4. Matteo

4

MATTEO

M usic and laughter filled the room as people partied, drank way too much, and made out with anything that moved.

It was a Saturday night, and La Maison de M was at full capacity, same as always, with many guests choosing to stay the weekend and enjoy a few days of romping around with the boys of La Maison .

But tonight, the place was packed for a different reason. It was Gunnar and Anders's twenty-fifth birthday, and Matteo had decided to throw them a bash to commemorate this milestone—a quarter century of sharing the spotlight with the person with whom they've shared a womb.

Gunnar, being the older of the Scandinavian twins, kept arguing that tonight's festivities should be all about him. It was he who broke through their mother's canal first during "the great escape." It was he who cleared the way for his brother to follow, and it was he who most guys came to see at La Maison .

Anders, of course, reminded the group that tonight's festivities should be all about him. It was he, after all, who saved his brother when he accidentally drove their father's motorcycle over a cliff and needed to be rescued from the ravine below. It was he who convinced his brother to leave Sweden and come work for Matteo at La Maison de M . And in case there was any doubt, he wanted to remind the group that tonight should be all about him because his dick was bigger than his brother's.

After rolling his eyes at Anders's comment, Matteo reminded them both that it was he who should be celebrated… for having the patience to put up with all of their bullshit and not just give in to his inner demon and feed them both to Raj, his pet tiger.

Yes, Matteo owned a fucking tiger. He was a fucking badass like that.

Because every good gay will tell you that every successful party must have a theme, the twins had decided on a gay assassin's theme.

"What on earth is a gay assassin's theme?" Isaac had asked when the twins first proposed the idea.

"Think Kill Bill , meets Jason Bourne , meets Angelina Jolie, meets Lady Gaga."

"But Lady Gaga isn't in any assassin movies," Isaac argued.

"No, but nothing screams gay assassin more than Angelina Jolie in a Gaga dress," Anders noted.

From there, imaginations went wild. Black leather outfits, skintight vinyl, white lace garter belts with guns strapped inside—anything badass was on the table, so long as it contained a splash of gay fabulousness.

All through the night, they played famous assassin-spy thriller theme songs while each of the servers was dressed in Bond-style tuxedos… missing their pants, of course. Who wouldn't love having their martini serviced by a gentleman in a bow tie and mesh jockstrap?

Probably one of the most memorable moments of the evening was watching Levi in a long-haired brown wig, step out onto the floor wearing a plaid kilt, private school jacket, and carrying a chain mace. The man then attempted to mimic the masterful martial arts moves performed by the deadly Gogo Yubari from Kill Bill . Matteo had to confiscate the menacing ball and chain before Levi decapitated half the guests trying to enjoy their evenings.

Levi protested by removing his shirt and parading around in nothing but the kilt. Nothing but the kilt.

Matteo didn't see how this act of defiance was supposed to be upsetting. Most of the guests seemed to enjoy it when Levi walked past the fans set up next to the stage. But hey, it kept Levi from killing half his guests.

In the spirit of celebration, Matteo, himself was dressed in one of his usual expensive designer suits, made from only the finest of materials in Europe. When Jared asked why he wasn't dressed up, Matteo replied, "I am," before pulling back his suit jacket and revealing the hidden toy gun strapped to his chest.

"I'm the original James Bond . Sean Connery based his character off of me."

"And your gayness?" Jared challenged.

Matteo tilted his head and gave the boy a questioning look.

"My gayness is contained in my trousers and won't be released until it's found one worthy of such greatness."

Jared chuckled, slapping Matteo on the back. "We all aspire to be like you, M."

Fixing his bowtie one last time, Matteo stepped out onto the stage and raised his arm, signaling for the DJ to lower the music and for the lighting to center on him.

"Welcome, everyone. And thank you for coming," Matteo began. He adjusted the front of his suit jacket while he waited for everyone to quiet down. "Gunnar, Anders, won't you guys come up here and join me on stage?"

Matteo stepped out of the way as Diesel and Jared brought two of the black chairs they used during their performances out on stage and placed them down on the center of the runway.

Anders was the first to jump on stage, wearing a silver harness around his chest, a silver collar around his neck, and matching silver booty shorts. The crowd whistled and cheered and shouted sexual obscenities as they welcomed Anders and his bulging package up on stage.

Matteo had to give it to the boy; the man knew how to fill out a pair of shorts.

Next came Gunnar. While his build was slightly more muscular than his brother's, they both sported the same blond buzz cut that seemed to drive their customers wild.

Taking a seat next to his brother, Gunnar was wearing a matching outfit, just in red instead of silver. The boys may be twins, but they liked to add their own personal tastes when it came to their outfits.

Speaking of outfits, Matteo was still confused as to which assassin wore a leather harness and tight booty shorts. Matteo had a feeling that it was probably Anders's responsibility to pick out their costumes, and knowing how sidetracked Anders can get, he probably waited until the last minute and had to improvise a costume in the end.

