Chapter 16

Chapter

Sixteen

Trev got dressed and cleaned up a bit, though there really wasn't much they could do except for wait.

After all, Jupiter couldn't go anywhere since he was chained to the bed.

It was Rowena who came to get them for dinner, key in hand and dressed in a sleek red satin dress. She had clothing draped over her arm, cheerfully declaring, "Hello, sweeties! It's time for dinner!"

Trev glanced out the open doorway.

There was no way Rowena had come here alone.

Sure enough, he spied Mickey hovering in the hallway.

Erasmus or one of the other creeps was probably not far away.

"I'm guessing this is not an optional invitation," Trev said.

"Aw, come on." Rowena handed Trev the key. "It'll be nice, I promise. I'll make Roddy behave." She smiled warmly. "I'd say things are looking up."

"How do you figure?" Trev unlocked Jupiter's chains.

"Your little boy toy is still alive."

"Touché."

Jupiter rubbed his neck as he slid out of bed, grimacing.

"Here." Rowena handed the clothing to Trev, revealing it was a short black dress. "Thought this would work with your fishnets and boots. You should look real cute."

"Thanks." Trev accepted it with a smile.

"I'll make sure Flopsy and Mopsy give you a few minutes to get ready." Rowena squeezed Trev's shoulder. "I'll be right outside." She left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Jupiter glanced to the windows.

"Armed patrols with dogs ," Trev said, pretty sure he already knew what Jupiter was thinking. He changed into the dress, shaking his head as he grumbled, "I don't like this either, all right? But Rowena is right."

"About what?" Jupiter managed a little smile. "That you look cute in the dress?"

The dress was short, tight, and had a plunging neckline that showed off Trev's lean chest.

Of course Trev looked good in it.

"Yes, duh, because I would look fine in anything." Trev snorted. "But I was talking about you being alive. If Cold really is the motherfucker they all say he is, he shouldn't give two fucks about murdering you. You don't have any information Cold didn't already have and you're not great leverage except to trade you back to your own family so they can kill you."

"Wow, gee, thanks," Jupiter grumbled. "I feel so much better now."

"How's your shoulder?"

"Still feels like I got shot. I'm fine. Promise."

Trev rubbed Jupiter's chest, smiling as Jupiter wrapped his arms around him. "You still fuck pretty good for a guy who's been shot."

"Just pretty good?" Jupiter laughed. "I guess I'll have to try again then."

"You should. After dinner?"

Jupiter kissed him. "We'll see."

"That's a yes."

"Oh? Is it?" Jupiter raised his brow. "Still think you're in control, don't you? Even now?"

"I know I am," Trev said firmly.

"You're delusional."

"Well, my delusions have gotten us this far." Trev smirked. "Maybe it's enough to go all the way. Me, you, and the fuck out of here." He kissed Jupiter sweetly, cupping his cheek and scratching at his beard.

Jupiter's smile softened and he squeezed Trev close. "I hope so."

"Come on. Let's go have a nice family dinner, huh?"

"I'd rather talk about this dress some more." Jupiter's hand drifted down to cup Trev's ass through the slinky material.

"Later. I'm hungry."

"So am I."

Trev laughed. "For food . You can eat as much as you want of my ass later, all right?"

"Can't wait."

Trev grabbed Jupiter's hand to lead him out of the bedroom.

Mickey was still there, watching Jupiter like a hawk, and Rowena clapped excitedly when she saw Trev in the dress.

"Oh! Yes! I knew it would look good on you," she gushed.

"Thank you." Trev smoothed his hand over the soft material. "I promise I'll wash it or whatever before I?—"

"Pffft. Keep it." Rowena shook her head. "I'll see what else I can find until you get your own threads, all right?"

"You do know Juicy filled his entire car with your stuff, right?" Jupiter said.

" No ." Trev blinked. "You didn't tell me that!"

"Sorry." Jupiter grinned slyly. "We got a little distracted."

