Stay with Me (The WITSEC series Book 1) Read online

  “My mom and dad owned a pub—the Brown Pelican—which had been in my family for generations. Boston had been the home of the…” he stopped, having told no one the name he’d been born with. “I was born and raised in Boston. Our pub was located in Southie and from what I understand, when the area began to gentrify, my folks got several offers to sell from developers. I guess they turned ‘em all down.

  “One Monday—the day we were usually closed—my dad brought me down to the pub to help get it ready for St. Patrick’s Day which was the following weekend. I guess he’d been expecting extra deliveries. I’m not sure. One minute I was sweeping the floor at the front of the pub and the next minute, I heard shouting. I dropped the broom and ran to the back where my dad was waiting to meet the deliveries—just in time to see him shot execution style.”

  At Dev’s tortured gasp, Kane went on, seeing the images in his head just like a reel of film that had played in his nightmares for years after that day.

  “They’d put him on his knees and made him beg for his life.” Kane stopped as his throat began to close. He swallowed and forced himself to go on. He hadn’t told the story out loud since sitting in the witness box of the courtroom. Dev squeezed his hand and he met her gaze again, shaking himself as he slowly pulled it away, looking down at his untouched cheeseburger.

  “Anyway, Enoch Moore told my father that he should have sold the pub when he had the chance. After my father apologized and begged, he began to cry and recite a rosary, then Moore shot him in the head.” Kane looked up at Dev. “Imagine for a second that those bastards killed my father as he prayed.” He lowered his head as she took his hand again. When he’d collected himself, he went on.

  “I guess I must have let out a cry or a shout or something, drawing their attention, but by the time they realized someone had witnessed the murder, I’d taken off, running back through the pub and right out the front door. I knew those streets like the back of my hand, growing up playing outside the pub. It wasn’t hard to lose the man and the two gangsters with him. I ran home, got my mom and sister out of the house, and before Moore could catch up with us, we were at the local police station. The FBI was brought in since Moore was what they called a racketeer and…” Kane hesitated and shrugged. “Well, you know the rest. WITSEC put us in protective custody immediately, I testified against the man who’d destroyed my life when he killed the best man I’d ever known, and we started our lives over in San Diego.”

  “Oh, Kane. I’m so sorry.”

  “Thanks, Dev.” He paused, hearing the pain in his voice. The telling of the story left a black hole in his gut. He shook himself again. “Anyway, like I told you before, I’m meeting with Ryan and Williams tonight. Sarah called them so they’re going to meet me for drinks to go over strategy.” His next words hurt him more than they should. “I’m going to have to cut off contact for a while but I’ll be around. I swear I’ll call you if I need something. I’ll have good people around me.”

  Dev said nothing for a minute, just searching his face for what, he didn’t know. “Oh, fuck that,” she finally said, making him laugh. “No one’s gonna protect your back like I would, Delancey. Get yourself a burner phone and call us when things go tits up because you know that might happen. Besides, you already know we’re all going to be worried as hell.”

  Kane nodded, picking up his burger and taking a big bite, relieved he’d gotten through the telling of his story without crying like a little bitch. After he’d chewed and swallowed half of the delicious burger, he wiped his mouth, watching Dev devour her chicken pot pie.

  “You think Jarrett and Thayne will feed my babies? I’m pretty sure the Justice Department is gonna move me to a secure location,” he said.

  Dev smiled and swallowed, reaching up to wipe her own lips. “How many of those rats do you have at the moment?”

  Kane snorted. She’d made no secret of how much she hated his pets. “They’re ferrets, lady, not rats. And I only have one breeding pair at the moment—Dorothy and Toto. Dorothy will be whelping in about a week and then there will be a lot more babies in the house.”

  “Dorothy and Toto?” Dev snorted loudly, taking a sip of her iced tea to wash down a full-on chortle. “You have to name a breeding pair after a little girl and her dog? That’s… I don’t even know… really weird, Delancey, even for you.”

  He grinned and winked at her before taking another huge bite of his burger.

  ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

  Luca opened small plastic bags, emptying piles of 14-karat gold chains onto a velvet pad where he attached string tags. He stood behind the counter of the high-end fine jewelry store he managed and looked over to where Sebastian sat on a black velvet stool in front of the low diamond cases. He was showing engagement rings to a young couple, having started with the large one the young lady pointed to first. The brilliant-cut solitaire was pricy but with VVS1 clarity and D color, the nearly 1-carat stone in a yellow gold setting would set the woman’s future fiancé back quite a bit… a cool ten thousand plus tax, to be exact.

  As the woman fawned over the ring which slid over the slender knuckles of her left ring finger with ease, her boyfriend seemed to blanch pure white as Sebastian read him the price. Luca bit back a smile as he watched the young man break out in a sweat and swallow so hard, the tie at his collar moved up and down with his Adam’s apple. Luca loved his job. He’d been with Auerbach’s Jewelers for nearly five years when he’d been hired on as part-time Christmas help at seventeen. He’d completed high school and had been looking for something that would allow him to earn money to buy a few presents for his family and friends but had been asked to stay on after the holidays. The previous manager, Doris, loved Luca’s personality but she also loved his sales.

