Chapter 22

I closed my eyes, consumed by the overwhelming pleasure of being inside him, of hearing his low moans and the sound of our bodies meeting. Everything was so exciting and addictive.

"Ryuuji," he moaned as he came, a low sound that was muffled by the sound of the shower.

I opened my eyes and leaned towards him. I bit his shoulder while my other hand went up his abdomen, feeling his heavy breathing and his still sensitive body. He murmured my name once more and I sighed, my heart racing.

"If we were somewhere else, I could fuck you even better," I said against his skin.

"But it feels so good," he confessed, completely surprising me.

"Fuck, boy," I growled, sinking my fingers into his hair, accelerating my thrusts.

It was hard to be silent and it was impossible to maintain control as I felt him squeezing me, warm and soft. My mind was shining and my muscles contracted.

"Matias!" Anton knocked on the door.

He opened his eyes, but I pulled his hair harder and buried my face in the crook of his neck without stopping my thrusts. Anton hit me again, stealing a smile.

"I'm leaving," Matias shouted in pure irritation and pressed his lips together, feeling me go deep inside. "Don't cum inside," I remembered breathlessly.

I pushed him away quickly and came on the bathroom floor, the sweet pleasure burning my chest. I leaned against the tiled wall, watching Matias stand under the shower.

"You need to stop being so demanding," I said, catching his eye.

"And it looks like you've gotten over it," he said, running his hand through his hair. "And the next time you pull my hair like you're fucking a whore, I'll finish you off," he threatened in a hoarse, sexy voice.

"Really?" I murmured, placing myself in front of him. "You just came, but you're already so angry," I joked, touching his neck, looking down at his inviting mouth. "Are you like this with all the boys you take to bed or just with me? — And I kissed him before he could answer.

***

I left the bathroom with damp hair and looked around the empty apartment, studying the well-organized loft. A huge bookshelf filled the wall; it was the most prominent feature of the place. I shifted my attention to the open books on the kitchen counter, sat on the stool, and flipped through the open notebook. It was an essay about one of the books from the Literature class. After finishing reading, I was surprised to discover that he was so good with words, which made the damn school essay interesting.

"I thought you were just a pretty face," I said, flipping through the notebook. Matias liked to write about what he read, and he was very good at it. "You’ve gotten even hotter," I murmured as I set the notebook down.

I went back to the bookshelf, struggling to find the book I gave him the night we had pizza and almost had sex on the couch. I opened the book to find several notes written on the margins of the yellowed pages. The smile that had taken over my lips disappeared when I felt my phone vibrate.

"What's the problem?" I asked, not needing to know who it was.

"Nothing with me," Shin replied. "But your dad went out with the Habi," he revealed, catching all my attention.

"What?" I asked, putting the book back on the shelf. My father might be the leader, but he rarely left the complex with anyone other than Tomy. Tomy had always been the only one he needed.

"Something happened, Ryuuji."

"Where did they go?" I asked, leaving the apartment in a hurry.

"I don’t know, he gave orders for Artemis to keep us all in the complex," he explained, still calm. "What are we going to do?"

"Meet me..." My voice faded as I left the building, which was silent except for the blaring fire truck sirens passing by on the avenue. "Get Kenji and follow the sirens," I instructed, making him agree. "And, Shin?" I called before he could hang up.

"What?"

Several police cars passed shortly after, heading toward the large black smoke cloud that was forming in the distance.

"Don’t wear the jackets," I warned and hung up.

I started running through the alleys, hoping to cut through to the source of the smoke. I didn’t need to speculate to imagine what had happened; it was pretty obvious. I just didn’t think they would be bold enough to start it all.

I stopped running when I came across a large crowd. Sweat was dripping down my back, and even though I knew what I would find, I still felt my heart freeze at the immense fire consuming the 4-story building. The firefighters were working quickly to contain the flames, and I passed by the onlookers, stopping at the yellow tape that separated us from the danger.

"It looks like a lab exploded," a man whispered behind me, making the murmurs come to life.

"It's the gangs again," said another.

I looked toward the white car among the emergency vehicles, spotting my father standing, smoking a cigarette while watching the flames take over his building. Tomy was with him and didn’t bother hiding the smile that filled his face.

"Assholes," Kenji muttered, standing next to me.

"This is our territory," Shin said next.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Artemis standing near Shin. Her hair was loose, and she was wearing a red cap.

"Seems like that doesn’t matter anymore," she commented reluctantly.

"What are we going to do, Ryuuji?" Shin murmured, but my attention was still on my father, completely indifferent to everything happening.

As if he sensed our presence, his eyes found mine, and even from a distance, I could read his orders.

"Have a little fun."

***

I spat out blood as the metallic taste invaded me once again and wiped my sweaty face with the back of my hand.

"Please," the older boy whined. "I... I was just doing my job," he said with difficulty, his face swollen and bloody. Kenji held him easily.

"Well, I’m doing mine too," I retorted, adjusting the brass knuckles between my fingers. "But you’re a Lily, and you’re responsible for this place," I reminded him, glancing at the beautiful wooden house built in the middle of the forest.

"P-please," he continued, his tears mixing with the fresh blood. "P-please, d-don’t kill me," he pleaded, leaving Kenji surprised.

My friend looked at me, his surprise turning into irritation at the pointless begging. But what did he expect? Everyone knew what I did to Takashi.

"I won’t kill you," I said, making shock dominate his red eyes.

"Everything’s ready," Artemis declared as she came down the stairs of the cabin. She and the other Hebi wore white coats and pants as white as snow. Artemis threw the heavy backpack over her shoulders and got on Shin's bike. They both left quickly.

"Gabriela is sending more Lily, you’d better throw the trash out and head home," Ayumi said, approaching breathlessly. Sweat dripped down her forehead, leaving several pale strands stuck to her skin.

"Okay, he’s the last one," I told the girl a few years older than me. "You can start," I ordered. Ayumi nodded and joined the others near the cabin.

That was one of the few places Gabriela used to manufacture her drugs. Since it was an isolated spot, she thought she could keep the secret, but Ayumi had always been a curious, observant, and nosy girl. She always knew what was going on. It was for these secrets and others that she joined Hebi.

"Gabriela started all this, not us, remember that," I said, bending down to be at the same level as the injured boy. "She declared war, and you know how this works, right?" I asked, but he remained still, staring at me. "We hurt and destroy each other, not a hard question," I muttered, smiling.

With impressive speed, intense flames began to devour the cabin. I felt my back heat up, but I stayed focused on the boy.

"I won’t kill you, but I’ll make you feel a lot of pain," I declared, watching his battered eyes widen. I gestured to Kenji, giving him the order.

"No, wait!" he begged quickly.

Kenji ignored his plea and put his foot on his back while grabbing his elbows.

"Please," he screamed in pain.

Kenji pulled his arms harder and pushed his back. I focused on his face, hearing his agonizing screams over the crackling of the wood being consumed by the fire, then I heard his bones break and his last scream before he collapsed on the ground. His tear-filled eyes strained to meet mine.

"Now, when Gabriela finds you, broken and useless, it will be to her that you beg for your life," I said, watching his gaze fade before standing up. "Put him in the van with the others and leave them at the usual spot," I ordered.

"Okay, see you at home," Kenji said, holding the boy's shirt. Kenji dragged him toward the van parked at the beginning of the small trail.

I turned toward the cabin, toward the flames, feeling them heat my exposed skin so intensely it was almost uncomfortable. Smiling, I followed the other Hebi away from the fire.