"That was just sex. We're talking about my clothing here." Trev poked his chest.

Rowena waved for them to follow her downstairs. "Where is everything? Still out in the car then?"

"As far as I know," Jupiter replied. "Unless Juicy did something with it."

"Where is Juicy?" Trev asked with a grimace. "Kinda feel bad he's probably been running wild without me."

"Oh, he's been fine." Rowena giggled. "Let him have control of the remote and he's been a doll. Erasmus took a real liking to him too."

"Mr. Never Blinks? Really?"

"Don't ask me." Rowena shrugged.

"Him and Junior still here?"

"No, they left a little while ago." Rowena led the way toward the dining room. "Tried to get them to stay for dinner, but Alistair needed them back for something."

"And Alistair is…?"

"Alistair Star," Jupiter supplied.

"Another gangster?" Trev asked.

"No, he's a businessman," Rowena said with another giggle.

Trev didn't get what was so funny, but he decided not to worry about it. He stepped into the dining room just behind Rowena, glancing around the large space.

It was as chic and modern as the rest of the house, and the table was large enough for at least a dozen people. The centerpiece was a big arrangement of lilies, and the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling was absolutely massive.

Cold sat at the head of the table with Jimmy at his right. A man with long wavy hair and light brown skin eagerly pulled out the chair next to Jimmy to help Rowena sit. Brick was beside the young man, with Jules seated opposite Cold at the other end. Roger was at his right, and the last three seats were open.

Cold offered an icy smile, gesturing toward the empty chair beside him. "Trev. If you'd be so kind."

"Yeah. Sure." Trev strolled over to take his seat, nearly falling when Jupiter moved to pull the chair out for him. His face heated up and he sat down quickly, mumbling, "Thanks."

"Of course." Jupiter took the chair beside Trev, reaching under the table to give his knee a gentle squeeze.

Mickey took the last spot between Roger and Jupiter.

Trev eyed the young man, noting he looked as terrified as Trev should have been being the guest of a gangster once more. "So, what are you in for?"

The man's big brown eyes snapped to Trev. "What?"

"Are you here as family, a prisoner, or what?"

"This is Dario Romero," Rowena said with a warm smile as her hand slid under the table. "My boyfriend."

Dario squeaked.

"Hi. Nice to meet you." Trev grinned. "I'm Trevanion Usher, new half-brother and pain in Cold's ass."

Dario's gaze whipped to Cold, as if he was scared of the consequences of Trev's words.

Cold looked over his wine glass. "He is not incorrect."

"Whoa." Dario stared at Trev and Cold. "That is…"

" Creepy is what I keep hearing," Trev retorted.

"Right. Heh." Dario laughed nervously. "Definitely unnerving."

Jimmy, who was looking much more sober than the last time Trev saw him, piped up and said, "I think it's nice. I never had any brothers or sisters, so I'd love to wake up one day and suddenly have a new sibling!"

"Right?" Rowena grinned. "This is great. And now! Ha! I'm not the youngest anymore."

"Aw, but you'll still always be my baby," Dario cooed.

Cold glared.

"In a respectful way," Dario amended quickly. "Or not at all. Or just?—"

Rowena kissed his cheek. "You know he's just doing that to mess with you."

"It's working."

A waiter entered the dining room with a tray of wine, making a loop around the table to serve everyone a glass.

"Where's Jerry?" Brick asked curiously.

"Night off," Jimmy replied with a grin. "Date with Charlie." He gestured to the waiter. "This is Mercutio."

"Hi, Mercutio." Trev wiggled his fingers.

Mercutio smiled politely and left the room once the last glass of wine had been handed out.

Trev eyed the wine with a frown.

It was dark red, almost like blood.

Ugh.

He took a small sip and wow, he thought blood must actually taste better.

"So." Trev set the glass down. "Is this what we're doing now?"

"You mean having dinner?" Cold asked casually.

"I mean, acting like everything is fine and you didn't just have Jupiter chained to a bed," Trev snapped back.

