Chapter 1 #15
Felipe smiles warmly in response to Kid’s concern for Celia.
However, “He is none of your concern. Quiet now.” It’s an easy thing to collapse the younger man to the mattress by pulling on his supporting hand.
It’s a far more difficult task to ignore the spark of arousal catching fire in his stomach as Kid submits with little more than an indignant huff, but he has more pressing matters. “Did she seem distressed?”
“No, sir.”
“Very well.” Felipe yawns and sifts through Kid’s hair, much to the boys chagrin. “Thank you for alerting me. I’ll take control of the situation. You may go.” He waits for Reynaldo to shut the door before he turns toward Kid. “Your mistress is never far from the middle of things.”
Kid sits up to grip Felipe’s arm. “Go get her, Felipe. Please. Caleb is a monster.” He swats the older man’s placating hand away from his head. He doesn’t want to be coddled while Celia is in danger.
“She’s fine, I assure you. Celia is the monster under that particular bed. She’s no doubt been planning this since Caleb arrived with Kitten.” He sets his gun on the nightstand with a yawn. Kid eyes the weapon with wide eyes. “The safety’s on.”
“It’s not that,” he says firmly. “S’just kinda weird you kept a loaded gun in here…with me…while you’re asleep.”
Felipe rolls his eyes. “I know killers, boy. The most you could manage would be to give me a bump on the head.” Kid’s mouth falls open, agape with shock. Felipe shakes his head. “I never get tired of your expressive face.”
“Whatever.” Kid pouts. “Can we focus on Celia now? I don’t get how you’re just sitting here while she’s alone with that asshole.”
“Watch it, boy. I’m awake now and more than willing to distract you below stairs until Celia has concluded her business.” Felipe waits for the words to sink in and for Kid to drop his shoulders. He may be young, but Kid is no one’s fool.
“You want her to find out something?”
“I want her to do more than that.” He rises from the bed and extends his hand toward Kid, who takes it without hesitation.
They walk only a few steps to Felipe’s desk, where he motions Kid into a chair and types his convoluted password to view his laptop’s home screen.
A few clicks later, they are watching Caleb go down on Celia in Kitten’s room.
“Holy fuck! You’ve got a camera in there.” Kid is scandalized by the invasion of privacy. “Does Celia know? Oh my God.”
“Language, boy! Yes, she knows,” Felipe says through a grin.
Celia’s legs are spread to their limit, her eyes closed in ecstasy as Caleb sucks and licks noisily between her pillowy nether lips.
Celia’s head rests in the lap of Caleb’s virgin slave; Kitten does not appear pleased by the situation.
In the days of Rome, Celia would have seduced the rulers of nations.
It’s Felipe’s gain that their fates are tied.
He is always looking to expand his empire.
His train of thought is disrupted by Kid’s wince. On the screen, Kitten has just slapped Caleb and run off into the bathroom. He closes out the feed. “See that? She’s jealous.”
“So?” Kid asks seriously.
“If Caleb used Celia to solicit Kitten’s jealousy, we can use it to our advantage. A man will do anything to protect that which he holds dear. I only need to know if this girl is more valuable to Caleb than his business relationships.”
“What about Celia? Isn’t she more important to you than your business relationships?” Kid does nothing to disguise his revulsion toward Felipe’s cavalier attitude.
Felipe leans over until his nose nearly touches Kid’s. “Whose idea do you think it was to get close to Rafiq’s apprentice? Do not believe for a moment your mistress is incapable of intrigue. She knows more than you or I ever will about dealing with monstrous men. Understood?”
“I—I…yes, Felipe.” He wants to leave it there and discovers he’s unable. “But why?” Kid follows the older man back to bed and forgoes his floor pallet to climb beneath the blankets.
Felipe tucks the covers under Kid’s chin. “Keep this secret and one of these nights, I’ll tell you another.” He knows it isn’t the response the other man is looking for, but it’s the only one he is willing to give. “Until then, tell me something about you I don’t know.”
Kid sighs. He isn’t going to get more out of Felipe than the man wants to divulge, so he veers toward the path of least resistance. “My name’s Andrew. Andrew William Benson. I don’t think you’ve ever asked,” he mumbles accusingly.
“Hmm,” Felipe nods, “you were born in Yuma, Arizona to William and Sarah Benson. Your maternal grandparents are alive and living in Connecticut. Celia will have her hands full planning your birthday celebration in two months, and although you’ve been arrested for underage drinking, disturbing the peace, and criminal mischief, you’ve never spent more than a single night in a cell.
