Scene IV
SCENE IV
DES
D es sighed, stretching out the kinks in his back. It was a couple of weeks later, and he had been sitting in the same spot, working on a painting for class. After finishing the last part, he cleaned up, left it to dry, and went to eat.
Once he got to the kitchen, he made a sandwich and picked up his phone. He then scanned his social media accounts, where he had posted a few of his paintings under a pseudonym. He had garnered a small following that he wouldn't call a fan club, but they loved his work.
He thought about selling the little stock he had but wasn't sure anyone would buy his work. He knew he needed to improve his technique but wasn't in a rush. Des almost choked on his sandwich when breaking news flashed across the screen.
Senate candidate David Ellington's home was just raided and searched today by the FBI under the suspicion of running a Ponzi scheme, defrauding his investors out of millions.
"Holy shit, Dad, what the fuck did you do?" Des whispered as he furiously scanned the article.
He got up from the table and hurried into the living room, switching on the television. Since it was breaking news, he didn’t need to search for any other channel. Des sat transfixed, listening to the report, and couldn't believe what they were saying about his father.
He was startled when there was a knock at his door. Frowning, he put the remote down and went to answer it, becoming equally confused when he didn't recognize the person.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"Desmond Ellington," the man said.
"Yeah, that's me."
The man reached into his coat pocket and took out a wallet with a police badge. "I'm Detective Leonard Oz. Is it alright if I come in and ask you some questions regarding your father?"
Des looked into the tall detective's brown eyes. "You don't need to come in. I can answer them right now," Des said.
"What's going on here?" said another voice that Des recognized.
Detective Oz stepped to the side, revealing Othello standing there.
"Othello Moor," Oz said in a tone that Des could only describe as unfriendly. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Othello quirked a brow, smirking. "Is there a problem with me coming to see my lover, Detective?"
"Lover," Oz gasped, then looked at Des. "Is what he said true?"
What the hell is wrong with this man? "Yes."
"Do you know who he really is, Mister Ellington?" Oz asked. “How he makes his money?”
"What does me knowing what Othello does for a living have to do with why you're here? You came to ask me questions about my father, which I know nothing about."
While Des spoke, Othello approached him, kissed him on the side of his head, and entered his apartment. The detective didn't take his eyes off Othello the entire time.
"Are we done here?" Des asked, getting the detective to focus on him.
"No," Oz answered. "When was the last time you spoke to your father?"
"Six months ago when I told him to stay the fuck out of my life."
"Why's that, if you don't mind me asking?"
"That's personal," Des responded. "But if you have any more questions, you can contact my lawyer, Erin Graham." Before the detective could say more, Des closed the door in his face. Turning, he faced Othello, who had removed his coat and jacket, loosened his tie and the top three buttons on his shirt, and was lounging on the couch with his eyes closed, but Des knew he wasn't sleeping.
"I have one question for you," Des said.
"Only one? I figured you'd have more," he said, opening his eyes and looking at Des.
"I do, but I don't want to know why that detective has a problem with you."
"Okay, so what do you want to know?"
"Was the raid on my parents' home caused by you?"
"I simply passed on some of the information; what the other party wanted to do with it is their business."
"So there's more that could bury my father?"
"Not just him, Tesoro," Othello said. "Your mother as well." He stared at Des for a few seconds before speaking. "I can tell you what else I have on them, and you can do whatever you want with the information."
Des shook his head. "No, I made a deal with you that whatever you found out, I didn’t want to know. It might sound crass, but my parents made their beds, and now they must lie in them."
"Are you sure?"
"I am. As long as they leave me out of it the way they have my entire life, I don't care what happens." He bit his lips, wanting to feel a little pain. "Does that make me sound like a terrible person or son?"
"That's not for me to answer, Tesoro." He stretched out a hand, and Des, like a magnet, went straight to him, straddling Othello's legs. "You know that you can ask me for help, and I can make it all go away. Your father can win the race, and everything will be as it was. Or you can use me to exact your revenge for the hurt they caused you." He cupped one of Des's cheeks. "I am your sword, Tesoro. Use me to strike your enemies no matter who they are, and I will make them bleed."
