Master of Lust

Chapter - 158

As the car idled along the roads, two men sat in silence. The one in the passenger seat had turned so red, seething with anger, that he would've put the ripest of tomatoes to shame. Meanwhile, the man driving wondered if all his suppressed anger would cause a stroke. Wouldn't that be something? At least, that way, he could escape this hellish man beside him who was no better than a pompous asshole.

The passenger princess in question was Zack, who was fuming. He couldn't believe his eyes. This pathetic excuse of a man was supposed to spy on Amanda, his ex-girlfriend, and report any signs of her seeing someone else. But what did he get in return? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

And to think he spends so much money on these fuckers.

For freaking days, this dude's been lurking around Amanda's crib, playing delivery boy, pretending to be a plumber, even pulling a Jehovah's Witness act. Like, seriously? He's snapped hundreds of pics of her damn door, window, balcony, and even her frigging trash can. But guess what? Not a single soul, besides Amanda, has set foot in or out.

This gig is driving the guy up the wall. Every mundane move Amanda makes is like nails on a chalkboard, and he's about ready to Hulk-smash something. But no matter how many times he tells his boss the same story, Nothing out of the ordinary and no suspicious visitors either, Zack wasn't satisfied. And now his boss was pissed at something that was out of his hands. Which in turn made him pissed.

Zack was beyond pissed with the lame excuses the guy was throwing his way. He'd spelled it out crystal clear—no if's, and's, or but's. If Rick showed up, he better get a heads-up pronto. But no, Mr. Oblivious over here claimed it was just the delivery dudes and some random secretary who'd graced the building.

That just didn't sit right with Zack. The unease was eating at him like a swarm of angry bees. Screw waiting around for answers, he thought.

So, he decided to take matters into his own hands and visit Amanda himself. He drove to her apartment, the man in tow, parked his car across the street, and waited. He didn't have to wait long.

Within minutes, he saw Rick walk out with Amanda in tow. She looked radiant, wearing a simple red oversized T-shirt and a smile. Zack felt a pang of jealousy and regret. He wondered if she still thought about him the way he thought about her.

And explode he did, not having to cool his jets for too long. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Zack was about ready to tear the place down if he had to.

Zack's blood went from simmer to full-blown boil in a hot second. There it was, the gut-wrenching sight that fueled the flames of his rage. Rick, that sleazy bastard, wrapped both arms around Amanda's waist and kissed her passionately. Amanda kissed him back, giggling and nuzzling his neck—it was like a punch to Zack's gut.

Seeing them all loved up sent him into a fury. Was this some sick joke? Amanda, that bitch never let Zack near her like that, and now she is playing tonsil hockey with this clown? The audacity! It was a slap in the face, a kick to the gut. Did the slut have no damn self-respect?

As the wheels of the car rolled on those almost deserted roads, Zack's agitation went off the charts. Frustration oozed out of him like a toxic fog. Couldn't believe what he was witnessing. And then, boom, he snapped. Couldn't take it anymore. He shoved the poor schmuck next to him out of pure, unbridled anger.

The guy's head collided with the window, a satisfying thud echoing the storm inside Zack's mind. The man contained his snarl, knowing having Zack had his quirks.

Zack leaned forward, adjusting his legs when he suddenly caught a whiff of something. "Why does your car smell like tacos? Are you eating tacos while you're supposed to be working, you fat fuck?"

The man resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "It's an air freshener, boss. It helps with the stress."

Zack snorted, smacking the back of his head. "Pleasant scents? Tacos? Seriously? Are you stupid or something?"

The man couldn't believe he was being lectured on the choice of air freshener in his own car. "It's just a scent."

Zack smacked the back of his head once more, and the man was seriously considering swerving into a lamppost or something. "It's distracting, you stupid fuck," Zack said. "Do you have any sense left it in you?"

Don't push him out. Don't push him out. Don't push him out. The man had to take in three deep breaths before he spoke. "I'll change it, boss."

Zack turned his lip. "And can you drive any slower? Or are you trying to set a new record for the world's most sluggish getaway driver? It's like we're in a race with snails and we're losing to snails," he snapped, his eyes shooting daggers at the road.

"Alright, boss." The man sighed, gripping the steering wheel tighter, and pressed harder on the accelerator. "I think it's best you relax, boss, it's not—"

Zack scoffed. "Relax? How can I relax, you dumb bitch, when that fucker Rick was at Amanda's place the entire fucking night, stealing her away from me? I specifically told you to keep an eye on them. I fucking paid you for that! What the fuck have you been doing?"

The man shot him a sidelong glance. "I've been doing exactly what you asked, boss. I lurked near her house like you asked. I even took pictures like you asked. Nothing was out of the ordinary."

This wasn't even his specialty, he was usually called when someone needed some teeth knocked out. Or some limbs broken. He wasn't made for lurking in the shadows. He was never one to blend well with his surroundings. But this fucking dickhead didn't understand how hard he was working.

"Your job is to make sure Amanda stays away from Rick, and what do I see the moment I arrive? That fucking cunt had the audacity to fuck her." Zack screeched, getting into the man's face.

"He fucked her! And you, a worthless piece of shit, fucking dozed off. What the fuck are you even useful for?" Zack shoved him some more, raining blows on him.

The man cleared his throat, and subtly wiped off the spittle from his cheek. "Look, boss. You've seen the photos. This guy, Rick, he never showed up before. If he did, I would've told you. This is the first time I'm seeing him."

Zack's face twisted into a scowl so nasty it could curdle milk. "First time!" he roared, delivering a punch to the guy's gut that felt like it came straight from hell. "If you weren't such a useless piece of crap, Rick would be history, and Amanda would be back in my damn arms, begging for forgiveness. But no, you're a pathetic excuse for a hitman who can't get a single job right."

The poor sap winced, clutching his side like it was a lifeline. "I'm sorry, boss. Every time I staked out the place, that bastard never showed."

Zack scoffed, a venomous blend of anger and disappointment on his face. "Never showed? You dumbass, you were too busy blowing through my cash and getting your rocks off to notice anything. How the hell would you know if Rick even breathed in her direction?"

The man glanced at Zack, swallowing down his anger. Zack had been calling him all sorts of derogatory terms for so long that now it was starting to get on his nerves. He had to remind himself that punching Zack would not bode well with his future.

Now, even the man itched to break something of Rick's. That bastard was causing him so much stress even his taco air freshener wasn't helping. It would be his honor to eliminate Rick.

As Zack continued to fume, the man couldn't help but feel a mix of sympathy and sadness. No, that wasn't true. He was feeling a mix of murderous rage and irritation. He had been stuck in the middle of this chaotic plan from the beginning, and it was starting to take a toll on him. He could feel that stroke grow nearer and nearer with every word Zack let out.

"Look, boss," he said, trying to keep the peace. "I get it. You're upset, but taking it out on me won't change anything. You need to focus all your anger on Rick. That would be better."

That earned the man a nice blow to the cheek, and he had to shake away the sudden dizziness to keep his eyes on the road. Good thing Zack punched like a twelve year old boy, else the man's daydream about crashing into a lamppost would've become reality.

"I will focus my anger where I want," Zack spat. "And you'll sit here and take it, like the stupid little fucker you are." Zack continued to simmer in his frustration, taking it out on the man on occassion. The man focused on the road, trying his best to ignore Zack and hoping they'd reach their destination soon without any more thoughts about homicide.

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