Page 5 of Obsession of the Egoist
“Is there anything I need to know?” Greg’s massive fists disappeared into the pockets of his black baggy pants as he shifted from one foot to the other.
“The war is unpredictable. By supporting the Al-Amin, we represent a great threat to the ILO. To weaken the Al-Amin, the ILO has to eliminate us, and for that, they only have to kill me.” Yugo sighed, picked up a cigarette pack that lay on the desk, and pulled out a smoke and silver lighter. Squeezing the filtered side between his lips, he lit up the cigarette and sucked in the bitter, acrid smoke. “Mio isn’t safe here, but Tobias is cautious. With the right mindset, he will protect Mio. He used to when Mio was a kid. He can do that again. However, that’s not what’s bothering me. Let’s imagine that the ILO eventually succeeds in killing me. Who would stand in my stead? If Rudolph takes over, the S-Syndicate is doomed to drown in a civil war. In the best scenario, Mio will end up dead or out on the streets. I’ll do my best to prevent that. Gustavo would be a great leader, and he would keep Mio safe, but he has no drive nor wish to do that. Tobias? He wouldn’t want to be bothered and, if I’m completely honest, I’m not sure where he stands. More than that, he hates Mio. Once I’m dead, he will split off and look for another powerful ally—one who would make him comfortable. That would weaken the S-Syndicate a great deal. That leaves me with Mio and the question: who will stand by his side? The man he is now is a dead man. No one will follow him.”
Taking another draw, Yugo pushed the smoky words out, “Mio has to grow up—the sooner, the better. I need him to be strong enough to lead the S-Syndicate and oppose Rudolph. After all, I didn’t build the empire to gift it to Rudolph.” Twizzling a cigarette between his index and middle fingers, Yugo watched thoughts swirl behind Greg’s intelligent eyes. “But I don’t think Mio will ever be ready to lead the S-Syndicate if he is left on his own. Letting him stay with Rudolph was an unforgivable mistake. That bastard did nothing to educate him, quite the opposite. He did his best to ruin the potential opponent in Mio.”
“So, what are we gonna do?”
“Exploit the opportunity. For Mio to stay strong, he needs all the support he can get. For now, he only has Gustavo, but that’s not enough. My best hope is that Tobias will mold Mio into something he would want to follow. A year is long enough for him to grow attached. Mio is naturally smart and flexible. He will do his best to wrap Tobias around his finger. Worst case scenario, Mio will learn some business and return home. If Tobias succeeds, it will be worth the money I invest, and it will secure Mio’s future. And while Tobias is watching after Mio, I hope Mio will watch Tobias. Either way, it’s gonna be interesting.”
Yugo smiled, crushing his unfinished cigarette in the crystal ashtray and got up from his chair.
“Go, catch some sleep. I need to rest too.”
“Should I fetch Kuon, Boss? He’s feeling better.”
“Forget about Kuon. Make sure the investigation into his disappearance is closed; say he reported to a police station, I don't care where. I'm sure we have enough cops in our pocket to make it convincing.” Their gazes linked and lingered. Greg dropped his first. He shook his head, opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but didn’t. Shaking his head again, he left the office.
YUGO’S PALM LANDED OVERthe bronze handle. He halted for a brief moment before pushing the bedroom door open and stepping over the threshold. He looked around. The dark silhouette of the tall canopy bed loomed in the darkness. The window stood draped over, but weak light still made its way through the split. Reaching the chandelier, it played with heavy crystal drops.
Yugo cocked his head. Two days of absence made him feel alien in his own domain. Even the brisk lemon smell of antiseptic he’d never noticed, felt extraneous now. Too clinical, too impersonal; it washed out the last remains of Kuon’s presence.
He cringed.Why the fuck do I keep thinking about him? I’ve already made my decision...
Shaking off the unfamiliar sensation and unwanted thoughts, he approached his favorite ostrich chair and threw his jacket over the armrest. His wandering glance jumped from the wolf pelt that sprawled its hollow paws across the floor to the bumpy leather of the chair, and the small, barely visible scar Kuon had left with a meat knife. Even in the darkness, he could clearly see it. His memory provided a vivid recollection of Kuon’s cocky smile and shiny dark eyes that challenged him. Yugo reached out and pressed his fingers to the scar. The rough texture of stitches abraded his fingertips.
Only a year has passed, but it feels like it happened in another life.His heart made a small flip.I wish he was here.The thought made him angry.He dropped his hand and turned toward the bathroom.
Dropping one piece of clothing after another onto the floor, he entered the ensuite, shook off his pants and shoes, before stepping into the shower cubicle. Turning the water on, he closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth wrapping around his body. He tilted his head to one side, then to the other, stretching his stiff muscles and cringed as his neck cracked. It’d been two long days where he had to make too many decisions and chase away too many thoughts. The work helped him keep his mind calm, but now the train of his thoughts inevitably rushed to Kuon.
