Guns n' Boys Book 1 Part 1 (4 page)

“No.” Domenico shook his
head and when he bowed down, his face was so close to Seth’s zipper, Seth
inhaled deeply. It was like being a wolf locked in with a juicy lamb, but
Domenico straightened his back as soon as he got the suitcase. “We’re already
late.”

“But how do you deal
with something like that?” Seth hated that it sounded like a whimper, but
Domenico had already opened the door and left the stall.

“I said ‘come on’.”

Seth frowned. He
couldn’t believe the guy was so rude. “Just wanted to know,” he grumbled, but
followed Domenico, ignoring a scowling guy who shook his head at them. Great,
now someone actually thought he was fucking that bastard. If only that were
true.

They were almost at the
door when it opened, and two men in janitor uniforms entered the restroom with
a large trolley that contained a trash can and lots of supplies. His blood
froze when Domenico pulled out the gloves and casually dropped them into the
trolley as he passed the janitors. There was no indication of any
acknowledgement except for a brief glance one of the men gave Seth before pulling
the trolley toward the stalls.

They barely made it
through passport control when the speaker announced there were two missing
passengers for a flight to Rome, and Domenico forced Seth to run, insisting the
names were their aliases.

Seth had a new passport,
and before he could even remember his new date of birth, they were rushing
toward the plane. He was leaving New York City with next to nothing and had to
let go of Peter as well. It was all happening too fast for his liking, but at
least he was alive and the Chinese hadn’t tortured him as much as they could
have.

They reached their gate
as the last passengers, but at least it turned out they were up for a
comfortable flight as one of only few traveling on the top deck of the plane,
in first class. Seth didn’t even look at the ticket as he followed Domenico.
Strangely, it gave him peace of mind that someone else knew where they were
supposed to go and which seats were theirs. Domenico knew what their new names
were and what time they would be landing.

With a sigh of relief,
Seth slouched in his comfy seat and stretched his legs. Only now he realized
his heart was still beating faster. Domenico on the other hand looked as
immaculate as before. He’d already removed his suit jacket and looked out the
window, absent-mindedly rolling up the sleeves of his shirt to reveal a layer
of pitch-black hair that covered his forearms.

Seth took a deep breath
through his nose, trying to keep his attraction hidden. “
That’s
why he
sent you,” he said quietly.

The clear, amber gaze
moved to meet Seth’s, complemented by a slight smile on Domenico’s handsome
face. “Your father has faith in my qualifications.”

Seth wouldn’t say it,
but he wanted to learn all about Dom’s
qualifications
. Especially his
diploma in sucking cock. “You appear… capable.” That seemed to be the
appropriate word. Positive, but not too much.

Domenico raised his
eyebrows, but shrugged. “I am. You don’t have to worry about a thing.” And with
that, he dropped into his seat.

Seth could have sworn
there was something mocking about the way Domenico said that, yet when he
looked back at his escort, he felt reassured that he’d be safe. If his father
had sent Domenico Acerbi out of all people, he had to be the best guy to do the
job, to protect him. After all, the guy had the balls to stab Seth at eleven.
“You’ve changed.”

A strange tension passed
through Domenico’s handsome features, but in the end, he just shrugged. “You
haven’t.”

Seth frowned, taken
aback. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Domenico ignored his outrage.
“Just go to sleep.”

Seth glared at him but
refused to quarrel, instead turning to look out the window as the plane took
off.

Good-bye freedom, hello
Family.

Chapter 2

Domenico leaned against
the door as the car climbed up the hill toward the town center. The vehicle
shook even as the driver slowed down on the cobblestones, diving into the
labyrinth of streets so narrow the sun only reached the top floors of the
buildings. The clothes hanging on lines over the street were familiar, as were
old women in black, sitting on benches in front of their homes. It was good to
be home, even though in Domenico’s case, ‘home’ meant confinement.

After yet another
U-turn, the driver passed the main
piazza
, where local farmers were currently
busy packing their produce into trucks after a day at the market. Domenico
sighed, letting his gaze wander to a narrow street on the other side, which led
straight to his own home, but just a moment later, it disappeared from his
sight as the car started the descent toward the peninsula where the Villani
residence was located.

Not without caution, he
glanced to the side, at Seth Villani’s hunched form. The guy looked like a
wreck, with thick dark stubble barely hiding the bruises on his cheek and left
eye. Their trip together had been long yet almost completely silent. Sometimes
Seth mumbled something to himself, and talked in his sleep, but that was it.
He’d spent a whole night staring at his own hands and massaging the injured
one. Seth was as harmless as the goats that made them stop in the street so the
herd could pass safely. He looked like an injured bull though: big, tall, and
meaty, with broad shoulders and thighs that invited for a bite. Seth’s juicy
body never stopped distracting Domenico, even now that they were nearing their
destination. The constant pout of dissatisfaction on that handsome face was
like a challenge Dom would be willing to take. Seth had eyebrows just as black
as his hair, which was now slightly overgrown, and the way he kept frowning
made his eyes seem darker, almost black. He wasn’t happy to be here, and it
couldn’t have been more obvious. Seth was as easy to read as an elementary
book.

