Nate had left for work after Spade left Matteo's room, he didn't mention the fact that he had tortured the man he brought home, or the fact that he was going to meet Sullivan along with Stefano.

He and Stefano had agreed that he would randevous with him close to where he was meeting with Sullivan, it was a dock just outside of town, not really outside of town completely but it was a dock he was familiar with.

He was surprised when Matteo had told him that that was where Sullivan was, it sounded too easy for him, maybe Stefano was right and this was another trap, he didn't even know for sure, but he was willing to risk it.

He quickly had a change of clothes and rushed out of the house after making Matteo promise once more that he wouldn't rat him out to Nate, he got into his car and drive out of the compound, he headed towards the location, hoping Stefano would already be at their randevous point.

He drove as fast as he could, he wanted to be back before Nate returned from work, even though he hadn't really asked him much about the shooting, Spade knew he wasn't a fool, and if he sensed something was wrong, then he'd definitely ask.

He stopped when he spotted Stefano's car, just a few blocks away from the dock, he had parked close to a seemingly abandon building, but they could see a bit of the dock from where Spade had parked, Stefano's car was more hidden

Spade got out of the car and walked towards where Stefano was and the man had his trunk open as he pulled out a MacMillan Tac-50 gun, he furrowed his brows as he looked at him. "What are you doing with that"? He asked and Stefano just glanced at him briefly, before he loaded the gun

"What? You didn't think I would come here empty handed" he sassed and Spade almost hit his face with the attitude he was sporting. "You'll go now, I think he's still there, probably gloating to his men as usual" Stefano added closing the trunk of his car, before he started advancing towards the opposite side, Spade looked at him quizzically

"And where the fuck are you going"? He asked and Stefano stopped and looked at him, before he walked back to where Spade stood.

"I'm not going in there with you" he said, still looking at the way Spade was staring at him, he sighed out "if I know Sullivan as much as I think I do, then he'd want to try something if you show up uninvited, think of me as your contingency plan" Spade still didn't understand what Stefano was saying but he didn't care at this point if the man went in with him or not. "I'm going to stay over at the top of that building, and get a good target point on Sullivan, in case he tries to kill you" Stefano finally told him, seeing the way his face morphed into one of realization, and Stefano finally sighs out in relief. "Just keep him talking long enough for me to get a good target point" Spade nodded before he walked towards the opposite direction and Stefano took the other route.

He stepped into the dock area, and he could see some of Sullivan's men scattered around the entrance of the dock and close to huge containers, some of them looked at him with fear while some looked at him wearily, as if they would point their guns at him and shoot.

He didn't even pay them any mind to them, one of then actually had the nerve to stop him, standing in front of him with his gun and black outfit, his face was covered just like the man he had in his custody.

"Get the fuck out of my face before I ruin it for you" Spade gritted out and the man just looked at him up and down, his face looking as if he was mocking Spade.

Withing seconds Spade had used his head to hit the man on his nose, he groaned and stumbled back, now almost all the other men had cocked their guns and faced it on Spade, Stefano better be in position.

He looked at them and counted at least 6 of them, well even if Stefano was not in position, he'd kill at least 4 before they'd take him down, just as he was thinking this, he saw someone walk from the corner of one of the containers, he was dressed in all white and he shoved his hands into his pocket.

Dark hair that toppled over his face, a smug look on his face, Spade already recognized him as Sullivan, he clenched his jaw tight.

"Boys, that's no way to treat our guest" he said before stepping close to the man Spade had head-butted, whose nose was still bleeding, he placed his hand on the man's shoulder. "Go clean up this mess, you're bleeding all over my floor" he muttered before taking the man's place, now standing in front of Spade.

He looked at Spade as if he was sizing the man up, he was just as tall as Spade but not half as muscular and though he looked lean and quite skinny, he was quite older than Spade.

He grinned and slowly took off his dark shades, revealing his eyes, one good, green and dark, while the other had a huge gash on it, turning the inside completely white and milky, a long line running from the top to under the eye. "To what do I owe this visit Spade" he asked as he looked at the man.

Spade looked around again and then back at Sullivan "you know too well why I'm here" Spade gritted out, he smacked his lips together, before he smiled a crooked smile.

"Seeing as you're still breathing and very much alive, I think I do know... Are you here to kill me"? He asked and Spade just looked at him blankly, even though deep down he was fighting the urge to give this man in front of him a busted up nose.

"If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't be here" Spade grunted out

"Then why are you here Spade"? He asked as he looked behind Spade "and where's your little spawn, Matteo"? He asked and this made Spade to grit his teeth, how long would it take Stefano to get into position, he really wanted to punch this bastard in the face.

"I'm here to ask you a simple question Sullivan.... A little birdie told me that you wanted me dead, you've been sending your men after me for a while, may I know why"? Spade asked, and Sullivan just chuckled, slowly he folded his shades and placed it inside his pocket, before shoving his hands into his pocket and looked Spade into his eyes, at least with his one good eye.

"You should know me by now Spade, I don't kill people because I want to, I only go where the money points me... And right now there's a huge bounty on your head, I can't let it slip" he said, his lips tilted into an almost sadistic, grin like smirk "It's nothing personally really"

Spade gritted his teeth together, narrowing his eyes on Sullivan "who put the bounty on my head"? He asked, the man chuckled again He clicked his teeth together

"I'm sorry Spade, I can't tell you, it's confidential, nothing personal just business" he said, Spade just clenched his jaw, another dead end. "But I must say Spade, I'm a little bit disappointed, you're getting sloppy, you coming here without anyone, you must really be as reckless as they say" he muttered as he looked at his men, each one now had his gun pointed at Spade ready to shoot. "Unfortunately, I can't let you leave here alive" and that's when Spade saw it, bingo. It took him long enough, he smiled and watched as Sullivan frowned a little, cocking his brows at Spade. "What's funny Spade"? He asked and Spade just shrugged, shoving his hands into his pocket

"If I were you, I'd worry about that red light on your chest" he said gesturing with his head towards Sullivan's chest where Stefano's red light was currently pointing at.

