Chapter 8

With the sound of Lyle’s quiet snoring in the background, Antonio reclined in his armchair and turned his thoughts toward the situation with Detective Sloane.

The asshole’s connected politically.

But I think there’s a media connection too.

And the boy might be key to exposing it…

But as Antonio looked over toward Lyle, he couldn’t help feel that it might not be entirely the right thing to do to involve the boy. It was a conundrum. The whole reason for bringing Lyle home was to use him for his knowledge and insight. Antonio had plenty of insiders working for him in the police department and down in City Hall. It wasn’t as if this kind of tactic was new to him.

However the prosect of using Lyle just didn’t sit right.

There was also the inconvenient truth that Antonio had seriously enjoyed spanking Lyle. With each loud crack of his hand on Lyle’s ass, Antonio had felt his cock harden and pulse inside his briefs.

It was undeniable that Lyle had one of the nicest, peachiest butts that Antonio had ever laid his eyes – or hands – on. But this could be a problem. Antonio knew that mixing business with pleasure could be the most dangerous thing as mafia man could do.

Over his many years of service to the great crime family, Antonio had seen men fall to their demise as a result of becoming too emotionally attached to their informers, sidemen, or street soldiers. It was a risky business and a delicate balancing act to maintain.

‘He sure as hell is sweet though,’ Antonio muttered, shaking his head as a sleeping Lyle rustled under the cover and clutched a velvet cushion close to his body.

Antonio took his phone and typed out a message to Damian. Despite being away on a high-level mafia hit that was taking place out of state, Damian had told Antonio he could message him any time – and given the closeness of their brotherly bond, Antonio wasn’t going to ignore that offer.

ANTONIO: Hey. This Detective Sloane asshole. You know much about him? What’s the word with the other hitmen? My feeling is that he’s connected in a way we don’t know about. I’m also beginning to wonder if he’s involved in crime himself in some capacity. Thoughts?

DAMIAN: Listen brother – you’ve got the boy there with you. Use him! I know I’m not exactly in a position to talk now that I’m with Jake, but this journalist boy is too good a source to not maximize. Boys will be boys, but the mafia comes first. Once business is concluded, I’m thinking some Cuban cigars on my return?

Antonio smiled. He was looking forward to catching up with Damian on his return from business, that was for sure. Along with Luca, Damian had proven to be a great brother over the years. Family ties were different, and went deeper than even the most solemn mafia oath.

Even though the mafia life was supposedly based around loyalty and honor, there were many bad apples in the bunch who wouldn’t think twice about slitting someone’s throat, either metaphorically or literally. Fortunately, Damian and Luca were biological family. The three of them had come up in the game together and had always been there to back one another up in difficult times, no matter what.

Damian’s right about the boy.

But…

Shit. Am I getting feelings for Lyle?

Antonio swirled the ice cubes around in his glass and took another sip on his drink. This was not going to be easy. If he really was developing feelings for Lyle, then he would have to think extremely carefully about how things were going to play out.

He may have been a master of tactics and strategy, but Antonio knew that he would have to think very deeply on the right thing to do in this instance. With Gio, his former boy, things were never this complicated. Gio chose a life of crime and was about as enthusiastic and daredevil as you could get. No mission was too dangerous for Gio.

But Lyle wasn’t Gio.

Lyle was innocent, wide-eyed, and open hearted. Lyle had worked his socks off through college and now as a junior journalist. Antonio couldn’t help but feel a heavy pang of guilt even at the thought of making Lyle jeopardize his career or safety in order to help him bring Detective Sloane down.

‘Damn it boy,’ Antonio growled. ‘I don’t know if you’re more trouble than you’re worth.’

With that, Antonio turned back to his computer screen and opened up an online game of chess. It was time to put his brain into a strategic thinking mode. Online chess may have been fun, but when it came to fine-tuning his thoughts, there was little better for Antonio.

But what Antonio hadn’t banked on was the fact that he simply wouldn’t be able to keep his mind off the boy quietly snoozing across the office from him…

After witnessing Lyle nearly roll off the couch three times, Antonio had decided to carry the boy up to the annex and put him down in his bed. This seemed like a much better, and safer, way for Lyle to sleep.

But now, a few hours later, Antonio was ready to finish work himself. However, there was time for one more late-night message from Luca…

LUCA: Okay… don’t be mad at me. I saw some thugs, total street soldiers, trying to rob a fucking liquor store. So I went to crack their heads. And I succeeded – of course. But as I’m leaving I see some punk taking photos from across the road. I chased him, but he got in a damned car before I could catch him. What the actual fuck? What’s going on?

Antonio banged his fist on the table. Luca was a great brother, and one of the best friends that anyone could ask for. But Luca was also a hot head whose appetite for violence had got him in serious trouble time and time again over the years - going all the way back to childhood.

