Gravel crackled underneath the tires as they pulled up to the old auto shop from the back road. Not even Kazimir's favorite song on the radio brightened his mood. Shadows danced along the brick walls as they parked. He dragged his feet toward the door, carrying his precious portable art easel across the straggly grass.

Paint chipped from the panels of the old building. Kazimir had half a mind to get out and repaint the place himself. He used to fix up old houses for people back home all the time. He had a dealer who helped hook him up with those fixer upper jobs, but he stopped when a few people complained about prescription pills and money going missing while Kazimir was around.

Everly came up behind him with his suitcase, and the can of paintbrushes in her arms clacked as she searched through her purse. The key glinted when she finally pulled it out, much like the sparkly purse itself, and she opened the narrow metal door with a click. A blast of warmth caressed Kazimir as they headed single file into the cramped entry before it opened up into the shop office.

They walked right into an auto body workshop, where two old school classics were parked. Kazimir admired the snazzy blue Pontiac as Everly led him across the room toward the makeshift lounging area, where Charlie was sprawled on the couch, watching some old western movie. Alfie had made himself comfortable on a bar stool up at the mini bar they'd constructed in the kitchen, sipping on some booze.

Everything about their hideout fascinated the artist. He wondered where they accumulated so many things for the place, like the skeeball machine, the doubled-seated race car driver game, and mini bar.

"Yo, what's with all the paint?" Charlie asked.

"I'm staying here until my shoulder's better," Kazimir told him. "Emmett wants to make sure it doesn't get infected, and he's worried Samantha might try coming after me again."

"We got held up by the police when we went to his apartment," Everly said. "Seems like someone's trying to frame Kaz for his neighbor's murder. Detective Lindel believed me when I told him how Samantha attacked Kaz, so I'm hoping they might turn their suspicions toward her. If they can find her."

"Those Black Vipers always have some sneaky ass plans. We need to catch that crazy bitch." Charlie popped his neck, grunting softly.

"You don't know anyone who had it out for this Hank guy, do you?" Everly asked Kaz. "Like, did he ever argue real bad with his wife? Other neighbors? Co-workers?"

Kazimir shook his head. "Hank was chill with everyone. As far as I know, he didn't have enemies."

Everly fiddled with the sparkly purse she carried. "That's strange. Everyone has enemies. Someone hated your neighbor enough to kill him."

"Yeah, but who?" Kazimir asked.

"I'm not sure. Your guess is as good as mine," Everly replied. "You knew Hank best."

"I'm not sure either." Kazimir sighed. "Anyway, where can I put my stuff?"

"I guess you can use Emmett's bedroom," she replied. "The one he brought you to before. Or, you can share a room with Fatlard."

"I'll take Emmett's. If he's okay with that."

"I'm sure he won't mind," Charlie said. "He brings guys to his bed all the time."

"Seriously?" Kazimir's cheeks bloomed with color as lurid images came to his mind. He just hoped Emmett changed the bedclothes after those hookups.

"Yeah. Guess he won't be doing it now that you'll be staying here." Charlie rose from the couch after his western movie cut to commercial. "Y'all need help carrying that shit?"

"Sure, come make yourself useful." Everly shoved Kazimir's luggage into the portly man's arms.

Charlie carried it with ease up the staircase, breezing by them quite fast. By the time Kazimir and Everly reached the floor, Charlie had already plopped Kazimir's suitcase on the freshly made bed. It seemed like Emmett had tidied up while they were away. While they scoured the bedroom to find places to temporarily stash his belongings, Kazimir positioned his portable art easel near the window.

"Where do you want these paintbrushes?" Everly asked.

"The nightstand is fine I guess," Kazimir replied.

"Alrighty." Everly placed the circular tin on the nightstand, beside the little table lamp and ashtray.

The constricting bedroom wasn't homey to the artist, but he wouldn't complain to them about the creepy room. He was grateful that Emmett allowed him to stay there while his wound healed, in spite of the suspicions he had toward the gang leader. Being surrounded by black walls made him feel trapped though, and the demon bird somehow got retrieved from under the bed. Emmett had probably placed the evil taxidermy raven on the dresser.

Kazimir considered throwing the bird out the window. He just might when nightfall came around.

Everly took a seat on the leather swivel chair and booted up the double-monitored computer. With the click of the keyboard, it came to life and she typed in the passcode with rapid speed. Multiple screenshots popped up, revealing the entire hideout from the inside and outside.

