Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 156: The Man You Chose

In Malta.

The sun was bright over Gozo, but the wind coming off the Mediterranean Sea was sharp and cold. Huan stood by the stone railing of a viewpoint overlooking the blue water. He took a deep breath, feeling the salty air fill his lungs.

It had been a long time since he could just stand still and look at the sea without thinking about work.

However, he was not truly alone. Even though they were on a private trip, Huan could sense the presence of the guards. They were everywhere. He saw a man in a plain windbreaker standing fifty yards away on a limestone path. He saw another near the parked SUV.

Alexander did not want to lower his guard. Even on an island like Gozo, he did not want to take risks. He hadn’t told Huan about the extra security, but Huan knew the patterns too well to miss them.

Alexander stood a few feet away. He wasn’t looking at the sea. His head was down, and his thumbs were moving quickly across the screen of his phone. He had been like this for the last twenty minutes.

Huan leaned his back against the cold metal of the railing. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched Alexander. He felt a bit irritated. This was supposed to be their time away, but it seemed impossible since Alexander never put down his phone.

Huan let out a loud, deliberate sigh. He pouted, making sure Alexander could see the expression on his face.

Alexander paused. He heard the sound of the complaint. He looked up from his phone and saw Huan leaning against the railing with a frown. A small smile appeared on his face. He tapped the screen one last time to lock the phone and slid it into his pocket.

Alexander walked toward him. He reached out and pulled Huan away from the railing, wrapping his arms around Huan’s waist to pull him into a hug.

"What is it?" Alexander asked. His voice was low, and the wind carried it away almost immediately.

"You are always busy," Huan said. He didn’t pull away, but he kept his expression flat.

"I’m sorry," Alexander replied. He rested his chin on the top of Huan’s head for a second. "There’s a bit of a problem at home. It seems we never run out of problems."

"What is it this time?" Huan asked. He was curious, even though Alexander had tried to keep him away from the business lately.

Alexander let out a breath. "Malvin told me Nathan and his friends—and even Nael—went into the forest last night. They claim they found something. Malvin thinks Leo knows exactly what is happening out there."

Huan looked at him with wide eyes. "In the forest? What did they find? And how can it be that you know nothing about it? What happened exactly?"

Alexander released the hug and stepped back a bit. He looked out at the water, his face showing the weight of his thoughts.

"Malvin asked Jack to go into the forest to check the area. But when he tried to go, Leo seemed to panic. He sent Steven to restrict everyone from going there. But the kids were already there. They had already seen something."

"So Leo is hiding things in the woods now?" Huan asked.

"It seems so," Alexander said. "I have a feeling my mom is involved. I’m sure she has been asking Leo about specific things lately. She knows I will never trust her. She knows I won’t do anything for her. So she goes to Leo."

"But you can’t contact her, right?" Huan asked. "You said she was off."

"Yes," Alexander said. "I don’t really care where she is, to be honest. But I am sure she and Leo are planning something. I can feel it."

"And Steven?" Huan asked. "Is he on Leo’s side now?"

"All the guards are under me," Alexander said firmly. "They are not allowed to pick a side. But Steven has worked with Leo for a long time. I will need to get a real answer from Leo when we get back. He has created too many problems lately. He is getting careless."

"And the kids saw it all," Huan muttered.

"That is the main problem," Alexander agreed. "I don’t care if Leo wants to do weird experiments for himself. That is his business. But the problem is that he allowed the kids to see it."

Before Huan could respond, Alexander’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Alexander groaned. He took the phone out and looked at the notification on the screen. He sighed loudly.

"What is it now?" Huan asked, moving closer to see the screen.

"Nathan," Alexander said. "He just tried to buy a car. And last night, he tried to initiate a large bank transfer. I think he has been looking for houses and land. I don’t know what he is trying to do."

Huan smiled. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride for the younger Salazar. "He is preparing things for himself. I think he has decided that he will never stay in that mansion for long. He wants his own place."

Alexander looked at the phone for a moment before putting it away again. "That’s what I’m thinking too. Honestly, if he can survive by himself, I won’t forbid him to go. He’s getting older. But I have to make sure he’s safe. I can’t just let a seventeen-year-old live alone in a house where my enemies can find him."

"What’s your plan then?" Huan asked.

Alexander turned toward Huan. The serious look on his face disappeared. He looked at Huan with a different kind of intensity. He reached out and pulled Huan back into his arms, holding him tightly.

"My plan right now is to squish you," Alexander whispered. He began to give Huan small, quick kisses on his lips and neck.

Huan felt his face turn hot. He tried to look around at the guards in the distance. "Not here, Alex. People are watching."

Alexander chuckled. He reached down and patted Huan’s butt gently. "How is it? Is it fine today?"

Huan winced slightly. "Not really. It is still a bit painful."

"My poor Huan," Alexander said, though his voice did not sound very sorry.

"Don’t say it like you really pity me," Huan said, leaning his head against Alexander’s shoulder. "You are the one who did it."

"What?" Alexander teased. "You were the one who asked me to kill you."

"Don’t say it like that," Huan muttered. "If people hear you, they will think I am suicidal."

Alexander laughed out loud. He tightened his grip on Huan. "Thanks to the Lord, you are much worse than that. But I love it. I love every bit of it."

They stood there for a long time, held together in the cold wind. Alexander didn’t check his phone again. He ignored the notifications about Nathan’s spending and the reports from Malvin. He focused only on the person in his arms.

"When we go back," Huan said into Alexander’s coat, "are you going to talk to Nathan?"

"I will," Alexander said. "I will let him buy the land. But I will build the house for him. It will have the best security money can buy. If he wants to leave the mansion, I will let him. But he will still be a Salazar. He needs to understand that."

"He just wants to be normal," Huan said.

"There is no normal for us," Alexander replied. "There is only safe or dead. I prefer him safe."

Alexander pulled away slightly and looked at Huan’s face. "Are you hungry? There is a restaurant in the village that serves fresh fish. No phones. No guards inside."

"I would like that," Huan said.

Alexander took Huan’s hand, his fingers interlaced with Huan’s. They walked back toward the car. The guards moved in sync with them, keeping a respectful distance but never losing sight of them.

As they drove through the narrow, winding roads of Gozo, Alexander looked out the window at the old stone churches and the green fields. He thought about his brothers back home.

He thought about Leo’s obsession. He knew that the peace he was feeling right now was temporary. The moment they stepped back onto the private jet, the weight of the Salazar name would return.

But for now, in the afternoon sun of Malta, he was just a man with the person he loved. He reached over and squeezed Huan’s hand.

"I really wish I could give you a normal life, but you ended up with this crazy man for the rest of your life."

Huan smiled, looking at the road ahead. "I think I can manage that."

The car moved toward the village, leaving the blue sea behind. The problems of the mansion were still there, waiting for them across the ocean, but for the next few hours, the world was small and quiet.

Alexander’s phone buzzed in his pocket one more time. It was another notification from the bank. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Alexander smiled and didn’t even look at the screen. He would deal with Nathan’s mid-life crisis at seventeen when he got back. Right now, he wanted to have lunch with Huan.