by Faith Ryan
“I’m going to get cleaned up. Don’t even think about touching yourself. You haven’t earned it.”
Rafe flinches and jerks his hand away from his groin.
“And, Rafe,” I wait until his eyes meet mine and I have his full attention before continuing, “When I get back, I want you to tell me the truth about the boy. All of it.”
13
Alek
I’m not sure what just happened with Rafe or Jess, but a bath sounds nice. After living on the streets for so long, I don’t think I’ll ever turn down the offer to soak in luxury.
I strip off my clothes and step into the water. The heat immediately eases the tension in my muscles. I lean my head back on the edge of the tub and let my eyes fall closed. I’ve gotten more rest since meeting Rafe than I have in the last few years, but I still feel myself drifting off.
Ever since I could remember, my momma moved us from place to place. She said it was to protect me from my father, who according to her was a vile man whose name must never be spoken. I don’t even know his name. She wouldn’t tell me.
“Alek, come.” Momma waves at me to follow her down the dark alley. There’s a man standing near the other end, hiding in the shadows.
“Linneah, what is the boy doing with you?” The man sounds angry and I slow my steps, causing my momma to drag me forward with her.
“What was I supposed to do with him, Malikem? Leave him to fend for himself?”
“Yes,” the man hisses at her. “He’s a liability.”
“He’s a child.”
I yank my hand from my mother’s hold and glare at the both of them. “I’m a man,” I tell them with a jut of my chin. “I’m thirteen, not a toddler.”
“Alek, we need to go.”
My mother reaches for me, but anger fuels me and I step out of her reach. She thinks I’m a child.
“Linneah, we have to go. Now. He’ll find us otherwise. Bring the boy or don’t, but we’re leaving.”
The man heads toward the alley opening, and my momma frantically gestures for me as she follows. Before I step out of the shadows, my momma screams.
“I told you I would find you, Linneah. I had hoped that when I did, I would feel the love for you I once did, but it’s long gone. Where is my heir?”
“Kas—!” the man’s words are cut off as a knife slashes across his throat.
I back up and hide among the garbage piled up beside what I assume is the back door of a local food market. Crouching behind a rotten smelling bag, I listen to my momma plead for her life.
“Please. Let me go. He’s not here. I’ll bring him to you.”
“Do you consider me a fool, Linneah? You’ll run again. Now tell me where my boy is.”
“What do you want with him, anyway? I heard rumors that you have a son, a true heir to your empire. Leave my boy alone,” Momma cries.
The sound of flesh hitting flesh bounces off the bricks in the alleyway. I flinch and barely keep myself from calling out. Momma taught me I should always hide and remain quiet when dangerous men were around.
“I won’t ask again, Linneah. Where is he?”
“He’s gone. Ran away.”
“You’re lying, but that’s okay. One day I will find him, and when I do, you won’t be around to save him. Take care of her, then leave both their bodies in the alley to rot.”
Gurgling sounds are followed by footsteps. They move into the alley, and I can hear their grunts. A thud, then another, and the footsteps recede.
I stay in my hiding spot for hours after, waiting to be sure the man who was looking for me doesn’t come back. When the night falls, the colder temperature and my grumbling stomach force me to move. I need food and shelter.
I climb out of the pile of waste and see the man whose throat was slit, his body on top of Momma’s. They both stare sightlessly at me as I make my way from the alley. Tears sting my eyes seeing that Momma is gone.
I jerk awake and the water splashes against the sides of the tub. I haven’t dreamt about Momma for years. After a few months on the street and no sign of anyone taking an interest in who I was, I forgot about the strange man who had been searching for me.
Why was I dreaming about that night?
“Alek? Is everything okay? Do you need anything?” Jess’ voice sounds through the door.
“No, thank you. I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Take your time. Jairo and I will be in the living area when you’re ready.”
I pull the plug and watch as the water swirls down the drain for a moment before stepping out of the tub. Taking a towel from the stack on the counter, I dry off. It isn’t until I go to get dressed that I realize I don’t have any clean clothes. That’s not anything new for me, but with Jess waiting for me, it seems like a huge deal.
I grab a dry towel and wrap it around my body. I glimpse myself in the mirror and shrug. It’s better than nothing.
I can hear Jess and Jairo talking when I step out of the bathroom and I follow the sound of their voices. They’re sitting on the sofa, a tea kettle on the coffee table in front of them. I hover in the hall, debating on running back to the room Jess provided me for the night.
“Hey, come on in. I’ve got tea for you. It should help your throat,” Jess tells me, rising from his seat to guide me into the room. I’d forgotten about my sore throat until he mentioned it, and now the dull ache from Rafe’s grip throbs for attention.
“Where are your clothes?” Jairo glares at me.
“I—I only had the ones I was wearing. They’re dirty. I didn’t think it would be polite to wear them. But I can go put them on if it’s an issue.”
“It’s not.” Jess slaps Jairo’s arm, and he turns his glare to him, before dropping his stare to his feet. “Have a seat, Alek. Drink some tea. I’ll have some clothes brought up for you soon. Right now, I think there are things we need to discuss.”
