Page 49 of Seth
Gustavo tapped his lips with two fingers.
Is this how he takes off the edge? I vexed him, and he went to the club. Even this sub…Gustavo froze the footage on the powerful, dark-haired man with golden skin who hung on the Andrew’s cross.He doesn’t look like his usual choice. Would it be too arrogant to hope he thought of me?
The thought washed Gustavo in heat, but it gradually drained as the scene progressed. The tiny boy, entering the room, broke Seth’s concentration. Gustavo instantly hated the impact his presence had on Seth. They didn’t exchange a word, yet the flicks of Seth’s wrist became less precise, and his gaze, time after time, slipped sidewise. When their eyes locked on each other, Gustavo’s hands formed fists. When Seth terminated the session and led the shaking sub away, Gustavo leaned back in his chair. “Is there anything on this boy? I feel like they are not strangers.”
“Not much. Twenty-three. Gay. Left home after he graduated from school. Works part-time in a mall. Rents a room with another guy from his work. Two years ago, he was registered as a witness to a murder, but he refused to testify. His medical records suggest he leads a rather dangerous sex life. He lands in the ER every other month.”
Gustavo hummed and ran the last video file. He hated this session the most. Not even once had Seth’s focus strayed away from Ignaz. His eyes feasted on his every expression, every gasp. The care and attention he showed the boy annoyed Gustavo as he couldn’t understand what kind of relationship the pair shared.
Slamming the laptop closed, he checked his phone. It showed no updates. “What do you think they are doing?”
Diego’s cheek bulged; a white stick tucked in the corner of his mouth. With a lazy hand, he withdrew a lollipop and replied, “Don’t know. Fucking? Do you want me to go and ask Mayr directly?”
Gustavo snorted, shook his head, and dragged his unseeing gaze to the closed laptop. Itchy curiosity crawled under his skin. He wanted to know what happened behind those closed doors. How Seth treated the boy, how he looked at him.
“Just out of curiosity, what's the plan?” Diego pulled him out of his thoughts. “Hmm?”
“The kid. Are you going to let Mayr kill him?”
“No…” Gustavo raised a brow. “No, of course not.”
“Then when are you going to stop him? Not sure about you, but snuff1isn’t my thing. I don’t want to watch him kill another boy.”
“You won’t. He has a ritual, I believe. He killed on the construction site, on the sand bed. I think this was an essential part of it, or why would he bother? I don’t think he will kill the boy today. He needs certain conditions, and he needs a place. By the way, how did you track him back to the BDSM club? Road cameras?”
“Yes.”
“Request the footage for the last two weeks. I need to know how he exits his house. It’s a hill, so there’s no way the secret passage goes all the way to the foot. He exits somewhere and uses another car. Look for vehicles that don’t belong to the residents.”
“That’s a lot of work,” Diego complained.
“And I pay you for it.”
“Um, no. You pay me for running drug delivery and distribution, and I dare to say I’m handling it better than you are.” A cocky grin stretched Diego’s face as he put the candy back into his mouth.
Cheeky bastard…Gustavo snorted, then retorted, “It only means I made a wise decision when I hired your sorry ass. When I retire, you’ll be a decent replacement. And if you’re as good as you try to appear, this task won’t take you long. And if you don’t want to see another boy dead, you should hurry up.”
Diego’s hand lifted to his mouth. He pulled the sucker out and gave it a weird look as if it didn’t taste how he expected or had dirt on it. He worked his mouth as if wanting to spit, then tossed the lollipop into the ice bucket on the bar.
“And, Diego…”
“What?” Not a question, a growl of irritation left Diego’s mouth; he ran his hand over his goatee, smoothing it down.
“Next time Seth leaves his house, I’d like to wire it. Every room, every corner. Whatever happens inside of it, I want to see and hear it. Arrange it.”
* * *
Seth sat up,slapped his face with his gloved hands, pulled the blindfold off. He blinked at the blinding sunlight streaming through the uncovered windows, then at his watch.
Eleven?He couldn’t remember sleeping this long in months, it’d been deep too. He’d even missed a few alarms. He peeled off his gloves, slid to his feet, and strolled into the bathroom.
A quick shower refreshed him and cleared his mind. After pulling linen pants on, Seth ambled out of his quarters and into the corridor. Passing the spare bedroom, he pushed the door open. The window stood ajar, the bed made up, and even the cup of tea had disappeared from the nightstand. Nothing in the room remained of its night guest.
Did he leave?He pushed the door closed and limbered down the corridor, bare feet slapping against the stone. When his foot reached the last step of the staircase, he halted. A weird smell wafted through the air coming from the kitchen. Carefully, not to make noise, Seth slunk alongside the wall.
A small smile bloomed on his lips as he watched Ignaz fight both his straitjacket and the frying pan. His chest lightened, time slowed, and he leaned against the wall, opting to watch longer.
Minutes after, finally detecting Seth’s presence, Ignaz faced the entrance. A shy smile preceded a nod. His cautious gaze searched Seth’s face. “Sorry, I was hungry. I borrowed your kitchen, but I only found olives…”
