With a deep breath, Sebastian faced him again. “How did you overpower them?”
Kyle reached into his black jacket and pulled out his gun. The silencer was still on the tip. It didn’t kill all the noise of gunshots like in the movies, but suppressed it enough to get the job done.
Eyes wide, Sebastian jerked a step backward. “You killed them?”
“I sincerely hope so, because they’ll try to finish the job.”
Sebastian ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “And who are you anyway? Why should I help you? Who do you work for? You could be telling me nothing but lies. Again.”
Kyle smirked. “At least you’re learning.”
“Yeah, well, as they say in America, fool me once…”
“I’m the lesser of the evils you face right now, and you’re just going to have to take my word for it.”
“Terrific.” Sebastian sighed.
Kyle relented. “I work for an organization that tries very hard to keep innocent people around the world safe. We need to get the Chimera before the terrorists.”
Sebastian absorbed this. “So if I help you, then what? Do you just throw me to my father’s men when my usefulness is over? Or do you expect me to believe you’re going to be my bodyguard for the rest of my life?”
“I know people who can help.”
“Who can help do what?”
“Give you a new life.”
Sebastian frowned. “Like…witness protection?”
“Something like that. You help me, and I’ll set you up with a new identity.”
Hope flickered across Sebastian’s face. “You could do that?” He shook his head. “Why would you?”
Good question. Kyle had to admit there was something about Sebastian that compelled him. He hadn’t given it conscious thought at the time, but he’d looked forward to meeting Sebastian, and had examined surveillance photos repeatedly. Somehow Kyle didn’t want him to end up as collateral damage. “Yes. You can get your life back. Well, not the one you had, but a new one. A better one.”
“You’ll really help me?”
“I’ll do everything I can.” If he lives that long. He needed Sebastian to stop fighting him; he’d figure out what to do with him later. It wasn’t exactly a lie—he did have connections. But he needed to focus on one step at a time, and the first was getting Sebastian to trust him.
“I can’t just walk away. What about my brother?”
“The one who works with your father?” Kyle scoffed. “Who was nowhere to be seen when you were getting hauled away by his assassins? You don’t have a brother anymore. You have to leave all that behind, or you’ll be dead.”
It was Sebastian’s turn to scoff. “Why will you care if I’m dead?”
“I won’t. Get in the car. You have nowhere else to go.” Despite his words, Kyle clenched his jaw against the niggling thought that Sebastian really would end up dead if he wasn’t careful. He reminded himself sternly that it didn’t bother him as long as he got the Chimera. Just tell him what he wants to hear.
“Of course you don’t care. You just need me for information. That I don’t have. So, what about you? How do I know you aren’t going to kill me when you’re done with me or when you realize I’m useless to you?”
Kyle watched Sebastian, the way he held his head high, trying to hide the tremors in his limbs. Trying to be brave. “You don’t.” He turned toward the car. “But I won’t. Not unless you give me a reason,” he added, but there was little conviction in the threat. The idea of Sebastian’s piercing eyes going dead and cold troubled him. Shaking it off, Kyle said brusquely, “Come on. We have a plan to make.”
He listened carefully as he walked casually to the car. After a moment Sebastian’s footsteps crunched on the twigs and pine needles as he followed.
Fat raindrops splattered on the windshield as Sebastian waited. Steven sat behind the wheel but hadn’t turned the key. Finally Sebastian couldn’t take the silence and the inaction any longer. “Steven? Where are we going?”
“Kyle.”
“What? Oh. Okay.” He doubted Kyle was his real name either, but it would do. “Where are we going, Kyle?”
“If he has it somewhere in the house, it’s game over. There’s no way we can get back in.” Kyle stared off into the distance, talking more to himself than Sebastian, it seemed. “Our contact was a good one. Don’t think he gave us bad intel. Brambani must have moved it.”
“The powder?”
