Page 8 of Ready to Cash Out

Jupiter smiled. “Last name?”

Now it was Trev’s turn to give Jupiter a scolding look. Their time together wasn’t meant to be a game of twenty questions, and restricting the flow of personal information was critical for his safety. He’d dealt with his share of creeps, weirdos, and would-be stalkers, and his instincts told him to lie.

Then again, Jupiter was a member of the powerful criminal family that ran the city. That presented a new set of risks, and Trev weighed his options. His gut still told him to lie, but his brain reminded him that Jupiter was armed.

“Usher,” Trev said at last. He put on a sweet smile and let his eyes fall to Jupiter’s lips. He needed to redirect the course of this conversation and fast. “How would you like to begin, sir? I’m yours to?—”

“Fix me a drink.”

Damn. Too fast?

Jupiter released Trev’s hand with a kiss. “Whiskey on the rocks, please.”

While that wasn’t quite the command Trev was expecting, he did as he was told and headed to the bar. “Of course, sir.”

Jupiter sat on the edge of the bed. “Are you from around here, Trev?”

“No.” Trev filled a short glass with ice and then grabbed a bottle of whiskey.

“Where?”

“Born in Strassen Springs, moved here when I was a kid.”

“Parents?”

“Dead,” Trev replied flatly as he poured. He didn’t understand why Jupiter wanted to ask him stupid questions instead of taking off his clothes, but he knew it was in his best interest to play along.

“What happened?” Jupiter pressed.

“Dad, car accident before we moved. Mom, a stroke a few years ago.” Trev brought the drink over to Jupiter, standing before him and gazing down at him. For the moment, he could enjoy being taller than Jupiter since he was seated, and he longed to plunge his fingers into Jupiter’s dark waves.

Jupiter’s brow furrowed as he accepted the glass. “Sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Brothers? Sisters?”

“No sir.”

“Just you then?”

“Just me, sir.” Trev watched Jupiter sip the whiskey, and he put his hands on his hips.

It was getting harder to play the cute submissive while being interrogated. Something about this felt off, but he couldn’t quite place what it was. Jupiter was certainly giving him the right kind of vibes to take him on a trip straight to pound town, but then why was he asking all of these strange questions?

Why did it feel like getting off wasn’t Jupiter’s goal, that getting something else was?

Information?

But what? And why?

Trev didn’t have anything to hide. Technically, he wasn’t involved with anything that would be of interest to a gangster. What he did for Allan Electronics was laughably small time, and his time as a sex worker was hardly of note.

Be careful tonight.

They want blood.

Juicy’s cryptic warning slipped back to the forefront of Trev’s mind, but he ignored it. If Jupiter really wanted his blood, he would have skipped this whole song and dance.

---