"Whoa, are there cameras everywhere in here?" Kazimir leaned closer, in awe with the footage in front of him.

"Almost. We don't keep any in the bedrooms or the bathroom," Everly explained. "We don't want to invade everyone's privacy, just keep them safe. We've had teens try to break in a few times in the middle of the night, so we've got this nifty security system installed."

"Break in?" Chills crept down Kazimir's spine as his body tensed. "Does that happen often?"

"Not anymore." Everly reclined with a grin, crossing one leg over the other. "We scared some hooligans off last time they tried messing with us. Those bastards never showed their ugly faces around here again."

"They have me to thank for it too," Charlie said. "I beat one guy so bad, he started crying for his mommy. It was funny as fuck, man. You should've seen it."

Kazimir jolted at the sudden hand on his back, expecting Charlie to try showing him a demonstration. He backed up against the wall, willing his pounding heart to calm down. He clenched his hands at his sides until his knuckles whitened. He had no doubt that Charlie would enjoy pummeling his puny body to the ground. In a fight, Kazimir stood no chance against him.

Meeting the man's gaze, Kazimir recoiled when he grinned and showed his yellow, cavity-filled teeth. It would be so easy for the larger man to crush him or slowly break every bone in his body until he begged for merciful death.

"I ain't gonna hurt ya, shrimp." Charlie backed away from Kazimir. "You wanna go play a game of pool or something? Everly's techno shit gets boring."

Kazimir shook his head, peeling himself away from the wall. He clasped his shaky hands behind his back. "No thanks."

"You sure? Wanna watch a movie then?" Charlie asked. "We've got a bunch of bootleg DVDs downstairs."

"I-I think I'll just stay up here," Kazimir answered.

Despite how much he tried to control his trembles, Kazimir couldn't. He wanted to curl up in Emmett's bed and hide. Nothing about Charlie's offer was frightening, but he found it hard to trust the man. He worried that he'd try to hurt him, like Samantha did. Those humongous arms of his could easily wrap around his neck and choke him to death.

"He won't hurt you, Kaz." Everly's fingers danced across her keyboard, making a clickety-clack sound. "Let me finish something up here and I'll meet y'all down there."

Not wanting to come across as rude, Kazimir sighed and followed Charlie out into the hallway. Kazimir had expected their hideout to be revolting, but they kept everything maintained inside. Most of the old windows were boarded up by wooden planks, but they left some open to allow sunlight into the dimly lit auto shop.

Following Charlie across the room to the lounging area, Kazimir couldn't help but wonder where their others members were. He'd heard about the ruthless Voiceless Rebels countless times on the news and from his roommate, warning him to stay away from the miscreants. Perhaps they didn't all reside at the hideout?

Kazimir took a seat on the couch, pulling his knees up to his chest. Charlie pulled out a little book from underneath the coffee table full of different DVDs and handed it over to Kazimir.

"Aren't there other gang members?" Kazimir asked him. "It's just, I've only met you guys."

"Yeah, there's more. We're just Emmett's favorites." Charlie grinned cheekily. "We're the few that he trusts the most to help him run his gang. The others have their own homes too. Only me and Alfie and his little bro, Eli live here with Emmett."

"Everly doesn't live here too?"

"Nope. She's got her own place out in the boonies," Charlie replied. "Just pick anything that seems interesting to you."

Flipping through the book of pirated movies, Kazimir tried to calm his pounding heart. Charlie wouldn't hurt him, right? They were just gonna watch a movie together. Nothing scary about that, so long as he stayed away from the horror genre. He hated those kinds of movies.

After choosing an old comedy show, Charlie set it up and went to make some popcorn while credits played. Kazimir fiddled with the hole in the knee of his denim jeans, accidentally making it larger. Heavy footsteps made him jolt back quick, realizing it was just Charlie coming up behind him with the popcorn. He handed a small bowl to Kazimir, keeping the rest of the bag for himself.

"You want extra butter or salt?" Charlie asked.

"No, I'm good. Thanks." Kazimir scooped up a small handful and stuffed the buttery popcorn in his mouth.

Charlie placed his bag down on the coffee table. "You want a beer?"

"Sure." Kazimir took small bites of his popcorn, allowing the anxiety churning in his stomach to settle. The refreshing sip of beer helped even more. He considered having another one.

About halfway through the movie, which had gotten boring, Kazimir and Charlie talked about his neighbor's murder and possible suspects. Kazimir wondered if Charlie might've heard something out on the streets from the other gangsters, but that didn't seem to be the case.

