Page 113 of Shadows in Bloom

Flix thought it over and then snapped a finger. “The Docks. You owe me money, isn’t that right?”

“I…” His brother owed it, but Oran had signed Nikita’s name to the bets, and no matter who he’d tried to speak with about it, no one would help him.

The Docks were known as one of the best places in the city for gambling and was where illegal street races happened at least once a month. As far as he understood things, Flix didn’t have a hand in running the events, but he was frequently there, and Nikita had spotted him a time or two before.

“Overheard him talking about it with some of Madden’s guys. What are you doing with him?” Flix turned back to Ledger. “He owe you too?”

“Yeah,” Ledger stated without skipping a beat. “His life.”

Nikita closed his eyes and waited, figuring now that it was out there, Ledger would finally deliver the killing blow and this could all be over. He’d lost, after all. So what if Ledger had played with him a little first? He’d gotten a fantastic, if not a bit unsettling, orgasm out of it. As far as final wishes went, he couldn’t really complain.

He’d probably feel that knife any minute now, and then Ledger would tell his friend he’d caught him trying to steal from them.

“Smile, Tiger,” Ledger’s voice pulled him out of it and he opened his eyes just in time for the flash of the camera on the Devil’s multi-slate—the rectangular body borne device that acted as a computer and phone—to momentarily blind him. He’d taken a selfie of the two of them.

Was it a memento? Did he typically take photos of the people he killed?

“Call Madden. Tell him we’ll settle anything he owes tonight,” Ledger surprised him by saying to Flix.

Nikita’s eyes went wide.

“Pretty sure you’ve got two working hands,” Flix stated. “Why don’t you call him yourself? I don’t even know this guy's name.” He gave Nikita another look and grunted. “He’s totally your type.”

Ledger quirked a brow. “In what way?”

“He’s got that whole wounded animal vibe going for him. You’re a sucker for that shit.”

“I am not,” Ledger sounded unsure.

“Whatever.” Flix ran a hand through his platinum blond hair. “Why are you willing to settle things for him anyway? He that good in bed?”

Nikita wondered if this was a regular thing for them. If maybe they swapped debts between them all the time. That was probably it. It wasn’t like Nikita was special. And if he was that curious about sleeping with him, Ledger didn’t have to clear his debts to do it.

If he’d been capable of feeling shame at this stage in his life, he might have over his physical reaction toward the Devil. Even now, only moments after he’d already come, he could feel his body heat at just the thought of Ledger touching him intimately again.

“I’m doing this because,” the corner of Ledger’s mouth tipped upward, and Nikita’s breath caught in his throat, “then I’ll own him truly. What do you say, Tiger?” He slipped a finger beneath the collar of Nikita’s faded black t-shirt and tugged. “You want to be mine, or would you rather?—”

“Yours,” he cut him off before he could finish, not daring to allow himself to hesitate in his decision. “I’d rather be yours.”

No matter what Ledger’s true motive may be, Nikita had already tried everything else on his own. Breaking in here had been his final attempt to get Oran to set things right for him, and even then, Nikita wasn’t naïve.

He’d known his brother wasn’t serious, he just hadn’t had any other option but to play along. That’s why he’d hoped to steal something and run. How was spending a night in Ledger’s bed going to be any worse than the fate in store for him now that he’d failed at both?

At least with the debts taken care of, that would be one less thing to worry about. Then he could focus on how he was going to appease Oran long enough to get away. His brother was going to be pissed when Nikita didn’t show him proof he was in Friction.

“You do realize what I’m asking, right?” Ledger insisted, holding his gaze firmly with a dark look.

“You want to have sex with me,” Nikita said, blinking when Flix laughed at him.

“Sure he’s worth it?” Flix cocked his head and ran his eyes down Nikita’s body pointedly. “He’s racked up quite a lot of debt. It’ll take at least a year to pay it off. Not sure you’d want to keep him around that long. Why don’t you just ask Madden to deduct some of it for you? Save you some coin.”

“Nah,” Ledger waved his comments off.

“Madden doesn’t run a redlight district, Ledge. He’s not going to let the guy off the hook just because you’re screwing him.”

“Like you give a shit what I do with him or how Madden reacts.”

“Fair.”

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