Seth put down the sandwich as soon as Felipe’s footsteps dispersed somewhere in the corridor.
“Can we finally go?” hissed Domenico.
Seth walked up to Dom in a few quick paces. “Jesus fucking Christ, I thought he’d never leave.”
Domenico frowned and pressed his lips together, stiff like a scarecrow.
“We need to talk. This isn’t good at all. I have a bad feeling.” Seth leaned even closer, in case there was a bug in the corridor sensitive enough to pick up his words. He was going paranoid and hated every second of it.
“Let’s go outside then,” whispered Domenico, so quietly it was barely audible. His breath tickled Seth’s cheek.
“No. Dana told me there are cameras everywhere.” Seth watched Dom’s eyes with a growing urgency. “She told me on the boat, that this is the only safe room. That the camera and sound is broken in here, due to steam, or… who cares.” He grabbed Dom’s arm in a frenzy. “I don’t like this, Dom.”
Domenico looked around, keeping his arm so tense Seth pulled himself closer instead of drawing Dom in as he intended. “You sure of this?” he asked, and his gaze went to the corner of the room where a security camera was mounted under the ceiling.
“Yes.” Seth froze, not even blinking. “Unless you don’t trust Dana. You do trust her, right? Fuck. Fuck. What if she’s changed sides and works for Toro now? Have you noticed she lost a finger?”
Domenico nodded. “I felt it. Toro must had taken it. All the more reason for her to not work with him, isn’t it?” He now visibly relaxed, but his gaze wandered over the floor.
“Mark’s now separated from us. Why did you throw him under the bus like that? Why did you do that? What if they hurt him? And that poor girl...” Reality was only now hitting Seth in the face, as if he finally realized that the last few hours have not been a movie but real life. His life. And they would likely lead to his death as well. One so gory and drastic even Domenico wouldn’t be able to identify Seth’s body.
“Seth, keep quiet,” Dom said, taking hold of Seth’s wrist. His eyes were focused now, and he pulled Seth to the other end of the kitchen. “I know what I’m doing.”
Seth was like a puppet, but it felt as if the strings in Domenico’s hand could break any moment. “I’m trying to keep it together, but I just want to leave. How are we supposed to live here? I’ll be lying in bed every night wondering if you’re even still alive.”
“Why would you do that? You know I always land on my feet,” said Domenico. He leaned down and grabbed a handle that has been lying even with the floor, but he pulled it out and opened the trapdoor. Cool, somewhat damp air rushed into Seth’s nose as he looked down, into the shaft of the wine cellar.
An even better place to talk most likely.
“What if you don’t this time? What if Moreno’s son knew those smugglers? What if Dana was wrong?” Seth’s skin itched with all those questions.
Domenico pressed on a button below the trapdoor, and led lights flickered in a row leading all the way down along a black ladder into the cellar. “Get in,” said Domenico instead of answering Seth’s question.
Seth rubbed his face and took a deep breath before following Dom’s order. Was he really acting like a big baby for not wanting to be a part of this anymore? For the stories about the Morenos turning him inside out?
As he climbed down, he imagined drowning in all the wine held in the bottles stored along the walls. Drinking himself to death would have been a good way to go in comparison to being boiled alive, or watching his arm being fed to caimans.
Domenico followed suit, but as soon as Seth’s feet hit the floor, the main light was gone, and Domenico pulled down the trapdoor, leaving them in almost complete darkness. There were three thin lines of brightness left around the hatch, but other than that, the cellar was a deep, cool void where anything could happen.
Seth listened to the sounds of Domenico’s shoes rubbing against the metal ladder, and he busied himself feeling up the only wall that did not hold any bottles. His fingertips brushed over a plastic switch, and when he pressed it, a single LED lamp went on, casting a shy glance around the narrow space that barely had enough room for Seth’s bulky form.
He grabbed a cool bottle and pressed it against his forehead, afraid to speak up again. Maybe he shouldn’t have even started? Maybe he should have just gone along with whatever Domenico suggested?
