“We’re just about ready, cops,” Mickey said, turning from the passenger seat in the front of the van to look at them. “We’ll pull up, go inside, deal with the guards, and be out. We’re leaving no more than three minutes for the entire operation. It isn’t like we haven’t been here before.” He grinned evilly and Kane knew he’d been right. They were back at Auerbach’s. “You two stay outside. If anyone comes close, warn us.”
“You’re not going to kill the guards, right?” Kelly asked, frowning. “No one needs the kind of heat that will bring.”
“That is not the plan but plans change,” Andriy said, grinning at them in the rearview mirror as he pulled the van up to the curb across the street from the store, parking near the pawn shop. He held up a Sig Sauer handgun. “Make sure you have plenty of ammunition just in case.” As he smiled, Kane noticed several broken teeth. He wanted to punch his face in.
“We’ve got your back,” Kane said through gritted teeth as Mickey jumped out and then opened the van’s back doors. He and Kelly climbed out and he looked up at the Auerbach’s Jewelers sign. Through the front window, he spotted Luca cleaning the glass cases with Windex while Sebastian sat at the diamond case with a customer, both of them oblivious to the danger lurking just outside. His heart did a flip-flop as he saw Luca turn and flash a brilliant grin at the customer. Knowing that Luca was in very real danger made him sick to his stomach. He wished Luca was anywhere but here. He was helpless to protect him and as he and Kelly followed the two robbers across the street, he said a silent prayer that everyone would come out of this alive.
｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
Luca looked up with a ready smile as he heard the front door chime. The second he spotted the two men, his smile faded and his heart skipped a beat. He recognized them immediately and before he could call out, one had a gun in his hand and he was pointing it at their two security guards. Dog and Rodney both put up their hands and the second gunman stepped forward and took their guns from their holsters, tossing them to the floor and kicking them away. The taller of the two men screamed at the two guards to get onto the floor while the shorter man approached the counter. Sebastian was now standing beside Luca and looked nauseous as he stared at the ugly thug approaching them with a gun in his hand.
“Keep your hands up and no one will get hurt,” the man bellowed.
Luca noticed how thick the man’s accent was. He was the same man who’d smashed his diamond cases weeks ago, the same man he’d tried to recall well enough to help the sketch artist at the LAPD. His ears began to buzz as he looked down the barrel of the gun. The man turned to the customer Sebastian had been helping and pointed the gun at her.
“Get on the ground,” he growled.
The woman instantly complied. Luca noted the expression of abject fear in her eyes and he felt rage boil through him. He lifted his chin defiantly and stood stock still as the thug walked up to him and practically hissed, lifting the gun and pointing it right in his face.
“You! You’re the manager. Put the diamonds in a bag. Now!” He waved the gun in Luca’s face. “Hurry. We still have to clear the safe and since you’ve probably pushed the alarm, we have no time. Move!”
Luca couldn’t fault the robber’s logic. He’d seen Sebastian press the silent alarm button underneath the diamond counter the moment the two robbers came into the store. Luca grabbed a large bag from underneath the wrap desk and walked over to where Sebastian stood, pale and shaking. Luca prayed his older friend wouldn’t have a heart attack. The diamond case was already unlocked so he bent and began scooping their diamonds into the bag with shaking hands.
“Hurry up!”
Luca did as he was told, cleaning out the case in less than thirty seconds. He shoved the bag at the robber who motioned to him with the gun.
“Go to the back office. Let me into the safe.”
Luca did as he was asked, knowing there was very little merchandise in the safe. He and Sebastian had emptied it of any backstock just the day before, putting everything out into the cases. He immediately walked to the back, knowing the gunman’s weapon was pointed at his back. Once they were inside the office, Luca pointed to the safe.
“There isn’t much. We have only petty cash which is less than five hundred dollars and a few special-order diamonds,” Luca said. He watched the man shut the door and turn. Luca wished he were brave enough to have thought to grab something—anything that he could use to knock the gun away. For some reason, he thought of Kane. He wished Kane were there to help but knew his desire for a rescue was hopeless.
