a few years back to a rival group and since then, became more paranoid about who I let into my life. He did however, let me keep Josh. I don’t know what separated Josh from the rest. I know my Dad would have investigated his background thoroughly, not that it was an issue, but he seemed to let me have my friendship with Josh. He never discouraged it, and allowed me to see him as often as I liked.
Perhaps it was because Josh was the only person to befriend me when I first started private school, and he was as sincere and as genuine as they come. Or perhaps it was because my Dad saw how much Josh and I connected and got along, and he really wanted me to have that with someone. Whatever the reason, my Dad allowed my friendship with Josh to grow and grow. I had always been very grateful for that. Deep down, I knew my Dad was allowing me some semblance of normality.
Now having Josh so close to me, his hands on my hips, I was having feelings of something different. Attraction. I mean, I always felt a spark for Josh. I did since the moment I met him. It was hard not to with that infectious cheeky smile, and glimmering green eyes. He made me grin the moment I laid eyes on him. It didn’t help that he had such a charming personality to go with his delicious-looking exterior, but I knew that if I wanted to keep him, I had to set boundaries.
But there weren’t any boundaries right now. The spark that I kept on a low burn somewhere deep inside me, was now smoke and flames as his hands on my body set me alight. It didn’t help that with the intensity radiating from our close proximity, we were both scared out of our brains, thinking we might be found out at any second. We knew it could mean the end of our friendship. With our new-found attraction, we were also trembling with fear. It was the oddest and most exciting mix of emotions to be having whilst trapped in a closet.
Through the slanted slats, I could make out at least two men with my Dad, and someone else whose voice I did not recognize.
“Put him in the seat,” my Dad ordered his men. I heard the scraping of steel on the floor and a painful grunt as another man was placed in a chair.
“Nick, Nick, Nick,” my Dad said over and over again. He was purposely trying to instill fear into this man. I could make out that he was leaning on the steel table as he spoke. “You’ve done a good job, planting that information and turning the Carmellos and Duvetts on one another. Your debt to us is almost paid off.”
The man in the chair in the chair began to stammer. “I, I, I did, did, did exactly what you told me to do right. They don’t suspect you at all. They will kill each other. It’s what you wanted, right? I did a good job, right?”
My father’s body pushed off the table and walked around behind the chair. He was thinking, I could tell. But about what? I felt Josh’s hands grip tighter on my body and I moved backwards to be even closer to him. Whatever this situation was, I was taking advantage of it right now with Josh. The moment wouldn’t last much longer, and I knew I had to soak up Josh’s touch so I could store it in my memory for later.
“You know what my secret is Nicky? To being the guy to rule all this, to getting everything I want?” Both of our bodies tensed as we listened intently to my father’s every word. The fact he used the word ‘secret’, made every hair stand up near my ears.
My Dad’s voice was low and edgy like a razor blade, as he gave his answer. “It’s to always look like the good guy, and turn everyone else against each other.”
“Uh, uh, uh OK... Joe. I did that. Did what you wanted. And I did that well. Right?” My father started to pat the man’s back.
“You did Nick. You did a good job. I will come out of that deal a fucking hero, and much richer now that those heads will go to war with one another.”
“Great Joe. Uh, just great. Can I leave now?” The man tried to move in his chair but