  Luca’s mother had always told him he could sell ice to eskimos and he was pretty sure she was right. Luca still had the top sales in the store, even though he often directed one of his sales staff to take over—and thus earn commission on—larger purchases. He earned a 1-percent bonus on total sales at year-end on top of his salary, so giving the sales to his employees was only fair. As a result, his people were loyal to him. They came in when called, stayed late when necessary, and did most of the things that were asked of them without complaint.

  Sebastian was an older man of questionable sexual orientation with a British accent who sold more diamonds than any other salesperson in the store. He had his GIA certification and had a vast array of knowledge about not only diamonds but other precious and semi-precious stones. At the moment, he was smiling indulgently at the husband-to-be as he asked a question about the extended warranty Sebastian had told him about a few minutes before.

  The bride-to-be couldn’t stop looking at the ring, turning her hand this way and that to catch the bright glow from the diamond lights that pointed down on the cases making those seats the hottest ones in the whole store… in more ways than one. The front door opened and Luca turned his attention to two more customers coming into the store. He immediately stopped what he was doing with the gold chains and bent over, pushing the velvet pad into the floor safe under the wrap desk and closing the door.

  As he straightened, he brushed down the front of his suit coat, loving the feel of the gray Armani he’d bought with last year’s Christmas bonus under his fingertips. As he spotted a similar Italian cut in the suits of the two men who approached, Luca was happy that he’d chosen the gray to wear that morning. He put on his brightest smile and tugged the stretchy key ring on his left wrist as he observed his two newest customers.

  The older gentleman was a handsome hunk if Luca had ever seen one. He was reminded of a youthful Gregory Peck—the way he’d looked when he starred in To Kill a Mockingbird, one of Luca’s favorite films. He was tall and lean with a shock of silvering hair and the few lines that marred his classic tanned features gave him a distinguished look that would have had Luca gaping if that weren’t beyond all decorum. When the man grinned at Luca, his smile was dazzling—the
re really was no other word for it.

  The younger fellow with the gentleman was a few years older than Luca, probably in his late twenties, but Luca could already tell he’d had work done on his face. His cheekbones were too high, his nose too straight, and that was just about the only thing straight about him. He draped one arm over the older man’s forearm, clutching the underside of it with the other, and as he allowed himself to be led up to the counter, he sashayed just a little. This was going to be fun. Clearly the boy had hooked himself a daddy.

  “Good morning,” Luca greeted, “I’m Luca. How may I assist you gentlemen this morning?”

  The older man cleared his throat and smiled even wider. “We’re looking for something special this morning.”

  “A bracelet,” the young man intoned. His voice had a breathy quality.

  “All right,” Luca replied, pleasantly. “Fourteen-karat gold, I presume?”

  “Yes,” the older man replied.

  “Do you have men’s bracelets with diamonds?” the younger man asked, squeezing the man’s elbow and leaning his head on his shoulder as Luca answered.

  “Diamonds are in our front cases but I don’t believe we have any that will fit your wrist.” He waved a hand at the diamond case where Sebastian sat. “However, I’d be happy to special order something, if you wish,” Luca was quick to add.

  “How do you know they won’t fit?” the young man asked, straightening his back. He glared at Luca.

  “It’s nine and a half inches, right?”

  The young man snorted out a laugh. “Why would that matter?” He gave Luca a quick appraisal up and down as the older gentleman chuckled quietly under his breath.

  “I’m so sorry,” Luca said, feeling mortified as his face flushed with heat. “Your wrist… it’s nine and a half inches, correct?”

  “Oh,” the younger man said, looking down at his wrist. “I don’t know.” He glanced up again. “Well, just show us what else you have. Maybe a Rolex then.” Clearly, he was going to get whatever he could out of the older man. Truthfully, Luca had no problem with couples of any age-pairing together. He loved dating older men and he often saw that dynamic in clubs. There were men just like this one who loved showering their young lovers with expensive presents and he had said they were looking for something special.

  “The watches are over this way,” Luca said, smiling indulgently. “Please follow me around here.” He made eye contact with the older man and held a hand out, motioning to his right and smiling before turning and walking around the corner and stopping in front of the case that held a selection of watches. The young man immediately bent over the case and began to check out the watches, gravitating to the side with the most expensive Rolexes first.

  Luca watched the pair closely. At first, the older gentleman looked down into the watch cases, following his lover’s finger as he pointed to a few. Soon, though, he raised his gaze to Luca’s, catching his eye. He smiled gently and Luca noticed dimples settle into his closely-shaven cheeks. Luca immediately smiled back. It wasn’t hard to flirt with this intensely beautiful man, regardless of his years. When the older man finally tore his gaze away as his lover told him he especially liked a particular watch, they both straightened as Luca produced his keys.

  He opened the case and pulled out the watch. It was a beautiful two-toned Rolex Submariner with 18-karat gold accents with a blue face and ceramic blue bezel, dive tested to three hundred meters. Luca had always liked this model. It gleamed in the strong lights as he opened the case and removed the watch, taking it off its velvet display and reaching for a cloth to polish the crystal which was already free of fingerprints. He performed this task every time he took out a piece of jewelry to show to a customer. It gave him an additional thirty seconds to recall the retail price, any details of the piece he was showing, and gauge his customer’s interest by the energy they projected and their body language as he did this small task.

