Page 1 of Love of the Egoist
PROLOGUE
“I HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOUfor quite a while,” Yugo rustled as he sat on the edge of the hardwood table. Crossing one leg over the other, he took a greedy draw on a cigarette. His broad chest rose, straining the buttons of his black shirt, and fell in a smoky exhale. A bitter-sweet mix of tobacco and vanilla spread through the room.
He smirked, scrutinizing the man kneeling in front of him.
“Such a brat and still managed to spoil my business…” he said, watching the tense line of the prisoner’s shoulders jerk toward the sound of his voice. “Greg, uncover his eyes.”
One of the five present in the room—a bulky man in a black baggy suit— watched the scene as it unraveled with habitual serenity, as if this was a perfectly normal, everyday interaction. He stepped forward, his hand flew to the back of the prisoner’s head, releasing the knot.
The black blindfold slid down, but the captive didn’t raise his eyes. His jaw clenched bulging with tension.
Twizzling the cigarette between his middle and index fingers, Yugo smirked as he slightly rocked his foot in the air. Not stretching the pause any longer, he demanded, “Look at me when I’m talking to you.”
Standing behind the prisoner, with his hands in his pockets, Greg shifted merging his military boots with the sharp, long black shadow cast by Yugo. Gripping the hair of the kneeling man, whose hands were cuffed behind his back, he yanked his head up, revealing his bruised face covered in dried blood. An ugly wound at the corner of the captive’s mouth glinted with oozing blood in the afternoon sun.
“Fuck you!” the prisoner barked. Yugo chuckled when Greg pulled the captive’s hair, forcing him to arch his back, and punched him in the face. His head snapped left as he hung forward and spat a clot of blood on the floor.
“How rude. I was polite enough, even invited you to my house.” Yugo purred and crushed the cigarette in the ashtray. He jumped off the table and moved closer to his prey.
Hunching his shoulders, the prisoner watched the floor, his knuckles bleached white. The vein in his neck throbbed. Yugo snorted and, following the lead of his subordinate, grabbed the man by the hair and jerked his head toward him.
“Kuon Leiris—a detective who achieved his rank at such a tender age.” Yugo’s lips lifted at the edge in a caustic smile. “Too bad he’ll never turn twenty-five.”
Kuon leveled his kidnapper with a hateful stare and spat in his face. Yugo flinched, his lips quivered and stretched in a lopsided grimace. He had to summon all his strength not to crush Kuon’s head against the floor. Wiping the bloody saliva off his face with the back of his hand, he ordered in an eerie voice, “Get out!”
The room emptied within seconds, leaving behind only Yugo and the beaten police detective.
“Cocky, aren’t we?” He squatted, biting the side of his right thumb; his eyes searching Kuon’s face.
Even with all the cuts and bruises, Yugo could see how handsome the young man was. His short chestnut hair, sticking out in all directions, looked soft. His forehead was high and expansive; his deep brown eyes soulful and framed by slightly arched brows. His challenging gaze linked with Yugo’s. A straight nose, stubborn chin, and clean-cut cheekbones completed the portrait.
Yugo’s canine tooth sank deeper into his thumb as he watched the younger man grind his teeth. The corner of his tormented mouth looked puffy, painful.
“Hmm…” Licking his thumb, Yugo reached out to wipe dried blood off Kuon’s swollen lips, using slow circular motions.
Kuon snapped his head back, biting his lips closed in an attempt to avoid the criminal’s wet finger. His eyes narrowed, dragging his eyebrows close together. The wound at the corner of his mouth cracked, increasing the blood flow.
Sensing the annoyance coming from his prisoner, Yugo smiled and leaned into the detective, forcing him to look up. His tongue flicked over Kuon’s lips, licking off the trickle of fresh blood.
Disgust twisted Kuon’s mouth as he tried to turn his face away, shudders wracking his body.
“We are gonna have such a good time,” promised Yugo, licking the metallic taste off his lips. Anticipation twitched in his chest, awakening curiosity. Turning away, he called, “Greg!”
The door creaked open, and the bulky man entered the room.
“Don’t hit him in the face anymore. I want to see it fully healed. Take him down to the basement.”
CHAPTER 1
KUON BARELY SAW ANYTHINGbehind the wide backs of his escort. Only a series of doors, a wide grand staircase, and a narrow aisle behind the kitchen, leading to the basement.
The deadbolt lock on a massive, metal door clearly outlined the true purpose of the basement. The door creaked open, revealing the black entrance, eager to swallow a small cog of the law-enforcement machine.
Two guards froze on either side of the door. Refusing to risk descending the stairs first, in case Kuon used the opportunity to kick them down, they waited for him to go inside.
Kuon halted as his instincts kicked in, screaming for him to run. He shot a glance back, hoping for something, but Greg looming behind him blocked the only escape route. A strong jab between his shoulder blades forced Kuon to step forward.
Darkness swallowed his feet.CLICK.Light flashed, then flickered, and an annoying buzzing noise, as if wasps inhabited the basement, killed the silence. Electricity stabilized. Vast and damp, the concrete basement sprawled under the mansion. Metallic drains were embedded all over the smooth floor, and a green garden hose hung by the staircase on the left wall.
