Page 14 of Slay Tricksters and Silent Skeletons
I snorted as I watched him fumble with the simple red button that would release him from the seatbelt. “Right.”
Pushing open my door, I slid out, then strode around the front of the SUV to get to the passenger side. Bento had just managed to get the seatbelt off when I opened his door. He looked at me through heavy-lidded eyes, huffing in annoyance. I couldn’t help it. I grinned. He was fucking adorable when he was high and annoyed with me.
“I said I could do it on my own,” he snapped before turning to angle out of the truck. Only when he moved to step out, he miscalculated putting his foot on the step bar and tumbled out into my arms. I quickly caught him, wrapping my arms around him. My chest rumbled with laughter.
“You can do it on your own, huh,kon-dii?” I teased, my lips pressed to his ear.
He groaned and weakly smacked my back, but it was sloppy and more of a rub than a smack. Turning his head, he tucked his face into the side of my neck. “It’s not cool to make fun of the injured, Niran.” Suddenly tipping his head back, he blurted, “What doeskon-diimean?”
“It means ‘good one’,” I informed him as I helped him straighten up to his full height.
“Good one?” He pursed his lips, like he was trying to figure out how he felt about that. I wrapped my arm around his waist and hooked his arm over my shoulder before slowly leading him into the house. “I’m not good though, Niran. Anurak almost got kidnapped because of me. And I’m not a good man.”
Somehow, I knew what had happened would weigh on his conscious. I also knew that if he were sober, he’d never admit it out loud. Bento didn’t like to admit he had weaknesses or that he felt guilt. But I knew Bento was one of the most emotional men I’d ever met in my life, even if he kept most of those emotions under lock and key so others didn’t notice.
“But he didn’t,” I reminded him. “Because you put your life on the line to save his. And it doesn’t matter what you did in your past, Bento. What matters is who you arenow. And now, you’remine. And if I want you to be my good one, that’s who you’ll be.”
Alfonzo, who’d just emerged from the kitchen with a sandwich in one hand and a can of soda in the other, arched a questioning brow at us. “Are we feeling sentimental now or something?” he questioned before taking a bite out of his sandwich that was honestly big enough to make a quarter of the damn thing disappear.
“Fuck you, Alfonzo,” Bento slurred, leaning heavily against me now as his eyelids began to droop. “I hope you choke on your food.”
Alfonzo snickered and headed off toward his office. I tucked Bento closer to me, being careful of the injuries lining his torso,though I knew he likely wouldn’t feel shit anyway if I pressed on them. “Come on,kon-dii. You need to go to bed.”
He huffed but followed me on feet that grew slower and slower with every step. As soon as I got him into my room, I kicked the door shut, then led him over to my bed. He toppled onto it with little fanfare, his limbs askew as he buried his face in my pillow. “This bed smells like you,” he said, his voice muffled.
I began tugging off his shoes. “Because you’re in my bed.” I slid his socks off next, then rolled him to his back so I could get him out of his jeans. I knew he hated sleeping with clothes on, but regardless of him being mine or not, I wouldn’t strip himcompletelybare without hissoberconsent. I was a monster, but even I had my limits. “I need to get these jeans off.”
He groaned but lifted his hips just enough for me to slide his pants off. By the time I made it to the buttons of his shirt, he was snoring, his mouth wide open. Shaking my head, I got the shirt off of him, then tugged the blankets out from beneath him to cover him up. Once he was tucked in, I turned the ceiling fan on, since I knew he always slept with his on, and then slipped from the room. He was going to be passed out for quite a few hours while he slept off those pain pills.
Anurak was in the sitting room, cuddled with Ace, when I walked in. Both boys looked up at me, and Anurak quickly sat up, his eyes wide and hopeful. “Is Bento home?”
“He’s home,” I confirmed. Anurak’s chin wobbled, tears of relief filling his eyes, but he thankfully didn’t let them spill. I liked the kid, but I’d had enough of his tears to last me a lifetime. “But he’s sleeping. Rico gave him something strong so he could properly rest.”
Ace snorted. “Bet he’s high as fuck.”
“He is.” I looked back at Anurak, who’s face had fallen at the news Bento was asleep. “Once he’s awake, I’m sure he’ll want to see you. But for now, he just needs to rest. He’s been through quite a bit.”
Anurak sighed and sank back into his boyfriend’s embrace, nodding his head. “Okay. I’ll see if Papi will let me order some cupcakes for him. He loves the red velvet ones with cream cheese icing.”
If Bento started devouring sweets, which was bound to happen now that he wasn’t working and staying busy, he was going to lose the body he’d worked hard to gain. And while I wouldn’t care because he was mine no matter how he looked, I knew Bento would give a fuck once his body started changing.
My man has gone from a scrawny boy to a well-built two-hundred-and-fifty-pound man, and he worked hard to maintain the body he had now.
He might very well lose his shit when he found out he was restricted from working out with weights until further notice. Turning for Rico’s office so I could catch him up on Bento, I bit back my smile.
I couldn’t wait for Bento to lose his temper with me. I was going to have so much fucking fun bringing my man to heel.
13
Bento
When I came to, I felt a bit better. Granted, my body was still sore, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it’d been before one of the other guards had brought me pain pills under Rico’s orders. I didn’t remember coming home, and I didn’t know how I’d gotten into Niran’s room, but I wasn’t the least bit upset that I was no longer in that fucking hospital.
I certainly wasn’t upset that I was sprawled out in Niran’s bed, surrounded by his scent and his space.
Niran didn’t know, but I’d been in his room numerous times, snooping around in the hopes of learning more about him. I knew that despite him making thousands of dollars a month, he used cheap Irish Spring body wash and Suave shampoo. I knew he used an electric razor, and I knew Clearasil was his favorite facewash brand. He kept his room organized, and even though he owned multiple sets of sheets and blankets, they were all black.
I’d snooped through his closet and dresser, too—black pants and jeans, black button down and t-shirts, black socks, and even black boxer briefs, though he splurged on those and bought authentic silk ones. He owned a couple of white button-down shirts, but it was rare he ever wore them. Actually, the first time I’d seen him wear one in a long time was when I woke up in the hospital.
