Part 4

Angel stood up and left the room, heading to his dressing room to grab his things. He wanted out. He needed out. Opening the door to his dressing room, he froze when he saw Valentino sitting in his chair, waiting for him. "I want to speak with you, Angel." Angel closed the door behind him. " Not now, Val," he said softly.

Valentino stood up and approached him. "I wasn't asking." Grabbing Angel by the chin, Valentino made his toy look at him. He didn't kiss or hit him; he just looked at him, turning his face from side to side as if looking for something, examining.

"What..?"

Val leaned back and took a puff of his cigarette. "Something has happened." He leaned in closer to look at his face.

"I didn't do anything."

"No...No you didn't. Someone else did." He looked closer into Angel's face. "Someone has said something to you, done something to you. You seem...different." He said.

Angel felt his heart beat faster. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, trying to step back. Val held onto him, a hand grabbing Angel's wrist. "Who have you been speaking to?"

"Val, no one's been speaking to me. I swear." Angel lied. "Please...I don't know what you're talking about."

Valentino's bright red eyes pierced into him, "you're lying to me. You know how I feel about lying."

"Val..."

"Don't lie to me."

"Val...I swear..."

"Don't!"

Angel closed his eyes. "Val...Please..."

Valentino glared down at him and gripped his chin, pulling him close. His teeth were clenched tight for a moment, and Angel thought he was going to go for his jugular, but then his features softened, and he let out a slow exhale before clearing his throat. A clawed hand stroked Angel's cheek. "You are...so pretty. You have always been so beautiful, Anthony." He kissed his cheek.

Angel tensed at the name; Valentino never called him by his name.

With a sweet and poisonous smile, his words were like honey: "My sweet Angel. You are my favorite." He leaned close and whispered. "Tell me...who is it?" He kissed his cheek and held him close in a tight hug. "Don't make me make you less pretty."

Angel was silent momentarily before he hugged Val back, his voice soft, "It's...a friend."

"A friend?"

Angel nodded, "A...good friend."

Valentino held him tighter. " Do I know this friend?" A hand ran down Angel's spine.

Angel shook his head. "No. No, you don't."

"But...they know about me?"

Angel was hesitant. "They...they know of you."

Valentino chuckled, "I see." He held Angel in his arms and sat back in the chair, pulling Angel into his lap. "Does this friend...care about you?" The moth's arms wrapped around Angel's hips and ass, pulling him tight.

Angel nodded his head, "he does. Very much."

Strong, clawed hands ran through the spider's fluffy hair. "I see...and does...he know about your job?" Angel couldn't look at Val. He has an idea, but nothing specific." Val nodded slowly. "Well... it's very nice of him to care for you. Do you think I could meet him sometime? Get to know him better?"

Angel shook his head, "No. I don't think that would be a good idea."

Val held him tighter, his second arms exploring Angel's shoulders and chest. Angel felt Val's fingers slide across the phone hidden away in his chest tuft. "Well...that's too bad. I would love to meet him." The phone buzzed, and Val's smile stretched ear to ear as he slid the phone out of Angel's fluff and looked at the screen. Angel went to grab it, but the moth pulled it out of reach.

"Alex...is it?" He handed the phone to Angel. "A pretty name for a pretty boy, hmm? Don't let me keep you..." he said, sliding his hand over Angel's thigh, "go on." Valentino hit 'Answer' for Angel before letting the phone go.

Angel took the phone, holding it to his ear. "Hey..." He couldn't take his eyes off Valentino.

"Hey! I didn't think I'd hear from you until tomorrow. How are you? Is everything OK?" Alex's bubbly, light voice made Angel feel a little better.

Angel closed his eyes and smiled, his voice trembling. " It's all fine, babe. I'm just doing the usual." Val smiled and mouthed, 'babe,' his grin expanding. "How's your night going?"

"It's ok. It's pretty quiet tonight. Nothing major. How was work? You're done, right?"

"Yeah…I'm still trying to figure that out." Valentino nodded to Angel, repeatedly curling a finger around a few strands of his hair.

"Good. I'll sing to you when you get home and shower." Angel didn't think Val's smile could get wider, but somehow it did. "I uh…look forward to that. Thank you."

"Any time, Ang. Is everything alright? You sound a little out of breath."