Kyle nodded absently, still peering out. The rain was coming down harder now, a sheet of water that obscured the landscape. Sebastian was keenly aware of how isolated they were, and how defenseless he was against this man. Would helping him even make a difference? Or would Kyle put a bullet in him anyway? He’d be a loose end, and he had a feeling Kyle didn’t leave many of those behind.
If he did manage to escape, where would he go? His own father wanted him dead. The pain sliced through him sharply as he thought of Ben. He couldn’t trust his brother now either. The police? Would they even believe his story? Besides, given his father’s many connections and long tentacles, Sebastian had a feeling the police would be of no help to him.
Then there were the people Kyle worked for. They could have the police in their pockets too. He gazed at Kyle’s profile. Could he trust this man? His head said no, but for some reason his gut said yes. Either way he had no choice. At least if he helped Kyle find what he was looking for, Sebastian could buy himself some time. “He went up to his cabin a few days ago.”
Turning to face him, Kyle’s eyes narrowed with a laser focus. “There was no record of a cabin.”
“It’s an old place. Not fancy. I was only there once, many years ago. It was in his mother’s family. I don’t know why he kept it. He could buy a hundred cabins better than that one.”
“How far from here?”
“I don’t know. I have no idea where we are. I was locked in the trunk, remember?”
Reaching over, Steven—no, Kyle—opened the glove box and pulled out a map. As he brushed past Sebastian’s thigh, Sebastian held his breath, trying to ignore the flare of heat in his belly. Jesus, get it together. He’s a killer. He tugged at his collar, the shame prickling his skin. He’s a killer who gets me hard when I should be terrified. What if he had reciprocated instead of releasing Sebastian?
Sebastian ran his sleeve over his forehead. He could tell himself that he would have resisted, but as he thought about Kyle’s weight pinning him down, his iron grip on Sebastian’s wrists and warm breath on Sebastian’s slick skin, the desire ran thick in his veins. Maybe Father’s right—I am a dog in heat.
“Well?”
Sebastian snapped back to attention. “What?”
Kyle scanned the map, which was unfolded across the dashboard. “If he was there this week, it’s worth a look. Is he aware that you know he went?”
Sebastian pushed away his previous train of thought. Focus. Staying alive is all that matters. “No. I overheard him talking with Ben. I didn’t hear much. Wasn’t interested at the time. I was surprised Father was going up there, but I didn’t ponder it. Do you think…does Ben know? About the weapon?”
“Doesn’t matter.” Kyle pointed to a spot in the Alps. “We’re here. Roughly. Where’s the cabin?”
“It matters to me.” Sebastian swallowed thickly. Ben had been his hero. His savior.
Kyle watched him for a moment. Then he said, “I don’t know. Safe to say he knows more than you do, but I’m not sure he knows quite how deadly your father’s business has become.” He pointed to the map again. “Where’s the cabin?”
Sebastian forced thoughts of Ben from his mind and examined the map. “Not near here. A lot higher into the mountains, in the middle of nowhere, really. Near Courmayeur.” He pointed to a faint line. “West. If we follow this road, we should get there. I’ll have to try and remember.”
The sedan came to life as Kyle turned the key in the ignition. “You’ll remember.”
Sebastia
n wasn’t sure if it was encouragement or a threat.
As they traveled west into the Alps, the rain fell unrelentingly. The day became unnaturally dark, and while at first the break from the oppressive heat was welcome, soon gooseflesh dotted Sebastian’s arms, even beneath his shirt. He rubbed his skin, shivering.
With a stab of his finger on the controls, Kyle turned off the air-conditioning. “Just say something if you’re cold.”
“Like you’d give a shit.”
Kyle said nothing in response, keeping his eyes on the narrow, winding road. As they traveled deeper into the Alps and away from the tourist areas, they saw fewer and fewer cars. By late afternoon the rain had begun to crystallize into wet clumps of snow. Snow in the Alps certainly wasn’t unheard of in summer, but considering the recent heat, it was surreal.
Sebastian couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Weird weather, huh?”
Kyle frowned. “What?”
“This snow. It’s weird.”
“What’s your point?”
