Into The Light

by Wolfe, H. M.

  "Complicated is interesting. It's beautiful, mysterious, unique...I like complicated things," Ezra smiled, his deep blue eyes shining like sapphires. "As for complicated people...I'm fascinated by them."

  Peyton didn't say anything, they just stood there, eyes shadowed by thick, silk lashes. Their lips slightly parted, breath hitching. No one had talked to them like that. No one had made them feel like Ezra did. In a short time, the two of them had known each other they had become very close. The mutual attraction between them was growing by the day, encouraged by both Leon and Alasdair.

  Ezra drew closer to Peyton, lowering his head and brushing his lips against theirs. They closed their eyes, feeling the raven-haired man's warm breath fanning against their already hot skin. A light blush crept slowly up Peyton's neck, becoming a darker shade of pink as it reached their cheeks.

  Ezra delicately cupped the face of the one who'd started to appear in his dreams. He tentatively darted the tip of his tongue over their sweet-tasting, plump lips. Then, without pushing further, he delicately placed his lips over Peyton's, treating them like they were rose petals.

  The warmth radiating from each other's bodies, wrapping them long after the kiss was over, and they stayed like that, tightly hugging, listening to the rhythm of their hearts beating in sync. For Ezra, having someone as pure and innocent as Peyton in his arms was a miracle, their presence a balm on his twisted soul.

  A phone suddenly started to beep, making both of them almost jump out of their skins. It belonged to Peyton, who unlocked it and read the message, rolling their eyes.

  "It's Alasdair. He messaged to let me know he's going to spend a few days at a friend's house. As if I was a three-year-old and I had no idea who he's talking about!"

  ”And who is this friend you are talking about?” Ezra frowned, sensing something was off about the whole story.

  "Paul Anderson, who else? They probably have a fuck marathon planned, and, as usual, Alasdair is the embodiment of mystery and discretion," Peyton rolled their eyes again.

  "You think this Paul guy, and our resident redhead is having sex? Because this is not right at all. I mean, Alasdair is underage, even if he gives his consent, it's...Kissing and making out is one thing, but the act itself..." Ezra shook his head. "I think you, as his best friend, should talk with him about this."

  "You're right, I will," Peyton sighed, knowing that the raven-haired teen had it right. Alasdair shouldn't have gotten together with Paul in the first place. They were like oil and water. "Well, I better go. Otherwise, my parents are going to worry about me being out for so long. See you around, Ezra," they radiantly smiled.

  **********

  After the conversation he'd had with Ezra a couple of weeks earlier, Leon decided to start looking for the man Francis told him about. Cesare Fenelli or Brentano, whatever he liked to call himself. After searching with no success whatsoever in Little Italy and the Bronx, he chose Windsor Terrace as his next destination.

  There, he heard, lived a man named Colin Rafferty, the man who owned the bar, The Gambit. Although he'd put his gangster days behind him, the guy still knew a lot of people, and Leon hoped to get something to help him to continue the search. A name, an address, anything like that.

  He spotted the bar but chose to park the car on a nearby street and walk to his destination, because he didn't want to capture the attention of the nosy neighbors. As he headed to The Gambit, Leon heard a tiny voice, resembling that of a scared child. A loud, desperate cry and then several men's voices cursing and swearing.

  Abandoning the course of his walk, he took a turn in the direction from where the noises were coming from. Indeed, three shabby-looking men were chasing two blond young boys down the street, but the little ones were hard to catch. The whole situation seemed dangerous especially when one of the men managed to capture the smallest of the two children.

  ”Let Aidan go, you dirty face,” the other one yelled, ”let him go, he did nothing wrong!”

  "Well, we got him, so you are going to be a good boy and come with us too if you want what's good for your little brother here."

  "On the contrary. You will let the little one go, if you know what's good for you," Leon spoke coldly, pulling out a gun and approaching cautiously. "Everybody stay where you are. No one moves, otherwise, it's going to be bad," he warned.

