Gilded Agony

by K. A. Merikan

  Seth closed his eyes, but there was no escaping it, no matter how much he wanted to sleep. “I’ll follow whichever way you lead.”

  Domenico locked his lips and rolled off Seth, shifting closer until they lay side by side. His nose rubbed Seth’s chin before he spoke. “That wouldn’t be entirely fair. My business is your business, remember? What do you think?”

  Seth opened one eye, surprised by the question, but in truth, he had been mulling over all the information since he’d found out about Moreno’s betrayal.

  He took a deep breath. “Moreno wants to continue doing business with Santo. Just without the middleman. Offer it to him if he compensates you for the stolen shipment. If Santo agrees, I mean.” Domenico lifted his eyebrows so Seth continued. “We’ll be out of where we don’t want to be, hands clean. And Miguel will get what he wants. Let him off the leash so he can do what he wants about Moreno. It won’t be on us anymore if Raul Moreno happens to get a bullet in the head.”

  Domenico hummed, but it didn’t sound dismissive. For once, he was considering Seth’s opinion, even though his pride had been repeatedly undermined by Moreno’s actions. That was something, even though Seth was positive they would end up going to war with the most powerful of cartel bosses.

  “Let me sleep on it,” Dom said in the end.

  Epilogue

  They moved to Palermo. To be fair, it was Palermo, a trendy district of Buenos Aires, not Palermo, Sicily, but it still hasn’t ceased to amuse Domenico nevertheless.

  Dressed in a linen suit that had been made to measure, and with D&G shades shielding his eyes, Domenico felt as if he was back in his own skin. Four months since their move from El Encanto, the comforts of being in a place that felt like his natural habitat hadn’t gotten old.

  His day had been productive without being too much of a strain, and he couldn't even begin to express how much he enjoyed no one wanting anything from him. Well, nothing that couldn’t wait for a few hours while he sat at his favorite table, ate amazing cake and washed it down with smooth espresso.

  He loved this city. He loved this cafe, and it annoyed him only the tiniest bit that this was the kind of place that also served cold brew and activated charcoal shakes. And those disgusting tiny cookies sweetened with medjool dates which cost almost as much as a large portion of a normal cake. But for the quality of service and the liveliness of the atmosphere on the street outside, he could ignore all the hipster types and dietary idiocies in the world.

  The European atmosphere of the city made it feel like home in a way El Encanto never could, no matter how perfect their little fenced-off paradise had been. In El Encanto he’d been a member of an invasive species, which easily outcompeted native predators but still struggled with the foreign climate. In Buenos Aires, Domenico blended in, despite standing out from the crowd with his stunning looks and style that wouldn’t have been out of place on the streets of Rome.

  The settlement he’d reached with Moreno and Santo allowed him to move his little family into an upscale penthouse apartment with an onsite gym and plenty of space. He’d even converted a part of their roof terrace so that Seth could satisfy his gardening urges, though the topic of chickens was still one they both avoided, so no hen house would be erected. At least for a while.

  Domenico had feared Giulia wouldn’t like the idea of moving, but she’d taken to Buenos Aires like a duck to water. No matter how grumpy she could be at times, she loved Angelica as if she were her grandmother, and losing her would have been a huge blow. Domenico was even fine with her venturing on dates once in a while, since in the worst case scenario, Angelica would simply have two grandmoms. Who wouldn’t want two grandmoms?

  But it was Seth who thrived in the new setting most. It had been difficult for Domenico to let him roam free after over two years of keeping him safe behind walls, but as weeks passed, Domenico begrudgingly accepted that keeping Seth locked in a gilded cage had been a mistake. Most of all, he liked the days he could spend with Seth visiting galleries, chatting until day turned into night, or getting up at odd hours to watch the sun rise. But sometimes they were apart for hours, and he’d grown to like the anticipation brewing whenever he waited for Seth’s return, his bright smiles, and the animated way he talked about his day.

  Dom had needed to see him like this again to realize how subdued Seth had gotten in the months leading up to their departure from El Encanto. Seth liked domestic life, but he also needed new experiences, needed more people in his life. Domenico had never told him that, but when the two of them had agreed on the kind of life they would lead in Buenos Aires, he’d been worried that they would end up spending too much time apart. But nothing like that had happened. Even on days when their time together was sparse, they always stayed in touch and the moments they did share felt intense, as if they’d just started dating and still lived and breathed excitement over the other person.

  Something told Domenico to look up, as if a soundless voice somehow managed to communicate to him that he was no longer alone. The moment his gaze settled on the door of the cafe, Seth walked in with a jute bag with fresh baguettes sticking out on one side.

