GCT 4

“Aren’t you curious?”

“About what?”

“Why do you think I went out of my way to find you?”

“You dug up my identity, got a sex tape, harassed me, and had your fun with me in bed. Seems like you’ve done everything you wanted.”

“…”

“What else do you want? There’s more? I’m too tired for a bathroom round. Plus, everyone can hear in there.”

Lear sighed at Yohan’s question.

“An FBI agent with such bad instincts…”

“What, you jerk?”

“Has your long undercover stint dulled your senses? I heard you’re doing pretty well with Vasquez. Got a taste for money and forgot your duty?”

Unable to fully deny it, Yohan just moved his lips. He didn’t know how to respond to Lear. Lear smirked, leaning against the windowsill, and said,

“Doesn’t matter. Corrupt cops are sexy too.”

“I’m not a cop, I’m a special agent.”

“Whatever.”

This educated jerk was deliberately riling him up. Yohan frowned and asked Lear,

“So what do you want to say? Stop beating around the bush.”

“I want to make a deal with you.”

“A deal?”

Wondering what nonsense this was now, Yohan leaned against the bed, staring at Lear.

“We met like it was fate, didn’t we?”

“Cut the bullshit.”

“You keep saying bullshit, but comparing my dick to an animal—wouldn’t a horse be closer?”

“That’s why I keep cursing.”

Yohan shook his head, sighing at Lear’s words.

“Anyway, I didn’t bring it up to talk bullshit.”

“Try spouting nonsense about fate again.”

“Harsh.”

“Enough, what do you want to say?”

“Your partner’s case.”

When Diane’s issue came from Lear’s mouth, Yohan’s expression hardened. He’d suspected Lear was shady, but only linked to Vasquez.

“I’ll help. And you’re tired of undercover work, aren’t you? No results.”

“…”

“No big wins, and you’re not even close to Vasquez’s core.”

“Just a bit longer…”

“You know it’s not easy.”

Lear scanned Yohan up and down, clicking his tongue, and continued,

“You planning to rot here forever? Not even living as yourself?”

Was it an Alpha trait to see through people? Lear spilled things Yohan hadn’t told anyone. Feeling called out, his face burned, and Yohan snapped at Lear irritably,

“If you’re trying to be my therapist, get lost.”

Lear didn’t flinch at Yohan’s sharp words. Instead, he acted like Yohan’s tantrum was cute.

“Throwing a fit? Even that’s adorable, but we’re talking serious business, Kitty.”

Yohan looked at Lear, too drained to be angry, frustrated by his cavalier attitude.

Lear grinned, continuing to prod Yohan.

“Anyway, you need to get out of this shitty neighborhood. You’re not young, so a promotion would be nice.”

Yohan sighed, asking Lear with an annoyed expression,

“Maybe I don’t care about Diane’s case or promotions. I make more dealing drugs than as an agent, so I’m not worried about retirement. Why should I help you?”

“Why stick to a Glock (15) then?”

Lear countered Yohan’s question, leaving him speechless.

“That’s…”

He didn’t need to make excuses, but words failed him, and he panicked. Lear didn’t miss his chance.

“From what I know, people around here carry flashier, decorative guns. Even undercover, you stick to that gun despite the risk. It’s obvious why.”

How did a rich boy like Lear know that? Local dealers and gang members preferred flashy revolvers or rifles for show. Then again, this guy had CCTV in his room and made sex tapes to blackmail people.

“That’s not all, your brother…”

“Enough, stop!”

Yohan genuinely bristled as Lear started digging into the family he’d cut ties with. That topic still grated on him. Compared to his doctor and lawyer siblings who never strayed and obeyed their parents, his unremarkable life felt inferior enough without someone else bringing it up. Plus, recently sneaking a peek at their Instagram, they seemed to be doing fine without him, which stung.

“So what do you want? You said a deal. Let’s make it clean.”

It was called a deal, but Yohan had no room to refuse. Lear knew he was an FBI undercover agent, and one word to Vasquez could cost him his life.

