
memory. “What else did she ask you to do?”
“She mentioned how you’ve been trying to get into the back doors
of some of Santi’s security logs,” he said. “And you know he’s got a special
job; you can’t be going through his shit like he’s still hacking
underground.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. “Everything
we’ve ever been told by that woman was bullshit. She was using us, and she
still is. Look at you. You’re doing her bidding for a thumb drive. I’m not
doing anything to hurt anyone. And I—I—I only went digging into Santi’s
shit because someone is setting me up for something I didn’t do.”
My friendship with Lazer had spanned years, but in that moment, it
seemed like neither of us knew who the other was anymore. I wasn’t the
same Sutton, I’d grown to think for myself, and forced to be my own moral
compass. Lazer continued to rely on Maura to tell him what to do, and what
was right and wrong.
“You know, when you left, Maura created stricter rules,” he said.
I figured as much. Getting back into that place seemed like going
through several rings of Hell. “I asked you to leave with me, if it was me,
you and Star, we could’ve done our own thing. You were both too
chickenshit to do anything.”
Lazer spat on the ground. “Maura took us all in when nobody else
would. But you know she treated you differently. You know that for the rest
of us we had to do everything so much better, so much cleaner for an ounce
of recognition. In fact, when she was asking for people to come and do this,
I fucking jumped at the chance to finally take something from you.”
 I thew my hands up. “What the fuck have I ever taken away from
you?”
Visibly upset, I couldn’t blame him for the reaction either. “You
stole any chance we ever had at getting free,” he said, rolling his sleeve. He
revealed a small metal bracelet with an almost glowing red light. “These
were introduced the day after you left. She—she—she told us they were
monitoring our vitals. Now, they won’t come off.”
“No.” I refused to believe that. “Why would she?”
“You don’t know anything,” he said, spitting once more, hitting my
shoe. “The work we did. The work we were doing. She’s been selling us
off. And there’s not a thing we can do.” He tugged at the bracelet gently.
“These things can’t be hacked.”
Information overload. “I—I—”
“So, no, I’m not giving you this back. I’m doing my job, and I’m
taking this. Then I’ll have a grace period of being in her good books where
she stops threatening to sell me off. Three. Three people have been sold this
month. Nobody knows where. Or who to. But it’s all your fault.”
“Why wasn’t I told when I was taken in?” I asked. Squinting in
thought to try and recall seeing more of those wristbands.
“Not worth our lives,” he said, holding the thumb drive in the air. “I
bet she’s watching my vitals right now, seeing my heartrate rise, probably
even tracking where I am. You’re so fucking lucky.”
I wasn’t letting him make me feel bad. “No,” I told him. “I’m out. If
this is all some ploy to get me to come back again, forget it.” I had to be
smart. There were people after me. And I knew better than anyone how
connected Maura was, alongside her greed. I knew there was bound to be a
bounty on my head, and she would come and collect it at the first sight of
me.
“Take the drive,” I told him. “You’re signing my death warrant. I
need that money.”
“If I don’t, mine is as good as signed,” he said. “And don’t think I’ll
put your life before mine.”
That was true, although I’d half-hoped I wouldn’t have to feel
sympathy for him, but that he would feel sympathy for me instead. It was
toxic, but I also had never been in a situation where I was about to be killed
either.
Between us, the backdoor from the cafe swung open.
 Two well-dressed men in suits appeared.
“Fuck.” I looked passed them at Lazer.
“Are they with you?” he asked.
“Sutton?” they asked, in thick Russian accents, glancing from me to
Lazer.
Lazer immediately pointed at me. “That’s him,” he said.
Pulling their black leather gloves tight between their fingers, they
looked ready to deal damaged.
“We’ll take both of you,” the bald, taller man grumbled.
Frozen between wanting to run away and wanting to rush Lazer and
grab the USB, I stood completely still until it was too late.
The softness of a cloth hit my face. I breathed in and as I breathed
out, my eyes rolled back and the world around me spun into a black
oblivion. The loud screech of tires came and went. A hum. A vibration. And
nothing more.
As my eyes struggled to open, I felt a tightness in my chest. I was
slumped on my side in the back of a car. There wasn’t anything I could do.
But I knew I was in trouble.
Russian accented voices chattered around me, pulling me from the
numb emptiness of my blacked-out state. I didn’t know where I was, or
what was going on around me, nothing would snap together, or make any
sense. It hurt to think.
It reminded me of the tea that Maura had given me. It knocked me
right out.
Flashes of memory came to the front of my mind.
The men were Russian.
This had to have been who I was running from earlier. It made no
sense otherwise. Although little was making sense currently. I didn’t know
which way was up, or how to formulate a thought in my mind when all that
was there had been flashes of images, sharp, and piercing like hot pokers to
the back of my head.
“He’s waking,” I heard clearly before the numb came and took over
again.
I didn’t wake again until a sharp nipping came at my wrists and my
entire body was upright against something hard. My head unable to stay
still on my head, rolling around, forward, and as I pushed back, it whacked
against the hard surface.
 “Sutton,” my name was muffled in my ear. “Sutton. Wake up.”
“Iba—Ima—I’m—” the back of my head thumped against the
surface, knocking some lucidity in me. “I—”
“Wake up.”
The smell hit me first. Chemicals burned in the tip of my nose. I
coughed phlegm in my throat. It dribbled out the side of my mouth.
“Lazer,” I grumbled, seeing him in the corner of my one squinting eye.
“You’ve got some explaining to do,” he said. “I wanna know what
the fuck is going on.”
Trying to move my hands, they were numb and aching behind my
back. “What’s—what’s—”
“Come on,” he shouted. “Where are we?”
The vision behind my eyes continued to blur as I picked my head up
and looked ahead. It looked like some type of cellar. Grungy dull yellow
walls and stained tiles with a drain in the center. This wasn’t just a
basement. This was a room people saw before they died.
“Fuck,” I grumbled, hacking more phlegm from my throat.
The sound of a door creaking open shattered through me like nails
on a chalkboard. I grit my teeth. My jaw clenching in pain.
Lazer was questioning everything around him. He was much more
lucid than me. I couldn’t blame him for anything that was happening. I
knew who these guys were, or at least whose family they worked for. It had
been a matter of time before they caught me, and since they came through
the cafe, they would’ve spotted me eventually.
“Relax,” I grumbled to him, trying to keep my head on my
shoulders. I looked to him, panicked. “They’re not gonna do anything to
you. This is all for me.”
“My bracelet,” he said.
“If I can—I—if I can—”
“What?”
The Russian voices grew louder followed by the stomp of footsteps.
“I need to activate the emergency setting,” he whispered.
“Then do it.”
“My hands are tied.”
Right. That pain from my wrists was coming from some tight cuffs.
“Oh, what do we have here?” a voice boomed before I saw who it
belonged to. Covered in a fur coat, swishing from side-to-side, I hadn’t seen
him before. “Two of them. Two. Ivan. I didn’t ask for two. I asked for the
one. The one who stole from me.”
“That’s him,” Lazer blurted, once more throwing me under the bus.
I pushed my head back against the surface, looking at the man. My
eyelids were heavy, trying to figure out how to get out of this one. And that
was growing difficult since my biggest asset, my brain, was currently
compromised.
“Huh,” the man grumbled, dipping to a squat, the fur coat around his
shoulders floating with him. “You, small, boy.” He pushed his thumb under
my chin. “I guess you’re the one that Danya is fucking huh?”
“Off me,” I grumbled, but there was nowhere for me to push myself
away to. “I never took your money.”
“That might fly with my comrades upstairs in the house, but in the
pit, yes,” he hummed to himself, smiling. “I like to think of this as a pit.
Because it is a pit, of despair, or no hope.” He let out a single solitary laugh.
“It’s so unfortunate that you will probably die here.”
The door seemingly above slammed shut. “No,” Danya’s voice, he
was coming to my rescue. “I’m doing what you asked. You have to leave
him alone.”
The man stood and turned. The two men who’d captured us were
standing in front of him. “That was not a promise, or even an agreement I
made. You’re marrying my sister, Danya, you must know the sacrifice
you’re making. A wedding gift. Relax,” he snorted. “I’ll let you keep the
head in a box.”
Lazer immediately burst into tears.
I froze. Nothing made sense. My brain didn’t want any of it to make
sense.
“Sutton didn’t take your money, and he’s not being let free,” Danya
said. I still couldn’t see him.
For a moment, I wondered if he would show his face.
And then he did.
Dressed in a suit, looking sharp. He was about to get married off to
pay this debt.
If I’d eaten much at all today, it would’ve been making an
appearance on the ground. But I was surprisingly holding up well. Not like
Lazer, who hadn’t stopped his whimpering since I was threatened with
death. Not him. He would probably get a slap on the wrist.
 “I’ll make you a deal,” the man said.
Danya glanced at me then looked away, almost disappointed. “The
deal that Sutton and—his friend goes free. And I marry your sister. Debt
wiped. Ok?”
He reached out and shook Danya’s hand.
Weirdly. My entire world was crushed.

