He is poison, p.20
He is Poison, page 20
“You were the one who started this, so you shut up,” groaned Domenico, taking a sharp turn with the car.
Seth closed his seat belt and grumbled. “Sure, I can do that.”
Domenico didn’t. “None of those foreign restaurants can be trusted. The last time I ate in one that was neither Italian nor French, it ended in disaster.”
Seth wasn’t physically capable of biting his tongue. “Yeah? What could possibly happen? Who forced you to go?”
“I was meeting a client in a fucking sushi bar.” Domenico’s face fell as if there were stormy clouds gathering around his head.
“Oh, I don’t like sushi.” Seth scowled at the memory of Peter taking him out to a fancy sushi place.
“Modern shit. I can’t possibly think people can like something so tasteless,” grumbled Domenico.
“Spanish food can be good.”
“The guy who took me to the sushi place said the same thing.”
“I suppose you just can’t trust people, can you?” Seth said, looking out the window as they approached the window.
“No. People are always out to get you,” said Dom just before opening the window to speak into the microphone.
“Yep, especially if you’re Seth Villani,” Seth said right after Dom closed the window.
Domenico never missed the bull’s-eye. Seth stared at the holes his new mentor made in their practice target. They were spot on. Right in the forehead of the generic cardboard guy. They had spent the last hour practicing disassembling and reassembling semi-automatic pistols, and Seth was getting optimistic because it wasn’t all that hard, but he couldn’t match Domenico's speed. Getting shown how to do it properly was kinda impressive but made him realize Dom had to perceive him as a proper cock-up. Most of the time, Seth hardly even hit the target board, let alone the head or chest. He almost killed a squirrel though.
Trees surrounded them from every side on the clearing. They were about two hours drive from Berlin, and Seth was hoping there wouldn’t be any tourists wandering around when he was trying to hit the cardboard target Dom put on a tree across from them. They were using silencers so no one should be alarmed by shooting, but he supposed that made the whole ordeal even more dangerous to accidental trekkers. Even with the strong smell of pines and earth, the green color around him did nothing to soothe his nerves.
“Focus.”
“I am focused.” Seth groaned. Dom approaching him from the back didn’t help with the task at hand. Even Domenico’s T-shirt couldn’t be completely casual. Fitted, but not too tight, with a slight v-neck, and three small buttons. Seth could bet it was some fancy brand like Armani or D&G. As much as Seth wanted to mock Dom for his stylish choices, he had to admit that the guy just knew how to dress to impress.
Domenico shook his head. “You miss your target every time. Even first timers can actually get a bullet into the cardboard man when they try hard.”
Seth was trying hard to focus, but the heat of Domenico’s body behind him, a sharp contrast to the cool dampness in the air, wasn’t helping.
“Is that what they tell you in assassin teacher training? To put down your students?” Seth rolled his eyes and moved away.
“I’m not putting you down. On the contrary, I’m helping you stay alive.”
Seth tensed when he felt Dom’s body melt into his. It was almost like an embrace, but the wiry arms went straight for the gun Seth was holding. He felt the shiver of excitement go all the way from his ass to his balls. Dom’s breath was right under his ear, like a never-ending whisper.
“What do you think this is?” hissed Seth “A rom-com?”
“A what?” Domenico curled his dry, warm hands around Seth’s, and made him raise the gun.
Seth sighed, his palms all sweaty around the gun. “A romantic comedy movie. The guy always takes the girl out to golf or some shit, stands behind her, and shows her how to hold the stick. It’s one big innuendo.”
“That’s not a stick. It’s a gun. And secondly, how the hell do you know that?” growled Domenico. He was all business-minded now.
“Peter used to make me watch them.” It was only partially true, since Seth did enjoy some of them. “Can I get some personal space then?” He breathed in deeply, enjoying the pleasant smell of trees and wet grass. He rarely got to go to the forest since he had moved out to New York City.
Domenico’s sigh sent vibrations down Seth’s neck. “How else am I going to show you how to do this? You’ve forgotten how to do it since your first time.”
