Moor (Twisted Bard)

Scene V

SCENE V

DES

D es woke up to his phone alarm. Turning it off, he snuggled under the covers, wishing Othello was there. How weird was it that the other man hadn't been gone a full day? It felt like forever to Des. Groaning at the sound of his phone ringing, he was tempted to ignore it but thought better, thinking that it was Othello calling him. Sitting up, he reached for his cellphone and blinked in surprise at the name on the screen.

Ava.

He didn’t want to speak to his parents since not after their last meeting. He also hadn't kept up with his father's campaign because he wanted nothing to do with it. Why should he support a man who never cared about his dreams? Des didn't hate his mother, but he couldn't trust her. Ava had aided in suppressing Des, but he couldn't forgive that. He didn't know how long he stared at the screen, but it stopped ringing just as he was about to answer. He debated on whether he should return the call. However, it rang once again. This time, it was Othello.

"Hello?" Des answered.

"Don't tell me you're still in bed."

Des smiled and felt his cheeks flush, hearing Othello's deep, soothing voice in his ear. "If I am, are you jealous you're not here to snuggle with me?"

Othello chuckled. "Who knew the good doctor was such a teddy bear in bed?"

"That's only because you turned me into one." Des loved cuddling next to Othello, feeling his warm body pressed against his. "Are you done with your trip?"

"Almost. Why, do you miss me?"

"Would you consider me weak if I say yes?" Des bit on his bottom lip.

"No," Othello whispered. "Because I miss you too. In the short time we've been together, I've grown accustomed to having you in my arms."

Des grinned. Despite his minor freakout the night before, hearing Othello say that put some of his doubts to rest. "Are you saying you like me, Mister Moor? Or maybe you're falling in love with me?"

"Are you fishing for compliments, Doctor Ellington?" Des could hear the smile in his voice.

"What if I am? "

"You should already know the answer to that, Des."

"Should I?" He ran his hand over the cold sheets where Othello usually slept when he stayed at Des's place.

"7458," Othello responded, confusing Des.

"What are those numbers supposed to mean?"

"It's the pin number to my credit card," he said. "I'll see you soon." He hung up before Des could respond.

What the fuck? Why would he give me his PIN? I don't even have his credit card. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he received a text.

Tallen will give you my card. Use it to buy your suit for the anniversary party and whatever else you need.

Des furrowed his brows, not comfortable taking money from his lover. He wasn't sure how to define the status of their relationship. He liked Othello, and even though they hadn't been together long, he could feel himself falling deeply in love with the man. But what about the things they needed to work on, like whether there was a future for them? It hadn't escaped his notice that neither had mentioned that he could get pregnant, and the night before, when they fucked, Othello hadn't used a condom.

The only plus to the situation was that Des kept up with his suppressants, but it was not foolproof, and he could still get pregnant. Although Othello hid his family dealings from him, he couldn’t ignore the fact that his lover might be a killer. He was a doctor, a person who saved lives, and he was falling in love with someone who took them. Othello had yet to answer the question he'd posed at the beginning of their relationship. Des wasn't sure what he would do if the answer was yes. Could he walk away? He wasn’t confident that Othello would leave the life he’d built for himself just because they were in love, and Des didn’t think he could ask Othello to do it. Not when his own parents had forced him into a career he never wanted.

"I'm not going to solve that right now, but I might as well get out of bed."

After going through his morning ritual and a hot shower, Des walked into his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and another drying his now shoulder-length hair, when he heard voices coming from the other room. Listening closely, he could pick out Bianca's voice and wondered who she was talking to and who she’d let into his apartment. Grabbing a pair of sweats from his dresser drawer, he pulled them on and went to see what was going on. He headed to the kitchen, where he heard the voices and saw Bianca talking with Tallen, who wasn't wearing a suit like normal but jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Tallen was looking far more relaxed than Des had seen him before.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked.

"Des," Bianca said, rushing over and hugging him tightly. "You're awake. When did you get an assistant?"

Assistant? He quirked a brow, looking at Tallen over Bianca's shoulder. Tallen shrugged his shoulders, looking sheepish. I suppose he couldn't say he works for a mob boss . "I guess it slipped my mind," Des said, stepping out of her embrace.

"And I'm here to drop this off and take you shopping." Tallen reached into his pocket and handed Des the credit card. Not even looking at it, he put it in his pocket.

"When the hell did you get a black card?" Bianca asked.

