a king with no crown.

“We? Speak for yourself,” he teased, his finger drawing idle patterns into Isek’s chest. He wasn’t sure how long they’d been there, but it never felt like it’d be quite long enough. He wanted to hide away in the hotel room for as long as they could; Chicago was a mess, and the only excuse to hide away for a few days was Iskender’s birthday. They were barely a month apart in age, and Remington had always found the whole thing oddly telling. It was like they were supposed to happen, and he wasn’t one to question it. Not when he had Isek’s fingers in his hair and his mouth against his own. 

Holding on to the kiss, Remington wrinkled his nose at the joke. He couldn’t be angry about it, and leave it to his other half to manage to make light about the whole thing. It was true, though, and Remi couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. “Two halves of one whole idiot, yeah? I think they should put that on our gravestones.” He curled his fingers around the back of Isek’s neck, kissing him languidly once more. “You know they’ll only be pissed because they couldn’t throw a party. Your sister might murder you,” he grinned a little, the name already making him feel more at home with Isek. It was a last name he knew, and a last name that belonged to the one person he’d always loved more than anything else in the world he’d been given. No longer did he have to worry about Vaughn; about a name that had been tacked on needlessly since his mother didn’t have a clue – and she didn’t want him to have her own name, either. “Happy Birthday, aşkım.”

“Keep talking, and I might just kill you before we get back to Chicago,” he threatened, though it hardly held any malice behind the words. If their latest disagreement, or their current travel plans signified anything, it was how much Isek was stupidly in love with the man beside him. Even drunkenly, when they both talked themselves into going through with what they had always known was going to happen, Isek had promised everything to Remington. He promised him every single thing he possibly could in their chaotic world. And now laying here, in the honeymoon suite of some fancy hotel in Las Vegas, Isek found himself only wanting to go through with the plans they had conjured up three years ago.

“You assuming my parents haven’t already had them made,” he scoffed at the notion, moments before he was being pulled into another kiss. Isek had always known that Remington was his, even from the very first time they’d shared a sloppy and inexperienced kiss with each other. He had known this was inevitable from the first time he’d thought he’d overdosed, and Remington had come running to the hospital --- for him. People had constantly come and gone from his life, leaving wreckage in their wake, but Remington had always been the one to help him pick up the pieces. Which is precisely why, when they’d exchanged ‘I Do’s’ on the alter of some two bit Vegas chapel, Isek had urged the other to take on the Kovali name, to finally accept where he had always belonged. “Oh, I have no doubt she will. She’ll probably make it look like an accident, too.” He agreed with a laugh, knowing that Emilia would likely cut his brakes once she’d found out they had eloped, and in Vegas of all places. “She’ll still insist on throwing a party,” he practically groaned the words, knowing that it will hardly be for the newly weds. Yet another downside of his family’s rule over the city. “Once we’re back in Chicago,” he suddenly spoke, shifting until he could snatch up Remington’s left hand, “I’ll be sure to get you a proper ring.” He mused, letting his lips press against the gaudy item they’d acquired from the chapel. It had been an unforeseen decision, and because of that, Isek hadn’t had a decent ring on him. But he’d rectify that, because Remington deserved that, and so much more.

“We’re fucking idiots, you know that, right?” Isek couldn’t help the question as it slipped across his tongue, the corners of his lips quirked up into a smirk. He was nestled in the comfort of the pillows that had been strewn across the hotel bed, a few too many in his opinion but he was choosing to pay it no mind. It was a disgusting quality of the more high end hotels, and this one was no different. It was his birthday, however, which meant using his family’s money on the most outrageous of expenses. Not to mention the act that Remington and he had committed, ensuring that this room was very much needed.

“If you thought my family was going to kill you before,” he laughed as he trailed fingers through the other’s hair as he laid beside him. “Perhaps they’ll put us in graves beside each other.” He mused as he shifted his body to lay beside the other, gaze looking down at him. “Suppose you won’t get the chance to make an honest man out of me --- Mr. Kovali.” He practically purred the name, grinning as he leaned down to press his lips to Remington’s.

