By the time Mikhail walked through the front gate, it had already begun to rain. The sky flashed once, followed by thunder as intense as the anger in his heart. It was one of those times when nothing seemed to go the way he wanted, when enemies appeared out of nowhere without warning, forcing him to give up the one last card he had yet to play. It wasn't a problem, except that one last card could mean losing Fei Long forever. And to him, Fei Long was everything.
A sleek, black BMW Z4 pulled up in front of the gate. Mikhail took a glance at the driver and stepped into the roadster quietly. By then, he was soaking wet from head to toe. He didn't really care. It was better than waiting in the house of that pompous prick anyway.
"This is your idea of an ordinary ride?" Mikhail complained in an irritated voice without looking at the man behind the wheel. He was sure he mentioned not wanting his meeting with Toh to be known to the general public, at least not so obviously.
"It's black," Alexei shrugged. "If you're so worried, you can call yourself a cab," he added with a mischievous smirk and a raised eyebrow, an expression that had long enabled him to irritate his older brother to his heart's content ever since they were young.
To Alexei's surprise, Mikhail responded with a deafening silence, a warning sign that told him the man wasn't in the mood to be messed with. Something definitely had gone wrong in that house.
"So what did he say?" Alexei asked, this time in a more serious tone. He couldn't help wondering what Toh could have said or done to put his brother in such a dreadful mood.
"He wants our share of the deed," Mikhail replied. "And something else I can't give."
It was definitely something he couldn't give. Regardless of what he had said in that room, what Toh asked for was out of the question. He would have done anything to avoid that end. Fei Long had already been hurt and betrayed too many times, and by nearly everyone he had ever been close to. If Fei Long had to go through one more hurt and betrayal, it would not be from him.
"The way I see it, you can't really give him any of those things. Macau is mine; so is the deed," Alexei interrupted.
Mikhail turned around and gave his brother a look that made Alexei wish he had never said those words.
"Macau is yours because I gave it to you. As head of the family, I can take it away just as easily," Mikhail replied with a calm yet intimidating tone. Brotherhood aside, Alexei should know his place in the family.
"Besides, you owe me, Alyosha,"
The playfulness on Alexei's face suddenly vanished the moment Mikhail spoke that name.
Alyosha.
He knew exactly what it meant. Ever since that incident nearly fifteen years ago, Mikhail had never called him by that name. Hearing it again brought back memories that used to give him nightmares for years, even without the scars to remind him of it, like his brother's. For Mikhail to bring it up meant he must have been desperate enough to press the issue with him. If that were the case, then he could never turn down anything Mikhail asked of him.
"You knew if you brought that up, I'd do anything for you," Alexei said with guilt clearly noticeable in his tone. The memory of that night more than a decade ago was still fresh in his mind, perhaps even more so than in Mikhail's, who had taken it all upon himself in his brother's place. "I only wish you'd ask me before you decide to take what's mine and give it away, especially when it's a business that brings in the majority of my income."
At the end of that statement, Mikhail turned around and looked at him with eyes that seemed to condemn him to the deepest layer of hell. It seemed Alexei had forgotten something of great importance – something for which Mikhail had every right to demand something in return for the damage it had caused.
"You didn't ask me before you slept with him," Mikhail said with a low, terrifying voice, making sure every word would pierce through the other's skin and leave a mark. "Fei Long is my life."
It wasn't until then that Alexei understood what he had done. From the outside, his brother had always appeared unbreakable. In truth, he may have been made of broken pieces held together by a very strong will to live. Mikhail had never forgotten what Alexei did, and most likely, he never would.
"I didn't know," Alexei admitted quietly. He had assumed Fei Long was just a fling and that Mikhail would soon forget and move on, the way he had always done in the past when they quarreled over a toy. It had slipped his mind that Fei Long was no toy. Not even to him, and definitely not to Mikhail.
"I know you didn't," Mikhail replied. No matter how much of a brat Alexei was, Mikhail knew he would never intentionally cross the line. Even though what happened fifteen years ago wasn't Alexei's fault, Mikhail could tell that he had felt responsible for it, which was also why Alexei had always tried to appear uninterested in the family's business – to make sure the power went to his brother unconditionally. It was his way of paying back for the damage. For that reason, Mikhail had always been willing to put up with Alexei's unpleasant behavior.
"Anyway, have you contacted Yuri?" Mikhail asked, trying to shake the irrelevant thoughts out of his head and focus on the issue at hand.