"A what?" Des wasn't sure what the heck she was talking about.

"The credit card he just gave you is a black card, so either you started dealing drugs, became a high-paid escort, or you have a sugar daddy you forgot to tell me about; there's no way you'd have a card that has its own zip code."

"How is it the first two things you could think of is me selling drugs or my body?" Des asked, shaking his head. "Did you forget my grandfather left me money to take care of myself for life?" He didn't say anything about the sugar daddy part. Or he didn't consider Othello to be one.

"Cut the shit. Number one, you hate credit cards and prefer using the app because you said fewer things in your pockets so they won't hold you down. And two, you're hiding something from me, Desmond Ellington. Now, spill."

"I'm not hiding anything," Des said. Well, he kind of was. Besides Gray, he hadn't told anyone that he and Othello were dating, though she knew he’d wanted to ask the other man out. He loved Bianca. She was a good friend, but she tended to mother-hen him or ask questions he couldn't answer or wasn't ready to.

"Fine." She smiled, and Des knew it didn't bode well for him. "Tallen dear, where are you going shopping today?"

"Wherever the doc wants to go, I'm just there to carry his bag," Tallen responded.

She circled one of Tallen’s arms, resting her head on his shoulder and looking adoringly at him. "Do you mind if I join you both?"

"Um...sure—I don't mind," he stuttered, unable to defend against her cuteness. Des had to admit Bianca had a way with people he often envied.

"Don't you think you should ask me if I want to go shopping?" Des snapped.

"You have no choice, Doc," Tallen said, looking at him with pleading eyes, practically saying Othello had given him an order he could not go against.

"Fine," he sighed. "Let me get something to eat, and we'll go."

"I brought you breakfast," Tallen said, pointing to the bag on the counter.

The logo on the bag told him Othello had instructed Tallen where to go. It was probably filled with his favorite sweets since it was from a bakery Des loved. He couldn't help but smile. They had a lot to work out about their relationship, but it seemed Othello knew him well and took far better care of him than he did himself.

"What's with that smile?" Bianca asked, standing beside him.

"My boyfriend knows me well," he mumbled.

"Boyfriend?" she asked, looking from him to Tallen, whose face grew pale, quickly picking up on what was happening.

"It's not him, but someone else."

"Wait, are you telling me you finally had sex?" she shrieked excitedly.

"Oh, for fuck’s sake," Des said, just as Tallen mumbled something and ran out of the kitchen. "Look what you did. You scared off the poor guy."

"He's not the one you're fucking, so it doesn't matter." She grabbed his hand. "Now tell me, who is it? And be honest with me, that's his credit card, and Tallen isn't your assistant?"

"It's Othello Moor, the guy I told you I liked a few weeks back. Yes, it's his card, and no, Tallen isn't my assistant; he's more of a friend."

"You've been a busy boy while I was away." She smiled, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the kitchen table. Bianca was a flight attendant who worked for a private company. When she wasn't wrapped up in a new boy toy, she was busy at work, where she'd been for the past few weeks. “Spill, I want to know all the tea."

He was about to speak, but his stomach rumbled. "Can I eat while we talk?"

"Of course, we don't want to waste your boyfriend's efforts, do we?"

"Does it sound weird that I call him that? It's like I'm in high school," he said shyly.

Bianca shrugged her shoulders. "Who the fuck cares? Call him what feels right to you, as long as he doesn't care." She got him a few pastries, and he made tea for both of them while he told her everything he could about Othello, leaving out the whole crime family thing. As he talked about his relationship with Othello, the more he realized his doubt was seeping away. Sure, they would have problems, and Othello's occupation might rear its ugly head one day, but he couldn't run at the first sign of trouble.

Othello had allowed him to walk away before they started out, and he was the one to pursue a relationship. With his mind made up, Des enjoyed his Baklava and pastel de Nata and hung out with his friend. Before they left for their shopping trip, he took Othello's credit card out of his pocket and set it on the counter. It was a nice gesture on his lover's part, but Othello didn't need to take care of him financially; he could do that on his own. Maybe if their relationship was deeper or they were married, he wouldn't mind.

Marriage. The word echoed in the back of his mind for the first time in his life, and he grinned when it didn't scare him in the least.