  "You don't know what you are getting into," the man holding the child dared. "They ran away from home, and their mom is desperate. She sent us to find them and bring them home.

  As Leon came closer, he realized who the kids were, his heart starting to beat faster. That blond computer expert whose name he couldn't remember, he was the blond boys' dad. "Well, my friend," he said, smiling ironically, "this is your unlucky day because I was sent, by the boys' dad, an important person, so you'd better put the little one down."

  The man evaluated the site, and it was not in his favor, so he let the little boy out of his grip, and he ran to his brother right away, clinging to him. "We'll meet again, bastard," the man hissed between gritted teeth, and I'll make you bite the dust."

  "Anytime, sucker," Leon laughed, as the three men ran away, disappearing down a back alley.

  The young boys' rescuer studied them carefully, as they held to one another tightly, completely closing the space between them. The children wore nice, clean clothes and they were well fed. That made it difficult for Leon to figure out how they landed in that tough situation, with no bodyguard around to watch their backs.

  Returning them to their father was the only right thing to do, so the man scooped them both into his arms, heading to where he left the car. So much with searching for today, Leon sighed, but at least he saved the poor little souls from a fate worse than death.

  "Sorry, guys, no seats for children, I have two teenagers back home, each of them driving their cars, so you'll have to use regular safety belts, I'm afraid."

  "Mommy says we are way too old for children's car seats. She always says to be thankful for what we have and to not complain like two ungrateful, little brats," the smaller one said in a low, sad voice.

  "She says a lot of bad things," the other one spoke in a bitter voice. "She doesn't love us. Doesn't want us, all she wants is..." He suddenly fell silent, casting a cautious look in his brother's direction.

  "I know, she's a mean one," Leon replied as calm as he could, fighting hard to keep his anger under control, "that's why I'm going to take you to your father."

  ”Do you know daddy? I knew he was going to save us," the smallest one exclaimed, his little face lightened all of a sudden. "Mommy says that he's good for nothing and that he abandoned us, but I never believed her. See, Evan?" he turned to his brother, a victorious smile all over his cute face, "I told you daddy loves us!"

  "Sir, is daddy going to hurt Aidan? Because if he does, I'm not going there. I'll take him and go someplace else. I'll find something." the other child spoke, a determination-filled look in his sky-blue eyes.

  "No, he's not going to harm him in any way, your daddy is a sweet, loving man, he's going to love him," Leon replied in a gentle, convincing voice.

  Soon, they left behind the agglomerated urban area, heading to the beautiful stars follies neighborhood, with its impressive mansions and luxurious gardens. Both kids were quiet, staring in awe at the tiny pieces of paradise that revealed some of their treasures before their very eyes.

  The atmosphere at the villa looked as peaceful as Leon remembered. Nothing was giving out the despair of the father looking for their missing children. Suddenly, a giant appeared from nowhere, towering over the man who'd just gotten out of the car, and opened one of the doors in the back, preparing to unfasten the kids' belts.

  ”Who are you, good man, and what are you doing here?” he asked in a thick, heavily accented voice.

  ”Australian, non-aggressive,” Leon assessed him. ”I brought the boys home, please, go get their father,” he said calmly.

  ”Hey, Mickey, who's there?” a familiar voice asked, as th
e giant stared in disbelief at the two little boys. ”Wow, look who's here,” Liam said, smiling, walking closer to them. ”What in the name of... Mickey, get Elliott and Eugene here! Now!” he said, his eyes widened in shock.

  ”Who's that?” Aidan, the smallest of the twins asked, hiding behind Leon's leg.

  ”I'm your Uncle Liam, and I'm delighted to meet you finally,” the redhead fella answered, fighting the lump in his throat.

  ”I'm Evan,” the feisty one came from behind Leon, hand extended. ”Nice to meet you," he said, grabbing the young man's hand and shaking it.