Des had never had anyone speak in such a manner to him or want to fight his battles for him. Common sense said he should be afraid, but he was so aroused he wanted to give and bear all to Othello.
"And what should I give you in return?"
Othello smiled. "The one thing no one else can have." He placed a hand on Des's chest. "Your heart."
Des leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together, wanting to tell Othello that he’d had it from the moment they met, but all he could muster was a nod as he tightened his arms around Othello's neck.
"Hold on to the information for now. Let me see how he digs himself out of this hole."
Othello pecked the tip of Des's nose. "As you wish."
Des sipped his coffee leisurely, looking at the two people across from him who appeared as if their world wasn't slowly crashing down around them. It had been a few days since the news came out, and although things had died down, it was still a topic of discussion.
The detective didn't return to talk with Des, nor did the press. He was thankful that his parents kept him somewhat away from the public eye, and no one bothered him. So, of course, he was curious when his mother called earlier that morning and asked that he meet with them.
Feeling spiteful, Des asked Othello to tag along, who’d only chuckled when he made the request. By the way his father was glaring at Othello, and it seemed his effort wasn't in vain. They had been sitting at the table for over five minutes with neither party saying a word.
"Desmond," Ava said, clearing her throat.
"Yes, Mother."
"Aren't you going to introduce us to your companion?"
Des looked at Othello, noticing the sly, playful smirk on his lips. He grabbed Othello's hand, steepling their fingers together and putting it on the table for his parents to see.
"He's my lover, Othello Moor," Des said.
"I forbid it," David growled just as Ava spoke. "Lover?"
"What the hell do you forbid?" Des said, facing his father. "You no longer have a say in my life."
"You have been nothing but a damn disappointment from the day you were born," David hissed. "No carrier has been born into our bloodline, and to make matters worse, you're with a man, utterly disgusting."
Months ago, those very words would have crushed him to the bone, but now he could face the words head-on.
"Why did you call me here? Because if it's to insult me, you could have done that over the phone," Des snapped.
"Moor," his father said, ignoring his question. "Are you, by chance, Othello Moor, son of Alessandro Romano?"
"I am."
David huffed, eyeing Othello. "Word on the street is your company deals in unsavory business."
Othello chuckled. "Well, we can't all be as ethical as you, Doctor Ellington. Who else knows what other skeletons are hiding in your closet?"
"I've committed no crime, not like some people," David countered, then turned to Des. "You idiot boy have no idea who you're sleeping with."
"Unlike you, I have no evidence against me," Othello said smoothly. "And Des knows exactly who I am. I am the CEO of Romano Construction. No job too big or small is our motto."
Des would have laughed, seeing the sneer on his father's face. "You bas?—"
"David, that is enough!" Ava growled, which shut his father up completely. "First, let me apologize to you, Mister Moor. My husband is under a lot of strain, and well, his mouth gets the better of him."
"I don't need you to apologize for me," his father growled.
"Second," she continued as if her husband had not spoken. "Desmond, we wanted to see you because your father needs your help. We need the money your grandfather left you. We..."
"No," Des said before she could go any further.
"Don't you want to hear why we need it?"
"Nope. Whatever you two are involved in has nothing to do with me."
"But we're your parents," she shouted.
"And I was your son who you've ignored, seen as a disgusting disappointment, only to be called upon when you need something. I'm no longer the kid who yearns for your affection and approval."
"But your father might go to prison. Don't you have any feelings about that?" Ava asked.
Des stood, and so did Othello, following his lead. "If he broke the law" —he looked directly at his father— "he should rot in jail for his crimes. Don't ever call me again. As far as we're concerned, you are strangers to me."
His mother gasped, clutching her expensive pearls. "You don't mean that," she said, a slight tremor in her voice.
"If you've never taken me seriously before today, I suggest you do it now."
Des was about to make a grand exit, but Othello pulled him back, hugging his waist. "Maybe the person you should have apologized to wasn't me," he said, "but to your son. If you had shown him some courtesy, you might have gotten what you wanted."