Huffing, Sebastian looked out the window. “Never mind. Just trying to make conversation.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what people do?” Sebastian rubbed his face. “I guess I just wanted things to be normal for, like, five minutes. But you’re probably not used to making small talk with your victims.”
He swore for a moment that Kyle was trying to suppress a smile, but he was surely imagining things. Kyle drove on silently, adjusting the windshield wipers as the wet snow intensified.
Sebastian was starving. He’d also needed to go to the bathroom for more than an hour but stubbornly refused to ask. As they neared a tiny village, Sebastian cleared his throat, unable to hold it any longer. “I need to stop.”
Kyle glanced at him. “Are we there?”
“No, but I need to piss. If that’s okay with you.”
There was no response, but Kyle pulled off the road at a tiny café. “You’re not going to try and run away or do anything stupid. Right? Because it’ll be the last mistake you ever make. But if you do what I say, I’ll make sure you stay safe. Your father’s men are already looking for you, and believe me, you’ll never survive on your own.”
Sebastian wished he could argue, but sadly he had a feeling Kyle was right. He nodded, and they went inside. In the tiny, dingy bathroom, he relieved himself and considered his options. It was disheartening, to say the least. If he tried to escape, where would he go? He couldn’t return home, that much was certain. He’d made some friends at Harvard, but none he could call in a crisis. Only Peter had been that close to him, and of course Peter was nowhere to be found.
The terrible feeling of betrayal rose up unbidden. It churned his stomach as he thought about Peter somewhere, living the high life with Arrigo’s money. Far away from Sebastian and likely not thinking of him at all. While Sebastian had not a euro to his name. Not even a piece of ID.
He shook his head. Focus. What he needed was a weapon. But even if he had one, could he really hope to overpower Kyle? He’d experienced firsthand how strong Kyle was and how quick. Maybe if he had a gun. But where would he get one? He rubbed his forehead and choked on a bitter laugh. Even if he did have a gun—if he somehow took Kyle’s—could he really use it on Kyle? On anyone?
He didn’t know. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to shoot the wide-eyed deer frozen in his sights when his father had forced him to go hunting once. What made him think he could pull the trigger on a human being? It would have to be an absolute last resort, which left him where he’d started. With no plan and no way out except to trust Kyle wasn’t going to kill him just yet.
As he zipped his trousers, the bathroom door opened. Kyle surveyed him, and Sebastian realized he’d been lost in contemplation for longer than he thought. Kyle held up a paper bag. “Food. Come on.”
They ate in the car as the snow began to accumulate on the ground. When he finished his sandwich, Kyle scrunched up his napkin and tossed it into the empty bag. “Tell me if you recognize anything. It’ll be dark before too much longer. Especially in this weather.”
“Okay.”
It had been slow going, and as the snow continued, Sebastian became less certain he’d be able to see any landmarks, let alone recognize them. But before long he spotted a wooden signpost: MARIA TERESA. “There. Turn right.”
“Maria Teresa?”
“It’s the name of a chalet. The cabin is in the same vicinity.”
Kyle slowed the car to make the turn. “You sure?” A moment later he added, “Right. Your mother’s name.”
Sebastian shifted in his seat. “Yes. I remember saying my father should name his cabin after her too.” He had to swallow thickly over the thought of his mother. Her twinkling smile, her gentle touch. How could he do it? How?
Kyle said nothing and turned onto the road, which was even narrower. Pine trees shadowed the lane, and the tires slipped in the wet snow. They crawled along, passing the chalet, which appeared empty. The road was little more than a dirt path at this point, but Sebastian was certain the cabin was at the end of it.
The sun, completely obscured by the clouds and snow, was setting as the old building finally came into view. As Sebastian remembered, it was nothing fancy. His one visit as a youth had been his last, although his father brought Ben up each year to hunt.
As he stepped out of the car, Sebastian hugged his arms to his body tightly, shivering in the cold as the wet snow fell. He hurried toward the porch, but Kyle yanked him back. “Don’t move.”
