Ch. 5: The New Owner

“Suck,” Lucien commanded as the slim young man knelt before him, widening his mouth to accommodate Lucien’s shaft. Lucien’s head tilted back, feeling the warmth as the young man took him in, releasing a sigh. Sensing Lucien’s desire, the young man applied gentle pressure, his cheeks hollowing as he took Lucien deeper.

“Deeper,” Lucien ordered, and the young man complied, though he struggled to accommodate Lucien’s full length, resorting to using his hands to cover the remainder. Disappointed, Lucien looked down at him, meeting his gaze as the young man looked up through his lashes, his mouth still occupied.

Normally, the young man’s appearance would have intrigued Lucien; his slender frame and innocent demeanor typically appealed to him. Yet, Lucien’s thoughts were consumed by Isaac and his stronger build, there was an innocence in his gaze that intrigued Lucien.

The more Lucien thought about Isaac, the more intrigued he became. He recalled the look on Isaac’s face during the lap dance—messy, clumsy, yet undeniably alluring. Lucien had never been aroused by so many imperfections before. Under normal circumstances, he might have dismissed such ineptitude with disdain, but Isaac’s expression was etched into his mind: a mixture of desperation to leave and denial of enjoying the experience. He seemed tortured by embarrassment and shame, yet his eyes betrayed a simmering lust and desire. If Lucien were to push him a little further until Isaac couldn’t resist him, would he give in and surrender himself to him?

The memory of hearing Isaac’s voice over the phone lingered in Lucien’s mind, the tone infused with a blend of surprise and excitement.

“Lucien?”

People addressed him as sir or Mr. Royce, never by his name unless they shared a close relationship, which rarely happened.

Lucien’s arousal intensified at the thought of Isaac.

‘I’m not a whore for money.’

A ghost of a smile passed over Lucien’s mouth. Oh, but he wished he were. It would have been much easier. Easier to control, and easier to predict and manipulate. But Isaac’s firm voice when he denied the offer lingered in his mind, only intriguing Lucien even more.

‘I appreciate the offer, but I don’t need you.’

This had almost made him laugh. It surprised Lucien how much those words affected him; how irritating they were. It wasn’t like him to be intrigued by such trivial things.

If Isaac didn’t need him, he would make him need him. Lucien was capable of anything to get what he wanted, and he’d take down anything that stood in his path. Would he have to strip Isaac of everything he had until he came crawling to him for help? Drag him through the depth of hell until he clung to him to save him? Make him so scared he’d have no other choice but to beg him to save him? He wanted to hear Isaac beg, to crush his ego and open his eyes to who he was dealing with, yet he had a feeling if he did what he wanted, he’d never see that burst of desire in his eyes again.

The young man in front of him pulled away, but Lucien raised his brows with a bored gaze.

“That won’t do. I’m finally feeling a stir of arousal,” Lucien murmured, his grip tightening on the boy’s head as he guided him further in. In his mind’s eye, he pictured Isaac kneeling before him, meeting his gaze with innocent eyes as Lucien continued. Lucien’s excitement heightened, and he pushed a bit deeper, prompting coughs and gags from the boy. This wasn’t nearly as rough as he would have liked it, but it would have to do. The office was filled with the sounds of their movements. Lucien briefly closed his eyes, reminiscing about the sensation of pressing against Isaac’s ass in the club that night.

The sound of wet friction grew louder. Lucien approached climax, he thrust so deeply that the boy struggled to breathe. Sensing the tightening of the boy’s throat around him, he emptied himself inside. Lucien withdrew, and the boy swallowed hard before coughing, his hand pressed against his throat as he struggled to catch his breath.

“You’re dismissed,” Lucien said coldly, grabbing a tissue to clean up the saliva before pulling up his briefs. The boy looked at him with wide eyes.

“But Mr. Royce—”

“Dismissed,” Lucien repeated, this time harsher.

The needy look in the man’s eyes was like nails on a chalkboard to Lucien, a desperate plea for attention and affection that grated on his nerves, a display of vulnerability that repulsed him. There was nothing Lucien despised more than desperation. If someone sought warmth, it certainly wasn’t to be found in Lucien’s arms. Empathy was never his thing.

There was a knock at the door. Rocco stepped in.

“Lucien, I’m here to report what happened with Isaac.”

Rocco remained unfazed by the naked man on the floor. It wasn’t something he hadn’t seen. The young man, however, appeared visibly flustered by Rocco’s unexpected arrival, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he hastily scrambled to gather his clothes before making a swift exit, leaving behind a palpable tension in his wake.

Rocco proceeded with his report, delivering a concise summary of the events concerning Isaac without missing a beat.

“You shot the windows?” Lucien asked blandly.

It was Elijah’s stupid idea, but Rocco didn’t say that. If he did, there was a high chance he would find Elijah’s body somewhere at the bottom of a river with two missing fingers. It wasn’t that he wanted to save Elijah, but if he were gone, they would have to find a replacement, and Rocco didn’t want to take the risk of ending up with someone even more annoying than Elijah, although that seemed highly impossible.

“I followed your orders to take any measures necessary,” Rocco reiterated. At his silence, Rocco asked, “Are you upset?”

“No, I’m just curious as to why Isaac had a gun.”

