Page 57 of Love of the Egoist
CHAPTER 17
KUON STRUGGLED TO OPEN HIS EYES. His body shaking, frozen solid. Numb trembling fingers clutched icy shoulders, scared to lose the last drops of body heat with any movement. A soft, muffled groan rang in his ears, cutting off the annoying chattering of his teeth, long before he realized it was his own. He frowned, forced himself upright; his joints cracked. Rubbing his left eye with his icy fist, he peered into the night.
He was alone in a vast room. The lights were off and borderless black space spread beyond the window. Clusters of stars scattered about the velvet texture of the sky, and the absence of the moon only added to their brightness.
The window stood wide-open.
His fingers trembled as they came to his mouth. He blew on them, rubbed them together, but his shaky breath clouded in the air, and the illusion of warmth evaporated in the chilly air along with clouds. A wave of numbness rushed through his limbs. The stiffness of his neck prevented him from having a good look around. His head felt heavy, and pulsating pain ticked in his left temple.
His toes drowned in the softness of the wolf fur when he stood up and stumbled toward the door, giving a brief look in the high mirror. The pale reflection with sunken cheeks, and the right cheekbone, decorated with a leather imprint, glared back at him. He moved his feverish gaze toward the door and slapped the handle down. The door opened.
He blinked, then squinted, as the bright electric light scratched his eyes. As soon as the pain lessened, he peeped out. The crease on his forehead deepened.
Fuck, this can’t be real...Trying his luck, Kuon stole out of the room.
Hollow and desolated, the corridor rolled out its red carpet tongue through the mansion, thirsty for any movement. Welcoming warmth greeting Kuon, sent shivers through his body. He rubbed his shoulders with his numbed hands.
Where did everybody go?
He crept down the corridor, reached the staircase. Putting his deadened palm on the rail he stilled. Muffled voices reached his ears, coming from the ground floor, alerting him in seconds.
Yeah, right, this was too good to be true…A wry smile twisted his lips. He wanted to retreat, but curiosity took over. Taking two steps down the staircase, he leaned over the rail.
“The suicide bomber, who blew himself up by the International Criminal Court in Hague, the Netherlands, was an Austriancitizen. The Islamic Liberation Organization made the statement this morning, taking responsibility for the terroristic attack. The ILO leader, Mohamed…”
Kuon frowned when someone turned the TV off.
“This is the third one,” Yugo said. “How come they recruit only Austrian citizens and all of this happens under your nose?”
“My best guess is that Patrice or Gray saw their gains in cooperating with the ILO while we are losing money siding with Amin.” The voice sounded harsh and unpleasant. It scratched Kuon’s brain like a wire brush against rusty metal. “But more importantly, Yugo, a new batch will be arriving tomorrow. You have to be there. The absence of the leader undermines your authority.”
“If I must attend every fucking deal, why the fuck do I need the three of you?” Yugo’s uninterested voice drawled from downstairs.
“How long are you going to slack off? You are too obsessed with your toy!” High notes in the scratchy voice indicated…annoyance?
The way the man spoke left no doubt—he was more than a mere subordinate. Kuon had never heard anyone talk to Yugo this way.
“Mind your own business and don’t stick your nose in mine,” Yugo snapped. A long uncomfortable silence fell over the house.
“I wish you no harm, Yugo. I’m not your enemy. That’s why your senseless act worries me. You are playing a perilous game. Dangerous not only for you but for the business too. You let the detective live—it is unwise. More than that, you keep him as a lapdog in your own bedroom. The police are looking for him, and people have started talking. They say you have gotten soft. That you treat the police officer like a lover, keeping him in your own bed.”
“Shut the fuck up! Don’t you think I know you don’t give a shit about anything but your own skin and personal gain? How the fuck has my puppy displeased you in any way? He behaves perfectly.” Yugo’s voice deep with a threat, providing Kuon with a vivid recollection of his tenacious eyes, filled with warning.
“Yugo, when you told me to walk away from the ILO deal I said nothing, but I can’t keep quiet in this case. Please, hand him over to me. With his body, he will be admired. And when he is worn out, I’ll make sure he is gotten rid of quietly. You will not have any trouble,” the man had changed his tactics and now spoke in a conciliatory voice.
“Maybe later, when I’m tired of him…” Yugo cut the man short.
Kuon’s heart stopped beating and dropped in the pit of his stomach as a lump formed in his throat.He wanted to straighten up, but paralyzed limbs refused to move.
Just like that?My life means nothing to you?
He covered his eyes with his palms, searching for some shelter. Tightness in his chest made every breath painful. The toxic air burned his lungs to ashes. He flopped on the stairs, propping his elbows on his knees. Bluish nails scrapped along his cheeks, down his chin.
I’m an idiot… he kept saying this from the beginning. He will keep me until I stop entertaining him…A hopeless haze fell over his heart, and he whispered in a voice full of self-hatred, “Serves me right…”
“Yugo, you are a smart guy, don’t do anything foolish.”
“Enough,” the Black Duke snapped back. “What I do and who I do it with is none of your concern. My decisions are mine alone. Do what I pay you for and keep your fucking opinion to yourself! How come Mio came here alone? Where were his bodyguards? Who the fuck is responsible for him? Fire that fucker. If it comes to my knowledge that you lost sight of him again, I’m gonna skin you alive.”
