by Land, Alexa
After we disconnected, I leaned against the wall and tried to get myself together. A minute later, Rus stepped out of the bar, came over to me, and asked if I was alright. I assured him I was, and he said, “Okay, good. I don’t do well with people when they get all emotional on me.” He poked the elevator button and added, “I’ll be down in the lobby. I told Leonidas it’s because I need to make some calls, and that’s partly true. But mostly, I feel like you and he need some privacy.”
I nodded and returned to the bar. Lee didn’t notice me at first. His eyes were focused on some random spot in the distance, and I watched him as I approached. He looked young and vulnerable with his guard down, and I felt so protective of him in that moment.
As soon as he saw me, he pulled up his usual, confident expression. I slid into the booth and curled up at his side, and he put his arm around me as he asked, “Is everyone okay at the ranch?”
“Yeah, they’re all fine.”
“Your uncle must hate me now.”
“Why would you assume that?”
“I pulled a gun on his business partner when Ren was standing two feet away,” he said. “His boyfriend, mother, and several other friends and family members were also in the courtyard when the weapons were drawn. I don’t know why he’d ever forgive me for bringing that kind of danger into his world, and I don’t understand why you’re not furious with me.”
“When you recognized Dante, you felt you needed to defend yourself. I understand that.”
“I never should have come to the ranch. I endangered you, which is the last thing I ever wanted.”
I reminded him, “Neither of us could have predicted that outcome.”
“But now you can’t even go home, and I’m so sorry about that. But I promise I’m going to fix this for you, Beck. There must be something I can offer Harris to get him to call off his vendetta. I don’t know what that is right now, but maybe my men will have some ideas.”
I asked, “When are you meeting with them?”
“At nine.”
“That’s almost two hours from now. What are you going to do in the meantime?”
“Two things,” he said. “I’m going to drink, and I’m going to hold you.”
I put my head on his shoulder and murmured, “Good plan.”
* * *
The meeting was set to take place at a hotel in Glendale. Rus had acquired a black SUV with tinted windows, and as he drove us across town, he ground his teeth. I gestured at that as I turned to Lee. “I thought you said there’s nothing to worry about.”
“There isn’t. Icarus is just high-strung,” he said, as he leaned back and took my hand. I’d definitely seen plenty of evidence of that, but at the same time I still had that nagging feeling of dread that just wouldn’t go away.
They’d done a good job choosing the hotel, though. The location was random to say the least, and absolutely no one was going to accidentally stumble across them there. The blocky, ten-story structure had probably been nice when it was built in the 1980s, but now it was just faded, drab, and totally deserted. I wasn’t sure why it had even been built in the first place. It was located in an office park, and that seemed like the last place anyone would want to spend the night.
Rus parked right in front of the main entrance. He had zero fucks to give about the fact that it was meant to be a loading zone. When we entered the lobby, Lee pointed out the bar and asked, “Do you want to wait for us in there, Beck? The meeting will probably take about two hours. If you prefer, I’ll get you a room, but I’m planning on us spending the night somewhere else.”
“Oh. I kind of thought I’d be sitting in on the meeting.”
Lee looked apologetic, but before he could say anything, Rus interrupted with, “You really don’t want to be a part of this meeting. First of all, these guys don’t know you from Adam, and they’re already on edge. Second, they don’t even know Leonidas is gay, or like, human. Suddenly finding out he has a lover is going to distract everyone from the task at hand, and we really need to focus because there’s a lot of shit to sort out.”
I mulled that over for a few moments before saying, “Those are perfectly valid arguments. I’ll be in the bar.”
Lee drew me into an embrace, and then he kissed me before saying, “In that case, we’re going to head on up, since almost everyone’s here already. See you soon.”
Rus and Lee looked like a pair of titans, powerful and confident as they strode across the lobby. When Rus hit the button for the elevator, I went into the dimly lit bar. It was totally empty, and I had to ring a bell for service. After a solid minute, a bored-looking man appeared from a back room and served the beer I ordered without comment. I tossed some money on the bar, then went to sit at the long counter facing the lobby while the man left the same way he’d entered.
Several people had messaged me over the last two hours, including Elijah, Colt, Lorenzo, Isaac, and Vee. The latter had written: Dude! What the hell?!?!?!? I heard your BF and Dante drew guns on each other like some kind of old west showdown, and then BF’s cousin showed up with an even bigger gun and you all ran off like a band of outlaws. Are you okay? Are you dating a felon? Is the ranch owned by the mafia? I need answers!
The rest of the texts were basically more of the same. I thought about how to reply and finally went with a group text that said: I want you all to know I’m okay, and I apologize for worrying you. I’ll try to explain everything when I’m back home. I’m just not sure when that’ll be. In the meantime, please know I love you, and to those of you who were in the courtyard when all of that went down, I’m so sorry.
I felt guilty after I hit send. These were people I considered family, and they deserved better than a group text. But the day had left me exhausted, and I just didn’t have it in me to try to message several people with explanations.
