Seth groaned. “Yeah. Don’t mess with Raul Moreno. Got that.”
He tried not to look at Mark too much, because as glad as he was at him being still for once, it was also quite suspicious. Anxiety pulled on Seth’s skin from all sides, and so he deafened to the conversation about taking someone fingernails off, especially that despite Domenico pretending he wanted to hear of some technique Luis talked of, Seth was quite certain his beloved husband knew all there was to know about torture.
So he focused on the town instead. Even in the center, no building was higher than three storys, and while he couldn’t spot much trash lying around, the streets and sidewalks seemed dirty because of puddles and mud. He couldn’t see much evidence for systematic urban planning either, with grey plaster meeting naked brick and a row of supermarkets, which had all been painted in eye-numbing colors. The oldest-looking houses, small and with pretty balconies, were in the worst shape, with some of the plaster breaking off the graceful facades, leaving greyish spots where there ought to be white or bright yellow.
The cars had to slow down when they drove into an alley paved with cobblestones, which should have made it easier for Seth to take a look at the people of El Elcanto as he rocked back and forth, about to get seasick from the wavy motion, but with the road so narrow, everyone rushed out of the way. Eventually, they left the center, and the buildings became much less crowded, leaving space for groups of children busy cheerfully playing outside, without a care in the world, even though they lived so close to a man who dealt with people smugglers on a daily basis. Seth could only hope Toro somehow protected the people of this town from men like the ones they’d earlier fed to caimans
The suburbs felt much more pleasant, with more trees to provide the necessary shade and a leisurely atmosphere that reminded Seth of some small towns back home. He watched the residential houses pass by as they drove, all the way until they reached a road made with cement blocks which led them through a thick patch of trees. At the end of the road was a smooth white wall, so high one could only pass it by standing on someone else’s shoulders... if it weren’t for the barbed wire topping the fence. The road took the cars to a gate that started opening to the side as soon at the cars came into the view of the cameras mounted on its sides.
There was no doubt about it, they were about to enter Toro’s home, and there would be no turning back from there. Seth couldn’t stop thinking about what Dana had whispered to him on the boat once Domenico entered the cabin with Toro. That there was surveillance almost everywhere with the exception of a chunk of the ‘main house’ and the kitchen in their temporary accommodation. The camera in the latter had apparently been broken for over a week now, and no one had bothered to repair it yet.
Would they not be able to speak to each other in their own room? Or most likely ‘rooms’, since they’d introduced themselves as brothers, so there was no reason for them to sleep in one bedroom. Or bed.
When would Seth even get to touch Domenico again if it wasn’t safe in places that were technically private?
They drove into an open space that could have been a golf course, complete with a grass-mowing tractor and groups of people roaming the grounds. The expanse of the property was so vast that some of the buildings Seth spotted at first glance seemed like miniatures in comparison to the palace of a house the main driveway was leading to.
Seth leaned closer to the window and watched a group of men playing basketball in a neat-looking court that would have been a flagship investment in most towns. Not much farther away, between the court and several smaller recreational spaces was a pool, complete with a tower for jumping and a building that could be a sauna.
Toro was a smart man. If safety was such a big issue for him, then keeping the members of his organization happy in this private... country club for criminals was an excellent move.
The cars followed the road as it looped around the pool area and passed through a patch of trees, finally approaching the main house. The word palace, which came to Seth’s mind initially, was very fitting, because the closest thing he could compare to Toro’s “villa” to was a classicist European palace, even though it was essentially one giant block with trimmings. The facade was of a grayish blue color, with white elements around the tall windows, and with an elegant balustrade at the front.
Seth was not certain whether owning a house like this was an expression of Toro’s good taste, or made him disgustingly nouveau riche. Either way, Seth would surely compliment it to whoever was willing to listen.
It dawned on him that with the place being bugged all over, he might not even be able to tell Dom what he thought about all of this. How would they even communicate properly? Seth’s anxiety levels were going through the roof despite the fact that the place looked like a fancy resort.