Domenico finally stepped off the ladder and looked at Seth, his face serious. “We won’t be interrupted here,” he whispered. “Calm down. You wanted to be here with me. I gave you the choice of staying with Miguel, remember?”
“I’m sorry. I know I need to do this.” Seth instantly leaned in and wrapped his arms around Dom’s neck. There was nothing as calming as the scent of Domenico’s hair, and yet Seth’s heart rattled in his chest. “But if we get caught, they will skin us alive. There are too many variables. I live every day with the knowledge that if shit goes down in our lives, I might get shot, but I don’t want to die boiled alive. What the actual fuck?” He spoke faster and faster, despite all his efforts to calm down.
Domenico frowned. “That’s something Moreno does. Toro wouldn’t. I don’t think it would be good for the morale here. And to answer your earlier question: it doesn’t matter whether the Morenos knew the smugglers, because they aren’t here. And that is possible only if Dana is wrong, and I am positive she is not. She needs me alive to train under me, remember?”
Seth pulled away, but in the claustrophobic space he was like a cornered rat. “Dom… can’t we leave? Please?” He looked up into Domenico’s eyes that seemed weirdly green in the faint blue light.
Domenico stared at him for the longest time, and Seth could practically hear his brain calculating. “Why? Everything is going according to plan. We have a plausible story, and no one’s doubting us so far. We can go forward with the plan and put down roots within this organization. You know me, I will become his right-hand man soon enough. Don’t you want that?”
“I want to go home. I want to sleep with you in one bed. I want to not be terrified all the time.” It was beyond embarrassing to say it out loud, but Seth had to communicate it before it was too late. Domenico needed to understand. “We’re in the middle of the fucking ocean without a paddle. I think… you believe what you’re saying, but even you have your limits, Dom.”
Domenico crooked his head and stepped closer, abruptly entering Seth’s personal space. “Are you saying you think I’m gonna fail? What, because I fucking got my leg broken in Mexico, and stuff went wrong after that?”
Seth swallowed, backing into the wall, but that gave him barely half an inch of space. “I’m not saying it was your fault, but it still happened, and bad things can happen at any time. What then? I can hope for success, but wishful thinking is just that. It doesn’t guarantee shit.”
Domenico’s jaw clenched, and he followed Seth like a puma stalking its prey. There was just inches of space left between their chests when Dom squeezed his hand on Seth’s jaw. “I have a golden track record, and I only get injured when I have others to protect, if you haven’t noticed. You agreed to be here, and this risk is on me. We cannot leave now. No one will let us.”
The way Dom held him forced Seth to look into his eyes, and the harsh words stung even more. “I agreed, but I have a mind of my own, and I’m allowed to reassess things, right? It’s not your risk. It’s mine. Because it’s my skin. I try to do what you ask, but there are limits.”
“So you’ll go, and leave me here, for the caimans to rip apart?” asked Domenico, and his fingers dug into Seth’s flesh.
“Of course not,” Seth hissed. “I’m trying to talk you out of this for your own good.”
“No. You’re not,” said Domenico simply. “I am staying, because this is what it will take to get us home. I will stay here, and nothing bad is going to happen, because I did my research, I have an insider spying for me, and I have men who are not going to let me down. Or will they?” he w
hispered, leaning so close their foreheads were almost touching.
Seth took a trembling breath of cool air, unable to focus anymore between Dom’s smell, the memory of caimans tearing a man apart in the water, the tiny LED light in the cellar, and Domenico’s warm voice. Nothing made sense anymore. And yet he still wouldn’t have stayed behind knowing Domenico was out there, fighting for their right to return home.
“They won’t,” Seth whispered, barely able to breathe.
Domenico swallowed, and the hold on Seth’s jaw became somewhat less aggressive. He exhaled and gently moved his palm down to Seth’s neck, cupping his throat with the warm palm. He blinked, and in the light of the lamp shadows made his eyelashes seem even longer. “I outed Mark so that he’s safe with the girl. No thug is gonna have access to her. It was for his own good. And us? We are going to prevail. Toro is not a madman. We will be safe if we follow his rules, do you understand?”