“It’s making me uncomfortable, like you’re molesting me, Mr. Teacher.” Seth inched away. No guy in his life had ever gotten his heart racing so hard. And Dom wasn’t even bigger than him, just intimidating. In a sexy kind of way, which got Seth all sorts of confused.
“Oh, man up. We’re fucking already, what’s the big deal?” growled Domenico as he pressed even closer and forced Seth into position with the frame of his own body. “Stop thinking about my cock and focus.”
“Do I look like I care about your dick?” Seth snarled and looked back at him, only to stare into the intense eyes.
“It’s you thinking about sex all the time. I’m just trying to show you how to shoot a fucking tree.”
Seth’s body was getting even hotter, and he looked back at the target, pointing the gun at it. “Don’t overestimate yourself.”
“Don’t give me a reason to. Now pretend it’s a fucking romantic comedy and do as I say,” hissed Dom, forcing Seth’s fingers to grasp the heated steel.
Seth swallowed and tried to imagine the head of the Triad member, who spoke to him after the kidnapping, on the target. Surprisingly, it only made him feel more uncomfortable. Sure, he wanted revenge, but did he actually want to blow someone's head off? The way Dom gripped his hands suggested he didn’t have such scruples. His fingers were slimmer than Seth’s, yet their strength was unmistakable. It made Seth think of an article he read about people only using a small percentage of their brain. Seth was probably using a small percentage of his body potential, whereas Dom, muscular but not as big, was filled with skill and the capacity to use it.
A brush of warm air against his ear did its job frighteningly well. “Breathe slowly. Take three deep, slow breaths.”
Seth inhaled, trying to force his body to relax. He focused on the target, and with Dom’s body almost melting into his, he felt more powerful, as if Dom’s muscles supported his own and assisted his strength. The heat against his back was empowering. Dom was holding the gun and Seth’s hands in a vise-like grip as they breathed together.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. “Shoot.”
No hesitation. Before Seth knew it, the deed was done, and he hit the target’s head, the kick from the gun not as strong as before. His heart was pounding in exhilaration.
“Good. That’s what I want.” Domenico didn’t move, but his words were like the sweetest petting, and Seth was ready to purr like a satisfied cat. He actually did something right for a change.
“I’m a quick learner.” Seth smirked to himself.
“Again then.” Domenico didn’t move an inch, keeping exactly the same position as before. It made Seth imagine Dom competing in one of those exercises on the Biggest Loser, where people had to stand on one leg and hold something in the same position for as long as they could. He bet Dom would win even if he were fat. The thought made him snort, but he said ‘yes’ and aimed again.
“Two breaths and shoot. Try the fucker’s right eye,” whispered Domenico. It wasn’t clear why he felt the need to be so quiet when they were the only people here, but Seth was far from complaining.
He watched the target for two long breaths and pulled the trigger, hitting the right side of the painted figure’s face. “I did it,” leapt out of Seth’s mouth in glee, before he could think. With Dom behind him, he felt as powerful as ever so when the warmth of his body was gone, it felt like being deprived of half his muscle.
“Good, now try it on your own.”
Seth turned his head with his lips parted. He didn’t want to do it on his own anymore. It worked better when Dom was there. No torture would force him to admit to that though, so without a word, he turned back to the target, trying to mimic the way he was standing before, the way Dom made him hold the gun.
“Breathe,” said Dom and from the corner of his eye, Seth could see his dark silhouette. He was watching, evaluating Seth’s performance.
And it wasn’t that Seth didn’t want to ‘let him down’, because he couldn’t care less about that, but he did want to impress him. Have Dom stop considering him a failure. He licked his salty upper lip and aimed at the target’s chest, hoping he could at least hit that. Only now, after having his hands held by Dom, he was realizing just how unsteady his grip was. Good that he hadn’t had that morning beer after all. Focus, Seth.
Two breaths, and a shot managed to graze the side of the target board. He exhaled deeply, the disappointment as hard to swallow as when he burnt his first cannoli. It seemed that the cardboard man was mocking Seth with a Joker-like smile.
“Again.”
