Page 9 of Kill Shot

Easy Pickings

Nico

At first, Nico wondered if he’d made a terrible mistake in allowing Sebastian to go home.

There were so many instances where the plan could have gone wrong, from Pablo Altamirano finding out his son had sneaked out and locking him down, to Sebastian being put off by Nico going through his phone while he slept.

But by some miracle, everything had gone smoothly.

Well, not as smoothly as it could have, Nico reflected as he sat in his safehouse and gazed at his canvas.

In truth, the hardest part wasn’t convincing Sebastian to sleep at a total stranger’s place.

The hardest part was when Nico had to practically force himself to go to his room.

He’d even gone so far as to lock his door just to make sure that he couldn’t change his mind later and ruin the boy right then and there.

The urge to go finish what he’d started had been overwhelming, but by sheer force of will, he’d managed to refrain from doing anything further.

Hell, he should probably find someone to fuck, bleed the tension out before it fucked him. If he was gonna pull this off, he couldn’t let his dick run the show.

Several hours later, and making minimal artistic progress, Nico decided to hit the streets. A little patrol could help clear his head, and he liked being unpredictable if anyone was surveilling him.

He’d barely managed to put his coat on and reach the street before a very familiar cavalcade came down the road. Sebastian had come down from the estate again, this time with his usual complement of bodyguards.

Naturally, Nico concealed himself in an alley, watching the procession from under the brim of his cap. They ended up stopping a fair distance away, and as usual, they got out and swept the area. But this time around, they didn’t get into a protective formation around their charge.

Instead, they followed at a respectable distance as Sebastian made his way down the street.

And he was heading directly for Nico. Maybe not for Nico exactly, but certainly in his direction.

His mind raced through the possibilities, and he initially leaned towards a quick retreat.

However, there was something about the bearing of the guards and how displeased they all looked, as if they were annoyed that they weren’t able to follow Sebastian more closely. If that was the case, then maybe…

Rolling the dice, Nico stepped out into the light, where Sebastian could see him. The boy startled, but then he broke out in a broad grin. Behind him, his guards tensed, but didn’t draw or rush to their charge. They just stood back and watched with grim displeasure.

“Nico! I was just headed over to visit Caroline. I wasn’t expecting to run into you again so quickly…” He trailed off, sheepishly looking away.

Deciding that getting too close probably wasn’t the best idea at the moment, Nico fell into place beside Sebastian, and the pair began to stroll down the sidewalk.

“Mind if I walk with you then?” he murmured under his breath. “It looks like your guards aren’t too happy to see me.”

Nico watched closely as Seb blushed. He could not have been more transparent, and Nico felt a little bad, but he needed to get as much information as he could. And he needed it quickly.

“Oh, it’s fine,” Sebastian said with a dismissive wave at them, then his eyes narrowed with concern. “I’m sorry. Are you bothered by their presence?”

Again, Nico had to be careful not to reveal how much he knew about Sebastian and his status.

So he kept it light, giving a low chuckle.

“Not at all,” he said. “I didn’t know you were a young master of some rich household.

” Nico turned to look at the fleet of cars and the guards. “Bet your house is real nice, too.”

When he returned his gaze to Seb, the boy was visibly uncomfortable, and Nico had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Really, he’d never met a rich person who was embarrassed about their wealth or status.

Interesting.

“What’s a guy like you doing hanging out in this neighborhood anyway?” Nico asked instead, feigning ignorance.

Sebastian quickly recovered, his face taking on a whole new glow. “It’s for my social work research paper. I’m trying to understand what life actually looks like when you don’t have a safety net.”

Nico fought the urge to roll his eyes. Of course he is. “And why are you interested in that?”

“Well, I grew up around a lot of people who think poverty is just the result of bad choices. I want to prove it’s the system that’s broken, not the people in it,” he said, smiling. “I just want to give a voice to the voiceless. It’s… I think it’s my calling.”

Too bad he was Altamirano’s boy. The kid wouldn’t live long enough to see that so-called calling through. Nico kept his eyes forward as they walked, making sure he kept his expression neutral.

“Is it going well?”

Sebastian let out a soft laugh, flashing that fine set of teeth again, and Nico felt an unwelcome tightening in his crotch. It was just teeth. Teeth.