“I do, but you don’t,” Seth whimpered, ashamed of the sound of his own voice. “That girl will die a horrible death. She will not be safe. I backed you up in front of Mark, but I hated bringing her here.”
Domenico smirked. “What would you have done? Taken her to the local police, which likely has connections with Toro? Our cover would have been blown, and Toro’s men would be on the lookout for the people who took out the smugglers. I am not risking us for her.”
Seth looked at the bottles to his right, so that he wouldn’t have to face the truth in Domenico’s words. They were trapped in a hell of their own making.
Domenico looked at him for the longest time. “We have a lot of time to think about possible solutions. But that’s the extent of how far I am willing to go. Your safety is my priority,” he said, and leaned in the last few inches to press his lips against Seth’s.
Seth leaned the back of his head against the cool wall, but there was only so far he could go. “I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve to be safe.”
Domenico only pushed closer, until his body trapped Seth against the wall. “Why not?” he asked, standing so close their lips were rubbing together as he spoke.
Seth glanced into Dom’s eyes, but then quickly looked away. Would this be their secret meeting spot for the next few months? He loved it and hated it already. “Because I’m knee deep in this business. I’ve killed people today, and I hated to see them die, but I don’t feel sorry for them either.” He had no idea what that said about him. Even knowing that Angelo had betrayed them, cutting his throat was something that shattered something deep inside Seth, whereas today, it seemed that there wasn’t much left to break within him.
Domenico nodded. “But that’s good. You shouldn’t feel sorry for anyone who isn’t close to you. That would make you weak.” He licked his lips, and his fingers tightened slightly on Seth’s throat. “It is all about our family. We are the only ones who deserve to be left standing after this is over.”
Seth invited the touch and put his hands on Domenico’s shoulders. “Only family,” he said, watching Domenico’s eyes more boldly. They were building something together, and Seth couldn’t let Dom down.
Domenico’s mouth curved. He had the most intoxicating smile when his eyes remained so intense. “Only family,” he agreed and kissed Seth again. “Trust me. I have everything under control. I will not let you slip.”
“Are you sure?” Seth still questioned, but he craved to hear that the responsibility wasn’t his, that Domenico knew what to do, and that soon enough he’d have all of El Encanto under his thumb.
Domenico nodded and brushed his thumbs over Seth’s cheeks. “Am I not taking good care of you?” he asked, and suddenly Seth’s fear was replaced by a sense of heat burning where their bodies met.
“You are. You have.” Seth slipped his hands all the way to Dom’s nape, wishing that they could stay in this dingy cool cellar, and only come out to deal with the shit up on the surface when it was necessary.
Domenico hummed and kissed Seth once more while his knee went up, rubbing against the inner side of Seth’s thigh. “Then we’re in agreement. You will get out of here, and be the tough guy that you are. Once I’m done with you.”
Seth swallowed, watching Domenico, unsure all over again. “I— It’s not really safe here, is it? Even this”—he gave Dom a gentle kiss—“could get us in trouble. We’re lucky we even got the chance to talk.”
Domenico smiled. “Didn’t you say the camera’s not working in the kitchen? If someone sees us, I’ll take care of them,” he said, and the predatory glint in his eyes went straight to Seth’s balls, reminding him what attracted him to Domenico in the first place. And it wasn’t his manners. His confidence was like fuel to the fire in Seth’s chest. “No one’s stopping me from this. I am going to have you.”
Seth wanted to say ‘no’. That this was madness. And yet his breath sped up for a whole different reason, and he glanced up at the closed hatch above. Could they really…? Just this one more time? He’d thought the fuck on the boat would be the one he’d go back to in his mind in times of need, but now that his life seemed to hang on a thread only Domenico could hold up, resistance was becoming impossible. After all, didn’t Dom ask Seth to follow his lead? If Domenico considered this safe enough, wasn’t it safe enough?
There was something about trusting that Domenico would take care of any trouble, even inside Toro’s own home, that spoke to Seth on the deepest levels.
“But you’re sure?” Seth asked. If only he could have Domenico take him over, body and soul, he’d be safe forever.
