All Chapters of The Price Of Us: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

LOUIS My new uniform itched. I was given an all-black clean and starched ensemble which included a dress shirt, pants, and a vest. It was nothing like the faded hand-me-downs from home. “It’s itchy right?” one of my co-workers asked, as she too slipped into her attire. I nodded. “Yeah.” “Don’t worry,” she replied. “It’s usually like that the first time.” I gave a small smile and went back to putting on the outfit. “I’m Abigail,” she said, stepping in front if me and thrusting her hand out. “You are?” I looked at her hand, not necessarily used to socializing with people, but took it anyways. “I’m Louis,” I said. She held my hand a little bit longer and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Louis,” she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm I could really borrow right now. “Well,” she said, adjusting her skirt. “I’ll see you around. Have to get to work.” I gave a slight nod and with that she left. I shook the weird encounter from my head and tugged nervously at my collar before I stepp

ELIAS The darkened glass of my office window overlooked the entire casino floor. From up here, everyone looked small and insignificant. Everyone except him. I leaned forward a bit, my elbows resting on the mahogany desk, my eyes fixed on the security feed. There he was, moving slowly through the casino lobby, cleaning tables, stopping now and again to grimace at the limp he worked so diligently to hide. Louis. Christ, that limp was terrible today. "You know," Cathan stood in the corner of the room, his arms crossed, "this is becoming an obsession." I didn't turn. "I'm just making sure he doesn’t die." "You're making sure you lose your mind over another broken thing you think you can fix," he snapped, taking a step closer. "You're not his savior, Don." My jaw tightened. "I'm not trying to be," I lied. Cathan didn't push it further. He knew when he needed to back off. Still, his words dug under my skin. The truth was, I saw too much of myself in Louis. The battered look he

ELIAS The second the door closed behind me, I yearned to turn around. Longed to fling it open, drag Louis out of that room, and lock him away someplace safe where no one would ever touch him again. Where no one would be able to hurt him like I knew they already had. But I couldn't. Not yet. Not without sending him running off into God knows where. Not that I won’t be able to find him, but I’d rather avoid the stress and hassle of it all. I rubbed a hand through my hair, my fingers trembling a little. This was not me. I didn't lose control. "Don," Azion, one of my older guards called, leaning in. "Aaron's men have been seen around the docks again." A muscle in my jaw flexed. Aaron. That fucking bastard was like a nasty disease—always lurking, always waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But lately, he'd been getting more and more bold. And I didn’t like it. Anyone stupid enough to try to hurt my family had a death wish and I was going to make sure he won’t be around for m

ELIAS Regardless of the azure sky and the calm sea, there was a restlessness in me that grew wilder by the second. The hum of the private plane was barely audible over the storm raging in my head. Louis sat across from me, ankles crossed, eyes glued to the window as if the view was enough to anchor his frazzled nerves. He was trying to appear too calm. And I didn’t blame him. He obviously wasn’t comfortable with the impromptu flight, but as my personal assistant, I needed him with me. And maybe I just wanted him close. When I’d informed Cathan about Louis accompanying me, he narrowed his gaze and muttered, "You're playing a dangerous game, Eli and you know it." He just didn't understand. Hell, I didn't either. But all I knew was that I wanted him close. Closer than was safe. "Comfortable?" I asked, breaking the silence. Louis gazed at me, taken aback. "Uh—yeah. This is… not what I expected." I gave a faint smile. "And what did you expect? "Not a jet, that's for sure." He loo

LOUIS That night, after Elias had dismissed me, I couldn't help but wonder if it was all coming apart. The villa was too quiet, too far from the mess that was my life, and my mind kept spinning in circles, trying to wrap around the fact thar I was in Italy. Maybe that was the reason for my sudden boldness. Whenever I thought of Elias, my heart leapt in a way that was too much for me to handle. Not the physical attraction anymore. It was the pull. And I’m getting tired of ignoring it. I know there’s a possibility that he might not even be gay but… I see something there. Something hidden in those deep chocolate browns that I feel an unusual need to cover. And by God, I want to uncover those secrets. The following day, we went over the final details of our meeting. Elias was aloof, as he always was, his mood chilly and ungiving. We spent the day dealing with logistics, and when the sun began to drop low over the horizon, I was alone again with him on the balcony overlooking the hills