Honey Trap

Interlude 3.14

Uploaded on 8/1/2009

---

They sat on opposite sides of the table but Sin still felt like his father's presence was almost suffocatingly close. He tried to keep his almond-shaped green eyes on the holographic image that shimmered between them but he couldn't ignore the way Emilio's gaze burned into him.

Sin wet his lips and shifted in the chair, tapping his fingers against the glass table as he scanned the perimeter of the conference room. Carhart was standing off to the side as he spoke to Jacob, a highly ranked R&D agent who was known to possess a nearly perfect photographic memory. He was tall, lithe and had a combination of spiky black hair and complete tattoo sleeves that Sin was hoping his father would take interest in, but he didn't.

Emilio completely ignored Carhart, Jacob and even the holographic image of a raven-haired woman who was yet to be named; instead, he stared at his son without even seeming to blink. It was starting to become unnerving.

Sin spun his chair slowly to the side, watching Carhart impatiently and willing the briefing to start. He had no idea why both he and his father were involved in it or what was going on at all. Boyd wasn't there and neither were Jeffrey, Owen or Ryan which mean that this wasn't unit exclusive.

Sin glanced at Emilio discreetly and his father puckered his lips, quirking his eyebrows.

Sin scoffed and shook his head, looking away again.

"How long do you think you're gonna be able to ignore me?" Emilio asked casually, leaning across the table and arching an eyebrow at Sin.

"I'm not ignoring you," Sin replied flatly. "I'm willing you to go back under your rock."

Emilio's eyes narrowed and his lip curled. The brief motions were Sin's only warning before Emilio shoved his arms through the holographic screen and yanked Sin halfway across the table, gripping his t-shirt in both fists as he glared into his son's face. The holograph shimmered around them, blinking rapidly as they disrupted the signal.

"And how long do you think I'm gonna let you talk to me like that, boy?"

Sin glared at Emilio darkly, his lips pulling back in a sneer. "Get your hands off me."

Emilio smiled at him but it was a cold expression, a dangerous one, which was only emphasized when his black bangs fell into his face, shielding his eyes temporarily. "You think you can take me, boy?"

Sin tensed in Emilio's grip but he didn't move.

"I taught you everything you know, mijo. If I wanted to kill you right now, you'd be dead."

Sin's teeth grit, his eyebrows lowering over the pale green eyes that mirrored Emilio's. "Get. The fuck. Off me."

Emilio just pulled him closer until the tips of their noses were touching, silky black hair intermixing as Emilio murmured, "You're lucky I have a soft spot for you, mijo. The last man to disrespect me the way you do on a regular basis drowned in his own blood after I ordered him to cut his own wrists."

Sin stiffened and he jerked back abruptly but Emilio's grip didn't loosen. They stared at each other but this time Sin's gaze fluctuated between fury and uncertainty. "You lie."

The cold smile on Emilio's well formed mouth widened, the scar through his lip becoming more prominent. "I told you I changed, boy. In more ways than one."

Sin shook his head and Emilio yanked him even closer, brushing their lips together briefly before shoving Sin down into his chair again violently. Sin's back slammed against the hard plastic surface and the chair slid backwards away from the table with the force.

Emilio smirked at Sin but none of the playfulness was in his expression. As he looked down at his son, there wasn't an ounce of good humor to be seen. "Now behave yourself."

Sin stared at his father for a long moment before finally averting his gaze and looking over at Carhart and Jacob again. The General and the R&D agent had stopped talking and were staring at the two Vega men with twin expressions of dismay, although Carhart also looked a touch annoyed as he eyed Emilio in particular.

Sin closed his eyes briefly and took a deep, calming breath despite the fact that his heart was galloping in his chest; despite the fact that the blood was coursing through his veins like molten lava that heated his body and made him want to explode.

He wanted to hurt Emilio. He wanted to leap across the table and pound his face in.

But he couldn't.

In the face of his father's wrath, Sin froze and he couldn't bring himself to react. He couldn't bring himself to keep talking, to keep insulting, to even defend himself. It was as though it were something ingrained in him from the past, something that made him act cowed in his father's presence.

"Are we ready, gentlemen?" Emilio asked Carhart coolly.

"Are you?" Carhart countered as he took his place at the head of the table, Jacob sitting nearby as he looked from Emilio to Sin and back again.

"More ready than a fat bitch wanting to lose her virginity."

A low snicker escaped Jacob's mouth but Carhart glared him into silence.

"This mission is not one that I would typically send you on, Sin," Carhart started as he slid mission profiles to both Sin and Emilio. "But the cover is for a father and son team who have a striking resemblance to each other so the use of the two of you couldn't be more of a perfect fit."

Sin made a face and Emilio just shot him a smug smile.

"The target in question is Florence Feliciano." Carhart keyed in something on the touch screen monitor that was embedded into his portion of the desk and the holograph began moving.

It was a video of Florence as she moved through some kind of outdoor market. She appeared to be in her mid-to-late thirties and struck an almost intimidatingly attractive figure. She was tall, nearly the same height as the bodyguards that surrounded her, and was wearing a flowing, nearly see-through dress that had long slits up either side. Her long tanned legs were exposed up to the thigh and it was obvious that she took great pride in her appearance because her tanned body was nearly flawless.

"She's hot," Emilio noted appreciatively.