OceanofPDF.com
20. DANYA
Oh. Fuck. This boy would be the death of me.
I figured he would’ve made his escape. I hoped this would’ve been
his big escape, but it turns out, he was right where he was always supposed
to be. I stared at his weak body propped against the stone wall.
“The deal is done,” I told Mikhail. “I told you. If I marry your sister,
the debt is gone, and without the debt, you have no reason to bring Sutton in
here. And—” I glanced to the other guy beside him. He was sobbing. “I
don’t know who that one is.”
“We picked them up together,” one of the Russian bodyguards
Mikhail had following him around said. “He had this on him.” With his
black leather gloved hand, he pulled out the thumb drive Sutton had been
working on unlocking.
I snatched the drive from him. “I’ll take it. Now, let them go. You
have no reason to keep either of them here.”
For a moment, it was a staring competition between me and
Mikhail. He broke and let out a chuckle. “Ah, ok, you’re right,” he said,
holding out his hand for me to shake. “A deal was a deal. You marry my
sister, and your boy toy goes free.”
“He’s not my boy toy,” I said, sneering at Mikhail.
Sutton stared at me, his eyes still going around and around in the
back of his head. “I’m not his boy toy.”
“Ahhhh,” Mikhail whipped his fur around once more, a flair for his
own theatrics. “If you say so. I heard from your sister that the two of you
were engaged.”
“Engaged,” Sutton’s friend spat. “What?”
“No, I’m—” Sutton’s wide eyes glared at me, blinking wildly at me.
“I’m single. I was helping Danya try to find the money. I didn’t take it.
Someone else took it. But we were searching together.”
“Fret no more,” Mikhail laughed, stomping his feet. The splash of
his feet against the small puddle on the stone. “The debt it gone.”
It was beginning to feel and look strange that Mikhail continued to
mention how the debt was gone. How easy it was for him to dismiss that
someone had stolen millions of dollars. My suspicions were there, but I
wasn’t about to accuse him of doing that.
 “So,” I said, clearing my throat. “Take off those zip ties from their
hands. Let them go. They won’t say anything to anyone.”
Sutton stared, almost like he wasn’t completely convinced by what I
was saying. “I won’t,” he said, unconvincingly. “In fact, I’ll leave the state.
You won’t ever have to see me ever again.”
“And your friend?” Mikhail asked. He dipped to a squat in front of
Sutton. “What about him? He doesn’t look like he’s ever been pushed
around before. But you—” Mikhail sucked on his teeth. “You look like
someone who could take a little push and shove.” He glanced to me. “From
what I can see, Danya is definitely the push and shove type.”
I didn’t know what he was trying to illicit from me. There was a lot
going on. I was trying to figure out how best to get out of this wedding
while also trying to save Sutton, and now, potentially getting a glimpse into
who was behind all of this.
Fingers pointed at it happening from inside the family, well, Mikhail
had admitted to killing his own father. There was nothing to stop him from
coming down on mine and cannibalizing us for his own gain too. What
better way of him infiltrating us than through forcing our hand like this?
I didn’t know if I could tell anyone what I was thinking. I couldn’t
tell anyone in the family. They were all snakes. And snakes ate their young,
at least I assumed they did with the way this family had already started to
eat each other or throwing us to the wolves of the Sokolov family.
“I’m not letting them go yet,” Mikhail said. “They’ll need to wait
around until the ceremony is done, and then they can leave, and not a
moment sooner. I don’t want to—how you say—have egg on my face.” He
snorted back.
“Then at least let them come and be witnesses to the marriage,” I
said, doing everything I could to get Sutton out of this death pit. It was true
what was said about it. If there was ever a time that you were brought into
this place, then you were surely bound to find death here. It was rare for
people to make it here, and then come out of this place as quick.
Mikhail looked like he was contemplating it. “Potentially, but I
don’t want you to become a runaway bride,” he snickered. “I don’t think it’s
a good idea to have your boy toy as a witness to your future commitment to
my sister and his wife.”
It was only earlier that we were mentioning being engaged, even if it
was a fake engagement, I didn’t like that it was push and pulling Sutton
against my intentions. Although my intentions with him weren’t so much a
commitment like that, and more of enjoying the carnal pleasures of each
other’s bodies. There was no way I’d be able to fill that future carnality
with his sister.
“So no,” Mikhail said. “Until you’re married off, these will stay
here, and I will have my guards on duty.”
“Can I—can I say one thing?” Sutton let out.
“Sure.”
I approached Sutton. He chewed on his bottom lip. “19 98 29 05.”
he whispered.
“Huh?” I got closer.
“Say it back. 19 98 29 05.”
“19 98 29 05,” I repeated.
He glanced at the USB in my hand. “The code,” he said. “Use it.”
Repeating back the eight digits to myself, I didn’t know what was
on the drive, but whatever it was, it was enough for him to tell me. For all
we knew, it was the code to the banking information. It could save me from
marriage, at the least.
As much as I didn’t want to leave Sutton alone here with the two
knuckle heads, I knew I couldn’t keep pushing on this. There was no saying
what button I was about to push that could get a result from Mikhail.
“Let’s go,” he said. “All the way back to the house. The priest
should be arriving soon. And your mother is making a Russian salad. It
better be delicious.”
“Great. Anyone else arriving?” I asked.
“All my family is here,” Mikhail said, wrapping his arm around my
shoulder. “And it’s about to grow a little bit bigger today. I hope you’re
ready to be treated like family.”
My jaw clenched. I knew how he treated family, and I didn’t like it.
“Perfect,” I said, still making eye contact with Sutton. “I look forward to
it.”
I was forced out of the room, and into the house. I continued to
repeat the sequence of numbers over and over in my head. Mikhail was
ranting on, jabbering on in my ear about all the shit he’d do with my
family’s business.
Anastasia was on the ground floor of the house with my sister
putting on the finishing touches to her wedding gown. I didn’t want to get
married, ever. Not to a man, not to a woman, not to anybody. But if I was
getting married, I at least wanted something out of it. And this was kinda
like me getting something. I was pivotal now in bridging the gap between
the families.
“Is everything ok?” Mikhail asked, finally pausing from talking
about how he would grow the business fifteen-fold with all his schemes. “I
don’t want my sister walking down the aisle to that sour face.”
“There is no aisle,” I said. And that was true. There wasn’t an aisle
as such. But what had been made was a makeshift walkway through the
longest hallway upstairs, leading into a bedroom that was being removed of
everything and dressed for all things ceremonial.
“Sort your face out,” he snipped. “I was being serious about what I
said. My sister deserves the best. And if you do not give it to her today,
you’ll be another roadblock in the way.”
I was beginning to wonder if he wanted me to fuck her. I’d already
told him that would be impossible. My cock didn’t get hard at the drop of a
hat anymore. I needed some true stimulation to get going.
“Don’t worry,” he continued. “I’m not asking you to lay with her or
anything. But you will need to kiss her. It’s important that you seal the
celebration of sorts with a single kiss, nothing crazy. If I wanted crazy, I’d
have forced her onto your brother.”
“That’s still an option,” I reminded him.
“No, no, you’re the American-born one. It’s on you. I’m sorry to tell
you that, but it is the truth of the matter.”
I chewed on my lips. I knew it was true. I knew the only reason I
was being put up for this was because I had citizenship. But there were so
many American men who would’ve happily married his sister if asked.
That’s why the idea of this being an inside job was on the edge of my mind.
We entered the house from the rear entrance. There wasn’t anything
I wanted to talk to him about. I needed to get to a computer quick before
these eight numbers left my brain and I didn’t know how to get into the
USB.
“I’ll see you there in ten,” I said.
“No, no, we need vodka,” he said, wrapping an arm around my
shoulder.
“I need to finish getting ready,” I said. “Take the stink of the pit off
me.”
 He laughed. “Yes. You smell. Go spray yourself.”
At least that worked.
I went in the opposite direction to him.
There was a computer in my father’s office. And from the hostage
situation he was still in upstairs alongside my brother and brother-in-law.
Under armed guard, the same type of situation that was happening to Sutton
and his friend in the pit.
At the computer, I had to be quick. It was already logged in.
With an eye on the door, I plugged the USB in. A pop-up appeared
at the bottom of the screen. It prompted me to input the eight-digit code.
I put the numbers into easier collections of two. “Nineteen. Ninety-
eight,” I said. “Twenty-nine. Oh-five.”
A folder appeared once the passcode was entered.
It wasn’t what I’d expected at all.
The folder was full of photographs.
Skimming through them. It was an album full of baby pictures. The
more I clicked through the pictures, the angrier I got. Each time, it stressed
me out a little more. Had Sutton done this to me? Did he know what was on
here? Surely, if there had been money on this, he would’ve taken it and run.
“Fuck.” I huffed, going through the images right until the end. Not a
single clue.
The power cut.
A thwip as everything in the house shutdown.
“Shit.” I stood, ready to investigate. “Sutton.”

OceanofPDF.com
21. SUTTON
The lights went out. Dumb and Dumber, the two men who had grabbed us
from the alley bumbled and bumped into each other.
“What’s going on?” Lazer asked.
“The lights are out,” I grumbled, still pissed at him for what he’d
said, pointing his finger at me earlier.
“Stay quiet,” they shouted at us.
“Hush,” the other snapped.
Focusing myself with a couple of breaths. “It’s ok,” I whispered to
myself. “I think Danya did it.” I knew he wouldn’t let me stay kidnapped
here. Only he had a free pass to kidnap me, and not his family.
“I don’t think so,” Lazer, audibly panicked said. “I think this is
Maura. My bracelet. I was—I—”
“Shut up, or I’ll put volts through you,” they snapped back at us.
“The power is out,” I said, trying not to laugh.
“Then I’ll break your hands, if you don’t shut up.”
In the darkness, I glanced in the direction of Lazer and the gentle
glow of the red from around his bracelet. I wondered if they knew the
difference between the two of us. I hoped they did, because right about now,
Lazer deserved something for the way he’d pointed his finger at me.
“It’s Maura,” Lazer grumbled.
Perhaps Maura was once more saving my life, the first time she
saved my life was when she took me in as a teen. The second time she
saved my life was after I ran away with the intention of trying to find my
parents. The third time was when she grabbed me outside my apartment.
The time I’d thrown myself down the chute, thankfully landing in the plush
pile of trash.
“I hope so,” I whispered back to him. At least I knew Maura wasn’t
threatening my life, although at this rate, she was probably only coming
here for him and not me. “Did she tell you why she wanted that USB?” I
asked once more.
“We don’t get told anything,” he reminded me. “You know, I was
only doing what had to be done because I didn’t want to be sold off to the
highest bidder in need of a hacker.”
 I understood why he did what he did. I would too. In fact, the whole
reason I was even looking into this mess in the first place was to save my
own ass. I didn’t like the idea that someone was out there impersonating
me, and that they were doing a better job at stealing from the rich than I
ever did.
“Maura will only cut the power,” I grumbled, trying to recall some
of the lessons she’d taught me. It was growing impossible to go back to that
space in my mind where Maura had planted all her lessons on evasive
maneuvers. “Do you think she’s sending someone to collect both of us, or
just you?”
In the dim red light emanating from his watch, he shrugged. “Maybe
she only thinks it’s me in here. But when someone does come, I’ll make
sure they bring you with me, and then we can go get that thumb drive back
together.”
A rock formed in my stomach. The thumb drive. This might have
had something to do with that. Danya had only been gone ten minutes when
the power cut to now. That was plenty of time for him to plug it in and then
find out what was on it.
“I don’t know why she even wants it,” I told him. “It’s to get me out
of trouble. So, unless she wants me to get into trouble, then she’d let me
have it.”
The men hushed us again.
“It’s fine,” he mumbled. “I’ll tell her it was taken, but she seemed to
be pissed about it getting lost.”
“Lost, or stolen?” My forehead ached to crease. “Because I’ll tell
you what I know if you tell me what you know.” It wasn’t exactly a
bargaining chip considering he was scared for his life, and even more of
Maura’s current operations.
“I’m not sure if she said. Stolen, lost, what’s the big difference?”
Maybe he was bumped on the head when they brought us here.
There was a clear difference between the two words in their meaning. “Did
she say anything about what was on it?” I asked. “Like, malware?” But that
didn’t make sense. Why would she have malware on a locked USB?
Lazer was no help. He had no real-world training, everything he did
was inside the underground base of operations. He’d never had to run for
his life in the middle of the night because someone was chasing him. And
he’d never had to sneak into someone’s home office to bug their computer
to scrape their key logs.
The men spoke in Russian before shouting something at us.
We didn’t know what was said, but they moved away toward the
thin stream of light coming from the stairwell above them.
“When they’ve gone back, let’s try and stand,” I whispered to Lazer.
My hands didn’t feel like they were attached to anything. In fact,
they were zip tied and as painful as that became, at least it was easily
hacked off with something sharp, and from my view of this room before the
lights went out, I saw plenty of sharp materials.
The creak of the door above opened and light beamed onto the stairs
for a moment.
The two men yelped before the thwip of something hit.
Their bodies fell, culminating in a pile of two at the bottom. The
light revealing one of their faces in our direction. Staring at us. A bloodied
bullet hole in the center of his forehead.
Lazer yelped.
“Shut up,” I said, trying to swing my legs around to whack him
with. “Jeez. Try and stand.”
A thud of a footstep creaked on the floorboards above.
“No, you shut up,” Lazer shouted.
A shadow cast out from the doorway across the stairs, covering the
bodies of the men at the bottom.
Shit. We were next. Or it was Danya. But I doubt he would’ve done
something like kill two men, especially since those men were also the same
people forcing him into marrying his sister.
A flashlight of light appeared shining out over the two bodies, and
then he appeared behind it. The shadow. Dressed from head-to-toe in black
camouflage, and a reflected visor covering his face.
“Up,” it said in a robotic deep voice. “Now.”
Pushed against the hard surface, I stood.
“Who are you?” Lazer asked. “Did Maura send you?”
“Up,” the robotic voice grumbled once more. “You have sixty
seconds.”
Kicking at Lazer’s hand, he was panicking. “Come on,” I said.
“He’s here to save us.”
 “I’m here to save you,” the deep robot voice spoke. “I’ll leave him if
he doesn’t stand.”
I once considered Lazer to be a good friend, but after everything that
had happened, I didn’t consider him even an acquaintance anymore.
The tall looming figure forced us over the bodies and out of the kill
room. He sliced the zip ties from my hands. It almost hurt for him to tug on
my hand and then slice the binding free.
“Faster,” he snapped at Lazer. “Go. Go.”
I was trying to figure out the angle he had with rescuing us, but this
wasn’t anyone I would’ve known or found working with Maura. Although
Maura seemed to lead a secret life. I didn’t know if this was another person
with skin in the game, or someone who had lost money from what had
happened.
Outside of the shack, there was a garden that looked out onto
Danya’s house. I didn’t even know this place existed, but I should’ve
assumed they had a kill room on their property. In this line of business, the
mafia tended to use their muscle when they didn’t get their way.
The white door opened at the back of the house. Danya appeared,
his brow furrowing. “What are you doing?”
Turning to see the man behind us. He nodded at Danya. “I’m taking
them.”
He held his hands out. “Go,” he said, gesturing to the fence.
“Quick.”
I wanted to say something, but before I could say anything, I didn’t
have the words. I went forward with the guiding hand of the man. Lazer
was still asking all types of questions, and annoying both of us by the
sounds of it.
Outside the gate, there was a car waiting for us. A black SUV with
blacked out windows.
“Where are we going?” I asked as the door opened.
Maura was sitting in the back seat. She shook her head and patted
the seat. “Get in.”
As I turned to see where the man was, there was nobody there.
“Come on,” she continued. “Both of you. Jeez. You almost ruined
all of this.”
Lazer nudged me. “Let’s go.”
 In the seat, I huffed and sat, my arms folded over each other.
“What?”
The car zoomed off, jolting me back in the seat.
Lazer took deep breaths, trying his best not to let out any more of
those whimpering sounds that he’d been saying in the kill room.
Maura sighed, rolling her eyes. “You made me leave the bunker,”
she said. “And you know I don’t like leaving the bunker. Not for you, and
not for anyone. Not even my own son. Now, you almost got both of you
killed.”
“No,” I snapped. “What did I almost ruin?”
Grinding her teeth, the sound going all the way through me.
“Listen,” she said. “When I found out that you’d been framed for stealing
that money, I did some digging of my own, including some inside digging
with Santi in the police department.”
Nothing was making any sense. “And?”
“Where’s the thumb drive?” she asked, holding out her hand. “It’s
personal.”
“No,” I snapped again. “I’m not sure why you had someone attack
me, and they had that with them.”
Maura tutted.
“That was Bones,” Lazer said.
“He wasn’t supposed to have that with him,” she said.
“Then why did he?” I looked to both of them. One of them had to
answer me. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’d like to get out.”
The doors locked, securing me inside.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Maura said. “That USB was being
couriered to someone else. It contained sensitive information. Bones
attacked you because—”
“Because of these,” Lazer raised his wrist. “The bracelet.”
I stared at Maura beside me, almost like she was a parent, and I was
disappointed in her actions. “Are you really selling them?”
“One thing at a time,” she said. “They’re not being sold. They’re
being trained to work. The bracelets are for their safety. And you should be
thankful. If it wasn’t for them, you wouldn’t have been found. And possibly
been killed.”
That prompted another question. “Who came in?” I asked.
“I’ve never seen him before,” Lazer said.
 “Nobody,” she answered. “Now, back to what I was saying, Bones
did his job, he protected the drive. Did you manage to open it?”
“No.”
Relief washed across her face. “Good. Now, where is it?”
“Danya has it,” I said. “And I gave him the code. I cracked it before
Lazer came in and took it from me in the cafe.”
She stared at me like I’d insulted her, which I was almost ready to
do, but she had saved me from almost death.
“If he has half a brain, he’ll know that the contents of it aren’t for
him,” she said.
“Then tell me what’s on it,” I said. “Because I told him it was a
crypto wallet.”
She burst out into laughter. “You think I’d have a crypto wallet
couriered across the city. And where would it be going?”
Nothing was adding up. The number on the phone had told me to go
and get that person. They knew there was a thumb drive in their belongings,
and they knew that it had information on their that would save me—both of
us. “I don’t believe anything you say anymore,” I said. “Whatever it is,
Danya has it, and he’s seen it.”
“Driver,” Maura said. “Step on it. We’re not going back.”
“I thought you wanted it,” I said.
“Believe me, it’s only purpose was sentimental to someone I once
knew,” she said. “Someone I considered a friend. Well, we all know not to
have friends, they only serve the purpose of disappointing you.”
I turned around and when I turned back, Maura held a hand to my
face. A cloth covered my mouth and nose, knocking me out.

