Page 74 of Godless
Diego let the curtain drop and turned back to us. “Well, that changes things. We’re going to need cold weather gear for a bunch of kids, snowmobiles, candy…”
“Hold off on the candy unless it’s for me,” I advised. “We’ll need sedatives for these kids. Chances are, they’re not going to come willingly.”
Diego frowned. “Ay, are we kidnappers now?” He looked at Jasper. “Does it still count as kidnapping if we’re the good guys?”
"Legally? Yes." Jasper didn't look up from his screen. "Morally? Debatable."
"Great. Add 'child trafficking' to my resume." Diego shrugged on his jacket. "I know a veterinarian who won't ask questions."
Rafael moved to the table where Jasper had maps spread out. "How long will it take to arrange?"
"Three days if we’re lucky," Diego said. "A week if we’re not."
Jasper's fingers were already moving across his keyboard. "I'll have security rotations and facility layouts within the hour as long as…"
Jasper suddenly stopped typing and went completely still.
I craned my neck to see around him. On his laptop screen, I caught a glimpse before he angled it away: a photo of a girl, maybe seven or eight, with eyes too old for her face.
"Jasper?" Diego's voice was tense. "What is it?"
There was no response, just that terrifying stillness.
Diego moved to look over his shoulder. Jasper's hand shot out but didn't touch him, just stopped him cold with a gesture that promised violence.
Jasper closed the laptop with a quiet click. When he looked up, the mask was back but not as firm as before.
“You okay, guapo?” Diego asked.
Jasper just ignored him in favor of lighting another cigarette, acting like nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.
Diego cleared his throat and headed for the door. "Well, then. I'm going to make some calls. Get the gear arranged."
The door closed behind him, and I turned back to Rafael, who was frowning.
“What?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”
His eyes met mine. “Are we the good guys in this situation?”
I sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know if good exists, Rafael. All I can do is try to be better.”
I watched from thedoorway with a frown as Lorenzo moved through his ginga. He should’ve been resting. His wounds were still healing, still fresh.
I'd been standing here for ten minutes, watching him move through sequences that pulled at the stitches holding his back together. The bandages showed through his transparent shirt, still white. At least he hadn’t pulled those out.
But all I could think about was biting him. Not gently, but enough to make him gasp, enough to leave marks that would last longer than the ones already covering his body. I wanted to pin him face-down and make him take my cock until he couldn't remember his own name.
My cock was already half-hard just thinking about it, and I was going to hell for it.
Then his foot slipped in the mud.
He caught himself barely, but his left knee buckled. His hands were still shaking as he pushed back up into position like nothing had happened.
That did it.
Rain slapped my face as I stomped out after him.
Lorenzo's ginga stuttered when he saw me coming. "Rafael, I'm fine—"