Carhart nodded in agreement. "Florence is the former mistress of Raphael Boccanegra, an Italian scientist who worked very closely with the Italian government during the war with the intentions of creating a man-made virus that is highly contagious, airborne and capable of killing hundreds of thousands or even millions before it is controlled."

Sin looked at Florence again, wondering why this was relevant to her.

"So why not just develop a vaccine in advance?" Emilio asked idly, his gaze still on Florence's moving image as she bent overly partially to examine some wares. The surveillance camera had a good view of her full breasts that nearly hung out of the low cut dress.

Jacob cleared his throat slightly and sat up straight. "Boccanegra broke off from his government and went rogue with the formula before it could be used. He destroyed all traces of his research and kept only one copy of the formula, so we haven't been able to study the virus to find a vaccine. Various groups have been trying to get the formula for years but Boccanegra committed suicide several months ago and the search ended as most people believe that the formula died with him. A lot of people thought that the only copy of the formula was actually just in his memory."

"So she has the only copy?" Sin asked blandly, wondering why every briefing seemed to slowly get to the point as though they were trying to build suspense.

"Yes," Jacob agreed with a nod. "Florence was used to living a wealthy life as Boccanegra's mistress but when he died, his legal wife received all of his money. Florence is not the type of woman to give up the lifestyle she's become accustomed to so she's been putting feelers out, trying to find a buyer for the formula."

Carhart switched the video to a still image of a well-restored but rustic villa that sat on a hill with a view of a lake stretching out beyond it. The building was large and looked elegant, which was only slightly counteracted by the obvious precautions she was taking. The property was surrounded by walls that, while fitting the design of the villa, still looked very solidly built. Well-armed guards were patrolling the compound and the gate seemed highly fortified with cameras moving about at different angles.

"There has been a recent attempt on Florence's life due to a plot by her own bodyguards," Carhart said with a nod toward the men who dotted the scene. "They wanted to get the formula and sell it themselves but were unable to locate it. During their seizure of the property, the remaining loyal men killed them all. However, this has led to Florence becoming very paranoid and she began seeking out replacements. Very skilled replacements."

Sin flipped the page on his outline and studied the pictures of Johnny and William Donayre. They looked nearly identical, with startling blue eyes and long black hair. They seemed more like models than the mercenaries they actually were.

"We managed to grab the Donayres and we're sending the two of you in their place," Carhart concluded with a nod. "Their appearances are not known in the underground so Florence will not be able to see through the ruse. Your goal is to infiltrate her property, retrieve the formula and get out."

Jacob made a slight face and spoke up again. "The only thing is, she keeps the formula on her at all times. I don't know if that complicates things..."

"It won't," Emilio said with a wicked smile. He finally looked over at Jacob and his pale green eyes flicked over the R&D agent slowly before returning to Jacob's attractive face. Emilio's eyes narrowed slightly as he focused entirely on the other man.

Jacob seemed mildly caught off guard by the attention but he didn't seem capable of breaking Emilio's unflinching stare. "The code is-- it's, I mean the formula, it's coded," Jacob stammered, wincing at the sound of his own voice and he cleared his throat. Sin rolled his eyes, disgusted by his father's affect on people. "But I don't know exactly where she keeps it."

"Hmm." Emilio gave Jacob one last lingering stare before switching his gaze to the hologram. "What else can you tell us about Miss Florence?"

"She has particular tastes," Carhart interjected, shaking his head at Emilio's antics but not commenting on it. "As you can see she hand picks her security not only for their skills but also for their looks. She is known for her insatiable sexual appetites in the circle that once surrounded she and Boccanegra."

Sin stared at Carhart incredulously. "She's going to expect us to have sex with her?"

Carhart shrugged. "It's likely."

Sin shook his head and Emilio snickered across the table, obviously getting a kick out of Sin's discomfort. "Aw Hsin, are you blushing?"

Ignoring his father, Sin glared at Carhart. "I'm not a valentine agent. I'm not fucking some woman."

"This isn't a valentine assignment," Carhart replied flatly, his tone leaving little room for argument as Sin's glare intensified. "You're not being sent in with the intent to seduce someone. You're just expected to do what it takes to maintain your cover until the assignment is complete."

"Fuck your assignment," Sin growled, turning his gaze back to the hologram angrily. He could see his father glaring at him on the other side of the table, shaking his head in an almost disapproving manner.

There was a tense silence and Jacob glanced at the General discreetly, his black eyebrows raised slightly in surprise at the interaction but Carhart just stared at Sin evenly, his mouth pressed into a thin line. After a moment, he dragged his cerulean gaze away and pushed his chair back.

"See Cynthia. Your flight to Italy leaves in two hours."

Sin didn't look up as Carhart left the conference room and he was vaguely aware of Jacob looking between he and Emilio thoughtfully before he left as well. Sin glanced up at Emilio and found the other man staring at him. As usual, his father didn't seem particularly pleased with him.

"Let's just get this over with," Sin grumbled and stood up, striding out of the room and not bothering to wipe the displeased expression from his typically stoic face.

The last thing Sin felt like dealing with was anything to do with sex. For all he knew he'd end up having flashbacks about Ann or calling the target Boyd or some such nonsense. Sometimes he wished he'd never improved his undercover skills; in the past they would have never even considered sending him on a mission like this.

"You don't need to talk to Zachary like that," Emilio said abruptly, his green eyes focused on Sin as they took the elevator down to Unit 16.

Sin gave his father a mildly surprised stare. "How I talk to people is none of your concern."

