“Sorry, okay, well, Shay and I went to meet a contact, but one of the Santini crew pulled up on the street to stop us. That’s when shit got outta hand. Shay was being attacked, so I stabbed the guy. It was only a scratch."
He speaks so quickly that it takes a second for my head to compute what he said. I raise my eyebrow. “Only a scratch? You punctured his lung, you dumb shit. What is wrong with you?”
He shrugs and smiles coyly. This is getting stranger the longer this meeting goes on, and I have reached my limit of human interaction for the day. Not even getting laid is gonna help now. He is still staring at me, smiling, and it's pissing me off.
My patience snaps. I grab the collar of his T-shirt and pull him upright. We are about the same height, but I am much much bigger. Christ, he’s pliant, which only increases my confusion.
“Was it on your brother's orders?” I snarl, our noses nearly touching. His eyes have gone all shiny and hooded. Is he high?
“Stepbrother, and no, it was my idea. Shay came to protect me. I wanted to prove to Jake that I can deal on my own, but I didn't realize where the boundary of our turf was until it was too late and Shay jumped in, that's when it all kicked off.”
I push him back down into his seat and walk back around the desk to sit across from him. I place my hands on the flat surface and stare into those doe eyes of his.
“We both know that's bullshit. I've been doing this long enough to know when I'm being lied to, but I'll play along. Here's the deal. You get me proof of what Jake is up to and who else is involved, and you are off the hook. I want to know who he is in contact with outside our guys.”
“But what if I don't do it?” he asks.
So naive.
“I will cut your fucking tongue out and kill everything you love.” I mean every word.
His eyes widen. He knows I ain't playing. Slowly, he nods with a hesitant, “Okay,” coming from those biteable lips. Has he got a multiple personality disorder? He has gone from a weird smiley guy who isn't affected by anything, to timid and shy. The shift is so sudden that it's jarring. I get up and move to the door and as I open it, Jules walks in. Okay, meeting is over.
“Take him home and make sure he has a burner with my number on it. Don't mention this to anyone else,” I tell Jules.
“Got it. Come on, shithead, let's get you home,'' Jules says, walking towards the door.
Aaron stands to follow but stops in front of me, nibbling at his lower lip as if he is trying to control himself from speaking. Shocker, it doesn't work.
“It was great meeting you, Lev.” My name is a rumbling purr, an octave deeper than his usual voice and intense arousal rolls over my skin. Then off he goes after Jules, severing the moment and leaving my brain in the confused fog he pulled it into.
What the fuck is going on today? Have I slipped into another timeline, or did that interaction actually happen?
Chapter 5 - Aaron
LeavingDesire,westepinto the cold dark night and Jules guides me to his car. After I strap myself into the front passenger seat, he starts to drive. We sit in silence for a few moments until I feel something hard thrown into my lap. It’s a phone.
“Here's your burner with Lev’s number on it. Do not share it if you want to live, Aaron. Don't cross him, trust me…whatever you think your brother is capable of, Lev is so much worse.”
“Got it. Is Lev single?”
Jules side-eyes me as he continues to drive with a frown etched onto his forehead as if he’s trying to figure out if I’m some kind of alien that has dropped out of the sky. To be honest, most people in my life look at me that way, but I can't help it. Maybe that's why my stepbrother and stepfather treat me the way they do.
“Is something wrong with your brain, Aaron? After all that’s been discussed, that's your question?”
“Uhhh, yeah?”
Jules shakes his head. “Lev is forever single. Doesn't do relationships or seconds so get that idea out of your head if you know what's good for you.”
Yeah, I doubt that will happen. “Okay, but he is hot, though.” I continue to stare out the window, watching the dark streets pass by one after the other.
The car ride remains silent until Jules pulls up at the end of my street, out of view from my apartment building. He turns to face me. He’s a beast of a guy and nearly takes up the entire front of the car. His ice-blue eyes pin me to the spot.
“Get the fuck out of the car, Aaron.”
I sigh. I fucked up again, I shouldn’t be allowed to talk to people, clearly. I slam the car door, and Jules speeds off into the night. It’s fucking freezing. I hug myself as I slowly jog towards my building, dreading what kind of welcome party I’ll get from Jake. I pray he isn't home.
My prayers didn't work, Jake’s sitting in the living room waiting for me with narrowed eyes as if he knows what I've been asked to do.
