Chapter 8

• Leo woke up to the steady beep of machines and the heavy weight of Kai’s arm across his waist. The hospital room inside the compound smelled like antiseptic and old blood. His side burned where the bullet had torn through him, but the pain felt distant compared to the warmth of Kai’s body pressed against his back.
• Kai was awake. Leo could tell by the way his breathing stayed too even, too controlled. The bodyguard’s hand rested possessively over the fresh bandage on Leo’s ribs.
• “You stayed all night,” Leo said, voice rough from the drugs.
• Kai’s grip tightened. “Where the fuck else would I go?”
• Leo turned slowly, wincing. He faced Kai and smirked even though it hurt. “In my bed. Inside me. That is where you belong.”
• Kai’s eyes darkened. He leaned in and kissed Leo hard, not caring about the IV lines or the monitors. The kiss tasted like fear and relief and barely contained hunger. When they broke apart Kai rested his forehead against Leo’s.
• “You took a bullet for me,” Kai said quietly. “Never do that shit again.”
• Leo laughed softly, then groaned when it pulled at his stitches. “I will do it every time if it keeps you breathing. Now stop talking and fuck me. I need to feel you.”
• Kai shook his head. “You are hurt. Doctor said no movement for twenty four hours.”
• “Doctor is not here.” Leo reached down and palmed Kai through his pants. He was already half hard. “I can take it slow. Just need you inside me. Please.”
• Kai cursed under his breath but gave in. He moved carefully, helping Leo onto his side. He slicked himself with the small bottle of lube someone had left on the nightstand and pressed in from behind, slow and deep. Leo moaned low as Kai filled him. No rough pounding this time. Just long, deliberate thrusts that made Leo feel every inch.
• Kai wrapped one arm around Leo’s chest, careful of the wound, and stroked him in time with his hips. “You feel so fucking good even when you are bleeding.”
• Leo pushed back as much as he could. “Harder. I can take it.”
• Kai gave him a little more force, still controlled, still protective. They moved together until Leo came with a shaky breath, spilling over Kai’s fingers. Kai followed right after, burying himself deep and filling Leo with warm pulses.
• They stayed connected for a long minute, breathing together. Kai kissed the back of Leo’s neck, right over an old bite mark.
• The door opened suddenly. One of the captains walked in without knocking and froze when he saw them. Kai pulled out fast and covered Leo with the sheet.
• The captain cleared his throat, eyes on the floor. “The Don wants you both in the war room as soon as the prince can walk. New information on the rat.”
• Kai nodded once. “Give us ten minutes.”
• The captain left quickly. Leo laughed weakly. “Guess the whole family knows now.”
• “Let them know,” Kai said as he helped Leo sit up. “You are mine. I am yours. End of story.”
• They dressed slowly. Leo moved like an old man but refused painkillers that would dull his head. They needed to be sharp.
• In the war room the Don looked ten years older. Photos and documents covered every surface. The captains stood silent.
• The Don spoke first. “The lieutenant we killed last night was telling the truth. Someone at the top has been feeding the Morettis information for months. Money trails lead to three possible names. Two captains and my own brother in law.”
• Leo felt ice in his veins. “Uncle Marco?”
• The Don nodded. “He has been quiet lately. Too quiet.”
• Kai stepped forward. “We bring him in. Quietly. No one else knows.”
• The Don agreed. “Tonight. Small team. You two lead it. If he is clean we apologize. If he is not we end it.”
• Leo and Kai spent the afternoon planning. Every time they were alone the tension snapped. In a storage closet Kai dropped to his knees and sucked Leo until he came down his throat. Later Leo bent Kai over a desk and fucked him quick and dirty, covering his mouth so no one would hear the moans.
• By evening they were ready. They took two cars and four loyal men. Uncle Marco lived in a big house on the edge of the city. Lights were on when they arrived.
• They moved in silent. Kai picked the lock on the back door. Inside the house smelled like cigar smoke and expensive whiskey.
• They found Marco in his study, drinking alone. When he saw Leo and Kai with guns drawn his face went pale.
• “Alessio? What is this?”
• Leo kept his gun steady even though his side screamed with pain. “You have been talking to the Morettis. Tell me why.”
• Marco laughed nervously. “You are crazy. I would never betray the family.”
• Kai stepped closer and pressed his gun to Marco’s temple. “Lie again and I paint the wall with your brains.”
• Marco broke fast. Sweat poured down his face. “They offered me a bigger cut. The Don is getting old. You are too reckless. The Morettis promised me power when they take over.”
• Leo felt rage burn hotter than the bullet wound. “My father trusted you.”
• Kai did not wait for more. He shot Marco in the knee. The man screamed and dropped.
• “Names,” Kai demanded. “Who else?”
• Marco gave up two more low level guys and admitted he had passed the location of the safe house where they had been attacked earlier.
• Leo stepped forward and put the gun to Marco’s forehead. His hand shook slightly from pain and anger. “You almost got us killed. You called Kai my whore.”
• He pulled the trigger. The shot was loud in the small room. Marco’s body slumped.
• Kai looked at Leo with something close to pride. “Good.”
• They cleaned up quick and left before any neighbors called the cops. On the drive back Leo’s side bled through the bandage again. Kai drove with one hand and kept the other pressed to the wound.
• Back at the compound the Don was waiting. When he heard Marco was dead he only nodded. “One less snake.”
• But the relief did not last. A new message arrived on the Don’s private line. A video. It showed a live feed of the Don’s youngest daughter, Leo’s little sister, tied up in a dark room. She was crying. A distorted voice spoke.
• “You killed our man. Now we have yours. Deliver the prince and the bodyguard to the old docks at sunrise or the girl dies slow. And this time no tricks.”
• The video ended.
• Leo stared at the frozen image of his sister’s terrified face. His stomach dropped. Kai’s hand found his and squeezed hard.
• The Don’s voice was ice cold. “We do not negotiate.”
• But Leo saw the fear in his father’s eyes. This was family. Blood.
• Kai spoke quietly. “We go in smart. We get her back. And we end this.”
• Leo looked at Kai. Pain, rage, and that deep hungry need mixed together inside him.
• “Tonight we plan,” Leo said. “Tomorrow we kill every last one of them.”
• Kai nodded. “And after we bring her home I am fucking you until the only thing you feel is me.”
• Leo smiled through the pain. “Promise?”
• “Promise.”
• The compound buzzed with new urgency. Teams were called in. Weapons loaded. Plans drawn.
• But as Leo and Kai walked back to their room, hand in hand for the first time in front of others, a new text came to Leo’s phone from an unknown number.
• It was a photo of Kai from years ago, standing with a group of men wearing Moretti colors.
• The message read: Ask your bodyguard who he really works for.
• Leo deleted the photo fast before Kai could see.
• His heart pounded harder than the bullet wound.
• The war had just gotten personal.
• And the biggest betrayal might be sleeping right beside him every night.
• Leo glanced at Kai as they entered the bedroom.
• He would find out the truth tomorrow.
• Tonight he needed Kai inside him again, deep and rough, to remind himself who they were to each other.
• Even if it was all about to burn.
• Leo locked the door and pushed Kai against it.
• “Fuck me,” he whispered. “Hard. Like you mean it.”
• Kai did not ask questions. He never did when Leo looked at him like that.
• The night was going to be long.
• And the morning might destroy everything they had built in blood and cum.