But why, after all these years? And how would they know about my soft spot? Why would my enemies attacknow? They have no reason to think I am alive. I staged my dramatic death perfectly. And if they didn’t buy it, surely it wouldn’t take them a whole decade to figure out I how I did it.
I squint at the darkness outside as different scenarios play out in my mind, then I study my companion once again. He looks innocent enough, and he’s not a big man either—I can easily deal with him if I need to.
Or was this part of the con? Throw a defenseless young thing my way to trick me into a false sense of superiority?
I look from the man to the house and then back. Surely, if he was a professional, he wouldn’t let himself just fall asleep in my presence. It leaves him open and so easy to kill. I replay the chaos from the church attack. Yes, if this man was a professional, he’d know how to handlea gun, and he most definitely wouldn’t just stand there in the middle of a gunfight, asking to be shot. Right?
But still…No. No.He’s not some assassin on a mission to murder me. This has to be my paranoia overreacting. Not everyone who gets close to me is out to get me, just most, but especially not young pretty boys offering blowjobs to priests.
“Are you gonna sit there and stare at me or are we going inside? I kind of really need to pee,” the man says, a slow smile stretching his lower face before he opens his blue eyes.
My stomach does a somersault. I’ve never been caught in the act so blatantly before. “We’ll go inside.” I push open my door. Then I pause with one leg out of the vehicle as I observe the man fumbling to undo his seatbelt.Yeah, there’s no way he’s been sent to eliminate me.“What’s your name?”
Those blues shift to me, tired but lively. “Thomas Hale. But everyone calls me Tommy.” Tommy offers his hand. “Nice to meet you, Nikolas, and thanks again for agreeing to help me. It means the world to me, for real. Also, the blowjob offer still stands, if you are interested.”
I roll my eyes as he winks suggestively, fighting off a chuckle. It still feels strange to be called by my real name, but there is a charm to it. A recognition of who I am without a hint of envy or fear. I am a stranger to Tommy, and even though he seems to know of me, there is no judgement being passed, no pre-determined opinion being shoved in my face.
Or, alternatively, Tommy simply doesn’t care about my past, which is both commendable and concerning. Then again, a little insanity never hurt anybody, right?
Feeling a twinge of heat in my cheeks, I nod and exit the SUV. I contemplate getting the door for Tommy, but think better of it and instead jog the short way to the bungalow’s patio. The key sits under the blooming cactus pot as usual, and just like the last time I was here to restock the old cupboards and fridge, the front door creaks like a dying seal when I open it.
Inside, the air sits stale and dusty. With the curtains closed, the only light comes in through the open door, a streak of bright orange that gives the whole interior an ominous finish, like something straight out of a horror movie.
“This is… Wow, truly, but do you mind showing me the bathroom?” Tommy says as he flicks the light switch on. He places the bag from the church on the small table in front of the old leather couch and crosses his arms.
“First door on the right, just past the washing machine and dryer.” I point in the direction of the narrow hallway.
Once I’m alone, I grab the bag and open it. Inside it are money and a fake passport, some gold jewelry, a burner phone and a number. When I wrote it down, I did so with the intention of never calling it, but as it turns out, life has other plans.
Retrieving the old piece of paper, I sit on the couch. I always keep the burner phone charged, so after inserting the sim card, it turns on with no issue. All that is left is to dial the number.
“Hey, you mind if I take a shower? We got time for that?” Tommy shouts from the bathroom. “And do you happen to have some spare clothes that might fit me? Mine got all torn up.”
WhenI shift my attention to the hallway, steam is billowing out from the propped-open door of the bathroom. I shake my head, a smile teasing my lips. What’s the point of asking if we have time when the shower is already running?
“Go for it,” I say, studying my ripped silk robe. I almost tripped to death multiple times during our escape, and the poor thing shows it. Not to mention all the damage it took from the destruction of my church. I could use a change of clothes as well. “I’ll see if I can find you something.”
Leaving that phone call for later, I trudge over to the master bedroom. It smells like dust and detergent. The curtains are drawn and the floorboards creak as I walk into the small bathroom that comes with the room. I glare at my reflection in the mirror over the sink. I look like a mess, just like Tommy. There is soot and mud in my hair, on my face, all over my robe. One sleeve is hanging on for dear life by a few threads, and a giant hole has opened on the side, all the way down from my flank where I can see dried blood.
Right, this won’t do. I need to get myself back in order because there is no telling when we might get another chance to shower.
I quickly wash myself and dress in a pair of dark cargo pants and a black shirt before Tommy even finishes whatever song he is singing in the shower. Or trying to sing. He’s kind of tone-deaf. Humming the rhythm under my nose, I rummage inside the wardrobe until I find a white shirt and a pair of jeans that seem like they might almost be a fit. After placing the clothes on top of the washing machine, I return to the living room.
The burner phone sits on the table where I left it, taunting me. I stare it down as if doing so will make it disintegrate along with my problems.
“Ah, fuck it.”
I make the call, then destroy the phone. My brief conversation, which was mostly one-sided, went as surgically as I expected it would, no questions asked. That part is for later, and I most certainly am not looking forward to it. But, well, no point worrying about such things just yet—for now, I have a destination.
“They are a bit big on me, but they’ll do for now,” Tommy says, padding into the room. His cheeks are a bit rosy from the hot shower, and the slightly oversized clothes make him look even smaller. “But, uh, maybe we can stop somewhere on the way south, so I can grab some things?”
My old pants and shirt look annoyingly cute on the man. In a ‘he’s wearing my clothes, so he belongs to me’ way that my lizard brain finds extremely hard to ignore.Shit, I really don’t need that kind of headache right now.But… I bite the inside of my mouth. I haven’t given into carnal pleasures for a veryverylong time, and now I am stuck with this pretty little devil, who already offered me a blowjob as a thank you.
With a heavy sigh, I stand and get us some food from the cupboard by the window, tossing it inside the bag.God help me.This will be a very long drive if I can’t get my sexual frustration under control.
“We’ll see. We’re already risking a lot by lingering here. It’s only a matter of time before they find this place. Catch.” I toss a packet of corn chips to Tommy. “You can eat in the car. Let’s go.”
Tommy fumbles to catch the packet, wincing as he sways and his left arm scrapes the rough wall.