Dom had to force his
face to stay motionless when he saw Seth loosen and then take off his tie.

“So fucking hot,” Seth
grumbled and undid the first three buttons of his black shirt. He exhaled
deeply through his wide nose, as if he really were a bull, and took the
cigarettes lying between them like they were his.

“You’re welcome,” said
Domenico, watching the fat, bull-like brow line thicken even more. Such an
undeservedly prime example of the male sex.

“Lighter.” Seth took a
cigarette, stuck it in his mouth, and put his hand palm up.

The flame in Domenico’s
gut exploded, but he didn’t let it show and instead reached to the man’s face.
With a quick flick of fingers, he broke the cigarette in half, leaving Seth
with a filter dangling from his mouth.

“The fuck’s wrong with
you?” Seth spread his arms to the sides, a flicker of anger setting his dark
eyes aflame.

“I’ll give you one if
you ask me nicely,” said Domenico, taking the whole pack and putting it back
into his suit jacket. “I see the New World taught you some bad manners.”

“Whatever. I’m not
addicted.” Seth rolled his eyes and threw the filter at Dom before looking out
the window.

His dusky nape was too
much of a temptation to resist, and Domenico put his hand over the hot, sweaty
flesh, squeezing it gently. “I would quickly re-learn what respect means if I
were you.”

Seth snapped and slapped
Domenico’s hand off. “I have respect for my father. You work for
me
.”

Domenico’s lips
stretched into a smile, and he couldn’t stop a chuckle. “Oh, do I?”

He reveled in the look
of insecurity in Seth’s eyes after he said that. He’d
pay
to see it
again.

“Well… don’t you?”

Domenico slowly moved
his head to the sides.

Seth pouted, inching
closer to the car door. “But you’re my escort…”

“Your escort, not your
errand boy or shoe polisher.”

“My cigarette man?” Seth
raised his eyebrows, and Dom wasn’t sure if that was Seth’s attempt at a joke,
but it still softened him a bit.

He snorted and shook his
head. “I might consider it if you ask me nicely for one.”

Seth waved his hand
dismissively and turned to the window again. “Nah, too much effort.”

“Suit yourself,
Villani.” Domenico leaned back in his seat and lit a cigarette just to fuck
with him.

Seth grumbled something
underneath his breath and rolled up his sleeves so abruptly, Domenico heard a
rip of thread and cringed. He hated a man who couldn’t take care of his
clothes.

The car aligned with a
tall limestone wall and sped down the asphalt road, straight for the elegant,
roofed gate ahead. Domenico raised his hand to greet one of the soldiers,
conspicuously sitting on a bench by the wall, and the man mirrored the gesture
with a slight smile.

As they approached, two
men sitting in the shadow of the wall hurried to open the gate for them, and
the car entered the Villani residence without slowing down. The setting
September sun teased the palm trees and flowers in the garden along the white
driveway to the main villa. A young gardener got up as they passed, before
returning to his knees as soon as he was done with the greeting, though
Domenico would have liked to watch his bare torso for a bit longer.

The villa’s
cream-colored walls reflected the warm light, and even the wooden shutters were
open to let in the last of the sun that day. The grand rectangular front was
immaculate, as was suitable to greet a long-missed relative, and already there
were people waiting by the door at the top of the front stairs.

Dino Villani stepped
down, leaving his older son Vincente where he was. He wore a black suit, but
his smile couldn’t have been brighter. The man had celebrated his fiftieth
birthday just two months ago, and his hair had a tint of gray, yet he seemed to
have more energy than Seth, who got out of the car with the agility of a
wounded animal. Dom wanted to roll his eyes. The weakling only lost one little
finger and was making a fuss about it as if the Chinese had chopped off his
cock and made him eat it.

Yet all attention was on
Seth as the Don hugged his younger son in an iron grip. “Seth, finally!”

Vincente came down as
well and patted Seth’s back with a grin as crooked as his recently broken nose.
Neither he nor Dom could compete with Seth in the size department, even though
out of all of them, Dom imagined Seth to be the biggest slob.

Staying back by the car,
he watched the family reunion. Only tears of joy were lacking.

“You’re looking good,”
said the Don with a strong pat to Seth’s arm that made his son visibly flinch.
“It’s such a shame your mother can’t see you now.” He furrowed his eyebrows and
shook his head, suddenly serious. Even Vincente bowed his head in respect.

“Maybe it’s for the
better,” Seth mumbled but hugged his father. “Is the funeral tomorrow?”

“Yes. It’s a shame you
were too busy to see her alive,” said Dino, casting down his eyes.

Domenico felt his
nostrils flare and bowed his head in discontent. What kind of son wouldn’t come
and see his dying mother?

“I kind of… thought I
would still have the chance at Christmas,” Seth sighed and pulled away, shoving
his hands into his pockets.

“Well, you won’t.” Dino
spread his arms with a small fake smile and gestured for Domenico to follow,
before walking into the villa. So much for fatherly love.