Seth groaned and instantly shot again in anger, not even hitting the board this time. Again. And again, without much success. He swore beneath his breath and smashed a nearby tree with his elbow. He put the safety on the gun and slid it in the back of his jeans, before walking off into a direction opposite to where Dom was standing. Why couldn’t it work? He was so embarrassed his skull was about to explode.
“Hey, Seth. We’re not done yet.”
“I know, I need to cool off,” he hissed and walked off the clearing, hoping to hide within the trees.
A sudden burst to his left made him hug the nearby tree. Seth's eyes grew wide at the sight of a hole in the bark.
“Don’t be a baby and come back here,” said Domenico without any emotion in his voice.
Seth’s eyes went wide, and he looked back with his heart thudding furiously against his ribcage. “Stop being fucking annoying and give me a break!” he yelled, on the verge of shooting back. Dom was so impassive, as if he didn’t care that Seth had a gun as well, his face a mask of calm.
“You’re a fucking joke if that’s what throws you out of balance. You’re at war with everyone but me and your father.”
“Stop pissing me off then, or I’m gonna be at war with you as well!” Seth pulled out his gun and turned off the safety. He aimed at Dom and took a few steps his way, vision blurring with steaming anger. It got even worse when no emotion appeared on that handsome face. Domenico stood there like a statue, watching Seth’s eyes instead of the gun, his gaze so intense, it was getting Seth's skin to burn.
Seth pulled the trigger, though he did try to point it a meter or two away from Dom. He didn’t want to blow the guy’s brains out, just scare him a bit, get a reaction. But there was nothing coming from his gun. Seth looked down at the weapon. Out of ammo. Of course.
All hair on his body bristled at the unmistakable clang of the safety being turned off in a gun, and his stomach plummeted. Seth swallowed and threw his own to the ground, putting his hands up and taking steps back as fast as possible.
“I was just kidding. I knew I didn’t have any ammo left.” He laughed nervously, watching Dom’s every move. He was standing there, his favorite Beretta casually aimed Seth’s way. This was what the angel of death had to look like. Burning amber eyes, long black hair, a dead expression on his face. Seth’s heart was up in his throat when Dom raised his hand and moved his fingers in an unmistakable gesture of invitation.
Seth was sweating like a newborn piglet and slowly shook his head, taking another step back. This was definitely not part of a rom-com scenario. “No,” he whispered to himself.
“Do as I say. You’ve made me mad enough already,” muttered Domenico.
Seth swallowed and looked around, but he knew no help would come. He looked up into Dom’s eyes and reluctantly started approaching him. His legs felt as if they were made of lead. Nauseated, he was forcing himself to take each subsequent step toward Domenico, whose veiny forearms were just as deadly as the gun in his hand. They reminded Seth of pythons, ready to wrap themselves around Seth’s throat and squeeze until he choked.
By the time Seth got to Dom, he was trembling, unsure of what would happen. He wanted to close his eyes and have it over with, but was too afraid. “I said I didn’t mean it,” he said, but the last syllable came out muffled.
He saw stars when Domenico punched him in the stomach and followed it with a blow to the head. Seth didn’t even notice how he got to the ground, but when he came to, he was curling up with his face inches away from Dom’s shoes, a pair of pitch-black combat boots he wore since morning.
“What the fuck…” Seth muttered, not daring to look up. His stomach hurt like a bitch, all of his muscles still trembling.
“On your knees,” rasped Domenico in a voice as cool as before. Seth slowly looked up, but followed the order, with his head ringing from the hit.
From this perspective, Dom looked even more intimidating. Tense, strong, tall, a proper killing machine. With a gun pointed at Seth’s head.
“No, no, no,” Seth whined and leaned away as much as he could without falling over on his ass. Oh God, did he cross a line he didn’t know was there? He was so scared he couldn’t swallow. Without an idea how to weasel out of the situation, he held up his hands in front of his face.
The cool touch of steel against his forehead made his teeth clatter so loudly, they could rival a woodpecker knocking on a tree.
“You little fucker.”
