Page 88 of He is Poison
“No?” Domenico snarledat Seth, bristling like a wild dog. “Maybe we should find out!”
Salieri squealed andstarted crying hysterically. “No! Please!”
“Jesus Christ!” Sethrushed to them and stood between Dom and the girl. “Are you mad?”
Domenico had a hard timestopping himself from moving, but he squeezed his hands into fists and growledat the blurred image of Seth, “Oh, you’re protecting that bitch now? You knowwhat that is?” He moved over to a fallen Louboutin and threw it at the oppositewall. “That’s how much your life was worth to her. That fucking shoe is yourlife!”
Seth’s eyes widened,filling with darkness, and he moved away slightly while Salieri kept wailinglike a dying seal. She deserved all this, and Seth knew it, yet he still wantedto defend her. Did he have the memory of a fucking goldfish?
“What’s wrong with you,Villani? Did the Chinese cut off your balls as well?” Domenico was moving backand forth between the side walls of the cell, glaring at Seth and Salieri, whocurled up behind him. The fucker dared to treat Domenico like he didn’t matter,but that bitch, he wanted to protect?
“Fuck you,” was all Domgot from Seth before he walked out.
Domenico gritted histeeth, breathing hard as his gaze turned to Salieri again. His vision turnedred.
Chapter 16
Seth spent the remaininghours of the day away from Dom, most of it tucked in a jacket and smoking onthe balcony. Seth couldn’t say this was the worst day of his life. After all,it couldn’t compete with being kidnapped, but it was still a pretty low pointin his life. He wouldn’t leave it at that though. Even from his spot on thebalcony, Seth could hear Dom sharpening a knife. When Seth had passed him anhour ago, Dom was cleaning his guns. It didn’t frighten Seth. He knew it wasn’tmeant as a threat. After the time they spent together, he realized that for Domit was a relaxation technique.
No amount of relaxationthough would help Dom in the morning, once he was going to find out Seth wasmissing. Seth hadn’t said a word to Domenico and went to bed with his handssweating. He needed to wait for Dom to fall asleep. It was a shame that theywouldn’t get to share a good-bye. There was something electrifying about thebastard, but he had enough of this circus. There was nothing for Seth back inItaly.
Seth was curled up onhis side of the bed, tucked in the king-size comforter when the familiar,broad-shouldered shape appeared in the doorway. Neither of them said a thing,but Seth discreetly pulled the T-shirt he was wearing a bit lower.
He flinched when Domspoke, controlled and calm as always. As if he had no reason for worry. “Mr.Villani. I believe, it’s not proper anymore for us to share a bed.”
“Well said, Dom.” Sethgave him a glare, but relief washed over him. It would be harder to sneak outwith Dom sleeping next to him. The moment he said that, the air thickenedaround them, making it almost impossible to breathe. The grave stare it got himdid not leave him completely unaffected. It held unexecuted violence and hadSeth wonder about Dom not forcing himself into bed. He could have if he wantedafter all. Did he not want to?
Domenico cleared histhroat, straightening up. “I will be going. Unless there is something you wishfor, Mr. Villani.”
Seth felt heat rush tohis face. “I want nothing from you. I’m getting married after all,” he saidthrough clenched teeth and pulled the comforter tighter around himself. Unableto bear looking at Dom anymore, Seth turned his back on him, to stare at theray of light framing Domenico’s shadow on the wall.
The silence was socomplete it was frightening, and when the light suddenly went off, it felt likea punch. But Domenico didn’t express his thoughts any other way. The sound ofhis soft footsteps resounded down the corridor, eventually dispersing altogether.
Seth glued his gaze tothe clock standing on a bedside table. He would give Dom four hours. Four hoursfor the cobra to fall asleep. All Seth needed to do was to leave the housequietly. There was no way he’d jump out the window, but he could sneak outthrough the door easily enough. He had a fake passport and a chunk of money inhis wallet. From the station in Berlin, he could travel to Prague or Warsaw,and then maybe farther to Russia from there. He had four hours to ponder onthat. Siberia wouldn’t probably be his end-game after all. An Asian country wasmore of a probability. Warmer. Maybe he could check online where there were nolaws against homosexuality. Maybe there was some future for him after all.
He barely blinked,watching the clock. Hours stretched to no end, and a million differentscenarios ran through Seth’s mind. As angry as he was with Dom, he worriedabout him anyway. The last thing he wanted was to have Dom dealing with therepercussions of his disappearance, but he just couldn’t think of a way toescape that wouldn’t affect Dom. And Dom wouldn’t miss him anyway. After theinitial annoyance, he would surely be relieved that he wouldn’t have to dealwith Seth’s incompetence anymore.
When the time came, Sethgot up as quietly as a mouse and tried to control his breath as he put on apair of jeans, a jacket, and boots. The apartment felt cold, but his own skinwas on fire as he struggled with each and every move. The walls seemed to closearound him, eager to trap him inside and only spit him out when his semen wasneeded to make babies. He shuddered at the thought, trying to keep a calm head.The passport and wallet were already in his pocket so he took his first steptoward freedom. It made him realize the fucking boots made too much noise, sohe took them off and went for the door in just his socks, carrying the shoes inhis hand. Life on the run would be hard, he needed to get used to that.
“Where are you going?”
Seth’s eyes went wide,even though all he could see in the darkness was shadows. He swallowed andlooked around with his heart up his throat. There was no one there. He couldsee the window in the living room. It was only when he heard a snort that hiseyes moved lower, to a shadow on the floor by the bedroom door.
On impulse, he threw hisheavy boots in that direction, hoping it would slow Dom down and a fraction ofa second later, Seth dashed for the door. At least there was no need for beingquiet anymore. There were three separate locks on the door, and in his state ofempty-headed panic, he tried to open them all at once. Time seemed to standstill, but Dom wasn’t grabbing at him yet, so maybe there was a chance.
The door smashed againstthe corridor, shattering the silence as Seth poured out of the apartment, his feetalready in motion, heart thudding in his chest. He ran out so quickly, hebarely managed to turn into the staircase without hitting the wall.
He was already raisinghis foot over the lower step when Dom brutally snatched him backward and threwhim face-first into the wall. Domenico's hand clamped over his mouth like avise, and his strong, wiry body pushed into Seth's with astonishing strength.
Seth’s blood boiled, andhe could feel it on his tongue. Writhing like a wild stallion did nothing topush Dom off. He didn’t even manage to scream and only let out a muffled squealhe himself considered pathetic. All his senses burned as he desperatelysearched for something that could help him in the darkness. Instead of pushingback, he tried to step sideways, to throw them both down the stairs.
Dom wouldn't have it. Hetwisted his body like a snake, and the hard floor came close all too quickly.The cobra was about to bite, but Seth wouldn’t go down without a fight. Eventhough he hit the carpeted floor with his head, he still found the persistenceto smash his elbow into Dom’s ribs.
“Let go,” he rasped whenDom’s grip lessened.
“I won’t be dyingbecause you don't want to put your cock in a pussy!” growled Domenico rightinto his ear. He twisted Seth’s head and pushed his cheek into the carpetingwith so much force, Seth heard a slight click in his neck. He moaned and curledhis toes in pain when Dom pulled back his arm.
That was it. He was notgoing anywhere on Domenico Acerbi’s watch. He was no less of a prisoner thanVera Salieri. Seth let his muscles go slack, even though Dom’s weight sentalarm bells ringing in all his nerves.