“I’ll help you achieve your dream if you get me into the witness protection program.”

“Witness protection?”

If they could take down a big fish, getting Lear into witness protection wasn’t hard. But why would a pampered rich kid need it?

“Kitty, you know your face gives everything away, right?”

“I’m just baffled. What are you planning? Why does someone like you need witness protection?”

“I don’t know what the FBI was thinking, sending someone so naive undercover.”

“How much more pathetic are you going to make me feel?”

Yohan told him to ease up, but Lear ignored him, saying what he wanted.

“From what I’ve seen in bed, you whine ‘no’ but your face shows you’re loving it. How have you fooled these people so far?”

Were Vasquez so blinded by money from rich clients that they ignored an Asian Beta? Yohan didn’t like Lear’s sudden tangent, scratching at him. Plus, he seemed hesitant to explain why he needed witness protection.

“Ha, you brought up a deal just to mess around?”

Lear’s playful expression faded as he locked eyes with Yohan.

“No way.”

With a bitter look, he pulled out another cigarette. Yohan had said no smoking, but about to snap at the guy’s disregard, he held back, staring at Lear. Lighting the cigarette, Lear took a deep drag and began.

“As you found out, Kitty, my surname comes from my grandmother.”

Yohan didn’t know how far Lear had been spying on him, but he set aside his unease to listen.

“I didn’t want to use my father’s surname.”

“Who’s your father?”

Yohan had fled his restrictive family but couldn’t abandon the name his parents gave him. It was too much hassle to change now. Feeling a bit of kinship, he asked, and Lear said in a low voice,

“Joel Declin.”

Yohan’s heart sank at Lear’s words. His eyes shook, unable to hide his reaction. He blurted out a dumb question to Lear.

“You don’t look like him…?”

“You know I take after my grandmother.”

“…”

“Of course, since Joel Declin’s face isn’t public, you wouldn’t know if I resemble him.”

Yohan glared at Lear, uneasy. He didn’t know what Joel Declin looked like, but Lear’s purple eyes and slightly droopy eyelids… they were unmistakably Laura Crawford’s.

“Kidding. As you found, I take after my grandmother.”

Not just similar—practically a male clone, Lear said. But Yohan, still skeptical, decided to double-check Laura Crawford online once Lear left, saying,

“So, Liz, your father’s Joel Declin, who drove my partner to her death, and for some reason, you’ll help take down his remnants if I get you into witness protection?”

“Our Kitty isn’t just a tax-dodging agent.”

“…”

“Right. Your guess is mostly correct. As his only son, popping up suddenly to change what he and his people built seems to have pissed them off.”

“…I don’t get it, but is Joel Declin really your father?”

“Don’t look at me like that. You think I wanted Joel Declin as my father? I’m just the result of a cellular union he had in his youth.”

“Ugh…”

“Didn’t want to get into this.”

Lear took another drag, cursed, and stubbed the cigarette on the windowsill. Yohan didn’t like him treating his place like a dump, even if it was a mess, but since Lear’s story mattered, he tried to stay in counselor mode.

“It’s fine, talk. I need to know to decide if I’ll help, especially if Joel Declin’s involved.”

“Makes my stomach churn.”

“…”

“Want to kiss me? Might make me feel better.”

Is this guy doing this on purpose, or is he just a damn good liar? With his grandmother an Oscar-winning legend, he might’ve inherited her talent, Yohan thought, baffled. But Lear tossed his cigarette to the floor and strode toward Yohan.

“It stinks.”

Yohan turned away from the harsh cigarette smell, but Lear grabbed his cheeks with both hands, speaking in a playful tone.

“Alright, honey. I’ll try to quit.”

“Honey? You really want to die?”

“Seeing you all feisty makes me hard again.”

Yohan cursed, but Lear laughed, showering him with kisses. Despite the slick, skilled kisses, Yohan felt Lear’s hands tremble. For a moment, Yohan thought he saw the real Lear and froze, but Lear took the chance to dive deeper.

