The Boy Who Asked to Be Kidnapped

Mornings were usually quiet.

Bryan had gotten used to arriving before the office staff. At that hour, everyone else was still asleep.

He didn’t mind. In fact, he preferred working in peace.

As usual, he headed for the locker room to change. No one disturbed him, and he cherished the silence. Pulling off his hoodie, he mentally sorted through the day’s tasks, deciding where to begin.

The locker room door suddenly slammed open.

Bryan flinched.

He’d expected a lot of things—but not for an unfamiliar blond guy barely reaching his shoulder to kick the door open like he owned the place.

The man wasn’t just short. He was dressed... interestingly. Baggy pants, an oversized T-shirt that exposed a strip of his stomach.

Bryan recognized the style immediately.

Thanks to his younger sister.

“Can I help you?” Bryan asked, meeting the stranger’s eyes.

Asian features, he noted to himself.

Hilda would absolutely lose her mind over him.

“I know who you are,” the blond said between quick breaths.

“Great. Because I have absolutely no idea who you are.”

“Drop the innocent act.”

The blond stepped closer.

As the distance between them shrank, both men stared in growing disbelief.

The shorter man stopped within arm’s reach, tilting his head back just to look Bryan in the eye, his eyes widening.

Bryan lowered his own head to meet his gaze.

“What the hell did you eat as a kid to end up this huge?” the blond muttered.

“Definitely not whatever you had.”

Bryan folded his arms.

“How about introductions? Or should I just keep calling you Shorty?”

“I’m not short!”

“From where I’m standing, you kind of are.”

The blond inhaled deeply, clearly forcing himself not to punch him.

“Look, I’m not your enemy. My name’s Tommy. Thomas Ditto.”

“Uh-huh.”

They stared at each other.

Tommy couldn’t understand why Bryan wasn’t reacting.

Bryan couldn’t understand what exactly he was supposed to do with that information.

“You’re not surprised?” Tommy asked.

“Why would I be? Everyone has a name.” Bryan shrugged. “Mine’s Bryan Shelbock.”

Tommy ran a hand through his hair.

“This... isn’t how I imagined this would go. You’re an incredible actor.”

Bryan frowned.

“I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. Right now I’d just like to finish changing so I can go to work.”

He paused.

“By the way since when does the boss’s son actually come to the office?”

Tommy laughed and leaned against one of the lockers.

“Oh, Bryan... Bryan.” He shook his head with an amused smile. “How much longer do you think you can keep your little plan a secret?”

“It’s not exactly a secret that I’m planning to mop the floors.”

Tommy pushed himself away from the locker and crossed his arms. His expression turned serious.

“Fine. I’ll get straight to the point. I know you’re the mafia boss.”

“And?”

“I also know you’re here to destroy this company.”

“I’m actually here because I signed a perfectly legal employment contract," he smiled politely. “As a janitor.”

Tommy blinked.

For a long moment, he simply stared at the tall redhead.

Bryan, meanwhile, had completely lost interest in the conversation.

He pulled off his T-shirt.

“W-What are you doing?!” Tommy yelped, his face turning bright red.

“Changing.”

“I don’t believe you! You’re trying to seduce me, aren’t you? You want me distracted so you can get information out of me!”

Bryan looked him up and down.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

“ You’re not my type. You're too short.”

He pulled on his work shirt and started changing his pants.

Tommy’s face somehow became even redder.

He’d never liked men who towered over him.

But Bryan...

Bryan was unfairly attractive.

Considering every source Tommy had insisted this man was a ruthless mafia boss, there wasn’t a single intimidating thing about him.

Except—

His height.

That was downright terrifying.

He had a muscular build without looking bulky, and even his messy red hair didn’t exactly scream criminal mastermind.

Tommy took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay focused. His voice grew serious.

“Bryan, I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’ll keep your identity a secret.”

He paused dramatically.

“But only on one condition.”

Bryan sighed.

“And what’s that?”

Tommy looked him straight in the eye.

“You have to kidnap me.”

Bryan froze.

The sneaker in his hand slipped from his fingers and hit the floor with a dull thud.

“What?”

It was the only word his brain could produce.

Tommy frowned.

“What’s so hard to understand?” he snapped. “Kidnap me. I’m sure you’ve done it a hundred times.”

“Actually...” Bryan scratched the back of his neck. “I’ve never kidnapped anyone.”

“What?”

“Why would I? It’s illegal.”

Tommy let out an incredulous snort.

“You’re in the mafia! That’s already illegal.”

“And?”

“I already told you my condition.”

“I’m not kidnapping you.”

“You are.”

Tommy took a determined step forward.

“And you’re keeping me captive for exactly three weeks.”

Something inside Bryan finally snapped.

Before Tommy could react, Bryan grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pinned him against the lockers.

His forearms landed on either side of Tommy’s head, blocking any escape.

He leaned down until they were eye level.

“No.” His voice was calm, but firm. “You don’t get to order me around. My boss is your father. Not you. So if you’ve finished whatever this is I’d appreciate it if you’d leave me alone.”

Tommy shoved against Bryan’s chest, trying to push him away.

It wasn’t just Bryan’s words irritating him.

It was the proximity.

The way Bryan had to bend down just to look him in the eye.

Like he was talking to a child.

“We’d both benefit from this!” Tommy protested. “Don’t you get it? Your little operation stays a secret, and I...”

He stopped himself.

Hard.

His teeth caught his lower lip.

Bryan noticed immediately.

“And you?”

Tommy looked away.

“It doesn’t matter.”

He folded his arms.

“Just keep me for three weeks.”

Bryan blinked.

Then blinked again.

“Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Is this some kind of weird sexual fantasy?”

Tommy’s eyes widened.

“What?!”

“You know, a kidnapping roleplay or something. Because I told you already. You’re not my type.”

Tommy’s face flushed scarlet.

“Don’t flatter yourself! You’re not mine either!”

“Good.”

“Good!”

A beat of silence.

Tommy clicked his tongue.

“Will I seriously have to beg a mafia boss to kidnap me?”

Bryan gave up.

Completely.

“I’m going to work.”

He picked up his shoe, finished dressing in record time, locked his locker, and walked out, leaving Tommy standing there, utterly dumbfounded.

So much for having a peaceful day.

Bryan could only hope Tommy would come to his senses before the end of his shift.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

When work finally ended, Tommy was waiting outside the building.

He followed Bryan all the way to his car.

“Bryan, please, kidnap me.”

“No.”

Bryan unlocked the driver’s door and climbed inside.

Before he could start the engine, the passenger door opened.

Tommy got in.

Bryan slowly turned toward him.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m getting kidnapped.”

“You're getting out of my car.”

“You’ll take me somewhere, write my father a ransom letter, tell him you’ll be holding me for three weeks.”

“Get. Out.”

“Make me.”

Bryan leaned back in his seat.

For several long seconds, he simply studied Tommy’s face.

“Why?”

Tommy’s expression softened.

“I have a really good reason.”

“What kind of reason?”

“I can’t tell you.”

Bryan sighed.

“So it has to be three weeks?”

“Exactly three.”

Another long silence.

Then Bryan rubbed his temples.

“Fine.”

Tommy blinked.

“Really?”

“Yeah," Bryan started the engine. “I’ll kidnap you.”

Tommy grinned triumphantly.

“I knew you’d come around.”

Bryan pulled out onto the road.

“I didn’t say I agreed because I wanted to. I agreed because arguing with you is clearly more exhausting than committing a felony.”

Tommy laughed.

Bryan, meanwhile, seriously questioned every life decision that had led him to this moment.