"Maybe Samantha was involved?" Charlie suggested. "Or someone in the Black Vipers?"

"What about the Black Vipers?" Emmett stepped in the room, donned in a sleek black suit and latex gloves. Specks of red covered his white undershirt. Kazimir hoped it was pasta sauce or red ink.

"I don't know. What should I do to get the cops to look more into them and not me?" Kazimir asked Charlie. "I don't want to go to jail for Hank's murder."

Emmett came up behind the couch. "I won't let that happen, Kaz. I promise you that. We'll find the actual culprit and clear your name, okay? But first, we'll get revenge on Samantha."

"I don't know about that. Revenge never makes anything better," Kazimir told him.

"That's bullshit. Revenge teaches people not to fuck with you," Emmett replied. "I remember we had a client who kept harassing Everly one time, so we found his address and beat the hell out of him. He never came around messing with her again."

"Oh, I remember that," Charlie said. "That bald guy was fucking weird. Every time he came for his drugs, he had to try feelin' her up. Everly got sick of it when the fucker grabbed her ass. She took her steaming cup of coffee and poured it on his bald head."

Everly came down upon hearing her name."I don't want to hear about that creepy perv ever again. I'm glad he doesn't come around here anymore. Some of the crap he said scared me. Thank goodness I never have to see his ugly face ever again. Last I heard, he left town."

If revenge worked for Everly, then maybe it would do the same for Kazimir. The idea of hurting Samantha wasn't ideal to him though. He just wanted to frighten her enough to keep her away from him. Hopefully, Emmett would help him come up with something.

"Let's get revenge on Samantha." Kazimir's voice cracked with uneasiness as he faced Emmett. "I'm just not sure where to start..."

Emmett smirked. "I'd be more than happy to assist you with that. I'd say our best bet is to catch her off guard where she deals at the old hair salon. You know the entire layout of the place, right?"

Kazimir nodded. "I can help with whatever you need. I was considering vandalizing her jeep actually. But you might have a better idea in mind."

"Oh, don't you worry, Kaz. I'll make sure Samantha never messes with you again."

Kazimir knew his former art teacher would be so disappointed in him. Mr. Lamphere always taught his students that violence and vengeance solved nothing. Guilt held his heart hostage, but he wouldn't let it change his decision.

🎨

It wasn't long before nightfall came. Kazimir felt like a stuffed pig from their dinner of pizza and breadsticks from the restaurant down the road. He sought comfort alone in Emmett's bedroom, tucked underneath the covers. The temperature in their hideout dropped drastically when the sun went down. Shivering, Kazimir leaned over for his cup of warm tea on the nightstand.

New Syracuse would never be home to him. Not with the Voiceless Rebels, and not with Jordy either. Kazimir didn't belong anywhere.

After his shoulder healed, he'd return to their apartment and try to find a stable job. He hated how he kept struggling to pay his share of rent on time. Thanks to Jordy's generosity, he hadn't been kicked out yet, but he knew he couldn't keep taking advantage of his roommate. Kazimir had to get his crap together this time, otherwise he'd be relocating again, and he was so tired of moving everywhere. He just wanted to find somewhere he could call home again.

With a resonating creak, the bedroom door opened. Emmett's tall frame came into view as he closed it behind him. He rustled a towel through his damp, blond locks, donned in a black fleece bathrobe.

"How are you feeling?" Emmett asked, nestling down at the foot of the bed. He playfully slid his arm across Kazimir's leg underneath the covers, causing him to squirm.

"I'm okay," Kazimir murmured, sitting up and pulling his legs close to him. "I took some painkillers a few minutes ago when my shoulder started hurting."

"That's good. I'm glad you're feeling better now," Emmett told him.

"Why are you doing all this?" Kazimir asked. "Don't get me wrong. I appreciate it, but I don't understand why you'd want to help me. I feel like you're still hiding something from me."

Emmett tossed his damp towel on the leather chair and crawled closer to Kazimir on the bed, barely leaving any distance between the two. Being so close to the gangster set his heart a-thump. Heat soared through the artist's face as he scooted toward the edge of the mattress, but if he inched back anymore, he'd fall on the floor.

Brushing his fingers through Kazimir's hair, Emmett sighed. "We don't want to hurt you. There's no need to be afraid. You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger. I don't want to see you fall down the same path as I did. People will try to use you and manipulate you into doing horrible shit. I want to protect you from that."