Remington had always been able to read Isek better than anyone else. It’s why they got along so well in the beginning, and it’s why their relationship had progressed to what it was now. But even Remi couldn’t stop the fear that chilled him to the core. Was he ever afraid of Iskender? The answer was no. But for now, he figured he should be, just in case his volatile other half chose the wrong thing to say, or the wrong thing to blame him for. He narrowed his eyes, a retort on the tip of his tongue until Isek was blaming him for their failed attempt at skipping town. How everything had oh so suddenly and completely changed. “You know that’s not true,” he growled out, keeping his head back against the wall despite his small ounce of bravery he still had left. He could own up to his own mistakes, but he would not take the fall for anything else.

The slamming of Isek’s fist against the wall had him flinching, the sound of the drywall shattering beneath the other’s hand echoing in his ear. He still didn’t move, able to take the digs for what they were – an over-exaggerated truth. “I didn’t mean to,” he breathed, trying to take most of the anger out of his voice. A shouting match wouldn’t help either of them, and Remington was always the softer of the two. The gentle half, or the one that didn’t seem to be as scary as the rest of the Kovali. He’d played his part, but this was taking it too far. 

“And your idea of running away wouldn’t have been betrayal?” he shot back, blue eyes filled with the last bit of desperation he knew he had. “You – running away from your family, this life – that wouldn’t have been betrayal? They would’ve just, what, let you go?” he closed his mouth when Isek closed the distance between them, and even though Remington had backed himself into a corner, Isek had trapped him between his arms. “You think I’ve just been happy living like this for three years? I’ve loved you for so fucking long, Isek. What would you have done? Blame it on me like you are now? There was nothing – there was nothing I could’ve done.” No, he’d panicked and he’d fallen victim to the one thing Isek had helped him work through for years, the one thing Emir had helped him work through for years. 

Iskender’s declaration had Remington paling, only because he knew that wasn’t going to end the way Isek wanted it to. While Remi could care about himself, he cared about the fact that Isek was getting in over his head. “No, Isek. You’re not,” he breathed, letting his shoulders sag in defeat. He reached behind him, pulling out the loaded gun he’d had tucked into the waistband of his pants. He pushed it flat against Isek’s chest, waiting for the other man to take it, “Then finish it, Isek. If you won’t let your brother do it, then you do it. If you really see this as the big fucking betrayal, then finish it. Kill me yourself. Get your fucking revenge for big brother. The same guy who wants to see you fail.”

“No, Remington, I don’t know that’s not true. I don’t know if anything coming out of your mouth is the truth.” He shot back, anger lacing each of his words as they slid across his tongue. In a small part of his mind, Isek knew that he was overreacting, knew that he was bundling up all the hurt and anger from each betrayal, and using that to lash out at Remington. “You’ve been lying to me for three years. You lied about Azra, you lied about Emir. What the fuck else are you lying about?” It was that question that spurred on the doubts in Isek’s mind, that made him want to question everything about the man before him; his past, his loyalty, his love. Betrayal was the one thing in this life that Isek could never take lightly, allowing it to shift and morph his thoughts without the slightest bit of consideration.

Perhaps if he had been the same Isek from three years ago, perhaps if he hadn’t dealt with one betrayal after the next, he would have stepped back and considered the choices that Remington had had. Perhaps he would have taken into account the panic attacks the man had dealt with his entire life, the ones that Isek had eased him out of on several different occasions. But he wasn’t the same Isek, and he had done far worse things than the other him would have ever done in the last three years. “Is that supposed to make this any better?” He sneered the words, anger and hurt making him say stupid things. This was the man he loved, the man that had stood by his side since they were teenagers, who had seen the worst of him and had continued to support him. But Isek couldn’t see past the anger clouding his vision.

Eyes narrowed quickly at the question, at the allegation of what Isek had wanted all those years ago. He bristled with unease as the words continued, as Remington drilled each and every one of them into him. No, his parents surely wouldn’t have let him go so easily, despite how troublesome he had been to the entire Kovali reign. Isek had once only cared about seeing how far he could push his control, to see what he was able to get away with before his father stepped in to remind him of where he stood. “My betrayal wouldn’t have sent Emir to prison. My betrayal wouldn’t have caused someone to take on a life they never wanted,” his voice was low, jaw clenching as he contained the anger that only wanted to see him lash out once again. Fingers pressed roughly against the wall, doing everything in his power to not slam his fist through it once again. “Don’t,” he snapped, “don’t say you love me when you’ve been lying to me all this time. I would have done anything for you, Remington. I would have protected you, kept you safe from anyone.” But the circumstances had changed, the other had lied to him, to his family for three years. And now with Emir out, with his brother back in the folds of the family, he didn’t know what was to come next.