“Open the fucking safe and put everything in a bag!” the robber yelled, shaking Luca out of his wandering thoughts of his big protector, knowing no one would be coming to save him. He only prayed they weren’t going to eliminate all witnesses this time.
｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
Kane and Kelly waited outside the store, standing on opposite sides of the double glass doors leading into Auerbach’s. Once the thieves were inside and out of earshot, Kane glanced inside and noted that one of the robbers had a gun pointed at the two armed guards who were now lying on the ground. Andriy had disappeared into the back and Luca was no longer behind the jewelry case. Kane leaned back against the brickwork and looked over at Kelly who was doing the same thing.
“The two guards are on the floor. Luca isn’t there. I see the customer on the floor and Sebastian is sitting behind the jewelry counter. I’m sure Andriy took Luca to the office to rob the safe. Make sure you keep the SUVs out of the line of sight from the front windows,” Kane said so that everyone could hear.
“Roger that, Delancey,” Snow said into his ear. He watched an FBI tactical vehicle drive up the street and park a half block away. Men in tactical gear and helmets poured out of the vehicle. An SUV pulled up behind it and parked. Lincoln and Mac climbed out and ran across the street, staying out of sight from the windows. When Snow and McCallahan pressed themselves against the wall beside Kane, Kane raised one hand.
“Glad to see you.” He watched the Tac team set up across the street and saw several men go around to the back. On the roof of the building across the street, he noticed a sniper take up position. He looked back at Snow and nodded. “Thanks.” He glanced over at Kelly who had poked her head around to look into the front window.
“That Ukrainian guy is still in the back with Luca. If we move now, we have the advantage,” she said.
Kane knew Luca would most likely end up as a hostage or dead but what other choice did they have? If they took out Mickey now, they’d be able to get the other hostages out of the store. He glanced at Snow.
“Let me go in. Mickey won’t shoot me. I’ll tell him there’s something suspicious on the street. If I take him out quietly, we can get to the other robber before he kills Luca,” Kane said.
“Luca is the manager?” Mac asked.
“Yeah.”
Both men stared hard at Kane before Lincoln nodded.
“It’s not a bad idea. Better than storming the place and getting everyone killed.”
“Okay,” Kane said. He turned without another word and walked to the double glass doors, opening one of them. When Mickey spotted him, he raised the gun and pointed it at Kane’s chest. He wished he were wearing a vest. He stepped closer as he raised his hands. “It’s just me.” He canted his head toward the door. “There’s a black SUV down the block. I think we have company.”
Mickey’s gaze shot to the door as he lowered the gun. Kane used his momentary distraction and rushed him, tackling him to the floor as he grabbed his gun hand, instantly using his superior strength to snap his wrist. He muffled the sound of his scream with one hand, watching the weapon drop useless to the carpet as Kelly and the FBI charged into the store. They began ushering the hostages out of the store as Kane expertly put Mickey in a sleeper hold. The robber was unconscious in seconds. Kane jumped up, leaving one of the Tac team to handcuff him and charged toward the back room, gun in hand. Snow joined hi
m at the door to the manager’s office. He instantly heard a conversation coming from the other side of the door to the office.
“What the hell do you want me to say? Pick one from the watch case,” Luca said. “I have a Pearlmaster 39 in there. The oyster crystal and white gold diamond bezel would look absolutely divine with your complexion.”
“You think so?” the robber asked.
Kane looked over at Lincoln and frowned. “That’s Luca,” he mouthed silently.
Lincoln nodded, looking as mystified as Kane felt. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Lincoln mouthed back before grinning.
“Oh yes,” Luca said calmly. “With your olive undertones, the white gold and diamond would be gorgeous against your skin,” he said. “Seriously, you can grab it on the way out.”
“Okay,” Andriy said.