"He should be on his way to Macau."
"You think you can handle him?"
"What do you mean, 'handle him'? Where are you going?"
"Moscow. There are things I have to deal with. But don't worry. Yuri likes innocent boys. You're now way too old, not to mention totally lacking in innocence," Mikhail teased with a playful grin. In truth, he was sure at that point in his life, Alexei could handle anyone. On the contrary, it was Yuri who should be careful.
"Of course, you, being OLDER and even less innocent, have much less to worry about," the man behind the wheel snapped back.
"Are you going to shut up and drive, or shall I throw your ass onto the street?"
Alexei laughed. He was rather glad to hear Mikhail talk in that manner. Perhaps Mikhail had already gotten over it – either that, or his brother was exceptionally good at hiding his emotions.
"Well, you'd better come back soon before I run out of patience and whack that old fart for good," Alexei warned jokingly. But the truth was he would have done it without a second thought if it were up to him.
"Anyway, you can't go to Moscow yet. Fei Long just got back to Hong Kong. You should go pay him a visit. He got shot, you know?" Alexei said casually. He had been keeping the news to himself for a few days. But it was about time to tell Mikhail.
One thing he knew, no force on earth or in heaven could have stopped the man from going back to Hong Kong immediately, least of all whatever business he had to deal with in Moscow. Mikhail Arbatov's most serious weakness was none other but Liu Fei Long of Baishe. And Alexei was right. At that moment, his brother's face turned nearly white.
"Why didn't you tell me before? Turn the car around right now and take me to the airport."
xxx
Hong Kong
The chime of the elevator prompted the bodyguards to reach for their guns. The top floor of the building was their master's private space. All who entered had to be screened and given permission by Liu Fei Long himself. That day, no guest had been given such permission.
Mikhail raised a brow in surprise as he stepped out to find every piece of weaponry in the corridor pointing at him. He had been given the privilege to go in and out of Baishe at will for some time. Whether it was a misunderstanding or there was a change of protocol, it definitely pissed him off.
"Get out of my way." Mikhail proceeded down the corridor without paying attention to the guns pointing at him from all directions. He didn't come all the way to Hong Kong on a bloody commercial flight to be stopped by these idiots.
"You no longer have clearance, Mikhail Arbatov," a familiar voice sounded from behind him.
Mikhail turned around and found Yoh standing in the middle of the hallway with a look on his face that showed he wasn't joking. And then it dawned on him that all the commotion had been no mistake. If Yoh, who reported directly to Fei Long, was in on it, there could be no mistake.
"Says who?" Mikhail asked, looking straight into the other's eyes, waiting for the answer he already knew in his heart to be confirmed.
"Fei Long-sama no longer allows you to visit unofficially. I'm afraid you will have to make appointments," Yoh replied with his usual expressionless face. He didn't quite understand the reasons behind such an order. But ever since Fei Long had come back from Japan, he had made it clear that Mikhail Arbatov was not to be granted entrance to his private quarters. Despite everyone's belief that their relationship must have broken off in a bad way, Yoh had been with Fei Long long enough to know there was more to it underneath that cold expression of his master.
"Well, you're just going to have to shoot me," Mikhail said, irritated, and forced his way down the hall. He knew no one there would dare shoot him. Unless, of course, if Fei Long had wanted him dead. In which case, there would be no point in living anyway.
Whether it was because Fei Long had already had a change of heart, or he had rediscovered the boy he had been in the past whose heart had been stolen by that Japanese man now somewhere in Tokyo – in Mikhail's mind, it hadn't changed anything. For whatever reason, it would be a lie to say he hadn't seen it coming right from the start. Although he had no intention to give up on Fei Long, the most important thing at the moment was to make sure the man he loved was safe and secure. Their relationship would have to wait until all things had been sorted out.
Mikhail pushed the door open and found Fei Long sitting on his favorite chair surrounded by his subordinates waiting to be given orders. In his hands were documents of some kind that showed he had been working. Mikhail sighed in relief. The man, who he had come to see in a hurry, looked well. It was all he needed to know.
xxx
The sound from the door made Akihito jump from the bed. No matter how many times Fei Long had sent his bodyguard to fetch him, he still couldn't get used to it. Akihito had been called to Fei Long's room at least once a day to satisfy the triad leader's need. Ironically, he had yet to see satisfaction on Fei Long's face. They weren't even having sex. His kidnapper had never engaged himself in the act beyond ordering him around. Sometimes it seemed Fei Long had simply wanted a relief from stress or to keep his mind occupied. Other times, Akihito was sure the man had done it out of spite. Sexual activities with Fei Long weren't disgusting – they were suffocating and depressing, and he dreaded it even more than being raped by Asami for the first time.