Isek didn’t have much time to consider it, gaze snapping to the weapon as it came into view, his body momentarily tensing before it was pressed into his chest. One of his hands slipped from the wall, retreating to take hold of the weapon that had been forced upon him. His gaze stayed on it, listening to the words as his fingers curled tightly around the grip. He knew exactly how much it weighed, but in that moment, with Remington’s words washing over him, the weapon felt so much heavier. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back, “Is that what you want then?” His narrowed eyes lifted once more to his other half, arm raising to point the weapon directly at Remington’s chest, “You want me to kill you?” The question tasted vile as it slipped across his tongue, twisting and turning his gut. His thumb reached up, cocking the weapon as his fingers tightened around the grip, knuckles damn near turning white. “You want to prove them right? Show them how much of a fucking coward you are?” He wanted the words to sting, wanted Remington to hurt as much as he did. It wouldn’t matter though, for in the end, Isek would never be able to pull the trigger. Even now, his finger wouldn’t dare move over it, pressed into the side of the muzzle instead.

Another Kovali function, this time with appearances solely in mind, attended by the son of Chicago’s most esteemed and elusive businessman with Sera in tow as a pseudo date for the evening. Positioned beside from one of her closest confidantes, the pair sorely missing their absent third party, she whispers almost conspiratorially to a man that she might support even as the city burned around him. “They couldn’t give Remi the night off for this?” Though as the capo’s hues ventured around those milling about from table to table, she recognized an opportunity which might not have presented itself were the trio fully together. “As much as I hate to open old wounds, I need your opinion on something… Balcony?” @isekovali​

İskender Kovali had always been a ticking time bomb. He carried enough anger inside of him to last a lifetime, and he’d barely just scratched the surface. Learning of what had transpired between his brother and the one person he cared most for in this world, well --- that definitely cracked it open. He couldn’t decide on who to direct his anger towards, could barely see past the red in his vision long enough to see the logical path in this situation. Three years, and the lies had only built themselves up into the monumental devastation that this newfound truth was going to cause. He’d had to leave Remington before he had done something that he was sure to regret, had needed to clear his head before he did something equally as stupid.

Yet that clarity only lasted so long, when the first person he saw upon returning to the compound was his dear older brother. The anger that had seemingly subsided in the walk from his apartment flared up without restraint, causing him to do that something stupid he had been trying to avoid. The distance from one brother to the other was quickly diminished, hands reaching up to curl into the front of Emir’s shirt, “You should have stayed in that prison where you belong, kardeş. The moment I take that spot you’ve been begging for, you’ll wish you would have.”

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Remington pulled his hand away from Isek’s wrist, instead pushing himself up to his feet. He wasn’t sure where exactly to begin, especially considering he didn’t know the ending. What was he supposed to do now? Emir had backed him into a corner, reminding him that his place was on his knees – just like his mother. Instead of agreeing, Remington had been so convinced that he was where he’d belonged. Yet now, all he had to show for it was a bruise on his jaw and a wounded pride that wouldn’t recover. There was no home for him, and there was no place for him. Irena and Rafal would have him killed if Emir spun the story his way, and Remington’s version wouldn’t hold up against a Kovali’s. It’s why he laughed, a bitter and hollow sound, turning to look at Isek now from where he stood. 

“A disagreement about who was going to die first.” The words were straightforward, and Remington could practically hear his own heart beating against his chest. His throat went dry, the panic settling into his chest like a second home. This feeling was one he was used to. Instead of allowing it to take control, however, he reached up to hold on to his chest. “You said – you said that it was always going to be me and you. And that I should come to you for anything.” The words sounded useless in his own ears, and Remington wasn’t sure what he was going to do once this was all over. “So here I am, Isek. Telling you everything.” A foolish sentiment in Remington’s mind. “We were supposed to run away, Isek. We were supposed to run and leave. That’s what you wanted me to do, and I would’ve done it for you.”

