Chapter 9 #2
“And you think you warrant a major scandal?” He clucked his tongue. “You find yourself highly important, don’t you. That’s surprising. I’m learning all sorts of things about you I didn’t know otherwise. It’s…enlightening.”
“If I’m not important,” Nuri practically growled, that temper of his sparking to life again, “why go through all of this trouble to keep me?”
“Because you’re mine?” he suggested without skipping a beat.
“Because I’m curious what it’ll be like to come inside this lithe little body of yours—when you’re aware you’re not dreaming—and I’m unwilling to pass up the opportunity simply because you’re too bull-headed to admit you want to know what that’ll be like too? ”
“I—”
“You,” he cut him off and finally lowered his mouth, just barely ghosting his lips over Nuri’s, “want to know what it’ll feel like to have me,” he repeated the kiss, this time lingering a second or two longer, “deep,” and again, the tip of his tongue pressing suggestively against the closed seam of his mouth before retreating, “within you.”
Silver moved to whisper his next comment against Nuri’s ear. “I saw the expression you made when you watched that video last week, Narek. I admit, I played it for that very reason. I wanted to see how you would react.”
“How…” It was obvious he was struggling with himself, but his Nuri was many things, and coward had never been one of them. “How did I react?”
Silver grinned, pleased the other man had fallen so easily into his trap, and then met his gaze once more. “Enviously.”
He hadn’t been certain until Nuri had come onto him, concerned he was imagining what he wanted to see. But there was a hope now that it’d been real, that Nuri wanted him physically, and if he could just play that angle, unravel him until he was reduced to putty in Silver’s hands…
“That’s not true.” Nuri shook his head, still in denial.
“Since you’ve seen the video, you should already know I like it when they fight. Is that how you want to play this?” Silver wouldn’t mind bending him in half the same way he’d done with Ackor.
It’d been Nuri he’d been thinking of that night anyway.
“I don’t want to play at all,” Nuri told him.
“That’s not—” A commotion out in the hallway caught Silver’s attention, but he barely had enough time to stop talking and tilt his head in the direction of the door before it burst open.
He’d been an idiot and hadn’t thought of locking it, overly certain Falc wouldn’t overstep and enter unannounced.
Sure enough, it wasn’t the butler who entered.
A young man stormed in, pausing the second his eyes landed on the two of them.
He was a bit taller than Nuri, a little broader, but with the same dark hair.
His was kept tousled and wild, his clothing a causal pair of black jeans and a green V-neck t-shirt that had clearly seen better days.
Though they’d only met on a time or two, Silver easily recognized him.
“Nate!” Nuri gasped and pressed against Silver’s chest, trying to get him to move.
Seeing that set something off in the younger Narek, and in a blink, he was by the bed, grabbing onto Silver’s arm and practically tossing him off of his brother. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
Silver allowed himself to be moved, not wanting to get into a physical altercation with Nuri’s family.
He knew how much Nuri’s siblings meant to him and after the mistake he’d already made with canceling his flight, understood that another error where they were concerned might cost him more than he was willing to spend.
They were bound together forever now, sure, but that didn’t mean he wanted to waste years arguing, trying to coax Nuri into forgiving him for other things.
Nuri shot up and wrapped an arm around Nate’s waist, tugging him back when the younger Narek went as though to attack Silver. “Stop it!”
“He was on top of you!” Nate yelled, murder flashing in his eyes, the same ones aimed Silver’s way.
“Majesty!” Falc ran into the room, three guards with him. “I apologize! His name was on the entry list and they let him in without clarifying!”
“And it’s a good thing too!” Nate continued to struggle against Nuri’s hold. “He was about to rape my brother! You disgusting—”
The guards stepped forward and before Silver could wave them off, Nuri saw and reacted.
He shoved Nate to the side with more force than expected, so that Nate practically fell against the end table, and then he dropped to his knees on the ground, bowing low to Silver.
His panic was palpable, his gaze swinging between Silver and the guards.
“Majesty, please forgive him, he’s worried about me that’s all! He didn’t mean it!”
“What are you doing?” Nate crouched down next to him, trying to pull him up, but one burning glare from Nuri had him letting go and hanging his head like a scolded puppy.
It would have been funny—one second, he was fuming, but just one look from big brother and he was repentant—if not for the situation they were now in.
Nuri was clearly scared Silver would retaliate against Nate, and in truth, he did have reason to be.
If it’d been anyone else, Silver would have torn them apart three times over by now. Not to mention…
“Keep your gaze down,” Nuri hissed at Nate when he went to turn back to Silver.
Dutifully, he dropped his eyes to the floor.
“Majesty—” Falc quieted abruptly when Silver held up a hand.
Silver wasn’t above seizing this opportunity and spinning it to his advantage.
While his initial reaction to Nate’s appearance was annoyance, he was starting to see how it could benefit him in the end.
He turned and noted that all of the guards had their heads dipped low, avoiding looking directly at him.
Only Falc and Nuri were allowed to see him in this form, and now that Nate had, and had brought guards trampling into his bedroom…
His silence must have made Nuri uncomfortable, and it was clear he’d begun to fear the worst when suddenly he was shoving Nate’s face to the floorboard, his hand on the back of his neck.
“Forgive my brother, it’s not his fault.
I didn’t teach him well enough. It’s my fault.
If someone’s to be held responsible it’ll be me. ”
Nate tried to argue, but his words were muffled by his current position, and even though he was the larger of the two, when he struggled to right himself, Nuri easily overpowered him, keeping him down.
