Angelo's POV
As soon as Angelo's eyes opened, the memories from last night flooded his mind.
Lucifer's soft lips pressed against his own, leaving him with the taste of alcohol and something sweet. Angelo eagerly returned the kiss, and had it all been nothing more than an unhinged dream, he wouldn't be on the verge of a panic attack right now.
Last night wasn't a dream. It was very real. Mistakes were made, and unfortunately, no one had a time machine for Angelo to use.
Roger had tried to warn him. He told Angelo not to give in too easily. To keep Lucifer on edge. And what did Angelo do? The opposite. The second Lucifer's lips touched his, he was a goner. It was beyond pathetic.
Making out with his kidnapper? And enjoying it? Yeah, the bar really was at an all-time low.
How could I have been so stupid? So weak? Angelo rubbed his eyes and groaned, annoyed at himself.
Now wasn't the time for pity parties, though. He had to continue to focus on proving his worth and show Lucifer that he was indispensable to the MC. His life depended on it.
But first, he needed to set up his new phones.
Slipping out of bed, Angelo retrieved the phones from their hiding spot under the mattress. His bedroom door still lacked a lock, so he took them into the bathroom for privacy.
On the iPhone, Angelo composed a coded message to his best friend, Maxxx. They were as tight as two people could be without having ever met in real life.
They first connected online several years ago when Angelo was first starting out in the hacker sphere. His dream back then was to become a member of Maxxx's group, XXXTINCT, which was a skilled hacker collective that saw themselves as the cyberworld's Robin Hood.
Most of what Angelo knew had come from them. But ultimately, the gigs that required him to shut off certain parts of his soul paid more than the work that XXXTINCT performed. This made Angelo create his own path and make a name for himself as Kai.
He knew karma would come for him one day. What he hadn't known was how it would be packaged—a kidnapping where he was forced to work for a man who had the balls to look death in the face and laugh.
It couldn't get worse than that.
He quickly filled Maxxx in on his mess of a situation while begging for help to find a way of escaping. On the cheap burner phone, he updated his client, Phil, about Lucifer's attempt to blackmail Quinton.
Phil replied first, and of course, it came with a demand.
Phil123: I need better evidence. Something that can be proven in court—not hearsay.
Phil123: What happened to you visiting their club?
Phil123: A few pictures of them in the act of committing crimes would be better.
"It's almost like this prick wants me to get killed," Angelo muttered, tension knotting his shoulders.
While concealing his captivity and the fact he and Lucifer have already met in person, he once again promised to pursue the seemingly impossible task.
Kai: Still working on it.
Phil123: Work harder.
Phil123: You haven't forgotten how much money is on the line, have you?
A knock on the door made Angelo jump.
"Are you taking a shit in there or what?" Lucifer asked. "I've been waiting out here for almost twenty minutes."
Heart pounding, Angelo flushed the toilet as if he had used it. He powered off the phones and wrapped them in a towel before stashing them under the sink behind all the cleaning supplies.
"I'll be out in a second!" He tried to buy time as he twisted the faucet on and mimicked the sounds of handwashing.
When he finally opened the door, he found Lucifer standing on the other side, eyeing him suspiciously.
"S-something—" Angelo cleared his throat and smiled. "Is there something I can do for you this morning? Another job or whatever?"
"Doesn't smell like you took a shit, and I don't see any steam from the shower." Lucifer's eyes narrowed. "What were you doing in here for almost thirty minutes?"
"Seriously? Is it now a crime to be constipated?" Angelo slipped past him into the bedroom, aiming for casual as he sat at his desk. "I was on the toilet trying to use the bathroom." He kept his tone light, but an edge crept in. "Or is that not allowed anymore?"
"I didn't come here to argue with you." Lucifer followed and stood behind him, rolling his eyes. "I do have another job. Something dealing with Quinton."
"What is it this time?" Angelo booted up his computers, ready to work.
His entire rig cost a little under $5,000, and it was a shame that it wasn't being used to its full potential. If he hadn't been so paranoid about Lucifer having tampered with it to track his activity online, he would've already reached out to Maxxx for help.
In a perfect world, he would've already been home by now, and Lucifer locked up in prison.
"I need you to hack into the police department," Lucifer said. "Leak all the dirt we have on Quinton, then spread it on social media for everyone else to see."
Angelo's enthusiasm to have this job take his mind off the madness surrounding him faltered quickly.
He had no love for the cops, but he wasn't looking to be placed on their radar again. One slip-up would do just that because working for Lucifer gave the saying 'working under pressure' a whole new meaning.
"As always, if you're not up for it, I'll find someone who is," Lucifer said, sensing Angelo's hesitation. "But I hope you know what that means for the rest of your time here."
"You'll kill me. We've been over this already."
"So?"
"I can do it. Give me a couple of hours."
"Cool. Get to it then." Lucifer sprawled out on the bed and flicked on the TV, clearly intending to stay.