Othello sighed tiredly, slumping down in his seat as the car drove out of the airport parking lot. He was running on so little sleep and couldn't wait to sink balls deep inside Des the way he was strung so tightly. But it would have to wait until later since they had his folks' anniversary party to attend. His meeting with the Zoraki Law clan went far better than he expected. It could also be that Othello and their leader once knew each other in college but had lost touch since Zoraki changed his name and clan. As a boon for taking out his competitor clan, Zoraki ensured that the authorities wouldn't be looking in his direction or even know that he was in the country. All records of his presence would disappear. Othello pulled out his cellphone and called his father, who had called while he was on the plane.

"Was your business trip fruitful?" Alessandro asked.

"Of course, I’ll tell you the details later."

"Good. On a different subject, tell me, Son, will I meet your young man tonight?" Alessandro chuckled.

"I still want to know who told you about the party," Othello said.

"I have my ways of getting information," Alessandro said. "And don't try to evade my question."

"You already know him." Othello shook his head. Alessandro had been curious about who he'd been seeing, but Othello had been mum about it, even going so far as to tell Tallen and Marco not to say anything. "It's Doctor Desmond Ellington, or should I say former doctor."

"Tell me it's the son and not the father." He laughed.

"You have jokes, old man." Othello smiled.

"Why shouldn't I joke around? I'm celebrating love, and both of my sons are also in love or starting to figure out what it is. Someday, I'll be a grandfather of one, hopefully, two."

"Don't you think you should wait a little for Emilia to have this baby before hoping she'll get pregnant so quickly?"

"Now look who's got jokes," Alessandro grumbled, making Othello laugh. "You know damn well I was talking about you."

"Papa, Des and I aren't ready for children. Plus, we have more pressing issues to take care of. Not to mention, I'm not sure if Des wants kids. He has his new life all planned out, and I don't want to delay it any further. If we ever get to that point, then we'll get there. If not, there's no rush."

"You were always a sensible child and even more so as an adult. Anyway, your mother is calling for me. I'll see you tonight."

Throwing his phone on the seat next to him, Othello closed his eyes, hoping to get a quick nap before he got to his place. The conversation with Alessandro came back to him. Since he'd broken things off with Phillip, Othello hadn't thought about children. Did he want a couple of rugrats? Sure, but he wasn't kidding when he said he wasn't in a rush. Neither he nor Des seemed to be in a hurry to have them, and they hadn’t even talked about it. He was enjoying the pace of their relationship. There was no need to change what was working.

Later that evening, Des and Tallen pulled up to The Gilded Orchid Hotel and got out of the car. Des stared at the large, imposing building as he tried to avoid the flashing cameras. Over the past few weeks, he'd come to know that Othello and his family were well known, but he hadn't expected the press to be here. Even with all his money, Des never considered Othello's family to be local celebrities. Seeing the press made him more nervous and excited at the same time.

He knew Othello was back since Tallen had told him, but he was on pins and needles since he would officially meet Maria and Alessandro. He brushed the creases out of his pants. He was grateful for Bianca, who’d helped him pick out his suit. Since Des wasn't up on fashion, according to Bianca, he must go with a famous Italian designer named Aurelio Di Firenze for a midnight-blue single-breasted three-piece suit. He'd combed his hair back, pulling it in a low bun, showing off his features and diamond studs.

"Are you ready?" Tallen asked as they made their way up the stairs.

"Yeah," he said, carrying the gifts he'd bought, praying that Othello's parents would like them. "Do you think we can avoid the press?"

"Sure, come on, I know another way in."

Tallen led him to the back, bypassing the press, and entered through the kitchen, and no one batted an eye at them or asked them questions, so it was easy to guess that Tallen had done this before. In the past couple of days, he and Tallen had grown close. He didn't talk about Othello as much, but Des could see he truly respected the man. Des had found out that Tallen had a crush on a manager from Othello's club named Lucy, and they are slowly moving from being friends to something more.

When they walked into the hotel, Des couldn't stop staring at the grandeur of the design, a mixture of old world and new. The marbled floors, silver- and purple-accented walls, and soaring ceiling, and the impressive crystal chandelier hanging in the center gave off a warm golden glow in the reception area. Tallen led him to the ballroom, which was equally elegant as the rest of the hotel, but what really caught Des's eyes was the handsome man who stood out among everyone in the entire place.

He was dressed in an all-black pinstripe suit except for the blood-red tie, which added a splash of color. He looked so good from head to toe that Des couldn't take his eyes off him. Othello was standing next to his parents and brother, with a beautiful pregnant woman sitting beside them. They were greeting the guests as they came in.