Emilio rolled his eyes and mouthed something, appearing to silently mimic Sin's words before he pointed at his son with a glare. "He's second in command of this shithole. Don't make him look like an asshole. He don't appreciate it and neither do I."

Sin stepped out of the elevator and didn't respond. He thought about saying something sarcastic or flippant but there wasn't any reason to since Emilio technically had a point. "Whatever."

Emilio smirked, appearing pleased for some reason and shoved open the frosted glass door to Unit 16.

Two field agents were sitting in the waiting area and they both instantly focused on Emilio and Sin with twin looks of surprise. The receptionist Daniella gave them a discreet smile, her long lashes lowering over deep green eyes as Emilio approached her desk and practically leaned over it to speak to her.

"Hello sweetheart," he drawled, one side of his mouth lifting as his eyes drank her in.

"Agent Vega," Daniella replied politely although her smile widened a bit.

Sin forced himself not to gag.

"Me and my son here are heading out in a couple of hours and he needs some work," Emilio told her in the same low tone that was more suited for the bedroom than a lobby.

Daniella's eyes slowly left Emilio and she focused on Sin, gaze flitting over him quickly. "He doesn't need too much work. The profile I received doesn't require body modification."

"Yeah," Emilio agreed and leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially into her ear as he turned his head slightly to gaze at Sin. "But do you see that shirt he's wearing?"

Daniella nodded briefly, her mouth turning up into a tiny amused grin. "Mmhmm."

Sin glared at them contemptuously, crossing his arms over the faded black, nearly grey, t-shirt that said Hong Kong although the words were peeling and it was barely readable.

"I bought him that shirt when he was eleven," Emilio told Daniella in a stage whisper, casting a disapproving frown at his son.

A surprised laugh escaped Daniella's plump pink lips and the two field agents looked at Sin skeptically at this information.

"Well," she said, lips twitching as she tried not to laugh anymore although her jade-colored eyes danced with amusement. "At least the tightness shows off his body."

"Can you two shut the hell up?" Sin growled finally, lowering his eyebrows over his eyes in annoyance. He cast a heated glance at the two field agents just in case they decided to make any comments of their own on his attire but they both averted their gazes quickly.

"He's so sensitive," Emilio told Daniella with a mournful shake of his head.

Sin grit his teeth and said nothing in response.

"I'll call Cynthia," Daniella said instead of replying to Emilio's barb, not looking nearly as amused or at ease now that Sin's glare was burning into her.

"You do that," Sin muttered and silently willed this entire stupid mission to be aborted before they even got on the plane.

---

"Don't you have a black jacket?"

Cynthia stared at the racks of clothing thoughtfully, chewing on her lower lip. She pushed hangers aside and tilted her head, auburn hair swaying with the motion and sliding down her shoulders. "I do, but the rust color is a nice contrast to your eyes."

Sin made a face and glanced at his father who was unsurprisingly not changing anything about his own wardrobe. The Donayres were supposed to be modern and fashion conscious, very into their appearances. Since Emilio was that way in general he didn't have much to change.

Sin adjusted the leather jacket and rolled his shoulders, staring at himself in the mirror critically. It was in a pseudo military style with shoulder epaulets and some kind of emblem emblazoned onto the top pocket.

Michelle, one of Cynthia's assistants, was glancing at Sin's worn leather boots and apparently trying to figure out a suitable replacement.

"Besides, I don't want you and your father to look like you match your outfits," Cynthia continued, nodding at Emilio's black bomber jacket.

"That should be easy. I'd never wear those stupid boots," Sin muttered under his breath, giving his father's knee length leather boots a withering glare.

"They suit him," Cynthia replied, smiling at Emilio and not looking remotely self-conscious as he blatantly undressed her with his eyes.

Emilio winked at her. "You sure you don't want to take a little walk back to my place?" he asked with a half grin.

Cynthia smirked and walked over to him, not stopping until she was standing between his knees as he sat lazily on top of her desk. "Don't you mean General Carhart's place?"

Sin watched as his father leaned forward until his face was less than an inch from Cynthia's. "What difference does it make, baby? A bed's a bed. Or a floor. Or a wall..."

"Just like old times, huh?" Cynthia purred, nuzzling her face against his but evading just as Emilio leaned in for a kiss.

Sin glanced at Michelle who was studiously ignoring the scene. If anything she seemed put off by it for one reason or another. Mollified by that at least, Sin shrugged off the jacket and threw it on a chair as he looked at the racks of clothing to find a shirt. It was mildly satisfying to know that he wasn't the only person not completely enthralled by his father.

"Don't be a tease," Emilio scolded Cynthia, running his finger along her cheek.

"I'm not." Cynthia stepped away and smoothed her top although it was obvious that the contact had affected her. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes slightly glassy and she seemed incapable of keeping her fingers from shaking. "But I'm in a relationship."

Emilio made a face and scooted off the desk. "So you're one of those now, huh?"

Cynthia shrugged, actually seeming to regret the fact. "Sickening, isn't it?"

"Damn straight," Emilio replied, giving her an unimpressed stare and turned to Sin. "I think his boots are okay. They match the personality I'm gonna give 'im."

Sin stared at his father. "The personality you're going to give me," he repeated flatly. "Aren't I following the guidelines on the profile?"

Emilio scoffed at that and knocked Sin's hand away before pulling out a short-sleeved, black button-down shirt with double zippers on either side of the buttons and D-ring straps going over both shoulders. "Fuck the profile. We do things my way."