He saw the way Sullivan's smile was wiped off within seconds, he looked up at Spade and smirked "You sly cocky bastard" he whispered and Spade just smirked

"I never walk alone Sullivan" he muttered to the man "tell your men to lower their weapons else I'll tell mine to shoot, and he's a perfect shot, he never misses.

Spade wasn't bluffing, Stefano was an actual perfect shot, actually one of the best in the underworld Sullivan grinned, his face frowning a bit before he flagged his men down as they all lowered their weapons down "Good" Spade muttered before he spoke again "now I'm going to warn you, whatever they're paying you to kill me, and whatever they paid you to kill Liam, Martineli and put Batroix in the hospital, I will find them and kill them and then I'll come for you and I'm going to kill you too" Spade warned and threatened, his voice dripping with venom and danger, he meant every word he was saying and Sullivan knew this, even his face had lost it's color.

Without another word, Spade turned around and walked away from Sullivan, when he was at a safe distant from the dock, where Sullivan could no longer see him, he let his tense shoulders to relax, that was a close one.

Just as he got close to his car, he saw Stefano too, the man had stopped in front of his own car and opened the trunk of his car and dropped the gun inside. "You know, I wanted to shoot him in the leg when you walked away but I realized it was a bad idea and we were clearly outnumbered" Stefano said, Spade just ignored him and got into his own car.

Thinking about what Sullivan said, someone was paying him to hunt and kill Spade, this was dragging on and becoming more interesting than he'd expected.

He drove his car away from the dock and headed home, he looked at his wristwatch and it was just past 1 Nate was probably still at work, that's great for him

****

Getting back to the house, Spade walked into the house, Stefano didn't follow him back and he wasn't surprised at all. He met Matteo sitting on the couch, munching on cookies Apparently he had taken his bath.

Spade sat himself down on the couch close to Matteo as he sighed out. "You don't look very bright"? The blonde commented

"And you're supposed to be asleep or resting" he retorted back, earning a snicker from the blonde as he scrunched his nose up

"I'm guessing your visit to Sullivan didn't pan out as you expected"? He asked and Spade just shook his head

"It's another dead end, apparently he won't rat out who's paying him to kill me"

Matteo just looked at him, chewing on the cookie with a loud annoying sound, that was slowly pissing Spade off "Are they all that scared of this person that they won't even give out a little information about him"? Matteo asked no one in particular as Spade clenched his jaw, remembering what Sullivan had told him. "Not even to you" Matteo quickly added

"Maybe they think I'm getting sloppy" Spade said, already feeling as if Sullivan was right, Matteo just frowned and looked at him

"What are you talking about"? He asked.

"Well I'm guessing they're not afraid of me to that point, and it's probably because they think I'm getting sloppy" he explained "am I really getting sloppy"? he asked turning to Matteo

"Where'd you hear that shit from"? Matteo asked and Spade just sighed out and clenched his jaw

"I mean since Nate and I...." Matteo was quick to cut him off

"Whoa whoa, don't even think of going down that road okay"

"How do you know what I wanted to say"? He grumbled out.

"I know you were just about to blame your feelings for Nate for getting you sloppy, which you're not" Matteo rushed out "look, feelings do not make you weak or sloppy, if anything they're a strength more than they're a weakness"

Spade sighed out, he felt mind of defeated at that point "I know, it just..."

"It's nothing, forget all about what da.. Micheal said to you when we were kids, feelings are one of the biggest strength one could have, sometimes I look at you and Nate and I wish I had that, what you guys have, I wish I had it" he confessed and Spade just looked at him for a while before he nodded.

"You're right" he muttered shaking his head "I guess I'm just stressed out about everything, I just want to find this motherfucker that's been messing with me, before things get out of hands"

"And you will, we will find him, you don't have to start doubting what you share with Nate because of that" Matteo explained "you know what you need, you need to get laid" he said with a lopsided smirk on his face, making Spade to roll his eyes at the blonde "I'm dead serious, you need to call your boyfriend and ask him to get you laid, y'all need to fuck the stress and tension out of your system"

Spade just shakes his head "sometimes I forget what a pezzo di merda you are" (piece of shit) Spade muttered causing Matteo to burst out laughing hard clutching onto his stomach.

"You know you want to get laid, I'm just pointing it out for you"

The door suddenly opens up and Nate walks in, his eyes darting from Spade to Matteo. "Hey Nate" Matteo cheered out and the young man just sighed out, exhaustion evident in his eyes.

"Hi, hey babe" he rasped out before he just walks past them and towards the bedroom, Spade frowns and looks at Matteo, the blonde shrugs, before he leans over and whispers into Spade's ears

"Maybe he wants to get laid" this caused Spade to groan out before his elbow jams into Matteo's stomach, completely forgetting that the blonde had a gunshot wound there that hadn't healed yet, only after he starts coughing does Spade's eyes widen and he leans over to him.

"Oh shit I forgot" he pleads, trying to check the wound but Matteo just sits up and smiles uneasily, of course Spade must have hit him there.

"It's okay, I'm fine" he groans out before he nudges Spade's side. "Go find out what's wrong with your boyfriend" he grins out and Spade just shakes his head before he gets up and follows Nate into the bedroom.

Sorry I haven't updated in two days, I was mad busy.

Good news, the book is almost finished.

Well technically I've almost finished writing it, but I still have more than 30 chapters that need uploading 😩😩