"You're free to leave anytime."

"Not without him."

Jupiter reached for Trev's hand under the table.

Brick looked at Jules, clearly concerned.

Jules shook his head.

"What?" Trev glared. "No one else is going to say anything? We're all just going to act like this is okay?"

No one made a sound.

Well, except for Mickey.

That asshole laughed.

"How long are you planning to keep Jupiter?" Jimmy asked firmly.

"For as long as I need," was Cold's useless reply.

"Look." Jimmy narrowed his eyes. "As much as I love that we have a new member of the family and have really enjoyed getting to know him—" He smiled warmly at Trev before turning a glare back on Cold. "This is fucked up. Even for you."

Cold's expression remained blank.

"If you're not going to let Jupiter and Trev go, why are they even sitting down with us for dinner?" Jimmy demanded. "Why pretend like you care if this is all some screwed up game?"

"I'm with Jimmy," Rowena piped up. "This is bullshit. If you're just gonna whack 'em, it's pretty shitty to let us get attached! It's like giving us a kitten to play with and then taking it back to the shelter!"

Mickey looked thoughtful. "Or taking the kitten and giving it cement shoes."

Rowena stared at him in horror. "What the fuck?"

"What?" Mickey scoffed. "Little tiny kitten-sized cement shoes?—"

"Shut the fuck up, you sicko!" Rowena groaned.

"You brought up the fucking kitten!"

"Fuck you, Mickey! Ugh!"

"Come on now…" Cold actually smiled. "I would never hurt a kitten."

"Hey! Focus." Jimmy slammed his wine glass down. "Rod, please. When are you going to let Jupiter go?" He waved at Jupiter. "Hi, by the way. Sorry my husband is an asshole ."

Jupiter waved back awkwardly.

Cold was quiet for a moment, sipping his wine. "The very fact that I am allowing him to dine with us should speak volumes of my intentions, but since you all can't seem to grasp the obvious…" His fierce gaze locked with Trev's across the table. "After Friday, you will both be free to go." He shot Jimmy a glare. "Happy?"

"Delighted," Jimmy snapped. "Was that really so difficult?"

"Wait, why Friday?" Trev asked.

"That's the day of the hit," Jupiter said quietly. "The meeting with the mayor."

"Yes," Cold confirmed.

"Hey!" Jimmy reached for Cold's arm. "If you already know they're going to try and kill you, why the hell are you still going?"

"I wouldn't go if it wasn't absolutely safe."

"How is going exactly where someone wants to kill you safe ?"

Dario paled.

Rowena patted his shoulder.

"It's not like he's gonna be alone," Jules said with a little huff. "How 'bout you trust us, huh? Boss knows what he's doin'."

"Are we sure about that?" Brick asked quietly from the side of his mouth. "Because I'm kinda inclined to agree with Jimmy." He blinked. "And also, uh, am I even supposed to be hearing any of this? Isn't this super private gangster shit?"

Cold just smiled.

"You want us to know," Trev accused, "but why?"

"We'll be having a lobster risotto and bone marrow served with a short rib marmalade and brioche to start this evening." Cold sipped his wine. "Followed by beef Wellington with potato puree, glazed root vegetables, and a red wine demi-glace."

"I do not understand half of those fucking words, but I know when I'm being hustled." Trev scowled.

"Dessert will be Mercutio's own creation, a fudge brownie with salted caramel mousse, banana crémeux, and banana dulce de leche ice cream."

"You're driving me fucking bananas ," Trev grumbled.

Jupiter squeezed Trev's hand and then addressed Cold. "Thank you, Boss Cold. That sounds delicious. It's been ages since I've had anything with a demi-glace. I appreciate your kindness and hospitality?—"

"Are you for fucking real right now?"

"Thank you." Jupiter sat up straighter, ignoring Trev as he continued to speak to Cold. "Whatever else I can do to be of assistance and prove my loyalty?—"

"Sit. Quietly. And eat." Cold smirked. "Set an example for my brother."

