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“Okay,” he slumps back onto the couch. “I need to think,alone.”
“Yeah, yeah, sure you do.” I walk to the balcony, feeling agitated. My hand throbs, and filled with exhaustion, I welcome the chill of the gray autumn night. “If you wanna brainstorm, I’m here.” With my left hand, I manage to grab my phone from my pocket. Ignoring the messages from our group chat, I call my brother instead. Ro picks up immediately.
“What’s up?” His voice is thick with worry.
“Hey, just wanted to check to see how you are.”
“I could ask you the same thing. Thomas was making a mention of a cult?” His voice goes up, and I know this is freaking him out. “Thomas has put us all on lockdown.”
“That’s probably for the best, “ I admit, knowing that Logan made that same call. “Until this whole thing settles down. What else has he mentioned?”
He hesitates for a beat. “That they use hypnosis when they hang their victims. Is that true?” A breath of wind slides under my shirt and my body shivers.
“Yeah.”
“That’s just stuff they show you on television, it’s not real.” He swallows the “right?” making my mouth slightly quirk. When we were kids, Ro was the one who always wanted to conjure ghosts and Bloody Mary. Right now, I can just feel his shivers, as they match mine.
“Nah, man, you’re right,” I hum, trying to sound reassuring. He’s my responsibility as the older brother, and as a future leader. Ro’s sensitive and introverted, similar to Connor. He’d be perfect focusing on the paperwork, while a team wipes our streets clean. With his guidance, I’ll gladly keep the filth away from The Void. “Did I miss anything over there?”
He lets out a breathy chuckle when he says that Kai had a one-night stand with some chick at the gym, then starts filling me in on stuff I asked him to check—small businesses that are about to go bankrupt and can be persuaded into taking a shark loan. “I’ve got an entire list, man. 2021 was a perfect year for bankruptcy.”
“That’s good, tell me all about it when I’m back.” I adjust the ice pack on my knuckle and stretch my hand a few times while listening to the familiar rustle of papers in Ro’s background before it finally quiets. “Just heading toward the balcony,” Ro mumbles, and I can imagine him—a cigarette between his lips, his gaze from our elevated viewpoint toward the water where boats, skyscrapers, and a part of Governor’s Island shines like jewelry—nothing like this filth. The view from our apartment back in Brooklyn is magnificent.
“So how’s D.?” I ask.
He lets out a long sigh and I’m not sure if it’s the cigarette or a reflection of his emotions.
“I don’t know, man,” he lets out. “I don’t know.”
“Well, you can talk to me whenever you need to.”
He hums at that and we stay like this for a moment, in peaceful silence, each staring into our own view—mine cloaked in nightfall, his with daylight—and the tension leaves my body.
“I believe in you,” my brother whisper-mumbles, making my heart swell with pride.
Even after we’ve disconnected our phone call, I linger outside for a bit, content in my own thoughts for once. When I finally return, I’m greeted by the dim light from Connor’s computer screen. “I’m gonna grab a shower.”
The heat of the water is welcoming and comforting; I need to scrub myself clean from tonight’s evening out. I linger too long, flex my hand a few times and once I’m reassured that I’ve performed as much damage control as I can, I step out. After I’ve changed into a pair of sweatpants, I walk back into the living area, only to find Connor fast asleep on the couch, one leg straight, the other in a strange twist. His auburn hair hangs in thick locks covering part of his face, moving like a sweet breeze with every breath he lets out. His plush lips are slightly parted and without his large glasses, his oval face looks even more gorgeous.
And at that mouthwatering sight, all my good intentions melt like ice. This was the guy I needed to have from the moment I looked into his eyes in the college library. The one I knew I wanted to hunt down, even threaten to expose his dirty secret if it meant that I could have him the way I wanted him—but now everything’s just blown up right in my face. Leaving me with shattered pieces of desire, of intense hunger that I haven’t yet managed to satisfy.
I carefully smooth the hair out of his face, then bend forward to drop a soft kiss on his cheek. I shouldn’t be doing this, but his skin feels warm and smooth. Seeing Connor’s face so relaxed is magnificent. My fingers stroke his cheek, his nose, the curve of his upper lip. His bottom lip is hanging in a slight pout in his sleep, and I want to kiss and caress it until he’s begging for more.
Connor squirms lightly, then shivers and I realize that he hasn’t taken a single blanket.
Too fucking proud.
Without a second thought, I walk back to the bed and draw the sheets. Then I lift Connor with a grunt, walk him to the bed and drop him as gently as possible. Fuck me, he’s heavier than I thought. But then again, he’s a good swimmer and only an inch or so shorter than I am. As soon as his body connects to the mattress, he sighs and rolls himself onto his back, presenting me once more his breathtaking body.
“God, Connor,” I mumble. My fingers itch to touch him. To free him from the restraints of his clothing and turn his body hard as a rock, for me. And only me.
Mine.
Fuck, he’s so confusing.
“Whatever it is I said that made you angry, I’m sorry,” I mumble to myself.
I wriggle out of my sweatpants and my cock, aroused from the sight of him, stands proudly up against my belly. I continue stroking his face, then dip my finger below the neck of his t-shirt, and brush it past his nipple. He shifts a bit, making my lips curl into a smile.
