Valentino

Nero makes a noise halfway between a laugh and a hiss. "Put it around my neck, then. I'd rather not burn off the skin of my cock. Fuck, that did hurt."

"Good to know," I say as I unwind the collar from around his limp cock. It's a pity it's limp, because there are other things I'd have liked to do with it otherwise. "Lift your head up so I can get this around your throat, pretty cub."

"Okay, Daddy," Nero slurs, stretching out his neck. "Hey, while you're at it, can you stroke me a bit? Since I can't reach."

"Who says you deserve that?" I ask, slapping his cock instead of stroking it.

He bites his lip and stifles a groan. "What, you need me to... to buy you dinner first?"

"I'm a proper gentleman. Normally, I'd be the one buying you dinner," I tell him, and this time I do give his cock a stroke—just one, before I withdraw and wrap the collar around his throat. "This looks good on you."

For a split second, Nero sneers. I'm taken aback by the expression, after all the goading and bantering. But he catches himself and forces a smile.

"Yeah? Well, I'm either an expensive or a cheap date, depending on whether you're taking me out or just throwing me over a toilet seat. So which is it?" Nero lifts his hips a bit and licks his lips. "My ass? My mouth? Or are you going to unshackle me so we can go out for dinner like civilized people?"

"But I don't think you're civilized," I say, closing the little lock around the latch with a soft click so it stays in place. I don't think for one second that he wouldn't just remove it the second he could, and even the lock may not be much of a deterrent. "Your back could probably use a break, though, so I'll extend the manacles so you can sit up." I move to do just that, extending his reach so he can sit up more easily. I probably should've put him on his stomach to begin with, but that would've invited all sorts of thoughts I don't need to be having about my would-be killer.

Nero sits up and shakes out his arms a bit, wincing openly. "That is a bit better." He keeps his eyes fixed on me, and I don't think it's sexual interest. He's still wary, but I can't say I blame him. I'm just as wary about him. "Since we both decided neither of us had anything to do with... all of this, where do you think we should start investigating? Like we're buddy cops or something."

"I need to know more about who sent you to kill me," I say bluntly. "Yes, yes, assassin code, etc., etc., but how many people actually knew you were going to try to kill me, let alone where you might've been in the building?"

Nero reaches up to test the collar, but he doesn't attempt to actually remove it. "Nobody knew. I take jobs on my own. And no, I don't actually know who paid me. I got the deposit; they used the right codes. That's all I needed."

"So someone's had eyes on you, then," I say slowly. "You didn't notice someone trailing you? Stalking you?" I guess I should have as well. My pride hurts a little that I didn't notice the set-up sooner, but it has to be twice the blow for someone like Nero.

"No stalkers. I'd have noticed that." Nero makes a disgusted expression. "...They suggested the venue, though. I scoped it out before I committed, of course, but the warehouse was a good spot—well protected, too far for anybody to notice." Then he meets my gaze. "What about you? Your weapons deal was a bust too. Did you know the person you were supposed to meet?"

"No," I say, my voice clipped. "But the location... That's mine. I own that warehouse, and I sink a lot of money into making sure it stays a good spot for trade-offs. It's supposed to stay in my favor. I suppose we got complacent."

We both sit silently for a while. I'm trying to figure out who could have betrayed me. One of my men, maybe? I guess it's a good thing Nero ended up killing half of the ones who attended yesterday. Of course, if they'd rigged the building to blow, they wouldn't want to be anywhere near the warehouse.

Maybe I need to look into anyone who wasn't there yesterday...

Fuck.

It's a mess.

"Who did you piss off, anyway?" Nero asks. "Most people don't get hired hitmen sent after them. Not even most arms dealers."

"If I knew, I'd be having this conversation with them and not you," I point out. I shake my head. "I don't go out of my way to piss people off. I'm not a saint, but most people don't want to kill me after meeting me."

"Did you piss off any of the other mafia families?" Nero suggests. "Like, uh... one of the Winters clan? Or maybe the Pavones."

"The Winters have been quiet for months now," I say, shaking my head. "And I don't deal with the sex trade. Only time the Pavones get involved is if someone tries to fuck with their clubs."

"Their clubs aren't even any good," Nero declares. "Nothing but naked women. Not a single gay sex club in sight. Fucking homophobes."

"Lots of those in our line of business," I drawl. "I'm actually surprised you've made it this far in this life, if you're always this flamboyant."

Nero manages to keep his expression neutral this time. "Yeah. That's why I work alone. And why most people who piss me off end up dead." He settles back against the headboard with a wince. "You're gay too, aren't you? And you've got me chained up now. You definitely can't explain this away to your underlings or housekeeper." He points down to his flaccid, still exposed cock.

"My underlings and housekeeper have seen worse," I say bluntly, for all that I smile at him. "Especially when I decide to take a knife to the floppy little cock of someone who's being entirely unhelpful. Good thing you haven't been unhelpful so far... Oh wait." I look pointedly at him.

Nero draws his legs a bit closer to himself, hiding his cock as best he can. "Haven't you tortured it enough? I'll take the electroshock over the knifeplay." Then he chuckles. "Got enough slices in me already anyway."

"I shocked it once," I point out. "That's... not even torture. That was an experiment. I tried it on my arm, for fuck's sake."

"Yeah, and your arm isn't hypersensitive." He pauses with a loud sigh. "Anyway, what are you planning to do with me? I can try to look into who the bomber is, but not if I'm chained up here. All I'm good for right now is a good, hard pounding."

"And do you always get what you want?" I ask, quirking a brow at him. "It sounds like a terrible thing, to be so spoiled."

"Sounds like it's good to be me," Nero answers. He lets his legs fall apart again, and with the newly loosened chain, he manages to get his hand around his cock. "It seems like we both want the same thing, Daddy. Why not have some fun with it? We fuck each other senseless, we track down our bomber, we murder him and fuck in the pool of their blood..."

"You're not even aroused," I point out. "And I'm not gay. So why do you think we have anything in common beyond finding out who wants us dead?"

I'm genuinely curious, because it isn't often that people clock me as anything but straight.

I don't expect him to burst out laughing.

"You're not gay? Fuck off." Nero covers his mouth with his hand to muffle his laughter. "Do you actually believe that?"

"Why has no one ever heard of bisexuality?" I gripe as I close my fingers around the remote so I can shock the hell out of him.

Nero convulses and groans at the pain. He clutches the sheets to steady himself, and more sweat trails down his forehead.

He looks very, very good like that.

When the shock subsides, Nero sits there, panting, for a few moments.

"Dunno... dunno if you're bi..." Nero says in between gasps. "But you definitely want cock. And you..." He glances at my crotch. "You seem to like seeing me suffer."

"That means I'm a sadist, not gay," I tell him, unable to keep the amusement out of my voice. "I'd be just as happy if I had a woman in that bed. Maybe even happier. Who knows?"

"Sure." Nero gives me a sly grin. "And that's why you shocked me when I suggested you might be gay."

"I shocked you because it was fun." I shrug. Just for good measure, I do it again.

He moans again, stretching out his neck and parting his lips in a way I know is meant to be seductive. He's a manipulative little shit.

But he's good at being a manipulative little shit, because my eyes are drawn to his throat and the way he swallows around the pain.

"D-daddy... please..." Nero groans, his eyes fluttering shut.

Fuck, this is going straight to my cock. I don't know what's more potent: the way he's moaning, the way he's positioned, or the way he says the word Daddy.

It's going to his cock too, though; he's no longer flaccid. I wonder if it would just take one more shock to get him to full hardness.

Fuck it.