Chapter Eight
A warm ocean breeze ruffled through Cairo’s hair.
He put the hood up on his old bear pajamas.
He didn’t dare wear anything Rhodes had bought him.
Cairo kind of hated how thin they were. He had always been one to get cold easily.
Cairo had always kind of resented that too.
It was like that trait only highlighted how weak he was.
The secluded beach should have been such a beautiful spot.
Unfortunately, the area was secluded for a reason.
While no one could actually own any part of California’s beaches, Hugh’s property spanned miles of coastline, including a hidden port for trafficking children.
This picnic table was the only thing he recalled from his earliest days with Hugh. He despised every inch of this place.
Cairo wasn’t surprised he walked so easily into Hugh’s territory.
He supposed everyone had seen him at least once.
For whatever reason, Cairo was the only boy Hugh forbade anyone else from touching.
A shiver ran through Cairo. He felt sick from all the memories.
Cairo supposed there had been a time when being Hugh’s special little guy had been okay with him.
Hell was like that, though. There were different levels.
All he had known back then was he wasn’t starved like the other boys.
He wasn’t passed around like them either.
His throat swelled, and Cairo fought the growing urge to cry.
He had to let the nightmares engulf him.
Cairo couldn’t focus on the good life he had found after his escape.
He couldn’t bring Rhodes here. The more minutes that passed, the deeper Cairo sank into nothingness.
There was no describing the yawning hole in his chest. He’d had a lot of nightmares over the last few months where he had sat right here again, waiting on the picnic table with his feet on the bench, knowing the horrors to come.
A low, menacing chuckle sounded behind him, sounding like cannon fire to him. He started at the sound, and Cairo fucking hated that shit too. Cairo refused to turn, though. Hugh would have to come to him.
Hugh dragged his hand across the small of Cairo’s back as he circled Cairo. “In my heart, I knew you’d be back. You enjoy the power you have over me too much, but you also love me.”
Then Hugh was there. He physically turned Cairo sideways on the table so he could crowd Cairo’s space. He toyed with Cairo’s hood with shaky hands while his hungry gaze moved over Cairo’s face. His sickness was on full display.
“It’s good to see you out of those ridiculous big-boy clothes that pig made you wear.
You’re too soft for that life.” Hugh lowered his voice for only Cairo’s ears, making Cairo realize guards stood nearby.
“I’ve missed you, pet. You have no idea how much I hate that I’ll have to punish you for this. ”
An odd sense of calm settled over Cairo.
Rhodes had made him strong. He wasn’t scared.
Still, he kept his voice as small and meek as possible.
Cairo toyed with the buttons of Hugh’s shirt, awkwardly unbuttoning the material one-handed until it fell open into two halves.
“Do you plan to humiliate me, Daddy?” God, the question was razor blades in his throat.
A smile that sent shivers down Cairo’s spine stretched across Hugh’s lips. Oddly, he looked so… normal. Why hadn’t Cairo ever noticed that before? Hugh could pass anyone on the street and no one would realize the pure evil they passed. That was a chilling realization.
Hugh made a small gesture and his guards left.
“Since you came home willingly, I’ll grant you that one concession.
Plus, you’re mine. No one else gets to see you the way I do.
” Hugh slowly slid the zipper down on Cairo’s one-piece outfit.
“You'd better not have grown any weird hair since I last saw you. You know how much I hate that.”
Cairo wanted to puke in his mouth, but he stayed the subservient child Hugh saw when he looked at Cairo. “Don’t be silly, Daddy. I’m a baby. Babies don’t have weird hair. We have cute hair.”
He watched Hugh get hotter and more distracted the more Cairo played his game.
“Damn right. How do you plan to make up for making me sad? I can’t let this go.
You need to understand you can’t do this to me again.
” Hugh had worked his way between Cairo’s thighs.
Only a few inches remained between them.
Cairo’s skin crawled. He worked up the sweetest and most innocent smile he could achieve.
“Don’t worry, Daddy. I won’t.” The sound of the gunshot was much louder than Cairo expected.
A small part of him wanted to look around to see if Hugh’s guards were about to attack.
But Cairo couldn’t look away from Hugh. He didn’t know if Hugh was too shocked to react or if the bullet in his heart worked faster than he expected.