---

Florence Feliciano was every bit the raven-haired goddess that she'd appeared to be on the recording.

She studied them closely as she sat on the edge of a large bamboo desk, two bodyguards on either side of her as three others stood at varying points around the opulent office. The room was spacious and airy with more open space than not and included a balcony that overlooked a gorgeous view of Lake Varese.

Florence smiled at them, her full red lips twisting upwards, but obvious distrust could be seen in her deep blue eyes. She crossed her arms over the fitted blazer she wore, crossing one bare leg over the other as her pencil skirt rode up slightly with the movement.

Emilio's gaze absently dropped to the bared skin of her toned thigh and a smirk twitched along his full lips.

"I understood that we had already settled a price," Florence said in a displeased tone, her gaze shifting from Emilio to Sin. "If you had implied this kind of extortion on the telephone, I would not have invited you to my home."

Sin said nothing and was somewhat grateful that his father had modified Johnny's personality from being arrogant and obnoxious to silent and moody. Emilio had claimed that no one would know the difference since any information on the Donayres' personalities was hearsay anyway and that they would be worse off if Sin tried to pretend to be a loud mouth.

"That was before I knew you were harboring illicit formulas for deadly infectious man-made diseases," Emilio replied sweetly, all traces of his typically slang-peppered speech gone.

Florence stiffened slightly and sat up straight, glancing at her head bodyguard, Furio, discreetly.

"That ups the payment, sugar," Emilio continued with a slight shrug. He still wore his knee-high boots and bomber jacket although he'd actually allowed Cynthia to convince him to shave his perpetually stubble-covered jaw. "That means people are looking for the formula and in turn, looking for your sweet ass and that makes our job harder. More work, more cash. You should know the drill."

Florence nodded and pressed one perfectly manicured finger against her lips as she gazed directly into Emilio's eyes. After a while she sighed and slid off the desk, heels clicking against the tiled floor as she did so. "I understand and it is only right but how did you come to know of this alleged formula?"

"People talk," Emilio responded vaguely, his well-formed mouth raising in a smile. "And word in the underground is that a certain Italian hottie is looking for a buyer but chances are, people will be more likely to steal it than pay for it."

Sin looked from his father to Florence but his expression didn't change. Florence appeared to be seriously considering this information and despite the fact that the mission outline had not mentioned haggling for prices or even acknowledgment of the formula, Sin felt like the added nuances to their covers made the entire meeting more believable.

"How do I know you are as good as it is said you are," Florence said finally, raising both dark eyebrows and crossing her slender arms over her chest. "How do I know this is not some overpriced scam? That when it comes down to the danger, you will not be as good as your word?"

Emilio didn't appear concerned with her doubt. "You won't know until you need to."

Florence gave him a derisive look and her indigo eyes flicked briefly over to Furio. She barely had to incline her head before the long-haired bodyguard took a step towards Emilio.

Furio moved to remove his gun and in the half-second it took for his hand to make the motion, Emilio grabbed the other man's wrist, twisted it violently so that a loud cracking sound emanated throughout the room. Emilio used his free hand to spin Furio around and flip him over, slamming the bodyguard's head into the desk hard.

Furio groaned and collapsed onto the marble floor, bringing up his hand to gingerly touch his now tender skull.

Florence stared down at him with barely concealed disdain before her eyes rose to move up and down Emilio's frame. Her mouth twitched upwards and some of the apprehension left her voluptuous body; It appeared to be replaced by intrigue and the attraction that had been hovering on the surface ever since she'd set eyes on the two Vegas. "I see."

Emilio shrugged, smirk still firmly in tact.

Florence dragged her stare from him and finally focused on Sin. "And what of your son?" she asked, her fluid Italian accent making the question sound almost sensual as the words dripped from her full lips. "He is as gorgeous as you, yes, but is he as skilled?"

Sin just stared at her in boredom and didn't bother to reply.

"My son is more bad ass than I am," Emilio admitted easily, a hint of pride in his voice that sounded nearly genuine and temporarily caused Sin's gaze to rest on his father thoughtfully. "We can do a try out if you want but I can't guarantee any of these other guys will come out alive if we unleash Johnnyboy's wrath."

Florence moved closer to Sin, her long eyelashes lowering as her gaze roamed his body. "Interesting..."

She seemed nearly turned on by the idea of someone so deadly.

There was a brief silence and the other bodyguards exchanged looks but none of them appeared surprised or confused about what was happening. If anything they appeared vaguely amused by the entire exchange, as if they knew something that Emilio and Sin didn't.

"Leave us," Florence commanded in her throaty Italian accent. When the men didn't immediately comply, she speared them with a frosty glare and repeated the command in Italian.

Two of the guards grabbed Furio and dragged their commanding officer out of the room, filing out and shutting the door behind them.

Emilio kept his gaze on Florence.

"And how do I know," the Italian woman said when the three of them were alone. "That the two of you will be obedient to me?"

She sat on the edge of her desk again, crossing one knee over the other and once again causing her tight skirt to ride up and expose curvy tanned thighs. She looked from Emilio to Sin and back again, an overtly seductive expression on her face as she eyed them.

"You're going to have to figure that one on your own, babe," Emilio replied with a shrug, his green eyes narrowing slightly at the woman.

"Mmmm." Florence studied them, a knowing smile on her full red lips. "I suppose that you have investigated me as much as I have investigated you, yes?"

