Page 80 of He is Poison
Seth made sure he parkedin the best way possible. He found it ironic that he was such a law abidingdriver as a criminal and such a reckless one when he tried to live a normallife. He followed Dom, who was already taking Salieri upstairs, and the memoryof being abducted throbbed in the place where he used to have a finger. Therewas nothing fun about being in Berlin anymore.
“Seth, open the door,”asked Domenico quietly, but his voice still carried all over the uglystaircase.
Seth rushed up to passhim and opened the door to their apartment, which didn’t seem all that cozy allof a sudden. Pleasantries were over as soon as Domenico entered, draggingSalieri into the cell, and dropped her like a sack of potatoes. Frozen inplace, Seth watched her being fastened to the very chair Domenico had fuckedhim in a few hours ago.
Seth stood in the middleof the living room and watched through the open door, unable to find a placefor himself. Every piece of furniture had sharp edges, not a single dark corneror an inviting cushion. Seth knew Salieri deserved what was coming, that shewas the cause of his misery, yet he couldn’t shake off feeling sorry for her.It looked like their landlord’s lessons paid off because Dom restrained her tothe chair in no time. Though Seth suspected Dom didn’t need advice in thatarea.
Dom was back as soon ashe locked the cell, happy as ever. “We need to celebrate. How about orderingsomething for dinner?” Dom proposed, pulling off his denim jacket.
“I don’t think I’mhungry, but go ahead.” Seth’s stomach was clenched into a tight ball since themoment they parked in front of Salieri’s house.
Domenico blinked at himbut didn’t say a thing and walked off to the other room. Seth dropped to thecouch, completely exhausted. The place was so much better than their dirtyattic studio without a shower, but he couldn’t calm down, imagining theirprisoner screaming in the cell. No one would hear her through the insolatedwalls. He took off his leather jacket and ran his fingers through his hair.
The grumble he heardfrom the door was enough to knot his insides.
“My favorite pizzeriadoesn’t deliver here.” Domenico was frowning like an obnoxious kid.
Seth took a deep breath.He thought Salieri was playing with fire?Hewas sleeping with DomenicoAcerbi, sitting by the fireplace, where it was nice and warm, but soon enoughhe would freakingburn. It was bound to happen. “Order from another onethen! Jeez.”
Domenico sighed, butpaced through the living room, stretching his body enough for the back of hisshirt to come up. “Maybe later. I need some rest.”
“Should I keep watchfirst?” Seth looked to the sturdy door of the cell.
Dom dropped into thechair, frowning at him. “Why? It’s not like she can push the door open.”
“Uhm… I don’t know… Areyou sure it’s safe not to keep watch?” Seth looked to the glass coffee table,which was so clean it seemed sterile.
“Relax.” Domenicostretched his upper body and slid lower in the chair. “That door can’t beopened without the key or a professional who has the equipment to cut throughsteel.”
Seth nodded, playingwith the signet on his ring finger and couldn’t help but notice the strangeemptiness next to it. What if tomorrow they got an order to cut offherfinger? What was he supposed to do? Learning to shoot was one thing, but this?
“What is it?” came fromthe semidarkness. They really needed to switch on the light because he wasfreaking out.
“I-I’m fine, I suppose.”He shrugged and got up from the couch. Nothing was fine. He was completely outof his depth.
“Getting hungry afterall?”
“Nah, I’ll go take ashower. I can’t get enough of actually being able to wash properly.” Sethrubbed his forehead and walked off to the bedroom. Some alone time would do himgood, because his hands were trembling again.
Everything was so freshin this house. The bedroom had a soft carpet and a grand, king-size bed withfresh linen. Seth left his clothes there before going into the spaciousbathroom, decorated in sandy colors. None of the luxuries helped him cool downthough. He needed to think things through. Seth always considered himself atough guy, but it was laughable when he compared himself to Domenico. The guywas a machine. How was Seth ever supposed to be the future Don, when hecouldn’t handle something as simple as a kidnapping?
He turned on the waterand leaned against the wall when a soft creak made his body turn into ice. But itwas only Domenico, naked, with his hair down. He didn’t look all thatfrightening this way.
“What’s up?” Seth asked,trying to sound casual.
Dom shrugged and steppedcloser to the rectangular, elongated shower stall without a door. “You seemuneasy.”
“I’m just… I don’tknow.” Seth rubbed the sides of his head, watching Domenico enter the stall andwalk up to him.
“I think you needsomeone to console you,” he said, entering the spray of water, whichimmediately flattened his hair.
“I suppose I’m a bit nervous.”Seth sighed. Hundreds of droplets were appearing on Domenico’s face, only todribble south as he gently pushed Seth into the wall for a slow kiss. Even now,his mouth tasted of tobacco. And there Seth was, back in the eye of thecyclone. He melted into the kiss, closing his eyes and feeling as safe asnowhere else. He wrapped his arms around Dom’s neck and for once, the closenesswasn’t about sex. The warm body in his arms was rock solid, yet somehow softand smooth. Gentle hands went up and down his back, loosening all the cramps.
“What it is?” whisperedDomenico against the skin of Seth’s shoulder, shivering at the pleasure of warmdroplets running over his body.
“I just don’t know ifthis is going in the right direction,” Seth answered just as quietly, huggingDom tight. “What if someone finds out she’s here? Or if she doesn’t talk? Idon’t know what will happen…”
“Are you scared?”