The cars stopped in the driveway that could have easily accommodated a medium-sized parking lot, but the more Seth saw of the house itself, the worse the taste in his mouth was. All this affluence so close to a town that so clearly needed more investment would have been in bad taste even if the sculptures that greeted them at the front steps didn’t look so obviously modern-made. The whole house was too clean, too symmetrical, and too... polished. It had the form, but the tradition that would have grounded it were it the real thing, was simply not there.
It was a playhouse for a man with too much money to count. An adult Disneyland for a narrow group of people. He felt as if someone brought him to a movie set with props that would look good on camera but made a terrible impression to the naked eye.
They sat still as Toro left the car in front of them and helped Dana out as well. With Domenico, David, and Luis not moving from their places, Seth and Mark followed their example until Toro approached and knocked on the window. Luis opened the door, and Toro leaned in, settling his eyes deep inside the limousine. “Boy, what’s your name?”
“Mark,” he answered, his shoulders stiff, yet his fingers were nervously tapping against his knee. Maybe outing him hadn’t been such a good idea? Seth wasn’t sure anymore.
Toro stretched his back. “Mark. The girl will be staying in the main house. You can come out now while David shows your cousins around,” he said, glancing between Domenico and Seth.
Mark nodded, glanced at Domenico one more time, and left the car under the bodyguard's watchful eye. Seth wasn’t sure if he was expected to say something, so he stayed silent. His thoughts kept drifting to the man Raul Moreno had boiled alive. What were they even doing here when the risk was so high?
Domenico grinned, as if he wasn’t worried at all. “Talk to you soon, Mark. See to this girl so that she’s nice and healthy-looking for Moreno’s arrival.”
Mark nodded without a word, and followed Toro, glancing back at them before he disappeared behind the overgrown doors at the top of the stairs. Seth tried not to exhale too loudly, but he was worried for Mark. So young and inexperienced, he was likely terrified of being parted from them. Especially after listening to that human-soup story!
David shut the door and yelled in Spanish, likely urging the driver to go. He then grinned and got back to English. “He’s gonna be all right. If anything, he’ll be bored to death from spending so much time with the girl.”
“Maybe he’ll catch up on that new TV show he wanted to see so much at least,” Seth said, not wanting to seem like he wasn’t up for socializing. If they were to stay here for fuck knew how long, there was no time to waste in terms of making friends.
David shrugged. “Don’t worry. He will be allowed out. You on the other hand will have a lot of free time. The girls are usually hanging out at the pool when they aren’t busy, but be cautious who and how you approach, because some are taken,” he said with a wink as the car drove through two rows of palms and along a rose garden dotted with statues and even a fountain to continue with the palace theme.
Seth’s fingers went cold despite having been clammy seconds ago. Was he expected to sleep with some of the women? Would it be suspicious if he di
dn’t? His brain throbbed with the pathetic, shameful memory of his wedding night.
He glanced at Domenico but forced a smile to his face. “I like to take my time,” he commented, just to say something, because it was neither true nor a lie. He didn’t like to take his time. He was a greedy bastard when it came to sex, and when he wanted it, he wanted it then and there. Just not with a woman, so with a woman he could technically take all the time in the world.
Luis slapped him on the arm, as if they just became friends. “I hear you. It’s the chase that counts. Few young men understand that.”
“Anything we need to know?” Domenico asked, and David shrugged.
“Your house has a stocked kitchen, but meals are served at the main building as well. There are cooks available, and they can prepare something just for you, if you tell them in advance, so you don’t have to dirty your hands.”
“Where is the kitchen?” Seth asked, and blood started thudding in his veins. He had to find it. It was the only place that he knew of where talking to Domenico could be reasonably safe. “I know it’s a bit weird, but I’m bulking, so I want to watch my own food. Is there a gym here?” he added, hoping not too sound too suspicious.