He took another step back, feeling the wall there finally as the only thing holding him up. There was no getting out of this – but what was next? If Isek didn’t try to protect his brother’s honor, then Remington would run. He’d hide away in the Cabaret until someone came for him, whether that be Emir or Isek. Swallowing back his fear, Remington met Isek’s gaze, “I was there. The night Emir got arrested. We were on that hit together. I watched it all happen.” Remington leaned his head back against the wall now, hands curling into fists at his side. “And I froze. Everything in me wanted to move, but I couldn’t.” His hand had stayed against his chest, and despite the fact that a solid shot could’ve taken out the single police officer closest to Emir, Remington hadn’t been able to do it. He’d been afraid, and now here he was, three years later, dealing with it still. “I was twenty-five, I thought I had a good grip on my panic attacks. Instead, I could’ve saved Emir from prison – but I fucking – I was scared.” He echoed his sentiment from just weeks prior when he’d told Isek about Azra, and here he was again, admitting all his fears to the one person he’d ever managed to love. And he’d loved Isek for years. The brash and angry exterior, even when hindered by drugs, had always been Remington’s addiction. There was no one he’d rather have been with, and no one else he’d ever love.  

“I didn’t think that would happen,” he breathed out, voice wavering as all the courage left his body. There was no amount of Kovali attitude in Remington Vaughn. While he’d kill anyone to keep Iskender safe, he had failed in doing so for Emir Kovali. “Emir says I betrayed him. And now I’m….he’ll kill me and you can all be done with it.” Remington, however, knew he wouldn’t go down without a fight. Proclaiming that he’d kill Emir to Isek, however, wasn’t something he wanted to do. 

No, Remington Vaughn would always be a coward. 

Too many thoughts shifted through his mind, each one becoming increasingly more worrisome as he waited to hear the explanation that Remington was going to give him. Despite the growing concern over the disagreement that was had between his other half and his brother, Isek stayed relatively patient. It was very much unlike him, but he knew that this wasn’t the time to push Remington, to force him to get to the point rather than beat around the bush. So he stayed quiet, only stepping back when the other got to his feet, his gaze on him the entire time. He didn’t know what the other was going to say, didn’t know what he should expect until Remington was opening his mouth, and the words started to tumble out.

Shock was an understatement to the jolt that shot through his body, fingers curling tightly against the palms of his hands, nails biting sharply into the soft skin. Remington and Emir had a disagreement about who was going to die first. The words repeated over and over again in his head, anger battling with confusion for the topic of conversation. It didn’t make sense to him, why the disagreement was spurred on to begin with, what had caused it to be brought up. Though his relationship with his brother had been rocky at best, Isek hadn’t assumed that Remington and Emir’s was bad enough to warrant the need to argue over who was going to die. Nor for it to have turned to blows. So he waited further, praying that Remington got to the explanation quickly, before his anger once more took control.

“What?” The word was sudden, slipping off his tongue seemingly of its own accord as he heard Remington’s plea, using what Isek had said days ago against him. Confusion flashed in his features, brows tugged together as he took a step towards the other, only for him to step back, pressing himself into the wall that was behind him. We were supposed to run away, Isek. The words stung, reminding him of a time long ago when he had wanted nothing more than to get out of the city, to get as far away from his family and their hold as he could. And he had wanted to do it all with Remington. He had wanted to start a new life with the man opposite him, to never have to worry about the Kovali reign ever again. But then Emir had gone to jail, and he was thrust into the chair that his brother had once occupied, robbing him of his chance to escape. But why was Remington bringing that up now?

His patience was growing thin, his need to know what Remington was getting at starting to consume him to the point that he almost opened his mouth to demand what he needed to know. But he could see it, the fear in the other’s eyes, the rising panic written all over his face, and then --- I was there. It felt like ice was in his veins, a chill cascading down his spine to send shivers across his limbs, bumps appearing across his smooth skin. “You what?” The question was spoken lowly, Isek unsure even of the emotions coursing through him. As the words continued to tumble from the other’s tongue, he couldn’t stop himself as he started forward, slowly but surely eliminating the space that separated one from the other. Lips rolled together as he tried to fit the pieces together, working out each and every little detail that had been given to him. Over the last three years, Isek had been thrust into a position that he had never wanted, was forced to do things that had made his stomach turn, and eventually he had grown to start liking it. But every bit of the last three years could have been avoided --- if only the man in front of him had done what he needed to do.

