The Punk's Mafia Prince (MxM)(18+)

Ch. 14 - Divisive Tendencies

"Look, that's how you have to be... Opportunity doesn't just break into your house, take off her clothes, and lay down on your bed until you get home. And the best time to steal something is when no one expects it... Well, usually."

But what Oz had executed was probably the furthest thing from a good plan. In fact, it was probably what you'd find in a textbook next to the antithesis of a plan. The only redeeming quality being the element of surprise, which was now also lost.

Max shook his head. "Remind me to keep you on a tight leash, then," he replied, lowering his sun glasses so that Oz could see Max's eyes raking down his form suggestively. "I don't want you pulling any surprises on me in my parents' house..."

It almost sounded like a dare...

After ascending a beautiful, seemingly centrally located staircase, Max stopped in front of a door. "Wait for me in there. I'll be right back."

"Sure."

Oscar found it odd that he had less of a problem being left alone in an alley at night on the west end, than he did being parted from Max in his own house; but right now, this place felt infinitely more dangerous, and the chances of someone finding his body far less likely.

The room that Oscar entered was clearly Max's bedroom. Oz recognized a shirt draped neatly over the back of one of the chairs, as well as a few other personal items that he was pretty sure he'd seen before, either on Max or in one of his cars, but the space still felt very sterile and impersonal by comparison to Oz's apartment. There were no posters on the walls, no clutter on any of the shelves or furniture... There were some nicely framed pictures, though–photographs of places and people...a fancy-looking diploma...books that Oz doubted anyone had ever read...all organized or placed perfectly enough to be in a picture on an interior decorating nerd's Pinterest board.

The door cracking open was the first sound Oscar had heard besides his own pulse since he'd entered, and caused a slight echo.

"Oh! Oscar?" Elise blinked a few times in disbelief, before hurrying inside and closing the door, as if she wasn't sure if anyone else was aware that he was there, despite how insanely impossible that would be. This place seemed to have more security than some government buildings did. "What are you doing here? Where's Marc?"

"I think he's talking to his dad?" At least that was what Oscar had assumed, given what he'd overheard.

Elise tilted her head, before a small smirk appeared on her glossy lips. "I can't believe he actually brought you home..."

"Really? I mean just look at me, who wouldn't bring me home?" Oscar said with a grin. For a moment, he'd felt the same thrill that he got when he hot-wired a car. The same surge of adrenaline he got when he pushed his bike to top speed on a straight away. The thought of Max 'bringing him home' like some sort of stolen contraband had the same effect on him as a high-speed chase.

A giggle made its way out of Elise, and she looked away from Oscar as she spoke, slowly venturing farther into the room. "Pretty much any respectable bachelorette... or bachelor, in Baypark," she mentioned. "Not that that's a deterrent for Marc at all."

"Exactly! It's fucking crazy!" Oscar agreed. "But uh, I'm not complaining or anything, ya know?" Oscar down in a chair and tried to imagine Max sitting in that same spot. But he couldn't do it. This place...didn't feel like Max. At least not the Max he knew.

"Max-I mean Marc... He, uh, does he spend a lot of time here?"

"Not at all," she said, her smile reaching her eyes as she settled her gaze on Oscar again. "You can tell, can't you?" There was an almost dreamy quality to her voice. "Anyway, it's more of that...if Marc brought you here, then he's bringing you in...and I'm not sure how that's gonna work."