LOGINHe sat there with a clenched jaw, hands resting on the steering wheel. The words came again, Home.His father’s voice still echoed in his head. Come back now! He let out a slow breath, already bracing himself for whatever was waiting. Just as he reached to start the engine. The phone buzzed again as the screen lit up on the dashboard. He glanced at it, and it was still Alex calling. Lucas’s jaw tightened again.“Isn’t he tired of calling already?” he snapped under his breath, irritation flaring up all over again. The phone kept vibrating, annoyingly insistent. Lucas stared at the screen for a second longer, anger simmering beneath the surface, memories flashing too quickly to sort through. The accusations, were dismissed.It was just a fling. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. “No,” he muttered.Without another thought, he reached over and declined the call. Heavy silence returned.He dropped the phone onto the passenger seat, not sparing it
“Did you say safe?” he snapped. “You call this safe?!” His hand slammed against the desk, drawing attention from across the room. “How did my son get kidnapped in the first place?!” The officers remained calm. They are used to this kind of reaction. “Mr. Westman, there’s an ongoing investigation, we…” “I don’t care about your fucking ongoing investigation!” he cut in harshly. “This wouldn’t have happened if he weren’t mixed up with that Alex!” His jaw clenched tightly. “I can bet my life that it's because of Alex,” he spat the name out like poison. “And Lucas, where is he?” he continued, shaking his head in frustration. “That stubborn son of mine! I warned him. I warned him something bad would happen!” The officer tried to interject, “Sir, your son is an adult…” “And that makes this okay?” he snapped back immediately. “That makes it fine for him to be dragged into nonsense like this?” His breathing was heavy now, anger mixing with fear he refused to sh
The rejection hit harder. Lucas flexed his sore wrists, refusing to look at him. “I said I’m fine,” he added. The response was colder. Silence settled over the room. It was heavy and awkward. Alex swallowed hard, his chest tightening as he watched Lucas pull further away, not physically, but in every other way that mattered. For the first time since finding him, relief wasn’t the strongest emotion in his chest. It was fear because Lucas wasn’t just hurt.He was done with him. The ride to the hospital was quiet. Lucas sat in the back of the police vehicle, his arms resting stiffly on his lap, wrists throbbing with every slight movement. He didn’t look out the window. Didn’t speak. Behind them, Alex followed.His car trailed at a distance, never too close, never too far. Like he was afraid that if he lost sight of Lucas for even a second, he’d lose him completely. At the hospital, everything moved quickly. The questions and the forms. The lights were too bri
He gazed at him, and for the first time since entering the room, he hesitated. “Luc…” he said slowly, searching his face. “You’re serious?” Lucas held his gaze steady and unflinching. “You didn’t give me much choice, did you?” he replied calmly. “You’re the one who’s been all over me so don't blame me if I fuck you too hard.” Another pause as the tension shifted completely. Zenith leaned in again, but this time, slower and more cautious, as if reassessing everything. And Lucas watched him closely.Waiting because he was no longer just resisting, he was testing a theory. He needed to get himself out of that fucking place. Zenith leaned in closer, slow this time, cautious, like he was stepping into unfamiliar territory. His eyes searched Lucas’s face, trying to read him. Trying to understand if this was defiance, or something else. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Luc,” he muttered, voice lower now, less certain than before. Lucas didn’t flinch or look away.
The words landed heavily.Lucas’s eyes narrowed instantly, locking onto the masked figure in front of him, his mind racing. The second button followed. The fabric loosened, exposing his chest, the cold air brushing against it. Lucas’s chest rose and fell faster now, his control slipping, not into fear alone, but into something deeper. Rage, humiliation, and something else… That gnawing, persistent familiarity. His gaze snapped back up to Zenith’s masked face, watching and studying. “You’re crossing a line, this is harassment,” Lucas said, his voice lower but steadier despite everything. “And when I find out who you are, I will give it back to you.” Zenith chuckled softly, cutting him off. “Won't that be nice? How I wish you would give it back to me right now. I'm sure your ass will be very tight.” Lucas glared at him, “I'm not like you so get away from me.” “What?” he murmured. Are you the one fucking Alex?” “That’s none of your business, just stay clear of me”
“I'm just a guy craving your intimacy. You know what I mean, right?” “Do I know you?" Lucas asked as his eyes pierced the masked man’s. “Maybe, maybe you don't.” He leaned in towards his ears. “Come on, darling, it doesn't matter” he whispered, voice still distorted. “We’re all alone. Let’s make the best of it, Hmm?” His voice dropped as he leaned in, teeth grazing Lucas’s ear. Lucas flinched hard, his body jerking against the restraints. “Ouch, what the hell is wrong with you? Get off me!” A low, frustrated growl escaped Zenith. “No. I want you. Don’t you get it?” He moved behind him, circling like a predator, his presence suffocating. “You don’t want me to get rough, or do you?” he murmured, bending down to Lucas’s level again. Before Lucas could react, Zenith’s lips brushed against his neck, too close, too invasive, while his hand slid across Lucas’s chest, trailing downward. Lucas’s stomach twisted in disgust. “You’re sick,” he spat, struggling agai
Lucas swallowed hard. “Yes,” he breathed. Alex let out a shaky laugh. “My heart’s going crazy. Is yours racing right now?” “Yes,” Lucas whispered back. “I think it’s going crazy too.” “Really?” Alex sounded almost relieved. “I like it. That’s a good thing, right?” “What? No—no, it’s not
Lucas's heart picked up, thudding, and he nearly said he would miss him too, but luckily Alex spoke. “Do you have an apartment here?” He asked slowly hoping that he wouldn't. Lucas stared straight ahead. “No but this is where I’m staying, at least for now.” Alex hissed out a relieved breat
All he wanted desperately was to taste Lucas’s lips again. He was already too close, his breath warm against Lucas’s face as he murmured, low and urgent, “My Lucas… I’m craving to taste your lips again.” The words barely left his mouth before reality struck. Just as he leaned in, instinct overro
Ignoring Zenith, he bent, picked up the ladle, dropped it in the sink, and picked up another clean one. Then closed his eyes—just for a heartbeat. He inhaled deeply. Then again and again. It worked like magic. The chaos around him faded, replaced by the memory of a quiet kitchen. The long nights of