"Yes," Emilio readily agreed, nodding as his eyes feasted on her body.

"So you have become aware, I am sure, of the relationship that I keep with my guards?" Her smile became sly, wicked, and made her appear even more alluring. Her face and her mouth appeared magnetic to Emilio and he seemed incapable of looking away from her body even as he replied in a low tone.

"I'm aware that you're practically a nymphomaniac and use your guards as live dildos whenever it strikes your fancy." Emilio quirked his eyebrows at her, dragging his teeth over his lower lip. "But I tend to think it also has something to do with the fact that 90% of your guards fall in love with you after a few fucks and that ups their loyalty."

Sin looked at Florence in consideration, wondering if that was the case. She just seemed like a horny bitch to him. A female version of Emilio.

"Yes, it is true." Florence flicked her cascading black hair over one shoulder and swung one long leg idly against the desk. "But I do love sex and I am very bored so isolated here in the hills. So I think of creative ways to entertain myself, creative ways to test my men..."

"Mmm." Emilio seemed to be looking forward to whatever she had in mind. "And how will you be testing us?"

Sin had to force himself to keep from grimacing. He was reluctant enough to have sex for an assignment without the addition of his father witnessing and partaking in the act. Emilio had reassured him that he'd 'have Sin's back' when it came down to it but Sin had no idea what that meant.

Florence ran her tongue over her lips and looked between the two of them for a long moment. "Kiss your son."

Sin's eyes narrowing slightly. "What?"

Even Emilio appeared slightly uncertain by the command but it was only seen in the brief hesitation that he allowed before grabbing Sin and pulling him forward. Their lips grazed briefly before Emilio withdrew, cocking an eyebrow at Florence and leaving Sin relieved by the brief exchange.

"Done."

Florence chuckled low in her throat, tapping her full lips with one long fingernail. "No, no, signor Donayre. I mean for you to make love to your son with your tongue."

Sin started to cast a warning look at the woman but before he could even process what was happening, Emilio had yanked him forward again, leaving no time for Sin to refuse the command.

Sin froze as his father's tongue slid between his lips and he fought not to recoil visibly as Emilio reached up to hold the back of Sin's head almost violently as he complied with Florence's request to the fullest extent.

He was kissing Sin the way Sin had seen him kiss so many of his lovers in the past and it didn't even seem to faze Emilio that it was his son's mouth that he was currently raping so thoroughly with his probing, talented tongue.

Every muscle in Sin's body was wrought with tension and he dug his fingers violently into Emilio's upper arms. He forced himself to remain lax and allow the violation of his mouth as he told himself repeatedly that his father was just a good actor; that he couldn't actually be getting off on making out with his unresponsive son as Emilio's progressively insistent kisses would suggest.

Sin repeated in his head that aborting the mission and getting terminated because his father was a pervert was very stupid. But when he glanced over at Florence and took in her glassy, barely concealed look of lust, Sin couldn't help shoving Emilio away.

Did this crazy bitch actually think he was enjoying her stupid order?

Disgusted, Sin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glared at Emilio who just smiled innocently in response.

"Very good," Florence murmured, drinking the two men in with her eyes. "I am shocked that you complied and performed so deliciously as well."

Emilio shrugged modestly and winked at Sin. "A little kissing never hurt nobody."

Sin made a face. "Are we done with this bullshit test now or what?" he demanded, speaking for the first time since the meeting had begun.

Florence slid off the desk once again and walked over to him with measured, deliberate steps. Her hips swayed enticingly and she brushed past Emilio to stand directly in front of Sin so close that the tips of her breasts touched his black shirt.

She extended her long arms and rested them on each of his shoulders, leaning forward to brush her lips against his. Sin remained ramrod straight, staring into her eyes impassively as she made a low, considering sound in the back of her throat.

"I have a weakness for gorgeous men but I especially am weak for gorgeous young men with long hair and such exotic features..." She traced Sin's face with her eyes, rubbing the tip of her straight, slightly pointed nose against his cheek. "Tell me William, was his mother Asian?"

Emilio assented with a grunt, watching the woman curiously as she draped her body all over Sin.

"Beautiful," Florence purred and this time it was she who invited herself to Sin's mouth. The kiss was nearly chaste in its simplicity, the pressure of her warm mouth searing against his but with only the barest hint of moisture.

Florence pulled back briefly and smiled against his mouth, her eyes meeting his. "Will you do anything I ask in order to ensure this job?" she asked in the same low voice, the words pouring from her lips and vibrating against Sin's own.

Emilio cocked an eyebrow at Sin from over Florence's shoulder and when Sin hesitated, Emilio waved his hand in a, 'what are you waiting for?' gesture.

"Yes," Sin said finally, his deep voice conveying his grudging agreement.

Florence smiled her pleasure and pulled him closer again, massaging her mouth against his without initiating another kiss. Instead she said in a low, dangerous voice, "Then I order you to let your father fuck you."

This time Sin did recoil and he leaned back, eyes narrowing at her. "You're out of your fucking mind, woman."

Florence let out a long throaty laugh and didn't release him. "It is not so bad of a request. I could have ordered you to do something far more degrading, Johnny."

Sin glared at Emilio dangerously from over Florence's shoulder but his father just shook his head and made a face, obviously casting off Sin's concern that he would attempt to comply with this new request. Instead, Emilio came up behind Florence and pressed his body against her back, crushing her lithe form between the two men.