This latest incident was not good, and Antonio wasn’t impressed at all…

ANTONIO: Jesus. Are you fucking kidding me? I’ve heard this same story a hundred times, brother. I should let you figure it out yourself. But… you know I won’t do that. Leave it to me. Keep a low profile for a few days and let me see if I hear anything. Now get to sleep and don’t do anything crazy.

Antonio put his cell phone in his pocket before Luca could respond. Whatever Luca had to say could wait until the morning. It was time to go up to bed and get some much-needed sleep.

With his mind still whirring, Antonio made his way up the staircase. But just as he was about to walk into his bedroom, Antonio paused.

‘What… the… hell… is that noise?’ Antonio said, the sound coming from the annex. ‘If that boy is awake and making a mess, he’s in for one hell of a paddling!’

Antonio didn’t want to alert Lyle to the fact that he was coming to check on him, so moved as silently as his huge frame would allow. For such a big man, Antonio had a surprisingly light step. Perhaps it was all his years of training, but Antonio was actually one of the quietest and therefore most deadly movers in the business.

As he moved into the annex and then crept toward the bedroom door, Antonio could hear the sound getting louder. But it wasn’t the sound of Lyle making a mess or being rowdy.

It was the sound of… singing.

And not only that, but it was accompanied by some kind of makeshift musical accompaniment. Aware that all it would take would be for the boy to look in the direction of the slightly ajar door, Antonio decided to step into the room and make his presence known on his terms.

‘Oh, gosh, sorry!’ Lyle said, turning away from his makeshift drum and looking sheepishly at Antonio. ‘Please don’t spank me again. I don’t think my butt could take it!’

Antonio couldn’t help but smile.

In fact, Antonio found himself bursting out into a great big belly laugh. Maybe it was all of the stress from the day coming to the fore and needing to exit his body, but it was a good thirty seconds of laughter before Antonio could compose himself.

‘Of course I’m not going to spank you, boy,’ Antonio said. ‘Even I’m not enough of an asshole to spank a still red-raw butt.’

‘Okay, that’s a relief’ Lyle said, the sight of him sitting there with his slender body and perfect posture too good to ignore.

‘But, tell me,’ Antonio said, trying his hardest not to stare too much at Lyle’s partly exposed body. ‘Why are you even awake? You were fast asleep when I put you in bed. It’s late. You should be sleeping all the way through until morning.’

Lyle didn’t answer.

In fact, he suddenly looked very upset and Antonio decided that it was time to get closer and give the boy some support. Antonio walked over to Lyle and crouched next to Lyle, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

‘You can tell me,’ Antonio said. ‘They say I’m a good listener. And believe me, I’ve heard a lot in my time.’

‘I… I… I had a horrible fucking nightmare,’ Lyle said, his bottom lip trembling. ‘It was… awful!’

‘Keep going,’ Antonio said. ‘Tell me what happened in the nightmare. Trust me, it’ll be better to get it off your chest. I’ve had more than my share of nightmares over the years. Talk. Once you’ve spoken the words, the horrible dream won’t be inside you any longer.’

Lyle nodded.

It looked like Lyle was psyching himself up to speak, but still finding it hard to get the words out. Antonio brought Lyle in for a hug, and wrapped his arms around his slender torso. It seemed to help Lyle settle down too.

‘In my dream… that man from Balthazar Bar found me,’ Lyle said, his voice full of emotion and upset. ‘He was being really horrible to me and said he would kill me unless I did, you know, things. And then when I ran away, I turned around and their were hundreds of bad gangsters running after me. When I woke up I was too afraid to go back to sleep in case they all came after me again!’

‘That does sound bad,’ Antonio said, his voice calm and compassionate. ‘But it wasn’t real. I know there are bad men out there. Hell, some would say I was one of them. But the whole point of you coming with me was to keep you safe. And I swear to you that as long as you’re with me, no one will lay a single damn finger on you. And if they do, I’ll take their whole hand off myself.’

‘Promise?’ Lyle said, his big eyes looking up at Antonio.

‘You’ve got my word,’ Antonio replied.

The boy smiled and then nuzzled in to get closer to Antonio.

‘Will you lie in bed next to me until I’m asleep?’ Lyle said, his voice already sleepy.

‘I, um,’ Antonio replied, a little uncertain.

But there was something utterly irresistible about the look in Lyle’s sweet eyes. He may have the capacity to be an unruly brat, but there was another side to Lyle too.

‘Sure. Okay. I will,’ Antonio said, picking the boy up and gently putting him down into bed. ‘But I’m not staying. Just until you’re fast asleep again. Got it?’

‘Got it,’ Lyle replied, almost asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. ‘You’re the best M…’

Before Lyle could even finish his sentence, he was asleep. And Antonio couldn’t help but wonder exactly how Lyle’s sentence was going to finish.

Was he about to call me… Master?

Just don’t even fucking think it.

Fuck. Things might be about to get complicated around here…