Page 23 of Seth
Gustavo’s gaze drifted the length of Seth’s body as he continued exploring his form. Simple blue jeans hugged Seth’s slender hips, supported his round butt. A plain white shirt with two buttons undone revealed the notch of his throat and stretched over his chest, translucent where the cloth touched the skin. His eyes catching every glimpse of the uncovered skin in a search for the tracks of the fire, noticing long fingers with accurate nails, blue veins visible under the pale skin on his hands, long neck with a sharp Adam’s apple, clean-shaven chin and cheeks. Dressed, Seth looked flawless.
Perfect...Gustavo nodded, appreciating the view. “Our… cooperation will be simple. I’ll ask questions, and I expect you to answer them with all honesty and detail. If I’m satisfied, I’ll return what you’ve lost just to see what you will do with it.”
Seth’s lips stretched in a smile. His eyes burned as he dissected Gustavo, learning him. Gustavo understood—while he watched Seth, the beast observed him. Seth’s shoulder squared, muscles bulged under the shirt, and even that casual tilt of his head appeared to be a twisting of his spine.
Gustavo ground his teeth, irritated. It looked like the beast didn’t want to communicate.
Cameras watchedhimfrom every angle, tying his hands. At any other time, Seth might have found the offer entertaining, but Gustavo pissed him off. Still, his bloodthirst diminished tipping Seth into a thoughtful mood.Another idiot bewitched by the mystery of death. How boring, yet convenient.
A quote by Thomas Fuller1came to mind,“Curiosity is a kernel of the forbidden fruit which still sticketh in the throat of a natural man, sometimes to the danger of his choking.”Seth took a step forward, thinking that no man would ever give up an object that impregnates his mind with curiosity.
Face to face with Gustavo, he strained his throat, trying to speak up, but only snake-like hissing left his mouth, “No. Return what’s mine, or I will kill you.”
Seth cringed inwardly from the sound of his voice. Years had passed since the fire, yet his voice never returned, and the snake-like hissing stuck with him like an eternal memory of what he’d done.
“You can speak after all.” A grin split the masculine face. Gustavo’s eyes lit up with renewal interest. “Good. I was a little worried that my curiosity would be left unquenched. So indulge me, say, what did you do with the heart? Did you eat it?”
A shudder ran down Seth’s spine at yet another insult. Disappointment aggravated. For someone who took the trouble to collect the sand and deliver it in such an elegant chest, Gustavo’s assumption was vulgar. It made Seth want to draw a knife and relieve this world of such a filthy mind.
He glanced at the exit. The longer he stayed here, the larger the possibility of the man running his mouth grew. If he kept going, Seth might indeed lose his temper. Without a word, he stormed toward the door.
“Not so soon, Loco.” Gustavo’s deep baritone echoed through the space, dragging the attention of a few visitors. As if following his unsaid command, two men stepped into the doorway, preventing Seth from leaving.
Seth halted.That word again…The dangerous mixture of irritation and mockery in Gustavo’s voice made him itch.
“You didn’t ask me anything. Aren’t you curious about your boy? He’s all cold, lonely, and is still pining over you. You stole his heart, after all. Shall I report a missing heart?”
The mention of Justin jerked Seth’s cheek. He turned around and approached Gustavo. His body tensed with the powerful urge to kill. Step by step, he cornered the man, letting him playfully retreat until Gustavo’s back pressed against the wall.
When mere inches separated their chests, Seth looked Gustavo in the eye. The dilated pupils fixed on Seth, brimming with curiosity and something else, something Seth failed to catalog.
The scent of spice and wood filled his lungs, deep and heady. Unblinking, Seth held his breath, then said in such a low voice that he could barely hear himself, “Really, why don’t you? Go ahead. It’s not a blade that kills but arrogance. You can keep the boy or report him; I don’t care.”
“You are terrible blackmailing material, you know?” Gustavo laughed, wiped the corner of his eye with the heel of his palm. “Ahh, don’t make such a face. I’ll give him back... eventually. But before that, I’d like some answers. Don’t you think I deserve them? After all, I took the trouble of cleaning your mess. Tell me, what did you do with the sand? Is it for an hourglass filled with bloody sand from your victims?”
“Brilliant idea. That’s what I will do with yours,” Seth breathed the words out.
Gustavo’s expression didn’t change. “Oh, you must be missing him so much. He is such a pretty thing, isn’t he? So young, so full of life. What did you do with his heart? Did you fuck it?”
Seth’s teeth grounded so hard he heard them screech.He can say whatever he wants here without feeling threatened, while I can do nothing but listen to this bullshit.
His chin jerked, and a glimpse of red on the wall caught his attention. Turning his head, he stared at a fire alarm button. Without a second thought, Seth slammed his fist against the frail glass. It folded beneath his knuckles with a loud snap. The alarm shrieked, echoing through the building. Someone screamed, Gustavo laughed, and the stomping of dozens of feet reverberated through the empty rooms.
Seth shrunk back. Merging with the crowd, he hurried downstairs, passing the men dressed in black suits on his way.
Laughter chased after him as the words echoed behind his back, cutting through the siren. “What did you do, Loco? What did you do?”
* * *
What am I,five?With his back pressed against the cold wall, Gustavo couldn’t stop laughing. His heart drummed in his chest as he watched Seth flee.Why do I keep making him angry?
“Fucking hell.” Gustavo looked up, releasing the tension from his body. For a moment, he’d truly believed Seth would hit him, there had been so much hatred in his deep-blue eyes.But fuck my life, his pissed-off face is so gorgeous. I want to tease him more.
“Did you change your will?” Appearing out of nowhere, Diego leaned against the wall next to him. “I want my yacht.”
Ignoring his friend, Gustavo said, “He can talk. I wish you could hear him.”
Seth’s quiet rustle resembled an autumn wind flipping through the fallen foliage. So quiet, Gustavo had to hold his breath to hear him speak, yet his every hair rose in attention. If Death had a voice, it would be Loco’s voice.