After he said his piece, they walked out of the diner, holding hands and remaining silent until they were in the car driving down the highway.
"Are you okay?" Othello asked.
"Yeah," he sighed. "They never cared about me."
"Your father is a piece of work, but your mom is different. I don't think things are as harmonious as they appear."
"What do you mean?"
"I feel like she's going along with your father to keep the peace between them. Your mother loves you, Tesoro. If I were to guess, I’d say she regrets how the relationship between you both turned out."
"I don't know about that. My mom has always taken my father's side."
Des had no one to defend him growing up except for Nanny Cee. When his parents found out, Nanny Cee was fired, and they left him alone while his parents did whatever they wanted.
"Promise me you won't let them come between us," he said, looking at Othello.
Othello smiled. "The only one who can ruin what we have is us, Tesoro." He reached over and grabbed Des's closest hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of it without taking his eyes off the road. "Remember, I am yours to use. And I'll stay by your side for however long you need me."
"Thank you," Des said, squeezing Othello's hand.
Des tilted his head back, giving Othello access to his neck, moaning loudly. He was straddling Othello's lap with his lover's hard cock pounding inside of him.
He’d been surprised when he opened the door, and Othello stood on the other side. He hadn't expected to see his lover that night. Since they met up with his parents, they had been going hot and heavy over the past few weeks, with Othello taking him on romantic dates and even taking a quick weekend trip.
But tonight, Othello told him he would be working late and that they might not see each other. When he opened the door, he hadn't gotten one word out before Othello pulled him in his arms and claimed his lips; before he knew it, he was straddled over the man's lap with his cock buried inside of him.
"Othello," Des whimpered as Othello's cock hit his prostate each time it went in and out of him. Othello growled against his skin, grasping his waist and digging his nails into Des's flesh.
"Oh fuck, right there," Des groaned, swerving his waist, holding on to the back of the couch, meeting Othello thrust for thrust. He reached back with a hand and grasped one of his balls, massaging and gently pulling on it as he rode Othello's cock, feeling his orgasm building. Their bodies move in sync, his heart beating loudly, his skin flushed with heat and drenched in sweat. Othello's tongue trailed down and captured a nipple in his mouth, biting on the nub. His cock was sandwiched between them, rubbing on the firmness of their abdominal muscles, bringing him even closer.
"Mmm..." Des moaned as Othello's cock went so deep inside of him it felt as if he were rearranging his guts. "O, I'm—fuck," he whimpered, unable to finish his words, cumming between them. His body shook just as Othello's teeth bit on his nipple, just as his nails dug deeper into his flesh. Othello's thrusts didn't stop. He hummed against Des's skin when he gently pulled on Othello’s balls, circling his hips, fucking his cock.
Des wanted to pull all pleasurable sounds from Othello, and he wanted to drive the man so fucking crazy that he would become an addict for him and no one else. They had made love so many times over the past few weeks that he had become accustomed to Othello's large cock pounding inside of him and didn't think anyone could be compared to him. He knew he was falling in love with Othello. Des knew it was early in their relationship, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to be with Othello no matter what the future held for them.
"Tesoro," Othello growled against his chest. His balls drew tight in Des's hand, and his body stiffened beneath him as hot cum seared his walls, bringing a pleasurable hum from Des's lips, not caring that neither thought about a condom.
Des fell on top of Othello, panting heavily. Othello wrapped his arms around him, kissing his sweaty hair.
"I told you this was a good fucking couch," Othello rasped, and it made Des chuckle and closed his eyes, snuggling against his lover whose cock was still buried inside of him.
Sometime later, after they had cleaned up, they were back on the couch with Des sitting between Othello's spread legs and his back against his bare chest. They'd ordered Portuguese takeout, polished off a bottle of red wine, and were working on their second. He was feeling a nice buzz along with Othello's hard cock pressing and pulsating against his ass.
The man is insatiable. He couldn't deny it, but so was he. Each time Othello was near, his body hummed with excitement. "You still haven't told me why you're here," Des said, breaking the silence between them.
"Do I need a reason to see you?"
