Tony heard Alessandro sneer, grounding him back to the present..

His eyes suddenly narrowed.

He casually asked Alessandro, “You knew him?”

“Pft.,” Alessandro snorted, forgetting for a second who was asking.

And he answered:

“It’s not a ‘he’. It's a welcoming gift—for the Luchese Don.”

Then, as if remembering who he’s talking to, and where they were, Alessandro matched Tony’s glare.

“You do not belong here. Get out before I call the security on you!” 

“Grow the fuck up, Alessandrino.”

Then, Tony turned his attention back to where the stranger had been—

But he was gone.

‘Shit, Where did you go?’

His head moved from here to there, trying to locate the pretty stranger.

Alessandro kept talking, rambling insults, listing some irrelevant litany.

But Tony’s attention had already drifted elsewhere.

‘A gift?’

Tony tried to recall the Don of the Luchese family.

It had been seventeen years. 

His memory is rusty and foggy.

Then—he remembered..

That one time, he accidentally walked into his father’s meeting.

His father, Leandro, had shouted at him to go out, for the first time.

Usually, he doesn't really care.

He pushed the young Tony out, agitated.

Glancing between Tony and the old man in the room.

That man had smiled at Tony.

Too much.

He only finds out later who the old man was—Federico Luchese, the infamous Luchese Don.

The same man who, rumor had it, salivated at the sight of young men.

So, Leandro had been protecting him back then.

And it seems that it's not all just a rumor.

‘He's a fucking bad news.’

And that’s a mild way of describing him!

Badnews didn't even begin to cover it.

And the pretty stranger allowed himself to be wrapped and bowed like some fucking gift?

For the Don?

For the old freak?

NO!

The refusal shot through Tony instantly.

Like a gunshot.

The intensity of it stunned him.

It was so strong that he actually wondered—

’Did I just say no? Did I yell that in my head? Was that me?’

Tony took a deep breath. 

He tried to calm himself..

‘So what?’

Why was he so.. against it?

‘Why do I care?’

Something twisted in his gut.

‘Well, he can sleep with the old man then sleep with me, I don't really care..’

His mind was saying other things, but that thing inside his chest—

‘It feels like someone is strangling it.’

Crushing it.

Even breathing was starting to feel hard.

‘What the hell is happening to me?’

Last night, he found out that he can only get hard now just by thinking about the pretty stranger.

That was why Tony wanted this job done—fast.

So he'd have the time to track him down.

And to test his theory.

If he couldn't find the beautiful stranger?

Tony was going to ask Beth for help.

He’d use his prize for a favor.

Just one extra wish compared to the gravity of the case—it’d be worth it.

He didn't think that he would find the pretty thief here—of all the places.

‘And he was a gift,’ Tony mocked himself.

He could not believe it.

‘Well,’ he thought, ‘..might as well procrastinate and enjoy this dance a bit longer.’

Tony decided.

‘Now, where the fuck is he?’

He moved.

Like a big black cat.

Graceful.

Focused.

And deadly.

Looking for his prey.

Leaving Alessandro behind—who was already on the phone, calling his men to have Tony removed.

Tony didn't care.

His eyes sharpened.

Looking.

Searching.

Then he saw him.

The beautiful stranger.

Surrounded by three burly men, similar to the one from the bar.

Suits.

Not touching, but orbiting him like satellites.

Like wardens.

And Tony was about to become that wild prisoner that would dare approach even when it’s forbidden.

Their eyes met.

Again.

Tony stopped walking.

He stood still.

Every part of him was focused on the stranger.

Then the stranger moved—whispered something to one of the suits—and headed toward the restroom.

Tony followed.

One of the guards went in, cleared the restroom.

And led the stranger inside.

Then exited and stood guard outside—blocking the entrance.

Tony’s mind raced.

Already creating scenarios in his head.

‘I need a plan.’

Then his eyes dropped at one of the tables.

He grabbed a half-finished bottle of wine in the bucket of ice.

Stealthily.

He ducked into a corner.

Took off his jacket.

Poured liquor on his hands and clothes to smell like a drunk.

Unbuttoned his dress shirt.

Revealing the top of his chest.

Messed up his hair.

Then gulped down the wine.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

‘It’s showtime.’

He staggered toward the restroom.

Crashed with the guards blocking the entrance.