OceanofPDF.com
22. DANYA
To see someone else save Sutton from the pit wasn’t what I’d wanted, or
even intended on happening. I didn’t know how to free him, but I knew I
should’ve been the one to do so.
Mikhail’s stressed voice came out from inside, spitting and angered
by the power cut. I headed over to the shack before he could spot me.
I became a man here. In and out of this place, seeing how the
sausage was made of the family business. The torture, the murder, the blood
splashed across the stone. It was everything I loved to see, but when Sutton
was here, I wished my family had business in something else.
From the open latched door leading underground, I saw the two
bodies of his guards laid on top of each other. The ruby red blood from the
bullet shot into their heads spilled out across the stone floor, making its way
into the drain. It was a glorious thing to see. Again, something else I
should’ve done, the way they’d threatened Sutton had my stomach on edge.
He was a whirlwind the way he’d come into my life, and yet, I couldn’t
help feel for him.
In my pocket, I felt the USB I’d taken back from the computer. I
didn’t understand what was so important about it. It was baby pictures,
perhaps Sutton had gotten into it, replaced the contents, and was allowing
me to find it for myself like there had never been any money in there to
begin with.
“What have you got yourself involved with?” I grumbled. I’m sure
it was also the question that Sutton had been asking himself as well. “Or
who. Who was he?” I didn’t catch anything about him. Black suit covered
in armor, nothing making much sense about it. Perhaps the person behind
the texts. It was impossible to tell. He looked dangerous enough to not hide
behind a computer.
“What did you do?” Mikhail’s obnoxious voice came from above
me at the top of the stairs.
I was still assessing the two bodies on the floor. Close range attacks.
No hesitation with the way they were executed on the spot. I admired it. “It
wasn’t me. Someone came in and got the boys.”
He spat a little. “Fuck. Well, the day has to continue. My sister is
getting married. Nothing will stop it now.”
 The lights flickered on, and I saw the full extent of the blood. “We
should drink to your fallen comrades,” I suggested, trying my best to
prolong what seemed like an inevitability. “I have vodka.” I knew exactly
where there was a bottle here. A loose brick in the wall, and there it was, the
cold bottle of spirit.
“You’re right,” he said, stepping into the pit and over the bodies on
the floor. “We have a lot to celebrate today, even with all the shit.”
There were two glasses by the grungy sink in the corner. It was
rarely used for anything but cleaning the blood of the tiles. And they were
only cleaned in the warmer months since the heat made them start to smell.
Rinsing the glasses out, I watched Mikhail examine the bottle
without a label. He twisted the screw top and stuck his nose into it. “Huh,”
he grumbled. “It doesn’t have a smell.”
“It has a taste though,” I said. “And you’ll feel it, trust me, it’s like a
punch in the face sometimes.”
“Oof,” Mikhail raised the bottle in the air toward the lightbulb. “It’s
incredibly clarified. Is it homemade?”
“Something like that,” I said. “Let’s pour.” I placed the wet glasses
on the tile. “Ah. I’ll do the honors. You’re the one with men who have
fallen.”
He nodded, handing me the bottle. “And then we must go back
upstairs. My sister is still messing around with the dress. We flew in
someone special to have it perfect. I also want you smiling on these
pictures. Smiling big. Not fake smile. If it’s a fake smile, I can’t say you’ll
live long.”
Without even a drink in him and he was already spilling his guts. I
wanted to know more about his father. I knew he had it in him to kill family
in cold blood, so there wasn’t anything here to say he wouldn’t slit my
throat the moment I stopped serving any use. “What is your plan?” I asked,
pouring shot amounts into each glass. It was strong.
Mikhail didn’t even wait for me to grab my glass before a Russian
cheer, a clink to my glass still on the table and then down it went. He
stumbled back a little, kicking the men with his heel. “Oh shit. That is
strong,” he laughed.
I didn’t take a drink of mine. I sucked on my teeth, pretending that I
had. “Mhmm, fuck.”
“Another,” he said.
 “Perfect,” I said, pouring out another shot into his glass and
pretending to add more to mine. “So, a toast to the celebration of the
wedding.”
“To the wedding,” he said, taking back the shot. He took that with a
little more dignity than the other shots of vodka. It was funny to watch him
take the shots and then stumble a little, trying to keep his composure. “I’ll
need the recipe for this.”
“You’ve got it,” I said, pretending once more to take my shot and
then sucking on my teeth. “Now, let’s also drink to good health.”
Another shot.
“And to prosperity,” I said. “Money. Riches. Freedom.”
Mikhail toasted to it, laughing to himself. “Freedom,” he said.
“Sure.”
There was a drunk redness in Mikhail’s eyes, almost like he was
holding back. I knew it wouldn’t’ take him much more shots of vodka
before he was on the floor, and I could lock him in here. I needed to get
back there, and I had to head out. I was gonna be a runaway groom and
escape from all of this.
“Maybe we should drink to your father’s death,” I said, my teeth
clenching.
“You know,” Mikhail said, holding onto the counter with all his
might. “I killed him happily. A smile on my face. I partied all night when it
happened. That man was a mess. Every single little thing about that man
was a mess.”
“A mess?” I asked. He clearly hadn’t seen the way his son drank. “Is
that why you killed him?”
He didn’t even get the entirety of the vodka shot in his mouth that
time around, most of it missed his mouth. I didn’t know if he was ready to
drop, or perhaps a gentle push on his shoulder would have him toppling
over the men. I could only hope.
“I killed him because he couldn’t get what we wanted,” he said. “He
was bankrolling your family for years, and all because you were washing is
money. He didn’t want to come in and take over. You—you had the chance
to accept our proposal for marriage five years ago. That was declined.” He
spat. A sloppy string of saliva falling from his chin.
“That didn’t happen,” I said. “Your family never approached us
about marriage.”
 “You,” he snorted. “You’re like you are, of course, your father didn’t
force you into it. That’s why I had to.”
I pushed the glass closer to him. “What are you saying?”
“It took us five years to figure out how to do it,” Mikhail said,
swaying side-to-side, his body getting lower and hunched as he leaned over
the counter. “Five years of plans. And there was no way you could decline
it.”
“Decline the marriage?” I asked, my heart rate ringing in my ears. I
needed him to get to the point of it all.
“We loaned that boy, the hacker, cheap too, he stole our money from
you, planting you as responsible, and your little boyfriend,” he snorted,
stumbling back, he landed on both men. “Your family never had any idea of
what was happening, and still felt like they were to blame, we stolen our
money from you, and then asked you to pay the price of marriage.” He
laughed, becoming uncontrolled as he found it funnier, and I was dotting
everything together, finally making some sense of it.
“What?”
“All you had to do was say yes, and your family could’ve stayed in
charge, all I required was your marriage to my sister,” he said, holding out a
hand. “You have no choice anymore. Look. Your family are my prisoners.”
Smiling, I couldn’t help see the irony of the situation. He was the
one on the floor, holding out his hand to me, and I was the one in power. I
hadn’t touched a drop of this potent vodka solution, mostly used to clean
the tools, not equipped for being held in the stomach.
I grabbed his hand and pulled him back, enough to punch him in the
face, knocking him out back on top of the two men.
He’d admitted to setting this entire thing in motion. It connected
several dots. The only thing I was confused about now was the USB that
Sutton had found inside of the sandwich, and how it only contained baby
pictures.
Tying Mikhail’s hands together, if I could get rid of him, then the
head of the Sokolov snake was gone, but that also meant part of the family’s
business, which was washing money for the Sokolov family was gone.
“You’re gonna rot here,” I told his unconscious body as I pushed
him against the wall. “That depends on what your sister has to say, and
what you have to offer. I’ll head back into that house with—” I looked
behind and spotted the untouched guns on his bodyguards. “Those guns,
and I’ll kill the rest of your men until it’s you and your sister, and to have
only one kill, an old man under your belt, I’m not expecting your threats to
be good.” I grinned, smacking his cheek with the side of my hand.
It was now or never. I grabbed both the handguns from the men and
left the pit, locking the door behind myself. I wouldn’t let anyone find him
before it was time.
Strutting across the yard with purpose back to the main house, I
made a direct line over the flowers to the door. From my calculations, there
were four men inside, six total, but two of them had been taken out for me.
At the door, I looked to the gate that went out onto the drive. I
could’ve left, and had my family face the repercussions. After everything, I
still had some loyalty to these people who were willing to let me be sold
into a marriage, and all for something they didn’t believe. Mikhail had
admitted it to me, the broad strokes of his sordid plan to get his fingers into
my family, and then while he was there, he could cement his family in New
York.
My loyalty was always to my family first, even if they hadn’t been
completely loyal to me, but why would they? I wasn’t taking over when my
father died or stepped down. I was most likely the first to be thrown off the
books the moment my brother took over. So, why should I save them now?
Because guilt would eat me alive, fucking guilt.
I headed inside, a big smile on my face. I was soon to be wed; this
should’ve been the happiest day of my life.
A guard approached me, stopping me in the hallway.
He hadn’t seen the gun in my hand as I tucked it into the back of my
slacks. They weren’t belted, so the gun could’ve slipped right through the
leg. “Yeah?” I asked.
“Have you seen the boss?” he asked, his voice was deep. “His sister
needs him.”
With one swift move, I grabbed him, wrapping an arm around his
neck. I choked him out until he was limp on the floor. I should’ve killed
him, but there was still time for that.
A head appeared out of a doorway. My sister, Evelina with her
wicked smile. “What are you doing?”
I heard Anastasia’s voice call out from within the room. I held a
finger to my mouth, gesturing for her to keep quiet about this.
 She closed the door. “Danya,” she whispered, approaching me.
“What do you think you’re doing? Please, whatever you think you’re doing,
don’t, you’re gonna get us all killed.” She rolled her eyes at me.
“Actually, I’m saving us,” I said. “Mikhail is knocked out tied in the
pit.”
“Shut up,” she scoffed. “What is going on in that head?”
My teeth grit. “Eva, they killed their father, they’re the head of the
Sokolov family now, and we’ve got them where we need them. Go get
mother, ask for that tea, give it to Ana, knock her out like that.” I snapped
my fingers. “I’ll deal with the three men upstairs.”
“You’re gonna get us all killed,” she said.
A simple thank you would’ve been fine, I would do it, but only
because I knew the truth now. None of this was my fault. It was a targeted
attack on my family. Sutton had been collateral, and I’d find him later.

