Chapter 29: Twice in a row

Third POV

The soft sound of music playing on the television was the only noise in the quiet living room. Outside the bedroom, the house seemed calm, but inside, the atmosphere was entirely different.

Marco had won the final round of rock, paper, scissors, and he was taking his reward without a single second of hesitation.

Their shirts were discarded on the floor. Marco had Fabio pinned flat on his stomach against the mattress, lying fully over him to keep him trapped. A triumphant smirk sat on Marco’s face as he bent his head down, pressing slow, lingering kisses along the side of Fabio’s neck, moving down to his shoulder and across his bare back.

"Twice in a row," Marco whispered, leaning down until his lips brushed right against Fabio’s ear. "I get to be on top."

Fabio let out a low groan beneath him, his shoulders tense as he tried to push his hands into the mattress and lift himself up. But Marco did not give him the chance. He shifted his weight, locking his hands firmly on Fabio’s arms to keep him pinned down.

Fabio grunted, his fingers digging into the sheets as he gritted his teeth. "Don’t get too cocky, bastard." 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Marco chuckled low in his throat, utterly unbothered by the warning. He resumed his path of soft, heavy kisses along Fabio’s spine. Beneath him, Fabio could not stay still. His muscles twitched, his body squirming as he tried to find leverage or escape the grip holding him down.

Marco slid his hands down, gripping Fabio’s waist tightly. Through the fabric of their pants, Marco rubbed himself lightly against Fabio’s ass, applying a slow, deliberate pressure.

Marco’s breath hitched at the immediate reaction, and he bit his lower lip hard to suppress a groan of his own. But Fabio did not manage to hold his back. A low, gravelly moan slipped past Fabio’s lips. The sound sent a sudden spike of pleasure straight down Marco’s spine, and at the sound of it, Marco did it again, pressing harder this time.

They were both fully engrossed in the sensation, the air thick with tension, when a high-pitched chiming sound cut through the room.

It was a specific alarm tone from Marco’s phone- a sound he recognized instantly.

The heat between them vanished in a single second. Marco hastily pushed himself off the bed, his head snapping toward the nightstand where his phone lay vibrating. He grabbed the device and tapped the screen, opening the live security camera feed.

On the small screen, two men were moving in the dark outside the house. They were not just lurking near the perimeter; both men were holding large plastic cans, sloshing liquid around the walls and pouring it directly beneath the garage door.

Gasoline. Without a doubt.

Marco’s expression hardened completely. He turned quickly to Fabio, who had already sat up on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his messy hair.

"We need to leave," Marco said, his voice flat and dead serious.

Fabio let out an annoyed groan, rubbing his face. "What’s going on?"

Marco did not waste breath answering. He snatched his shirt off the floor and pulled it over his head with rapid movements.

Fabio reached out, grabbing Marco’s phone straight from his hand to look at the screen himself. His eyes narrowed as he watched the dark figures outside finishing their work. "Who the hell are they?"

"Give me your car keys," Marco said quickly, ignoring the question. "I’ll go out to the garage and get your car out before they light it up. You run out through the bedroom window."

Fabio did not hand over any keys. Instead, he tossed the phone onto the bed, grabbed his own shirt, and pulled it on. "I’m not jumping out of a window while you play hero."

"Fabio, hand over the fucking keys," Marco growled.

Fabio ignored him entirely. He grabbed his jacket and walked straight out of the bedroom.

Marco followed closely behind him into the hallway, his frustration rising. "I told you to leave first!"

Fabio ignored Marco’s demands and headed straight for the internal door leading into the garage. He pulled it open, stepped inside, and climbed into the driver’s seat of his car.

Marco stood near the threshold, looking at Fabio with genuine worry in his eyes. Through the thin gap under the garage shutter, a dark curl of smoke was already beginning to seep inside. The smell of burning gasoline hit their nostrils instantly. The place had already been lit.

"Open the entrance door," Fabio demanded through the open car window, his hands steady on the steering wheel as he fired up the engine.

Marco hesitated for a fraction of a second, seeing the orange glow flickering at the base of the garage door. But seeing that Fabio was not going to budge, Marco rushed forward. He hit the manual release lever and shoved the garage shutter upward with all his strength.

Heat and smoke billowed in as the metal door rolled up. Marco turned on his heel, sprinted to the passenger side, and threw himself inside.

The second Marco slammed his door shut, Fabio slammed his foot onto the gas pedal.

The car roared to life, tires screeching against the concrete as Fabio reversed out of the burning garage at full speed. They burst through the flames flickering at the threshold, swinging the vehicle around in the driveway before launching forward down the dark street.

Marco immediately turned around in his seat, his sharp eyes scanning the rear window and side mirrors to see if any secondary vehicles were tailing them. The street behind them grew smaller, the growing fire from his house lighting up the night sky in the distance.

"Anyone behind us?" Fabio asked smoothly, taking a sharp corner.

"No," Marco muttered, still watching the road behind them. "Nobody followed. Stop six blocks from here."

Fabio kept driving until they were several streets removed from the burning house. Silence fell inside the car, heavy and cold. Once Fabio brought the car to a final stop along a dark curb, Marco unbuckled his seatbelt and dashed out into the night. Fabio turned off the engine, grabbed his keys, and followed right behind him.

They moved quickly on foot, keeping to the shadows as Marco led the way into a dark residential building nearby. They took the stair. rushing all the way up to the third floor until Marco stopped in front of a specific apartment door- Orso’s place.

Marco reached out and pressed the doorbell twice.

Only a few seconds passed before the lock clicked, and the door opened.

Orso stood in the doorway wearing simple dark sleepwear. His hair was messy, but his eyes were sharp and clear. The moment his gaze landed on Marco, Orso did not even need to ask a question. Marco looked completely calm, his posture rigid, his face devoid of any emotion- and Orso knew better than anyone that Marco was only ever this calm when everything around him was falling apart.

Orso’s eyes flicked over Marco’s shoulder, catching sight of Fabio standing behind him in the hallway. Orso said nothing. He simply stepped back, opening the door wider to let both men inside without a word.