"Yeah, no, that's not happening." Trev batted his lashes. "And hey." There was someone missing from the table. "Where is Juicy?"

"Enjoying the company of my personal physician, Doctor Madeline Queen."

"A doctor?" Trev stiffened. "Why did Juicy need a doctor?"

"It's nothing to worry about. He?—"

"Like I trust you." Trev stood.

"Trev, please." Jupiter grabbed his arm.

"I will stab you in your bullet wound with a fork." Trev glared back at Cold. "Where is he?"

"Upstairs," Cold replied. "Guest room at the end of the hallway."

"Thanks." Trev waved. "You guys enjoy dinner. I'm going to go check on Juicy."

"Trev." Jupiter tried to pull Trev back down. "Don't be rude."

"Oh, you don't want me to be rude?" Trev narrowed his eyes. "See, I was being polite. If you want me to be rude, I could say I hope you all fucking choke on your fancy ass stupid dinner." He glanced around the table. "Except Rowena. You're cool. And Jimmy. Brick." He lingered on Dario. "You too."

Dario shot him a weak set of finger guns.

Trev didn't wait for any other responses and yanked his arm from Jupiter, stomping out of the dining room.

He didn't expect anyone to follow him, as Mickey and Roger seemed to be assigned to watching over Jupiter, and the others were likely more interested in enjoying their dinner. He knew Jupiter would stay, no doubt wanting to kiss Cold's ass some more.

What the hell was up with that?

Maybe it was some sort of stupid gangster thing.

Whatever it was, Trev didn't like it.

And he sure as hell wasn't going to wait until Friday to get out of here.

He didn't know what Cold was up to, but Trev wanted no part of it. He'd had enough of murder and plotting and gangster bullshit, especially when he was certain he was only being used as a pawn again. It was a game he couldn't get on top of and he saw no clear way to win except to exit as quickly as possible.

But Jupiter…

Shit.

Okay.

Trev had to figure out how to get out of here with Jupiter and— shit , Juicy was here too.

Right, got it.

He had to figure out a way to get out of here with Jupiter and Juicy and then out of the damn country as fast as they could. He hated that they could be trapped here through Friday, helpless to be strung along by Cold's devious puppeteering. There was no doubt in Trev's mind that Cold thought of them as expendable, which meant he'd be willing to put any of them at risk for his own gain.

Fuck that.

Juicy was his only friend and Jupiter was, well, whatever he was. Even though he was acting like a giant idiot right now, Trev did care about Jupiter and didn't want to see anything happen to him.

If Trev couldn't stop Cold's plans or escape before the shit went down, then he needed to find out what those plans were and do everything he could to keep the people he cared about safe.

With a sigh, Trev trudged upstairs and down the hall to find the guest room. It was exactly where Cold said it would be, and Trev was relieved to see Juicy as soon as he walked in.

Juicy was in bed, bundled up beneath the blankets and sleeping.

There were at least a dozen pill bottles lined up on the bedside table and a petite woman with peroxide blonde hair stood next to the bed, tapping away at her phone. She didn't look up when Trev walked in, but she said, "Ah, you must be Trevanion."

"Trev." Trev sat down on the side of the bed. "You're Doctor Queen?"

"Yes." She kept typing.

"Is he all right?"

"Yes. He's sedated."

"Sedated?" Trev scowled. "What the fuck for?"

"Because he hasn't been on his medication in almost forty-eight hours and was becoming agitated," she said coolly. "He was a danger to himself and others."

"Juicy?" Trev scoffed. "How the hell is he a danger to anyone?"

"Are you family?"

"He's my friend."

Queen finally looked up from her phone. "Friends are not privy to private medical history."

"What about friends whose half-brother is Boss Cold, who probably pays your checks, huh?" Trev rose from the bed and crossed his arms, glaring down at Queen. "If there's something wrong with Juicy, I want to know. Right fucking now."

