Guns n' Boys Book 1 Part 2 (32 page)

“So where is it?” asked Domenico as they
entered the oil-smelling garage. He looked around the cars dotting
the grayish concrete.

Seth grinned at him and stroked Dom’s hair in
passing. “Here.” He paced over to a black Suzuki motorcycle and
pulled off a sheet of plastic protecting it from dust. The vehicle
was all steel and black, sleek and modern, with two helmets hanging
from the handlebars.

Domenico swallowed, letting his gaze trail up
Seth’s legs, from the motorcycle boots to the leather jacket he was
wearing. “Looks good.”

Seth looked over his shoulder and frowned at
him, already touching the leather seat. “Are you talking about my
ass? Look at my bike!” he demanded and stepped away, showing off
the machine. It had a massive exhaust pipe and a kanji sign over
the engine.

Domenico snorted, breathless, and walked up
to Seth, pulling him close by the waist. “It is a great bike. How
long have you been using it?”

“Oh, I started with bikes back in Italy, but
I got this baby when I came to the US.” He stroked the top of Dom’s
hand with a smile. “I hope you’re man enough to go on a ride with
Seth Villani.” He wiggled his eyebrows and propped up the collar of
his leather jacket.

“I keep riding Seth Villani,” said Dom
watching his arms shift.

Seth opened his lips and closed them like a
dying fish, his cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink. “That’s not
what I meant,” he grumbled.

“No?” Domenico petted the seat of the
motorbike and smiled at Seth. His heart was beating like crazy.

Seth shrugged, looking into Dom’s eyes. “I
suppose you’ll never learn what a wild ride it can be
under
Seth Villani.” He wrapped his arms around Dom’s neck, trapping him
with the smell of oil and leather, which now got a sinister edge
when Dom thought that, indeed, he might never learn if he killed
Seth tomorrow. The thought twisted his stomach, and he buried his
hands in the safety of the jacket.

“Let’s go with ‘behind Seth Villani’ for
now.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s your favorite spot, isn’t
it?” Seth sighed and gave him one last kiss before pulling
away.

“Not really, but I’ll go with it for now.”
Domenico gestured at the bike.

“No? I thought falling asleep on my back was
your new thing.” Seth snorted and hopped on the bike. For a
horrible moment Dom imagined lying on top of Seth’s dead body to
keep it from cooling down. It wouldn’t help.

“Sort of.” Domenico put on the spare helmet,
glad he wouldn’t have to smile anymore. He didn’t feel like it one
bit.

Seth’s body felt so warm when Dom wrapped his
arms around his waist. “Put your gloves on,” he instructed as if
Dom didn’t already know that.

Dom complied, and buried his nose in the
leather, savoring the mixture of tempting smells. He couldn’t get
over what was to happen at noon. Why did he always have to lose
what he grew fond of? He could bet Frederico had his dirty fingers
all over this hit. That was why he’d wished him a ‘happy
honeymoon’, the bastard.

The roar of the engine clouded Dom’s mind for
a moment, and it was bliss to just feel the thud of Seth’s heart
against his cheek as they left the garage with the tires screeching
against the asphalt. For a second, it crossed Domenico’s mind that
if they died out there, in the streets, he wouldn’t have to put his
gun against Seth’s head. Dom wouldn’t kill him any other way than
giving him the foolproof, instant, and suffering-free kind of
death. As they rushed out into the streets, Dom remembered how Seth
asked him once to keep him from pain. That if Dom was to kill him,
if he could please avoid torture. He looked so scared when he made
that request all those months ago. Seth wasn’t the toughest of men,
and he certainly wasn’t Don material, but it wasn’t his fault, he
didn’t choose to be in the Family. He ran all the way across the
ocean to avoid being a part of it. And now he would die over a job
he never asked to get.

Domenico closed his eyes, pressing closer
against Seth’s broad back and letting the bike carry them. He could
feel every shift in gravity, the smells of oil and sewage, of the
dirty snow. He could only hope Luigi could shed more light on it
all. Maybe Vincente was acting alone, and this was his way of
killing two birds with one stone?

They had a long way ahead of them, with Luigi
staying in some dingy motel called Midnight Blues. Seth speeded
constantly, as if he couldn’t help himself from attracting danger,
just like he drew in Domenico against any man’s rational decision.
But apart from going too fast, he didn’t do anything too crazy. He
had to have some sense left in him after all. Still, the speed had
Dom’s heart beating faster.

