Collateral 7

Ezra was exhausted.

He had just been through a hell of a 10-hour shift at his bakery job. As the store's assistant manager, he was in charge of most of the planning, designing, and making of each product, each display, and maintaining the satisfaction of the customers. At 20 years old, he already had years of experience under his belt due to working since age 14. The store's manager Kathy loved him and saw his potential, as well as the bruises scattering his skinny pale body. She just knew she needed to lend a hand.

6 years ago, she found him shivering out in the rain, barefoot and cold. The underdeveloped boy's body shook harshly as shivers racked his freezing form, his body desperately working to maintain equilibrium. Kathy had been closing up the shop before she spotted him right outside her red and glass door. She surely couldn't have homeless children by her storefront, it would surely run the customers away. On that rainy Sunday afternoon, the older woman took a chance and decided to be a good samaritan, inviting the young boy in for warm coffee and a donut. That day history was made and jump-started Ezra's long career at Kathy's Dine and Bakery.

"Excuse me!" one of his coworkers, Darren shouted before sliding between a chair and customers, holding a large tray in his hand as he picked up trash and dirty dishes from the patron tables. It was a busy Wednesday afternoon during one of the hottest summers in existence, the workers at Kathy's were booked and busy trying to satisfy each customer. The influx of people from the city streets was causing the bakery to be overfilled and swamped with hungry humans. Ezra could barely keep up, as he and everyone else was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. His shift would be over soon, he just had to power through his last 30 minutes of the day, packaging sweets, cleaning the workstation, and keeping an eye on all transactions.

He was so young, yet determined as years of training in the bakery prepared him for great teamwork and customer service skills. In other areas, Ezra was lacking and not because he wasn't smart but because he could be shy, quiet, and reserved. He didn't have many friends his age growing up, his only friends were his co-workers and they were almost 10 years plus his senior. He didn't complain though, he learned so much from them and they always supported him. He couldn't count how many times one of them had brought him leftover dinner the next day to make sure he was fed.

Ezra knew they pitied him, he could tell by their stares and sympathetic gestures. It wasn't a secret that Ezra was struggling, in more ways than one. The only reason Ezra still worked at the bakery, although he loved it dearly, was because he wasn't able to afford college upon graduation. His goal was to save up and put as much as he could towards community college but it was to no avail.

Late in the night, his father, Jeremy Hayes decided to raid his closet and take his stash of money to spend on gambling and booze. It broke Ezra's heart but one hard strike to his ribs kept him from speaking up any further. He cowered in his bed, afraid, hurt and confused. He prayed for the day he could escape his hell. He could barely provide enough time, energy, and money to keep his dad and him afloat. There was just so much debt and one person worked while the other squandered his disability checks on his addictions.

It was stressful but Ezra still put his best foot forward every morning regardless of the circumstances. Once he was able to get a break from packaging his 4th batch of cupcakes that day, he wiped his hands on a towel and shook off the flour from his yellow apron. He was covered in work and was surely ready to go home to take a shower. As soon as his hands were cleaned, he reached into his pocket grabbing his Android phone, it was all he could afford with his current paycheck, especially with no help from his father. His mom had been dead for years now, he missed her but he promised her he would keep going and make the most of his life.

Ezra opened his phone with his password, he checked his messages to see if he had any recent texts, specifically checking the chat with his dad. It revealed his last message, of him asking his father what he wanted for dinner tonight. That was 2 days ago, at 6:27 pm near the end of his shift. There were no responses. Ezra used his thumb to swipe upward, hoping there would be some type of buffering preventing his father's message from reaching him. He wanted to know due to fearing the day his dad would return and he had nothing prepared to his liking, resulting in a beating. Mr. Hayes was verbally abusive as well, belittling any of Ezra's efforts to support their household. He felt guilty for Ms. Hayes's death, having often fought with her and introduced her to drugs and alcohol, this being something Ezra saw often. Ezra closed his phone before shoving it in his pocket, "almost time to clock out" he thought before pushing through the double doors and exiting the breakroom. As soon as he reappeared in the kitchen area, his name was being called.

"Ezra Honey! "Kathy hollered.