Now,” he pauses for effect, “tell me something I can’t read from a police report.
” Kid’s expression reads like closed captions for the hearing impaired: Please stop talking before I start screaming.
Felipe runs his fingers through the boy’s hair. “Why are you called Kid?”
Kid swallows several times before he can answer. “M-m-my dad,” he chokes out. “In the army, he went by Wild Bill, you know…like the outlaw.” His heart is pounding! He will never do anything to piss Felipe off—ever. “I was Billy the Kid.”
Felipe smiles. “I have heard of them. Very sweet, boy.”
“Yeah,” Kid prattles on nervously, “Mama used to like to break out the pictures of me in my diapers and cowboy boots. I had a cap-gun on each hip.” Felipe seems to genuinely appreciate the detail. Kid relaxes marginally.
“Do you shoot well?” Felipe asks.
“Nah,” Kid smiles, “my mama never liked real guns. After she died, I never wanted to carry one. It used to drive Tiny crazy, ‘cause it meant he had to watch out for me.” Kid falls silent.
“Do you miss him?” Felipe inquires.
Kid nods shallowly. “Sometimes.” He pauses. “It’s more like…I forget to miss him and when I remember…I feel bad for wanting to forget again.”
“When you miss him, do you ever think about revenge?”
Kid takes the time to consider the older man’s question.
Part of him does—want revenge against Caleb and the others—but then…
“When I was twelve, my buddy Shaun Wiseman stole my girlfriend.” The memory makes him laugh.
“I was so pissed at him. He kissed her with tongue and everything—was more than I got from her. So I come home and tell Mama m’gonna kick Shaun’s ass, and she said…
” Kid finds himself getting a little choked up and takes a deep breath to settle himself, “she said revenge is for people who got nothing to lose.” For the first time, Kid purposely seeks out Felipe’s eyes.
What does he want most? The voice in his head screams his answer loud enough to silence any errant thoughts of revenge.
He knows his truth. “No, I don’t ever think about things like that. What would be the point?”
Felipe experiences the oddest sensation.
This boy does things to him, makes him feel like his heart is new.
Following a few seconds of heavy silence, Felipe yawns.
He leans over to press his lips to his bewildered lover’s forehead.
“Goodnight, Andrew. I want only pleasant dreams for you.” He rolls over and shuts his eyes before the other man can reply.
“I’m glad you chose my bed over the floor,” he whispers.
55. Felipe/Celia
Despite the fact his goals are within reach, Felipe is none too pleased after his meeting with Caleb; Rafiq’s apprentice is beyond arrogant.
He suspects Caleb is high on Celia’s affections and the idiotic notion he holds something over Felipe because of them—fool.
And after all that Felipe and Celia have set in motion to give him a chance at love and his all-encompassing revenge.
After all he’s done to make sure they all get what they need in the end! Selfish—all of them.
Rafiq thinks he can fail to deliver his weapons on time and still demand his drugs.
Unconscionable! Caleb sleeps in his house, under his protection, eats his food, and fucks his woman, and has the gall to give Felipe attitude.
The look on his face when Felipe told him about the cameras…
he’ll find pleasure remembering it later, perhaps on Celia’s face.
“Tell me, why do I allow her to sleep with other people?”
“She told me…that…um…she does it to get back at you…for…before.”
Celia can be too brave!
And then there’s Kid. He’s…actually very sweet; Felipe nearly cracks a smile, but remembers he’s on a mission. The boy has to earn his way, be it toward freedom or a new life. Felipe will collect what he is owed.
He barges into Celia’s room full of malicious intentions. Kid, never having experienced Felipe’s jealousy, is startled into dropping the sterling silver hairbrush he was using on his mistress’ hair. Celia only smiles at Felipe through his reflection in her vanity mirror. “Algún problema?”
“Of course not. All is according to plan.”
“Will he bring her to the party?” Celia is stoic and perfectly aware of the way her words slide between Felipe’s ribs like satin covered steel.
Last night, Caleb had her in a way her master will not allow himself, and then shamed her by throwing her out of bed afterward.
It was a better result than she could have hoped for, because he had done it to spare Kitten’s feelings.
In fact, the entire display had been for Kitten.
Caleb is a man in love with a woman he will not let himself have, and it reminds Celia so much of her own relationship that it makes her ache.
Tomorrow night, Celia will see Caleb shamed in return and advance the plan.