“He doesn’t seem all that apologetic,” Silver drawled, crossing his arms for good measure. “In the five minutes he’s been in my mansion he’s committed several offenses, at least three of which would typically lead to jail time or worse. The fact that he’s seen me like this—”
“He’s a mechanic,” Nuri said. “If he loses his eyes he can’t work.”
Interesting that he’d gone there, but Silver couldn’t really blame him considering his father had once ordered that exact punishment be done against a servant who’d walked in on him once.
The two of them had been in high school at the time, visiting on break, which meant Nuri had been there to witness the whole nasty ordeal.
It must have really stuck with him, despite the fact Silver had never doled out such a gruesome punishment himself.
“My what?!” Nate tilted his head against the floor and this time his words were audible, along with the fear in them.
“There’s also the matter of disrespect,” Falc stated in his brisk, no-nonsense tone. “He put hands on his majesty, threatened him, and accused him of the unthinkable.”
“We can clear up that last part easily enough.” Silver waited until Nuri lifted his gaze and met his.
The wariness there had him smiling because at least that meant Nuri was becoming less afraid.
He’d do whatever it took to ensure Nuri Narek ended up back in his bed, sure, but that didn’t mean he wanted him terrified or thinking ill of him before he got there.
Silver would never harm either of Nuri’s siblings.
But Nuri obviously didn’t know that.
Which meant Nate had inadvertently just handed Silver another card to use. And he was going to start using it right now.
“Tell them, Narek,” he insisted, motioning to the small gathering still standing just within the doorway.
“Sir?”
“Was I trying to take advantage of you just now, as your brother claims?”
The second Nuri realized what it was Silver was after his expression darkened.
If they’d been alone, there was little to no mistake that he would have thrown some choice words Silver’s way, but as it were…
There was nothing he could do but play along, especially since it meant calming his brother down in the process.
Just in case, however, Silver pushed things further.
“All anyone has to do is glimpse at the bulge between your thighs to know the truth. Though,” his voice darkened, “if they do, I really might consider blinding on the table.”
Nuri seemed to realize he was still hard, momentarily distracted by that fact. He stared down at himself, a mixture of confusion and fear flashing across his face.
“Focus,” Silver ordered. It wouldn’t do either of them any good for him to realize right this minute what really took place between them earlier. “Was I taking advantage of you before we were interrupted?”
“No, sir,” Nuri said tightly, seemingly taking the command in stride and turning his attentions back on what currently mattered most. “You were not.”
“But I—” Nate’s sentence ended in a hiss when Nuri’s hand tightened and he dug his nails in for good measure.
“What you saw,” Silver took a calculating step forward, watching as Nuri stiffened, “was two lovers doing what lovers do. Isn’t that right, Nuri? Tell them so we can clear this up and be done with it. It’s not like this is the first time we’ve slept together.”
If looks could kill, the one Nuri sent his way surely would have sliced him in half.
But this was too good to pass up. Now Falc and the guards would all hear straight from Narek’s lips that the two of them were a thing.
Word would spread throughout the mansion like wildfire and branch outward.
Then everyone would know who Nuri belonged to.
Including Nuri himself.
“Yes,” Nuri forced out, “that’s right. It was a misunderstanding. My brother didn’t know any better.”
“He was just concerned for you,” Silver hummed in agreement. “I should definitely forgive him. For that.”
Nuri gave no reaction to that last part, cluing Silver into the fact he’d fully caught on now and knew Silver had something planned.
“Falc, take Nate Narek to the room down the hall. He’ll spend the rest of the night there.” Silver needed him out of the way and unable to barge in on them a second time.
“Wait.” Nuri protectively folded himself over his brother’s curved back.
“No harm will come to him,” Silver reassured him. “But I still look like this, which means he can’t be here. Unless you want to risk him taking another peek and making whatever punishment I decide on worse for him?”
He opened his mouth but immediately closed it again. With a defeated look, his shoulders slumped. Carefully, he lifted Nate back into an upright position, keeping his face turned so he couldn’t accidentally look up at Silver. “Go with them.”
“But—”
“Don’t cause any more problems,” Nuri demanded, “just behave and go. I’ll come see you in the morning.”
“But you’re hurt and I—”
“He’s being well cared for,” Silver interrupted, smirking when Nate instinctively tried to turn his head toward him at the sound of his voice, only stopped by Nuri at the last second.
“I’m fine,” Nuri dared to glare at Silver before returning his attention to his brother. “See? You’ve seen me and I’m all right. Follow Falc, he’ll escort you.”
“Of course, Master Narek,” Falc replied even though it hadn’t been directed his way. “If you would, Mr. Narek,” that last part he delivered to Nate who hesitated a moment longer before finally giving in and rising to his feet solemnly.
“He must have taken a ship and rushed directly here from the airport,” Nuri said. “Please get him something to eat, Falc.”
Falc glanced at Silver for confirmation before nodding at Nuri. “Will do, Master Narek. Don’t worry, I’ll look after him.”
He’d ensure Nate wasn’t able to go wandering about on his own again he meant.
Silver waited until the two of them were alone once more and the door had clicked shut behind the last of the guards before he turned back to Nuri who was still on the floor.
He was propped up against the side of the bed, his hands in his lap and his head low submissively, as if he thought that might work in his favor toward bargaining for his brother’s release.
He wasn’t entirely wrong, Silver realized.
“Back to what we were discussing before.” Moving forward, he reached down and planted two fingers beneath his chin, forcing his head up so their eyes locked. “Are you still not willing to play, Narek?”
Nuri clenched his jaw, but that only had Silver chuckling.
They both knew what his answer was going to be.