14
Jess
Jairo doesn’t like Alek being in my space, but it’s not his choice. The boy has obviously been through some shit at Rafe’s hands, and I want to know what.
“What did Rafe do to you?”
Alek looks at me over the cup of tea he’s sipping. At my words, he takes another sip before setting his mug back on the table.
“Nothing.” Alek shakes his head. “Why?”
“Because I saw you in his rooms, and there was tension thick in the air when I showed up earlier. No, that could be all Nero. The man has a presence that scares even the bravest of my father’s men, but I know Rafe. I know how he uses those under his employ, whether they are willing or not. You don’t deserve whatever he did. I’ll live with the bump on my head.”
I smile, trying to convey that I have no hard feelings over the matter, but Alek flinches and fidgets where he sits. He picks at the edge of the towel, intent on watching his fingers pick at the cotton.
“Alek?” I didn’t mean to make him uncomfortable by reminding him of the incident. “It’s okay, really. My father will get over it eventually, and Rafe will follow his orders. And I can see if I can speed things along. I’ll talk to my father tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to do that. Nothing happened. Rafe’s great, really he is.”
My brow furrows in confusion. Rafe is not a good man. A loyal follower and protector of those important to him, like my father. But a good man? I’d never describe him that way.
“What’s he got on you, kid?” Jairo questions Alek in his take no prisoners tone. “What does he want with you? I feel you’re not here of your own accord, even if it may seem that way. I’ll admit I didn’t look too closely at the incident earlier, but now that I think about it, it reeks of one of Rafe’s well planned operations. So, what was it he needed you to do?”
Alek stares at Jairo with surprise and a hint of fear.
“Umm,” he looks at me and I watch his Adam’s apple bob with the hard swallow he takes.
“It’s okay, Alek. Whatever it is.”
“He tricked me. Pr
omised me shelter for the night. Then he, uh, he did things. Afterward he told me if I didn’t help get some items from Salib’s safe, he would tell everyone what I did. Sodomy is against the law unless you have enough money to buy a pardon. I would have been a dead man, or worse, imprisoned for life. I’m a street rat, I have nothing to my name. But I didn’t want to die or be arrested, so I agreed. He snuck me in, and I took the items from the safe in the library.”
“What did you take?”
“A couple of lamps and some jewels.”
I interrupt Jairo’s interrogation. “Lamps? I can understand the jewels, but why take the lamps?”
“I don’t know, but there’s something about the lamps. Rafe didn’t care about the jewels and told me I could keep them. He wanted the lamp. I didn’t tell him there was more than one, I just handed him one and kept everything else for myself.”
It makes little sense. What could Rafe possibly want with a lamp? I look to Jairo to see if he has any ideas. He looks deep in thought for a moment, then his eyes widen, and he jumps up.
“I need to go check something. You two stay here. And don’t open the door for anyone, I mean it, Jess. No one but me.”
“What’s going on, Jairo?”
“I don’t know, but I know where I can find some answers.”
Jairo leaves, and silence fills the room. Alek avoids looking at me, and it makes me self-conscious.
“I like pretty things. And skirts and dresses are more freeing than slacks.”
“Okay.”
That’s all he has to say?
I’ve always had effeminate looks, and when I was younger, I insisted on wearing and owning what my father calls girly items. Clothing, accessories, even my toys were more feminine than anyone would deem appropriate for a young boy. Kassem Salib would have no one making a fool of him, not even his own son. He’s a private man. Everyone knew an heir existed, but since he gave no one a confirmation, it was easy for him to just declare me as female to the public. I couldn’t argue with him, I may be his son and heir, but I am as likely to be held accountable for punishment as anyone else in my father’s lands.
He told me if I wanted to dress like a girl and have girly things, then I would be a girl in his eyes, and therefore the public’s eye. I refuse to be anything other than what I am. He tells anyone who’ll listen how great a wife his daughter will make. I don’t correct him, but other than at public events, I don’t hide who I am.
I’m considered one of the most gorgeous women in our society, but I’m just a man who likes pretty things. Most people can’t look past that to see who I am beneath the silk and lace. Except Jairo, and I’m hoping maybe Alek.
“It’s very pretty. You’re very pretty.”
Alek’s quiet voice breaks the silence and I see a blush cover his cheeks. I’m not a vain man, but I enjoy knowing he likes what he sees. I’m drawn to him. I want to save him. Protect him. And yes, even fuck him.
I imagine him spread out on my sheets, naked for my eyes to explore while I wear my favorite garter and white thigh-highs with lace and a pair of red stilettos. I’d watch him squirm in anticipation and slowly stroke myself. My dick twitches at the thought, hardening and shifting visibly beneath my skirt.
“Thank you.”
I discreetly adjust myself, but it’s hard to hide my reaction to him. And judging by the visible tenting in his towel, the same goes for him.
“Shit. I’m sorry. You must be uncomfortable in just a towel. Come on, I’ll lend you some clothes.”
I stand and gesture for him to do the same. I lead him to my room and my eyes seek the bed as my fantasy from before plays on repeat in my head.
Stop it, Jess. You need to clothe him, not molest him.
