Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 127201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Miguel snorted and shook his head. [You enjoyed that.]
“I clearly need the adrenaline. Let’s go parachuting next weekend,” Nero said, signing as he spoke. He didn’t need to, but it was good practice, and doing it himself, made it easier to understand Miguel.
Home was only a short walk away, and fifteen minutes later, they approached the pale wall surrounding the property.
The modernist building beyond it was divided into two apartments and surrounded by a lush garden, carefully maintained by Elisa, who had the greenest fingers of anyone Nero had ever met, including professional gardeners. It was as if she spoke to the plants, not just maintained them. He’d spent a massive chunk of his savings to buy this property for them, but the privacy and the security or iron doors and bars in each window were worth the money.
Once they locked the gate behind them, the soft lights placed between the plants made any tension remaining after the unpleasant encounter at the shop disperse, and Nero grabbed Miguel’s hand, leading the way past the main entrance, to the patio on the other side of the house.
A delicious, cheesy scent tickled his nose as they walked past the open kitchen window, and he whistled, immediately answered by a high-pitched whine.
Elisa looked out, still in her bright apron. “You two are late!” she complained before disappearing from sight, to the delicious sizzle of hot oil.
Elisa was an amazing cook, and happily shared that skill with them as long as they did the grocery shopping. A fair symbiosis, since neither him nor Miguel were competent in the kitchen.
“Sorry. Something held us back,” Nero said, scooting down the moment he heard the tap of dog feet.
Bone burst out of the patio door the moment they faced it, and pushed her muscular, white form into his arms like only a needy pit bull could.
“Well, hello, daddies are home!”
Miguel smiled and leaned down to pet their dog as well. The almost-robbers were lucky she hadn’t accompanied Nero and Miguel to work tonight, because they would have ended up without their balls.
Valeria waved at them from the dining table. “Come on! I’m hungry!”
As the dog licked Nero’s hand, he stalled, frozen in his own mind. Some days, he caught himself wondering if this new life wasn’t just a dream, but everything felt solid, reminding him that he wouldn’t have any of this if it weren’t for Miguel.
He’d had to lower his expectation in terms of wealth, because his savings had only stretched so far, but while he’d needed to give up on Don Perignon and Gucci watches, their life was very comfortable, and they got to enjoy it together.
With Miguel, Nero had not only gained a solid life partner, but also an adoptive family he’d never expected to have, and a career path that didn’t involve feeding people to caimans.
The past couldn’t be forgotten. Every single person in this household (including Bone) had survived trauma and managed it the best they could, but because of this, they understood each other better. Nero had never experienced this kind of closeness, and had even mocked it in the past, because it couldn’t be real in the world he knew. Where he was from, people sold each other out for a sniff of cash, or short-term pleasures. Now, he was forced to admit that there really were things money couldn’t buy, yet which were worth more than the opulence of his previous life.
He clapped his hands at the sight of the set table, with cold side dishes already sprinkled in. The pergola smelled of climbing flowers and created the perfect interior for a warm evening like this one, so he sat in his usual place, across from Valeria, and glanced at Miguel, who couldn’t deny Bone yet more stroking.
“You seem unusually excited. Is there something you want to tell us about?”
The girl flushed and lowered her gaze to her phone. “No, why?”
Ah.
“Guy? Girl? Come on, while your mom is still out,” whispered Nero.
She bit her lip and tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear. “Girl, okay? I kinda want to bring her over.”
Miguel exhaled, settling next to Nero. [Thank fuck. Men are trouble.]
Valeria laughed out loud. “Is that why you chose one?”
Miguel shook his head and kissed Nero’s temple. [I had no say in this.]
Nero’s mouth stretched into a smile as he met his lover’s gaze, overcome by a flood of tenderness no one else had ever evoked. “Neither did I.”
The End