“We were supposed to run away,” he repeated the words Remington had used against him minutes ago, his voice dangerously low as he stopped a mere few inches from the other. His eyes were cold, narrowed as he stared into the features of the man he loved most in this world. “You would’ve done it for me --- but instead you took the chance away from me, away from us.” His gaze shifted over the features of the other, trying to look past the fear and panic, trying to find some semblance of betrayal. He knew that even if Remington hadn’t froze, even if he hadn’t fallen victim to another one of his panic attacks, there was no telling whether that would have saved Emir, or even prevented all that had happened afterwards from happening. Or at least, he knew he should know that. Instead, Isek focused on the aftermath, on what had happened to him, to them because of his brother’s incarceration.

And the anger that rose within him was too much to ignore. Before he could stop himself, his fist slammed into the wall just to the right of Remington’s head, lodging itself into the plaster and drywall. His chest rose and fell rapidly with the heavy breaths that he was taking in, the sound of his heart beat echoing in his ear. “You sent him to prison,” he hissed through clenched teeth, narrowed eyes focused solely on the features of the other. “You put me in his fucking place. You lied to me for three fucking years.” The words were spoken in pure disdain, Isek slowly retracting his hand from the wall, not caring for the split skin across his knuckles or the blood that now slid down his fingers. “You betrayed our fucking family.”

Remington’s hand shot up quickly, grabbing on to Isek’s wrist. He didn’t push the other away, however, moreso holding on to anchor himself for right now. He wasn’t sure how long he’d have before things imploded. And with the way Emir had spoken, he knew he didn’t have much time left at all. He’d never get away with killing Emir, even in self defense, but if Emir shot him – that would be the end of it, no questions asked. “Emir,” he sighed out the name, resignation clear on his face. He felt sick to his stomach, finally turning to look at Isek.

“We had a disagreement,” he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. “And it ended with him being a Kovali and me just being…well, me.”

Brows tugged together when fingers curled tightly around his wrist, Isek seemingly holding his breath as he waited to be shoved back. He knew Remington had a way of handling himself, but the sight of the bruise was alarming nonetheless. But no matter the scenarios that played out in his mind, waiting for the other to confess to who had done it, Isek was in no means prepared for the name that slipped across his better half’s tongue. Emir --- the name spiked something cold within his chest, sent it cascading down his body. He remained rooted in place, frozen by trying to figure out precisely why his brother was punching Remington, before the other’s words reached his ears. “What disagreement?”

How long had he been sitting there? Long enough to forget what time it was, apparently. Remington had wanted to be in then out before Iskender came back, it would be easier that way. The ugly purple and red spot on his jaw was tell tale enough, and he already knew it was something that wouldn’t go away for at least a week or two. Hiding it from Isek wouldn’t have been possible, but he had wanted a day or two to go by before he had to admit what had gone wrong. What had gone wrong three years ago. 

Emir’s words resounded clearly in his mind. It was like someone had recorded them and placed them on repeat. At one point, he’d thought of the man from the Faction – Julian – he would be the answer to all his problems. But could he really ask someone to pull the trigger against a man he used to love like a brother? Not even Remington knew that. What he did know, however, was that he was utterly hopeless. There was no hiding it now. Emir was going to out him, and then he’d be caught in a battle between the family – and all he could do was call the elder Kovali son a liar.  “You’re home,” he lifted his head up from his hands, moreso surprised than anything else. “I was…I was just about to leave.”

There had been a moment in İskender’s, a low, low part when the drugs had been the only thing that mattered. He’d allowed them to consume his life, to dictate what he did or didn’t do, and purchasing the flat had been one of those things spurred on by his drug addled mind. It was so many years ago, that Isek could hardly remember the time, lost to the white powder that he’d snort up his nose, rub against his gums when there wasn’t enough to make a line. He’d needed somewhere, out of sight from his parents ( not that they had paid him much mind when Emir was the perfect heir ) so that he may do as he pleased. After Emir had been hauled off to prison, when he’d been thrown from the shadow he had created to a sober lifestyle that would put him upon the family throne, he had cleaned the place up. He had disposed of all traces that had once connected him to that reckless lifestyle, and now used the home as a means to escape from it all --- especially the surname that would follow him to his death.