Cairo wouldn’t know. He had never killed anyone before.
All he knew was he couldn’t look away from watching the life leave Hugh’s eyes.
Cairo had expected—if he actually made it this far—that he would feel something.
Relief. Fear. Anything. He fully expected Hugh’s guards would shoot him dead any second.
Cairo felt nothing. He wasn’t scared. Cairo had rid the world of a monster, and it had been much easier than he thought it would be.
Even though he already knew it was an act that would save no one, since there was always another monster hiding in the shadows.
He was owed this, and still. He felt nothing.
As Hugh’s body dropped, it finally occurred to Cairo no one had come running.
It was possible they thought Hugh had put him down and were just waiting to be instructed to clean up.
Cairo still doubted he would make it, but he headed back toward the truck Rhodes had bought him.
He wouldn’t run. Cairo wouldn’t let them chase him like the pet they saw him as, but yeah.
He knew this was the end. Maybe he could be a little closer to Rhodes' gift when they mowed him down.
One last small connection to the love he had found in the end. No one could steal that from him.
A rat scratched at the walls of his brain, making Rhodes want to tear off his skin.
He knew they couldn’t storm Hugh’s home without a plan, but it was his man who had God only knew what happening to him, if he wasn’t already dead.
Rhodes wanted to climb the walls. He wanted to scream for everyone to get their shit together.
The Agafonov brothers wore all black and held their gear.
Their LED masks were already in place as they checked to ensure they could hear and see each other.
Tracker, the one who manned the high-tech van and oversaw operations, barked out orders.
Rhodes knew they were moving as fast as they safely could.
After all, it was their lives they put at risk for Cairo.
None of that knowledge saved Rhodes’ sanity.
When JJ had come to him about his encounter with Cairo, Rhodes had immediately gone in search of him. When he realized Cairo was gone, he had tracked the location of the truck he had gifted Cairo. He hadn’t breathed properly since.
JJ sat in a chair against the wall of Beau’s office, watching Rhodes pace.
His face was pale, and Rhodes couldn’t decide if he was enraged with the guy or not.
He was too scared to think, and JJ could have just gone along with his day, forgetting the incident.
Apparently, there had been a certain something in Cairo’s manner that sent warning bells blaring inside him.
It would have been easier if JJ had pretended nothing had happened.
Beau was furious. Rhodes wanted to melt down.
“Oh, no. What did I miss?”
Rhodes spun so fast, he nearly fell. Cairo stood in the doorway of the office, his arms laden with a bouquet of red roses and two yellow ones.
Rhodes' vision narrowed. He wondered if he would faint. Cairo had definitely taken ten years off his life. Now, here he stood, perfectly fine. He wore a T-shirt and jeans along with his work boots. He was calm. If Rhodes didn’t know better, he would have thought Cairo just went to the store and back.
“What the fuck, Cairo? Are you okay?” He closed the distance between them and inspected Cairo for wounds.
“I’m fine. Are you okay?” He sounded like they had a normal conversation. Rhodes didn’t know whether to laugh or shake him.
“Of course I’m not okay. You disappeared.”
Cairo gave a solemn nod. He held out the red roses. “I got these for you.”
Rhodes blinked, just confused as fuck. Everyone stood in shocked silence as Cairo crossed the room.
He handed one of the yellow bouquets to JJ.
“I’m sorry I ruined your life. No way would I have chosen that.
I hope you know I would’ve rather stayed in that hell than let anyone get hurt in my place. ”
JJ blinked, still in obvious shock. He accepted the flowers.
Cairo moved to Beau’s desk.
Fletch jogged into the room. He headed straight for Beau. Fletch said something close to Beau’s ear no one else could hear. Beau slowly nodded before turning his attention to Cairo.
Cairo held out the last bouquet before Beau could speak. “I’m sorry for coming here and making your life harder. Thank you for letting me be friends with Kylo. I never had a friend before I came here.”
Beau’s face remained blank, but he accepted the flowers. After a moment, Beau cleared his throat. “Think nothing of it. I should be thanking you. It seems Hugh was found dead tonight. A single gunshot to the heart.”
Every head turned Cairo’s way. “That’s good.” Cairo sounded like he spoke about the weather.
“His guards claim it was you who killed him.”