Leaning his head on Othello's shoulder, Des looked at the handsome man. "Of course not, but you told me you would be busy tonight."
"I finished my meeting early, but I had to see you before I left the country."
"Are you running away without me?" Des sat up and straddled Othello's legs, draping his arms over his shoulders. "Where are you going?"
"Japan. I need to handle some business." Othello chuckled, grabbing his hips, bringing Des’s ass over his cock. "I'll be leaving early in the morning. But I'll only be gone for a couple of days, back in time for my parents' anniversary party."
"Oh," Des said, suddenly feeling upset, not because Othello was leaving town. But he didn't know if he should feel annoyed that Othello hadn't asked him to be his date. Des didn't want to assume they were at the parents-meeting-each-other phase yet since they hadn't been together that long. Also, it wasn't as if he hadn't met Othello's parents before, but if he went to the party, it would be as his lover and not his former doctor. "I hope you and your date have fun."
"I'm sure we will," Othello said.
Angry, Des got off Othello and the couch and then started cleaning up. How dare he not ask me and take someone else? He mentally grumbled, throwing the empty dinner containers in the trash. He began washing the dishes when strong arms slinked around his waist, and Othello's chin rested on his shoulder.
"It's a black-tie affair, so make sure to look extremely handsome when you officially meet my folks," he said softly, causing Des to stop what he was doing and turn his head to glare at the man smirking cheekily at him.
"Why are you such an asshole? Couldn't you say I was your date rather than make me think you're taking someone else?" Des argued.
"Who else would I take?" Othello chuckled.
"I don't know, what if I'm..." He never got a chance to finish his statement since Othello turned him in his embrace.
"I might not be a nice person, Des, but when I'm with someone, I would never cheat on them," he growled. "So get that fucking thought out of your head right now."
Des was about to apologize but held back from saying anything. What was he apologizing for? Their relationship was new, and he was inexperienced. Who's to say a more experienced man wouldn’t catch his eye? At that thought, Des realized that he might not fully trust Othello and didn't know why. Looking into his lover's face, he hoped Othello would see his unease and say something assuring that he had nothing to worry about, but he released Des and walked to the bedroom, coming back with his shirt on and buttoning it up.
"Why are you getting dressed?" Des asked.
"I have to go home and pack for my trip. My flight leaves in a few hours, and I have things to take care of before I go," he explained, moving closer to Des and gathering him in his arms. "Be good while I'm gone. I'll have Tallen come and hang out with you."
"You don't have to do that," Des said, still feeling out of sorts. "I have friends, you know?"
"I'll feel better knowing one of my guys is with you." He kissed Des on his lips softly. "Don't drink too much while I'm gone. You know how you get when you're drunk. I don't want to return to hear you've been in a fight with the Beast again."
"That was not my fault, and you know it," Des pouted.
"Maybe not." He released Des and then grabbed his jacket off the sofa. "I'm heading out. See you in a couple of days." Othello was out the door with one last kiss, leaving Des with conflicting thoughts, like whether he was good enough to hold on to a man like Othello. Or better yet, could he trust him not to break his heart? Maybe it was finally hitting him that he'd jumped into things too quickly with Othello and should have taken things slower than they did; maybe he wouldn't feel so out of sorts.
It was late into the next evening when Othello got to Tokyo, Japan. He had thought about calling Des, but it was too late in the States, and he didn't want to delay things. The sooner he was done with his business, the quicker he could return to his sweet lover. Not only was he meeting with the Kurohue clan leader, but he'd made an appointment with the Kurohue's rivals.
He hadn't told Alessandro or Iago what he was doing and only brought two of his soldiers with him. He was supposed to be in England, but he was far away from where he was supposed to be. He had a reason for his subterfuge. Although he had told Iago to look into why Kurohue had backed out of their meeting, Othello couldn't wait for the results and needed to speak with the man face to face. Othello might not have lived in Japan, but he knew of Kurohue's habits. He liked to frequent Kuroyuki, a host club that offered more than just a friendly ear. Before he could take a step into the club, he was stopped by the bodyguards. His men went to reach for their weapons, but he stopped them and spoke to the guards.