She exhaled slightly, eyes sliding closed at the contact and a low moan escaped her mouth when Emilio rumbled in her ear, "Wouldn't you rather be the one getting fucked?"

"There's time for you to play voyeur later," Emilio said, sliding his hands up Florence's thighs and gliding the skintight skirt up until it was up around her waist. A tiny lace thong did nothing to conceal the full globes of flesh that made up her round ass but the triangle of fabric in the front did create a slight barrier between she and Sin's crotches.

Emilio's hands slid between Florence and Sin, his fingers massaging her slowly through her thong and brushing against Sin's completely limp, denim-clad dick in the process. As Florence cooed against Sin's lips, he wondered idly if there would ever be a scenario that would cause this to be arousing to him but he found it impossible to conjure up any such event.

The only thing that Florence's soft moans were causing was a headache and distinct discomfort. Sin's eyes met his father's and Emilio made a face at Sin, arching his eyebrow and motioning with his head.

Confused, Sin raised his eyebrows in return, having no idea what the hell his father was trying to tell him.

Emilio rolled his eyes in exasperation, still grinding his own crotch against Florence's backside and mouthed, 'don't just stand there, idiot.'

Grimacing, Sin glanced down at Florence and tried to ignore how awkward the situation was and focus on how attractive the Italian woman was so his response could be at least somewhat believable. This entire situation would likely be easier if it wasn't Emilio that he was partnered with. They'd barely exchanged two words in months and now he was expected to act like they shared women and had a dandy old time in the process.

"Maybe I want to play voyeur now," Florence said finally, belatedly, sliding her eyes open to stare up into Sin's face as she gyrated her hips against him as Emilio did the same to her ass. Sin unclenched his hands from her shoulders and forced himself to slide them down her arms to settle on her waist. "Just watching you kiss had a certain... effect on me."

"Mmm," Emilio growled in her ear, running his tongue along the ridge and causing Florence to shudder. "But I guarantee my son will be more willing to do whatever the fuck you want him to do if you loosen him up first and he ain't gonna loosen up by fucking around with me, baby."

"Truth?" she asked breathlessly as Emilio pushed her hair aside and yanked her jacket off, exposing nothing more than a lacy bra that emphasized her large breasts.

"Truth," Emilio replied hotly, his mouth humming against her bared neck. "He comes off like a hardass but get him horny enough and my boy turns into a fucking maniac. He'll fuck your brains out and be hard again before your pussy stops throbbing."

Florence groaned in anticipation and Sin wondered if his father enjoyed saying such ridiculously filthy things to people.

"Come," Florence said in the same low voice, sliding out from between them and nodding towards the door behind her desk. She unzipped her skirt and it fell to the floor carelessly. She stepped out of it, still wearing her high heels, and led them through the door and into what appeared to be a large bedroom.

A round bed sat in the back center on an upraised platform and a good sized jacuzzi was also present in the room. The decor was all yellow and black, with a tall vanity dresser in one corner, a closet in the other, and mirrors covering the ceiling as well as the wall behind the bed.

Emilio shrugged off his jacket, yanking off his shirt and tossing it aside carelessly as he followed Florence up the five steps that led to the bed. He shot Sin an impatient look and Sin followed in his stony silence, unable to make himself speak despite the fact that he allowed Florence to yank him down and take his mouth in a hot, wet kiss.

Sin responded and tried to think about this as strictly another part of the mission, to push aside his discomfort and anger just as he would for an assassination. He forced himself to tangle his fingers in her long thick hair as though he was getting into the kiss and Florence got up onto the round bed, sitting up on her knees and leaning up to tongue him enthusiastically as Emilio crawled onto the bed behind her.

Emilio unhooked her bra, freeing her round, heavy breasts from the garment. He began fondling her unabashedly, rubbing her dark nipples and kissing down the back of her neck to trail wet kisses down part of her tattooed back. He ran his tongue back up her smooth, toned back before sitting up in the same position as her, pressing his body against hers tightly and bucking his hips against her raunchily.

Florence groaned and slid her fingers up Sin's shirt, obviously wanting it off, before changing her mind and yanking instead at the belt on his pants. She simultaneously ground back against Emilio, panting when Emilio's jeans slid down and felt actual bared flesh against her own.

Sin's mouth moved automatically against Florence's even as he watched his father's expression closely, waiting for some sign that his father would do something to end this seemingly progressing threesome but Emilio just looked completely consumed by the feel and smell of Florence's body.

Frustrated and annoyed, Sin felt Florence undoing his pants and starting to slide them down. He was losing any hope that this situation would be avoided when Emilio spun Florence around and pressed her down onto her back. She opened her mouth to protest as Sin backed away from the bed quickly but the words died on her tongue and were replaced by a loud moan when Emilio lifted her lower body off the bed, spreading her thighs, and shoved his large erect cock into her pliant body.

Sin turned away, fixing his pants, and tried to ignore the loud slapping sounds of skin against skin, the wet sloppy sounds of his father's dick moving in and out of Florence and the loud animal-like groans that escaped both of them.

He zipped his pants, redid his belt and automatically began exploring the rest of the room while Florence was occupied.

Sin spent the better part of the next forty five minutes exploring her bedroom and her office and the only thing of note he found was a large variety of sexual devices and a collection of mostly homosexual pornography. Her computer proved more interesting-- the woman may be a sexual deviant but she had thorough background checks on seemingly every single person in her contact list.