Either way, the boys looked hotter than sin.

The brothers gave each other a "bro hug" once they were seated. The room erupted in more hoots and hollers, followed by some very graphic comments that Matteo wasn't too sure he liked hearing.

What was it with guys fantasizing about twins being naked together? You're basically taking the same image and duplicating it. Matteo didn't quite get it. To him, he would much rather enjoy two or three different types of men getting naked and sweaty with him.

A steamy image of the other night flashed through Matteo's mind, and he felt his dick begin to thicken.

Man, that had been a fun night.

He had spent the next morning trying to walk normally, but the pain from taking Jamal's cock and the chafing his cock endured from hours of being abused prevented that from happening. He decided to limit his movements by performing tasks that required little, if any, walking.

That fuck session had been exactly what he needed.

Sure, keep telling yourself that.

Matteo ignored that pesky voice in the back of his mind and turned his attention back to the birthday boys.

"Well, boys, you're now in your mid-twenties." More cheers from the crowd. "Five more years of being able to party all night without a hangover and being able to sneeze without pulling your back." The crowd laughed. "But all joking aside, I'm so proud of the young men you have both become. Seeing you grow and discover who you are over the years, watching that confidence and self-awareness grow, has been one of the greatest joys of my life. And even though you both drive me nuts with that creepy twin thing you do…"

"What creepy thing?" the twins interrupted, answering in unison.

More laughter.

"Yes, that creepy thing. I have to say that La Maison de M would not be the same without you both. Happy birthday, and I love you both." Matteo grabbed a glass of champagne from a tray Levi was carrying and raised it in honor of the birthday boys.

Both boys jumped from their chairs and ran to give Matteo a big hug.

Struggling to breathe between their grips, Matteo did his best to fight off the tears that were threatening to make an appearance. These guys were his family. His parents may be dead, and he had no other living relatives, but these boys, right here, were his family. And fuck did he love all the little pains in the ass.

"We love you too, M," both boys whispered, giving Matteo the tightest hug he had ever received.

He squeezed them both, spilling some of his champagne down Anders's back. The boy barely flinched.

Matteo pulled away. "Okay. Now. Since it's your birthday, and this is La Maison de M , I got you both a little gift. Sit," Matteo ordered, gesturing to the chairs and taking a step back.

The lights dimmed, and heroic music began to play over the speakers.

The crowd cheered, and the twins began to bounce in their seats like excited little puppies. Six-foot-three puppies.

From the other side of the room, a man in a skintight leather outfit and a hood over his head swung down onto the stage, landing right in front of Gunnar.

Gunnar's mouth dropped open, and his face lit up.

"I hear it's your birthday," the buff leather dude wearing a Green Arrow costume announced, smirking down at the stunned birthday boy.

"Ho-ly shit," Gunnar gasped, staring up at his hero and the object of several of his fantasies, according to Anders. He nodded his head in response.

Anders let out an excited cheer, slapping his brother's back and squeezing his bicep.

"New material for the spank bank, eh, brother?" Anders teased, watching how excited his brother was.

From behind Anders, another muscular man, this one wearing a Sailor Moon costume, came strutting up behind him, only to drop himself into Anders's unsuspecting lap.

"I hear you're the bigger one," the man announced, rubbing his ass into Anders's crotch, then leaning back against the younger brother.

"Ho-ly fuck balls," Anders gasped, eyes beaming as he stared at his favorite character as well.

Matteo smirked. It took a little bit of sleuthing, but when he discovered that the Green Arrow and Sailor Moon were both of their fantasies, he just had to track down two strippers willing to perform wearing his boys' favorite costumes. Surprisingly, the guy Matteo hired to play the leather archer bore a striking resemblance to the man who played the character in the live-action television show. Depending on how tonight's performance went, Matteo might have to offer these two guys a spot on his roster.

"Enjoy your presents, boys," Matteo chuckled, giving them a salute as the music turned up and the live strip show began.

Gunnar and Anders's attentions were solely focused on the human embodiment of their private sexual fantasies.

Judging by the massive boners in each of their pants, they were both very happy with Matteo's gift to them.

Pleased with himself, Matteo made his way back to the bar, greeting several of his guests as he passed by their tables.

He was happy to see that so many of their regulars had shown up for the twins' birthday bash—many of whom had spoiled the boys rotten, giving them expensive gifts, pockets full of cash, and even a few vintage bottles of alcohol which Matteo had placed in the twins' bedroom right away.

If the twins didn't feel loved after tonight's celebration, there was seriously something wrong.

"Hey, Shawn," Matteo greeted once he reached the bar.

