The Collector 4: Eight Arms to Hold You

by Ally Blue

  Luke nodded. “Thank you.”

  Turning away, he felt oddly relieved. He’d already begun to think of Austin as belonging to him, so he knew he’d have to tell Austin eventually. But not yet. Not yet.

  Phelan followed Luke out onto the deck, her low heels clicking on the wood. Luke wondered how she managed to walk around a boat in heels and make it look easy.

  “Thank you again for taking me to him,” Luke said, handing her the blanket and climbing onto the ladder leading into the water. “It’s not exactly what I’d expected, but somehow I think this will work.”

  She smiled. “Goodbye, Luke. Be careful.”

  Climbing down the ladder, Luke slipped into the water, shifted, and shot off toward the spot where Taggart was supposed to meet him with the motorboat. This time, he couldn’t even appreciate the pleasure of gliding through the sea, and of truly belonging there. All he could think of was Austin, and what they were about to do together.

  He hoped he was doing the right thing, and that he and Austin would both survive it.

  * * * * *

  Dr. Martin was standing at the porthole staring out at the light drizzle pattering on the water when the faint clack of Phelan’s heels sounded behind him. “He’s gone, sir,” she said. “Shall I call Mr. Bell now?”

  “I’ll call him after we return to port.” Glancing over his shoulder, he gave his assistant a smile. “Audra my dear, you should have been a detective. Finding Austin Bell was a brilliant bit of work.”

  “It wasn’t that difficult. Apparently, going to the barrier islands alone and returning with a naked man isn’t a usual occurrence around here. Austin’s landlady was telling everyone who would listen. All I had to do was be in the right place at the right time, and ask the right questions.” Phelan walked over to stand beside him. “Please be sure to emphasize the need for caution when you talk to Mr. Bell. It was far too easy to follow his activities since his encounter with Luke.”

  Martin laughed. “He had no reason to believe anyone was paying attention, or would think anything of it. I’m sure he’ll understand that he needs to be careful during this mission.”

  Phelan glanced at him. “Are you sure he’ll accept this offer?”

  “Well, I plan to offer him a large sum of money, which he certainly needs. But the real draw for him will be Luke.” Dr. Martin turned to look at Phelan. “I believe Luke and Austin are destined mates. The pull they feel to each other is too strong to be anything else.”

  “Are you going to tell Luke about his heritage?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “When?” Phelan’s expression was solemn. “He deserves to know, Andrew.”

  “Yes, he does. But the timing needs to be right, if his mission is to succeed.”

  “Of course. It just seems wrong to keep so much from him.”

  Dr. Martin sighed. “I know, Audra. I feel the same. It saddens me that Luke knows nothing of his people, or what happened to them, and that I know but can’t tell him yet. However, you know as well as I that the idol is the only thing that can help him now. If I tell him now about the history of his people, and what his adopted father did to them, how do you think he would react? What would you do, if you were in his place?”

  “I’d kill Carson in his sleep,” she said softly, staring out the porthole. “Austin’s phone number is in the folder with the other information. I’ve contacted Simmons, who’s watching him today. He tells me Austin is home.”

  “Very good. Thank you.” Dr. Martin laid a hand on Phelan’s shoulder. “Let’s get back to port now. I’d like to begin planning for when Luke and Austin retrieve the idol.”

  “You’re that certain they’ll be able to find it?”

  “I am. Now more than ever. Luke feels the call of the idol. He is still connected to it, as all of his people were. He and his mate will find it. I’ve no doubt of that.”

  Phelan didn’t say anything else, but Martin knew what she was thinking. He could see it in her face. She’d been with him at the museum in Boston two years ago, when the strange woman had appeared from nowhere and set them on the path that ended here, in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The woman whose name they’d never learned, who’d told them a tale no one but he and Phelan would ever have believed. A tale spanning thousands of years. A tale of magic, of duty and sacrifice, love and happiness and steadfast purpose, all cut short by the greed of one man. The man who’d murdered so many of her people in cold blood, and stolen one of their children.