"No."

"You have five seconds to tell me or?—"

"It's all right," Cold said. "You can tell him."

Trev whirled around, surprised to see Cold standing in the doorway. "Thought you had some bananas cream-wah or whatever to fucking eat?"

"It can wait." Cold looked to Queen and nodded.

Queen shrugged. "Brain cancer with an accompanying dementia disorder. His doctors were able to find a regimen to successfully cross the blood-brain barrier to stabilize him and keep the tumor from growing, but it remains inoperable. Hence his mood swings, the confusion, and violence when he's not medicated."

Trev frowned. "I've never seen him violent. Not ever." He paused. "Sure, he barks at people, but that's about it."

"I don't know what prompted him to leave Perry City, but he is not fit to travel. It's not safe for him or anyone else." Queen put her phone in a large leather satchel and then gathered up the pill bottles to stash them away too.

"What are you doing? Doesn't he need those?"

"A nurse will be coming by to make sure he takes the proper dosages." Queen slung the satchel over her shoulder. "He's not in any condition to manage his own prescriptions and I suspect has not been for some time."

"Abigail?" Cold asked.

"Yes. And my new girl, Lily." Queen headed to the door, brushing by Cold. "You can expect a charge for my usual house call fee and a bonus."

"Oh?"

"Old fucker bit me." Queen sneered and then left.

Trev sat back down on the bed, reaching for Juicy's hand. He chuckled a little, saying lightly, "So, you got some bite to go with that bark? Nice."

Juicy didn't stir, but Trev swore he smiled.

Trev cleared his throat. "You set all of this up for him?"

"I did," Cold replied.

"I guess you want me to thank you or something."

"For you to show gratitude for my kindness? No, never." Cold snorted. "You think it's a trick. Part of my plan somehow."

"I know it is." Trev scoffed.

Cold only smiled. "Take it however you want."

"I'd love to take it right the fuck out of here." Trev grunted. "Me, Jupiter, and Juicy. Far, far away in another country." He held up his hand when Cold started to speak. "No, no. I already know. You need us for your stupid magical plan because somehow us being here is gonna help you not get murdered on Friday."

Cold tilted his head. "If that's what you need to believe, then so be it."

Trev narrowed his eyes.

So, that wasn't it.

Interesting.

Trev didn't know if that was an intentional slip or if Cold was deliberately teasing him, but he didn't take the bait. He turned his attention back to Juicy, saying, "I'm going to sit with him for a while."

"You're aware he's sedated?"

"Are you aware you're an asshole?"

Cold did not look amused, eyeing Trev carefully before he said, "You're really not afraid of me, are you?"

"No more than any other asshole I've met who could probably kill me without blinking twice." Trev snorted out a laugh. "My life hasn't exactly been cotton candy and rainbows. My mom told me once that beauty faded but stupid was forever, so I decided to be beautiful for as long as I could and only let people think I was stupid. I learned how to play their fucking games, figure out what they wanted from me, if they were going to be a threat or not, how to hustle, how to survive .

"So, yeah. No. I'm not afraid of you." He stared up at Cold. "I already know you could kill me if you wanted to, probably wouldn't feel that bad about it either, and there's not a lot I could do to stop you. Not that I would go down without a fight, thank you. But since I am still very much alive, I know there must be something you want from me and you can bet your frosty ass that I will hustle and do whatever I gotta do. I've survived a lot of nastier shit than this and I'm going to survive you ."

Cold smiled again. It was almost fond.

Trev turned his back to Cold as much as he could, refusing to look at him. He was certain Cold would have something cute to say, but Cold was gone when he glanced up at the doorway.

He had no idea if that was good or bad.

He also had no clue what had possessed him to spill his guts like that, but he chalked it up to the lingering frustrations of this impossible situation. He hated feeling helpless, and there was nothing he could do right now to improve his circumstances.

Except wait.

Ugh.