“Depends on the day. Some people open up, others slam the door in my face. I’ve been yelled at, insulted, called every name in the book. Guess not everyone wants to be a case study.”

He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Caroline’s been a huge help, though. She told me I was asking questions like a government survey and helped me reframe things. More human, less… clinical. It’s made a huge difference.”

“You talk about her a lot. Sounds like she’s not just another tenant on your list.”

Sebastian shrugged, but the corner of his mouth curved up. “She’s become a friend. Caroline was my first interview, actually, and we clicked right away.”

“Looks like you’re having a good time, all things considered.”

Sebastian grinned at that, eyes lighting up. “Oh, you have no idea. I’m learning so much.”

“Bet you are,” Nico muttered, more to himself, and drew a little closer to the boy. He didn’t go so far as to wrap an arm around his shoulders, but he made sure to let their fingers brush past one another.

Just as he’d intended, Seb shuddered and withdrew, but there was a vivid blush on his cheeks that made his thoughts clear. He fled because he was embarrassed, not because he didn’t want it.

Nico could work with that. Oh, yes he could.

“Then let me walk you there,” Nico said with a grin. “And then if you have time, maybe I can show you around the neighborhood.”

It was adorable how quickly Seb flashed a shy grin, then even more adorable how quickly he tried to cover it up. Nico was much more successful at suppressing his own amusement, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked forward to completing an assignment this much.

True to his word, Nico escorted Sebastian to his destination, then went his own way, aware of the bodyguards’ suspicious gaze on him every step of the way.

He went on a circuitous walk, timing it so that he’d return right when Sebastian was finished with his interviews.

Seb hadn’t given him a time, but Nico had been monitoring the situation long enough to have a very good idea of how long the boy usually took.

When Sebastian emerged, Nico was treated to another of his surprised grins, followed by another hasty attempt to cover up just how enthusiastic he was.

“You again?” Sebastian said, slowing his steps as he approached Nico. “You’re not… stalking me or something, are you?”

Nico let out a low chuckle. If only he knew. But of course, he couldn’t admit to that.

“Depends. You worth stalking?”

That earned him a look equal parts amusement and caution. Sebastian shook his head, but the way his mouth twitched at the corner betrayed the smile he was trying not to show.

“Okay, fine. So a coincidence then, huh?” he said, but there was a flicker in his eyes that suggested he wasn’t sure whether to be intrigued or concerned.

Nico tilted his head, watching him for a beat too long. “You always this paranoid, or just with guys who show up twice in one day?”

Seb huffed a quiet laugh, brushing his fingers through his hair. A few strands of blond fell into his eyes, catching the sunlight.

“Nope,” he said, “Just trying to figure you out.”

“You and me both,” Nico said slowly, his gaze lingering on the curve of Seb’s mouth.

For a moment, they just looked at each other, and Nico noticed the exact moment the boy threw caution to the wind when he smiled at Nico again.

Nico’s lips curled up in answer and he fell into step beside him, the city noise washing around them. “Ever eaten from a food truck?” Nico asked as they strolled down the street once more. The retinue of guards was within earshot, but only barely.

“I… no?” Sebastian said with a frown.

“Perfect,” Nico purred, taking delight in how Seb shivered. “Time to give your bougie ass a real treat.”

Seb laughed. “By eating at a food truck? Do you think tacos can really blow my mind that much?”

Nico leaned in close, not far enough to make the guards leap into action, but near enough that Seb could definitely feel his breath.

“You only say that because you haven’t tried the right kind of taco. They’ll blow more than just your mind.”

“Show me then,” Sebastian challenged, the excitement dancing behind those blue-gray eyes.

With that, Nico coaxed the violently blushing Sebastian just a little closer. Within a few minutes, they stood under the faded canopy of a truck that smelled like heaven and smoke.

Nico felt the boy’s eyes on him, watching every move as he ordered. His watchdogs were also staring. When their food was finally handed over in greasy paper trays, Sebastian took his first bite.

“Holy shit. This is so good,” he groaned, his eyes fluttering shut for just a second as if the flavor alone had momentarily transported him.

Nico smiled, watching him with quiet satisfaction. Yeah. It shouldn’t take long now. A few more of these moments and he’d have the boy.

Easy peasy.