The Affair (Wild Hearts Book 4)

by Inge Mayhem

  “I don't see why not—I am well paid, after all.”

  “That you are,” Drew replied.

  “Come on.” The amusement was evident in Ned's voice. “You can stand in awe all you want tomorrow. For now, you really need some sleep.”

  Part II

  Chapter 7

  Protection

  Tyson traced a finger around Victor's bare chest. They lay in Tyson apartment, their sweaty bodies tangled in an embrace. Tyson loved it. He loved everything about Victor, except for the fact that they barely got to see each other.

  “I want to tell my friends about you,” Tyson said, suddenly.

  Victor let out a long sigh and sat up on the bed.

  “What friends?” he asked.

  “Okay not my friends, just one. She's my best friend.”

  “Come on babe, we've talked about this before. You can't tell anyone about me—about us. Not the police, not your friends, no one.”

  “I know,” Tyson sighed. He sat up as well. “You've told me countless times, but I feel like I need more.”

  “Are you saying that having me isn't enough?” Victor asked. Tyson tried to respond, but he was cut off by a long kiss from Victor. The words caught in his throat, and Victor's lips clung to his. Victor pulled away, leaving a dreamy-eyed Tyson.

  “You were saying?” Victor asked cockily.

  “Huh? Uh . . . what?”

  Tyson's reaction drew a laugh from Victor. Tyson shook his head, as if shaking away the effect Victor had on him.

  “That's not what I'm saying,” Tyson said. “I just really miss having a life. I miss being out in the open; I don't even have a job anymore. I also want to have a normal relationship with you.”

  “Fine, would it help you if I say that I'm working on it?”

  “That's what you always say,” Tyson whined.

  This wasn't the first time he had brought up this particular conversation with Victor. But his silver-tongued lover always had a way of diverting the conversation. Whenever Tyson persisted enough, Victor would always give the same answer—that he was working on it.

  Tyson was growing tired of this and was becoming increasingly restless. He hadn't expected anything at first, after all, Victor had been his captor. But now, they were lovers. It wasn't just the sex, at least for Tyson. He had truly fallen in love with Victor, and he liked to believe it was the same. It was difficult to know for sure, though, because of how secretive he was.

  “You know what you want isn't possible,” Victor explained. “At least, not right now. With time, we'll know what to do. Besides, there's something else I want to give you.”

  Tyson looked on and admired Victor's naked body, as he stood from the bed. Victor walked to where his bag lay on the floor, and pulled out a shiny metal object from it. It was when Victor walked back to the bed that Tyson realized that he was holding a gun in his hands.

  “Oh my God,” Tyson whispered, like he was afraid someone else would hear their conversation. “What the hell are you doing with a gun?”

  “It's for you,” Victor informed him. “It's just a precaution, hopefully, you'll never ever get to use it.”

  “I've never fired a gun before,” Tyson stated.

  “And I hope you never will,” Victor added. “I would just feel better knowing you had a way to protect yourself. Just keep it hidden, and pray you don't ever have to use it.”

  Tyson calmed down a bit. He nodded and took the pistol from Victor and stowed it away quickly in his bedside drawer, as if he was afraid that it had a timer and would explode.

  He comforted himself with the fact that he no longer had to spy on Drew or get close to him. He knew Drew was bad news, and probably also the cause of everything that had happened to him over the past few weeks. He wished that he had never met him.

  “How about this? I got you a job at a restaurant I know. I sort of know the owner, so I was easily able get you hired. At least, that way you can have something to do, to keep yourself sane. How does that sound?”

  “It's perfect, Victor. Thank you so much!”

  This time, it was Tyson's turn to kiss Victor. Their lips met and unlike last time, they didn't pull apart.

  The next morning, Tyson woke with a start. He rubbed his eyes and tried to open them, to adjust them to the sunlight that had found a way into his room. He turned around and quickly discovered that he was alone in his bed. He looked around the bedroom, and there was no sign of Victor anywhere. Victor's bag was gone.

  “He left ag—” Tyson was interrupted by the sound of dishes. He stood and followed the sound, hoping to find his boyfriend in the kitchen. Instead, he was greeted by his overenthusiastic best friend.

  “Hi!” Florence practically screamed. “Good morning, sleepyhead. I was wondering when you were going to wake up.”

  “Care to explain what you're doing in my house?” Tyson asked, ignoring her greeting.

  “I have a key,” she answered innocently.

  “No you don't!”

  “Fine, I made a duplicate.”

  Tyson was about to protest, then he remembered that he had spent the night with Victor. He wondered when Victor left and if Florence had seen him.

  “When did you get here?”

  “A few minutes ago, why?”

  “I think I can ask questions freely. You broke into my house, for God's sake.”

  “I didn't break in: I stole your key and duplicated it, so I could come into your house. Those are two completely different things. I’m sorry if you don’t like it. I had to after I saw how you seemed to have forgotten everything when you returned. I was worried for you.”

  Tyson shook his head at her. He left her and walked back to his room to get his phone. As expected, he saw a text from Victor. The text had the address of the restaurant that Tyson was supposed to go to for a job, and it also had a few other instructions that he needed to follow.