"Tell your boss The Shadow is here to see him," Othello said in fluent Japanese. After the Romanos adopted him, Othello took advantage of the privileged education and learned everything he could. From art to different languages, he even traveled in college to learn about different cultures before returning home and immersing himself in the family business.
One of the guards went inside and came out a few minutes later. "Come this way," he said, stepping aside for them to enter. Then, both guards escorted them to their boss. He recognized the elegance in the decorations but knew there was more to it, such as a bathhouse and special rooms that offered the guests a happy ending before they walked out the door. Not to mention, the club was a front, similar to his own establishments. So, there wouldn't be any security cameras anywhere in and out of the building. Othello and his men were led to a private room, with Kurohue sitting on the couch, surrounded by gorgeous men and women.
"I didn't expect Othello the Shadow Moor to appear on my doorstep?"
"Get rid of them," Othello told him.
"You dare to walk into my club giving me fucking orders," Kurohue said, but Othello leisurely sat down and waited for the man to do as he said. Kurohue waved his hand, and the people fawning over him got up and left, except for the bodyguards, who stayed while they talked. "You didn't have to come all this way for a canceled meeting."
"Why?" Othello asked. "We had an agreement, and you backed out at the last minute. I get annoyed when shit like that happens."
"I was offered a new deal I couldn't refuse," Kurohue smirked. "I was willing to meet with you until I found out some things about your family."
"Oh yeah?" Othello asked. "And what's that?"
"Your family is too clean for my kind of business," Kurohue told him, then snorted a line of coke. "Arms and weapons are all good and shit, but do you know what makes money flow into your hands like water?" He paused as if waiting for Othello to respond, but continued, knowing that he wouldn't. "People, it's what makes the world go round." He cackled.
"It seems my trip here was truly a waste of time," Othello said, flicking lint off his pants.
"I wouldn't say that. Give me a better offer, and I will go with you. Just like that." He snapped his fingers.
"I can't trust you to keep your word anymore, Kurohue." Othello watched as the man snorted another line and as the drugs took effect.
"I like you, Moor, so I'm going to help you out. You have a rat in your nest, Moor," Kurohue said, slumping in his seat, leaning his head on the back of the couch.
"How do you know that?" Othello asked, feeling pissed that family business got out, and he didn't even know who the fucker was.
"They were the ones that put me in touch with my new business partners."
"Who are they?"
"That I wish I could tell you," Kurohue said. "I simply got a text saying to cancel my appointment with you, and that someone else would contact me later."
"And you followed through, just like that?" Othello asked, snapping his fingers.
"No, I waited to hear the deal and went with them because it sounded too good to pass up. Like I said, people make the world go around, and put money in my pockets."
Othello really hated men like Kurohue. They had no loyalty. "Give me the number."
Kurohue stared at him for a few minutes, then reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and rattled off the number. Othello dialed the number, with Kurohue watching him, and remained stoic when he dialed an out-of-service number.
How clever of him.
Putting his phone away, Othello stood. "You said my family is too clean for your business, but do you know what I detest? It's people like you who don't keep their word. When you make an appointment, it might sound silly to you, but I live by a code of ethics. Never break your word."
Just as Othello finished speaking, two of Kurohue's bodyguards were dropped, followed by two more before the drug-addled man knew what was happening.
"What the fuck a..." A silent bullet entered the center of his forehead, stopping anything else he had to say.
"Search his pockets and bring me his phone," he told the man closer to him. Othello smirked. His people really knew him well. No one would call him sensible, traveling so far to get answers, and then having the man killed. But Othello had every intention of finding out why he canceled the meeting and nothing else. But who told him to try to pull a fast one on Othello?
"Here you go, boss," his subordinate said, getting his attention. "I already unlocked it."
Taking the phone, Othello scanned through his contacts, feeling annoyed when he didn't see a name or number he recognized. That meant a couple of possibilities: Kurohue had another phone that wasn't on his person. He wouldn't spend more time searching for it when he had other places to be and new deals to make.
"Let's go," Othello ordered, shaking his head. What a waste of fucking time.