He shrank back at the volume, it startled him so badly that he clutched his shirt. Realizing his only support system needed him, he appeared in front of her. She looked at him with her sharp blue eyes. "I need you to serve one last customer before you leave today," she informed him. He nodded in response, not needing much to say but simply being obedient. He was good at that. "I have to leave as well, I got a call from my baby's school asking to meet, talking about how she cut some girl's hair off," she explained, clearly frustrated at the situation and having to leave work in the middle of a busy day.

She grabbed her white coat before swinging it around her shoulders and grabbing her purse from a chair. "You take care, you hear!" she said with a southern twang in her voice, as she ran out of the shop's back door. "Yes ma'am!" he shouted, knowing she most likely didn't hear him. He sighed before bracing himself to return to work, squeezing the last drop out of his enthusiasm and energy to labor.

He opened the door again and was met with chatter and chaos. He eased his way back into the mix before turning to Patricia who had been manning the counter. She was new and a little sassy but she did her job with ease, never posing a problem. At his newfound presence beside her, she snapped her head from the cashier to meet Ezra's small stature, her red ponytail swinging. "Yes, small fry." she teased before grinning, showing off her teeth and the gum she had been chewing on. He blushed slightly before speaking up. "Um...who was the customer who needed assistance?" he asked politely.

At the question, she visibly scanned the room before landing on the patron in particular. In the far corner of the shop, sat a man. He had on business professional attire and wore dark shades. His face held a little stubble, a sharp jawline, and plump lips. On his hands, he had rings that glimmered and shined with his movements. On the table sat his phone, as the man had nothing else in his possession. Ezra gazed at the man across the room, his presence piquing his interest but he shoved his curiosity down for the sake of work.

Patricia pointed her finger, red nail polish adorning her nails. "Him right there," she confirmed. The two watched the man for a moment, he seemed to be observing the room. He then came across the two workers stalking him and Ezra felt like he had been caught red-handed. However, the man's eyes were covered with shades hiding where he truly looked but making Ezra feel like they had made eye contact. Ezra then quickly grabbed a notepad at the instruction before heading in the mysterious customer's direction. Ezra arrived at the table and stood nervously in front of the man. The man acknowledged him by turning his attention to the skinny boy in front of him. "What can I get for you today sir?" the young boy asked while bringing up the pen to the notepad. He looked at the man expectantly with a slight smile, hoping to come off friendly and welcoming. Customer service skills had been drilled into him. The man cleared his throat before responding.

"A black coffee, please," he spoke, voice deep. Ezra quickly wrote down the man's order on the ticket. He swallowed his nervousness before bringing his attention back to the man at the table. "Will that be all?" he asked, wanting to be sure. The man peered at him over the dark shades, brown eyes flashing. "That'll be all," he said looking at the boy's name tag before picking up his phone. Ezra took that as confirmation to leave, before navigating his way back to the counter. He slipped the ticket to the drink makers before checking the clock. It was 6:32, time to clock out. He grinned before quickly peeling off his apron and heading to the back through the swinging doors. He walked to the lockers before grabbing his bag and jacket from inside. He quickly put the jacket on and tossed the tote over his shoulders before looking into the mirror one last time.

His bright green eyes stared back at him, his pouty lips, thick eyebrows, and messy bed hair. He took note of the bags under his eyes, a sign that he was tired. Ezra signed before closing the locker. He would get paid again soon and then he would have to pay the light bill and fix the broken sink upstairs. He barely made enough to eat but he tried his hardest to provide. His dad hadn't been around enough to support him and now being truly left alone was taking a toll on Ezra. The young man headed back towards the front after clocking out on the computer in the back. He re-entered the bustling area before informing his coworkers he was leaving. "Have a good night!" he said before walking through the glass door, not feeling the pair of eyes watching him.