  A smile tugged on Domenico’s mouth, and he pulled away the chair next to him before Seth even walked up to the table. “How was your class?”

  Seth sat, and instantly moved his chair closer to Domenico. No matter how much Domenico tried to be reasonable about it, having a free-range husband remained stressful at times, so whenever Seth came back to him, safe and sound, relief flooded Dom’s veins.

  “Brilliant. We made our own chimichurri, and then perfected empanadas. I’ve already got my own ideas on mixing it up with some different ingredients.” His bright wide smile made Domenico’s heart skip a beat.

  He shut the laptop with one tap of his hand and captured Seth’s lips in a brief kiss. “I’ve also learned something brilliant when I was waiting for you.”

  “Oh?” Seth stroked Domenico’s thigh under the table. Enjoying closeness in this hip space, among other people, and with no danger looming around them, felt so completely different from doing exactly the same thing in their El Encanto home.

  “Mhm. I got a response from a publisher.”

  “No!” Seth grinned even wider, and in this moment, his attention focused entirely on Domenico. Someone might have walked by with a mobile chicken coop and he wouldn’t have noticed.

  Secret Chef, the project Domenico had started on a whim, in a bid to make Seth happy, had turned into something he enjoyed as well, and the partnership it involved was surprisingly smooth. Domenico didn’t tell Seth how to do his cooking, and Seth was happy to go with the flow of whatever business or marketing idea Domenico had. And Domenico had many.

  Apart from it being fun for them both, Domenico had quickly worked out that a food-related business provided the perfect cover for tracing any signs of Mr. Tropico’s presence. And a fantastic scheme for laundering cash.

  “Yes. Our number one choice wants to publish Secret Chef’s cookbook. I’m gonna look through the contract, but it looks damn good,” Domenico said, squeezing Seth’s hand. His lover didn’t need to know that Domenico had nudged the company via a little bribe, but that had been only to speed up the process. After living in lockdown for so many months, Seth needed to breathe success.

  The smile on his face was like Christmas coming early. “Oh, yes, yes, yes! That’s way beyond anything I’ve dreamed of.” In his excitement, Seth pulled up Dom’s hand for a kiss. “I’ll call Mark. No. I wanna tell him in person. I think he’s at the stables. Let’s go.”

  “No, he’s already home. If only he met some friends in the stables. A young guy like him shouldn’t be spending all his time with a horse,” Domenico said, gathering his things.

  Seth shrugged. “Maybe there’s someone he likes there but isn’t telling us. Then again, he did always have a big mouth about his conquests, so it’s true that he’s being unusually quiet.”

  Domenico chewed on that for a moment and led the way
outside, where he’d parked their black convertible. “You think it’s about the scars?”

  Seth’s smile faded. “I bet it bothers him, but it’s not like he’s completely disfigured, it’s just the eye. With a body like his he should be getting laid all the time, not sulking in his hammock.”

  Getting back to their luxury penthouse only took ten minutes. Normally, Seth would have started with putting away his shopping, but after the conversation they’d had on the way, he followed Domenico to the large terrace, which overlooked a park. Just like Dom had predicted, Mark was stretched out in their designer hammock, with a book on photography resting atop his chest. It appeared he’d dozed off, but Domenico wouldn’t be fooled.

  He walked up to the hammock and made it rock.

  Mark opened his remaining eye with a groan. “Jesus! Why? I’m just minding my own business here.” He’d shortened his hair since El Encanto, and the much more manageable do with a fade on the sides and curls at the top of his head made for a look much tidier than the mop he used to sport.

  While definitely a Domenico-approved haircut, it wouldn’t save Mark from uncomfortable questions. “I think that’s the problem. You keep minding your own business. Where are all the pretty boys and girls you should be meeting?”

  Mark raised his eyebrows, even though one barely peeked out from behind the eyepatch he insisted on wearing. “Seth? You have any idea where this is coming from?”

  Seth took a deep breath and sat in a wicker chair nearby. “I mean… we were just talking about you. Maybe if you went to some classes, or even finished school, you’d have the chance to meet some friends.”

  Before Mark could voice whatever he opened his mouth for, Domenico stopped him with a gesture. “Spending five hours at the stable doesn’t count if you don’t socialize with anyone. Talking to a trainer isn’t the same as chatting to a friend either. Don’t you like it here that you keep to yourself so much?”

  Mark wouldn’t look at Domenico, lost in thought as if he were pondering the meaning of life, not about to answer a simple question. “I do. It’s just that… I don’t really fit in anywhere, do I? I’m not poor anymore, but I don’t fit in with the rich. Normal people can’t understand the life we live, but it’s not like I’m about to seek out some shady local gang, ‘cause we’re staying off the radar. And people my age feel like kids.”