  Part of Martin wished he could tell the woman that Luke still lived. Another part of him was glad she would never see the abuse the boy had suffered at Carson’s hands.

  With a soft sigh, Phelan turned from the porthole. Her dark eyes were wide and sad. “How long does he have, do you think?”

  “Long enough. I hope.”

  They stared at each other for a long moment. Neither spoke. Eventually, Phelan gave him a faint smile and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Dr. Martin made his way to the sofa and sank into it. Closing his eyes, he said a silent prayer for Luke and Austin.

  He knew they would find the idol. What he didn’t know was whether they would be able to recover it and get away without Carson finding out, or Luke’s eventual fate overtaking them.

  The idol can save Luke, he reminded himself. It can save them both.

  In his heart, he knew it was true. Resting his head against the back of the sofa, he put all worry temporarily out of his mind, and slept.

  Chapter Four

  Austin stood in front of the small metal trailer at the Biloxi docks, his knees shaking. He’d never been so nervous in his life. Whether because he was about to embark on what was essentially a spy mission, or because he was about to see Luke again, he wasn’t sure.

  Probably a bit of both.

  He still couldn’t quite believe he was here. When the distinguished professor and his assistant showed up at his trailer the previous day with their story of a priceless crystal idol lost in the depths of the Northern Gulf, he’d laughed. If they needed someone to infiltrate Carson Cordova’s expedition and steal the idol out from under him, what would they want with Austin? Wouldn’t they be better off with someone who had experience with undercover work?

  Then they’d told him about Luke. About how Luke had come to Dr. Martin begging for his protection from Carson’s escalating abuse and offering the idol in exchange, thus setting this plan in motion. How Austin’s experience and credentials made him the perfect partner for Luke in this, since he wouldn’t have to hide anything from Carson’s inevitable investigation of him.

  Hearing that had driven away the last of Austin’s doubts. He’d gladly put his life on the line to help Luke escape from his father. If that meant the chance to pursue the sense of belonging he’d felt in Luke’s arms, so much the better.

  Of course, the half million dollars Dr. Martin had offered him didn’t hurt. However, the money would mean nothing without Luke. It was strange, to feel so sure about something ‑‑ about someone ‑‑ based on nothing but a mutual hand job and a short conversation, but he didn’t question it. He’d learned to take happiness when it was offered to him, and he wasn’t about to turn away from something that felt so right.

  The door to the trailer banged open, startling Austin out of his thoughts. A middle-aged man in a hunting vest and baseball cap jogged down the steps and crossed the oyster shell parking lot to where the fishing pier and restaurant used to be, giving Austin a narrow-eyed look on the way.

  Quit standing here like an idiot, Austin admonished himself as the man passed him. Just do it.

  Squaring his shoulders, Austin marched up to the trailer and tapped his knuckles against the door.

  “It’s open,” a gruff voice called from inside.

  Austin pulled the door open and stepped inside. A hulking man in worn jeans and a gray fleece sweatshirt leaned against a metal desk, his shaved head gleaming in the harsh glare of the fluorescent light overhead. Behind the des
k, a woman with graying shoulder-length curls rested her arms on the large piece of paper spread out in front of her. Austin could see the edges of what looked like a map of the northern Gulf between the woman’s muscular forearms.

  Austin forced himself to smile. “Hi. I’m Austin Bell. I’m, uh, I’m looking for a job.”

  “We’re not hiring,” the woman told him. Her voice was flat, with a hint of accent Austin couldn’t place.

  Austin held the woman’s gaze and managed to sound far more confident than he felt. “Word around town is y’all are running some kind of research expedition out past the barrier islands, in the deep water. I have specialty certifications in deep diving, wreck penetration, Heliox and Tri-Mix, among others. I’ve logged dives up to four hundred feet, and I’ve been diving in these waters all my life. I could be a lot of help to you.”

  They both stared at him, not saying a word. It was unnerving. Austin decided to let the desperation he’d felt for the last few months show through. “There’s no work here right now. Nothing. I need a job, and I have skills and experience you can use. At least give me a chance, huh?”