Yoh came into the room and unlocked the chains around Akihito's ankles and wrists. Fei Long's personal bodyguard didn't speak much, nor did his expression ever change. Apart from that little boy, Baishe was full of depressing people with a lot to hide, with everyone secretly counting down to the day it would all explode. Even someone who had been trapped in a room with nothing but empty walls, like him, could feel the pressure in the air.
"Hurry up. The boss is waiting," Yoh said with his usual emotionless tone that matched his facial expression perfectly. In Akihito's opinion, the man was just like his master. Together, they made the world seem like a dreadful place to live in.
Akihito followed quietly without protest. It wasn't as if he had a choice. Escaping the place was near impossible anyway. He paused and took a deep breath as he approached the door to Fei Long's bedroom, preparing for the suffocating atmosphere that always filled the man's surroundings. Liu Fei Long was too intimidating, cold, and reserved for Akihito to ever feel at ease in his presence.
"Does he ever enjoy anything?" Akihito turned around and asked the man who he believed knew the answer. Just the knowledge that there existed some part of Fei Long that was human would have helped.
"It's none of your business. Get in," Yoh quickly brushed him aside. It was better to not let the boy get emotionally involved with Fei Long and cause even more complications than there already were. Not that Yoh was convinced it could be prevented. He just had to look in the mirror to see a good example of such failure. Even the seemingly heartless Asami Ryuichi himself had failed and was paying heavily for the mistake. Like an extremely potent pheromone, something about Fei Long drew in even the most disciplined men on the planet. For all Yoh knew, the whole damn organization was emotionally involved with Fei Long. And sadly, the result was turning out to be more unfortunate than good.
As soon as Akihito walked through the door, the pungent smell of opium reached his nose. Whenever he was called to the boss's room, Fei Long would be waiting for him with a hash pipe in his hand. His deep amethyst eyes would be staring into empty space, while his mind was seemingly occupied with something or someone in the distance. They say opium makes the pain go away and produces relaxation. The way Akihito saw it, the triad leader must have been abusing the substance long enough to have developed a considerable level of tolerance. "Relax" was hardly the appropriate word to describe Fei Long's state of mind. It seemed all the drug did was allow the man to drown in his thoughts without feeling too much pain.
Fei Long called for him to proceed toward the bed and parted his own robe, a gesture that told Akihito to try and please him with his mouth. The boy had never quite understood the point of making him carry out the act when the man on the receiving end had always appeared indifferent. But that day, the hash pipe landed on Akihito's head, and Fei Long, for the first time, complained about the boy's lack of skills. Akihito recalled the commotion outside of his room that morning. Perhaps something or someone had affected Fei Long in a way that made him decide to seek pleasure.
Fei Long put a blindfold on him and told him to try harder. It was the first time the man had told him what to do and engaged himself in it. With the blindfold, the act became more real and sickening. But then he heard Fei Long whimper. The blindfold loosened, and Akihito's heart raced as he saw the man, who was being pleasured, tremble and moan in front of him. Even if those amethyst eyes were closed and Akihito knew the image in Fei Long's mind wasn't him, the boy's body readily responded to what had to be the most erotic sight he had ever seen. When the cold and cruel mask that Fei Long wore would break apart, he was indescribably beautiful.
Akihito cried out a little as the other man's hand closed tighter on his hair and the body underneath him jerked a little. As Fei Long came in his mouth, Akihito thought he heard a name from the triad leader's lips. Even though he didn't quite catch the name, he was certain it wasn't Asami's. No, there was someone else who had once given Fei Long that pleasure. And perhaps if that man had still been there, things may have turned out a bit differently. But Fei Long quickly composed himself and shook away whatever thought he had in mind. Akihito could almost see the man biting his lips for whatever illusion he just had.
That day, Fei Long had asked him a question about Asami that would later become a wound in Akihito's heart for years to come. The boy could hardly tell if the question was asked out of jealousy or curiosity, or if it was the question for which Fei Long had been seeking an answer for himself after all this time. It was also one that Akihito himself could not answer.