As if knowing he was being stared at, Othello looked away from the person who had walked over to his group, and their eyes connected. Des wanted to rush over and kiss the ever-loving daylights out of him, but he held back.

"Hey, Doc, you should go over and say hello to Miss Maria and the don. I can take the gifts you bought," Tallen said, causing him to look away from Othello.

"Uh...that would be great, thanks." He handed the neatly wrapped boxes over to Tallen."Do I look good enough to meet the parents?"

Tallen smiled. "You look better than good. Plus, with the way the boss is staring at you, I'm sure he's going to drag you to some dark corner and devour you whole."

Des smiled shyly hearing that and looked down, hoping his cheeks weren't flushed at how happy the thought made him.

"Go on over. I'm sure he's wondering what's taking you so long." Tallen patted him on his shoulder, chuckling as he walked away, leaving Des alone. Just as he was about to walk over, someone else interrupted him.

"We meet again, or should I say formally, meet for the first time."

Des turned to the person who had stepped up beside him and couldn't for the life of him figure out who the person was or why he was talking to him.

"I'm sorry, but I think you’ve confused me with someone else," Des said.

"I feel hurt, Doctor Ellington. Ah, that's right. You aren't a doctor anymore." The man grinned, showing his pretty white teeth.

"Okay, now that you know my name, who the hell are you?" Des didn't raise his voice because of where they were.

"I'm Cassio Ricci," the man said, and Des shrugged when nothing came to him. "We met at the Celeste Grand Plaza a few weeks ago."

"I hate to be rude, but I still don't know who you are," Des told him.

"That's fair," Cassio said, moving in front of him and blocking Des's view of Othello. "How about we take the time to get to know each other?"

Des smiled, really trying not to scream and get the fuck out of his face because he needed to make a good impression on Othello's parents. Although he didn't get along with his own parents, he was taught manners, and it was rude to enter a person's home and not speak to them. Even though it was not the Romanos' home, it was their event.

"Can we do that some other time? I need to greet the Romanos."

"What a coincidence, so do I. Should we go together?" He smirked. Des really hated his smug expression for some odd reason.

"Do as you wish." Des stepped around him.

As he walked away, he felt a hand touch the small part of his back, making him flinch, but Des didn't move away immediately because he didn't want to draw attention to them.

However, when he locked eyes on Othello, there was no missing the storm brewing in his honey eyes or the ticking in his chiseled jaw. Clearing his throat, Des moved a little faster, wishing the Romano family had stood at the door to greet their guests and not at the far end of the large hall.

Fuck, I'm going to have to find a way to soothe the angry beast.

A few minutes earlier

"Oh, that's interesting," Iago said, catching Othello's attention. "When did Tallen and the doctor who operated on you start dating? I thought he was into Lucy."

Othello scanned the room, and his eyes landed on Tallen. They instantly shifted to the gorgeous beauty dressed in dark blue that made his eyes sparkle in the golden glow of the ballroom.

"Are you sure he's dating Tallen?" Othello asked Iago, not taking his eyes off Des.

"How else would he get an invitation? I didn't see his name on the guest list."

"What if he's here with someone else?"

"You think?" Iago said thoughtfully. "Oh, I think you're right. I mean, look at the way Underboss Ricci is eyeing him. Or maybe he's doing them both. I didn't think the doctor had it in him to be a tease."

Othello ignored Iago’s words and continued watching Des. He could tell his lover was nervous and wanted to go over and ease his worries, but he'd promise Maria he'd stay and greet the guests. However, Othello became irritated when Cassio stepped beside Des and moved to block his view so he couldn't tell what they were discussing.

Fucking asshole.

A minute or two later, they began to move through the crowd. Othello had put his hand in his pocket, hiding his fist, when Cassio placed a hand on Des's back. Then he looked at Othello, smirking as if daring him to do something. But he had to keep his cool for now.

The second they made their way over, Othello reached out and pulled Des into his arms, kissing him before his lover could speak. He heard gasps around him as Des's arms circled his neck, and he cupped the back of Des's head, deepening their kiss.

Tasting and feeling his lover's lips moving against his felt like coming home after a very long trip, not a couple of days. He wanted to continue kissing Des but knew they had to stop because of where they were, but with one last lick of Des's mouth, he promised that he was going to fuck him raw until he couldn't walk later tonight.