I let out a frustrated groan. Being around Alek will test me and I can’t let my libido take over. He needs our help to get out from under Rafe. If I let my lust call the shots, I’ll be no better than Rafe, using the boy to satiate my own desires. I can’t let that happen.
15
Alek
I follow Jess to a different bedroom than the one he said I would use for the night. I take in the feminine touches; the pink-stained wood of his vanity, and the rose-colored silk sheets. There is gauzy material strung over the bedposts and I deduce that this is his room, his private space.
“I prefer dresses and skirts in pretty girly colors, but I have some things in the back of my closet that should fit. They’re leftovers from a time when my father tried to convince me to be more manly. As if my clothing preferences have anything to with how much of a man I am. I’m extremely manly where it counts, thank you very much.”
“I believe you.”
Jess looks back at me, his eyes round in disbelief. At my agreement or his own words, I’m not sure.
“Oh my God, I did not mean that the way it sounded.”
Jess heads into the closet, I’m not sure if he wants me to follow him or not, so I just stand awkwardly in the doorway and wait. I can hear him mumbling to himself as he searches for whatever it is he’s looking for. After a few minutes, he comes out carrying a pair of sweatpants.
“Sorry, this is all I could find. I’ll dig through again in the morning. I know I have something more presentable, but this should work for now.”
I take the sweats and drop my towel. Bending over I pull the soft material over my feet and up my legs.
“Oh, so you’re doing that here. And now. Um, okay. I’ll just stare at this wall. Let me know when you’re done.”
An amused smile plays across my lips as Jess quickly turns away. I don’t mind people looking at my body. I’m not ashamed. I’m thinner than I would like to be; living on scraps will do that, but I’ve been told I have a nice body. Many men and women have offered to pay for a chance at touching me, I’d never even considered it until the alley with Rafe. I guess that makes me a paid whore. That was desperation, but this feels like pure need. I’d let Jess look, touch, taste any part of me he wanted for free.
I pull the sweats to my waist and adjust my dick so the hard length is not so obvious. Easier said than done and after a few minutes I give up. If I keep touching my dick, I’m going to end up with blue balls. That’s still a possibility the longer I’m in Jess’ presence, but at least it won’t be because of my hand.
“Okay, I’m decent.”
Jess turns to me and licks his bottom lip before pulling it between his teeth. “You’re covered, but I don’t know if I’d call the sight of you decent.”
He closes the distance between us and runs his dainty hand down my bare chest, sending a shiver running the length of my spine. I feel an invisible thread pulling me to Jess, something beyond the two of us directing us where it wants.
“Why do I feel the need to claim you as mine? To do wicked things to you and have you do the same to me?”
My hand moves to caress his bottom lip, still damp from his tongue. I don’t have any answers for him, but the feeling is mutual. I’ve never been tempted by a man or a woman the way Jess tempts me. The way he’s so unabashedly himself, the frilly clothes and the impeccably applied makeup, all of it turns me on beyond anything I’ve known.
“I don’t know you, but I want you more than a slice of bread after a week of starvation.”
Way to be romantic, Alek.
The words aren’t glamorous, but their truth is more real than anything else in my life has been since my momma’s death. I’ve kept people at a distance since then. If I don’t allow them to get close, they can’t leave me. With Jess, I want to know him, the real him his father wants to push down and keep hidden.
“Alek.” My name is a whisper on his lips, and I can’t resist any more. I bring my lips to his in a gentle kiss. I want to worship his mouth, slowly and reverently, but Jess has other plans.
He deepens the kiss, his tongue plundering into my mouth and mating with mine. He takes control, gripping my hair and using the hold to angle my head the way he wants. I surrender to him, and when he breaks the kiss a
moan of need escapes me.
“God, Alek. It’s like your kiss is my oxygen. I need you to live.”
Jess kisses me again, his body moving in close until there isn’t any space between us. He rolls his hips against me, rubbing his cock along mine and creating a delicious friction. I need him inside me.
“Want you to fuck me,” I tell him, hoping my words are coherent between my panting breaths.
“What? Are you sure?” Jess pulls back to meet my eyes.
I nod. I’ve spent my life avoiding intimacy with others, taking care of all my needs myself. Sex with Rafe was painful, but there were moments of pleasure. I know with Jess it will be all pleasure. And even if this pull between us is only lust and evaporates once we get our fill of each other, I know that the experience will be worth it. Jess will be worth it.
“I guess these sweats were a moot point, huh?” Jess smiles as he dips a finger beneath and runs it along the inside of the waistband, his knuckles brushing my skin. “Let’s get these off and get you into the bed.”
“I think you might want to wait until you hear what I’ve found before you climb into bed with each other.”
Jess jumps at the sound of Jairo’s voice, and the mood is completely ruined. Cockblocking asshole.
16
Jess
I follow Jairo and Alek into the living area and purposely sit in the lone chair, forcing them to sit side by side on the sofa. It’s a small punishment for Jairo and his interruption, and a necessity to keep me from attacking Alek with my lips, hands, and cock. Every part of me wants to devour him whole.
“What did you find, Jairo?” I can’t keep the irritation out of my voice.