Neon is the Colour of Vengeance (Flappers and False Gods)

THE SHOWER

Hugo pressed his head against the cold tile of the shower as the blistering water washed over him. For the first time in his life, he was worried about a job. He didn’t want to kill Johhny and not because he’d met him, or because he was a friend of Gen’s. He was ready to be done. To move on from his life as a hitman and he wanted his last job to be of his choosing, not Dill Kelly’s.

It was odd that he had gone from completely content with his life to wanting more in a few short months, but now he knew more was a possibility, he didn’t want to just slink back into the shadows and continue his role as the boogeyman of Tenebrium City.

There was Evan to think about too. He was the reason more was a possibility. Hugo hadn’t been a full person with wants, dreams, and desires before Evan. But thanks to him, Hugo was now. He knew what he had been missing and he refused to settle for any less. He loved Evan more than anything, more than his old life, more than his friends and more than Samuel. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for him, including kill an acquaintance. But what if this final violent act pushed Evan away? Hugo would be doing it for him, for them, but what if Evan didn’t see it that way? What if his declaration was predicated on Hugo’s assurances that he wouldn’t kill again? What if in doing this final act that should cement his freedom would push away the thing he wanted to be free for?

As if summoned by Hugo’s thoughts of him, Evan appeared at the bathroom door. He didn’t say anything, he just watched Hugo with hooded eyes. Never breaking eye contact, he slipped out of his light linen slacks, then pulled his thin T-shirt over his head. He was a glorious sight, all lean muscle with his dark hair and stunning eyes that stood out even across the room.

Slowly and deliberately, he walked over to the shower cubicle and pulled it open. Evan stepped inside, closing his eyes and turning his face up against the spray. Hugo’s instincts told him to reach for Evan, but he didn’t move. Waiting.

“You’re worried.” Evan ran his hand over his short hair.

“I don’t want to do what Dill asked.”

“Then don’t.”

“I have to, unless you are ready to leave tomorrow.”

“Is that an option?”

“Not really.”

“I didn’t think you were just going to be able to walk away clean. I knew you might have to do some not so nice things to get your freedom. Call me selfish and a hypocrite, but it’s worth it if I get to be with you. The other option is one or both of us die. I don’t like it, but for you I can stomach it.”

The things that man was willing to sacrifice for him made his chest swell. Unable to hold back any longer, Hugo reached for Evan. He placed a gentle hand on Evan’s arm and turned him so they were facing. He traced his fingers along his chest and up his neck until he was cupping his face. Their eyes met and Evan gave Hugo a small knowing smile.

Ever so carefully, Hugo touched his lips to Evan’s, content to traverse the man he loved at a leisurely almost languid pace. Evan wasn’t interested in seduction it seemed; he wrapped Hugo in his arms crushing their wet bodies together and deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring Hugo’s mouth as the water crashed over them. Hugo let his hands rove Evan’s body. The sensation of warm, sensitive skin against warm sensitive skin was almost too much to bear.

Hugo broke the kiss as if he was surfacing from the deep and let the water wash over his face, before leaning in to trail kisses along Evan’s jaw and down his neck. He didn’t stop there. He licked and bit his way down Evan’s chest until he was kneeling in front of him in the shower. Hugo reached up to put his hands on Evan’s hips and pulled gently, encouraging the man to step forward.

Evan said nothing. He watched Hugo as if enraptured and moved with every guiding touch.

“You might want to lean back,” Hugo said with a smirk. “We both know you’re about to find it very difficult to keep your feet.”

Evan let out a breath of air that wasn’t quite a moan as he complied. “You, on your knees, might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“No need for flattery. I was doing this already.”

Evan’s chuckle turned into a gasp as Hugo took the entire length of him in his mouth, pushing all the way to the base in one quick motion before withdrawing to do it again. Evan’s hands found his hair and gently tugged, begging him to keep going. And Hugo did with fervour.

“Jesus, Hugo…” he groaned.

Needing no encouragement, Hugo continued his relentless assault. Licking, sucking, squeezing, pulling back as if to let go before continuing the onslaught with a twirl of his tongue. Hugo could have continued for hours, but Evan’s quickened breathing and the quiver of his thigh muscles told him the end was near.

The clearing of a throat pulled him from the happy event. Releasing Evan, Hugo’s head whipped around to the door. Leaning on the door jam, arms crossed, eyes black, was Samuel.

Hugo scrambled to his feet and out of the shower as Evan let out a cry of surprise and scrabbled for a towel. Hugo didn’t bother. Naked, he stepped forward to face his father and his worst fear manifest.

“I do hate to interrupt a good time.”

“Dad—” Hugo began.

“Try again.” It was an order laced with danger.

“Boss. I can explain.”

“Don’t bother. I don’t have the patience to listen to your lies and I think I have a pretty good idea of what’s going on.”

Hugo was breathing hard, trying desperately to stop the shakes that threatened to wrack his body. He reached for a pair of boxers on the floor, they could have been his or Evan’s—he didn’t care, but Samuel stopped him with a word.

“Don’t you dare move a muscle. And you.” He turned his attention to Evan. The seething anger on his face turning Hugo’s insides cold. He had never been more afraid in his life than he was now. No villain, or gangster could ever compare to Samuel on the warpath and the fact that it was Evan in his sights…Hugo could barely breathe.

“You must be Evan Carter. When Alice told me, I didn’t want to believe it. Not my boy. Not my Little Wolf. He would never lie. He would never betray me for some tail.”

“I love him.” It was the only thing that popped into his head.

“How disappointing. How pathetic! What happened to your honour? What happened to your loyalty to the man who raised you?”

“All you did was twist and abuse him—” Evan began.