More electronic snooping found him a few lightly encoded e-mails with nothing of real magnitude and password protected folders that he broke into relatively easily. He found interesting information about her and her circle of friends but nothing that would lead them to the formula.

He didn't know what he'd been expecting; Jacob had stated that the woman kept it on her at all times but as far as Sin could see, that wasn't a realistic claim considering the fact that Florence was currently letting his father ride her like an all star jockey.

Disgusted, Sin pushed away from the desk and debated finding a way to leave the pair of rooms but knew that the back of the house was likely being watched at all angles by the guards. It was too early to cause trouble. That could wait until they had the damned formula.

Sin re-entered the bedroom and stared impassively at the scene playing out on the bed. His father was holding Florence up off the bed, his arms under her knees and ramming into her as she wailed.

Lovely.

Sin sat in one of the plush arm chairs and stared in boredom around the room before his gaze focused on the mirrors on the ceiling. He'd heard references to people using such set ups in the past, mostly on television and in books, but he'd never understood the purpose. Now, however, he could see how it could be erotic and Sin found himself nearly absently wondering what it would be like to fuck Boyd and watch himself doing so in the process.

Sin grimaced slightly and banished the thought. Now wasn't the time or place to start dwelling on his continued sexual fantasies about his former lover.

He started to get up and make another round of the room when something about Florence's reflection caught his eye when Emilio flipped her around yet again.

Sin found himself studying the tattoo that went down the length of Florence's spine. As he took the time to really examine it, he saw that it was a block of text that shimmied down her back. At first glance it seemed like the typical generic tribal type design but as Sin tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, he could make out what appeared to be a familiar style of encoding embedded in the mix of letters and symbols.

Intrigued and relieved beyond belief, Sin stood up and glared at Emilio. The older Vega was covered in a sheen of sweat, his eyes closed and his face a complete mask of bliss as he thrust into Florence faster and harder.

The frenzied pace meant nothing to Sin. From his recollection, his father could go all night.

"I think the formula is tattooed on her back," he told Emilio rapidly in Mandarin.

The couple seemed to ignore him, or to Sin's annoyance that's what it first seemed like.

But in the next few moments the screams began to rise and increase in frequency, the bed rocking dangerously and even with his back turned, Sin knew Emilio had finally finished.

Sin glanced over at the bed again and saw Emilio and Florence crushed together, breathing laboriously. Florence began to murmur something but before she could, Emilio sat up, leaned over with nearly cruel nonchalance and extracted a tiny tranq-gun from his fallen pants.

Florence had barely opened her eyes before Emilio injected her neatly. Her body went instantly limp.

"So let's see this tattoo then," Emilio said in a cheerful voice, still slightly winded but acting as though he hadn't spent the last hour banging Florence through the bed.

"Did you need to take that long?" Sin asked, not bothering to keep the irritation out of his voice as he crossed the room and turned Florence onto her stomach. He pushed her cascades of long hair out of the way.

Emilio shrugged and pulled on his underwear and pants in one movement, pulling a slim pinky-sized device out of his pocket. "No but it sure was fun. You shoulda took a turn."

Sin didn't bother to reply and waited as Emilio began snapping pictures of the woman's back. In the next few moments they'd uploaded the alleged formula to Jacob and sat around waiting for confirmation that it was what they were looking for once he decoded it. Sin wondered if Jacob was on this specific mission solely because he had some kind of memorized encyclopedia of codes in his brain.

"So are we killing her?" Emilio asked suddenly, poking at his sweat-dampened hair in the mirror of the vanity and looking vastly unconcerned about the possibility of murdering his most recent fuck. He was still shirtless, tattoos shining slightly from the cooling moisture on his powerful upper body. His gun holster was swung over one shoulder; the guards hadn't been adamant about them disarming likely because it would have been a moot point.

Sin glanced over at Florence. She was blissfully unconscious and still sprawled naked on the bed. "Maybe."

Emilio glanced at his son's reflection in the mirror. "At least you haven't gone and become some bleeding heart even if you're a fettered man these days."

Sin didn't even want to ask what that was supposed to mean. "My heart doesn't bleed for people who are willing to put bio weapons into the hands of terrorists so that they can continue to do nothing but sleep, fuck and shop."

Emilio smirked and his gaze didn't shift away from Sin. He appeared approving. "That was my assessment. 'Course it's too bad. She's a great fuck."

Sin said nothing but his lip curled in a sneer before he could stop it and he was unsurprised when his father saw it and commented instantly.

"I can't believe how much of a goddamn prude you are, boy. Don't you ever just wanna let loose? I can name four people off the top of my head who fucked me recently just 'cause I look like you." Emilio smirked and turned away from the mirror, leaning against the vanity with his arms crossed over his chest.

"That's great."

"You don't believe me." Emilio arched a brow. "I don't see why. I ain't in the interest of stroking your ego."

Sin scoffed and stood up, moving to the bed to examine Florence. They'd have to get rid of either her body or the tattoo. "I didn't think anything of the kind. The people at the Agency detest me. I highly doubt there are--"

"They don't detest you," Emilio cut him off flatly. "They fear you. And you'd be surprised how many people get off on fear. On wanting to fuck someone who could rip them limb from limb without breaking a sweat. On the idea that you could do whatever you wanted to them... that the same hands that are making them come had killed dozens of people. I bet you my entire bank account that your blond obsession gets off on it."

