005

~Vincenzo's POV~

 

The doors opened, and the slam shook through the room, cutting off the hum of voices. I walked in, flanked by my men, guns glinting under the golden light of the chandelier. 

 

In a beat, the heavy air changed.

 

Seven pairs of eyes turned my way. Surprise, confusion, and dread painted their faces, but none interested me. My gaze landed on him.

 

Hayden.

 

He stood off to the side, head bowed, clutching the pen as if it weighed a hundred pounds. Our eyes met the moment he lifted his head, and recognition dawned in his wide, tear-streaked eyes.

 

He froze, lips parted in a silent gasp. He saw the guns then, and I saw his slight tremble that ran over his frame.

 

"Come here," I barked, a voice slicing the silence like a blade.

 

Hayden blinked fast, chest rising, his head bowed in front of me, gazing up and shaking his head so little. Fists clamping down tight onto his hips.

 

"No," the man stammered but proudly.

 

I grinned crookedly. Stubborn even now. My boys tensed, but I waved a hand in the air, stopping with them.

 

My eyes locked on the man sitting at the head of the room's table—Victor Morenzo.

 

"Long time no see, Victor," I drawled out lazily, bored sounding, echoed through the room.

 

Victor's face screwed up into a scowl as he sprang to his feet, his teeth gnashing rather loudly. "Vincenzo," he sneered. "What in the hell are you doing here?"

 

"Ruining your day," I said, my lips curling into a smile.

 

Victor's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

 

I let the moment out, the silence heavy. Then I jerked my chin toward Hayden. "Him."

 

The room fell silent. Victor's face reddened, fists clenched at his sides. "You've got some nerve—"

 

"I'm making you a deal, Victor," I cut in, taking another step inside. My guys followed me, moving until every entry point was covered. "I'll give you what you want, whatever you've been dickering with the Lucianos for. In exchange, you hand me Hayden."

 

Victor's eyes went wide with shock, and his lips dropped open, dumb. He slid a disbelieving glance at Hayden, who wasn't moving, shaking his head as if the gesture would make what had just transpired nonexistent.

 

"You are insane", said Victor.

 

"Am I?" I repeated, cocking my head to the side. "Think about it. Whatever deal you're just dying to cut, I can arrange. Money, power, protection—it's yours. All you have to do is sign one small, insignificant boy over to me."

 

Hayden's head snapped up, his skin flaming red. "I'm not insignificant!" he shouted, voice breaking.

 

I whirled on him and plastered him with a razor's edge smile. "Oh, yeah? Well, then come on over here and prove it."

 

"No!" he bellowed, shaking his fists to his sides. "I'm not going anywhere with you! I'm not marrying you!"

 

Victor spun on him and twisted his face in anger. "Shut up, Hayden!" he snapped. "You have no idea what's riding on this?"

 

"I don't care!" Hayden yelled back at him, his eyes starting to well up with tears. "I won't do it!"

 

When I finally spoke, the room fell silent, and all attention turned to me. I let the tension stew before I pulled out my pistol, its metallic click ominously ringing.

 

"Let me put it this way," I said, training the gun on Victor's neighbor. "You can either hand Hayden over to me, or I can start making bodies drop."

 

Before any of them could even flinch, I pulled the trigger.

 

The man fell forward, blood pooling around him as screams ripped through the room. Hayden gasped, his hands flying up to his mouth as he stumbled backward.

 

"Vincenzo!" Victor roared, taking a step forward. "What the hell are you doing?"

 

"Proving a point," I said, even with the turmoil. My eyes moved to Hayden, pale and heaving in his chest, openly crying. "Come here, Hayden. I won't ask again."

 

"No," he whispered, shaking his head. 

 

I sighed and raised the gun again. This time, I put a bullet into one of Victor's guards. The man tried to run, but the bullet caught him in the back and slammed him to the floor.

 

More screams, and now Victor was white. Hayden's knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor, his sobs loud and broken.

 

"You swine!" Victor roared, advancing on me. My men snapped their rifles up to the horizontal, and he stopped.

 

"You have some men left yet, Victor," I spat at him. "Do you want me to make an end of them all, or will you listen to terms?"

 

Victor snarled, face twisted, and the rest were white-eyed, staring, begging.

 

“Victor, please," one of them said. Do what he tells you. I don't want to die”.

 

Hayden continued to sob, arms clenched tightly against his chest, and rocked back and forth on the floor.

 

“You can take him,” Victor finally said in his low and somewhat bitter voice.

 

"No!" Hayden shouted, forcing himself to his feet in a quaking struggle. "No, you can't! You can't do this! Dad, I don't want to go with him!”

 

"Shut up, Hayden!" Victor thundered, his patience finally broken. "You've been a burden to this family! You'll do as you're told!"

 

Hayden sobbed all the louder; he was shaking violently now—every eye in the room was on him.

 

I took another step forward and lowered the gun, looking down at him. "Come here," I repeated softer this time.

 

Hayden yanked his head off the counter, glaring at me through welling tears; now his eyes were red-rimmed.

 

“You Monster!” He gritted out angrily. 

 

"Don't let me be that monster," I sneered at him, my lips curling back into a snarl. "So, Be a good boy and come here, Hayden."

 

He stumbled, his body shuddering with the compensatory wobbly step forward. The room was dead silent except for the low rustle of his footsteps as he began to walk toward me with his head bowed.

 

When he reached me, I used two fingers to tilt his chin so he would look at me. His lips trembled,  and his breath caught as I leaned in close.

 

"Good boy," I purred, the tone low, teasing.

 

Before he could react, I clamped my lips down on his. He stiffened, his hands coming to my chest as though he wanted to thrust me away from him, but I wouldn't let him go. I let my hand glide to his hip instead, drawing him against my frame and sinking further into the kiss.

 

When I finally pulled back, his face was red, his lips were swollen, and his eyes were wide in shock. I leaned closer to him, my lips against his ear, and whispered, "You're even better than I remembered. Last night… you sucked my dick so well."

 

Hayden's face went bright red as he opened and closed his mouth, trying to form words.

 

I grinned, rearing up to look at him. "What, cat got your tongue?"

 

His glare burned hot, but tears gave him away. I took his hand and spun him to face the room.

 "He's mine now"