He enjoyed the ride, even though his clothes
were too thin for biking in this weather. He shut his senses to it,
resting all his attention on the body in front of him. He had lots
to think about before Seth pulled over to the parking lot by the
motel, and he was sorry to let go.

“Shouldn’t take long.”

“No problem, I’ll wait.” Seth smiled and got
off the bike after Dom. “Maybe I’ll be able to pick up some guy hot
for a biker.” Seth took his helmet off and lit a cigarette.

Domenico reached into Seth’s packet and took
one for himself. “Already bored with me?”

“I’m kinda done with brunets. Looking for a
blond now.” Seth took a long whiff of smoke.

Domenico swallowed, resting his hand on
Seth’s hip. “Blonds are boring.”

“I’ll just have to see if this brunet can
entertain me for a week or two longer.” He looked so cocky in the
darkness, with that smirk and a cigarette, leaning against the wall
by his bike.

Or rather, till tomorrow. Domenico gave him a
tight smile and put the helmet on the motorbike. “Just watch
me.”

“I will. Turn around and my eyes won’t leave
your ass alone.”

“Then watch,” said Domenico, and moved
straight to Luigi’s door across the parking lot. He was very aware
he had provoked Seth, but that would keep him occupied while Dom
got to the bottom of things. He rapped on the wooden door, heart
already up his throat.

Luigi opened within seconds, his dark,
wrinkled face with no expression whatsoever. “Come in.” He frowned
slightly at the sight of Seth, but Domenico ignored it and entered
the small bedroom. It smelled of damp walls and cheap cleaning
products, with a double bed and a bathroom in the background.

“Are you alone?”

Luigi’s frown deepened at the question, and
he closed the door. “Who would I be with?”

Domenico shrugged, trailing his gaze over the
old wallpaper. “I don’t know. A woman?”

“Not at such a tense time.” Luigi sat in the
one chair by a tiny table. “Is that how you relieve stress?”

“Sometimes,” said Domenico, pacing around the
dirty carpet. He didn’t understand why Luigi wouldn’t stay in a
better place.

“Are you stressed, Domenico?” Luigi watched
his every move and lit a cigarette. There was already a heavy smell
of tobacco in the air.

“How can you tell?” muttered Dom, retrieving
a lighter to smoke the cigarette he took from Seth.

“This isn’t good, Domenico. This isn’t like
you. There’s a job to be done, and you always do your job.”

“Yes, but what happened? Why would the Don
change his decision?” Domenico walked up closer to look into
Luigi’s face. So Luigi really did know about all this. “It doesn’t
make any sense.”

Luigi sighed, before taking another big
breath of smoke as he relaxed into the backrest. “I know it
doesn’t. We aren’t the only ones confused. But it wasn’t Dino’s
decision. What I think though is that Dino put a death sentence on
Seth the moment he appointed him. What happened next, I don’t think
he expected.”

Domenico frowned, though his stomach clenched
with a queasy feeling. “What happened?”

Luigi looked to his watch and frowned. “Damn
time difference. Give me a sec.” He mouthed something to himself.
“Yes, Dino should be dead by now. There are new forces on the move.
Dom, take a seat.”

It was as if the floor shook beneath
Domenico’s feet, and he was glad for the invitation. “And you...
you know this, yet do nothing?” he asked, dropping to the bed.

“It’s not my job to interfere. I follow the
lead of those in charge. And those in charge have changed. Vincente
is backed by the
consigliere
.” Luigi’s voice was monotonous,
but he never took his eyes off Dom.

“We all swore our allegiance to the Don, this
isn’t right,” uttered Domenico, filling his lungs with warm smoke.
He was getting stiff and cold. His father was dead. Without ever
acknowledging him.

“The Don is dead,” Luigi repeated, spreading
his thick hands. “We have to be smart about this. What do you think
about Vincente? He’s surely better suited than Seth.” He looked out
the window, but Dom refused to follow his gaze.

“It’s hardly a reason to kill him. Why not
let him disappear?”

“He was appointed. People would find him and
try to reinstate him, use him like a puppet. Anyone could use him
this way.”