  “What are your plans today?”

  Tyson turned in the direction of the voice and discovered that Florence had joined him in his room.

  “Since you must know, I have a job interview today.”

  “Really? That's great: I'm so happy for you.”

  “It's nothing special or fancy. I'll be working at a restaurant as a waiter.”

  Florence rolled her eyes. “I'm not talking about the job: I'm talking about the fact that you'll be outside doing something, instead of sitting in here all day. Oh, and you'll be a waiter. You could slip me some free food and booze during my dates.”

  “Dates?” Tyson asked. “Are you going out with that guy again?”

  “Nah, he's so boring. I need some action in my life.”

  Tyson smiled at his friend. With all he had been through, the last thing he wanted for her, was any action of any sort.

  “Well, I'll be late if I don't leave soon,” Tyson remarked.

  “Me too; I have things to do. I could come over to the restaurant later though. And if I see that they didn't hire you, I'll cause a scene. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds perfect. Thank you, now go.”

  Florence waved at him and dashed out of the apartment. Tyson let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and sat on his bed. He pulled out the drawer beside his bed slowly and saw what he had put in it the previous night; he saw the gun that Victor had given to him.

  Part of him had wished it was a dream, but he consoled himself with the fact that he might never have to use it.

  Chapter 8

  Composure

  Drew watched Amelia from a distance. She seemed so composed, as Jay talked to her. He quickly realized that she was the closest thing he had to family.

  He saw her glance at him, and when their eyes met, she waved him over to her table. He walked quickly to meet her.

  “How are you holding up?” The sincerity in her tone convinced Drew that she was actually worried about his well-being.

  “I honestly don't know what to do or how to feel,” he replied truthfully. “I thought
I wanted something bad to happen to Samuel, but now that he's dead, I don't know why I feel this way.”

  “I understand,” Amelia said calmly. “He was a son of a bitch, but he was still your father. It's normal.”

  “Is there any way that he isn't dead? Maybe there was a mix-up or something.”

  “No, Drew.” This time, it was Jay who answered. “There's even an autopsy report. It was your father: your father and his right-hand man. I suspect it was an inside attack; maybe to overthrow him. It worked, quite effectively.”

  “There's also another issue,” Amelia added. “It's the matter of the defectors.”

  “I don't understand,” Drew replied honestly, with a puzzled expression on his face. “What defectors?”

  “Some of the men from your father's cartel have come over to our side, out of fear,” Jay answered. “I think it's a fantastic idea. The more the better.”

  “That's not always true,” Amelia countered. She still hadn't lost her calm demeanor. “I would rather have people I can trust. Who knows why these men are coming to my side? Another thing is that our operations are run very differently. They might be expecting something I won't give them. They're used to a dirty business, but I run a clean operation.”

  Drew studied the lounge. All three of them sat in the VIP section of the Monkey Bar. He could hear the faint sound of music coming from outside, but other than that, he loved the privacy that this area afforded. It was reserved for the elite on Amelia's team and for very confidential business matters. Drew felt like he was an intruder of sorts, but the way Amelia addressed him, made him feel like he was family.

  “If there's a new leader, then maybe that is the person that killed my father. Do we know who's in charge now?”

  “Our sources haven't confirmed anything,” Jay answered. “We're going to have to wait a bit. But whoever this new person is, he'll make himself known very soon.”

  “How do we take him down?” Drew asked.

  “Take him down?” Jay seemed surprised that Drew would even consider such a thing. “That's not how business works.” Jay turned to face Amelia. “I think this might be a push in the direction I told you about.”

  “And I gave you my answer, time and time again,” Amelia replied. “That is not an option for us, and it never will be. I've let you have your little operation to keep you happy, but if you keep pushing, I'll shut you down all together.”

  Drew was able to decipher that both people with him were talking about Jay's drug dealing on the side. Drew had suspected that Amelia might not have been aware of it, but she kept showing that she really did know everything.

  “Surely we can't let this go,” Drew begged. “Aunt Amelia, we have to do something to avenge my father.”

  Amelia gave him a look that shut him up instantly.

  “Young Drew. There's so much for you to learn. I was willing to start a war with Samuel because he crossed a line. But this new leader, whoever he is, might be able to work in our favor. I'd rather not lose any men, if I can do anything about it.”

  “So you're siding with the enemy?” Drew asked.

  “This wouldn't be the first time,” was her simple reply. “Right now, what you need is some time away from all this. Nothing concerns you now: are you sure you want to continue?”

  Drew thought for a moment. He had nothing else keeping him in the city. He could go somewhere else and start a new life, away from all the trouble he had caused. But he felt like he owed Amelia. She had done nothing but help him since he came, and he was willing to do anything he could to show that he was loyal.

  “I'm with you, Aunt Amelia.”

  “Good choice. For now, there's nothing for you to do. Jay and I have things to discuss. Run along now.”

  Drew nodded and left. As he walked out, he could hear what he thought was Jay's voice, protesting about something.

  Drew walked to the bar and sat beside Ned, who was casually sipping a drink. He passed on the glass to Drew, who rejected it.

