El Muerte

By Debel

Jonathan's laughter carried like a breeze off the warm ocean waters lying only a block away as he entered the room, making sure he passed unnecessarily close to the tantalizing, terry-cloth encased body and made his way directly to the wet bar, as if he had been there many times before, and proceeded to mix himself a martini.

He said without turning around, "Don't mind me, dears, just go about doing whatever it was you were doing before I interrupted you. I know how to entertain myself."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jonathan." David said. He had moved to stand beside Antonio. "Why is it, exactly, that you're here. No one knew I was in town. How did you find out?"

Jonathan smiled brightly, ignored David completely and raked Antonio's body once again with his eyes as he gazed over the rim of his glass. He moved closer, still never taking his eyes from Antonio, and said lazily, "Of course I knew you were in town, David. You're so transparent. You always have been. So easy to read." He reached out and tugged at the loose end of the belt around Antonio's waist. "I much prefer something difficult, a mystery that I can strip away, layer by layer."

Antonio silently backed away and Jonathan let the belt slide loosely through his fingers till it dropped and he chuckled again. He finally looked at David and asked, "Aren't you going to introduce us or were you planning on keeping him all to yourself?"

David's face flushed red with anger and he said brusquely as he made his way to the wet bar, "Antonio, this is my brother, Jonathan. Jonathan, this is a friend of mine, Antonio O'Bannon." He poured a beer for himself and offered one to Antonio, who declined and found his cigarettes, lighting one as he perched on the arm of a sofa.

Jonathan raised his glass in a toast to Antonio. "Delighted. Absolutely delighted. I'm so glad to see David's taste in 'friends' has improved so markedly."

Antonio said into the smoke cloud swirling around his head, "David mentioned he had a twin brother. It's amazing, though, to see you two together. Sort of spooky."

Jonathan's eyes brightened and he once again moved closer to Antonio. "Really? He mentioned me, did he? I can just imagine what terrible tales he told you. And all of them true, I'm afraid. I'm the older one. Seven minutes to be precise. I came first and then David. David has always followed me. Became a tiresome habit with him during our adolescence and unfortunately he finds it difficult to let go of old habits." He turned to face his brother as he asked, "Don't you, brother dear?"

David scowled and took a large mouthful of beer, looking stubborn and very miserable. Jonathan said in a mockingly contrite voice, "Oh dear, I see I've done it once again. I've upset David coming here unannounced and then bringing up unpleasantness. How foolish I've been." He checked his watch, as elegantly expensive as his suit, and said, "It appears that our little family visit must come to an end, dear brother, I've reservations at Nemo's and the most delicious part of the evening is waiting for me none too patiently in the car." He looked at David, his face as content as a cat's. One that's just trapped a mouse between its paws. "Mother's on another frightful rampage. She insists that everyone gather at the house tomorrow night. Just family and close friends. I'm sure the evening will unfold its mysteries to us all in good time."

He turned to leave, but as he passed close to Antonio he reached out a hand and gripped Antonio's chin, planting a brief, but firm kiss on his lips. Antonio only stared into Jonathan's bright eyes as the man said, smiling, "You're invited, too. I always like to give my invitations that personal touch."

Antonio felt the steel in the fingers as they gripped his face and he read something of the truth of the man in his eyes. The flippant manner was simply a veneer. Jonathan Addison was an intelligent, coldly intense man who always got what he wanted. The eyes were so like David's it gave Antonio an extremely odd sensation. But, they lacked David's warmth, his humor. That had been replaced by something else, something very dark and secretive and Antonio suddenly twitched his face away from the clutching fingers, not wanting to see more than the brief glimpse he had gotten.

David watched his brother kiss Antonio and his stomach turned over with jealousy and a sense of foreboding that filled his soul. He wandered to the window and looked down at the scalloped pool far below nestled like a Tiffany egg in the soft glow of the hotel's lights. The afternoon rain had long since cleared, allowing the setting sun to touch the pastel colors of the surrounding buildings with a last golden shimmer for the day. He heard the door close and then Antonio came to stand beside him, his profile etched in the candy-colored light and he seemed lost, too, in his own place.

David immediately lost interest in the view of South Beach and studied Antonio's profile instead. It was something he felt he could do for the rest of his life. The stillness was so complete he was startled when Antonio said, "Nice family."

David groaned and answered, "I warned you what they were like. Jonathan's just the tip of the iceberg." He smiled as he continued, "Actually, Jonathan's an entire iceberg just waiting for me to crash into him. But, you're my lifeboat." He reached out to grip Antonio's waist, turning him to face him.

Antonio's expression didn't change as he said, "What if I can't save you? What if we both go down? I'm only human. Sometimes even El Muerte isn't enough."

David tugged at him, trying to bring him in closer, but Antonio resisted. David struggled to lighten the mood and re-establish the connection he had felt with Antonio before his brother's untimely visit. "Hey!" he grinned. "That's no way to inspire confidence in me. You're supposed to tell me how indestructible we are."

Antonio's mood didn't lighten, instead he reached up to stroke David's cheek with the back of his fingers as he said quietly, gently as if to a child, "You're paying me to catch the bullet for you, Rubio, not to lie to you." His eyes looked up to stare into David's with a calmness that unnerved the other man. "I will do it without hesitation and you shouldn't fear that I will not do everything in my power to get us both out of this alive." Antonio reached down and gently but firmly removed David's hands from his waist. "But this is to remain a business deal. The fucking around was great, but it's got to stop. You're messing with my mind and that can be very dangerous.......for both of us." He stepped away and started toward his bedroom as he said, "Put some clothes on. We need to check out of here. This place is busier than a crack house."