“Gracias,” I say and grab the clothes. It’s one of the few phrases I know. She’s prepared for me a pair of cargo pants, socks, a shirt and a jacket, all of which fit me perfectly when I put them on behind the rack with rice and flour.
When I return to the register, I find Niko talking to her again. He hands her a wad of cash and an old-looking phone that he must’ve used to get in touch with his friend. As if he can sense me, he twists around once she disappearsbehind the curtain, his eyes roaming me appreciatively as a slow smile curves his lips.
“How did you know what size to ask for?” I pose, crossing my arms.
He considers that, letting one side of his lips arch up higher. “I pay attention.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I probe, curious.
“My eyes can’t seem to help themselves. I’ve given up trying to fix that.” He taps his fingers against his leg. “If only you knew how many times I’ve undressed you in my mind.”
Oh.
Oooooooh.
The flush is back, but along with it, heat rushes to my cock. Niko’s eyes lock on it as if he can sense my arousal, growing darker by every passing heartbeat.
“Fuck, do you know how sexy you look right now? All flustered and shy because I said something that turns you on?” he teases, adjusting himself.
Jesus Christ. He’s shameless. I feel the smirk as it forms on my face. But so am I.
“Oh, yeah?” I step in closer. “How about—”
An explosion on the street outside sends me crashing into the deli display with meats and cheese that’s next to the desk with the register. Glass flies everywhere, but before it can do any real damage, Niko snatches me out of its way. We tumble to the ground and out of its path, his breathing erratic as I land on top of his chest.
“Tommy—”
“I’m okay!” Mostly, though a sharp pain surges through me when I use my arms to get up. Oh fuck, I think some glass struck my elbow and the wound reopened.Shit. I grit my teeth and try to ignore it. I’m sure it’s not as bad asit feels. For now, there are more important things we need to focus on, like what the hell just happened. “What was that?” I demand, coughing from all the dust and destruction.
Niko crawls over to the window, the one that’s missing all the glass, but is otherwise still somewhat intact, and pops his head out. I didn’t think it was actually possible, but I see him go pale as a ghost with my own two eyes.
“What? What is it?” I say, my stomach twisting into a ball of anxiety as a grim expression takes over his face.
“They are here. Those four Crew men from the plane. They found us.”
“What?”
Now, I’m not naïve. I expected the Crew to catch up to us eventually. But those four on the plane? I’m ninety-nine percent sure they couldn’t fly it and it crashed, so how are they still alive? Or did they manage to land it somehow? Since when are Crew goons trained pilots? This makes no sense.
“Can we fight them?” is the first thing that comes out of my mouth as foreboding silence settles between us. The men will figure out we’re hiding in the lovely grandma’s shop any moment now and we really need to have some kind of a plan when it happens.
“They are armed and we aren’t. And I… There’s something I need to tell you,” Niko trails off, pinning his eyes on the ground.
This again. What could possibly be more important than figuring out our survival tactics?
Niko bites on his bottom lip. It’s something I haven’t really seen him do, which tells me whatever he’s about to confess is not entirely inconsequential to our currentpredicament. “You know how I killed one of the Crew’s officers? Before I faked my death and disappeared?”
I blink, kind of following but not really. “Yes, of course. It’s your greatest achievement. Everyone knows about it.”
“Right. So…”
I watch him carefully. It’s how I notice the slight sag in his shoulders, the uncertainty passing over his features. I crouch to him and take his hand in mine, squeezing it tightly. “What is it, Niko? You can tell me.”
He combs my messy hair with his fingers, letting out a sigh that brings a shy smile to his lips. It’s a different smile, less unhinged and more private, something meant just for me. My heart swells with bliss despite the danger waiting to crash our moment.
“I didn’t kill that officer. It was an accident. I tried everything. I shot at him. I stabbed him. I beat his shit up. I hit him with a pipe. But he wouldn’t drop. So I ran. Climbed up the stairs of that construction site. He charged after me, almost caught me, but then he… tripped.” Niko rubs his eyes, an expression of disbelief settling in. “He fell and… There was this rebar, sticking out from an unfinished column. It went straight through him. By the time I reached him, he was dead.”
Oh my god… “No way.”