Sebastian stayed put as Kyle circled the cabin, keen eyes searching. When he disappeared around the back, Sebastian peered at the thick forest surrounding them. His leather shoes weren’t meant for running—let alone running in the Alps. Besides, Kyle had proven he was faster.
A moment later Kyle reappeared. He dropped down and examined under the porch, shining a small but powerful flashlight into the murk. When he seemed satisfied, he climbed the creaky wooden stairs and landed a powerful kick to the front door. After another, it splintered and gave way.
Inside, it hadn’t changed much from Sebastian’s dim childhood memories. The utilitarian, wooden furniture was a marked difference from the opulence Arrigo usually favored. The cabin was a snapshot in time, with an ancient wood-burning stove and no electricity. Kyle lit the lantern sitting on the solid old table and began searching.
Sebastian watched as he methodically explored the room. There was no bedroom, and the bathroom was an outhouse. A double bed sat against the wall in one corner, and when Sebastian sat on it, the springs creaked.
It seemed as if Kyle forgot he was even there as he hunted, and Sebastian wondered if the keys were still in the sedan. Doubtful, and even if they were, he didn’t think he’d be fast enough to get to the car before Kyle caught him. He thought again of Kyle’s hard, strong body pressing him down into the ground. How his mouth had tasted the night before. The jolt of excitement and pleasure when he’d pushed his finger inside Sebastian.
Abruptly he stood and began pacing. Kyle’s attention was now on the wood box beside the stove, where a few pieces of chopped wood remained inside. Sebastian couldn’t imagine his father would have hidden a chemical weapon in there and was about to say as much when Kyle pulled firmly on the box and it slid out, revealing an old metal safe about three feet high.
Sitting back on his heels, Kyle inspected it. He leaned in closely, turning the knob this way and that.
“Can you crack it?” Sebastian asked. The sooner they got the powder, the sooner he could…what? What exactly was he going to do? Kyle had promised to help him, but, realistically, Sebastian knew Kyle was just as likely to put a bullet in his brain the minute he had what he wanted.
“Of course. It’ll take some time. The older safes are actually harder. Fingerprint scanners and other modern gizmos make it much easier.”
“How?” A deeply unpleasant thought occurred. “Do you…cut people’s fingers off?”
At this Kyle smirked. �
�Only when I have to.”
“That’s really comforting.”
“Most people don’t wipe off the fingerprint scanner. You just need to lift the print from the scanner itself, and you’re in.”
“Good to know.” Sebastian peered out the small front window. The wind had begun howling, and the pane shook slightly. Outside, visibility was poor and getting worse as night settled in. Fantastic.
“Get my bag from the car. Backseat.” Kyle glanced over his shoulder. “I have the keys, so don’t even think about it.”
“If you have the keys, how am I supposed to get in?”
Kyle raised an eyebrow as he pulled the keys from his pocket and pressed a button. Sebastian could hear the faint chirp as the car unlocked. “Hurry up.”
“Yes, sir,” Sebastian muttered under his breath.
Outside he gasped at how much colder it was now that night had fallen. Slipping in the wet snow and mud, he rushed to the car and flung open the back door. A brown duffel bag sat on the seat as promised. Sebastian grabbed it and hurried back to the cabin.
He dropped the bag by Kyle and eyed the stove. “Can we start a fire?”
“No. This won’t take long.”
Sebastian wrapped his arms around himself and grumbled as he resumed pacing. “At least you have a jacket.”
Apparently ignoring him, Kyle pulled out a leather case from his duffel. He unzipped it and removed some kind of metal tool. “Any guesses as to what the combination might be?”
“How many numbers are there?”
“With this make and model, should be five.”
Sebastian pondered. Should he really try to help Kyle break into the safe? Perhaps if his father’s men showed up, he could reason with them. He thought of the cold, dark eyes of the man in the garage and sighed. Just get this over with. “Try fifty-two, sixteen, thirty-eight, seven, twenty-five.”
The Chimera Affair: Gay Romance Page 4