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23. SUTTON
I woke inside a locked room. The cold floor against my bare feet was a
shock at first.
Then the haze in my head stampeded out and I knew where I was.
Hell.
Maura had always been someone I knew to keep my eye on. She
had done some shady things in the past, especially while she was training
me, and had for a period taken me into her care. It was impossible to see it
at the time because she was also someone who when light shone on you,
then nothing else mattered.
I called out, banging my fists against the stone.
At least my hands or legs weren’t tied this time, but it looked like
they’d taken everything I could’ve used to try and jimmy open the lock
from me. It wasn’t like I could physically lockpick anything anyway. My
specialty was within lockpicking through computers.
Sighing, I looked at the ceiling light.
The thing about being here in Maura’s bunker was never knowing
the time of day. The fluorescent lights were everywhere. We lived like mole
people, or doomsday preppers who’d been told the end times were here, and
we needed to seek shelter.
There was nothing more I would’ve hated than knowing this was
where I’d spend the rest of my life.
“He’s awake,” Maura’s voices sounded in the distance beyond the
thick layer of the door.
It opened seconds later as she walked in, a big smile on her face.
“What are you doing?”
“Be thankful it wasn’t the tea this time,” she snickered.
Two men walked in behind her in the same black fully operational
amour and weaponry. “It was something much worse,” I grumbled. “What
are you gonna do?”
In her hands, she held out one of the luminescent bands that Lazer
had been wearing. “I’m not doing anything,” she said. “You’re doing
something for me.”
“I’m not putting that thing on.” I hid my hand behind my back.
 It was no use, the two men were there, grabbing me. They pushed
me against the wall, holding me in place as they stretched my arms out.
“Hold still,” she said.
“No,” I tried with all my might to push or kick any of them.
“I’ve not been left any other choice; this is my last straw.”
It was possible the effects of the chloroform, but I didn’t know what
she was talking about. “If you want me to come back and help out I can, but
you’re not putting that on me to sell me like you are Lazer.”
She scoffed. “Lazer isn’t being sold. He’s being rented out. His
skills, your skills, everyone inside of this place have skills that I’ve given to
you and them directly,” she said. “It’s not my fault that I’m now asking for
something in return.”
“No,” I tried making my voice gruffer. “No.”
She paced in front of me. “You see,” she began. “It all started when
you were three. Perhaps younger, or older. Time is weird when you reach a
certain age. Anyway, this is nothing against you, it’s your mother.”
“My mother,” I spat. I didn’t know anything about her. All the
records of her had been scrubbed, almost like I was given birth to by a
nameless ghost. “Shut up.”
“I tried to draw her out a number of times over the years,” she said.
“First, when I took you in, and then more recently, when I made Lazer put
your name on that transaction between the Russians. Nothing helped. Then
you were both hunted by the Russians, and well, I couldn’t rescue Lazer
without you, so I made another plan. A plan I know will work.”
“My mother,” I repeated it on the tip of my tongue, almost like it
was sour in my mouth, the more it repeated itself, the more disgusted the
taste was on my tongue. “Who is she?”
“Your mother, my sister,” she chuckled. “I told you when I took you
in, we were one big family. Her name is Petra, and nobody has seen her in
over twenty years.”
It was almost like she’d sent me into a dream state with that drug I’d
inhaled and was now filling my head with nonsense. Except, these two men
had been pinned against the wall, and it was slowly starting to hurt.
“I don’t know her,” I said.
Maura tutted. “Your mother stole from me, over a hundred million.
We’d been planning it for years. We’d found the exploits. She’d seduced
some money guy, got into his office, and was doing all of that. Don’t
worry,” she snickered. “That man wasn’t your father. He’s dead, I’m sorry,
died before you were even born.”
I didn’t know if what she was saying was true. It sounded like there
had to have been truth to it, nobody else had told me, and there were no
records, which meant any information I was told I sort of clung to. “No,” I
whimpered. “You’re lying. If you knew, you would’ve told me.”
“No,” she said, opening the wristband. “I wouldn’t have told you at
all. In fact, I’ve been keeping it a big secret for so long now that I wasn’t
sure I would ever tell you. You spent forever searching message boards for
someone you never knew, I figured, the more you searched, the more she
was likely to reach out. My sister likes to play games.”
“Wait. So, you’re—”
“Yes, catch up,” she laughed. “I’m your auntie, surprise. Anyway,
your mother has left me no choice, and I know she’s out there and active
because you intercepted something that wasn’t meant for you. It was meant
to pull her out.”
My brain was spinning with questions. “Intercepted,” I mumbled. I
wondered if she was talking about the USB. “I—”
“Yes, the thumb drive, remember,” she said, snapping her fingers in
my confused face. “That was bait. You said it yourself. You cracked it. So,
didn’t you get any hints?”
“No. Wait. No.”
“The code,” she said. “Any specific number pattern.”
It was eight numbers. I couldn’t pull them from the top of my head
now.
“Nineteen ninety-eight,” she started. “Twenty-nine. O-five.”
Like a slap around the ears, it left me wringing with both realization
and confusion. “My birthday, twenty-ninth of May, ninety-eight.”
“Ding-ding,” she said. “I sent that out hoping your mother would
intercept. Turns out, you did, and then we followed that all the way back to
the Russians.” She rolled her eyes. “Because the last thing I needed was to
get back into bed with the Russians.”
“What was on the drive?”
“Baby pictures, information I had scrubbed,” she said. “If your
boyfriend got into it, then he’d know, and he’d see what was there.
Including an original birth certificate for you, Sutton James Levan.”
 I sank into the grasp of the men holding me. I didn’t want to think
any of it was true. It was far too convenient. But everything seemingly
added to making sense. It was a painful way to go about realization, and I
wouldn’t have recommended it to anyone.
“So, what will you do?” I asked.
“Hold still,” she said, and with one swift motion, she snapped the
wristband on me.
It stung at first, catching me off-guard. “Fuck.”
“Now, I’ve got your vitals, and also a handy little chip that can
detonate a deadly poison into your wrist and pump its way all the way to
your heart within seconds,” she said. “Now, let’s see how that sister of mine
can try and worm her way out of not coming up for air this time.”
My jaw clenched. “You don’t have to do this,” I said, trying to keep
my breathing steady. “I can send out a—a bat symbol or whatever you need
for me to get her attention.”
Maura grinned. “You’re already doing it,” she said. “Existing in this
moment, you are doing what needs to be done to get her attention. And once
she sees your name appear on my list, she’ll know I’ve got you.”
“What? If she’s in your system, then she can just—”
She placed a finger over my mouth. “She can view it, but that’s the
limit. It’s like when a zoo puts an observatory in over the animal enclosure.
You can see in, but you can’t come in without alerting every animal in there
to your existence.”
I didn’t even know the woman she was talking about, but she was
supposed to be my mother. Someone I hadn’t seen in over twenty years. I
had doubts she even existed. I shook my head at Maura. “She doesn’t know
me. I don’t know her. What makes you so sure she’ll come out like,
surprise, I’m here.” The men let go of my arms. I cradled the pain in my
wrist.
“Don’t pull on it either,” she said. “There’s a system in place that
will also inject you if it feels tampered with.”
Immediately letting go, I stared at Maura, wondering what it was
that I’d done to her to make her do this to me in retaliation. I was good, I
was even still good with her now after leaving, but that clearly wasn’t the
case.
“She won’t care,” I told her. “If she cared at all, she wouldn’t have
waited twenty years to get in contact with me.”
 Maura tutted. “Well. I’m aware of some mysterious texts you’ve
been receiving, and if I’m right, then I know who sent them.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
She was trying to say that it was my mom who was sending those
texts, and then she outright said it. I couldn’t quite believe any of the words
she was saying, but at the same time, it made sense. She was helping, that
number, while at first, we thought was responsible for the initial theft was
trying to help us find the people truly responsible.
I stared at Maura. “She knew it was you all along,” I whispered.
“That’s why she was sending me those messages. She knew what you’d
done, and she tried to smooth it over the best she could.” And I needed to
tell Danya.
Rushing out of the room, I didn’t know my way around since the
expansion of this space. For all I knew, it could’ve been somewhere
completely different.
I took a left, then another left, and another left. An old trick I was
taught for escaping mazes, except this wasn’t a maze, this was the makings
of a mad woman on the verge.
Over a speaker, Maura’s voice screeched.
“Sutton! Get back here.”
Doors opened and people with the same wristbands suctioned to
their wrists appeared. Almost coming from the darkness, gloomy looks on
their faces after spending hours in the dark with only a computer screen as
company, and a job as motivation. I could only imagine she’d told them the
same thing she’d told me about the lethal injection she’d force into their
bloodstream the moment they disobeyed her.
I stopped.
She could do that to me if she wanted. Right here. Right now.
Against the wall, wrapping both arms to my chest like a comforting
self-hug, I screwed my eyes. Please, please, please, don’t let this be real. I
pressed a finger into the gap. The wristband warmed, searing pain in my
wrist.
The power went out.
The wristband came loose.
Everyone’s band came loose. A hail of cheers roared through the
hallways.
“We’ve got her!” Maura’s voice carried over the speaker.
Oh. no.