  Luca was no expert in body language but he was an adept salesperson who was able to perceive the desires of his customer almost before they knew themselves. In this case, Luca was quite sure that these men hadn’t been together very long based on his selection. The younger man obviously liked bling. He was already wearing an expensive Movado which had to be removed in order to try on the new watch. He’d chosen one of the most popular brands of high-end watches but not only that, the bright royal blue of the watch face was a standout. When he wore it, there was no way anyone would miss it. It wasn’t covered with diamonds like other watches but it carried the Rolex name and it was bulky, something that one couldn’t hide under a coat sleeve when shaking hands or reaching for a cocktail.

  This watch was meant to be seen and they all knew the purpose it would serve. The younger man was making it clear to anyone who noticed that he was being kept in style. The older man was making it clear that he had a beautiful younger lover who adored what he could give him, whether it be expensive gifts, a luxury vacation, or who knew? Maybe an apartment or condo. He owned the body and the fidelity of the young man as long as he was paying the bills. Luca was pretty sure anyone who cheated in these circumstances would be an idiot. He’d been propositioned many times by men hoping for a similar arrangement with him but that had never been Luca’s desire.

  In this case, the watch was a much better choice than the diamond bracelet the young man had first suggested but Luca was quite certain that suggestion had been well-planned. It was why Luca had guessed that they hadn’t been together very long. The young man was still testing his boundaries. When the older gentleman made no objection to his lover’s desire for a diamond bracelet, the young man knew exactly how much he was going to be allowed to ask for. Money was of no concern to his “daddy”. The older man, Luca, and the man’s lover all knew why they were here and what this man would walk out of the store with. Luca really hoped the gentleman would be getting the blowjob of his life after they got home. He grinned to himself and then bit the inside of his cheek when he looked over and caught the gentleman staring at him.

  Once again, Luca had zoned out, lost in his own thoughts. He would have been mortified at being caught grinning at his own inner musings but instead, he was relieved when he recognized the amused glint in the other man’s eyes. When he winked at Luca, Luca’s eyes widened. He dissembled quickly and sent a slight smile toward him but inwardly, his stomach was doing flip-flops. There was something disarming about the way the man seemed to see into Luca’s soul. He found that he liked it.

  A whole lot.

  “I love this. Will you get it for me, Stephen?” the younger man asked, breaking the eye contact between Luca and the gentleman.

  “Of course, love,” Stephen replied, reaching out and placing the palm of his hand on his lover’s lower back. He smiled indulgently. “Anything you want.”

  The young man beamed, resting his head against his lover’s shoulder as he’d done once before. When he straightened, he glanced across the counter at Luca and smiled triumphantly before reaching down and removing the watch. He shoved it at Luca.

  “Can you size it?”

  “It would be my pleasure, sir,” Luca said. He glanced at the man’s wrist and then the inside of the metal watchband before pulling out his sizing tools and a velvet pad. It took only minutes to size the band, removing two links before handing it back to the young man to try on again. It was a perfect fit as Luca knew it would be. The young man looked a little surprised as he handed it back to Luca.

  “Thanks. Would you wrap it up for me?”

  Luca was a little surprised. He thought he’d want to wear the watch out of the store but he simply smiled and took the purchase back, once again running the cloth over the watch crystal before locking the case and putting the stretchy key ring back on his wrist. He leaned down beneath the watch case and opened a drawer where he extracted a box. Luca set the watch inside and closed the box before looking up. The man was holding out a titanium American Express card. The younger man had wandered away, staring do
wn into the jewelry cases about twenty feet away. Luca smiled as he reached for the card. As he went to take it, the man held on and Luca glanced up. The gentleman was watching him with the same amused glance he’d cast his way earlier.

  “I’ll just process your card, Mr…”

  “Auerbach,” the man supplied as Luca stared at the name on the AMEX.

  Luca jolted with surprise. Auerbach was the name of the jewelry store where he worked. He cocked his head to the side and the man widened his smile to a grin.

  “Yes, Luca. I’m Stephen Auerbach.”

  “Oh, well, it’s so nice to meet you, sir.” Luca tried to keep the surprise out of his voice as he gazed at the older man.

  “Let me take you to dinner,” Stephen said, relinquishing his grip on the card so suddenly, Luca almost stumbled back.

  Luca frowned slightly and reluctantly shook his head before glancing at the young man who seemed very interested in a case that contained precious stones. Luca looked back, feeling suddenly nervous. This was his boss! The owner of the store! He couldn’t go out with him. There was no way. He glanced at the young man again.

  “He’s a friend. This is a parting gift,” Stephen said when their eyes met again.

  “I—I… don’t date customers, Mr. Auerbach,’ Luca said quietly. “And…” He broke off whatever stupid thing that was about to come out of his mouth with a nervous chuckle. The situation was just so unreal. “I couldn’t ever date my boss.”