Page 26 of Prodigal

Gideon stood and walked around the desk, taking the iPad from Kaleb’s grip and reading the file there. The report had been made by Ty Levins,a concerned friend. “Who the fuck is Ty Levins?”

Reaching over Gideon’s shoulder, Kaleb swiped across the iPad screen and a DMV photo popped up. Ty Levins: twenty-five, brown skin and piercing gray eyes, bald head, and high cheekbones. He was gorgeous. Gideon hated him on sight.

“Did some digging,” Kaleb told him. “Seems he and André were a thing, but other than that, he’s clean. The report says he called André a few times and got no answer, so he went over to his apartment but has been unable to connect with André.”

They were a thing? As in past tense or were they stilla thing? “Dig deeper,” he told Kaleb without looking away from the device screen. “I want to know every fucking thing there is to know about him.” Just in case he’d be a nuisance and cause problems for the plan, of course.

“Got it.” Kaleb nodded.

“Ennis Canto called a meeting with The Council.” Samir steered them to other business as he glanced up from his phone. “The request just appeared.”

Gideon rolled his eyes. “No doubt he’s running to tattle on me for killing Prislaya.” But the joke was on Canto. It was against council code to be caught actively plotting another member’s death. Oh, they could plot against each other, and kill each other, they just had to keep that shit secret. The moment you were found out was the moment you lost your seat and secured yourself a death sentence.

Gideon acted well within his rights as council head by dealing with Prislaya. Which Ennis very well knew.What the hell is that motherfucker up to?

“The next move is Ennis’s, so let’s see what he does.” Whatever he did, Gideon would counter a thousand times heavier. He glanced at the others. “Anything else?” When they shook their heads, he headed for the door. “Good. I need a shower and some rest. Play amongst yourself while I’m gone.” He left them in there, but Samir joined him, grabbing Gideon’s shoulder as he turned toward the stairs leading to his bedroom.

“Hey. What’s going on with you?”

Gideon lifted an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Samir stopped walking, folding his arms across his chest. Gideon halted as well.

“This André thing has you distracted.”

“I’m not distracted.”

Samir’s expression said he didn’t buy that at all, but all he did was nod once. “Just checking. I don’t have to tell you what’s at stake.”

Gideon eyed him coolly. “No, you don’t.” He spun on his heel, leaving Samir standing in the hallway as he made his way upstairs. He wasn’t distracted, and certainly not by André. The other man was a means to an end. A weapon, cocked and loaded, to be used at the most appropriate time. Gideon would never forget his mission. Never forget his purpose and the reason behind every move he made. Samir was out of his mind if he thought anything or anyone could distract Gideon from his goals.

That was what he told himself…until he glanced up and realized he stood in front of André’s bedroom door.

Well, fuck.

He glanced over his shoulder quickly to ensure no one was around because wouldn’t it be just his luck to have Samir witness this brief moment of weakness right after Gideon denied it? He stood staring at the door with his hands shoved into his pockets, bottom lip caught between his teeth. He was tired, just like he’d told the others. He needed to sleep.

But he wanted to see André more, wanted to see if André was scared of him now that he knew Gideon was a killer. If he still hated Gideon for keeping him and his sister at the penthouse. If he was still gonna keep pretending that he didn’t like looking at Gideon the way Gideon liked looking at him.

He pounded on the door, harder than he’d intended to, cursing himself all the while. He shouldn’t be there. Shouldn’t do anything?—

The door opened and André stood there, looking adorably rumpled and more than a little annoyed in an old gray t-shirt and matching pants. Guess that answered the question of whether or not he slept naked. Gideon had woken him up, itappeared. Because his eyes were still heavy with sleep, slightly red, and they widened comically when they landed on Gideon.

“What do you want?” Sleep weighed his voice down and turned it into something Gideon wanted to strip naked and roll around in.

Goddamn it, his dick was hard. “Who is Ty Levins?” And fuck, he hadn’t meant to ask that.

André’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

“Invite me in.” Because he didn’t want to stand out there in the hallway and give Samir or any of the others more to be concerned about.

“What?” André blinked. “No.”

Ignoring him, Gideon pushed past him and entered the bedroom, inhaling deeply. The room was warm and neatly arranged, and a hint of André’s cologne lingered in the air. Gideon's dick got harder still.

“Hey.” The door closed as André grabbed Gideon by the arm, halting his progress farther into the room. “You can’t barge in here just because it’s your place.”

Gideon grinned. “Why not?” Was it wrong to find it sexy the way André glared at him? His twitching dick saidno.

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