Domenico laughed. “You can see how obsessed he is. We had this housekeeper some time ago, and she messed up his macros. Now he trusts no one.”
“It’s by the pool, in the same building as the sauna. There’s also a wine cellar, although I’m not sure if we have anything Italian in there.”
Domenico grinned, looking out when they stopped in front of a white villa of a more conventional size, yet built in the same pseudo-classicistic style. “Good wine is good wine. Doesn’t matter where it’s from.”
Luis was the first one to open the door. “You two will love it here. You’re actually lucky fuckers that the Morenos got held back, because Toro takes good care of his guests.”
They all stepped out into the blinding sunlight, and it was a relief for Seth to put on sunglasses and be able to hide his eyes, let his guard down oh-so-slightly.
“There are three other men living here right now, but you each have an en-suite bathroom, and there’s always enough water for showers. We have our own water supply.“ David opened the door and led them through a white hall with a chessboard-tiled floor. He explained where all the common areas were, but Seth was only interested in the kitchen, and he kept thinking of it even as they climbed up the stairs and were shown their rooms located on opposing ends of the upper floor.
In his bright white room with a large window showcasing the vista of the ‘palace’, there was even a fruit platter to welcome him, as if it was a hotel not a part of a crime lord's mansion. Seth didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry at the sight of a towel folded into a swan shape in the middle of the bed when just hours ago his hands had been covered in blood. He didn’t even know which world he fit into anymore.
“You can tip the maids. They appreciate it,” said David, spreading his arms when Seth put down his bag on the mattress. “If you want to eat dinner with everyone, it’s at eight.” He looked at Seth, as if he wanted to know whether Seth had any other wishes, and it was difficult to see him play the role of a majordomo when Seth knew he was a member of a criminal syndicate.
Seth nodded. “I’ll probably join you, but I can’t wait to get some sleep. This past week wasn’t exactly a vacation, if you get my drift.” Despite being only a double, the bed looked so massive when he thought that he’d be sleeping in it alone. For how long? He doubted even Domenico knew. It had Seth’s insides twisting up in knots.
David said his goodbyes, and soon after, Seth listened to his footsteps descending the stairs. Domenico was still with Luis, as Seth could hear them talking, but being alone made Seth remember what Dana told him. That cameras and bugs were everywhere. He swallowed and looked around, as if assessing the room, when in reality he wanted to know where the invisible mechanic eyes were. If there were any, they’d been hidden well.
The sense of being watched made red hot ants crawl down Seth’s back. His life was not a reality show for Toro and his henchmen. He’d gotten good enough at acting, but for how long could he keep up a 24-hour facade? He grabbed an apple from the bowl and sat in an armchair by the window, watching the nearby pool and trying to memorize people’s faces, see who talked to whom , just to occupy his mind. He feared that at some point Domenico would come to Seth’s room, and they’d… do something. Something that would incriminate them, even if Dom only shot him one of those heated looks that made Seth hard within two seconds flat.
He swallowed some of the apple, listening to Domenico walking Luis downstairs, and the wait was making him want to howl. Then again, maybe he should follow them, say he wanted some food before his rest? That was a good enough excuse to enter the camera-blind space of the kitchen, and Domenico was bound to go with him, eager for something sweet.
Seth got to his feet. If Domenico came into his room, there was a risk that he’d touch Seth, blurt out something that was only for their ears. In the corridor, there was more of a chance to find him guarded. But when Seth opened the door, Domenico was already there. Heat flushed Seth’s face as his body reacted to the unexpected closeness, but he laughed it off and pushed on Dom’s shoulder before closing the door behind him.
Dom’s eyebrows rose. “Want to take a walk? I thought we could see what more is there around here,” he said.
Seth groaned and patted his stomach. “Let’s go find the kitchen first, I’m starving.”
Domenico licked his lips, and his eyes became more intense. “Can’t you wait until later? You’re on your fasting hours now, aren’t you? It was only yesterday that you boasted about having a six-hour feeding window.”