That day happened to be one of those moments, though he hadn’t expected to catch Remington there. Upon hearing his voice, Isek hesitated only briefly before heading towards the other --- but he’d barely made it two feet before he caught sight of the bruise. It was instant, the anger that seized him, warring with the concern that suddenly shot through his chest. “Who the fuck did that?” The question was growled out, forced through the clenching of his jaw as he advanced on the other. He reached out, fingers surprisingly gentle as they gripped Remi’s chin, turning his head so that Isek could get a better view of the bruise.

Mistakes littered the lives of the lot of them. Crawling into the bed with the wrong people, popping a pill, downing a drink, taking a shot too early- in no manner were any of them safe from the final nail being driven into their pine boxes. This was a mistake neither of them could have fathomed. Surely, one day, it would come back to haunt them. But at the moment, driven by the purity of his own anger and Isek’s desire to distraction, he could find no fault. Could not even pause long enough to think about the fact that he’d never been particularly attracted to the same sense- but he had also never been blind enough to say that some men weren’t beautiful. Really, the male Kovali’s were knock-outs if he was being honest with himself. But he’d never had the urge to pursue the notion in any capacity. It seemed he had no choice now. 

It was this, or a fist fight that would surely end in some sort of punishment. He had warned the King and Queen that it would be difficult- and that he might need to resort to violence if necessary- of which they had not received well. They couldn’t have their son bruised and battered. They needed a perfect image to present to the public- to their soldiers. So he’d promised to take any other route he could in lieu of a fight. Ripping off his clothes on the lush bed seemed the better bet. In his core he knew he would’ve done whatever Isek asked of him. That was how his loyalty worked. Do it, no matter what came later. What mattered was right now. 

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A distraction, that’s all that this was. A means to an end in the clouded mind of a drug addict in withdrawal. To ensure that he saw this to the end, Isek had needed someone that was not his sister, nor his parents, nor the man that so often gave into his wants and desires with the simplest of requests. No, he had needed someone that wouldn’t be afraid to say no to a Kovali, that wouldn’t be afraid to use force when it was deemed necessary. He had needed someone like Valentine, and even if this wasn’t what any of them had in mind some odd hours ago, Isek was certainly not going to stop this in the hopes that he didn’t cave to his addiction. A sordid fuck seemed a great deal better than having his head knocked around. After all, he’d been seconds away from instigating the fight before his mind had offered up something better. Lucky for him, Val seemed in the right sense to play along.

Remington had seen first hand what happened with prostitutes, those willing and unwilling. It was just karma that he had been placed in a position where he had to deal with them constantly. It wasn’t their fault, and he did what he could, but it would never really be enough. And he’d never disillusioned himself into thinking otherwise. Even the selfish, mildly jealous part of Remington didn’t like the idea of Isek pretending to claim a whore, but what other option was there? It was in the realm of possibilities – ones that Remington had almost considered himself. Except the unfortunate part was that no one would really believe him. When Isek seemingly calmed down, Remington only sagged against the wall. He didn’t like fighting, and this always seemed to make things more unbearable. He looked up when he felt Isek’s hands on his face, and he met the other man’s gaze, “I know you would’ve. I know. And you know I’d do the same for you,” he murmured, reaching out to put his hands on Isek’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

From the very moment that his mother had brought Remington into their lives, Isek had felt drawn to the other. He’d spent those early days dragging the boy with him, into games with Emilia and eavesdropping on Emir when he was busy with lessons from their father. They’d practically been side by side since those first days, and Isek wouldn’t have let anything come between that. Neither his parents, nor his brother, nor the goddamn police should they ever come breaking down the front door of the Kovali compound. Zephyr was nothing more than a blip on his radar, a means to an end that resulted with him wearing the crown. If it ever came down to the Irishman or the man before him, Isek’s choice had been sealed since the first moment he’d looked into Remington’s eyes. Even as he looked into them now, he knew he would do anything for his better half. “Shh, that doesn’t matter anymore. I just ---” words cut off suddenly, Isak rolling his lips together as he tried to formulate the thought, fix it into what he needed to say. “I just need to hear you say it. Say that you know you can come to me. With anything, about anything. It’s you and me, Rem. It’s always going to be you and me.” The words barely left his tongue before he couldn’t help himself, leaning forward to capture the other’s lips with his own, needing the intimacy as much as he needed his next breath.

