“Go fuck your—”
“Paolo.” Luis Pope appeared like a god. Before Mickey, Benito had considered him beautiful, with his too-long hair and soulful eyes. His mean mug that disguised the heart of a man who just wanted to live. Now, two days after Benito had fucked up enough that he’d probably never see Mickey again, Luis just looked irritated.
He stepped in front of Paolo and faced Benito down. “You’re supposed to be dead,” he said flatly.
“Am I?”
“What do you want?”
“Advice. I don’t want any trouble, honest.”
“Advice,” Luis repeated slowly. “The fuck could I know that you don’t? You’re the brains of the game, aren’t you?”
“Was. I haven’t been around for a while. I’m dead, remember?”
“And yet, here you are.”
Benito said nothing. Just stayed still, praying Luis would see past the hate and violence that had coloured their interactions up until now.
Luis turned away and said something to Paolo.
Paolo growled and stormed away.
Benito didn’t watch him go. He fixed his gaze on the ground and drifted until Luis gripped his elbow and tugged him to his feet.
“Come on.”
“Come on where?”
Luis steered Benito across the road. “I’m not doing this on the street. You want to talk to me, you do it where I need to be.”
That turned out to be inside the cafe. Luis pointed to a corner table. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Still clutching his cash-stuffed bag, Benito took a seat in the corner, facing the cafe, gaze instinctively trained on the door, but it wasn’t long before his attention shifted to the heated exchange happening over the grill.
Even from behind, Paolo’s temper was popping. He moved bacon and sausages around with vicious, stabbing movements while Luis murmured in his ear, his hand splayed at the base of Paolo’s spine.
Benito tracked Luis’s hand as it began to move in slow, soothing circles, then as it travelled up Paolo’s back and cupped the back of his head. They kissed, warm and sweet, and what was left of Benito’s heart splintered. He’d known Luis had loved Paolo since before Luis had likely known it himself. It had made him vulnerable, and through Dante, Benito had exploited that vulnerability, leaving Luis at breaking point.
You don’t deserve his help.
Benito shoved his chair back and stood, aiming for the door.
Luis intercepted him before he took a step. “Sit down. We don’t have to talk if you’ve changed your mind. Just eat something, okay? It’ll keep Paolo happy.”
Nothing about those words made sense. Benito let Luis ease him back into his seat, then shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”
“You look it.”
“Do I?”
“Yeah. I mean, you’re bigger than I remember, though, but maybe that’s because Asa isn’t standing beside you. I’ve only ever seen you together.”
“You’ve seen Asa without me.”
Luis’s gaze flickered. “Not for a long time.”
Of course it had been a long time. Asa and Luis had hooked upbeforeLuis had served a six-year stretch inside. When he’d got out, he’d fought with all he had to stay away from the life that had brought Benito to his knees at his feet. “I’m sorry.”