“It was under the counter. He seems to keep it for safety.”

Lucien wondered if Isaac had already used the gun or if he had killed someone, but remembered the look in his eyes, and knew he hadn’t. You didn’t have the same eyes once you killed someone. Lucien’s gaze shifted to Rocco, the man whose soulless gaze mirrored his own.

Rocco was one of his strongest and most trustworthy men. Lucien had never met anyone who could load a gun quicker than Rocco, and instead of competing with a man gifted to kill, he made the smarter move and acquired him instead. You couldn’t compare with pure talent, and it wasn’t in Lucien’s interest to waste time.

“Is there a reason why you want him?”

“Why?” Lucien echoed, staring out the window. “I think he’d make a great asset.”

“Nothing more?”

“Well, perhaps his body intrigues me. I would like to have a taste of him,” Lucien noted. “Did you get everything ready?”

“I have the papers,” Rocco confirmed, reaching into his jacket pocket and producing the documents. “All we need is your signature, and it’s yours.”

It was like music to his ears. Logical. Concrete. Absolute.

Rocco turned to leave, but he stopped. “Lucien, you can find better men than him.”

He wasn’t talking about Isaac, but the man who had left earlier.

“Better men?” Lucien chuckled darkly. “Whether they’re from The Red District or another dark alley, they’re all the same to me.”

Just another hole to fuck. Rocco looked as if he wanted to say something more, but stopped with a simple nod.

“Yes. I’m sorry if I was being too intrusive.”

“No such thing. We’ve stained our hands with blood together. We’ve gone past intrusive a long time ago.”

---

Isaac’s brows furrowed when he saw two huge trucks parked in front of the convenience store where he worked. Men were moving boxes and putting them in the trunk. He quickened his pace and went through the entrance.

“‘Scuse me,” one of the men carrying a box said, and Isaac quickly stepped aside.

“What’s going on?” Isaac inquired frantically. But the man had earphones firmly in place, failing to hear him. Why were they emptying the store?

Isaac spotted his manager.

“Mr. Leon!” he exclaimed. “What’s happening?”

“Oh, Isaac,” Mr. Leon acknowledged. “Didn’t you receive my text?”

“I didn’t check,” he admitted.

“He’s a hardworking lad,” Mr. Leon remarked to the man beside him, offering Isaac a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I won’t be operating this store anymore.”

Isaac’s brows knit together.

“Is this because of the robbery that happened last week?”

“No, someone bought the store.”

“What?” he croaked, disbelief coloring his tone.

“A man called me the other day and said he’d like to buy the store. I refused at first, but his contract was just too good that I couldn’t let the offer pass. I’ve never seen so many zeros in my life! I’m a retired man now!”

Isaac felt a knot tighten in his stomach.

“A contract? But Mr. Leon, shouldn’t you take some time before making such a big decision? You’ve been the manager of this store your entire life!”

Mr. Leon’s gaze softened. “And I’ve had enough of it. Don’t get me wrong, Isaac, I love this store as if it were my home, but I’m getting old and tired. It’s about time I took a break,” he said. “You’re still young and full of life, but I’m reaching my sixties.”

Isaac stood there, speechless. He racked his brain to find something to say.

“How do you know this isn’t a scam? Who bought the store?”

“Mr. Leon,” a familiar voice cut through the tense atmosphere, causing Isaac’s heart to leap in his chest. He turned to his side, feeling a surge of dread course through him as his worst nightmare seemed to materialize before his eyes.

A tall, striking figure entered the store, commanding attention with his confident stride and immaculate appearance. Lucien looked too handsome to be human.

Isaac’s hands tightened at his sides. Was Lucien here because he refused to sign the contract? He didn’t seriously purchase an entire building just so he would work for him, did he?!

‘When the boss wants something, he gets it. No matter what.’ Elijah’s words suddenly started to make sense.

“Mr. Royce! We were just talking about you,” Mr. Leon exclaimed with a wide smile. He gently squeezed Isaac’s shoulder, jolting him back to reality. “Come on, boy, introduce yourself.”

“Isaac North,” he mumbled reluctantly, his voice barely above a whisper.

“We’ve met, haven’t we?” Lucien mused.

“I don’t believe we have,” he replied in an icy tone.

“No? I’m pretty sure I saw you stri–”

“I’m sure you’re mistaken,” Isaac blurted, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

“It seems so,” Lucien murmured, his tone hiding a smile.

“Oh, Mr. Royce! I need your signature on another paper. Stay right here, I’ll fetch it for you.”

Mr. Leon dashed away before Isaac could stop him, and a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach when he found himself suddenly alone with Lucien.

“Do I intimidate you?” Lucien wondered.

“What makes you say?”

“You won’t look at me.”

“It’s by choice.”

“Isaac,” Lucien’s commanding voice sent a flutter through Isaac’s stomach. “Look at me.”

Isaac’s throat tightened, but he slowly looked up to meet Lucien’s piercing gaze. The sight of Lucien’s handsome face stirred a tumult of conflicting emotions within him.

“It’s strange,” Lucien murmured. “I couldn’t get you off my mind since that night, and I had my doubts, but…”

Lucien’s black and grey eyes remained unreadable, but the corners of his lips lifted.

“You’re much prettier than I remembered, Isaac North.”