Emmett had expected the mayor’s speech, with the chanting crowd preceding it and all the bottled-up anger and resentment and fear of a summer spent caught in a gang war, to be the most dangerous part of the evening.  But then Isek had called–and he’d said the cops were raiding Purgatory.

Emmett ran the whole way, pushing past people streaming toward the Board of Trade.  Sure enough, police cars lined the street in front of the nightclub, and cops’ dark uniforms blurred the shadows around the front door.  Managing to slip in a back entrance, Emmett dodged two officers before finding Isek.  “Where do you need me?”

Purgatory had become nothing short of a pig pen, from room to room, wall to wall, it was filled to the brim. How he had gotten in was a skill he had learned years ago, of slipping into even the most heavily guarded of facilities ( while blitzed out of his mind ) and being undetected. The orders that were cast to each of the uniforms had Isek wondering what he was going to do with his little pet. She should have warned him, should have alerted him to this prior to the moment happening. Perhaps she didn’t care for her career as much as she let on.

nicpclltier‌

“Cross my heart, this time it’s completely on me. I even made sure to get a receipt since I knew you’d never believe me.” A coy smile pressing her lips as she tried like hell to ignore the fact that she very well knew Isek’s eyes to be on her. Whatever sense of a calm demeanor she might have clung to most the the time always seemed far more difficult to believe herself with her once best friend, a man who knew her better than everyone, close enough to claim her anything other than collected. Even before she could accept or deny the idea of a drink — the entire idea of it now a little more of a hesitancy that she knew Remington wasn’t alone – Isek had already stepped forward to drain the one he had, Nic only glad that she still very much had the option to leave with the door behind her. This wasn’t what she had in mind — if anything, she’d wanted to see how Remington was doing, knowing that the last time they’d really spoke, he’d seemed.. a little lost. The concern she felt wouldn’t budge, but she knew that neither would Isek. “That is what I came here for, I guess.” Doe hues shifted, pinning themselves to Isek as he questioned her before she looked beyond to her boss, calculated footsteps drawing her further into the room without taking away from the space between them too much. “Last I checked, not even close.” Happy? No, she was little more than a butterfly, caught within a web she’d never claw her way out of. “I’m sure he’d tell you differently though.”

@rxmington

Remington made a face at Isek’s words, but he quickly took a sip of his drink to hide it. He didn’t do anything to argue, either. It was a strange situation to be caught in, and he already knew that Isek, despite his harsh words, still cared for Nic. He just couldn’t show it anymore, that wasn’t typical for Iskender. Remington was interested, however, in her response. “Not even close?” he echoed, finding that hard to believe. He looked away, letting out a sigh. Pushing himself off the desk, he put his hand on Isek’s chest, “Maybe we should um…talk about something else.” Nic’s words gave away the fact that she’d been speaking to Julian in general, however, and it didn’t really settle well with Remington. He’d prefer to keep her away, but he couldn’t do that. Not to Nic. “Anyone else want to see a Cubs game?”

@isekovali​

It was a well placed knife that jutted from the center of his back, blade slipped between his ribs to pierce against the beating organ within his chest. It was Nic’s lithe and nimble fingers that curled around the handle, twisting with each new word that slipped across her tongue. She had been his best friend, the chaos to his destruction, a habit that had fit perfectly into the toxic life he was living; and now she could barely look at him, he could barely stand to be in the same room as her. The need to find Julian and slam a fist against his face grew increasingly with every passing second, but he never did. No, Nic chose this life, she chose the man that had left her to die over the one who would have killed for her. It was only fair that he be allowed to rub that into the wound even further. “Oh, trouble in ---,” but his question was cut off, when he felt the press of a hand against his chest, catching the words in the hollow of his throat. Gaze cutting to the features of the man before him, eyes narrowed ever so slightly in a silent warning to Remington. The other should have known better, anticipated that Isek wasn’t going to be playing nice when he urged Nic to stay. “No, no; I don’t talk much to lover boy. He’s not exactly the most trustworthy, but --- I don’t need to remind you of that, now do I?” He grinned as he stepped back, away from the hand that Remington had placed against his chest, reaching over to snag the seemingly forgotten bottle to pour into his empty glass. 

