Page 80 of Seth
Retreating a step to maintain the distance, Seth shook his head as he rested his elbow on top of the bar counter, opposite Gustavo.
Silence fell. Gustavo heard a fly thrashing against the window. The desperate buzzing of the insect and the slams of the tiny body against the glass reminded him of Seth’s sculpture, the “Shallow Depth”. He wanted to ask if there was a body trapped in the glass, but the murderer would never admit it anyway.
Minutes stretched. Seth’s attention strayed to the displays and paintings. Using the moment, Gustavo inched closer. The glass chilled his hand as his fingers flexed around it, ready to splash the liquid into the murderer’s face to disarm him. The low sound coming from the laptop made Seth’s attention veer toward the desk, then to Gustavo.
Fuck…Gustavo’s mood soured. He set the glass on the counter and shuffled to the desk, hoping to find anything but the copy of the legal case in his mailbox. A fleeting glance at the display crushed his hopes. He couldn’t be sure Seth wouldn’t kill him once he got what he needed.
When he clicked the print icon, he didn’t care what information the document possessed or why Seth needed it. His mind calculated the distance separating them as he planned his attack.
The printer came to life and spat out a dozen sheets. Before Seth managed to move, Gustavo grabbed the papers and circled the desk. His focus zoomed in on the barrel of the rifle facing the wall.
Every sound faded as the gap between them shortened. Flashing a disarming smile, Gustavo lifted his right hand as if intending to pass the papers to Seth. From the corner of his eye, he watched the assault rifle migrate from hand to hand as Seth extended his right one forward. His fingertips brushed the papers.
Gustavo flicked his wrist. The sheets flew in the air filling his vision with white flickers. He hurtled forward, eliminating any maneuvering distance for Seth. His left hand closed around Seth’s throat, squeezed. The small of Seth’s back bumped against the counter, but not a single muscle twitched on his face. Thrusting a knee between Seth’s legs, Gustavo pinned him against the bar and slammed the gun’s barrel against the polished wood.
“You must be out of your mind if you think you can repeatedly come to my house, threaten me, and even fire a gun. Don’t assume you can do anything you like just because I’m interested in you,” Gustavo whispered. His thumb rubbed the side of Seth’s throat, feeling an even, calm pulse. His eyes focused on a tiny papercut on Seth’s chin, filling with blood. “Now, be good and let go of the rifle. I’m confiscating it.”
Seth’s cheek twitched as disappointment controlled his facial muscles. For a fraction of a second, the look of ultimate loneliness returned to his face. Gustavo’s throat dried up. The mixture of irritation and excitement messed with his mind as he wasn’t sure what to do next. His veins tightened as if the man before him magnetized the air and every iron cell in his body, obeying the natural law of attraction, rushed toward him.I must be insane.
“You piss me off to the point where I’m not sure what I want more, to break your neck or kiss you. I regret giving you my word.” Their chests brushed as Gustavo leaned against him. His mouth skidded over Seth’s chin, licking off the bloody papercut partially because he wanted to, partially because he needed to distract Seth. The man jolted against him, face inclining away, pulse speeding. “It’s the second time in a week I find myself in such a provocative position. By the way, you taste delicious.”
Wrenching the weapon out of Seth’s grip, Gustavo averted his face. His heart pounded, blood ran quicker and hotter in his veins, as he went toward the door. He picked up the pistol from the floor and hung everything on the gun mount hidden behind one of the displays.
When he turned around, Seth watched him with stunned, haunted eyes. His lips curled in derision. Under his gaze, he bent down to gather the scattered papers.
Seconds later, he was engrossed in reading. A scowl marred his forehead, and he bit his lip. Familiar irritation settled in Gustavo. He hated how quickly Seth shrugged off another one of his kisses.
Tryingto ignoreGustavo’s presence, Seth squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. He re-read the court transcript twice before his mind imbibed the information. The murder weapon was registered as stolen years before the murder; seven different DNA samples were taken from Ignaz’s body, but only one had a match in the police database. The match was ruled as lacking evidentiary value due to the lifestyle of the victims. Since Ignaz didn’t attend the hearing, the case was closed. The only suspect, Walter Fischer, had been released.
He flipped through the printed pages again, hoping to find anything else, anything he’d overlooked, but the miracle didn’t happen.
“This isn’t enough,” he breathed the words out. The paper crumpled in his fists as his unseeing eyes settled on Gustavo.His address might have changed, and I don’t even know what he looks like. I should’ve asked for the crime report instead.
Seth blinked at his hands holding paper. Having no weapon, no leverage, he didn’t know how to extract more information from Gustavo. Moreover, now he wasn’t sure how to leave as he had little trust in the man’s word.
“Well then...” Letting go of the counter, Seth tried his luck as he moved toward the door.
“Leaving?Just like that?Don’t you want to thank me for my kindness or apologize for the damage you caused? How rude.” Gustavo rushed after him on an impulse, every cell of his body rebelling against the idea of letting Seth go. His palms collided with the door, caging Seth’s head. Loco twisted, and something sharp poked Gustavo in the vulnerable skin beneath his jaw. Pain spiked as the pressure increased, forcing his head to tilt back.
“Step aside,” Seth hissed. “You should be the one thanking me for letting you live. I’ll borrow your car. No need to see me out.”
Gustavo flinched back, smirked, and his gaze gravitated to the object in Seth’s hand. A glass spike glinted, clutched in a burned palm, the brownish skin uneven and rippled.
“I see your hand is better. I’m glad.” Gustavo smiled. Seth frowned. A blind hand fumbled over the door, pressed the handle, and the man slipped out of the room.
Hand reaching up, Gustavo touched his neck. He laughed as his skin was dry, undamaged. “Loco-Loco, maybe you can be tempered, after all.”
He pulled his cell phone and dialed the security office. “Open the gates. Let my guest leave.”
The low sound of gravel shifting under car tires reached his ears as the vehicle rolled out of the garage, then the gates clanged, opening. He surged to the window, catching a glimpse of an unremarkable Audi driving away.
Gustavo terminated the call and slumped into the chair. Adrenaline, draining from his system, left only crushing exhaustion behind. His finger twitched.
Silence curdled the air. Without Seth, it became quiet, oppressively quiet. Strangely, he didn’t miss Hans, but he had to crush the immediate wish to follow Seth, to catch up with him. He hadn’t felt anything like this in ages.
“Why does he make me feel all of this? I must be insane.” The holes in the wall attracted his eyes. He sat up. His hand inched toward the phone to summon the carpenter but changed the trajectory midway, grasping the mouse instead.
The court transcript splayed over the display. He read through. When he finished, ice prickled his face. With the holes in the wall forgotten, he opened the footage from last night and fast-forwarded it. His face grew colder and darker as he listened to Ignaz’s story and watched Seth’s mouth harden with determination.