“Stay out of this,” Hugo said sharply, still focussing on Samuel.

“You know how this has to go.” Samuel pulled a gun from his coat and cocked it.

“No. Please, no.” Hugo took a few steps blindly backwards, trying to hide Evan behind him.

“I was gonna put you in The Pit, but I think this is better as a punishment.”

Hugo was hyperventilating. He was helpless and he hated it. He didn’t know if he would be able to get to Samuel before he shot Evan. The uncertainty kept him rooted to the spot.

“Please. Samuel. Boss. Dad.” Hugo’s voice shook as tears formed in his eyes. This was his worst nightmare.

“You lied to me. For months. You’ve endangered the family, shown weakness to our enemies?—”

“You have to listen to me. He won’t talk. He won’t. He loves me, he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me or the family. Please don’t hurt him. Please, Dad.”

There was no trace of the doting father anywhere as Samuel fired a shot.

“No!” Hugo roared, pulling Evan to the ground.

The bullet went wide, whizzing past Evan’s head. It was a warning shot. A show of intent.

“Run,” Hugo said out of the side of his mouth.

“But—”

Hugo pushed Evan forward while he himself lunged at Samuel, in an attempt to wrestle the gun from his grip. Samuel shook him off easily slick as he was from the shower. His father pushed Hugo back and dove for Evan, grabbing hold of him and turning him to face Hugo, Samuel’s arm at his throat and a gun to his temple.

“Get back.” Hugo had never seen Samuel like this. It was terrifying.

“I love him.” It was barely more than a whisper. An entreat to the father he hoped wouldn’t do this to his son.

“You want him so badly. Beg. Get down on your knees and beg for his life.”

“Don’t—” Evan began clearly fearing he was about to witness an execution, but Samuel tightened his grip on his throat.

Hugo ignored them and dropped to his knees on the tile without a second thought. He crawled a few feet closer to Samuel before sitting up to face him. His knees were already protesting at the contact to the hard floor, but he didn’t care.

“Please. I am begging you. I will do anything you want. Anything. Kill me instead. You want your pound of flesh?”

“No!” Evan shouted, he struggled to free himself, but Samuel stilled him again.

“Take it from me,” Hugo continued, tears falling freely. The thought of losing Evan made him want to die. “I’m the one who lied. I’m the one who betrayed your trust. If you hurt him…please take me instead.”

“You’re too valuable. You can get another him, where would I get another you?”

“Please!” Hugo yelled, his voice cracking. Naked, wet, cold, and on his knees, Hugo finally succumbed. He let out a sob as he said, “Please, Dad. Please. Don’t do this. I love him. Like you love Mariam. I love him. Please don’t do this. Please. I love him.” He said the same garbled phrases over and over praying that Samuel would spare Evan.

Samuel eyed Hugo thoughtfully. He looked unmoved by the emotion of the scene. Hugo watched Evan held at gunpoint, restrained, and knew he must be as terrified as Hugo was.

“Tell me everything.”

Hugo’s teeth chattered as he recounted every tiny detail from the night they had met until tonight. He spared nothing.

“You’re an idiot if you think Dill will ever let you go. He’ll use you over and over.” Not the response Hugo was expecting, but not one that assuaged any of his fear.

“All these little lies,” Samuel went on thoughtfully. “And you dragged Bobby and Genevieve into it, too. Dill thinks he can turn my people. He thinks you’d betray me. He thinks that there is weakness in our organisation, that he’s turned my best asset. Good. Let him.”

“What?” Hugo wiped his cheeks as he spoke.

“Do this job he wants you to and any others. He tells you to kill someone, to give him info, you do it. Let him think we are crumbling from the inside. Let him think we aren’t ready for his war. When he attacks and finds us strong—we’ll destroy him.”

“What about Evan?” Hugo almost couldn’t bring himself to voice the question for fear of the answer.

“Keep him.” Samuel let go of Evan and pushed him forward. He immediately dropped to the ground beside Hugo and hugged him. Hugo could feel him shaking and had to suppress the rage that roiled inside him. “Be in love,” Samuel said, looking down at them coldly. “Be happy, be public. Let Dill Kelly think he’s winning. And when he comes knocking on my door, be ready to rub that smug bastard out.”

Hugo said nothing.

“When I give you an order you say…?” Samuel barked.

“Yes, Boss.”

“Good.”

Hugo wasn’t surprised by what happened next and he made no moves to stop it. Samuel pulled Evan from Hugo and tossed him aside, then raised his hand to pistol-whip Hugo across the face. It sent him clattering to the tile, blood pouring from his nose and the side of his mouth. He kicked Hugo in the stomach and as he instinctively curled into a ball, Samuel stomped twice on his back. Hugo did nothing to defend himself or stop the assaults. He knew better.

“You move and I will put a bullet in his head,” Samuel snarled to Evan, who must have been moving to intervene.

Samuel dragged Hugo into a sitting position by his hair and punched him hard in the face. He did it again and again. Picking him up and letting him fall. Hugo was barely conscious, badly beaten, bruised and bloody when Samuel relented.

“You betray me again and I’ll kill you both. You hear me?”

“Y-yes, Boss…”

“Get dressed. We have things to discuss about our new plan. We’re going to Southside.” With that, Samuel left the room.

Evan scrambled for Hugo, cradling him in his arms on the cold bathroom floor. Tears wet his beautiful face as he looked down at Hugo.

“Why did you do that?”

Hugo spat blood on the floor before he answered, “Because I love you.”

“I thought he was going to kill you,” Evan sobbed.

With great difficulty, Hugo leaned up to kiss him. He ignored the pain in his lips as he pressed them to Evan’s. “We’re fine. We’re free.”