“You still didn’t answer me. What would you have done? Tugged her out? Put a target on her back? Ended the entire Kovali trafficking ring? You don’t give a shit about any of them, otherwise you would’ve figured it out yourself.” Remington glared back at Isek, though he wasn’t going to argue again. Not when Isek was throwing back at him the very fact that he could get whatever he wanted. “Is that what this is? You’re a Kovali, so you get whatever you fucking want?” His voice lost most of its heat, and he turned his blue gaze away from the other man’s. Remi would easily give Isek whatever he wanted, that much he knew. He didn’t like arguing, and the conversation was seemingly going nowhere as well. They all had a job to do, and Remington had been given his own. Even with Isek’s help, what kind of person did that make him if he relied on the other to just do it all? “Condescend you? Because I was afraid. There. You happy? Keep calling me names; daft, a coward. I was afraid it would risk Sera’s place, and I can’t run to you to solve all of my problems, Isek. So fucking hit me if it makes you feel better – keep talking down to me because you can do whatever the fuck you want.” Remington narrowed his eyes, but the topic of their not so mutual friends was rather superficial as well. “And you think I’d choose them before you? Then it’s clear what the fuck you think of me. I’m not a Kovali – there is no blood protecting me. If it’d been me behind bars instead of your brother, I would’ve been a loose end. Don’t pretend that you know otherwise.” Remington had always known his place, and it’s why he held back everything he knew about the night of Emir’s arrest. He’d be the first to be killed for having a panic attack, and not even Isek could save him from that. He released his grip on Isek’s wrist, dropping his hand to his side, “Say what you want, Iskender. I didn’t do it so I could lie to you; I did it so I could figure out a way before dragging you in to my problems.”

“İsa --- you think I fucking like that? Do you think I want to force women, many of them the same age as my fucking sister, into that kind of life?” His free hand was lifting, pushing fingers roughly through unkempt hair. There were sides of this kingdom that even he didn’t favor, that he turned a blind eye to in the hopes that if he weren’t paying attention to it, it wouldn’t get to him. But it did. Every single day he knew what was happening within his family’s reign, it got to him. Yet what was he supposed to do? Go to his father, demand that all the young girls and women be released from their servitude? He would surely never see the crown if that were the case. “There are ways of getting her out undetected. I could have claimed her as my own, could have deemed her unworthy to be a part of this godforsaken industry.” He would have done anything, attempted anything to ensure the safety of Sera’s younger sister. But he’d been kept in the dark, withheld from the secret that was likely going to tear their friendship in half. “You know what I fucking meant,” he seethed, narrowed eyes boring into those of the man still pressed firmly against the wall. That is --- until Remington blurted out his confession. Eyes blinked in confusion, his head tilted backwards as if he needed to get a better look at the man before him. But it was one singular word that had the anger seeping out of his being, resolving him in an instant, “I don’t think you’re a coward, Remi. I’m not going to hit you either, alright?” His hand once more lifted, swiping across his face as if that would rid any of the foolish things he’d stupidly said. If there was one thing that Isek was absolutely terrible at, it was talking through his feelings, through the hard conversations that he’d rather not have. “No, I just ---,” but that’s exactly what he thought, because it certainly wouldn’t have been the first time that someone he cared about chose another over him. Betrayal was not something new to the Kovali heir. “Don’t,” he suddenly spoke, gaze snapping back up to lock with that of the other man’s. “If it had been you instead of my brother, I wouldn’t have let anyone touch you. I’d have burned this entire city to the ground.” Because Remington was his, as much as he was Remington’s. And what was his was not to be touched, by anyone. With the confession, Isek released a soft sigh, both hands now lifting to cup either side of Remington’s face, thumbs stroking across his cheeks. “Hey, your problems are my problems. We’re in this together, alright?”