Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 119011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
He stepped back and grabbed the bag. “I don’t even hate you, you know? I hope you get your money soon enough, and fuck off to that Caribbean island so I never have to see you again. Good fucking luck,” he spat and walked out to his freshly polished bike.
Dad would not be happy about this turn of events, but Leo could only bear so much. Maybe he’d been stupid to get so invested, maybe he should be like Mike—enjoy random sex and move on—but he couldn’t. He cared, and because of this he’d made himself vulnerable, only to be thrown out like trash.
Chapter 21 – Zolt
Zolt’s phone buzzed. The new message was probably from Neil, who’d already sent two, and Zolt had no patience for his petty bullshit. It couldn’t have been the first time someone so bitchy had gotten his face smashed in.
There wasn’t all that much to tidy up after the early finish to poker night, but Zolt didn’t feel like washing up or tucking the unopened packages of chips into the cupboard. The green notebook was heavy in his lap as he watched the ghost-like silhouettes of his fish swim between lush plants, lit by the blue light inside the tank.
Atilla was the largest of the bettas, and when the glow shone through his translucent tail, it became clear he was alone. Were the females all with the other male? Was he feeling tired of their attention and needed some time on his own? Did fish even comprehend that concept?
Did they understand jealousy, or was it only about dominance when the males fought over the females? They surely didn’t care and weren’t plagued by the complexity of relationships humans littered their lives with.
Zolt took a deep breath and tapped his pen against the notebook without opening it.
He’d intended to write an entry in his journal, but if he were to make notes about the way Leo had asked for Zolt’s cum inside him, he’d also have to mention what Leo had told him about his hopes, or the way his voice had broken during their final conversation.
So the diary remained shut.
Boyfriend. What a ridiculous concept.
His mind kept asking how that kind of relationship would have worked for him, but the truth was, it no longer mattered. Leo had left, and Zolt had other plans for the future, anyway. If he was to survive this latest stint of playing two motorcycle clubs to his advantage, he should focus on making more money fast instead of moping. Leo might be a sweetheart when happy, but he could turn into a loose cannon in anger. If he shared too many of their secrets with his club, things would get ugly fast.
But no matter what he kept telling himself, all he could think of was the ecstatic expression passing over Leo’s face when Zolt had pumped him full of cum—flushed cheeks, lips trembling, brows drawn together…
It had felt good to make him comfortable enough to let go. Felt good to lie with him afterward and watch a silly cat video as they’d tried to dress following the shower. Everything after that mall trip had been a mess.
Maybe he should cut his losses and leave before the heat under him turned into a raging fire? His future would remain uncertain for as long as he stayed here, in the crossfire between the Smokeys and Jackals. He’d been considering retreating for a while now, but there had always been more business coming his way, more gold to conceal in the walls of his home and all the various hiding places. Maybe his conflict with Leo was a sign? He could leave now and never risk having to face Leo Heller’s reddened eyes again.
Agitation tightened around his chest and neck and sent him scrolling through Grindr, because while he could have asked Neil to come over, he didn’t feel like listening to him complaining about earlier. So maybe Zolt had gotten too cozy with Leo through living together. If he’d had his regular fare of casual, easy hook-ups, this emotional mess wouldn’t have happened. He shouldn’t feel guilty over his private notes. Who was Leo to demand an explanation about the green journal, or even plan their meals for that matter? Zolt had not agreed to any of that when he’d put his lips on Leo’s for the first time.
And why would Zolt invest his emotions in someone who was such a mess? Leo didn’t know what he wanted, he’d never been in a relationship with a man, and for all Zolt knew, he might run for the hills at the first inconvenience. Like all straight guys who overpromised because the dicking turned out to feel so good, only to get cold feet once things got real.
For a while, the two of them had lived in an alternative universe, one where Leo didn’t have to take into account what others thought about him having sex with another guy, but a couple of days in his usual surroundings would take the blinders off. If, in a purely hypothetical situation, Zolt agreed to try being in a relationship of sorts, he’d soon have to face Leo’s sad, puppy eyes and wave off his own anger once Leo told him the whole gay thing had been a mistake.