Page 40 of Pistols and Plush Toys

“R-retaliation?” Brooks asked.

“For taking you.”

Brooks flinched, and something clicked in Nikolai's head.

In interviews with Vitale’s previous partners, there had beenmentionsof violence. The kinds of slapping around a man did when he needed to lord his power over others. If Brooks was that naive to Vitale’s business, had he entered into a relationship with the man without knowing what he was like?

Brooks had been with Vitale for fiveyears.

And he… certainly flinched enough for a person familiar with unpredictable men.

Fuck.If that were true, that was—that wasn’t good. Not at all. Not good for Brooks, not good for Nikolai's plan. Becauseif Nikolai was trying to stamp out the shit Vitale was trying to bring into the city to save people from that harm, how could he in good conscience send Brooks back to a man who hurt him?

“Oh,” Brooks said quietly.

Nikolai stared up at him. It wasn’t as though he could justkeepBrooks either. Brooks didn’t want to be here. He loved Vitale.

But people often loved their abusers despite the harm.

“What did he do?” Brooks asked tentatively.

Nikolai weighed the truth. He wanted to be honest, but he didn’t know if he could be responsible for the fallout it might bring if it shattered Brooks's worldview.

Or worse, if it didn’t, and the man came to Vitale’s defense. Nikolai wasn’t sure he was in the state of mind to hear excuses made for Vitale, even if it was coming from another victim's mouth.

“He hurt some people,” he ended up saying.

Brooks's eyebrows went up. Surprise? Concern? And then, “He–he hurt someone?”

Nikolai could see so clearly then that Brooks didn’t know.

“They are in critical condition,” Nikolai said.

The words hit Brooks hard. There was a full body recoil as he took them in. Maybe as he considered for the first time that his lover was not quite the man he thought him to be.

“What,” Brooks swallowed hard, his throat raspy. “What were you going to—on the steps—?”

What were you going to do to me?

Nikolai felt worse now that he was certain Brooks had no doubt been hit by Vitale before. It made a lot of sense with how fearful he’d been.

Fuck.

“I was going to be having you call him,” Nikolai said, trying to keep his voice even. “No video, just audio. To beg with him to make deal.”

“Oh.” Brooks shifted, hand loosening around the giraffe. He seemed to then remember it was here. His eyes flickered from the plush to Nikolai, wide and fearful.

“I am sorry I’m scaring you,” Nikolai said, ignoring the giraffe.

“It’s okay,” Brooks said quietly. “I–I thought it was going to be something worse. You were finally going to–I don’t know.” Then, as if he couldn’t help it, he was curling the giraffe fully into his arms, tucking it to his chest. “I thought maybe if Mattia had done something so bad, that you would—be donewith me.”

Nikolai watched his lip wobble again, and felt the sharp sting of horror.

“No,”he said it with more force than he intended. Brooks jumped. “What it is Vitale does, I’m not holding you responsible. You are leverage for deal, but if Vitale kills someone, I will not hurt you. On the steps, it was no good. I am sorry. I will never hurt you. Scared? Yes. Hurt? No.”

Brooks’s eyes widened. “Would Mattia—would Mattia kill someone?”

Nikolai sighed, defeated. “He would. He has.”

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