Kane watched the doorknob turn and as the door opened, Luca stepped casually into the corridor outside. Kane’s arm shot out and grabbed Luca’s bicep, yanking him to the side, turning and putting himself between the small jeweler and the robber. In one flawless move Luca was plastered to the wall with only a tiny “oof” of protest, protected by Kane’s larger body. Andriy’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening, but before he could raise the gun and get a shot off, Lincoln had disarmed him, put him down on the ground, his face smashed against the floor.
“What the fuck?” Luca yelled, pushing back against Kane’s bulk. “Get off me, Kane!”
Kane grinned, sniffing Luca’s hair as he felt his dick growing hard. He reluctantly stepped back and Luca turned, taking in the sight of his big hard body and then Andriy being handcuffed by Lincoln. When he looked back at Kane, his eyes were wide with first surprise and then relief.
“Thank God.” Luca threw his arms around Kane’s middle, slipping them beneath the black leather bomber jacket he wore, hugging the life out of him. He felt so good and warm through the plain black T-shirt he’d put on that morning. He put his arms around Luca and hugged him back, laying his face on top of Luca’s silky hair as he glanced over at Snow. He sent him a knowing smile and a nod. Kane hugged Luca as he watched Snow lift the robber from the ground by the handcuffs as the man protested vociferously.
“All secure, sir,” one of the Tac team said, coming through the door. The visor on his helmet was up and he was looking at Snow. When he turned to Kane, he nodded. “The US Marshals have your family, sir. They’re safe.”
Luca loosened his grip on Kane’s waist as he glanced up at him. “Family?”
Kane smiled down at him. “I’ll tell you later.” He tucked him into his side as he turned to the Tac team agent. “Thank you for letting me know. That’s a huge relief.” He glanced over at Snow. “The pub?”
Snow grinned. “Both Enoch and Brandon are in custody, Delancey. It looks like Enoch will be spending his final days in prison after all.”
Kane nodded as relief flooded him. “What about his accomplice? That Martin guy?”
Snow shook his head. “Only Enoch and Brandon were there when our Tac teams closed in. We’ll get the whole story when we get these guys processed.” He paused and looked down at Luca who was watching the two of them talk back and forth like following a tennis match. “You were very brave today.”
Luca smiled shyly and then shrugged. “The oyster and white gold would have looked nice with his complexion. What can I say?”
Kane and Snow chuckled and seconds later Lincoln and the Tac team agent were escorting their prisoner out to the front of the store. Kane looked down at Luca and as their eyes met, he slowly turned him in his arms, pulling him close. He leaned down and spoke against his lips.
“You and your Rolex. You’re amazing.”
Luca began to smile but Kane covered his lips and kissed him long and hard. Just having the man in his arms safe and sound, knowing his mother and sister were also safe, was the most wonderful thing in the world.
“Ahem, excuse me,” Kelly said from behind them.
Luca startled in Kane’s arms but Kane only smiled down at him, keeping one arm wrapped around his back as he turned to face his partner.
“Kelly!” Luca shouted and flew into her open arms, hugging the life out of her. “It’s over. You got your men!”
Kelly chuckled and hugged Luca hard. “It looks like I’m not the only one who got his man, honey.” She winked at Kane and all he could do was cross his arms and look at the floor as he felt the smile cross his face.
Everything she said was absolutely true.
Epilogue
Luca woke up slowly. He looked around his bedroom and remembered the excitement of the day before. He’d spent a grueling six hours at the police station recounting the robbery over and over to different sets of detectives, none of whom had been Kane Delancey. After they’d been caught kissing by Kelly Murphy in the back room, Kane had taken his hand and walked out to the showroom floor, quickly letting go of him so that he could run to Sebastian who was sobbing uncontrollably. Kane sallied off to a group of scary-looking detectives and FBI agents dressed in black vests and clothing that made all of them appear larger than they probably were. They were all very intimidating and Luca was surprised to realize that he felt safe just because Kane was also there within his field of vision.