“As long as you stay very quiet,” said Domenico, and his hand tightened on Seth’s neck, making it impossible to breathe for a moment.
His eyes widened, and not because he feared the gesture, but because it excited him so much that for a split second Seth forgot where he was. For a split second, his brain was too preoccupied with the instinctive fear of death to ponder reality. “I will,” Seth whispered. “Do that again.” This was a danger he could invite with open arms. Like bungee jumping or parachuting. Like that time Domenico had held him under water when they fucked.
Seth’s mind was going frantic, and he pressed his sweaty palms against the cool wall. He’d put his life in Domenico’s hands without blinking an eye. Better still, it gave him a thrill to do so. If Domenico decided this place was safe for a quick fuck, they’d fuck. And if Domenico wanted to take away Seth’s breath, Seth would let him.
Something changed in Domenico’s eyes, although it could have been a trick of the light. His breath became raspy, as if the air escaped his lungs through a grater. He stood on his toes and squeezed his fingers harder, pushing Seth’s Adam’s apple back. It wasn’t comfortable, with pressure increasing until it was almost painful, but Seth trusted Dom. He trusted the man he chose to spend his entire life with, so he let go and met Dom’s gaze, spreading his legs for the insistent knee.
Seth let his eyelids lower, thrilled by the strength in Domenico’s fingers and completely blind to the world outside of their bubble. He opened his lips, trying to take in more air, but the pressure around his neck only let him inhale so much, and the sensation was so surprisingly exhilarating, he arched his hips against Dom.
“Can you feel that?” asked Domenico, leaning in to lap across Seth’s lips. “I have everything under control. And I mean everything. Pull down your pants,” he whispered, possessively squeezing Seth’s pec.
The words were like honey drizzling down Seth’s body and made his cock stiffen before he even followed the order and pulled down his pants. He wanted for Domenico to take control, to guide him through whatever needed to be done.
He wanted to stop thinking. To be in the now and feel instead.
Domenico grabbed Seth’s cock with his other hand and rubbed it quickly, never looking away from Seth’s face. He pulled on Seth’s lips with his teeth, and the burn was just painful enough to spark the release of more adrenaline into Seth’s veins. His head was getting lighter while his limbs got heavy with heat. He kissed Dom
, pressing closer, and each time the firm hand tightened on his neck, an explosion of arousal sparked up Seth’s skin.
He still had enough clarity to keep himself quiet, but all other problems dissolved when his hunger for Domenico’s mouth got ferocious. He met Dom’s hand with thrusts of his hips and his arms were back on Dom’s shoulders. At moments like these, he turned into an animal, and since he wasn’t hungry, his only other instinct was fucking. He needed his man touching him and fucking him, and holding his throat in that controlled manner, keeping Seth safe from himself.
Dom’s kiss became more aggressive, and he pushed Seth against the ladder, where the cold metal steps dug into the heat of Seth’s flesh. He suddenly let go of Seth’s cock, but as long as that steady hand kept squeezing and relaxing around Seth’s throat, he wouldn’t have it any other way. His head was spinning wildly already, and knowing there was more to come had him almost painfully aroused.
Domenico pulled out a little packet of lube, and Seth smiled. The lack of it on the boat must have taught Dom to always have some with him.
When Dom’s hold lessened, Seth found his voice. “How do you want me?” he whispered, not even wanting that decision. He’d leave it all up to Dom and enjoy whatever was to happen. He took a moment to indulge in watching Dom’s angular silhouette in the darkness. From the wide shoulders, to the narrow hips, everything in Domenico’s posture spoke of confidence, and Seth would suck it all in. Make it his own. He looked forward to spending the day with Dom’s cum inside him. Just thinking of it had him calm and aroused all at the same time.
Domenico grinned as he ripped the packet with his teeth so abruptly some of its contents sprayed on Seth’s face. “My cock in your ass. When you’re close to fainting, you will be so tight around me,” he whispered, squeezing out all the lube into his free hand. Still clothed while Seth was obscenely undressed from the waist down, he looked like the kind of man who grabbed life by the balls.
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