The door closed behind him as he was met with the warm summertime air and took a deep breath. "Everything is going to be okay", he thought before starting his journey back home. Nearby, was a bus stop, and at 6:40 transportation would arrive, making its route in 20-minute intervals. He trotted over before sitting down on the bench. There was no one waiting with him, so he began to hum an unfamiliar tune. It was random and made up but it made him feel better. A few moments later the bus arrived with the driver opening the door for the boy. Ezra quickly rose from his seat before climbing up into the vehicle, inserting his money, greeting the black male bus driver, and sitting down. The conductor closed the doors after waiting for any other passengers and pressing the pedal to begin his route. There weren't many people on the bus, just an older woman sitting in the back.

Ezra sat near the window, tilting his head towards it and closing his eyes. Exhaustion filled his bones, he was tired and stressed. He made sure to not fall asleep, in fear of missing his stop so he reopened his eyes and looked out the window. He took in the lights of the city, secretly hoping and wishing for more. After a while, the bus driver stopped the vehicle and opened the door. They had arrived in Ezra's neighborhood and he began to stand up, ready to lay down in his bed after a long day. On his way off, he told the busman goodnight before heading towards his house across the street. It wasn't a luxury home, almost 30 years old and the paint was chipping but it's where he and his neglectful father stayed. He trudged up to the front porch before digging in his jacket pocket for the keys.

He inserted it into the key slot before successfully opening the door and heading inside. He quickly slipped into the house and closed the door behind him, locking it. He turned before calling out toward the stairs. "Dad!" he shouted, voice carrying through the entire house. He was met with no response. He sighed again, realizing his dad hadn't been back. He didn't know if this was a good or bad thing but he figured his dad would show up hungover on their doorstep again asking for money. Ezra decided to head to the living room, taking off his coat and bag before plopping down on the couch. He grabbed the remote off the coffee table and pressed the power button.

The TV screen lit up with a rerun of Criminal Minds. Ezra relaxed on the couch with his eyes enjoying the action-packed episode. Due to his exhaustion, he found his eyelids closing and feeling heavy as he drifted off to sleep, laying his head on the couch cushion. He slept soundly for a few hours, dreaming of him and his mom spending time together again.

A few hours later, during Ezra's nap, there was a sharp knock at the front door. This pulled the boy out of his slumber. He hadn't planned to fall asleep as soon as he got home nor on the couch. He was startled awake at the noise coming from his door. He arose, fully waking up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He yawned and stretched his hands above his head before standing and heading towards the front door. He quickly glanced in the direction of the clock on the wall seeing that it was almost midnight. He wondered who it could be at this time of night and thought that maybe his dad had finally come home. He didn't bother to look through the peephole and made the unconscious decision to yank open the door.

The guest appeared, staring intensely at Ezra's small form.

Ezra looked up at the stranger taking note of their drastic height difference and the muscles bulging out of the man's suit. The attire reminded him of the man at the coffee shop.... who happened to be standing right next to the towering man on his front porch. Ezra was taken aback. "Oh my," he exclaimed, startled by their arrival. They never had visitors, except for the regular drug dealer or pizza delivery guy. Ezra analyzed the man in front of him. He was tall, dark, and handsome. The man stared at him, seemingly stoic and unphased by showing up at a random house. Ezra then noticed the rest of the company and nearly freaked out.

"Can I help you?" he questioned the two, gulping and shrinking back, afraid he was in danger. "Why had the coffee shop man followed him home?" he thought silently. This must be a setup. The two men outside observed the boy and took note of his nervousness. The tallest of the bunch cleared his throat before speaking.

"Is this the Hayes residence?" he said, voice deep and serious. He also stood in business professional attire, with no shades but an expensive watch adorning his wrist. This man had money, Ezra concluded. Ezra's eyes widened at the stranger knowing his last name. Who were these men? He felt their threatening aura and figured it was best to cooperate, not wanting to get in trouble. "Yes... it is," he replied quietly. He stood still, waiting for an adverse reaction from the men. The man with the sunglasses spoke.

"You must be Ezra Hayes," he pointed out. Ezra's eyes widen once again at them knowing his name. "How did you know..... how to find me?" he asked, hands gripping the door in case he had to slam it shut and run away. The man from the shop began to explain. "Your father... owes my boss a lot of money. He spent months borrowing from us and racked himself up tons of gambling debt. We were looking for him all over the city just to discover he fled the country." he deadpanned. Ezra's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the new revelation.