  ”Liam, what's wrong, Mickey said you called us here to...” The blond man abruptly stopped talking, falling to his knees. ”They are...you are...you brought my children home! Oh, God, thank you for taking care of them,” he said, hugging the little boys to his chest.

  Leon stood there, head lowered, looking at the blond, who held the little boys for dear life. Loud sobs were shaking his fragile form. Somehow, he realized the man had never seen his children before this, and that he had searched for them a long time. His mission there was complete, so he discreetly retreated. He was heading to the car when the weight of a hand on the shoulder stopped him.

  ”One moment, my friend,” the tall, muscular man behind him spoke, ”I haven't had the pleasure to thank you properly. What you did today for my fiancee deserves a proper reward,” the man continued, boring his ice-blue eyes into Leon's dark brown ones.

  ”I didn't do it for a reward,” he replied. ”The little ones were in danger, and I saved them. Then, I knew where they live, because...”

  ”Eugene, amore, you know who this man is? He's the one who saved me from Carter's clutches, the second time he attacked me. The day Rayne...” the blond cut himself short, blushing.

  ”You...it was you? You were the one who saved my Elliott that day? The one who brought him home to safety? Please, do me the honor of calling you my friend! I, Cesare-Eugenio Brentano-Fenelli is forever indebted to you! Whenever you need help, I'll be there, for you, no questions asked!”

  At the mention of Eugene's full name, Leon flinched, looking him straight in the eyes. ”You are truly Cesare Brentano-Fenelli?” he spoke in a hesitant voice.

  ”Yes, I am,” the Detroit mafioso said, a little surprised by the effect his name had on the man who'd rescued Elliott and brought his children to them. ”Why do you ask?”

  ”I have a message for you,” Leon spoke solemnly. ”These are the final words of Capo Francesco Della Rovere, the successor of Don Ruggero Della Rovere: "You have to revenge Stefano's death."

  Eugene looked at the other man, a cold shiver tracing down his spine. It wasn't a typical reaction of fear, but rather, excitement and also, relief. After the Ubaldis, "Gli Giudici," or the Judges, Abele's birth family, the Della Roveres were the most influential, honorable and respected Sicilian-American mafiosi.

  Their youngest son, Stefano, had fallen in love with Giuseppe Fenelli's nephew, Cesare, confessing it to his parents who supported him. The two of them, although very young, were even secretly engaged, with Giuseppe's and Brentano's blessing. Everything went well, until Rosa's husband discovered everything, beating Stefano to death and making his wife's son watch.

  Inhaling sharply, Eugene looked Leon in the eyes. ”I have been waiting for this order for seventeen long years. Capo Francesco may rest in peace. Everything will be taken care of according to his will. As for you...” he stopped talking, tightly hugging the other man.

  ”I may take advantage of that offer one day, Don Cesare,” Leon smiled, but for now, I have everything I need.”

  ”Oh, come on, man. You have to keep visiting us here, especially since it seems that you have specialized in saving our asses,” Liam widely grinned, patting the man on the shoulder.

  ”I don't make any promises, but I'll try to come here more often. Hopefully, it will be only a courtesy visit. Not just for bringing home another one of you guys, when your asses land in trouble.” After saying that, Leon waved at everyone, got into his car and left.

  Meanwhile, Darien was taking a nap on the long couch near the large window that offered a panoramic view over the garden. It was his favorite spot in the entire mansion, as the sun persisted there almost all day, caressing his face with its warm rays.

  That day, Darien dreamed about a voice, soft and comforting but oh so sexy. It murmured sweet nothings into his ear, things that made him warm and fuzzy inside. That voice was telling him a story of love and passion, pouring sweetness and warmth into his heart. The voice had a name attached to it: Leon, the man who'd helped him that day on the street.