"This again?" Angelo protested. "You're really going to sit and monitor me every time I use the computer?"
Lucifer ignored him, eyes fixed on the TV.
Swallowing his frustration, Angelo turned back to his screens. But half an hour in, he couldn't resist breaking the silence by digging for information.
"I'm guessing things didn't go well during your meeting with Quinton. Is that why we're now trying to destroy his reputation?" he asked.
"Club business. I can't discuss it with you, so stop asking questions," Lucifer said, not even glancing over.
Message received. Setting his jaw, Angelo focused on the code scrolling across his screen.
Whatever spark flared to life last night had fizzled out before the sun rose. And who could blame Lucifer? He was right not to trust Angelo. After all, Angelo was currently stabbing him in the back by working with Phil. All to save his own skin.
It was either Lucifer or him. Only one of them would walk away from this unscathed, and Angelo was determined it would be him. No matter what lines he had to cross. No matter who he had to hurt.
Hours slipped by in awkward silence. Finally, Angelo leaned back in his seat with a heavy sigh. "It's done."
No response.
"Lucifer?" He spun around to see the man lying motionless on the bed, his eyes closed, chest rising and falling softly. Sound asleep.
Angelo moved in closer, and that's when he noticed the dark circles beneath Lucifer's eyes. How utterly exhausted the man looked. All the bullshit Lucifer was mixed up in, the stress of it had taken its toll big time.
Angelo almost regretted keeping his deal with Phil going. Almost. But at the end of the day, he had to look out for himself. No one else would.
"Lucifer. Hey." He reached out to shake Lucifer's shoulder. "I said the job is done—woah!"
Lucifer's hand clamped around Angelo's wrist, and chaos ensued.
Before Angelo could blink, he was suddenly lying flat on his back on the mattress, Lucifer's weight pinning him down while his strong fingers closed around his throat, digging into his windpipe.
Wild, unfocused eyes bored into his. Lucifer's chest heaved with panicked breaths, a vein pulsing in his temple. His grip tightened, cutting off Angelo's air.
"It's j-just me!" Angelo wheezed, hitting Lucifer's wrists. "It's Angelo!"
He might as well have been talking to a brick wall because there was no recognition in Lucifer's stare.
He was somewhere else, seeing someone else. All the while, Angelo's lungs screamed for oxygen and black spots danced in his vision. Genuine fear seized him. If he couldn't snap Lucifer out of it, he just might kill him for real, lost in whatever waking nightmare had its claws in him.
"L-Lucifer, p-please..." Angelo choked out. "S-stop! I'm not...y-your enemy..."
Enemy.
That word brought light back into Lucifer's eyes, clarity returning as his grip on Angelo's throat loosened, allowing sweet air to flood back into Angelo's starved lungs.
"Sorry. I thought..." Lucifer's voice was soft, barely audible. He shifted off Angelo and the bed, eyes blinking rapidly. "I don't take well to people touching me in my sleep. Not that you would've known that."
Massaging his bruised throat, Angelo pushed himself up to sit on the edge of the bed. "Dude, are you... okay?"
Mentally, is what he wanted to add to that, but couldn't. For reasons.
"I'm fine. You?"
"Barely."
A war raged behind Lucifer's guarded expression, tightening the corners of his eyes and mouth as his walls slammed back into place. "Did you finish the job?"
Angelo nodded. "It's done."
"Thanks." Lucifer rushed toward the door without a backward glance. "And I'm sorry again for...that."
Angelo wasn't sure what made him do it. Later, he'd blame temporary insanity, but he scrambled off the bed and hurried after Lucifer's retreating form.
"I'm a good listener!" he said.
Lucifer paused, one hand already on the doorknob. "What?"
"I said I'm a good listener." Angelo squared his shoulders and closed the distance between them. "If you ever need to vent, you can always come to me—"
A short, harsh laugh cut him off.
"Angelo, listen to me carefully." Lucifer stepped into his space, using his height to loom over him. "Don't let that kiss from last night give you the wrong idea about us because I didn't bring you here to be my fucking therapist! Continue to do the work that I give you, don't piss me off, and maybe—just maybe—you'll survive around here. Have I made myself clear?"
Anger and humiliation twisted Angelo's gut. He gave a jerky nod, not trusting himself to speak. Lucifer opened the door and slammed it shut behind him.
"Asshole." Angelo returned to the bathroom to see if Maxxx had responded to his earlier texts.
He'd been stupid to think he could reach a man like Lucifer. That was the first and last time he'd play the Nice Guy card and mean it.
Fuck. Maybe that kiss had altered his brain a little.
That had to be the case. Why else would he have let himself believe there was something more between them? Something sincere? Clearly, there wasn't.
It was time to fly back under the radar. He'd get the intel Phil wanted. He'd make himself useful to Lucifer and bide his time. And when the moment was right, he'd use both of them to secure his freedom.
Even if it meant burning the Seventh Circle Riders MC to the ground.
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