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24. DANYA
I stood soaked in blood.
The guns came with limited ammunition. So, I opted for a knife.
My fingers ached from the grip on the handle of the sharp fish knife.
It was usually used for filleting fresh fish and making sure you got all the
bones out. I used it to slice into the throats of Mikhail’s armed guards
standing around, acting like they already owned this place.
They probably did. I realized that everything I thought was true
about my family had been a lie. We were as Mikhail had said, sitting on the
shoulders of the Sokolov family, propped by their money to make us look
big and vicious.
The last man had fallen in front of the bedroom door. Relief swelled
in my chest. I wiped a bloodied hand against the white shirt and tugged it,
popping the buttons. I opened the door to see my father, uncle, brother, and
brother-in-law standing around in their suits, like they were still willing to
go ahead with this forced marriage. “I ran out of bullets,” I said. “They’re
all dead.”
“What?” My father scoffed. “What have you done?” Spit coming
out of his mouth. “Danya. Who did you kill?”
“All of them,” I said, wiping the side of the knife on my shirt sleeve
and then bringing it to my face like a small mirror. “Except for Mikhail and
Anastacia. But I learned something. And maybe you know what I’ll say, but
before I do, I’m out. All of this. I’ll make my own name.”
“Stop being dramatic, Danya,” my brother scoffed. “You want a
thank you for maybe starting a war, or something. Our family will not
survive this.”
I stared at our father, the same strong, stone-faced expression.
“Nobody leaves the family.”
“I do,” I said. “I’m done. Mikhail told me he set this entire thing to
get a foothold here. I don’t know why he couldn’t go the immigration route;
his family has the money.”
“Dirty money,” my uncle said.
“They asked you if Ana could marry me five years ago,” I said.
“You said no.”
 “Your mother said no,” he revealed. “I was all for your marrying a
woman. I was all for having you get your life right and being more useful
than someone who people fear on the street. Eventually, everyone turns
against the people they fear.”
My jaw tensed. I wiped the other side of the blade on my sleeve. “I
did what was needed. I did what I had to do to prove myself. So, I made
myself feared. You wouldn’t understand what it’s like to be me. You’re so
absorbed in the past, in Russia, in everything you hate but cling to about
your old life, you can’t even understand what is happening here, now, and
with your own children.”
There was a moment of silence as we all exchanged glances. Lev
looked out of place.
“Mikhail stole his own money from us, and then used me as the
scapegoat he needed to pay for what had happened,” I stated. “Forcing me
into marrying his sister. But it’s not happening anymore. He’s in the pit, he
took one too many shots of that cleaning vodka. You can keep him there if
you want, or you can kill him, or free him, I do not care, because I’ve
washed my hands with everyone now. Look. See, my final act was to save
you.” A wide grimace crossed my lips. “And it feels good. Arkady, you
taught me well.” I glanced into the metal of the knife once more.
“Nobody leaves the family,” my father repeated himself.
“Except today they do,” I said. “You’re all for show. Propped on
Sokolov money. Keep them around, save their lives, make them owe you.
But they’re ruthless, they killed their father in cold blood.”
I was done. I’d been done for a while.
Flashes of memories came to me, solidifying my decision to leave.
My father had tried to get me to sleep with a sex worker when I was
sixteen because I’d felt comfortable enough to come out, and I’d never been
someone who had struggled with the conflict of what I was. The conflict
only came when my father beat me, followed by training with my uncle,
who also beat me in his attempts to make me tougher.
More flashes of their snarled faces, their hushed voices, all
conspiring with the idea that they were talking about me. And then the first
time I was caught with a guy in my bed, my father threatened him, a gun to
his head. I moved out the week later.
In a way, it almost felt like what I imagined dying felt like, memory
flashes, echoes of voices, the idea of not walking into the light.
 And the electricity came back on.
Once I was turned. I wasn’t looking back.
I headed out the hallway, then downstairs to the foyer. I grabbed a
set of keys from the mantle by the door. It wasn’t my car, but it would do to
get me back home. I reached a hand into my pocket and felt the USB. There
was nothing left for me in this place. Everything I needed was out there,
and hopefully waiting for me back at the apartment.
My mother raced out of the front door as I was leaving.
“Danya, where are you going?”
I turned for her to see me covered in blood. “The wedding is off,” I
told her. “I love you. Take care of them. They’re gonna need you.”
Placing a hand over her heart, she stared at me. “Are you coming
back?”
I couldn’t leave her like that. I approached her, seeing the tears in
her eyes. “I don’t know,” I said. But I’ve got to do this alone now.” I gave
her cheek a kiss, pressing a little blood to her skin. “I love you.”
There was no time to waste.
Footsteps thudded behind me. My cue to take off in the SUV I had
the keys for.
Showing emotion in my family never happened. The most emotional
thing anyone ever did was kill someone, because anger was the only
accepted emotion. My father had said anger is the emotion of progress, you
can’t do anything properly unless you’re provoked into it. I wonder if he
thought of that now that I was provoked into leaving this family behind.
It was getting darker as I headed to the apartment.
I didn’t have my phone on me, so I couldn’t text Sutton, but since
I’d seen him getting away, I knew he was properly there waiting for me. Or
maybe he’d packed and gone somewhere else after I wasn’t the one who
saved him.
Either way, I needed to see him. I needed to tell him what Mikhail
had said about the money being taken for the sole purpose of forcing me
into marriage with his sister. Sutton was collateral, and I’d almost done
something that could never be taken back when we first met.
Sutton was the reason a pit of emotion opened in my stomach, and I
wondered if he had a similar pit of feelings there too. It was a nice feeling,
scary almost, like standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to free dive into
water, without knowing if it was shallow, or deep.
 The door of my apartment was ajar, a slither of light spilled out onto
the hallway. I didn’t know what that meant, but I didn’t like the idea that
someone could’ve got into my beloved collection of toys.
Slowly, I pushed open the door. There was the clicking of computer
keys. It was music to my ears.
“I’m so glad you’re—”
At the breakfast bar, an older woman with intense green eyes and
her blond hair in a bun turned around to me. “I’ve been waiting for you,
finally,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes at me. “I’ve narrowed his location,
you’re gonna have to—” She sighed. “You’re gonna have to change first.
Please. And then you’ll have to go out and find him. But I’ve got an idea
where he might be in this area.”
“I—I’m sorry,” I said, taken aback by her. “And who are you?”
“Do you have to ask me that?” she grumbled. “I thought you saw
the images on the thumb drive.” She held out her hand. “Which I’ll gladly
take from you now.”
“Wait. Wait. Are you—no.”
“Go on,” she said, her eyes rolling again. “I can see that brain
working overtime. Say what you see.”
“Sutton’s mother.”
“And the person who pushed you two together,” she said. “I thought
for a second you would kill each other. But I’ve been behind the scenes all
his life pushing him into things that are good for him. And—I suppose a
little dangerous, but I know he takes after me, so he must like a little
danger.”
“Hi,” I said. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know how much you know about me, and I don’t believe he
knows anything about me,” she said. “I’m Petra. And before you say
anything, I didn’t abandon my son. I’ll get into that once we rescue him.
Ok?”
“Rescue him?”
“Yes,” she snapped. “Keep up. What happened? Did someone hit
you on the head? Yes. I need you to save him.”
It was a lot to take it, but the moment I knew it was Sutton’s mother,
I realized they shared a lot of the same sassy similarities. “Ok, so I’ve
narrowed his location based on the footage I scraped from street cameras. I
followed him all the way from your house, where I cut the power. You’re
welcome for that.”
“You cut the power?”
“Duh,” she scoffed. “Those images weren’t for you to see. But now
that you have, I’d like them back. Over twenty years since I’ve seen those
baby pictures.”
I reached into my pocket and handed over the thumb drive. “So,
why was this in a sandwich?”
She shrugged. “Not my move. That was my sister, Maura. She tried
to get me out in the open with this as bait. She’s been using Sutton as bait
for years, but every single time, I manage to get something in the way of
it.”
There were so many questions, but before I could throw any of them
out at her, she shooed me off to change out of my bloodied clothes.
I knew little about Sutton. He was guarded, and with reason. He
didn’t have a mother or father. He grew a thick skin from being in the
system. And he learned to hack from Maura, who I now realize is his aunt. I
wondered how much of it he even knew.
In a nice pair of gray slacks and a clean white shirt, I felt renewed. I
walked out of my room to see Petra with tears in her eyes, slowly tapping
on the keys. She was looking through the pictures.
“My biggest regret is not having been able to take him with me,”
she said. “But I’m back in the city now, and I’m ready to take him with
me.”
“Wait. No. Where have you been?”
“Somewhere someone who stole a lot of money can be without
raising red flags,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I’m not even
supposed to be here, but Sutton’s name was raised quite a bit on some
Russian backchannels. So, I burned some of my forged documents, took
two boat rides, three flights, and found myself back in a city that hasn’t
changed.”
I didn’t want to pry into her personal life. “Let’s find him then,” I
said.
“Ok,” she said, wiping the tears from her face. “I have a comms kit.
Put the earpiece in and I’ll guide you. But you’ll have to be prepared. Once
I’m in my sister’s system, she’ll be coming for me, and possible Sutton. But
I’ll have her exact location then.”
 Nodding. I understood what was at stake. A lot of it was the same.
But I didn’t want her to take Sutton when I was open to exploring
something with him. It felt like a cruel punishment. But I was ready to help
no matter the cost to save him.