Luca had learned that the huge African-American man who’d handcuffed the Eastern European robber was FBI and that he’d been working with Kane on this undercover operation. When Kane left the store hurriedly, it had been that man—Lincoln Snow—and his huge partner named Mac who’d walked over to talk to him and confirm that this was what Kane couldn’t tell him about. Apparently, they were working to bring down a serious crime ring that was robbing and killing people. When Luca had asked where Kane had run off to, Special Agent Snow patted him on the shoulder and told him that he’d have to let Kane fill him in on those details. He’d smiled sweetly at him and when his wife, who was apparently Kane’s boss at the ATF, joined them in the store and introduced herself to Luca, he’d felt like one of the crowd.
This law enforcement stuff turned out to be kind of fun—once the scary part was done and he wasn’t looking down the barrel of a very big gun.
Luca got up and peed then showered, throwing on gym clothes. He was happy that Stephen had given all of the staff a week off with pay after coming to the store and seeing all the activity going on inside. The police and FBI were going to process the store as a crime scene which would force its closure anyway. It was still nice that Stephen had promised to not only give all of the store employees a paid week off, but a big bonus for putting up with “all this mess”. The customer who’d been shopping for a diamond ring for her daughter’s graduation from medical school was given the ring of her choice at no charge and had left the store relieved, mollified, and in one piece, thanking Mr. Auerbach profusely. In doing that, Luca knew Stephen had earned that customer’s loyalty and patronage for life. He was a very wise man and a good friend.
Luca went into his kitchen and was preparing an egg white omelet with low fat mozzarella which wouldn’t be heavy on his stomach when he went to the gym, when his phone rang. He smiled when Kane’s caller ID flashed on the screen.
“Hey,” he said, swiping the phone. “What’s up?”
“You home? I want to come over,” Kane’s deep rumbling voice made Luca’s heart flutter and his stomach roll over just a little.
“I’m home. Just getting ready to head out to the gym,” he said.
“Well don’t leave. I’ll be there in five minutes. I’m right around the corner.”
“Okay,” Luca said, knowing it sounded breathless as he disconnected the call. He flipped his omelet and then plated it, setting it aside without eating it. He didn’t want cheese breath if he was going to kiss Kane—and he planned on kissing the big detective… agent. It was going to take him some time to get it straight. The doorbell rang and he walked over, looking through the peephole before unlocking the door and letting the tall, handsome hunk of man inside his house. Kane smiled at him as
he closed and locked the door and he immediately reached out and took him into his arms, drawing him up against his hard body.
Luca melted against him, opening his mouth as Kane instantly ravaged his mouth with scorching kisses. He turned and pinned Luca against the front door and ran his hands up under his shirt, tracing his tight abdominal muscles as he groaned into his mouth. Luca decided then and there that for a straight guy, Kane Delancey sure as hell liked touching him. When they finally separated their mouths, both of them were panting hard. Luca could feel how swollen his lips were and Kane’s loose-fitting jeans did nothing at all to conceal his massive erection. When Luca reached down to wrap his fingers around it, Kane backed off, grabbing both of his biceps.
“I have things to tell you and if we start that now, I’ll never get them out. That’s not the reason I’m here,” he said.
Luca was mystified but he let go of Kane’s cock, dropping both arms and feeling disappointment flood through his veins. He frowned as a thought occurred to him.
“Hey, I just realized you know where I live. How do you know where I live?”
Kane smirked, taking his hand and walking him over to his couch as he looked around his apartment, clearly taking it all in.
“Did you forget who I am, Luca? Of course I know where you live. I hope you remember me telling you that we were trying to catch a really bad man connected to the jewelry store robberies. We’ve had men watching your apartment since this whole thing began. Look.” He turned and walked toward the balcony of his apartment and slid open the screen door, stepping outside as he drew Luca outside with him. He pointed down to the patrol car that had just started up and was now pulling away from the curb in front of his place. “We’ve had officers in front of your building for almost two weeks.”
“What?” Luca stared in disbelief and then looked up at Kane who was grinning.
Stay with Me (The WITSEC series Book 1) Page 31