  The two glanced at each other. “Let’s see your dive log,” the man said, holding out his hand.

  Digging the dive log out of the inside pocket of his jacket, Austin handed it over. The man’s eyebrows went up as he flipped through it, and Austin fought not to grin. He was as good as hired.

  The man handed the log to his female companion without a word, and stood staring at Austin while she looked through it. “He has a great many deep cave dives,” she said, glancing up at her coworker. “That could come in handy.”

  “I have level three cave diving certification,” Austin chimed in.

  The man glared at him. Austin quieted down, but didn’t drop his gaze. “Give us your address and phone number,” the man grunted. “We’ll think it over and call you.”

  Austin took the pen and notepad the man handed him and scribbled down his name, address, and phone number. “I’ll be home most any time. If I’m not there, just leave a message.”

  “Give us a couple of days.” Handing the dive log back to Austin, the man pocketed the paper with Austin’s information on it.

  “Sure thing.” Austin grinned nervously at the glowering man and silent woman. “I’ll look forward to hearing from you, M ... ”

  The man’s brows drew together in a frown. “Smith. Mr. Smith.”

  “Mr. Smith. Okay.” Backing toward the door, Austin nodded toward the woman whose name he still didn’t know. “Nice to meet y’all.”

  Neither of them returned the sentiment. Austin opened the door and escaped into the thin February sunshine with a sense of relief. He hoped everyone he’d have to work with wouldn’t be so unpleasant. It was going to be hard enough to keep his secrets without the extra tension of being surrounded by people like Mr. Smith and the unnamed woman.

  Austin laughed as he jogged across the road and headed for the coffee shop across the street from the docks. “Mr. Smith” clearly wanted Austin to know he wasn’t giving his real name, though Austin couldn’t quite figure out why. Intimidation tactics, maybe. He could see why that would scare most people away.

  Of course, Austin wasn’t most people. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain, and he wasn’t about to be driven away by a couple of frowns and a lot of reticence. Not that Mr. Smith and his companion knew that. Nor were they likely to find out, if they hired him, and Austin was confident they would. They were sure to have people on their team with deep diving experience, but he was certain they didn’t have anyone who had his familiarity with the area.

  “They’ll hire me,” he mumbled as he hurried inside the blessedly warm coffee shop.

  “Hire?” A tall woman with short black hair turned from her work wiping down tables and grinned at him. “Austin, you found a job?”

  “Hi Susan. Yeah, I think so. I hope so, anyway. They’d be nuts not to hire me.”

  She squealed and clapped her hands. “Cool! Sit, I’ll get you an espresso, on the house.”

  Laughing, Austin gave her a brief hug. “Thanks, that’d be great.”

  She kissed his cheek and hurried off. Plopping into the nearest chair, Austin leaned his elbows on the table and smiled to himself. “Soon, Luke,” he whispered. “Soon.”

  * * * * *

  “Soon” turned out to be sooner than Austin thought it would be. The sun had barely risen the next morning when Austin was jolted from sleep by the phone ringing. Rolling onto his side, he groped for the receiver, fumbled it off the cradle and pressed it to his ear.

  “’Lo?” he mumbled, eyes still closed.

  “Austin Bell?”

  “Mm-hm.” Austin yawned and scratched his chest. “Who’s this?”

  “This is Smith,” the voice said, sharp and clipped. “You’re hired. Be at the dock by ten. We leave for El Cazador at eleven. Don’t be late.”

  “I’ll be there, sir. Thank…” The line went dead. Austin lifted the receiver and stared at it. “Thank you.”

  Setting the receiver back in the cradle, Austin yawned again and stretched. He always slept nude, even in the winter, and the sheets rubbed wonderfully against his bare skin. The three thick blankets weighed on his body, creating a pleasant pressure against his crotch.

  Closing his eyes again, he tried to recapture the fading remains of the dream he’d been having when he was so rudely awakened. He’d been dreaming of Luke. Luke’s body writhing underneath him, long legs clasped around his waist, black eyes wide open and staring into his. The image was incredibly vivid, making Austin’s cock ache.