Yugo clenched his teeth as the pain of betrayal ripped through his chest. He remembered the black eye of the muzzle aiming between his eyes, and Kuon’s burning, feverish gaze. A slight furrow between Kuon’s brows had brought to his features a painful, disappointed expression as white snow dusted his long lashes. He remembered how his blood turned cold as Kuon pushed Mio away and pressed the muzzle to his own temple. Yugo’s body had reacted before he realized what was happening, and for a few moments, he wasn’t sure the peal of which gun deafened him.
“Fuck it!” He shook his head, sending myriad sparkling droplets flying in all directions, and turned the water off. Slamming the foggy glass door open with his palm, he went out, splashing the water all over the dark Emperador marble floor. Yanking the towel off the holder that hung on the beige tile wall to his right, he carelessly pressed it to his face, then wiped his hair and chest, before wrapping it around his hips. Slapping barefoot toward the bedroom, he dropped the towel on the floor and slipped into his bed, under the blanket. The black silk, absorbing the moisture, stuck to his skin, aggravating his discomfort.
After two sleepless nights, he expected to fall asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. Instead, he lay there wide-awake. Blinking into the darkness, he couldn’t help but listen to silence. Nothing disturbed the night: no soft rustle of linens; no sound of rhythmical, barely audible breathing; no short, painful moans of an upcoming nightmare he’d grown used to while sharing his bed with Kuon. It’d been a long time since he slept alone, and now his body ached, missing the comforting warmth of another body by his side. He stretched his arms over the cool bed sheet, trying to enjoy the freedom of movement, but something was amiss. He felt it with his skin, with his restless mind, and with that invisible bullet hole that appeared in his chest the same moment Kuon pointed the gun at him. That hole grew bigger with every passing hour, making him feel hollow, incomplete. Irritation crawled under his skin, stirring anger. He turned to his side, wiping his wet hair against the pillow, then to another, but the movement only aggravated his annoyance. His fists itched, as the anger grew stronger, demanding he destroy.
Fuck it! Anyone would do. I’ll just revert to my old habits and wipe him out of my mind.
Sitting up, he grabbed his cell phone and dialed Rudolph. A few long, gloomy beeps sounded before a harsh, unpleasant voice greeted him with an unhappy “Yes?”
“Send me a hunk. Now.”
“UNDRESS,” YUGO SAID,letting a thick cloud of aromatic smoke out of his lips. The scent of tobacco and vanilla eventually overtook the smell of lemons, but something was still lacking. Caught in his thoughts, Yugo almost missed the moment when the muscular man tugged off his white t-shirt. Knotty fingers folded the fabric before the hustler glanced around.
“Drop it,” Yugo said, forcing his focus upon the man’s masculine features. The hazel eyes glinted from the shadows of his protruding brow bones. The powerful jaw accented the sinful bottom lip that was darker and thicker than the upper one. The dirty blond hair, falling over his right eye, emphasized the shaved left side of his perfectly shaped skull. The man made a small movement with his chin. Yugo squinted, wondering if he polished his skin with oil. It looked too smooth, too tender, too tidy. For some reason, he didn’t find it appealing.
“I don’t like things messy. May I put it on the table?”
“I don’t care what you like. Drop it.” Yugo didn’t know why he said it. Kuon had always been messy with his clothes. He’d never folded his t-shirts, leaving them crumpled all over the place, and he had no problem with wearing the same, wrinkled t-shirt for several days straight. That habit had always annoyed Yugo, so why did he miss it now?
The man shrugged, and the shirt landed by his polished black shoes. Squaring his sun-kissed, muscular shoulders, he faced Yugo.
Propping his elbow against the armrest, Yugo rested his cheek on his fist as he examined the brawny torso and pumped-up, hairless chest. In his early twenties, the man was about Kuon’s build, approximately the same height, but the atmosphere around him was different, and Yugo wondered what caused it. Leaving the unfinished cigarette smoldering in the ashtray, he pushed to his feet and approached the younger man.
Their eyes leveled when Yugo stepped into the hustler’s personal space, making him tense up. The overpowering mix of soap, toothpaste, and bergamot washed out the natural scent of his skin, making the man even more impersonal than he appeared at first; therefore Yugo didn’t care to ask for his name or his preferences.
“Wasn’t I clear? Undress.”
Fingers found the belt and threw it out of the loops before the younger man tossed it aside. Never looking away from Yugo’s face, he dropped his pants along with the underwear, then stepped out of his shoes. With the corner of his eye, Yugo saw a long, uncut cock, smooth groin, and a small star-shaped tattoo on his right hip, but none of this touched his curiosity.
