Page 51 of Izzy
"Is that a demand?"
"Yes. From your Daddy."
Ulises averted his gaze. "I don't know, Izzy."
Izzy knew what Ulises wasn't sure about. He wasn't ready to trust Izzy with his heart. All it meant was Izzy had to earn it. He would prove himself. It didn't matter what it took.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Todd tried to talk Ulises out of walking to his appointment. He was still recovering from his head cold and had some congestion. The sinus thing had somehow crawled its ugly way to his chest, making him cough on occasion.
"I'm fine. Plus, Easton could prescribe something for the cough. I'm pretty sure he'll tell me to let it run its course anyway." Ulises waved to a woman across the street. The woman stood in her doorframe with a blue mug in her hand. She was middle-aged but eyed them as if she were trying to figure something out. When Ulises waved to her, she held up her hand, returning the greeting. "I could have walked on my own."
Todd tried to take Ulises' hand, but Ulises pulled away. "You're not one hundred percent yet. You still need us."
Ulises snorted as if he found something funny in that statement. And then he coughed.
To Ulises' point, the phlegm was loose inside his chest. Each cough seemed productive. So he was on the mend, but Todd wasn't ready to let Ulises go. Izzy wasn't ready either.
In terms of making headway toward wooing Ulises, it was two steps forward and one step back. They were in the regressing stage where Ulises wasn't accepting their advances.
Todd had been in the same position not long ago. He hadn't budged even a little either. For Todd the Evan ship had left port for parts unknown and Todd had been happier waving from the shore.
Evan had always been more interested in working, which Todd had understood. Evan was a doctor. Evan had put Todd so far down the priority list, he'd never considered Todd in any decision. That had been why it had been so easy for Evan to choose to have a quick fuck in a supply closet with some random person.
With Izzy, Todd was a consideration. And what was more, Izzy focused on him in ways no one ever had. He was also super protective, to the point of watching them leave Ulises' apartment as they headed over to the doctor's office before heading to whatever thing he had to do.
Izzy had called his thing work but Todd knew Izzy didn't have a normal job. However he made money was most likely not legal. He'd wanted to ask Izzy about it but so far, he hadn't mustered the courage. He already knew he wouldn't like the answer.
"Youdoneed us, Ulises. And we need you."
"I've lived my whole life without you and Izzy. And Izzy doesn't need anyone. If you knew where he was, you'd understand that."
"What is he doing?"
"Making sure the Dragon Skulls’ associates know not to fuck them over. Daruss might be trying to go legit, but he hasn't totally succeeded yet." Ulises knew a lot more about the Dragon Skulls than Todd had thought.
"What does that mean?" What did Izzy actually do for the Dragon Skulls was a better question, but it was one he needed to ask Izzy.
"It means he's threatening someone's life because they owe us money."
Izzy was the muscle for the Skulls? Maybe it shouldn't have come as a surprise but it still did. "Like those crime shows on television?"
Ulises shook his head. "You have a lot to learn about your mate. And about the Dragon Skulls."
"You could teach me." Todd brushed his hand against Ulises’. This time Ulises didn't pull away, but Todd didn't take his hand like he wanted to. He bided his time, waiting for Ulises' wall to come down.
"I would have thought Seryn already taught you a few things." Ulises glanced at Todd, eying him as if he thought Todd was a naïve boy.
Maybe he was but Todd hadn't been born yesterday. His life hadn't been all roses either. "I've been through shit too. Before helping Seryn rescue Mitchell. Before I let Evan fuck up my life. Maybe I'm not a drug dealer or hitman and whatever else Izzy is and maybe I haven't been sick my whole life like you have, but I'm not devoid of experiences. I've known tragedy."
"Like what?"
As much as Todd didn't want to talk about his past, he had brought it up. He'd practically invited Ulises into his life story. "When I was six, two men came into my house and killed my mother. It was in the middle of the night. I still have nightmares of her screaming sometimes."
Ulises grabbed Todd's hand and leaned into him. "That's awful. I'm so sorry. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
It didn't matter if he continued or not. It wasn't something he would ever move on from. "My father had a mistress. I remember meeting her once although I hadn't realized who she was at the time. She'd been nice to me. She gave me crayons anda coloring book. I still don't understand how she could do what she did. But I guess hiring two people to kill my mom probably made her feel less culpable."
