Ascension - Book Eight - Man x Man

Chapter 21

The low hum of conversation from downstairs stirs me from my sleep. Reaching over to angle the clock on the nightstand, I see that it's only seven AM and consider allowing myself to slip back into the depths of the comfortable oversized bed. My body protests but the desire to see the object of my affection stirs me to get up, despite my soreness and sunburn. It didn't quite feel real yet, the idea of being home seemed almost too good to be true. 

 Climbing out of bed, I pull on one of his shirts; the soft one from last night that had made its way onto the nightstand as if it were some sort of peace offering. Scenting the collar, tilting my head to bury my nose into the material, I'm grounded back to this reality that Tiberius had in fact rescued me yesterday. 

Pulling on a pair of boxer briefs, I'm motivated by the thought of seeing my children and exit the room. My stomach rumbles at the smell of breakfast, I hadn't eaten well since the trio turned on me.

"Thank you for giving me notice to get rid of the body." 

I pause at the top of the stairs, hearing Verando's voice echoing from the kitchen. 

"No, that won't be necessary. He's been found, that's all the matters. They didn't have any information anyways which was my main concern. I can't have the whole community thinking he's unhinged." His feet sound harder than usual, there's an irritated air to the clatter of the plates as he grumbles into the phone. His voice is hushed as if he were trying to keep his conversation private. "Did you find them?"

There had been a time in my life where I would have flown down the stairs, demanding explanations. I might have provoked him, prodding him to reveal the depth of the conversation, and yet I felt no such motivation as I slowly descended the stairs. While it made me nervous, I had questions, my heart did not pound nor did I sort through the various instances that would mean his departure from me. 

I trusted him, more than I ever had. With that solace, I step into the kitchen as I clear my throat to gain his attention. Verando wheels around, glancing me up and down once to gauge my level of feral rage. I must catch him off guard for it is him who looks nervous. "Bring them to me, Marcello." He hangs up the phone, placing it cautiously on the counter. 

"Marcello doesn't respect my need to keep you in my bed." I accuse gently, eyeing the spread of breakfast. Marcello hadn't rousted him, he had already been awake with the amount of prepared food and meticulous cleaning. Various cut fruits, an assortment of pastries though by the look of them I could tell they were from Legardo, and a healthy portion of leaner-looking meat that I assumed was some sort of poultry or fish. Given my current state, telling what was what dwindled to the bottom of my priorities for my mouth practically watered. 

Gesturing to the spread, he crosses his arms over his chest to lean back on the counter with a heavy sigh. "You're quite tame considering what you just heard." He retorts, not willing to dodge what I'd been hoping to put off. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it, mostly that I wasn't concerned and that I found my amount of indifference odd. 

Rounding the island, I stopped in front of him, watching the concerned expression on his face and the cloud of uncertainty in the light eyes. There was certainly one thing that he feared and it would seem that it was me. 

Reaching up, I cup his face in my hands, carefully smoothing away the tension in his jaw as I brush his cheek with my thumb and then trail my fingers down to rest at the base of his neck. "You tend to have a good reason when it involves taking lives. I've never known you to kill for pleasure, I assume if you are working with Marcello, it's for a good cause."

Cocking an eyebrow, he reaches to feel my face, checking my temperature and assuring himself that the person before him was in fact the same man who had turned on him for similar things time and time again. Patiently, I press my lips into a thin line. "Tell me about it?" I insist.