"What took you so long to get to me?" Othello asked, watching his lips and waiting for Des to open his eyes and catch his breath.

"Sorry for the delay," he responded breathily.

He smiled, leaning back, and gently pinched his chin. "It's okay; it just means I'll punish you later." He chuckled when Des's face turned as red as his tie.

"Do you plan on holding the man hostage all night long?" Maria said, and he could hear a slight chuckle in her voice.

"You know," Iago said next to him, "you could have just told me he was with you and not let me speculate."

Othello looked at his brother, grinning. "What would be the fun in that?"

Iago rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Asshole."

"Iago," Maria admonished softly.

"Sorry, Mama."

Othello was about to speak when he heard a throat clearing. He looked up, noticing that Cassio was still standing there.

"Underboss Ricci, pardon my son," Maria said. "As you can see, he forgets himself when he is with his lover."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Lady Maria." Ricci smiled, making Maria giggle like a young schoolgirl. However, despite his complimentary words, Othello could see the tension coming off Maria's body in waves.

"Yes," Othello said, looking at Cassio. "Pardon my rudeness."

"I don't blame you." His eyes drifted to Des, who was in his arms. "If I were you, I wouldn't let him out of my sight even for a minute." He looked at Othello daringly. "Who knows, someone might try to steal him away. We wouldn't want that to happen again."

Othello smiled, even though he wanted to punch the man's face or put a bullet between his eyes. His arm tightened around Des, and he felt his possessive nature take over. "I doubt that would happen. Unlike most, Des is not easily swayed."

"I have no idea what you two are talking about, but I'd rather you not involve me. And I'd rather you both not talk about me as if I'm an object," Des added just as Cassio spoke.

"We shall see," Cassio said, then turned his attention to Maria and Alessandro. "Boss Greco and Ricci send their regards, congratulations, and gifts for being unable to attend the festivities. They had to attend a business meeting."

"It's quite alright, and thank your bosses for me," Alessandro said.

He nodded and then looked at Othello and Des before walking away.

"You're going to have to watch your back and protect your guy," Iago whispered in Othello's ear. "You don't want him seducing the doc like he did Phillip."

That shit won't happen again, Othello mentally vowed. He wasn't sure what the future held for him and Des, but he'd kill Cassio first before the man had a chance with Des.

"Are you going to hold the doctor all night or introduce him to the family," Alessandro said.

"Don't you already know him?" Othello grumbled.

"As your doctor, not as your lover," Maria said. "Now, use some of the manners I taught you."

"Yes, Mama." He smiled, taking Des's hand and leading him over to his parents, then Iago, and lastly, Emilia, who Des seemed interested in. He would have been jealous if he didn't know how much his lover liked riding his cock and screaming his name.

He watched and listened to Des talk to Emilia about her pregnancy. He didn't know if his lover realized it, but he was using the concerned doctor's voice. Sometime during the festivities, during the speeches and dancing, Des disappeared and quickly returned with a large glass of ice, which he handed to Emilia before coming to Othello.

"I don't want to alarm anyone, but Emilia is going into labor. She's been having contractions fifteen minutes apart. She thought it was Braxton-Hicks, but her contractions are now ten minutes apart. I've already called the hospital and told them we're on our way."

Othello listened and didn't overreact because Des explained everything calmly. In a split second, he knew what had made him a good doctor.

"Othello, did you hear me?" he asked sternly.

"Um...yes."

"Go, let the family know, and send the baby's father my way. He needs to be by her side."

Othello's brows furrowed when he noticed something was off with Des, he was worrying his bottom lip like he always did when he was nervous or thinking deeply about something.

"What's wrong?"

Des sighed and looked at Emilia. "She's been having contractions all day but didn't tell anyone because she didn't want to ruin the party."

"But?" Othello prodded.

"I don't know if I'm overthinking, and I'm not an obstetrician, but I don't like how pale she looks. We need to get her to the hospital quickly so the doctors can get a better look at her."

Othello glanced at Emilia and noticed her normally pink face was a bit ashen, even with makeup on. "Okay, I'll get the family."

He kissed Des on the forehead and left to find his family. It didn't take long to find Alessandro and Maria, giving them the news, but no one knew where Iago was, nor was he picking up his phone. Othello's only choice was to text him and get Emilia to the hospital; hopefully, he'd be there before the baby was born.

He better be dying, or I am going to kick his ass.