Kazimir shook his head. "I don't understand why though. I'm nobody to you. I'm just another desperate coke addict."

"Don't belittle yourself like that." Emmett propped his head down on the pillow. A lazy smile spread across his chiseled face, exposing two little dimples. "You're an astounding artist. Not only with your paintings, but your graffiti pieces too. You have a way of capturing so much horror and sadness, but somehow make it so unique. It's so fucking cool."

"Thanks. That means a lot to me." Kazimir couldn't hide his grin. He loved when people admired his artworks.

"My father's actually an artist too. He used to make these cool little cartoons. He never took it seriously as a career," Emmett told him. "He used to make me these paintings with whatever I was into as a kid too, like Batman or the Ninja Turtles. I loved his original comics the best. He'd base his characters off our family. Like, the two main superheros were Everly and I."

"That was so sweet of him. Do you still have the comics?" Kazimir asked, leaning closer to the gangster as he laid down, where they'd be face to face.

"Nah, he kept them. My parents live down in Nebraska now. They fucking hated New Syracuse, especially my father. He said this place isn't even meant for the birds." Emmett snickered. "He couldn't understand why Everly stayed here with me."

Kazimir furrowed his brows. "Wasn't he concerned about you staying here too?"

"Not really." Emmett looked away. "He knows I can take care of myself."

"You okay?" Kazimir reached out, gently touching his arm.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Emmett's playful grin returned. "Anyway, I wanted to ask about sleeping arrangements. If you're not comfortable with me in the same room as you, I can take the couch downstairs. Or, I can sleep on the floor with a blanket."

Kazimir had slept on too many cold floors and uncomfortable couches to let Emmett do that. He couldn't be rude enough to tell him to leave his own bed. It wasn't like he hadn't shared a bed with another man before. When his mother kicked him out of the house at only eighteen, he had to couch surf all the time. It was either that or try the homeless shelters, which filled up too fast.

While the idea of sleeping beside the gangster stirred up many undesirable emotions inside him, he wouldn't force Emmett away.

"It's fine," Kazimir answered. "We'll just stay on separate sides of the bed."

"Alright. Well, you better get some rest. It's way past midnight." Emmett rustled his hand through Kazimir's hair before standing up. "I've got some work to do, but I'll be back later tonight. It's nothing you need to be concerned about. Just gang business."

Gang business? Kazimir wanted to question him more about it, but he left the room before he had the chance. Emmett didn't honestly expect to go do business dressed in a bathrobe, did he? The idea made him grin. Knowing Emmett, anything was possible with that strange man.

Tucking himself underneath the covers, Kazimir closed his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep. The fresh scent of Emmett's shampoo lingered on the damp pillow beside him. It smelled nothing like his apartment he shared with Jordy. Strangely, Emmett's bed was more comfortable too, but that was probably because he didn't have a spring poking him in the back. That's what he got for purchasing a cheap, lousy mattress and box springs.

Nightmares of Hank greeted Kazimir in the horror-land of his mind. No matter how hard he tried to focus on something else, Hank's bleeding body wouldn't stop haunting him.

Something touched his back. A dip in the mattress made Kazimir carefully turn around, squinting his eyes against the moonlight pouring in from the window. Emmett snuggled under the covers beside him, brushing his bare feet against the back of his leg.

No matter what position Kazimir laid in or turned to, peaceful dreams refused to welcome him in his sleep. He wrapped the blanket tighter around his body, trying to stifle the tears threatening to spill. Sniffling, he buried his face against his pillow. Hank hadn't deserved to die like that. Whoever killed him might not be finished either. He could be next.

Warm arms embraced him, closing in around his hips. Kazimir froze. Even his tears stopped. He knew he should've wriggled out of the gangster's grip. Letting his breathing regulate, Kazimir relaxed in Emmett's arms and closed his eyes again. It was weird for two men to snuggle together in bed. If anyone caught them, Kazimir dreaded the consequences they'd face. What would the other gang members think?

Emmett couldn't possibly fancy him romantically, could he? Kazimir didn't want the man to get the wrong idea. While Kazimir wasn't opposed to being with someone of the same gender, he knew hooking up with a gang leader could get him killed.

Warm hands that comforted him in the dark had killed others countless times. Kazimir was no fool. As he faded back into dreamland, he wondered what made Emmett stay in New Syracuse when his parents left. He sensed the gang leader was hiding something too, but he couldn't fathom what.

Everyone in their horrendous town had secrets, and he wanted to uncover more of Emmett's. But at what cost?