It was a voracious, suffocating kiss, binding him tightly. One large hand held Yohan’s cheek, then gripped his neck as if to snap it. When Lear pressed his thumb on Yohan’s trembling Adam’s apple, the sensation was dizzying. As Lear’s hot tongue ravaged his mouth, nearly choking him, Lear pulled back, stroking Yohan’s lower lip, saying,

“You’re shaking, for real.”

“Ha… Stop messing around and talk.”

At Yohan’s urging, Lear’s expression hardened slightly.

“I got scammed.”

“What?”

Yohan stared, wondering what nonsense this was, but Lear continued seriously.

“At nineteen. Messed up big enough to overwhelm my grandmother and father.”

Extraordinary as he was, how could a nineteen-year-old get scammed so badly it overwhelmed his rich family?

“So I went to my biological father. My dad didn’t talk about him, but… I knew he’d amassed a fortune in the local black market, enough to buy a Vegas hotel with a casino.”

“…”

“This is my first time telling this, so I’m nervous. Can I get another kiss to calm down?”

“Want your lips ripped off?”

Lear pouted, uncharacteristically, and sat beside Yohan, saying,

“Anyway… My father paid off the debt, but I had to take over his business. As you know, I’m his only DNA supplier.”

“…”

“But I didn’t exactly love what he did. You looked me up, so you know. I’m kind of… a greenhouse rose type.”

Calling himself a “greenhouse rose” was a first. Rose, rose, rose… It was absurd, but his shameless face somehow suited it.

“Not a princess?”

“Maybe…”

His serious pondering, stroking his chin, was infuriatingly annoying.

“Anyway, I wanted to bring my father’s shady business into the light.”

“You mentioned a casino and hotel.”

“Those are decent, but… drugs and messing with small fry like Vasquez? Not cool.”

“You’re something else…”

Yohan wanted to scoff at his talk of “cool,” but he was speechless.

“Plus, El Chapo (16) already dominates that scene. No matter how I try, I’d just be a Netflix doc cameo. I hate being someone’s sidekick.”

Yohan wanted to tell him to stop the nonsense, but Lear’s dead-serious, dissertation-level bullshit left him speechless.

“And I’m the type to pay back what I get. I can’t let it slide like nothing happened.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It might sound like an excuse to your cute little hole, but someone spiked my drink with Candy at that party.”

“…”

“You’ve heard of it. ‘Candy.’”

Heard of it? Yohan knew it too well, enough to shudder. He even had Fiona’s sample. Yohan couldn’t hide his shock. It clicked why Lear had mistaken him for a gigolo and jumped him.

“Of course, I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t my choice… To put out the fire, I told them to bring a Beta I’d dated recently, but they must’ve misunderstood.”

“An apology doesn’t undo what you did.”

“I know. That’s why I came to make it up with love.”

“You call that a joke?”

Barging into his home and rifling through his underwear didn’t seem like something someone apologetic would do. Yohan looked at Lear pitifully. Lear pouted, feigning hurt.

“A joke? That’s harsh, Kitty.”

“Stop acting cute, you giant creep. It’s gross.”

“Really harsh! Creep?”

Yohan shook his head. The guy’s playful eyes showed he was enjoying this life. But with FBI pride, Yohan didn’t want to be dragged around.

“You talk like that, but don’t you have like five kids?”

“Do I seem that reckless? Well, I’m so good, you might think that…”

Lear sighed, telling Yohan not to worry.

“No child support yet, so don’t worry.”

“Not worried. It’s not my money. You’re loaded. You could handle a dozen.”

“Sadly, that won’t happen. I’m careful there. I plan to start a family responsibly with someone I love.”

“What’s that mean?”

Yohan frowned, confused, tilting his head. Lear grinned and said,

“I got snipped.”

“What?”

“My looks are so stunning, you know. Lots of people after my sperm.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Exactly. It’s exhausting living with this face.”

“…”

“Can’t blame my grandmother, though.”

Lear was indeed strikingly handsome, but using his grandmother as a shield annoyed Yohan, who changed the subject.

“Enough about your lower half. Keep talking about the deal.”