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25. SUTTON
For a hacker, not having any power was a death sentence. Maura was
powerless, even if I had heard her say she had my mother. A woman I
probably wouldn’t have entertained even if she came out of a closet and
professed she was her, the woman who gave me away when I was only a
toddler, and not a single memory of her.
Massaging the pain around my wrist, I walked slowly around the
maze Maura had created. It had been expanded heavily since I last lived
here. It’s possibly why she didn’t want me around when she took me and
then threw me back out on the street hours later.
From behind, I was taken, a hand over my mouth. I thrashed around
until I heard his voice.
Inside a dark room with only dull red emergency lights shining from
the ceiling, I couldn’t see him properly, but I’d felt those hands on me
behind.
“Danya, what are you doing?” I asked, waving my hand around. I
whacked his arm. “That’s for not saving me.”
“Sutton,” he said, his hand feeling around at my face. He stroked
under my chin. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry,” I said. “You have to make it up to
me.” I reached to his hand, still as warm as I remembered it. But this was no
time for us to come together again.
A tiny electronic squeak sounded. “Fuck,” he shouted. “Right. So,
long story short, the person who was sending those texts to us was your
mother. Now, she’s giving me directions. I got her access to the system
here.”
“What?”
“I know,” he chuckled. “I had to figure out the servers, or whatever
is in here. But now we need to leave.”
“My mother,” I scoffed. “Why?”
“I don’t know everything, but she’s waiting at the apartment,” he
told me. “We must be quick though. She’s a wanted woman.”
I sighed, backing away until I was against something solid. “I don’t
know if I want to see her,” I admitted. “It’s not just because she left me to
the system, but it’s because everyone has lied to me, every single person has
been using me. And I know about the Russians, they used one of the kids
here to hack into your family’s bank, which was easy to do by the way.” I
knew how easy it was because I’d seen how lax their online security was. I
was half-surprised they hadn’t been hacked and stolen from before.
Danya placed a hand on my shoulder. “It’s ok,” he said. “I always
knew you didn’t have anything to do with it.”
That was a lie, but right now, I was clinging to that as a form of
truth. “So, are you here for me, or was there an ulterior motive?” I asked.
He’d already admitted to slotting something into the server.
“I don’t know, but I came here to get you,” he said. “And—she’s
telling me now that we need to get out. The police are on their way to raid
the place.”
“What? You’re talking to her?” I reached out, trying to find his face.
I pulled out the earpiece. “Hello?” I mumbled, slotting it into my ear.
“Sutton,” her voice, like Maura’s, it took me aback, thankfully I was
already pressed against the wall, otherwise I might’ve tripped. “Hi,” she
said. “I’m gonna need you to pass this back to Danya. He’ll lead you out.
And then you’ll come back to the apartment, and we’ll finally get to catch
up.”
Holding back tears, I was thankful that Danya couldn’t see my face
properly right now. I didn’t want him looking into my eyes, feeling
sympathy for me. “Ok.” There was so much I’d wanted to say to her. So
much I’d told myself that I would say to her given the opportunity. I’d
wanted to tell her so much. Like the pain, the hurt, and a little longing for a
real parent in my life.
I took the earpiece out and Danya took my hand, collecting the
earpiece. “It’s ok,” he said as I let out a quiet whimper. “We’ll get out of
here before the police arrive, but when they do—”
“No,” I said. “I need my bag.”
“But we need to leave.”
“I need my bag!”
There was silence. “Where is it?” he asked. “Your mom has a map
of this place. Tell me and we can get it then leave.”
“Maura’s office,” I said. It wasn’t completely essential that I got my
bag, but the tech wasn’t easily replaced.
“On it,” he said. “You wait here. It’s easier if I go alone.”
 “No chance,” I said, wiping my eyes. “Absolutely not. I know my
bag. And I know how to get into her office. I’ve got the code.”
“Jokes on you, the power is out, and your mother has remote
access,” he said.
I wished he’d stop calling her that. She was Petra. And she’d
abandoned me as a child. She wasn’t a mother.
“I’m still coming,”
He grabbed my hand by the wrist.
“Ow.”
“What?” he grumbled. “I’ve been more aggressive.”
“No, it’s where she put that band on me,” I told him. “Take my other
wrist, but like, leave this one alone for now, at least until I can put a cream
on it.” He stroked my face again, and this time, I met his face with mine and
kissed him. “I suppose I should thank you for saving me,” I said.
I relied on Danya to take us to Maura’s office. I didn’t know where
it was from here. I didn’t even know where here was, other than a server
room, which was unmanned. That didn’t surprise me too much considering
Maura believed herself to be above the law, and everything it stood for. I
didn’t see how people feared her until I was outside of her operation. It
might have made a little more sense now since she always knew she was
my aunt and I got special treatment, even if some of that treatment was to
get my mother—that woman who left me.
It seemed empty. But I knew from seeing into some of the rooms
how there were kids in there. Kids she took from the streets without their
families, not abductions, but kids who didn’t have homes, and were already
in the system, she gave them a home, and a purpose, and I suppose that
gave her some blind loyalty.
“Do you know where we’re going?” I asked him, tugging on his
hand to pull us to a stop. “Seems like we’re going around in circles.” The
red lights above us gave her limited vision. It was a strange light to have,
almost like we were in a photography processing studio, except the red
seemed darker, and almost made certain things seem invisible.
“I’ve got someone talking me through all of it,” he said. “So, yeah. I
know exactly where we’re going. Or do you want to lead? And everything
looks the same. We’re not going around in circles.”
“How long do we have until the police arrive?”
 “I don’t know, and I’m trying not to think of that clock counting
down right now,” he said. “You want something, so we’ll get it. And then
we’re getting out of here.”
I knew that once we were out, it was into a storied parking lot. It
was easy to blend in there. “Ok,” I said. “Thank you.” I rolled my eyes, he
couldn’t see me do it, but he deserved that thank you, even if it was forced.
As we continued to walk, in what I considered circles, I had more
questions.
“So, what happened with your wedding?” In the dim light, he didn’t
appear to be in any type of tux.
“I killed everyone,” he said in a serious tone before throwing out a
little chuckle. “Most of them.”
“The man who took me?”
“No,” he said. “He is in the pit, and he’ll—” He came to an abrupt
stop. “We’re here.”
It was a door that looked like every other door in this light.
It opened without a code.
The same red light was on in the office, but thankfully we didn’t
need to look further than on the desk. I raced to it, investigating. Nothing
had been taken from the bag, not even the bag of unopened chips had been
taken.
A tongue clicked, prompting both of us to turn. Turning around.
Maura stood in the doorway.
“You’re not Petra,” she said. “Where is she?”
I placed the bag over my shoulder, ready to rush her and escape. “I
don’t know,” I said.
“Not you,” she said. “Him. Where’s Petra?”
“Here,” he said, throwing the earpiece over to her.
As she stepped back to catch the small object, we raced past her out
of the office.
“You know the way out now?” Danya asked as we continued
running.
“I—” I knew. It was in my memory somewhere.
“This way,” a voice called out. It was Lazer.
We followed him to the doors and out into the parking lot.
I figured it would be daylight, but it was dark, except for the orange,
fluorescent lights on the parking lot ceiling.
 “I’m sorry for what I did,” Lazer said, “I had no choice.” He didn’t
have his wristband on anymore. There was a red ring around his wrist,
almost bruised from where his had been. “If I could’ve kept your name out
of it, I would, but she told us that you were stealing from us, and this was to
teach you a lesson.”
Danya took my hand and squeezed it. I stared him in the eye and
smiled.
“I forgive you,” I whispered, aimed at both of them.
The sound of sirens echoed through the storied parking lot.
“We should go,” Danya said.
“Come with us,” I told Lazer.
He shook his head. “I’ll do my own thing,” he said. “Maybe we’ll
see each other another day. I hope.”
Danya tugged on my arm. “I said, we should go.” His voice
becoming gruff. “Now.”
In one of the SUVs I swore had been the one I’d been kidnapped in,
we set off out of the structured parking lot, passing the police cars
completely. There was no checkpoint of the police checking IDs as we left,
thankfully. Although I caught a glimpse of Santiago sitting in a car. I
realized that since Maura was my aunt, that made us cousins, and perhaps I
should’ve felt some type of sympathy for him for what was about to
happen, but I couldn’t.
“Ok,” I said, finally feeling some sort of relief now that we were
away from it all. “What happened?”
Danya took his eyes off the road briefly to look at me. “I thought I
had to go through with it, and I almost did,” he said. “And then Mikhail told
me he’d planned on forcing the family’s hand into making me marry his
sister. He hired your friend, he planted my name as the one taking the
money, and for whatever reason, your name was the recipient.”
I knew why my name was there. My name had been there to bring
my mother out of hiding. I had so many questions for her now, more than I
had growing up. Less painful ones, or the pain had become numb now. I
still had questions about why she could give me up, but I knew the answers
weren’t going to sting quite as much as they would if I’d asked them years
ago.
“And because of that, you almost killed me,” I said. “Don’t think I
haven’t forgotten about your trigger-happy finger. You could’ve shot me.”
 “I—” he sighed. “I thought I was doing what was right. I’m sorry.”
“Ew,” I laughed, pretending to vomit. “Are you ok?” I asked. “I
didn’t think you were someone who said sorry. Can I take your
temperature? I think I have one of those rectal thermometers.”
“Rectal?” he scoffed, swerving the SUV to jostle me around in the
passenger seat. “I’ll give you one.”
“Also, do you think coming in and rescuing me like I’m a damsel in
distress saves you from actually doing something nice for me?”
“I don’t understand,” he grumbled.
“Well, since you know now that everything was a set up, I expect
you to do something nice for me,” I told him. “I’m not saying it has to be
sex, but I wouldn’t be opposed to getting some of this adrenaline out on
your dick.”
He tssked, pressing his tongue at the roof of his mouth. He glanced
at me; his wicked smile gave me butterflies. “What did I tell you when we
first hooked up?”
“Something angry and Russian?” I asked. “Maybe it was about how
thick you were, or the size, but like, you’ve seen my toy collection, you
know that wasn’t a problem for me.”
He chuckled. “I told you not to fall in love.”
Another round of fake vomiting came out of me, followed by an
uncontrolled giggle. I didn’t know what he was trying to say with that.
“And I haven’t,” I said, playfully whacking his arm. “I think you’re a warm
body with a big dick, and I am in need—no, scratch that, I am requiring
sex.”
Danya’s face eased. He was sweet. It was a sickly type of sweet, the
type that turned my stomach for a moment and I wondered if I would vomit.
“Well, I like you,” he said. “I would not have done this for anyone. Well, I
might have been told to do this for people in the past, but that was an order,
this was a choice.”
“You’re being weird,” I told him. “All I’m asking from you right
now is dick, I don’t need emotions. I have far too many of them that I’m
suppressing already. So, if you wanna park in an alley, I can slip out of
these and slip myself on something a little firm.” My hand on his thigh.
Maybe it was the near-death experience, or something else entirely
inside me, but the hornies were coming out to play right now.
 “You’re avoiding going back to the apartment,” he said. “I’m not
letting you use sex to get your way.”
I slapped a hand at his inner thigh, feeling the tip of his bulge and
getting giddy. “Please,” I moaned in a sexually aggressive tone. “I’m not
asking again.”
Danya laughed. “Good. We can do that later. We’ll need to
celebrate. And we can’t celebrate too early.”
“Too early?” I asked. “This is the perfect time. Maura is being
arrested, I’m alive, you’re alive, and unmarried.”
“But we still need to get back, before she leaves.”
I slinked in my seat as far as the seatbelt allowed me. “You’re
actually super boring,” I told him, teasing to get my way.
“Boring,” he scoffed. “I’m not falling for your mind games, baby.”
“Baby?” I snickered.
“Yes, baby,” he said. We were in traffic, and now we had time to
stare into each other’s eyes. “I left my family, not for you, but for me, to do
whatever I want, and express myself how I please. And—and—”
“I’m sorry, I’m gonna have to turn down this proposal,” I sassed,
turning to the door. “It’s all too soon, and you told me not to fall in love, so
I didn’t.”
“Pssh.” He yanked at my arm. “I’m not asking for anything from
you. I’m just expressing myself. I have affection for you. Don’t you dare
say anything snarky to that.”
I turned to him, pressing my lips together to suppress my smile.
“You have affection for me,” I said. “Well, I suppose I have affection for
you as well, or at least those inches of you. Several inches of you.”
He cupped his hand over his crotch. “Well, you’re never gonna get
this again unless we get back to my apartment.”
Great. Now he was withholding dick.
I didn’t know what I did to deserve dick-withholding, but I best get
the best dick of my life once the ban was lifted. “You owe me,” I said.
“I do owe you,” he agreed. “I owe you a lot, actually.”
Why was he being sweet? I needed someone to sass back with me. I
liked his nicer side, but sometimes a little more aggression was warranted,
and maybe he wasn’t letting it out because of how I’d latch to it like I
would someone who was dickpraved.
OceanofPDF.com
26. DANYA
We arrived at the apartment. It was how I’d left it, except with one major
change. Sutton’s mother. And she was nowhere to be found.
“Well,” he said, sassing me. “Where is she?” he asked. “Is this
another game because I honestly am too tired to be fucked around again.”
“No, no, she was right here,” I told him. “She was—she was sitting
right there like you did, and she was on her laptop.”
“Then where is she?”
That was the million-dollar question. Where was his mother? I
hadn’t lied, and I hadn’t been seeing or hearing things. I didn’t want to
think she’d left him again after everything that had been said. “She was
right here,” I told him.
“I’m back,” a voice called from the front door. “Oh god. I thought I
was—” His mother paused in the hallway. She stared at him and smiled,
holding two large white plastic bags. “I thought I’d beat you back here, but
since you took the earpiece out and gave it to my sister. I—I didn’t know
where you were.”
Choked at the sight of her, Sutton took my hand. “Hi,” he said,
softly. “I—I—”
I squeezed his hand a little for him.
“You look like her,” he said. “Maura.”
She scoffed. “I’ve been told that my entire life. You know she’s
older than me, right. Never lets me forget it. Or did. Anyway, I figured I’d
grab takeout, I don’t know what you like, so I got a lot of everything, and
hope we can catch up.”
“Over twenty years,” he mustered.
“I’ll leave you two.”
Sutton yanked on my hand. “No. You’re staying,” he said. “We can
catch up, but I don’t know how you’ll explain disappearing for twenty
years. I guess you’ve had twenty years to think of an explanation.”
She was visibly upset by what he’d said, and so was he by uttering
the words, his grasp grew tighter.
“Are you sure?” I asked him.
“Well, I brought enough food for all of us,” she said. “And if you’re
part of Sutton’s life, then I’d like you to hear what I’ve done to change my
life in all the ways I did just to get back to this moment.”
He was apprehensive, his body gravitating toward me, pushing
himself in my direction like he was expecting me to squeeze hold of him
and never let him go. I suppose I had her to thank for that, he’d never had
someone stay in his life long enough before. And I wanted to be someone
who stayed.
I grabbed plates as a quiet settled over us. I didn’t know what would
happen, but I knew that I had to be there for Sutton.
We sat at the small dining table together, glancing in each other’s
directions to see who would speak first.
“So,” Sutton began once he had an eggroll in his mouth.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “For everything. I never wanted to leave you.
Never. It almost killed me.”
“You stole a hundred million,” he said. “Why couldn’t you have
used some of that to get me?”
“Who—who told you that?”
“Maura,” he said.
They had the same attitude, back and forth with each other,
questions on questions. It almost reminded me of my family, except without
any level of respect. Although I couldn’t blame him. If I found out I’d been
abandoned, I don’t think I’d be willing or quick to accept their return either.
“Well, she was right, I stole a lot of money, and but it wasn’t mine,”
she said. “Maura thinks I stole it from her. We were stealing it together. But
at the time, they had my—your father and—and it was a ransom. He came
from money, disinherited, and they believed his family would pay. It was
my choice. I—I did everything I could, I paid them, but they still killed
him. After that, I was wanted by Interpol and all those agencies. Maura
threw me under the bus.”
“How are you back then?”
“Fake passport, fake documents, everything I’ve been working on
for years,” she said. “I didn’t have the money, not like Maura thinks, I
worked in a lot of places over the years, and for a lot of shady people. But
I’ve always kept an eye on you.”
He sighed, almost like he wasn’t expecting that answer from her.
“And why didn’t you reach out?”
She chuckled. “I did, but not in the way you thought,” she said. “I
helped you so much, those texts that brought the two of you together, that
was me. And the first time you hacked your way through the security of that
hedge fund guy’s personal account, I was there, virtually, adding strings of
code, and make sure to clean up after you.”
“Wait. What?”
Petra sipped some water, nodding at Sutton. “Why do you think you
were never caught?” she asked. “Or on anyone’s radar. Of course, because
you’re skilled, but mostly because I was there.”
“So, what you’re saying is, I’m not actually as good as I thought I
was,” he grumbled, grabbing at another egg roll before devouring it.
“You are good, I’d say it runs in the family,” she said, extending her
hand across the table toward him. “I’m not sure what to say to you. And
I’ve had all this time to think about something to say. It’s a weird feeling to
be stuck for words. I’m never usually lost for words.”
“Well, I’ve had a long time to think about all the shit I was going to
say to you as well,” he said. “Like, how much I hated you, but now I don’t
think I have it in me.”
She nodded. “You should hate me, but I want to make it up to you.
And I think I can. I want to take you away from here. I want to spend time
with you, getting to know the man you’ve grown into.”
He looked away and back to me, taking my hand under the table.
I wanted them to have this moment alone, but I couldn’t leave him
now that his hand was clinging to mine again.
“All I can say is I’m sorry, again, and again,” she said. “Until you
understand that I am sorry. Completely. There’s nothing I’ve regretted more
in my entire life. Well, I also regret giving all that money away.”
“Who was my father?” he asked.
“Jack Francis Levan,” she said. “It always made me happy to know
you kept the name. I know you must’ve looked into the Levan family, and
—”
“I did,” he said. “I kinda took advantage of it sometimes when
people saw my last name and assumed I was part of them.”
I didn’t know much about the Levan family, other than they were a
wealthy family in Manhattan, but any family that could afford to buy a
place in Manhattan was wealthy.
“Technically, you are, and you aren’t,” she said. “I don’t think they
even know you exist, and I don’t think I want them knowing you exist.
They don’t deserve to know that Jack had a son, and to be honest, none of
us deserve you for what happened.”
“I told myself I wouldn’t cry when I met you,” he said, sniffling.
“But I guess I’m a liar.”
There was a shared chuckle, both of their eyes were red with tears.
“I should take my plate and sit in the bedroom or something,” I said.
“You two need to bond.”
Sutton wiped his eyes and looked at me, the little tears blinking
from his eyelashes. “You left your family,” he said. “And I’m not asking
you to leave. You’re important to me, maybe because you saved my life, or
because you’re this giant overwhelming presence that makes me feel warm,
but I need you beside me.”
His mother continued to shed tears. I didn’t know if they were
happy tears or sad tears, but there were tears, and I was feeling
uncomfortable, even with Sutton’s show of affection. It was nice to feel his
sunshine on me, but I didn’t want to be the shadow on their memory if this
went south between us.
“I’m leaving in the morning,” she said, “early, it’ll still be dark out
when I go. I’m heading to Florida, hopefully I’ll find someone to fly me
under the radar over to the islands.”
Sutton nodded. “I can’t go with you,” he said. “I want to, but I can’t.
I need my own thing.” She smiled at him. He accepted her outstretched
hand and held it. “But if you want to have a relationship with me, I’m open
to it.”
“I’d like that,” she said.
“Now.” He removed his hand from both mine and his mother’s
hands. “I’m starving. And I want to know about you, since you know
everything about me, I want to know like—like—” he shrugged a couple
times. “Your favorite color? Favorite food? What music do you listen to
when you’re coding? Are you a morning person or a night person?”
“Fuchsia, seafood, usually piano, or a good instrument, and I’m a
morning person,” she answered with succinctly. “And I know that pale blue
is your favorite color, but I’d never been able to pin down a favorite food.”
She squinted, staring at him. “I’ve seen all your banking history, pizza,
Chinese, sushi, and a whole lot of coffee.”
“Oh, did you know that Danya has his own espresso machine?” he
bragged. “I don’t know how to use it, but it tastes good.”
 “I did,” she said. “I poured myself a coffee while I waited for him.
He’s such a slow driver.”
They both seemed to get a good chuckle out of that. “I’m not slow,”
I said. “I’m cautious.”
“Good,” she said, staring at Sutton. “I like knowing my—”
“You can call me your son,” he said.
“I know, I don’t think I’ve ever been a great mother. It’s almost like
I need to earn it. Probably why I’ve been a little bit of a helicopter mom
when it came to helping you.”
I tried not to devour all the dumplings and noodles on my plate, but
today had drained me. This was required sustenance. I almost tuned them
out as they bonded. It was nice to see them come together after what I
thought would’ve been an explosion.
Sutton was firm in his decision to not go with his mother. I wanted
to encourage him to go and do what he wanted, but once he had decided, he
stuck to it.
“I think we’re going into business,” Sutton revealed out of the blue.
My belly was far too full for me to turn as fast as I did in his
direction. “We are?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “You’ve left your family business, and there’s
about to be a huge arrest which means there’s a space for me to take over.”
He flicked fake hair from the side of his face.
“I disabled all of Maura’s remote access tools,” his mother revealed.
“So, even if she isn’t found guilty, it’ll take her a while to build her
portfolio again. And her son—” she shook her head, tutting. “Santiago is
already on a flight out of town. I saw the booking.”
“What?” he groaned. “Wait. I was using her stuff. And does she
know that Santi left? Damn.”
“It’s tough luck, but I doubt he’ll stay away,” she said. “And I also
looked into her finances while I was in the system. She had millions.”
“Oh my god, what will happen to that?” he asked.
“Had,” she repeated. “She had that money. Santi already tried
getting at it after me. Really unfortunate. And now, I’ve done what she’s
accused me of all those years ago. I took it. And if you ever change your
mind about coming to spend time and live with me out on their island, half
of it is yours.”
 “You keep it all,” he said. “I have a nest egg, and I’ll use some of
the contacts I stole from Maura’s desk.”
“What? When did you do that?”
“Her rolodex,” he said. “I grabbed it with my bag. She’s old
school.”
“Use it,” she said. “It’s what I would do if I had it.”
“We can split it,” he said, surprising to hear him want to share it.
“No,” she said. “Keep it. But make use of it. And when you’ve made
a name for yourself, evaded arrest more times than you can count, and have
been involved in a couple car chases, you can come to the islands, and I’ll
have a place made for you, both of you. They don’t have extradition treaties
there.”
I let out a chuckle. “I like the sound of that.”
She smiled at me. “I know all about your history.”
“And you still pushed us together,” he said, looking at me with the
side of his eyes. “It doesn’t sound like something any responsible mother
would do.”
“Responsible has never been something I was accused of before,”
she laughed. “But you two go well together, you’re the muscle, and you’re
the brain. Together, I’m sure you’ll do a lot of great things together, many
heists, I hope. I want to hear everything about them when we meet again.”
It sounded like the last time they would ever see each other, and it
possibly was, but there wasn’t any sadness between them anymore. They
were both smiling and cheerful. It made me wonder what my family had
done so wrong to end up the way we did. Potentially a cultural thing, my
family were fond of teaching the hard way and punishments. But I was out
of their grasps now and waiting on confirmation in the form of a text or call
to say what they’d done with the Sokolov siblings.
In the corner of my eye, a tear formed, shedding them would be
hard, but I was ready to reinvent a Danya 2.0.