"What?" he questioned in disbelief. That's why he hadn't heard from his father, he was on the run! He looked at the two men, frazzled by the news. He cleared his throat before speaking. "H-how much was it?" he stuttered, secretly dreading the answer. "Half a million dollars." the man with the Rolex spoke, his eyes dark, dangerous, and hungry. Hungry for something Ezra could not quite put his finger on.

Ezra gulped at the amount. "Goddamn," he whispered to no one. The tall man took a step forward and Ezra cowered, feeling suffocated by the man's dominating aura. "We came here... to take you as collateral, for the money he owes us," he admitted, staring intensely at the younger man. He was so close to Ezra that he could feel the man's breath on his forehead and stood face to face with the man's hard chest bursting through his freshly pressed button-up. Ezra looked up at the man in shock and fear.

Take him for collateral? Who knows what they had planned for him? "No, please" he spoke, beginning to take a step back and looking for the nearest escape. The tall man watched the boy closely, waiting to pounce on his prize if it dared try to run from him. Ezra tried to slam the door close but the man's large hand reached out to push the door back open as he stepped through the threshold of the house. Ezra was startled and backed up quickly at the unwanted guest entering his home. The man kept a composed demeanor as Ezra panicked. "I am Stefan Alfonso," he said. "The money your father owes me is too drastic for both of you to pay on bakery salary. Instead, I am willing to take you and your services in exchange for both of your lives," he explained, darkly.

Ezra sputtered. Services? What did the man mean? "I-I can't," he responded, bewildered at the stakes of the situation. "My job, my life I can't just abandon---" he said worriedly before being cut off. "You will", Stefan interrupted with finality in his tone. Ezra whimpered at the harshness. Stefan stared at the boy, taking him in. He was frail and small, seemingly very frightened but he interested the mafia boss at the same time.

Despite the circumstances, Stefan found the boy's demeanor attractive and wanted to harass him more. "I'll meet you at the car, Matteo," Stefan spoke, turning his head to the man with the sunglasses. Matteo just rolled his eyes, already bored with the situation before he nodded and headed back to the sleek black vehicle they pulled up in. Stefan was now fully in the house and closed the door behind him, leaving him and Ezra's anxious form alone. He turned his attention back to the boy, sizing him up and wondering if his nipples were as pink as his cheeks right now.

Ezra was still taken aback by the intrusion and the dominance radiating off of Stefan, he was at a loss for words. They stood there for a few moments, in the foyer of the decades-old house staring at each other. "Your father abandoned you," Stefan said, breaking the silence. "You either pay up now or I am taking you against your will." Ezra was at a loss, there was no way he could supply 500 grand in a few hours, or a matter of days, weeks, or months.

"Please." he begged, sounding like he was about to cry. "I don't have the money." "I didn't know he did this. I had no idea he left me. Please don't hurt us" he pleaded. Stefan just looked at him, becoming aroused by the tears swimming in the boy's eyes and his reddened cheeks. He wanted to make the boy cry more.

Stefan said nothing for a moment. His thoughts swarming with nefarious ideas. "I will make you a deal," he spoke slowly, voice deep. He took a few steps forward, purposefully entering Ezra's personal space. He observed the boy, the frightened demeanor made him feel like a predator about to devour his prey.

Ezra's eyes slightly lit up at the possibility of a solution. Stefan, not caring for the boy's consent, grabbed him with his strong wide hands at the waist. The younger man gasped at the firm touch before he was sternly turned around and faced the living room mirror. Stefan towered behind him and held him firmly in his grip, not letting go. Stefan grabbed Ezra's chin before tilting his head backward and exposing the younger Hayes, pale neck.

"What are you doing!?" Ezra squealed, having not been so close to someone so handsome and fit. The older man leaned down, taking a deep breath of Ezra's scent, as he dragged the bridge of his nose down the boy's neck and pressed himself in the small of his back, claiming his newfound property. He spoke, "You can pay me with your body", whispering into the shell of Ezra's ear, imagining himself stripping the boy naked and devouring him. There was innocence dripping off of Ezra.