  Suddenly, the voice sounded very real, as if the man was there, in front of the mansion. Darien listened intently, his heart beating erratically. He wasn't wrong, the man with the sweetest voice was there, some thirty-forty feet away. The young man headed to the main entrance, as fast as he could, using all his other senses to get there quicker.

  ”Dar-Dar, watch out, you nearly stumbled and fell again!” Liam gently admonished him. ”Oh, it's because of Leon. Isn't it? You just missed him. I thought you were asleep and didn't want to wake you. A real-life hero, this guy, you know?” the redhead warmly smiled.

  ”Yes, I know,” Darien replied in a dreamy voice. ”My hero,” he thought to himself.

  CHAPTER 38

  Almost the whole ride home, a small smile played on Leon's lips, as he thought how everything fell into place for him. Not only that he reunited the little boys with their father, but also kept the promise he'd made to Francis hours before the match that brought him to freedom.

  More than that, about ten minutes after he'd left the mansion, Leon got a text from his bank, telling him that another million dollars was transferred into his account. That meant more for Alasdair's college trust fund. A complete renovation of the house. New cars for him and Ezra. Maybe a trip for the three of them. Not to mention the sense of security a balanced account provided.

  However, as he got closer to his house, Leon started to feel uneasy, as if something terrible had happened or was about to happen. No matter how hard he tried to focus on positive things, keeping his mind busy with planning his and the boys' future, that sensation continued to nag at him.

  His suspicions were confirmed by the luxury car parked across the street. In a neighborhood like that, populated mostly by working-class folks, the convertible seemed very out of place, and in Leon's book, it also screamed trouble. He shook his head, pulling the car into the driveway. Once the man stepped out, he could hear them with great clarity.

  Screams. They were loud, desperate, mixed with pleas, and they were coming from his house. Running inside as fast as he could, Leon stepped inside the living room, from where the screams came from, freezing on the spot at the scene in front of his eyes.

  Ezra was pinned to the sofa, a giant, hulk of a man holding his hands above his head. His t-shirt was lifted, leaving the boy's torso exposed. A woman's silhouette hovered over him, covering his chest in bites and scratches. As Leon entered the room, the woman had just unzipped Ezra's jeans and was about to yank them down, together with the boy's underwear.

  "Step away from him, both of you!" Leon barked, pulling out his gun and aiming at the woman's head. "Leave him alone, bitch!"

  "Oh, my dear Leonard, when did you become so cold and selfish? I thought you didn't mind sharing your playthings, especially with me," Julianna replied in her sickly sweet voice, turning to face the man holding the gun.

  "Go back to the hell you came from, bloody woman! Step away from Ezra and tell that gorilla to do the same. Otherwise, I will redecorate the room by painting the walls with your goddamn brains and blood!" Leon fought hard not to let the rage bubbling inside him get out of control.

  "You selfish, ungrateful, treacherous bastard!" Julianna spat, shooting daggers in his direction. I came here to give you your life back, and this is how you repay my kindness? I was about to give you the opportunity to be on the winners' side, and you choose that whiny little
bitch over me?!"

  "I'm not interested in anything you have to offer, Julianna. I've put those days behind me, and you'd better do the same. Unless you want me as your worst enemy," Leon warned in a deadly calm voice. "Now move your obscene ass out of my house and take the gorilla with you."

  "We'll leave, but before that, tell me, Leonard, is it worth it? Is the ass of the little Bloom whore so sweet, so tight, does it feel so good around your cock to betray me for it? Liam was so right about you!" Julianna threw over her shoulder. "Oh, and don't tell me you didn't know he was a Bloom!" she yelled on the way to the front door.

  But Leon didn't listen to her, checking on Ezra instead. The kid was in the same spot on the sofa, exposed, eyes vacant. As the man touched him, starting to straighten his clothes, he imperceptibly flinched, then began to shake very severely, breath hitching. Other than that, the poor soul didn't attempt to fight in any way. He was sitting there, blankly staring into space.