Page 79 of Seth
Clutching the weapon with both hands, Seth pointed the muzzle at Gustavo’s chest then jerked it toward the note. Without a word, the man lowered in the chair. With a casual hand, he picked the note and gave it an evaluating look. “What is it?”
“A number of a legal case from two years ago. You are resourceful, aren’t you? Get the court transcript, and tell your people to stand down. If someone enters here, you both die.”
Gustavo’s black eyes bore into his, making Seth feel uncomfortable, exposed, naked. He hated this dissecting stare even more than the former mocking curiosity because this gaze brimmed with attention. The attention Seth had always craved.
After a moment of silence, Gustavo picked up his phone, made a quick call to inform security of a friendly fire incident, then sighed. “You didn’t have to do all this. You could have just asked. Let Hans go, and I’ll help you.”
Gustavo’s elbows pressed against the desk as he stippled his fingers in front of his chin. He looked calm and confident even under the deadly glare of the assault rifle. Unsolicited respect grew in Seth’s chest. For the first time, Seth realized that Gustavo must have killed more people than he had. And to run a drug business, Gustavo must have iron nerves. Flashbacks of their encounters confirmed his suspicion.
“I don’t think so,” Seth said. Hans shivered again.
Fleeting displeasure flickered behind the black pupils before Gustavo cocked his head. “I give you my word; there will be no retaliation if you let him go now. No one got hurt. No one needs to get hurt. I’ll give you what you need.”
“What’s your word to me? An empty sound. He stays.”
Gustavo stared atthe intruder,regretting his decision to stop watching Seth’s life. The man looked pale, and his eyes, usually shining with emotion, stared at him with an odd emptiness.
Whatever this is, it’s important to him. More than his life if he came at midday with Hans as a hostage.Gustavo glanced at the piece of paper. Curiosity sparked. Alegal case from two years ago, one he couldn’t get, so he came to me…
“I’m afraid it’s not debatable.” Gustavo plucked up the sticky note and crumpled it in his fist. “You came into my house, threatened my lover and me, but it’s you who needs my help. I believe you exhausted your resources, and I’m your last resort, or you wouldn’t have come. You have no choice but to trust me because this is the only deal I’m willing to offer. Accept it or shoot.”
Hans’ jaw dropped. Indignation twisted his plump lips.
Emotion returned to Seth’s gaze. A smile, weak but genuine, curled the corners of his lips. “Fine. You can go, boy.”
“Hans, wait for me in the bedroom.” Gustavo looked at his lover but received a deathly glare in return.
Hans didn’t say a word as he turned his back and fled.
Relief drained pressure from his muscles as the door slammed closed. Holding his gaze on the maimed wall for a heartbeat longer, he logged in. “Have a seat; it will take some time. And put the rifle down. I promise you won’t need it.”
Seth smirked. His shoulders relaxed a fraction as his gaze traveled around the room. He flipped the rifle in his arms with easy grace but didn’t release it.
Steps slow, unhurried, he drifted around the room, exploring it. Gustavo had a handgun in the top drawer of his desk. He could have pulled it and finished this game for good. It was the most logical, the most rational option. Instead, he watched Seth glide through the space, admiring the interior. Having Seth in his house both vexed and fascinated him. It felt like having a wild beast trapped in his home.
“Like what you see?” Gustavo asked just to hear the low rustle of Seth’s voice.
“It’s a mesmerizing house.” Seth tore one hand away from the rifle and pressed it to the wall. His aristocratic fingers traced the carved wood. Gentle, fleeting strokes of his hand chained Gustavo’s attention to his clean nails. A bright flashback from the fiery scene Seth shared with Ignaz ignited his blood, making him wonder how Seth’s fingers would feel against his chest. “Whoever built it must have a beautiful soul. It’s sad such a house ended up with you.”
Tearing his gaze away from Seth’s hand, Gustavo chuckled. Warm satisfaction and pride mixed with raging desire. “I’m not sure if that was a compliment or an insult, but thank you. It’s my design.”
Seth’s head whipped toward him, gaze sinking into Gustavo’s eyes. “You built it?”
“Yes.” Gustavo got up, needing to cut the distance between them. Dark attraction pulled at him, just like on the night they’d met. “With help, of course. Would you like a tour?”
Seth shifted, his face blank, and the black eye of the muzzle once again fixed between Gustavo’s brows. “I already had one. Sit.”
The window trembled as the roar of a car engine drifted from outside. Gustavo jetted to the window; palms pressed against the glass. Hans’ new yellow Lamborghini raced down the road. “Look what you have done. He left me. Oh well…”
“You don’t look upset about it,” Seth noted in the same unemotional voice.
“Why would I be upset when I have such good company?” Gustavo snorted. With Hans gone, breathing became a tad easier. It was a relief not to think about his safety anymore. Gustavo turned to Seth and flashed him a blinding smile. “You know it’s ironic. A few days ago, I promised myself I’d stop pestering you, but now you’ve found me by your own will. It looks like fate doesn’t want us to part, don’t you think?”
An arrogant smirk escaped Seth’s lips as he lifted his chin, displaying his long, pale neck. The neck Gustavo wouldn’t mind tainting with hickeys. His slim-fitting white shirt, unbuttoned at the top, revealed the apple of his throat and the notch between the collarbones.
Gustavo growled inwardly as the familiar fervor settled in his marrows. The wish to pursue Seth, corner him, and see his every emotion, so that once again his attention belonged only to him, inflamed his mind.
“Thank you for letting him leave. I mean it.” Ignoring the rifle, Gustavo strolled to the bar, grabbed a glass, and filled it with ice from the small freezer. “A drink?”