Seth rolled his eyes and led the way, hoping Domenico would follow. “That’s for cutting, not for bulking.”
Domenico stayed behind him for a second, only to chase him down the hall. “You’re too greedy. Come on, don’t you want to see this new place? I do like what I’ve seen so far,” he said, walking alongside Seth as they made their way down the stairs.
Seth glanced out yet another window at the criminals playing basketball in their ridiculously good-looking court as if they had no other care in the world but impressing the women spread-out in sunchairs nearby. He had to suppress the instinct of grabbing Dom’s hand to pull him along, because that was what he would have done at any other time. Here, this kind of behavior would have made them suspicious, particularly now, because Seth could bet all newcomers were carefully watched.
“It’s pretty impressive. Better than that place we’ve been at by Lake Garda. But I can’t go walking around on an empty stomach.”
Domenico chewed on his lip, but eventually nodded. He must have found it suspicious that Seth mentioned a place they’d never been to together and decided there was a method to the madness. “Fine. I hope that fridge has enough meat for you.”
They walked across the hall and down the corridor decorated with pictures of still life from a whole array of artistic periods. Maybe each house had a theme? Like an area in an amusement park?
It was only when they reached the kitchen that Seth could breathe freely… or so he thought because as soon as he moved his hand toward Domenico’s arm he spotted a middle-aged man, who sat by the counter in a tie-dye T-shirt.
The kitchen was massive, with marble countertops, an island in the middle, dozens of cupboards and shelves. A dream come true, were it not for its location.
Seth gave the man a nod and greeted him in Spanish, following it up in English, only to have the man answer something in Spanish. They could talk at one another for quite some time without exchanging any information, so why couldn’t the man just fucking go? Right now, Seth would gladly smash his head against the pristine marble of the counter. He couldn’t believe this. There was only one place in the house where they could talk, and some asshole just happened to be eating his chicken wings here?
Domenico exhaled and tried again, also i
n English, to keep up the illusion that he knew barely a couple of words in Spanish. “We’re new here. Waiting for Raul Moreno.”
“Ah, señor Moreno! Good,” said the man, looking at them with eyes so red he might have smoked through several grams of marijuana before the two of them got here. This at least explained the huge platter of food in front of the stranger.
Domenico glared at Seth. “Get your damn food,” he said in a soft voice that didn’t go well with the words.
Seth walked over to the massive fridge, taking note of the trap door in the corner, surely leading down to the wine cellar. He looked through shelf after shelf of fresh produce, cakes, even lifted lids of some pots to check what was inside. Not that he was hungry, but he needed Dom to stay put in the kitchen until the chicken wing guy left. In the most surreal of moments, Seth also noticed the stranger had a rat tail adorned with some kind of beads slung over his shoulder, as if he needed to show it off.
Seth stalled, peeking into one of the pots with some kind of meat in tomato sauce and, for a moment too long, he wondered if it contained human flesh. He couldn’t get that thought out of his head.
The man said something, and it was only when he repeated himself that Seth realized he introduced himself as Felipe. Domenico put on a pleasant face and said their names, pointing first at himself, then at Seth. It was a ridiculous charade, but despite Dom’s discreet prodding, Seth very slowly started making sandwiches with nonsensical food combinations, which Felipe commented on in Spanish with so much engagement as if he were watching his favorite team play.
Seth laughed and had a bite of his apple, ham, and cheese sandwich. “No, no! It’s good!” He leaned against the fridge door, dying on the inside. He was now absolutely certain he didn’t want to be here. The sandwich was particularly hard to swallow with the nerves making his throat tighten.
Domenico kept tapping his fingers, oddly silent, but at least Felipe was finally done with his food. The moment he put the plate full of bones away was among the happiest in Seth’s recent memory. But they still had to wait through him washing his hands and more back-and-forth chatter that no one but Domenico could understand.
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