“I said I’m sorry!” Seth moaned but didn’t dare push the gun away, no matter how much his heart yearned for it. His eyes itched with held back tears, which tried to force their way out. A part of him reassured him that Dom wouldn’t kill him, he had orders after all, but another knew Dom was out of his fucking mind! The guy fucked him for God’s sake. Him, the Don’s son. Why wouldn’t he kill him and claim it was an accident? It wasn’t like Seth was the only son.
“I see I can’t trust you anymore. Maybe it’s for the better. Before anyone notices you’re gone I’ll be making a life for myself in Argentina.” Domenico’s eyes were cold and his face, framed by the trees above, was a picture pretty enough to want to see before you die.
As much as Seth didn’t want them to, his eyes welled up. The wind in the dry autumn leaves whispered of death, and he sniffed to try and hold the tears in. “No! No, you can trust me!” he burst out in panic. “You don’t want to do this, Dom. You wouldn’t do this to Family, right?” Seth had to fight for every breath of the cool air, shivering like a kitten in the rain.
“You had no problems risking my life just because you were fucking angry,” muttered Dom, as he moved the gun slightly higher up Seth’s forehead. “I can make you paralyzed instead.”
A few tears streaked down Seth’s face, and the frittata came up to his throat. “No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking!” he yelped and slowly stretched his fingers, attempting to touch Dom’s thigh.
Domenico chuckled, a dark, low sound that went right up Seth’s throat to choke him. “If you point the gun at me again, whether loaded or not, I will kill you on the spot. Do you understand?”
Seth tried to answer, but relief choked him, and he nodded instead. ‘Again’ meant he’d live to get the chance. Not that he wanted one. Ever. “I’m sorry,” he uttered, rubbing his eyes, completely out of breath.
“You have no idea how to use a gun, and you try to shoot it my way? You are brainless.” Domenico shook his head, his nostrils flaring, and for the first time since the ordeal started, there was a spark of rage in his eyes.
Seth nodded eagerly. The worst thing was, there was some logic to Dom’s words, and Seth did regret what he’d done but couldn’t take it back or explain his behavior. He had been so freaking angry he snapped. Seth’s body was now Jell-O, and he wished he could just dissolve into the ground. “I was… I don’t know what came over me.”
“Shut up. I don’t want your excuses.” Domenico put the gun into the holster on his arm as he sat on the ground.
Seth took that as being allowed to stop kneeling, and he sat back on his heels. He hid his face in his hands, fighting back a sob. Man up, Seth.
“Lie on your back and breathe, for fuck’s sake,” came from Dom.
Seth inhaled deeply through his nose and nodded. He was still shaken as he lay down and looked up at the sky riddled with wispy clouds. Why did he keep getting himself into those situations? Why couldn’t he just follow instructions and keep learning how to shoot?
“I think someone should teach you how much it hurts to be shot. That would cure your ego once and for all.”
Seth scowled at the words, but didn’t look Dom’s way, too engulfed in his little world of pain and unhappiness. “My ego’s fine.” Though it certainly took yet another blow today.
“I could see that.” Domenico sighed. “A fucking friend shoots at me. What a joke.”
That got so much of Seth’s attention that he frowned and actually sat up. “You consider me a ‘friend’?”
“You’re a Villani. What else should I consider you?” Domenico turned his head toward Seth, the sourness on his face so prominent it seemed the further from the ordeal, the more irritated Dom was getting. Which didn’t make much sense to Seth, who was slowly learning to breathe again.
“I don’t know. A bull-headed pest?” He shrugged.
“You are just that. You owe me a blow job for that shit you just did,” groaned Domenico, folding his arms on his chest.
It had to be adrenaline because Seth was feeling light-headed, blood rushing through his veins. He nodded slowly, focusing on Dom again. He never thought a near-death experience would make him horny. Now that he wasn’t at risk anymore though, all the physical reactions reminded him of when he went to do a bungee jump. He kept exhaling deeply as he zeroed in on Dom’s eyes, which were now on him, half-lidded and motionless. Dom’s chest was slowly moving up and down, stretching to his lungs’ maximum capacity, but Seth’s eyes were already straying lower.