Curling his fingers around it, Valentino took the phone from Angel. "Hello?" he said into the phone. Angel covered his mouth and shook his head, mouthing 'no' to Valentino, who smiled at him.

"Oh...hey! Who's this?"

Valentino leaned back in his seat. "My name is Valentino. I'm an associate of Angel's. He tells me you know who I am. "

There was silence on the other end for a moment. "The moth." The words were heavy.

Valentino chuckled, "the moth. Yes." He stroked Angel's back and then along his cheek, staring into the spider's eyes. "I was hoping to speak to you briefly if you don't mind."

Again, silence. "Is Angel OK?"

"Angel is fine. He's right here. We're just having a chat."

"Could you put me on speaker? I want Angel to hear me."

Valentino looked down at Angel, his eyebrow cocking, and then at the phone, "of course." He hit the speaker button, but finding it on the old phone took a moment. "You're on speaker, Alex."

"Angel? You ok?"

"Y-yea."

"Good. Valentino, I want you to know that Angel only ever speaks highly of you. He appreciates what you do for him and the life you have provided for him. He sometimes feels guilty for not giving his best in all his performances, but he rarely has a negative thing to say about you."

Angel looked up at Valentino, seeing the moth smile widely. " Does he now? That's rather kind of him," he ran his thumb along the white cheek of his subordinate.

"Yes. He does. And I would hate for that to change."

Valentino chuckled, "I wouldn't want that either."

"Now I want you to know something, Mr. Valentino, from me to you." Valentino kissed Angel's cheek, "I'm listening."

"One day, and it may not be soon, and it may not be in the next hundred years, but one of these days, you are going to wake up gone, and on that day, more will cheer and celebrate than mourn."

Angel covered his mouth, and Valentino laughed out loud. "And why would that be?"

"Because you're in hell. And eventually, you will cross the path of something worse than you with a smile twice as big."

There was a pause as Val digested that, Alex happy he was being given the time to think of something clever to say, "And you're fat."

Valentino stopped laughing, his smile dropping from his face. He looked at the phone with a surprised look. He blinked once.

"What did you call me?"

The call ended.

Angel looked up at Valentino. He could see the gears turning in the moth's head as he stared at the phone, and the spider slowly slipped off his lap and backed away, bracing against the wall of his dressing room.

Valentino stared at the phone in silence before he set it down and leaned back in his chair. He took a puff off his cigarette and exhaled slowly, looking at himself in the mirror.

"I like him."

Angel blinked. "Uh...what?"

Val looked over at Angel. "He has grit. I like him. He's...feisty." He took another puff. "You should bring him around sometime."

Angel took a step back, "bring him around?"

Valentino nodded, "Yes. Bring him by. I want to meet him. I want to talk to him. Find out why he's so special that he's taken the attention away from me."

"I uh...don't know where he lives. We...talk. On the phone."

Val smiled and leaned back. "Well...that's easy. I'll get Vox to track it."

Angel was about to protest but stopped and then thought about it. Valentino didn't know about Alex, didn't know he was still alive and outside of hell. He nodded his head. "I would like that, Val. Would you do that for me?"

Valentino stood up and approached Angel, putting a hand on his cheek and running it down his neck and arm. "Anything for you, my sweet Angel." He slid the phone back into Angel's hand.

"Anything?"

Valentino smiled, "anything."

Angel mulled over his request in his head before speaking, "Teach Sparky to be a dom...not a sub."

Valentino raised an eyebrow, "Why? He's so good at being a sub. He has such a soft side and a gentle touch. He's perfect for that role."

"You said anything."

Valentino looked down at Angel, "and I meant it. But what's the purpose of this request?"

"Sparky needs to learn to be aggressive. He needs to get big—bigger than..." he slumped, "Brutus."

Valentino smiled, "You are so protective of him. That's so sweet of you. Alright, if that's what you want." He turned to leave, and Angel looked up at him. " What's the catch?" he asked.

Val stopped and looked back at him. " No catch. Just be ready for a new session tomorrow. We have a lot to prepare for."

Angel nodded his head, "Yes, sir."

Valentino smiled and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Angel released a breath he didn't know he was holding and pulled out his phone, texting Alex. 'We have to talk.'