Page 16 of Slay Tricksters and Silent Skeletons
“I do,” I rasped.
He flashed me a grin full of primal need and a desire toownme. “Shower,kon-dii. You need to eat and meet with Anurak.”
Then, he was gone, leaving the room entirely. I closed my eyes and sighed heavily. Niranhadto stop teasing me. A man like me was only so damn strong, and when it came to him, I was weak as fuck.
14
Bento
“Here.” Niran set a warmed-up burrito in front of me. I scrunched up my nose as I stared down at it.
“I don’t eat microwaved burritos.” They tasted like plastic andneverlike the real deal.Fuckeating that garbage.
Niran rolled his eyes and lounged back against the counter opposite me, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’ll eat it today. Stop griping. I’m not giving you more pain medicine until you eat. I worked hard on that.” He nodded his head toward the wanna-be burrito on my plate.
I snorted and lifted the burrito, grimacing at it. The damn thing didn’t even smell right. “You literally took it out of a wrapper, rolled it in a paper towel, and tossed it into the damn microwave. That wasn’t difficult or hard to do.”
Niran moved forward and braced a hand on either side of my plate on the bar top, arching one perfect eyebrow at me. My heart flipped in my chest. “Don’t be an ungrateful brat,kon-dii.You might be bigger than me, but I’ll still bend you over this counter, drop your sweats, and spank your ass until it’s burning red from my palm.”
My cock jerked to life behind my briefs, and my heart tripped over in my chest all while my stomach swooped. Was Niran really into spanking? Because fuck, I could definitely be into that. In fact, I was pretty sure I was into that. Hell yes, he could bend me over the counter and spank my ass. And all I had to do was be what he deemed a brat?
“I see those gears turning in your head, Perez.”Fuck me. I loved it when he used my last name like that. “Don’t bite off more than you can chew because I’ll deliver.”
“You’re trying to be threatening, but it’s not working,” I told him before biting into the burrito. It tasted like shit, but I dealt. Hehadgone out of his way to warm it up for me, and while I hated the fucking thing, I was grateful, nonetheless. I worked hard to keep from scrunching my nose up at the awful taste.
“It’s not a threat?—”
“Oh, is it a promise?” I taunted around a mouthful of food.
He shot me a distasteful look. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, Bento. It’s gross, and I taught you better.”
He had. He’d taught me every bit of manners I had. Without Niran, I’d just be another kid lost to the streets, probably not making it past the legal drinking age before my stupid “occupation” of picking pockets got me killed. I’d thought I was the best at what I was doing, but Rico had caught me red-handed without even having to see me. He’d justsensedme. Had it been any other man, I could’ve died right there, my body disposed of with no one ever knowing.
And I wouldn’t have met Niran either.
I wouldn’t behis.
Before I could open my mouth to apologize or say something that’d probably get me in more trouble—who knew what would actually come out of my mouth once I opened it—Anurak and Ace walked into the kitchen. Immediately, my appetite vanished, and I slowly set the burrito down. I hadn’t seen Rico’s husband since the day at the shopping plaza, and I’d both been wanting to see him and dreading it.
Because I’d fucking failed him.
Anurak took one look at me, and his chin wobbled, tears filling his eyes.
“Anurak—” I started, but he was quicker—and louder.
“I’m so sorry,” he cried, his arms wrapping tight around his waist. I winced. Rico was going to rip me a fucking new one for this, and I hadn’t even done anything to set the boy off except try to eat this shitty ass burrito Niran had workedoh-so-hardto make me. “If I’d known they were going to do this to you, I would have stayed.” He swiped his arm under his nose, his shoulders hitching with sobs. Ace wrapped Anurak in his arms, trying to soothe him, but it was hopeless. “This is all my fault. I’m so sorry. So sorry. I shouldn’t have run. I should have tried?—”
“Perrito,” Rico rumbled from the doorway. Immediately, Ace released him, knowing Anurak needed his Papi.
I clenched my jaw, watching as Anurak stumbled into his husband’s arms, sobs wracking his chest and his shoulders shaking. Gunner slipped in and silently led Ace out, leaving me, Niran, Anurak, and Rico alone. I pushed my plate away, butNiran scowled at me and pushed it back, pointing a finger at it afterward in a silent demand to eat it.
Goddamn him. How the fuck was I supposed to eat when Anurak, the sweetest boy I’d ever known, was in fucking pieces because I’d failed him?
“It’s not your fault,” I told Anurak. “My job is to protect you, and those men had plans to kidnap you. I couldn’t let that happen.”
“I told you,perrito, that this was his job,” Rico told his boy gently, cupping his face to tilt it up so they were looking at each other. “Bento has always known the risks associated with being your bodyguard, and he did exactly as I expected of him. He risked his own life to save yours.”
“But he could havedied,” Anurak cried, his voice wobbling and his breath hitching.