Besides, I’d never find the words to make them believe Lee wasn’t a bad person. Neither were Rus or Dante. They just lived in a world very different from ours, one where their enemies carried guns, so they had to do the same thing in order to keep themselves safe.
Or was I trying to justify it?
Either way, the events of the past few days left me wondering how Lee’s world and mine would ever fit together. Not that what was happening in his life right now was typical. Still though, it was clear he and I were very different people. Would a man like Lee ever be content with slow-paced island life? Or would he always need to take risks and run the show?
But those were questions for another time. Right now, I needed to think about how best to help our current situation. I fidgeted with my phone and debated calling Dante to try to smooth things over. But there was a chance I’d actually make things worse, so I decided against reaching out to him while he was angry. My uncle was much closer to Dante than I was, so it was best to let Ren handle it on my behalf.
While contemplating all of that, I stared out at the lobby with its institutional-blue sofas and chairs. After a while, three men entered. They were dressed in dark colors and were sporting black baseball caps and sunglasses, which made no sense, since it was nighttime. Two of them were carrying canvas bags that really didn’t look like luggage. They paused for a few moments, and a fourth man who was dressed similarly joined them. He’d come through a door marked ‘employees only’.
Because they seemed so out of place, I snapped a photo of them and sent it to Lee with the message: These men are in the lobby, thought you should know. A few moments later, I sent another text, which said: They’re on their way up in the elevator.
Worry twisted my stomach into a knot as I wandered out into the lobby and stood there feeling useless. Lee hadn’t replied, though my phone told me he’d read the messages. I hoped I was just being paranoid and that those men didn’t have anything to do with the meeting going on upstairs.
But what were the chances that a group of suspicious-looking people would just happen to show up at this empty hotel at the same time as Lee? And it really was completely empty
. There wasn’t even anyone behind the reception desk.
I listened intently as the seconds ticked by. It was eerily still. There was just the sound of my heartbeat thrumming in my ears as I tried to push down my panic.
Then without warning, the door to the stairwell slammed open, and I flinched. Two men in suits sprinted through the lobby. A moment later Rus appeared, carrying a man with a cast on one leg. Lee was right behind them. His gun was drawn, and he yelled, “Run!”
We all bolted for the main entrance as adrenaline coursed through me. Lee shouted something to his cousin, and Rus threw him a set of keys. As soon as we left the building, everyone split up. The pair who were first down the stairs ran to a sports car, and Rus helped the man with the broken leg into a sedan before getting behind the wheel. Meanwhile, Lee hit the key fob to unlock the doors on the SUV, and I tumbled into the passenger seat while he rushed around to the driver’s side.
Just as I slammed the door, two of the men I’d photographed in the lobby ran outside, aimed guns at the SUV, and opened fire. I yelped and ducked as fear surged through me, but the bullets ricocheted off the windows.
Lee dove into his seat and stuck the key in the ignition. Then he gunned the engine, and the SUV shot across the parking lot. The sports car and the sedan were right in front of us, and when we reached the street, they turned right while we turned left.
As we sped through the office park, he asked, “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, but that was terrifying. Thank God this vehicle is armored.”
“I’m so sorry. I thought we’d be safe there, otherwise I never would have brought you along.”
“How did they find you?”
He took a wild turn, and as I scrambled to put on my seatbelt, he said, “The only possible explanation is that one of my men betrayed me.”
“One of the people back there?”
He shook his head. “I think it was Douglas Poulos. He messaged to say he was running late, which means he conveniently missed all the excitement.”
“Your uncle’s old friend, the one you said was like family?”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t understand why he would betray you, given your history.”
“Me neither. I really trusted him. There are so few people I can say that about.”
I put my hand on his arm and said, “You’re shaking.”
“It’s all the adrenaline.” It was more than that. The attack had clearly frightened him, but he was trying so hard not to let it show.
He kept glancing in the rearview mirror, and I asked, “Are we being followed?”
“I assume they tried, but it looks like we lost them.”
After a pause, I asked, “Where are we going?”
“I don’t know. I just need to get you someplace safe.”
“I have a friend who lives in Venice Beach,” I said. “Maybe we should go to his apartment. No one will find us there.”
“Good idea.”
As we cut across L.A., I messaged Will, who told me we were welcome to spend the night. Meanwhile, Lee called Rus to make sure he and Dave, the guy with the broken leg, were okay. Rus assured him they were both fine, and so were the other two men who’d fled the hotel. “We’ve got big problems, though,” Rus said, through the speaker phone. “You must’ve reached the same conclusion I did, which is that Douglas Poulos sold us out.”
“It looks that way,” Lee muttered.
“I’m going to make some calls and cut off all of Poulos’s access to the business. I’ll also put the word out that we want him brought in for questioning,” Rus said. “For now though, get yourself and your boyfriend someplace way off the radar, and Dave and I will do the same. Then call me back.”
Lee said, “Will do,” before ending the call.
When we pulled up in front of Will’s apartment, Lee drew me into an embrace and said, “I can’t stand the fact that you were put in danger because of me.”