Shawn, the club's resident bartender, nodded as he passed Matteo a scotch. Matteo thanked the man, picked up his drink, and then turned his attention back to the birthday boys who were enjoying their birthday lap dances from each of their favorite characters.

Leaning against the bar, he couldn't help but laugh at the excited and nervous expressions plastered on each of the boys' faces.

Was this how the boys acted when they hooked up with someone who they really liked? All awkward and nervous? Matteo had to admit, it was kind of sweet and endearing.

"That was a very nice speech you gave," a voice spoke next to him.

Matteo's body cringed, and his jaw tightened on its own.

It's funny how certain things can trigger your body's natural responses. For Matteo, it was hearing his voice that always resulted in a violent reaction. One day, his mind wouldn't be quick enough to stop his body from slashing the man's throat.

"What are you doing here?" Matteo exhaled, turning to face the man he despised with every fiber of his being.

"I heard there was a party, and I came to check it out," Ares answered, signaling for Shawn to refill his whiskey.

"I really need to delete your membership from the system." Matteo huffed into his glass as he took another sip.

He was having such a good time enjoying the boys' birthdays; now he had to contend with this piece of shit.

Just blacklist him from the club, that annoying voice complained in the back of his head.

We all know why that's never gonna happen , that other, equally annoying as fuck voice said from another part of Matteo's brain.

He wished that both would just fuck off and leave him to his misery.

Ares slipped the bartender a fifty. "Thank you. Keep the change."

There was no doubt in anyone's mind, Ares was always a generous man when it came to those who he liked. Those who he didn't… well, those poor souls did their best to stay off of Ares's radar.

Taking a sip of his whiskey, Ares turned to face Matteo once again.

Matteo tried not to react when he caught a whiff of Ares's cologne. That once-familiar scent, sandalwood and… power , always made Matteo feel…

Letting out a frustrated breath, Matteo continued to watch the boys up on stage.

"You keep saying that, yet every time I return for a visit, the man at the front desk keeps checking me in."

Matteo rolled his eyes. He took a sip of his scotch and waited for the booze to kick in.

"So, how have you been?" Ares asked, taking a step closer to Matteo.

Matteo wondered if Raj enjoyed eating old men for dinner. Even though Ares was only four years older, Matteo still liked to tease the man about his age. Apparently, it was a sensitive subject with the brutal gunsman.

"I was doing well until some uninvited guest decided to crash my party." Matteo glared at Ares. God, he hated the man.

"You know that's not what I meant."

Matteo's breathing caught in his chest. He wasn't expecting that response from Ares.

Dammit .

Fucking Ares. Why did he have to… Argh!

Deciding that perhaps he didn't need to be a total asshole to the man standing next to him, Matteo gave him a cautious glance.

"I'm doing… okay."

"It's coming up next week, isn't it?" Ares asked, eyes locked on Matteo's. The sincerity in his eyes was too much to bear.

Matteo looked away.

Fuck, he hated that Ares knew him so well.

He gave the international gun trafficker a nod.

Ares's eyes skimmed the room. "Do any of them know?"

Matteo shook his head.

Most of the guys who worked for Matteo knew that his parents were dead, but none of them knew the nature of their deaths or the fact that the anniversary of their deaths was fast approaching.

Given the power and influence his parents held at the time, Matteo was able to convince most of the major news outlets not to report his parents' cause of death, only that they had passed away in a tragic accident. There were a few questions asked and a few newbie reporters who wouldn't let things go, but thankfully, a few days later, some celebrity was caught having an affair, and the world turned its attention to more important matters.

Every November, Matteo always fell into a depressive state. He became withdrawn, anti-social, and quick to anger. He did his best to hide his change in behavior, but behind closed doors, he was a mess.

Thinking of his parents, he was always reminded that it was just before Christmas when Matteo's world came crashing down around him. Overnight, he became an orphan, losing his entire family in an instant.

Members of the Sabarino family did not live long. His grandparents passed away within six months of each other when he was just a small boy, and his father's brother mysteriously disappeared one day when he was a teenager. Matteo had his suspicions as to what became of his uncle, but he never had the nerve to ask his father. Zio Stefano was a topic never to be spoken of in the presence of his father.

And, just like that, Matteo became master of the chateau and the Sabarino multi-billion-euro fortune.

"This really is something that you should share with those closest to you," Ares mentioned, placing his hand on Matteo's shoulder.

Big mistake.

Feeling Ares's hand on his body sent shivers down his spine. It was funny how something as simple as a touch could invoke such a strong reaction.

Matteo stepped away from Ares, causing his hand to slip from his shoulder.

"I'm fine," Matteo growled. "Just like I've always been, just like I always will be. Now get the fuck out of my house," Matteo barked, slamming his glass down on the bar and gaining a few startled glances.

He pushed past Ares, storming from the theatre and heading out to the gardens.

He really couldn't stand that fucking guy.