Page 11 of Kill Shot

Tempting Heat

Nico

“Easy there, bougie prince. Those’ll knock you flat on your ass if you don’t pace yourself.”

But if anything, Nico’s warning just made Seb take an even bigger sip of his massive cocktail. And when he sighed in contented pleasure, Nico felt the corner of his own lips quirk up as well.

“I’ve never had anything like this,” Seb said, lifting his glass. “Is that… ginger? And that almost tastes like almonds.”

“It’s a bit of a local specialty. They have all sorts of ridiculous combinations, every one stronger than the last.”

Seb sighed again and took another long drink.

They were sitting in the corner booth of the bar, surrounded by a crowd that was slowly shifting from the afternoon regulars to the more fashionable evening crowd.

It was loud and smelled heavily of alcohol and sweat, but on the whole, it was more tame than most places Nico frequented.

Of course, that also meant that it was one of the most thrilling and dangerous places that Seb had ever seen.

He simply could not stop gawking at everything, catching himself and trying to cover it up with his drink, then seeing something else new and fascinating.

It was a vicious cycle, and Nico was surprised at just how amusing it was to watch.

But then Seb’s gaze started to dart nervously towards Nico. He was getting antsy, and it was clear that he wanted to say something, but he hadn’t quite worked up the courage.

Nico could have helped him out. He simply chose not to because watching Seb fidget was one of the most delectable pleasures in his life at the moment.

From the way his hands nervously wrapped around his glass to the way he kept swallowing, Seb was full of tells, and what seemed like a pitiable shortcoming in other men looked just right on the boy.

It was always fun to see just how far Seb’s breaking point was, and today was no different.

When he finally couldn’t take it anymore, he slammed down the rest of his cocktail, wiped the back of his hand across his glistening lips, and gazed at Nico intently.

That being said, the effect was undercut by the way Seb grimaced intensely at the alcoholic burn.

“Have… have you lived in the area long?” Seb asked once he managed to regain control.

Nico shrugged. “Just a few months. I tend to move around a lot.”

He considered leaving it there, but Seb looked clearly disappointed with the length of his answer.

“I’m usually down in Mexico,” Nico continued after a moment. “However, business brings me up to the States fairly often.”

Seb looked somewhat satisfied with that answer, but he wasn’t done quite yet.

“And what kind of business is it?” Seb asked boldly. Of course, this too was undercut by the rising blush on his cheeks. They’d spent so much time together that Nico could now tell the difference between how Seb blushed when he was drunk and how he blushed when he was embarrassed.

“Hm, good question.” Nico rested his cheek in his palm and watched his target. “What do you think I do?”

Seb did a commendable job of keeping his composure, at least until Nico leaned forward. It wasn’t close enough for their faces to touch, so the boy’s bodyguards maintained their distance in the next booth over. However, the two of them did tense at the sudden intimacy.

“I-I have no idea,” Seb whispered. “Maybe… art?”

That startled Nico out of his teasing. He leaned back and gave Seb a more thorough appraisal.

“What makes you say that?”

Seb blushed again. This time, he fully looked away.

“I think I saw a few brushes and an easel in a corner of your living room the night I slept over.” And then he paused, as if debating his next words and deciding to say them anyway.

“I wasn’t snooping, I swear, but I saw your painting.”

Nico tensed.

“Not sure why you had it covered, but I think it’s… beautiful.”

“Beautiful?”

“Yes. I mean, I can see it being too graphic or disturbing, but to me, it felt like an honest look at the ugly side of life.”

Nico stared at Seb with furrowed brows. What beauty was there in his inner darkness?

“And you liked it?” he asked carefully, suddenly feeling like a part of him had been laid bare. And it unsettled him, that feeling.

Seb took another sip of his drink, nodding.

“Well, maybe not the blood-soaked eyeball. That part was… a lot,” he chuckled.

“But I felt the emotion behind it. I think you beautifully captured the other side of the human experience, like the scars we carry, the part of us that is broken. Like a reminder that not every part of our experience will be perfect. There will be pain, brutality and death, of course.”

“So it didn’t scare you off.”

“Not sure if you’ve noticed, Nico,” Sebastian said, a faint smile tugging at his lips, “but I don’t scare that easy.”

Nico was at a loss for what to say to that. Those simple words sounded less like defiance and more like acceptance, as if Seb was embracing him, even with all his demons.