Domenico set his jaw and looked at his hands.
He instantly uncurled them and stretched his fingers. The signet
from Seth stabbed his eyes like acid. “You have a Snickers? I’m
starving.”

“l might have something.” Luigi reached to a
duffel bag on the floor and pulled out some chocolate bars. “You
shouldn’t have gotten so friendly with Seth in the first place. The
man had a target on his back from day one.”

“You honestly think Vincente’s going to make
a good Don?” Domenico snapped open the nearest chocolate bar and
bit into it, with smoke still filling his mouth. He was too
embarrassed to admit to Seth that he had a weakness for this sort
of crappy food. Domenico Acerbi wasn’t supposed to have
weaknesses.

Luigi slammed his palms on the table so hard
the ashtray rattled. “No, I don’t think he’ll be a good Don! He’s
selfish, crude, brash, and stupid. He only made it this far because
the
consigliere
sees him as a better puppet than Seth.”

Domenico swallowed, stuffing his face with
the sweet, creamy chocolate. “Why not get rid of him then? That
would leave Seth to be the puppet.”

Luigi shook his head and let out a big puff
of white smoke. “Men don’t trust him, don’t respect him. Some men
aren’t meant for this and after months of babysitting, you should
know better than anyone what he’s made of.”

Domenico gritted his teeth. The world seemed
to crumble at his feet. The one world he knew. Luigi’s sigh gave
him the chills.

“Wouldn’t it be better if there was someone
capable of not being the puppet of old men, someone who can
actually deal with shit?” Luigi put out the cigarette in the
ashtray.

A shiver ran down Domenico’s spine.
“Frederico?”

“Domenico, don’t test my patience!” Luigi’s
fingers trembled, and that didn’t happen often. “You. You could do
it. You have the strength, the respect, the intelligence. Get rid
of the excess weight and take it.”

Domenico stared at him, his breath getting
shallow. That was the last thing he’d expected. Luigi, of all
people, pushing him to take the absolute power as the head of the
Family. It was unthinkable, yet it was happening right now. “But
would I be accepted? The Don never acknowledged me as his
blood.”

“There are people who know you’re his son.
And we could spread that information in the future. The Family
needs a strong leader. I would back you. With Vincente and Seth
dead, Frederico would too. He’s too opportunistic to get his own
hands dirty. He knows a lot, he would help as long as he gets
something out of it. What he really wants is a good position for
his son in the future, but with time, you could put muzzles and
spiked collars on them both.” Luigi tapped the table, his frown
turning his forehead into a tangle of deep creases.

“Domenico… my son, I taught you everything
you need. A moment like this might not come again.” Luigi’s breath
sped up.

Domenico was torn between gratitude and
panic. This
was
what he’d always secretly wanted. What he’d
risked everything for as a child. He had been ready to sacrifice
Seth then, but times had changed, and he wasn’t so certain
anymore.

Luigi lit another cigarette. “Show your power
in one swoop. With the Don dead just today, you could even take
that on yourself. Men would think you had it organized. You know
the drill. Better to be feared than loved.” The cigarette smoke was
turning into thick, tangible tension.

Domenico exhaled, watching his mentor through
half-lidded eyes. Even with him, he couldn’t be completely honest.
There was no one like that in the world. Except one.

“Midday.”

“Both, or one? I need to know, Domenico.”
Luigi straightened up in the chair, slowly moving his hand from
beneath the table. He placed a gun in the middle, right next to the
scattered chocolate bars.

Domenico swallowed, grabbing onto the
comforter. “Both.”

Luigi’s lips spread into a smile, a rare
sight. “Some things just need to be done. Sorry if you got attached
to Seth. He might be a fun shopping companion, but you would soon
find out he’d be a burden at war. And a liability.”

“I know.” Domenico pinched his chin and
leaned forward to rest his elbows on his thighs. Two sons would be
gone tomorrow, that was for certain.

Luigi stood up, which had to mean the
conversation was over. Unanswered questions about Dino’s decisions
would stay that way. Maybe he’d even take some of the answers to
the grave. “You are young, but vicious. I believe in you.”

Domenico gave him a smile and got to his feet
as well. “I’m going to enjoy my last night as an Acerbi.”

“Do that. Just don’t get drunk. But I
probably don’t need to tell you that.” Luigi patted Dom’s arm.