  “I think I might stay away from alcohol for a while.”

  “I dunno, I kinda like drunk Drew,” Ned laughed. “I mean, you asked for sex in the shower. Kinky.”

  “Ugh!” Drew covered his face with his hands. “Don't even remind me. I'm so embarrassed.”

  “It's fine.” Ned set his drink down on the table. “Look, I like you, Drew. Last night, if I had done that, I would've felt like I was taking advantage of you. That's not what I want.”

  “You like me?”

  “I just said so. Or do you just like hearing me say it?” Ned smirked.

  “I don't know what to say.”

  “I'm not expecting you to say anything, I'm just telling you how I feel. I like you; I know you're not in the right place to think right now, but keep it in mind, I'll be here for you.”

  “You don't know what this means, I truly appreciate it.”

  Ned gave a hearty laugh. Drew noticed how normal he looked. At that point, he didn't look like a stripper—he was a handsome man—with a life and an amazing personality. Drew felt ashamed that he had ever thought differently about him.

  “Let's get out of here, shall we?”

  Drew nodded his approval.

  Chapter 9

  Partnership

  Victor was stressed. There were too many things to think about at the moment, and the constant texts he got from Tyson weren't making things better for him.

  “I really need to ditch this guy—what the hell?”

  “Is everything alright, Boss?”

  Boss. He wasn't quite accustomed to being called that yet. Contrary to what he had thought, he didn't have to do much to take over the remaining men that were still loyal to Samuel. He had paid his dues, and everyone knew it. With Smithy gone, he was next in line.

  The role came with a lot of downsides though. He hadn't been expecting so many issues.

  The first problem he had to handle was within himself. He battled with constant paranoia. The type of paranoia that was bound to affect him, as his former boss, along with his right-hand man, had just been killed. He still didn't know who had orchestrated the attack, but he also couldn't investigate.

  That led to the second problem . . . he was caught between a rock and a hard place. Some of his men saw him as a Messiah, who had come to put an end to Samuel's heavy-handed rule. They were grateful to him for this, but if word ever got out that he wasn't the one who had killed Samuel and Smithy, Victor was very sure he would lose that loyalty.

  The other group of people were those that still stayed with him, but were loyal to Samuel, even after his death. They felt that Victor had taken over with a coup, and they hated him for that. It was because of this fear, that they refused to speak up. But they were there, and their unrest was rising by the day.

  Victor was caught between these two groups of people, and knew that there was nothing he could do about any of them. His only hope was waiting for everything to blow over.

  There was one other issue, albeit a small one. It was one he actually had control over. Some of his men had defected to Amelia's side. Victor had a plan though: a plan that was also a risk, but it was his best option to use.

  “I don't mean to question you, Boss,” the man with him said. “But when is our contact going to meet up with us?”

  Victor eyed the man carefully. He talked with a heavy accent that Victor couldn't quite place. He seemed a little fidgety, and that was going to be a problem. His new bodyguard shouldn't be afraid.

  Both men sat at a quiet street side café, waiting patiently for Victor's contact, on Amelia's side, to show up. The café was in Victor's territory, so it wasn't hard for him to make sure that there was no one else present when he had his meeting.

  Kris, his new bodyguard, was heavily built and looked completely intimidating, but when he had spoken to Victor, Victor couldn't help but feel like Kris' muscles were all for show. He seemed like he was on edge, and that was a bad thing for Victor, especially when he considered the fact that K
ris was the one with a gun, for both their protection.

  “He'll be here soon. And please try to calm down. You're with the boss now, you shouldn't be afraid.”

  “Yes, Boss.”

  “Look, there he is,” Victor said, pointing in the direction of the man that was making his way over to them.

  “He's alone, Boss, doesn't he have a bodyguard?”

  “No, he doesn't need one,” Victor answered. “We have mutual interests. We need each other.”

  Chapter 10

  Gifts

  “I can't accept all of this,” Drew protested. “It's too much.” He looked at the sheer number of clothes that Ned had picked out for him and became overwhelmed.

  “Come on, you don't have any clothes.”

  “I do—I just left them at Brad's house. I could go and get them anytime. Really, you don't have to do this.”

  For the rest of the afternoon, Ned had taken Drew to different stores and had given him a completely new look. If he was being honest, Drew absolutely loved every minute of it. He was starting to really like spending time with Ned, and it seemed like it was mutual..

  Ned had bought more clothes than Drew had originally, and Drew felt like he owed him something.

  “You don't owe me anything,” Ned said suddenly, like he had read Drew's mind.

  “Huh?”

  “I said you don't owe me anything. I don't want you thinking that I did all this just so I could get something from you.”

  “But still, there has to be a way to make it up to you; there has to be something I can do. You've done too much for me already. I'm staying at your house for free; I'm eating your food and using your water. Now, you're getting me these clothes. There has to be, at the very least, something.”

  “And I'm telling you, there isn't. It's fine, really, I'm just glad I can help.”

  “No way,” Drew persisted. “There has to be something I can do. I know: how about dinner?”

  “Come on, y—”