OceanofPDF.com
27. SUTTON
It wasn’t what I imagined, it was everything and more. She was like me,
almost part of me, and she’d been there with me, like a guardian angel
throughout my life. It was easy for me to feel sad, but that was because I
was overwhelmed by everything, not because I was sad.
She’d left an hour ago. I sat at the breakfast bar, looking at all the
new programs she’d added to beef the performance on my laptop. And even
though she was on her way back to her life, I knew she was always with
me, virtually, of course. She’d done what she came to New York to do, keep
me safe, and neutralize her sister.
It was all over the news about her arrest. Woman keeps kids in
underground bunker, selling services to the highest bidder. It was, like most
news stories, only half a story they were telling. I suppose some of it had to
stay secret since it could compromise national security. She must’ve been
doing business with every country out there.
I wondered what happened to all the deployed people with the
bracelets that had been sold, and whether they were now stuck, or if they
were coming back, or perhaps they were never physically sold at all. All
virtual. Saves on shipping, I suppose.
“Are you coming to bed?” Danya called out from the bedroom. “I’m
hoping to celebrate.”
“Celebrate,” I repeated, my head turning in his direction.
In the doorway, Danya stood, wielding the largest dildo I had. He
wore a bathrobe, untied, showing off his hairy thick, thighs, and the tip of
his cock as it peaked through the space in the open bathrobe.
“Oh, hello,” I said, smacking my lips. “And you know already, I
need to prepare for that.”
He grabbed his cock. “Right,” he said. “I’ve got something you can
prepare yourself on.”
Hypnotized by the way he grabbed himself, I was ready to throw
myself on the floor and surrender to his touch. I was ready and waiting for
him to have his way with me. My bottom lip puckered. “Come and get me
then.”
“There’s nowhere for you to go,” he said, dropping the heavy dildo
with a thud. “When I get you, I’m fucking you. You’ve been warned.”
 “Oh no, please don’t get me,” I giggled, making slow movements to
leave the chair. “I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to take that monster. It’ll
be impossible to sit for weeks if I surrender myself to the mercy of your
cock.”
As Danya chased me around the kitchen, his bathrobe flew open for
me to get a real good look at his cock getting thicker. I wanted to get
caught, but I also like the chase. He knew that, and it got the blood racing
through me.
“You’ll have to rip these clothes off me too,” I said, turning around
and pulling the shorts to show off my peachy bum. “In fact, I request
they’re torn.”
We both had reasons to celebrate, and my idea of a good celebration
was playing captive to a good captor, especially one who didn’t have a
concept of how strong they were. And Danya’s strength was understated,
his muscles were big, but they performed like he was inhabited by
monsters.
Grabbing me from behind, he pulled me into his arms and pressing
his mouth to my neck, giving me a nibble that turned into a lick with his
tongue then smooches with his lips. I knew that sensation well, he was
leaving a hickey. And I didn’t mind it, if I got to give him one back in
return.
He carried me into the bedroom and threw me on the bed. My body
turned to jelly as it flopped around on the bouncy mattress.
Rolling onto my back, I opened my legs as wide as they’d get within
the confines of the shorts around my legs. “So,” I said, slapping my hands
on my thighs. “Are you doing something about these?”
Danya chewed on his bottom lip, his cock at full mast as he pulled
the bathrobe away. “Boy, I’ll tear that ass up,” he said. “And you’ll beg for
more.”
I was already begging for more. We’d both broken our rules.
His rule of not sleeping with the same guy twice, and my rule of not
getting attached to the warm body of a dick.
He jumped onto the bed. I bounced a little more, laying my head
back on the pillow and giving in to him. “No pillow princess,” he
whispered, leaning over me. His mouth at my ear, he gave my lobe a gentle
bite. “I wanna cuddle fuck you. I’m so tired, I might fall asleep inside you.”
He kissed my cheek, applying more of his body weight on me. “How does
that sound?”
I turned my head, our mouths together. I kissed him. “Sounds like
you talk a big game,” I told him. “You are big game.” I wiggled my brows.
“But that doesn’t mean you can live up to your promise. Now I want you to
cuddle fuck me, like rocking me into a deep sleep with your dick as my
pacifier.”
Without looking, his hands slipped into my shorts and pushed them
to my thighs. He stared into my eyes, almost like he knew every dip and
curve in my body without having to look. I was surprised, but I suppose a
fake it until you make it mentality sometimes worked.
“I said, tear them off.”
“So that you can wear mine?” he asked, carefully tugging them off.
He dipped with them until he was positioned on his knees at the bottom of
the bed. “I’m all for tearing them if you had more of the same. But you
don’t.”
“Then buy me some more,” I said.
“How about, I put something around your mouth, that way when I
talk to you, I know you’re listening,” he said, turning me slightly. He gave
my ass a gentle tap. The sound echoed around the room. “Or maybe I want
you to keep being sassy, because it makes me harder, each time you say
something that makes me want to dig my fingers into your pretty skin.”
This was more of the Danya I’d met when he first kidnapped me.
And I was ready for him to take my body for another test drive. We’d
already basically committed to each other that the purchase would happen,
but another test drive to see out the early morning hours was a quality
assurance.
He lifted my legs and pulled my cock between them so he could
take it into his mouth, all the while squeezing my own thighs around my
cock. It was a strange sensation that had my knees buckling together and
moaning gently.
His tongue went from his cock, balls, taint, until it reached my ass.
His tongue, like being kissed so gently in all my ticklish zones, it touched
my hole. An explosion of butterflies and tingles broke out in my stomach.
“Harder,” I said.
He lifted his head and chuckled. “Harder?” he asked before dipping
his head back to my hole and blowing a raspberry between my cheeks.
 Wiggling, there was nowhere I could wiggle to. My head hit the
headboard and I giggled. He continued to make new sensations between my
cheeks. “It tickles,” I said, scrunching the sheets into both hands. “I—I—”
He stopped. “Don’t you like being tickled?” he asked.
“I—I don’t,” I said, trying to look menacing back at him, but all he
probably saw was my adorable face sans frown lines looking back at him.
“You’re gonna make me cum.”
The tip of his finger slipped inside. “Isn’t that the goal, baby?” he
asked, sticking out his long tongue. “You cum, I cum, and everything in the
world is—”
“Cum!” I shouted, trying my best to squeeze my ass muscles around
his finger.
“Everything in the world is cum,” he said. “You have a wild
imagination; I want to fuck it.”
Somehow, the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to me.
“You—you—”
He grabbed a dildo, seemingly out of nowhere, but probably from
the bulge I hadn’t paid attention to in the sheet. It was the pastel green one,
the fantasy goblin cock. “Rules,” he said, pushing the dildo between my
thighs to part them. My cock flung back and hit my belly. “If you cum with
this in, I’ll still fuck you and make you cum again.”
“Lube it first,” I said. “It’s dangerous to go in dry.”
“Baby,” he said, tilting his head. “I know danger, and I always
lube.” He grabbed the pump container of lube from the right side of me.
Again, something I hadn’t noticed while his body had been all over me,
distracting me from everything else. “Taking care of your hole is my
number one priority right now.”
The heat of the moment, and from what he’d said. I was blushing.
“Ok,” I whispered as he spread my legs a little further apart from each
other. “You’re flexible. I like that.”
“I’m surprised you remember considering all the—”
The lubed toy went inside with ease, shutting me up. “What were
you saying?” he snickered. “That’s right. Our pasts are the past. Let’s keep
it there.” The toy went in a little deeper. His hand vibrating around the base
to give it a vibration of its own.
Considering I’d deleted his past from his phone, and we were both
in a state of freedom, we shouldn’t have been thinking of the past. Unless
the past was me, the toys, and how much I’d historically been able to take
when I was prepared.
The toy was enough practice before I begged him to fuck me.
Pleaded for him to bless me, and for me to bless him with how well I was
able to flex my ass muscles like I had developed a vice-like grip.
We laid, side-by-side in the bed, his cock thrusted slowly in me,
pulling all the way out until the large tip was stretching the hole, and then
eased its way back in. His arms around me, squeezing and relaxing against
my chest with synchronized moaning.
The cuddles were nice. I didn’t want them to end. Any of them. The
cuddle of his cock buried inside me, his chin on my shoulder, almost
hooking me in place against his chest. A single leg intertwined with one of
mine. I was completely his and under his control, not a single movement I
did was mine, he controlled every motion. The only part of me under my
control was the squeeze of my muscles almost throbbing in synchronized
motion with his cock.
His hands were on mine, wrapped around my cock, almost like he
was showing me some proper technique on masturbation. I let him. It was
nice to give away complete control, especially when it meant I was
receiving more pleasure than I ever had in my entire life.
After a couple more thrusts, he yanked my body tight. “I broke my
own rule,” he said, his voice labored as his every muscle twitched inside his
body. I knew that feeling, the intense throbs of his cock inside me were
filling the condom. “Cum for me.” His hands around mine let go, giving me
autonomy over the speed and grip of my cock.
I came seconds later with him inside me.
He kissed my neck and cuddled me closer while his cock was still
deep in me. “I told you; I want to sleep with it in there,” he said.
I had no issue with that. It was always somewhat of a dream to have
it happen. “I think I know what I wanna do next,” I told him. With cum
comes clarity. Post-nut clarity was unmatched, and it seemingly lit the path
for me to go forward in life.
“Sleep?” he asked. “Because I wouldn’t mind getting a couple of
hours sleep.” He kissed the back of my neck again.
“No, well, yeah, I’m fucking tired,” I giggled. He thrust his hips as
close to my back as possible, keeping himself in me. “But I’m gonna get
revenge. I’m gonna have into my grandparents’ accounts, take what I
should rightfully inherit.”
Danya yawned into my ear. “Sounds like a plan,” he said, his voice
petering off into another yawn. “If that’s what you want, we’ll do it.”
“One-hundred million,” I said excitedly. “That’s what I want. That’s
what I’m gonna get. It’s how much—” I paused. I didn’t think I’d ever get
emotional talking about people I never knew. But since one-hundred million
was the ransom for my father, it was poetic that I took that from them. And
I was gonna do it.
He gave me another kiss before slurring something in Russian. I
didn’t understand any of it, but I’m sure it was probably something like, I
believe in you, or maybe even a casual first, I love you. Either way, it sent
him into a slumber, and as I relaxed in his arms, his cock came out of me,
sort of a relief.
“Oh no,” he mumbled. “Ok, another time then.” He took the
condom off. “Damn. That’s a lot.”
“I got mine all over the sheet,” I grumbled, seeing the small puddles
of wetness from where I’d shot my load. “You should sleep this side.”
He didn’t fight in his sleepy state. “Only because I love you,” he
said. I climbed over him to his side, and he rolled over to mine. We both
brushed over what he’d said in that moment.
Except my mind replayed it over and over.
It seemed easier for him to sleep once he was laid on his back. One
leg over me and an arm under my head.
I had all these thoughts swimming around. I loved all of them.
So much had happened.
Half of it didn’t even seem real.
But then I looked to Danya and saw the little marks on his face from
all the fights he’d been in. He was the best, and he was all mine. I didn’t
want to lose him. A weird feeling. I prided myself on being completely
unattached, but something about the way Danya took care of me had my
body tingling with emotion.
I loved him.
Nauseous by the thought.
I had to tell Cal all about this whenever he made contact.
He was still off-the-grid. I envied that too. Another thought to
occupy my mind.
 Going forward, my goals were to steal from my grandparents, go
off-the-grid, and have more sex with Danya.
The last part was important, it filled a hole in me, literally.
But first, I needed sleep, and I knew I’d sleep well in the security
blanket arms of Danya.
My protector.