“I’m glad I was there. Otherwise, I hate to think what would have happened when those men reached your suite.”
He seemed defeated when he admitted, very quietly, “I don’t know what to do, or who to trust besides you and Rus. It feels like my whole life is spinning out of control.”
“We’ll work on finding solutions in the morning. Right now though, you and I are both rattled and exhausted, so let’s go inside and get some rest.”
He leaned back a bit so he could meet my gaze. “Are you sure you want me here? I understand if you don’t feel safe with me around.”
“Of course I do.”
Lee watched me for a moment, and then he said, “Alright. I’m going to move the SUV because the people looking for me can ID it now, so I don’t want it parked out front. Then I’m going to call Rus back, so I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
“Okay.” I kissed him before climbing out of the vehicle and watching him drive off.
Will answered the door while fixing his dark curls, which were tied back with a scarf. He looked chic and pulled-together in striped silk pajama pants, a pristine tank top, and a long cardigan, all in white and shades of gray. He gave me a hug and exclaimed, “Hi honey! To what do I owe this impromptu visit?”
“It’s a long story.”
As I followed him into the living room with its Tiffany blue walls and retro furnishings, he said, “You told me you and your boyfriend wanted to spend the night. I have questions, starting with where is he, and since when do you have a boyfriend?”
“He’ll be here in a few minutes, and the whole boyfriend thing is a very recent development.”
“Nice. So, where’d you meet him?”
“At work.”
“Meaning the ranch?” When I shook my head, his blue eyes went wide. “No. Do not tell me you’ve gotten involved with a client!”
“He’s such a wonderful man, Will. I’ve known him for a year, and he’s always been so good to me.”
“A year? Was he the reason for your monthly trips to L.A.?” When I nodded, he whispered, “Christ,” and crossed the room to the vintage chrome drink trolley in the corner. As he picked up the ice bucket and carried it into the adjoining kitchen, he shot me a look and said, “You’ve been turning tricks almost as long as I have, and even though you’ve always been a dreamer, I really thought you knew better! Pretty Woman isn’t a documentary, and boys like us don’t get saved, Beck.”
“It’s not like that. For starters, he’s the one who needs rescuing, not me.”
“What does that mean?”
“Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
Will frowned at me as he pried two plastic ice cube trays from his frosted-over freezer. “Come on, spill. You can’t say something like that and then leave me hanging.”
I hesitated before admitting, “His whole world is a train wreck right now. He’s involved in some stuff that isn’t exactly legal, and some bad people are looking for him. But he’s smart, so he’ll figure out how to resolve this. Then once things settle down, I want to help him find his way out of that life.”
“So, you’ve gotten involved with a criminal.”
“The way you and I earn a living isn’t exactly legal, Will.”
“True, but it usually doesn’t result in the kind of drama you’re talking about.” He gave the ice cube trays a twist, then asked, “Does he even want a way out?”
“I think so, but he feels trapped.”
My friend stared at me for a few moments before dumping the ice into the silver bucket. As he brought it back into the living room, he asked, “Do you need a place to stay tonight because you’re on the lam?”
“We’re on the run, but not from the police. I promise no one tracked us to your apartment,” I said, as I perched on the arm of his white sofa. “If I thought this might endanger you, I never would have come here.”
“But you’re in danger, aren’t you? And that’s not okay, Beck.”
“It’s a temporary situation. Like I said, he’s going to fix it.”
<
br /> He poured two whiskeys over ice, tossed his back and refilled it before bringing me the other one. “Here, hold this but don’t drink all of it,” he said, as he handed me a cut crystal highball glass.
“Okay…but why?”
“I don’t want to spill whiskey all over my white sofa, so it’s preventing me from grabbing you and giving you a good, hard shake.”
I grinned a little because that was just so Will, and then I said, “I know how this sounds.”
“Like you’ve lost your damn mind!” He sat on the edge of a patterned club chair, and after he took a sip of whiskey, he asked, “Where’s your thug now?”
“He’s not a thug, and he’s making a phone call.” I looked around and asked, “Where’s Madame Leota?”
Will held up a hand and said, “Don’t try to change the subject to my cat, who’s probably in the middle of my bed and too lazy to come and say hello. After all you just told me, I don’t know if I should hug you or slap some sense into you.”
“Please go with the hug. It’s been a rough night.”
Will’s expression turned sympathetic, and he set his drink aside and got up. After he took my glass from me and put it on an end table, he pulled me onto the couch with him, wrapped his arms around me, and asked, “Do you know what you’re doing, Beck? Because from my perspective, this whole thing seems pretty disastrous.”
“Honestly, I have no idea,” I said, as I put my head on my friend’s shoulder. “All I know is that I love him more than anything. We’re just making up the rest as we go along.”
“You’re in love with him?” When I nodded, Will said, “You should have led off with that. All this insanity makes much more sense now.”
“It’s all such a mess, though. Not him and me, that feels totally solid. But everything happening around us is just completely out of control. I can’t even go home right now.”