Paradise Falling

14 -- Clearing the Air

"Hey, I was the one who was married to Liv."

"Sure, because that was the only way she and Konstantin could keep you trapped and use you for sex, but in the end, they only allowed you to be a very small part of Vitaly's life. Konstantin was his real dad. He taught the boy everything he could, and it's a good thing, too, because you would've turned Vitaly into a wuss." Anton shakes his head. "Fuck, you were upset earlier about killing a woman you barely knew, but who went against our number one rule, damn well knowing there'd be repercussions if she were caught."

"She was trying to do the right thing by calling me."

"That's bullshit, and you know it. Lydia had a thing for you and this was her ticket into your inner circle. She wanted you to be indebted to her."

"Still . . ." It's one thing to kill a man who's trying to cheat or cause trouble, but Lydia was not a callous business partner going rogue. "She helped me out and shouldn't had to die for it."

Anton doesn't hide his eye roll. "Shows you're not cut out for leadership. If you take over the Disciples, people will run all over you. You are way too soft."

Anger boils in my chest; I need to keep my hands balled to tight fists to avoid decking him. "Really good talk."

"Just trying to be honest. And, of course, it doesn't change how I feel about you."

"Right. I'm the weak boy you saved from a bad situation and I should be thankful for eternity." My tone is bitter. "Would you like me to suck your dick now to show you my gratitude?"

"I didn't mean it like that." He clutches my fists and rubs my hands until my fingers uncurl. "What Liv and Konstantin did to you was really fucked up, and I understand that you needed to heal, but it's time for you to leave that fragile boy in the past and grow a set of balls. If you want to be a real father to Vitaly, you need to teach him how to be a man. And for a Crimson Disciple, it means that you have to show him how to kill."

"And you see nothing wrong with that?"

"We are henchmen in a war, Bastian, and the only thing that sets us apart from the other soldiers of this world is that we are getting paid better, and that our organization will not abandon us the way governments do when things go wrong. Yet, at the end of the day, people die all the same. It's that simple thanks to the fucked-up society we live in. There's nothing more to it."

I bury my face into my hands and massage my forehead with my palms. Of course he is right, even if I sometimes struggle to come to terms with this reality.

He squeezes my knee. "And if you want my loyalty, you need to be ready to make a commitment. We have been fooling around for five years, but I'm the only one invested. I've been monogamous the entire time; fuck, I've never even flirted with another man, while you . . ." As the words trail of, the hurt in his voice makes me cringe.

"I'm sorry, Anton."

"And it's not that I expect some profound declaration of love, but it would be nice if you could stop sleeping around . . . especially with women."

"So guys are okay?"

His breath is close to my ear. "I know you like threesomes, and if that's so important to you, I'm willing to give it a try, as long as there are three cocks in the bed."

"Are strap-ons okay?"

"Oh, fuck off."

I chuckle. "Hey, you deserved that."

"What did the text say?"

His question works like an ice bucket being poured over me. "Vic lost Jackson Pierce."

"Fuck. Icarus will want someone's head."

"Maybe I'll offer him yours."

"Shit, right now, I think your head will roll faster than mine."

"That's true."

He rubs his chin. "Maybe it's time to put Nico on this. He is our best man and it won't raise any eyebrows if he replaces Vic."

"Nico is still busy with Murphy in Dublin, and if Jackson Pierce has a mercenary job, he'll be off the radar for a few months."

"That's true, too."

"I think for now, it's best to stay put until Jackson resurfaces on his own again."

"And send Chelsea back to Ireland?"

I smirk. "Unless you want her to move in with us."

"Fuck, no."

"Then we are aligned. Who will take care of Vic?"

"You did your deed for the month, so I'll do the kill."

WP total word count: 14,007

So Anton has been forgiven, but will Bastian truly forget . . . and is Chelsea going to get her revenge after Marcel's brother disappeared? Much is at stake as we jump a few months ahead and return to Ireland in the next chapter. Before you go, please consider clicking the little star and/or drop me a comment. Thank for reading!