Vincente walked up to
Seth and put an arm over his shoulder. “Father’s got something to tell us all,
but he said we have to wait for you. It must be something big.” He grinned at
Seth, and Domenico could already imagine what that could be. The death of his wife
must have sparked a sentimental fire in Dino. It was only appropriate that he
wanted to make sure his sons knew what the order of business would be if he
himself passed away without warning. It was so obvious, Dom groaned that Seth
didn’t see it coming. Why was the loser even there?

As they walked down the
pristine corridor, Domenico couldn’t help himself and lowered his gaze to
Seth’s ass, clad in slacks that were just a bit too tight. If he didn’t know that
wasn’t the case, he’d assume the guy was wearing them on purpose. It didn’t
escape his attention though that Vincente let his gaze drift to a uniformed
maid, whose face seemed vaguely familiar. Someone from school perhaps? It
didn’t matter anyway. He wasn’t anyone’s keeper.

“Yes, I can’t make any
important decisions without all of you at my side,” said Dino as he strolled
down the corridor in a gait worthy of someone much younger.

Seth came closer to his
father and held up his bandaged hand. “Will you tell us what happened?”

Domenico hardly kept a
chuckle inside when Dino didn’t even spare the raised arm a glance. “We’ve got
some tensions with the Triad in the North East.”

“But… I didn’t see
anyone follow me or anything,” Seth said as they entered the Don’s large
office. To Domenico’s surprise, the
consigliere
and his son Santo were
also present.

“You have a lot to
learn, little brother,” Vincente laughed and patted Seth’s back before sitting
in the leather armchair in front of the desk.

“Yes, it seems I neglected
some aspects of your education.” Dino shook his head and walked up to sit
behind his massive desk. “Domenico, close the door.”

Dom did as he was told
and stood by the wall, watching the Villanis sit in a curiously spread-out
fashion, in expensive antique armchairs he knew his mother loved.

“Domenico said you paid
them back eye for an eye?” Seth asked, fidgeting in his seat as if he couldn’t
understand that everyone else was already done with the topic of his pathetic
finger.

Dino’s chest resonated
with a low chuckle. “I can’t let anyone think they can get away with taking my
flesh and blood.”

Vincente leaned forward
in the armchair, resting his elbows on the tops of his thighs and nodded at
Seth. “I’ll make sure no one bothers you again.”

Seth smiled back at him
and gave his brother’s thigh a gentle punch.
Brotherly love.
Domenico
could puke.

“What news do you have
for us?” Frederico, the
consigliere
, looked at the Don, his young son
like a carbon copy of his father. Both were handsome, with strong features and
tan skin, sleek and as elegant as cats that would let you pet them in one
moment, only to claw your eyes out in the next. Santo had grown a lot since Dom
had last seen him though, his shoulders wider, whole body more bulky. The thick
red horizontal scar around his neck was proof that Santo wasn’t a boy anymore.

The
consigliere’s
gaze briefly swept over Domenico, but all he got was a
tight-lipped smile. They were done with pleasantries.

Dino sighed and leaned
forward, folding his fingers on the desktop. “The unfortunate passing of my
wife gave me a lot to think about, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you.”

No one spoke, all of
them anxious for what the Don might decide. Frederico’s gaze drifted back to
the boss as the whole room became silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Dino cleared his throat.
“I need to protect the family, and as much as I am in control of our
operations, I need to be sure my successor is ready.”

It seemed that the
tension between the luxurious armchairs thickened so badly, Vincente could
hardly breathe as his neck became oddly pink.

Domenico folded his
hands on his chest, watching the situation from a distance. It didn’t concern
him anyway. All he cared about was getting a few days off to spend with his
mother, but what Dino said next drew his attention right back to where it was
supposed to be.

“And I chose to leave
the operational side in the hands of my younger son.”

The silence that
followed was so loud it took Domenico several seconds to understand what had
happened.

Seth just sat there,
with his lips parted. “I… You mean—”

“Is this a joke?”
Vincente snapped.

The
consigliere
and his son could hardly contain their surprise, both their eyes focused on the
two brothers.

Dino frowned and
straightened up in his chair. “Are you questioning my decision?”

Domenico felt
light-headed, but the wall behind his back gave him enough support that he
wouldn’t wobble. He’d already come to terms with Vincente’s role in the family,
and now was he to watch this weakling take the reins?

“No, but—” Vincente’s
eyes were wide open, as if he were on drugs. And Domenico knew well how
Vincente looked on drugs.

“There are no ‘buts’.
Seth will be more than qualified after Domenico brings him up to speed. Seth’s
a strong man and speaks both languages.”

“Maybe in a few years,
when I finish my degree, I could…” Seth didn’t even seem to know how to finish
the sentence let alone run the business. He was already sweating like a pig.

Domenico swallowed,
looking into Dino’s clear brown eyes, but there was no humor in them. If
anything, he could see a challenge, but challenging the Don was the last thing
Domenico wanted to do. He cast his gaze to the floor, to his flawless shoes,
just as Dino started talking again.