Hidden In Plain Sight (MxM)✔

Chapter 20 - What a Mess

Luke desperately wanted a shower, but understood why they couldn't stop to get cleaned up. Nicholas had notified the Archduchess of their visit, then got attacked after uncovering some shady business in her Territory, so it was safe to assume that staying for much longer would be dangerous.

They did visit one of the local shops for a change of cloths at least. As strange as this place's fashion sense was, the stench of sewage was not worth enduring in a small limo for hours on end.

In their haste, Luke got stuck wearing bright red overalls and a teal coat, while Nicholas changed into yellow pants and a strange blue jacket that looked like it was two different jackets sewn together.

On their way back, the human noticed that the Archduke was openly staring at him. Not like before when he seemed to have a genuine interest in Luke, but more like he was expecting something. It had the human squirming in his seat, averting his eyes and hoping the man wasn't suspecting anything obvious.

"I'd like to ask once more..." Nicholas eventually gave up on the silent treatment and pursued the conversation. "Do you have anything to do with what we found back there?"

The Vampire's tone made it clear that it wasn't a question. He seemed to already know the answer, but was urging Luke to come forward himself.

The human wished he could be straightforward, but he knew it was far too dangerous. Right now, the little trust that he held for Frederick was hanging by a thread, and if he couldn't trust his own Master, then who could he trust?

He didn't want to think about it, which was becoming a bad habit, but Luke knew everything he was doing was extremely risky. Firstly, as much as he liked Nicholas, he was still a Vampire, and a noble one at that. One that every other Archduke either resented or feared.

Nicholas's views on humans made him feel like maybe, just maybe the man wouldn't add him to the menu, but at the same time, how could he be so sure that that was how the man really felt?

If Frederick could lie, so could Nicholas.

"He found me." Luke decided that a half truth was safer, otherwise sitting in silence would only irritate the Vampire. "Frederick did."

"Found you?" Nicholas tilted his head. "Where?"

"I...Don't know..." The human had never asked what territory he had been found in. He was too young to remember and for much of his childhood, he had been locked away with no reason to care. "I...I don't remember anything before that."

"Amnesia?"

Luke bit his lip. "No, just too young to remember. Frederick took me in. I know he wasn't the one who gave me the tattoo, otherwise I'd remember the process, but that just means I had it before he found me."

"So in other words, your answer is 'no'." Nicholas concluded.

"I seriously don't know." Luke pushed, knowing that if he dropped the conversation there then the Vampire would be left to speculate whatever he wanted. "I just don't know the details. Frederick got really touchy when I asked him about the tattoo, so that's why I think he knows something, he's just not telling me."

"Hmmm, if he's really part of whatever that mess was, then it's understandable for him to be silent about it. No criminal would openly admit to their crimes if they planned to get away with them."

"He probably just doesn't want me to worry or something."

"You sure about that?"

This time, the human didn't reply because he knew he was just trying to comfort himself. The past week had been challenging. He had grown angry with Frederick, even resentful, but up until he laid his eyes on that burned down farm, he hadn't quite allowed himself to believe that his Master was part of it. As a matter of fact, Luke still wanted to believe that his Master was just being overprotective and that his tattoo was merely a coincidence.