Sin said nothing and studiously examined the size of the tattoo, trying to determine if it was possible to simply remove the flesh without seriously injuring her and belatedly realizing that he'd unconsciously made the decision to leave her alive. It didn't matter. She was harmless without the formula.

Emilio continued to watch him with the same expression on his face, enjoying talking about Boyd, probably knowing it made Sin uncomfortable. Or maybe he just knew that talking about Boyd would eventually illicit a response from his stubbornly silent offspring.

"Whenever I'd watch y'all having sex--"

Sin shook his head, not feeling surprised.

"--I noticed he got especially riled up whenever you'd pin him down, force him one way or the other even if he said not to." Emilio's eyes remained trained on Sin. "He totally gets off on the fact that you could fucking kill him if you really wanted to. That even if he says no, you don't got to stop. He likes the danger of fucking you."

"You should see my psychiatrist," Sin said blandly, slipping his hand into the hidden pocket along the inside of his pant leg and removing a pencil-sized torch. It was meant to melt through surfaces to aid in breaking into places but it was possible to adjust the temperature to burn the tattoo beyond recognition. It wouldn't even have to be more than a first-degree burn. "There'd be great interest in your obsession with sex."

"If it was still Annie, I might've considered. She was always a good fuck."

Discomfort flicked in Sin's expression before he could hide it and Emilio noticed it instantly, moving forward, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully.

"So it's true then, that you had her?" Emilio asked curiously.

Sin finished with Florence and didn't answer the question, not letting the smell of her burning flesh effect him. The black ink of the tattoo melted and shifted into bubbled disfigurement but Florence didn't so much as stir. Agency tranquilizers were incredibly good.

"And here I thought it was just a theory of Zachary's, not that he really said it outright so much as alluded to a connection or whatever the fuck. But still." Emilio was starting to look impressed now. "I figured you were all about Boyd, considering even after you're all broke up you found a new fuck who looks like him. Transparent, much?"

"Can you shut up already?" Sin asked tiredly, moving to the adjoined bathroom. His movements were stiff and tense as he found some bandages in a cupboard. He didn't know why he was even considering bandaging Florence except that it gave him something to do other than stare at his father and wait for Jacob to contact them and confirm that they could leave.

In retrospect, it'd probably been stupid to burn the bitch's back before getting confirmation. Whatever. It wasn't his fault his father was distracting him and making him ruin the mission.

"I'm just trying to understand you, boy," Emilio said in a near genuine tone as he watched Sin patch up Florence's back. He either didn't care that they'd potentially fucked the mission or he was too preoccupied with Sin's sexual habits and he didn't even realize it. "Why Ann but not Florence? Why not any of the people I could push your way? Why hold out waiting for some kid who might not even want you no more? Doesn't make sense to me. Didn't I teach you nothing about enjoying life?"

"No," Sin replied with crisp iciness. "You didn't."

"I di--" The beginnings of a casual rebuff died abruptly and Emilio actually looked uncomfortable or irritated or both, and he shut up.

The next few moments were awkwardly silent and Sin didn't look at Emilio. The offhand comment had pissed him off and the anger was more directed at himself than at his father. Why had he even started replying to the man? Emilio's unrepentant sociopathic personality was as bad as it'd always been but still, Sin had allowed himself to engage in dialogue when silence was preferable.

Even if Sin could admit that Emilio had a point when it came to his cold assessment of Sin's character, even if Sin could now admit that Emilio had been wise to avoid the Agency until Connors died, it still didn't change the fact that Emilio refused to take any responsibility in the way Sin's life had turned out.

He didn't expect or even want an apology but it would have been nice to know his father felt...

Felt what?

Sin scowled and slapped tape on the bandages with more force than was necessary. What the fuck did he care what Emilio felt?

"You know," Emilio began in a conversational tone. "You probably should have waited to do that until Jake got back to us."

"Jake? Are you fucking him already?" Sin ignored the comment. Emilio didn't even seem to be accusing him or angry about it. It'd been his fuck up too-- he hadn't been paying attention.

"Nah." Emilio made a face. "He ain't interested which is odd because he definitely thinks I'm hot. I think he may want to bone Ryan but that shouldn't stop him," he sniffed, appearing nearly offended. "Stupid moral paragons. Can't stand them."

Sin once again said nothing.

Another silence and finally Jacob's voice filled Sin's comm. "Sorry it took awhile-- I had to run up to Jeffrey and confirm a few things."

"And?" Sin asked impatiently.

"You're both good to go. Who'd ever think he had it tattooed on her?" Jacob queried idly in their ears, sounding genuinely puzzled.

"Who cares?" Sin cut off his comm and threw Emilio's jacket at him. "Let's go."

"Should we kill the guards?" Emilio pulled on his shirt and shrugged into the jacket.

Sin stopped and turned to stare at his father incredulously. "Why do you keep asking me what we should do?"

"Oh." Emilio stared at him, seeming to consider that. "I dunno. I guess workin' with you reminds me of workin' with Zachary and I always defer important decisions to him."

Sin stared at him before shaking his head and pulling out his gun. "And you say I'm the one with a blond obsession."

Emilio's expression morphed into a glare and he cocked his own weapon. "Shut the fuck up."

Sin hesitated for only a moment more before following Emilio out into the office. Sin couldn't help the small, self-satisfied smirk from ghosting across his features.

One point for Vega junior.

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Continue to the next interlude: 3.15, Cause/Effect