Ridiculous.

And yet, even as he shook the thought away, it left an uneasy feeling in his gut.

“I did wonder, though,” Seb continued, “what was the inspiration behind it? That doesn’t just come from nowhere.”

Nico clenched his jaw. That was a question he hadn’t prepared for, and for a second there, he was tempted to let the boy know the great evil his father had done and see the horror crack through that calm, innocent face.

But that would only ruin my plan , he told himself, and not because something in his chest tightened at the thought of seeing that open, trusting gaze shutter into something cold.

“You’re right,” he said instead. “That pain and brutality you spoke of, it happened to my family.”

Sebastian blinked, the smile he’d been wearing fading. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” he said quietly. His fingers tightened around his glass. “I’m sorry.”

Nico took a long swig of his drink, liking how the alcohol burned down his throat, bringing his thoughts back to the present. To Sebastian. To his plan. “It’s fine.”

Sebastian shifted in his seat, staring down and fiddling with his glass. “Maybe that was a stupid guess at what you did for a living.”

Nico slowly reached out, his fingers grazing Sebastian’s jaw. The touch was featherlight, but it was more than enough to make Seb obey, lifting his head and locking eyes with him.

“Not a stupid guess at all,” Nico murmured, smiling despite himself.

His fingers trailed down the length of Seb’s arm to his hand, then he laced their fingers in a gentle grip.

The simple act lifted the heavy air that had settled between them.

“I’ll give you half credit for that. Now what do you want for your reward? I think I owe you a kiss, don’t I?”

He couldn’t help but stare in fascination as Seb desperately tried to cover up his new wave of embarrassment. He reached for his cocktail and tried to drink from it, only to realize that he’d already finished it.

“I… I need to use the bathroom,” he said feebly, reaching for the first excuse he could find.

“Is that so? Are you sure that’s what you need right now?”

Seb blinked, and a small frown creased his brows before his expression softened into something almost sheepish.

“Actually, yes, I do need to go,” he said quietly.

With a chuckle, Nico rose to his feet and helped Seb out of the booth. Then, he offered his arm to gallantly escort Sebastian through the dazzling sights and sounds of a mediocre dive bar.

Probably because it was a gritty dive bar and not some upscale cocktail spot, Seb huddled a little closer than was strictly necessary, and Nico was hit with a noseful of that fresh, citrusy cologne Seb often wore.

In the background, he saw the two bodyguards rising from their seats and following them at a respectable distance. Even in streetwear to blend in, they still stood out like sore thumbs. Any professional could tell in an instant.

Nico’s thoughts were still on the bodyguards when they reached the small hallway at the side of the bar.

“Huh. It’s locked,” Seb said after a moment.

“Guess we have no choice but to wait then,” Nico said as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “There’s no line, so it shouldn’t be long.”

It took him a moment to realize that Seb wasn’t listening to him. In fact, he seemed absolutely entranced and was swaying in front of the beat-up bathroom door.

Nico stepped closer, more than a little concerned, but then he realized the root of the problem. What sounded like completely mundane background noise to him had the most delicious effect on the poor Altamirano boy.

What a sheltered life he’d lived. This was probably the first time he’d ever heard the crude, sloppy sounds of someone getting fucked in a bathroom. Hell, it might have been the first time he’d ever come across people getting their rocks off in any public setting.

“Something the matter?” Nico teased, feigning ignorance.

“They can’t be.” Sebastian covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes wide with shock. “They wouldn’t dare… would they?”

Nico settled against the wall once more and considered his options. He glanced back at the guards, but they were maintaining their distance. Judging by the primal, drunken groans coming out of the bathroom, they weren’t in danger of anyone popping out in the next few seconds.

“There’s a certain appeal in getting caught,” Nico said with an indifferent shrug.

“But… in a public bathroom? It’s so disgusting.” Though it scarcely seemed possible, his eyes grew even wider as he looked at Nico in horror. “Don’t tell me you’ve ever done anything like that.”

Nico grinned at the appalled shock on Sebastian’s face. “Of course not,” he said. “Only in nice public bathrooms.”

Innocent Sebastian was cute, but stunned Sebastian, staring at him with his mouth wide open, with that incredulous look on his face was even more satisfying. Nico’s grin turned into full-blown laughter before he could stop himself.