Silent Storm [ManxMan]

Chapter 22 ~ Home is where the heart is

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

- J.R.R. Tolkien

[Midas POV]

River's attempt to glare at me just managed to arouse me and I had to take a deep breath before I could pull back and let him up. Having him underneath me had been wonderful but I didn't really fancy the thought of making him mine here. The place was dirty and it smelled awful.

"What the hell did you mean by that?!" River growled at me as I released him and slowly took a step back. The boy was glaring at me and he reminded me of an angry kitten. Well, not that he was as innocent as a kitten... he was really more like an irritated tiger and I would do well in remembering that.

"Hm...?" I answered absentmindedly as I released his fingers and watched him wince. I had been surprised when I realized that River enjoyed pain but then again maybe I shouldn't have been. He did seem overly fond of blood after all.

"I said, what did you mean by 'about time'?" River repeated as he gently tugged his hand against his chest and glared daggers at me. I rolled my eyes at him and then I simply turned on my heels and started walking towards the door. He could growl all he wanted, I wasn't about to answer him when he acted like a spoiled brat.

I exited the room and left the door open behind me. My eyes landed on River's bodyguards who were standing over by the door and I wondered briefly what they would think if I told them about their boss. That he was a boy who liked to manipulate and hurt people, a guy with almost no feelings of remorse or empathy. I wondered if they would believe me.

"Where's River?" Gabriel asked when I joined them and I immediately turned my eyes back on the room I had just left. There was no sign of River and I suppressed the urge to growl. I was just about to walk back to the door when the boy came sauntering out and I shot him an impatient glare. What took him so long?

"Oh well I just wanted to say thank you for your hospitality and your cooperation. I don't think I'll ever see you again but... well life can surprise us sometimes so who knows? Ah... right, I almost forgot! I would wait to go in there for a while. Your boss isn't very happy with you right now. Other than that... nah forget it... goodbye." River said as he pointed to the office and nodded towards the men that were still sitting around the table. He gave them a sunny smile and then he skipped past them and approached us.

River completely ignored me and I smirked to myself as I watched him walk pass. He was slightly hiding his injured hand in his sleeve and I resisted the urge to take his hand and watch him try to hide the pain in front of the others. Okay, I wasn't that sadistic.

"Let's go, honey-dough!" River said to Gabriel with laughter in his voice. I studied his happy expression and frowned slightly. Why was he so happy, making rhymes and all?

Gabriel shot him an irritated glare but opened the door anyway. River slipped passed him and exited the bar with Seth close on his heels. Tony followed and soon after only Gabriel and I was still standing inside. Gabriel trained his eyes on me and I knew what he was going to say before he even said it because I was thinking exactly the same.

"Don't you think he seemed a bit too happy right now...?" He said. I nodded and then slowly turned my eyes back on the door to the office. What had he been doing after I left? I frowned at the thought but then I turned my eyes back on Gabriel and sighed.

"Let's go." I said as I slipped past him and exited the smoke-filled bar.

[Five minutes later, back in the limousine]