“That’s what I want.”

“So what’s the deal with your father upsetting you?”

“Well… A lot of people oppose me shifting his business direction. Digging around, it’s mostly old-timers with strong loyalty.”

“So? What’s your endgame?”

“Take down whoever fed me Candy and boost our Kitty’s record.”

“…”

“To feel better, I need to dismantle Declin.”

Yohan thought his personality was tough, but meeting Lear made him feel mild. Taking down a gang because someone screwed him over once?

“You say that, but are you sure you’re not using me to become Declin’s top dog?”

“I’ve already taken the legit parts of Declin’s business. I’m not desperate for money to keep up illegal stuff.”

“Annoying bastard.”

“I popped up out of nowhere, but as the rightful heir, those who underestimated me as a rookie are the annoying ones. I don’t know who spiked my drink, but they’re hiding well, using my father’s methods.”

Yohan sighed deeply at Lear’s words.

“But you’re a computer genius. Can’t you find them?”

“That’s why I came to you, honey. I’ll take them down one by one.”

“…”

“It’d be so much fun using law enforcement.”

“Your face looks totally psycho right now.”

“Probably because of my purple eyes? My grandmother won her first Oscar playing a psycho.”

Yohan was dumbfounded by Lear’s constant use of his grandmother as a shield to dodge criticism.

“Anyway, the guy who spiked me with Candy, the recent stuff with Vasquez, and the one who brought Candy back—they’re likely all the same. Judging by how they’re stirring things up around Candy and shaking up the old-timers.”

“No matter how I think about it, it’s surprising. A guy like you, struggling to find one person.”

“There are too many suspects. Plus, I’m not perfect, you know? I’m human.”

“Well…”

“I’m already overwhelmed. If I were perfect, I’d be in real trouble.”

“Don’t people run away when you open your mouth?”

“I only act like this with you, Kitty.”

Lear winked at Yohan. Despite his appearance, he was as light as tissue paper.

“My stomach’s churning.”

“Want to kiss then?”

“Shut up and keep talking.”

Yohan no longer had the energy to entertain Lear’s teasing jokes. He stretched his legs on the bed and sighed. Lear grabbed Yohan’s legs and started kneading them.

“Well… It’s hard to track because my father’s associates are old-timers who don’t even use social media.”

“You sure it’s old-timers?”

“Anyone older than me.”

“Want to die?”

“Kitty’s face is so babyish, you’re an exception.”

That was definitely meant to mess with him.

“Anyway, among my father’s associates, we need to find someone nicknamed ‘Shadow.’ Shadow, really? Not some cartoon character, how childish is that?”

Yohan’s eyes widened, surprised by Lear saying the same thing he was thinking.

“…What? Shadow isn’t you? I heard you’re Declin’s heir.”

“Kitty, the lamest thing I’ve got is that callboy nickname you gave me.”

“…”

“By the way, Kitty and Liz sound like a duo stripper act that’d take the era by storm, don’t they?”

“…”

“Maybe we should go on RuPaul’s (17) show someday?”

Lear rambled about how no one would recognize them in drag queen makeup, so there’d be no worry about getting caught. Yohan regretted not having a sewing kit to shut him up and shook his head. Lear grinned, standing up.

“So, we have a deal.”

“What…”

“Instead of signing a contract, want to seal it with a lip stamp?”

“How about blowing it up instead of tying it?”

“That’s a bit much. I want to have a pretty mixed-race baby that looks like our Kitty.”

“You know I’m a Beta, right?”

Lear laughed, winking at Yohan’s words.

“Crazy bastard.”

“You keep cursing with that cute face? It’s turning me on.”

“I get the gist, so get lost.”

Despite Yohan’s demand to leave, Lear planted another deep kiss on his lips.

“I’ll be back.”

Lear ruffled Yohan’s hair and left his house. Yohan hurled every curse he knew at Lear’s retreating figure. Was making a deal with him really the right move? But he had no choice. For whatever reason, if he didn’t take Lear’s offer, it felt like Lear would not just bite but chew him up entirely.