  In a few hours I’ll see him again, Austin thought, slipping a hand down to stroke his erection. He sighed and spread his legs, imagining Luke’s fingers wrapped around his shaft, squeezing and pulling, teasing his slit. Luke. Need you.

  It didn’t take long before the orgasm curled at the base of his spine. Kicking the covers off, Austin gazed down the line of his body through slitted eyes, watching his hand on his cock and wishing it wereLuke’s. He came after a couple more hard pulls, moaning Luke’s name.

  He lay there panting for a few minutes. When he was able to move again, he hauled himself out of bed and shuffled toward the bathroom.

  He chuckled as he turned on the shower. “You’ve got it bad, boy. Already imagining happily ever after with someone you barely know.”

  He ignored the little voice in his head that insisted on reminding him of the danger he and Luke both faced. A danger they might not survive. Dwelling on that possibility wouldn’t help.

  Pushing the thought firmly to the back of his mind, Austin focused on planning as much as he could for the coming days.

  * * * * *

  At five minutes till ten, Austin jogged up the steps of the unmarked trailer at the docks and rapped on the door. When Mr. Smith’s voice called to him to come in, he pulled the door open and eased inside.

  “Hi, Mr. Smith,” Austin said, setting his duffle bag on the floor and plastering a smile on his face. “Thanks for hiring me. Y’all won’t regret it.”

  The man picked up a stack of papers and handed them to Austin. “Fill these out. When you’re done, hand ‘em to Jones over there.” He gestured toward a blank-faced young woman filing papers on the other side of the room. “She’ll take your picture and issue you an I.D. badge. Always wear your badge, except when you’re in the water. Got that?”

  “Yes sir.” Austin glanced at the papers as Mr. Smith headed for the trailer door. They looked like standard forms for any new hire. “Sir, do I need my dive equipment or do you issue equipment on board?”

  “Got a snorkel and regulator?”

  “In my bag.” Austin nudged his duffle bag with his foot. “I brought my drysuit too. Wasn’t sure if y’all would have extras.”

  To Austin’s surprise, Smith smiled. It was rather grim and looked distinctly uncomfortable on his face, but it was a smile nonetheless. Austin hadn’t thought him capable of it.

  “Good
man,” Smith said, yanking the door open. “That’s all you need. We have Heliox, tanks and all the gear on board. When you get your I.D., come out to berth ten. Taylor’ll check your badge before you come aboard. Any questions?”

  Austin shook his head. Smith left without another word. Glancing around, Austin found a folding chair and pulled it up to the desk. He grimaced as he started filling out the paperwork. The Biloxi docks had been mostly destroyed by Katrina. The shrimp boats lucky enough to survive the storm filled most of the few berths left, but Austin had seen no less than five boats with Carson Cordova’s business logo on them. Five berths that were needed by locals, and taken by Carson. He had money; the local fishermen didn’t. And money talks, Austin thought bitterly.

  He remembered the two hundred thousand dollars recently added to his bank account, and it made him uncomfortable. He didn’t want to be like Carson. Didn’t want the money to change him.

  It won’t, he promised himself, and forced himself to focus on the paperwork in front of him.

  A few minutes later, he’d finished filling out the forms. He stood up and cleared his throat to get the attention of the young woman in the corner. “Hey, Jones?”

  She looked up, her expression radiating annoyance. “What? Oh, are you done?”

  “Yeah.” He handed the papers to her. “I guess I’m supposed to get my picture taken now.”

  “Stand over there,” she ordered, nodding toward a blue screen on the opposite wall.

  He obediently backed up against the blue screen. Jones picked up a digital camera and snapped a picture before his smile was in place. One look at her sour expression stopped him from asking for another take.

  Can’t be any worse than your driver’s license picture, he thought as Jones plugged the camera into a computer to upload the picture.

  A few clicks later, the young woman had a photo printed out and laminated. She slipped a lanyard through the slit at the top of the plastic and handed the new badge to Austin. “You’re set. Whatever you do, don’t lose this.”