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EPILOGUE
SUTTON

Nine Months Later

Paris was overrated.

Baguettes were great the first time I ate one, but after eating them
every morning with a different stinky cheese, I was beginning to get sick of
it.
We were in Paris for work. That’s right. I was traveling the world
now. My job was easy. I hacked security systems, which were so
unbelievably easy now that I had the software. And Danya was the muscle.
There were more people on the team. The driver, the contortionist
who moonlighted as a cat burglar, and then the main guy, he was this
confidence con man who pickpocketed people for a living before we were
all pulled together.
It was easy money, and when we weren’t working, we got to play
around in the cities we’d burglarized.
We were days away from leaving Paris. Thankfully. The next stop
on our tour was Rome, specifically, an old archive in Rome where they
store a wealth of items. I was still working on my big heist of stealing from
the Levan family in Manhattan, but in the nine months I’d uttered what I
wanted to do, I hadn’t made any progress at all. Their security was tighter
than a virgin ass without lube.
Danya had become somewhat of a soft romantic. He’d changed a
little, but he was still hard and rugged where it counted.
He’d prepared us a picnic basket. Strawberries, a baguette, more
stinky cheeses, and of course, champagne from the Champagne region in
France. I had expensive tastes now. I suppose I always had expensive taste;
it was part of my heritage.
We sat out near the Eiffel Tower, as did everyone else in France it
seemed.
Danya set a blanket out and a little cushion for my booty. “I’m
protecting the goods,” he said. “You’re always on that ass, I don’t want it
getting flat.”
“Pop the champagne,” I said, looking in the basket.
 “Relax,” he said. “I’ll get there.” He pulled out the two champagne
flutes.
He popped the cork as I continued to stare in the basket. There was
something under the baguette, it looked like a slip of card. “What’s that?” I
asked, reaching in.
“No, you’re gonna spoil it,” he said.
“Spoil what?”
He reached into the basket. “Fine.” He held something in his hand
as he poured the champagne. “I’d do it differently, but you’re impatient.”
“It’s still there,” I grumbled, staring at the half-covered slip of card,
trying to make out what it said. “It’s—”
“Will you marry me?” he asked.
Turning my head, he was on one knee and presenting an encrusted
silver band at me. “I—”
“Yes or no,” he said.
“Obviously,” I said, still focused on the paper in the basket.
He chuckled. “What are you looking at?”
People around us started to stop and watch the proposal.
I grabbed the card. “The Zodiak Agency,” I read. “Oh. I think it’s for
both of us.”
“Take the ring,” he whispered. “People are gathering.”
“Yes,” I proclaimed. “Yes, I’ll marry you!” I shouted so everyone
heard.
They cheered and applauded, but I was quickly focused back on the
card that had been at the bottom of the basket.
“I’ve heard about them,” I whispered.
He slipped the ring over my ring finger. “Me too,” he said. “I don’t
know what they’d want with us.”
“I thought they were a myth,” I told him. “A shadow agency.”
On the flipside of the card, there was more information.
‘Sutton & Danya, you’re both invited to quit your life of crime. Your
skills are much better served with an agency like ours. Leave this in plain
view on the windowsill of your apartment if you accept. If you decline, we
might have to one day stop you.’
My throat grew dry. It was a threat. Almost.
We both looked around. I didn’t know how it had gotten in there,
and neither did he.
 Either way, we both needed to wet our throats with the champagne.
“What do you think?” I asked him.
“I’ve heard a lot about them,” Danya said. “They were told as horror
stories, the Zodiak Agency would come after families and kill everyone
there. But always a myth. No trace. No evidence they even exist.”
“Except this,” I said, fanning the card in his face. “And why
wouldn’t they want us?” It was nice to be wanted, but not nice to know we
were being watched. “I’m good at hacking, and you’re a great shot. You
even managed to hustle that professional dart player. I don’t think he’d seen
so many bullseye hits.”
It was a choice we both had to make.
It threw a wrench in the works.
“First, we should celebrate our engagement,” he said. “We can talk
about this later. I have conflicted feelings.”
“Ok.” I leaned over the picnic basket to him and gave him a kiss.
“FYI, I’m not eating anymore baguette or cheese, but you can feed me the
strawberries, please.” I sat back and stuck my tongue out to him.
“What would we tell everyone?” he asked, clearly not taking his
own words about talking later. “I think we should do what we’re doing.
We’ve got our goals. You’ve got your goal. Remember. I think it’s less
dangerous if we keep doing what we’re doing.”
I nodded. I was easy like that. “I’m still waiting for my strawberry,”
I said, trying to distract him.
He smiled at me, grabbing a fresh strawberry from inside the basket.
“Open wide,” he said. “Wider. Come on. I know you can do it.”
“Ahhh.”
The strawberries were deliciously sweet and juicy. I could’ve eaten
those without ever stopping.
He stuck half a strawberry in his mouth and leaned in close. I bit the
other half of the strawberry, our lips meeting in the middle to kiss,
exchanging the redness from the strawberry on our mouths.
“We have bigger things to think about,” he said, once more bringing
it up. “Like, planning a wedding now. And I think we should visit your
mom. She might be able to help with the security on your grandparents’
accounts.”
“You’re right,” I told him. “I bet she can.”
 It was a perfect end to our Parisian stay, and a successful heist. I
admired the ring, wondering if it was one of the stolen pieces. I hoped it
was, because it felt expensive. Now, he needed a ring, but perhaps not one
for his hand, but one for his cock.
“I love you,” he said.
“I don’t know, that sounds a bit gay,” I giggled.
“Well, Paris is probably the gayest place in the world, so I don’t see
a problem with that.”
I rolled my eyes at him. Sometimes my humor went way over his
head. But I loved that about him.
“I love you too,” I said. “But I love diamonds more. Hint hint. When
we get married, I want a diamond. A big one.”
“You’re such a size queen,” he said. “But anything for you.”

THE END

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 WANT MORE DARK ROMANCES?
I’ve teased The Zodiak Agency in both Lethal and Bad Boy… well, get
ready for THE AGENCY series. It’ll be filled to the brim with action,
adventure, mystery and some oh-so sweet darkness!

Stay tuned for DEADY RECRUIT.

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 More from JOE SATORIA
JOE SATORIA is an MM romance author currently living in—who knows
—anywhere in the world, really. He’s a hopeful romantic—the hope being
in his ability to one day find romance outside of fiction. And he’s also a cat
person—but deathly allergic to them.

If you can find me, follow me—I won’t get a restraining order (this time).

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