Trev adjusted the blankets around Juicy with a soft sigh and then resigned himself to a nearby chair. He fixed his dress and crossed his legs, trying to get comfortable.

Stupid fancy chair was miserably hard.

He slid off onto the floor, leaning against the side of the chair and sticking his legs out. It made his dress ride up a little, but he didn't care. He felt defeated, angry, and?—

"Two trees, three trees, and then around the big wiener," Juicy mumbled.

"What?" Trev blinked.

"Barkie," Juicy replied, his voice heavy and his words slurring. "That was our route. Two trees, three trees, and the big wiener." His brow furrowed. "Where's… Where's Barkie?" He scowled and suddenly snapped, "Where the fuck is Barkie? Where's my motherfucking dog? I will fucking gut you from neck to nuts!"

"He's, uh…" Trev jumped up and looked around the room. He'd never heard Juicy raise his voice, much less curse. He grabbed a pillow from the chair to carry over, dropping it down by Juicy's side. "Here. Hey! Hey, hey, he's right here."

Juicy's eyes opened briefly and he stared at Trev without really seeming to see him. He reached down to pat the pillow, instantly relaxing. He smiled and his eyes fluttered shut. "There. There he is. Such a good boy."

Trev watched as Juicy drifted back off. He scoffed, laughing a little in disbelief. "What the actual fuck?"

"Everything okay?" Jupiter asked hesitantly.

Trev looked to the door, his heart skipping a beat when he saw Jupiter standing there holding two plates of food. "Hey! Yeah. Uh." He crossed his arms. "Did Boss Cold let you off your leash to come up here?"

Jupiter nodded at the door. "I still have my escort, if that's what you mean."

Trev didn't see anyone, but he figured it was Mickey. "All done with your ass kissing then?"

"Ass kissing?" Jupiter scoffed, sitting down beside Trev and shoving one of the plates at him. "You mean trying to be polite and show respect?—"

"Ass kissing ."

Jupiter growled. "Fine! What if I was, huh? I don't exactly have a lot of options to play here."

"How much do you know about the hit on Friday?"

"Enough." Jupiter quirked his brows. "Why?"

"Tell me everything you know right now." Trev picked at the beef welly whatever it was. "I'm still going to try and figure out a way to get us out of here. Juicy too."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Mickey called out.

"No one asked you, Uncle Fester!" Trev snapped. He looked to Jupiter. "So. Please. Tell me. Maybe it won't matter, but I can't just sit here, okay? I can only play nice for so long before I just…"

"You need to be in control," Jupiter soothed. "Even when that control is an illusion, you need to know you have some kind of influence over the outcome."

"Illusion, my ass! I am in control. The only damn reason I'm still stuck here is because of you." Trev stabbed at his food. He gasped when Jupiter seized his chin, forcing him to meet his eyes.

Jupiter smiled and kissed him.

Trev briefly considered stabbing Jupiter with the fork, but instead he kissed him back.

"I appreciate you staying for me," Jupiter said quietly. "I know you could run and never look back, and yet you're willing to wait for me."

"Well, yeah." Trev knew he was blushing, and his heart fluttered as the blush spread down his neck. "You did sort of betray your gangster family and come for me."

"That I did." Jupiter smiled.

"And you're starting to finally get really good at sex. That's a solid investment of my time. I don't wanna have to train anyone else."

"Oh, of course." Jupiter grinned, kissing Trev's cheek. "I promise you, we'll get through this."

"And go to the beach."

"The beach? Is that where we're going now? Which one?"

"I don't care. As long as there's sunshine and fucking sand." Trev kissed Jupiter, letting the plate slide out of his lap as he dug his fingers into his long hair.

Jupiter eagerly pulled Trev closer as they kissed and moved his hand over Trev's thigh, slipping underneath his dress.

"Are you guys gonna fuck?" Mickey asked, peeking his head in. "Because you know your little friend is sleeping right there. And that's just weird."

Trev sighed. "So. To be continued?"

Jupiter nodded. "To be continued."