  Seth barked out a laugh. “Look at him! He’s an old soul. I just can’t with you, Mark. You’re so dramatic. Just like your Daddy Dom”

  Domenico frowned at him. “Excuse me? When am I ever dramatic? Could a dramatic person have pulled through all that shit in one piece?” He made a broad gesture toward Mark. “He just doesn’t have enough to do, so he joined the emo fashion to be ‘depressed’,” he said, making air quotes.

  Seth blinked. “Don’t joke like this. He used be so active whether he had a job to do or not. I thought you were worried too that he changed so much!” He walked past Domenico and put his hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Are you depressed? Do you need help?”

  Mark groaned and pulled up the book, as if he wanted to hide behind it. Good. He should be ashamed that he was letting life drip through his fingers while he lounged around like a cow chewing grass all day.

  “I’m not alone. I’ve got you guys, and Angelica, Giulia, it’s all good. I don’t need an intervention.”

  Domenico rocked the hammock again, harder this time, but to his annoyance, Mark only grabbed the sides of the day bed, refusing to slide off. “What twenty-something wants to spend all his time with his dads? You do know this is weird, right?”

  Mark pouted, and the childish expression instantly made him look younger. “It’s not weird. We’ve worked together for ages. I just… I don’t connect well with people here.”

  Dom rolled his eyes. “No one’s asking you to do god-knows-what. If you connected your dick with them, your mood would improve fast, I guarantee that.”

  Seth ignored Dom and leaned forward, glancing into Mark’s face. “What if you went to school somewhere else?”

  Mark sat up in the hammock. “Are you two kicking me out? What did I do?!”

  Domenico let his head drop and rubbed his scalp in frustration. “Mark, no one’s kicking you out, but we’re worried. How long will you stay so sluggish and quiet? Something’s clearly not working, and don’t argue about this with me, because both Seth and I have two sets of good e—” He went silent, suddenly realizing what he’d said. It was hard to miss the twitch on Mark’s face. “It’s a figure of speech.”

  “People ask about the eye, and I have to lie. I’ve started making up a different stupid story every time. I’m trying to adjust to this. My aim has improved, but it’s still not what it was.”

  “We’ve all had injuries, Mark,” Seth said. “I know it’s tough. But you have to put yourself out there, find a purpose other than preparing to fight. You don’t have to be constantly on your guard.”

  Mark watched them both, and Seth must have hit on the right nerve, because Mark hesitated for much longer this time. “But what if you need me, and I’m not good enough anymore?”

  Hearing Mark’s reasoning for the first time had Domenico baffled. “Mark, you’re our son, not a backup gun. We want you to have a good life,” he said.

  Domenico wished there were pliers he could use for getting words out of Mark, because as much as it had annoyed him sometimes when Mark was still a chatterbox teen, at least back then gouging the truth out of him had been child’s play. Now that he’d grown up—not so much.

  Mark went silent for a few heartbeats, but when he glanced at Domenico again, his face remained tense. “What if I wanted to go to Europe? Would that be too far? Too risky?”

  Seth spread his arms, providing no opinion of his own.

  Domenico licked his lips, suddenly feeling a lead weight in his chest. “Europe? But… we wouldn’t see you for months. Do you really want to go there, or is this just to spite us for starting this topic?”

  Mark glanced at his nails. “It was just an idea. I get that it’s too far.”

  Seth mouthed something to Dom and discreetly pointed at Mark, shaking his head.

  Domenico chewed on his lip and squeezed Mark’s wrist. “It’s not like that. All I meant is that we’d miss you, but if that’s what you want… need… then we will support you.”

  For a few moments, all of them kept still, waiting for someone to make the final decision. In the end, Mark looked up at them with a slow nod. “I have to do this. And if you need me, I will come back, no questions asked.”

  Domenico swallowed the unpleasant pressure in his throat, still holding on to Mark’s forearm. The shadow of their family being apart for the first time couldn’t be dispersed by the warm glow of the sun, but Mark was a man now, and he needed to make a path of his own.

  “Only if you promise to stay in touch.”

  To be continued in book 8 – Guns n’ Boys: A Breath of Innocence

  A post-credits scene is just a few pages away ;)

  Guns n’ Boys: A Breath of Innocence (Book 8)

  Mark is done with flings. He is looking for something real, and he knows just where to find it. Years ago, he fell in love with Charlotte Elswood, but after saving her life, he made the difficult choice of staying in Colombia for the sake of his family.

  Now, free of obligations, he decides to find her and see if maybe, just maybe, what they had, could be rekindled.

  But in England, he meets someone who is also blond, blue-eyed, and irresistible. Problem is, Griffith Elswood is Charlotte’s brother.

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