“Ohh, sorry.. my bad..” he slurred, voice thick and drunk, laying an accent.

Giving all of his body’s weight.

Then he bent over, pretending to retch.

“I gotta—gotta—ugh….”

The sound of retching caught some of people’s attention.

He motioned desperately at the guards, begging for just a moment to go inside—

Then vomited straight onto one of the guards' shiny shoes.

They shouted and cursed, backing away.

Tony rushed in, holding the public restroom’s door.

Still faked dry heaving until he slammed it shut.

Once inside, he dropped the act.

He drank and gurgled the wine and spit it on the sink.

Then he moved fast, checking each cubicle until he found the closed one.

He felt his knees go weak.

He leaned against the wall between the stalls.

Half of his body angled into the space.

He crossed his arms and legs.

Then he said softly:

“Found you.”

A minute passed.

The cubicle door opened.

The beautiful stranger emerged.

Still with his white mask on.

It contrasts the violet of his eyes.

Tony felt something in him had become undone.

“Hello darling,” Tony said with a sly smile.

“Long time no see. Alessandrino’s here,” his voice has turned husky.

He used the name the stranger had called him that time, at the bar.

But the stranger said nothing.

Just stared at him like he was crazy.

“Non ti conosco (I don’t know you).”

Tony almost sighed.

The voice in his memories didn't come close to the real thing.

Still, he smiled.

“Really? But I bet your body still remembers me,” Tony shamelessly said.

The stranger’s eyes narrowed behind his mask.

Tony removed his own mask, silently encouraging the stranger to do the same.

But he didn't.

‘He's so stubborn,’ Tony thought.

‘Just like I remember.’

Stubborn.

And have hidden claws.

Then the stranger spoke in a calm voice—

Dropping his initial plan of pretending not to know Tony.

“You. You're a part of this mafia bullshit.”

It wasn't a question. 

He was stating a fact..

Tony shrugged.

“For now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I'm just some horny bastard,” then his eyes moved up and down the stranger’s body.

Tony was undressing him with his eyes.

The stranger scoffed.

Then went to the sink to wash his hands.

A wide mirror was stretched in front of the stranger.

Tony’s eyes stalked him at the mirror’s reflection.

He can't help himself.

There was some kind of feral hunger inside him.

He drank the stranger’s appearance.

His eyes dropped down his ass.

A beat passed.

The stranger suddenly turned around and caught Tony’s stare.

“I don't like men, I like women,” his hands trembled slightly as reached for some tissues.

It was a declaration.

Tony raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

“Yes!”

“Sure you are..”

“I’m not! I swear! I only flirt with guys I know are gay—to get something out of it. That’s all! I only flirt! Like that time with you! I just want to use you as a shield to those guys in suits!”

The stranger had started to panic while explaining.

Not making sense.

But Tony got what he was saying.

Only that, it's not really registering.

He watched the up and down of the stranger’s chest.

He can feel himself getting excited by it.

He groaned with something close to frustrations inside his head.

A long silence befalls them.

Then—

Tony spoke quietly..

“Then flirt with me," his eyes were serious. “Flirt with me again.”

“What?”

The stranger was quite shocked.

“You said you only flirt with gays you know,” he shrugged.

“My name is Tony, and I think I’m gay..” 

He started to walk towards the stranger.

‘..because I like to eat pretty men like you.”

Eyes never leaving him.

Slowly.

Menacingly.

“Why would you—”

“And I want to fuck you right here—” 

The stranger stepped back, his breath hitching.

“—right now..”

The stranger stopped moving involuntarily, his back touching the sink.

“So flirt with me,” Tony murmured. 

Then he whispered as if begging.

“Use me.”

But the stranger’s bravado was still up.

“Fuck you,” the stranger said, chin tilted, eyes defiant.

‘Pretty cute.’

“Oh, but I already did,” Tony reminded him of their one night stand.

The strangers' eyes darkened.

“That's your first and last.”

Tony smirked.

“We’ll see.”

Then Tony stopped just inches away from the stranger’s face.

“You—”

A series of pounding echoed from the door.

Tony tilted his head.

Sensing their time had got cut off.

“Got a name?”

The stranger looked at him with an unbelievable look on his face.

The banging on the door had become louder.

“...It’s Angel,” he finally said.

Then the door burst open.

**