"Has he said he loves you?"
For once, even though they hadn't spoken it out loud, both of them knew the answer to that question all too well.
xxx
Arbatov Villa, Macau
Mikhail loosened his tie and placed his suit jacket on the bar before pouring himself a drink. Having no sleep for the past thirty hours had drained him of all energy. And yet there were things to be done, not to mention that he had to leave for Moscow as soon as possible.
"Man, you look like shit," Alexei commented as he stepped into the room and found his usually energetic brother looking like he had just been through a war. Alexei had arrived in Macau in the afternoon and discovered that Mikhail had gone straight to Baishe without stopping by the house first. Which explained why the man had seemed so exhausted.
"I do feel like shit," Mikhail replied with a heavy sigh, raking his hand through his hair that was already somewhat of a mess. "Is he here?"
"I've already told Yuri to come and see me here. I'll handle this. You get some sleep," Alexei explained. He didn't think it was a good idea for the two of them to meet when Mikhail was in this state of exhaustion.
"Just get the plane ready for me after this. I'll sleep later," Mikhail brushed his brother's concern aside. He might as well stay a while longer to make sure everything went smoothly. To him, Yuri wasn't a problem. Not anymore, anyway.
Just moments later, the man they both hadn't seen for fifteen years walked into the room. Mikhail took a glance at him and lit himself a cigarette. It may have been a normal gesture for any other man, but for those who knew him, Mikhail smoking a cigarette meant something was bothering him greatly, regardless of what he was willing to show. That reaction alone made Alexei hold his breath as he silently observed the tension in that room, hoping that the nightmares they had experienced a decade ago would not return.
Yuri hadn't changed much, except for the lines on his face that displayed the evidence of age. His appearance showed he was in the same line of work as before, even now after being banished completely from the family. The old man stood proudly in the middle of the room, looking straight at Mikhail in the eyes, without a trace of shame or regret.
"Good afternoon, uncle," Mikhail greeted the man he once considered family, casual and unaffected. "Of course, you do remember me and Alexei?"
"I almost didn't. You were just boys the last time I saw you," Yuri replied. While Alexei had grown into the adult version of that pretty boy, Mikhail, however, had become a man that Yuri would never have imagined the same boy fifteen years ago could have possibly grown into. Back then, the first born of the Arbatov family was a nuisance – a true troublemaker who was incredibly stubborn and strong-willed to a fault – making him the family's failure in everyone's eyes because of his uncontrollable behavior and his tendencies to break every rule in his path. Mikhail Arbatov as a man in his early thirties, although still playful in appearance, seemed to be a man of great control and power, with a presence that intimidated all in his path. It appeared that the rumors Yuri had heard about his nephew were true after all.
But the first thing Yuri had to make clear was something else.
"How is Vladimir?"
"He doesn't know you're here, if that's what you're asking," Mikhail replied bluntly. The first thing the old man wanted to know was whether or not he was out of danger. It was a perfect chance for Mikhail to make it clear that should his father find out that Yuri had come back anywhere near the family, the man would most likely be made to pay for what he had done.
"So this has been your call?"
"I am now the head of the family. Everything is my call," Mikhail confirmed, making sure the other man understood the meaning behind it clearly. "You will be working directly for me. If you don't have a problem with it."
"It's not a problem," Yuri replied after a moment of silence. Getting back into the family had been his first priority. And since Mikhail seemed to have no problem with him anymore, working under his own nephew wasn't a problem.
"Then it's settled," Mikhail said and poured himself another drink. "I'm in a hurry. So I'll get right to the point."
"I'm listening."
"I want Baishe's part of the deed to the casino in Macau," Mikhail began. A man in Yuri's line of work needed no introduction to the matter. Yuri's background and experience had made him a useful ally who could get to work quickly. "The true owner of that deed, by law, is Liu Yan Tzui. He is being held captive by Phillip Toh. Find and kill him."
Yuri nodded. It was the usual task he had done countless times – locate and kill.
"Meanwhile, get your men to infiltrate Baishe and steal that deed," Mikhail continued.
"That shouldn't be too hard," Yuri confirmed with a grin. He had heard that the head of Baishe was just a young man with a pretty face. With the right way in, the job should be a walk in the park.
"While I'm away, you will report to Alexei, who has control over all business in Macau. Anything you need to know for the job, ask Nikolai."
