Icing on the Cake Chapter 21

“You’re still hung up on that? After pushing me away so hard, I guess you actually liked the flirting, huh?”

Cheriot let out a dry laugh, released Yuri’s arm, and stepped back.

“Your face is goddamn my type, but I don’t associate with criminals. If I’d known Samuel was connected to a gang, I wouldn’t have met him either.”

Yuri stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words, then decided to stop wasting time correcting nonsense and focus on getting out of there.

“Change your clothes and pack your things. We’ll need to move—I’ll withdraw cash on the way and then ditch the cards. You should probably change your phone too.”

“Wait, I told you—I don’t want to hire you.”

“Do you want to keep wasting time here, or do you want to get out and hire someone you actually want?”

Fortunately, Cheriot wasn’t the worst kind of fool. Though he frowned at Yuri’s words, he obediently repacked his suitcase. In the meantime, Yuri searched the unconscious man’s pockets and found a disposable phone. Nothing that could identify him.

Unfortunately, it was password-locked, so Yuri couldn’t extract any information on his own. Deciding to hide the phone somewhere Alexei could find it on the way, Yuri turned to urge Cheriot along. He’d gone into the bedroom—he was out of sight. Instead, Yuri’s eyes fell on the closed suitcase and the thirteen hundred dollars still sitting on the table.

He would have thrown that away.

Feeling a flicker of irritation at Cheriot’s wasteful spending habits, Yuri pocketed the money. He could use it for gas and lodging right away. Now all that remained was getting out.

Carrying the suitcase, Yuri left the sitting area and entered the bedroom—only to be met with a flash of white skin. From the long, toned calves leading up to thick thighs, to the smooth curve of his hips and the wide, muscular back—there wasn’t a single thread covering him.

Damn it.

Cheriot was completely naked. Having unintentionally witnessed him in the nude, without even underwear, Yuri flinched and stepped back in surprise. The suitcase he was holding hit the wall with a dull thud. At the sound, Cheriot spun around—and thanks to that, Yuri caught an eyeful of something he really didn’t want to see.

An unnaturally large thing swung between Cheriot’s thighs. The heavy shape cast a shadow between his legs, and before Yuri could look away, his eyes darted there for an instant. Cursing under his breath, he whipped his head to the side.

He’d seen something he shouldn’t have.

He wouldn’t have paid to see another alpha’s body even if offered, and of all people, it had to be that bastard’s. The unwanted sight was so jarring it left him speechless.

“Did you just peek at me?”

Despite having been caught naked by someone else, Cheriot didn’t seem nearly as flustered as Yuri. Though he couldn’t see his face, his voice was surprisingly composed as he asked. As if he were used to it.

“…Just get dressed. We don’t have time for this.”

Yuri managed to speak with a strained voice, regaining his composure. Keeping his gaze fixed firmly to the side, he felt Cheriot’s eyes boring into him. Ignoring the sharp stare, Cheriot replied with a faint hint of amusement in his voice.

“You’ve already seen everything—why look away now? You don’t strike me as the innocent type.”

The slight teasing in his reply eased the tension that had been stretched taut. With that, the rigid tightness in Yuri eased as well. Perhaps because Cheriot had been acting this way from the moment they met, Yuri had already grown accustomed to his lighthearted manner. But this wasn’t how Cheriot would be with him from now on.

“Let’s go. The sooner we get out, the sooner I can be rid of you.”

Cheriot changed quickly. He’d clearly given it some thought—his outfit was different from when he’d checked into the hotel. A plain grey sweatshirt, black pants, black knit beanie. Despite the neutral colors, it didn’t suit Cheriot and oddly made him stand out more. Perhaps because he was a person with such vibrant coloring—the white beanie and jacket had actually blended him in better.

“What about the mask?”

“Threw it away. Don’t have it.”

“Pick it up and use it again.”

“Too late. I spilled cola on it earlier and it got dirty.”

He’s not a child—how do you spill cola on a mask? That was an absurd excuse.

“Don’t you carry a spare?”

“Before today, I didn’t need to hide my face.”

Cheriot shrugged defiantly. Given how freely he’d interacted with people at the bar, it seemed he didn’t particularly mind being recognized. From Yuri’s perspective, it was incomprehensible—he wished no one knew who he was.

Instead of wasting time arguing over meaningless things, Yuri opened the guest room door. Cheriot followed behind him. As the distance closed, Cheriot’s pheromones brushed over Yuri’s shoulder. Having been in an agitated state for so long, the scent was distinct. It was like a sharp, sweet-tinged alcohol—like whiskey with all the unpleasant notes of alcohol removed. A unique pheromone.

Realizing he was lingering on the pheromones of another alpha, Yuri frowned lightly and shifted his thoughts. On the way out, he’d hide the attacker’s phone in a trash bin near the hotel, and then it would be best to drive somewhere with fewer people.

He didn’t know how extensive Hell’s Keepers’ network was, but he needed to avoid cities large enough to send people the moment they checked social media. Somewhere where people didn’t care about hockey would be ideal… but unfortunately, there was no such place in Canada.

Lost in thought, the elevator arrived. As Cheriot tried to brush past Yuri and enter first, Yuri—following an old habit—held him back. Cheriot turned with a displeased expression just as the doors opened. Through the widening gap, Yuri spotted someone. Their eyes met through the crack. It was the man who’d been sitting in the lobby on watch.

Wearing a baseball cap, the man’s eyes swept past Yuri and locked onto Cheriot beside him. The moment he confirmed Cheriot’s face, the man’s hand went to his lower back. The moment Yuri saw that movement, he shoved Cheriot to the side. What followed happened in the span of just over three seconds.

Bang—a suppressed gunshot rang out, and the bullet grazed where Cheriot had been standing, embedding itself in the floor. Cheriot stumbled from the shove, his eyes wide in shock, and Yuri hurled the suitcase he was carrying straight at the man.

Thud! The man blocked the suitcase with his forearm. Yuri charged at him, stepping into the elevator, and shouted at Cheriot.

“Get down! Now!”

Kicking the fallen suitcase back toward the man, Yuri repeatedly slammed the close button. Meanwhile, the man raised his arm to aim the gun at Yuri again. Yuri kicked his wrist—the gun spun through the air and clattered to the floor. Their eyes locked, and without a moment’s hesitation, both lunged at each other.

Dodging the fist aimed at his solar plexus, Yuri immediately struck the man’s face with his elbow. A dull, heavy pain reverberated through his elbow. The man staggered back but, instead of falling, caught himself against the elevator wall and charged again.

He rammed Yuri with his upper body, and as Yuri struggled to regain his balance, the man drove a fist into his cheekbone. The glasses frame broke and fell to the floor. Taking advantage of Yuri’s momentary collapse from the blow, the man wrapped both arms tightly around Yuri’s waist and drove a fist into his side mercilessly.

Gritting his teeth and enduring the blow, Yuri twisted the man’s ear with his grip instead of trying to escape. Aaagh! Struck in the vulnerable area, the man loosened his hold. Yuri seized the opening, drove a strike into the man’s face, then hooked him from behind as he bent over. Wrapping his thick arms around the man’s throat, Yuri pressed his body against the elevator wall.

His pulse raced wildly from the brief exchange of blows. Feeling his parched lips and pounding heart, Yuri applied even more pressure with his arms. The man struggled, striking Yuri’s abdomen fiercely with his elbow, but Yuri didn’t relent.