"Nikolai?" Yuri repeated to make sure he had heard correctly. Nikolai had always been a lower ranking subordinate working directly under Boris. The only way he could have moved up in the organization was for his boss to resign. Which came down to the question he simply had to ask. "Where is Boris?"
"Boris was a good man. Unfortunately, he worked for my father," Mikhail explained, his blue eyes turning cold enough to send a chill racing down Yuri's spine.
"I understand," Yuri replied, confirming that the message being sent had been received clearly. Mikhail indeed was no longer a boy to be pushed around. "I have to admit, I never thought the little Misha would turn out to be so impressive."
Mikhail calmly put down his drink and looked the older man in the eyes with an expression on his face that made Yuri wish he had never entered the room in the first place.
"Yuri." The new head of the Arbatov family pronounced the name with a voice that struck like lightening. "As long as you remain on my territory, you will address me properly. Am I understood?"
"Of course." Yuri swallowed the bile in his throat with difficulty as he spoke. The situation clearly had changed. And for a moment, he wasn't sure being around the two brothers was as safe as he thought. He might be family, but that tie had been severed a long time ago. If it wasn't for the wishes of the boys' late mother, he knew he would have already been dead. But he wasn't sorry for what he did. The boys had to be punished for their crime.
"You may leave," Mikhail commanded.
A sigh of relief was heard loud and clear from Alexei after Yuri had exited the room. The old man's presence and how it would affect Mikhail had been one of Alexei's biggest concerns. Surprisingly and fortunately, Mikhail appeared indifferent to it, and everything went smoothly – too smoothly, in Alexei's opinion. However, one detail about Yuri's instructions puzzled him greatly.
"You do realize stealing the deed from Fei Long will make you his enemy?" Alexei asked to make sure his ears hadn't deceived him.
Mikhail smiled in amusement as he saw the curiosity written on his brother's face. Of course it would. But given the situation, he had no other choice.
"Fei Long isn't a fool, Alexei. Yuri will never get that deed. But it will force Baishe to tighten security and start cleaning up the moles in the organization. In case we don't get our hands on Yan Tsui, Fei Long will be prepared for an attack."
"For this purpose, you are deliberately sending our men to their deaths?"
Mikhail turned around and gave his brother a cunning smile. "You mean Yuri's men?"
The answer made Alexei pause for a full minute as he realized his brother's plan. Mikhail Arbatov was incredibly brilliant.
"That's why you called him."
"I need disposable labor," Mikhail shrugged.
"And he calls me an unimaginable bastard," the younger brother snickered as he recalled Fei Long's words. He,
at least, wasn't half as scheming as the other despicable bastard standing in front of him.
"That, you are. Fei Long is always right, you know?" Mikhail agreed proudly. His blue eyes previously dimmed by exhaustion immediately lit up at the thought of the one man who truly had Mikhail Arbatov by the balls.
"You are making me nauseous," Alexei complained. It was rather scary what love can do to a man. In Mikhail's case, it had turned a perfectly evil and merciless crime lord into a lovesick puppy. He wished Fei Long had been there to see that ridiculous grin of absolute pride on Mikhail's face. How unfortunate that Mikhail's wishes regarding his future with Fei Long had such a little chance of ever coming true.
"Just get the plane ready for me while I take a quick shower," Mikhail said, ignoring the remarks his brother seemed to enjoy teasing him with endlessly. It didn't bother him. In his opinion, a real man should be bold enough to admit his affection without shame. And loving Fei Long was the best thing that ever happened to him. Why shouldn't he be proud?
Mikhail quickly left after the conversation and headed for the master bedroom on the second floor. He took off his shirt and threw it on the chaise lounge by the bed before stepping into the largest marble bathroom of the house. On his way in, the full-sized mirror reflected the scars on his back, making him pause for a moment in front of it.
It had been a while since he had completely forgotten those scars. There were times when the pain that remained forever etched in his memory had haunted him even in his sleep. Every time Fei Long woke up screaming in the middle of the night, Mikhail's own pain would come back, along with the memory he had already put behind him for more than a decade. Fei Long didn't think Mikhail would understand. The truth was, he understood it all too well to just let someone he loved walk down the same path he had. But it wasn't up to him. It was up to Fei Long to come to the realization that he must save himself. But Mikhail would make sure it happened, even at the cost of their relationship for the time being. Unless Fei Long found peace within himself, they would have no future together.
