Gage returned, took one look at Sancha’s position on the couch and frowned.
“Gimme!” Sancha held out a hand for her coffee. “Landry and I were getting to know each other.”
“Oh God.” Gage resumed his previous seat.
“We’re gonna be pals.”
“Fuck.”
Sancha smirked. “Now, how about you tell Landry what we found at the warehouse scene?”
“I was about to before you showed up demanding refreshments.”
Landry looked from Gage to Sancha then back again. “You two are better than a sitcom. In fact, you could be one.”
Gage gave a pained sigh. “We’ll discuss suitable friends for you later. In the meantime, what my esteemed colleague is referring to happened at the operation the other night. At the raid on the warehouse…”
“The one where you got yourself shot?” Landry asked.
Sancha snickered.
“Yes, that one. We recovered silver and paintings, no jewelry, but in one of the dead guys’ pockets there was a slip of paper.”
“Wait. What? You didn’t mention dead guys. What the hell went on that night, Gage?” Landry’s voice rose.
“Not relevant. The words ‘find the key’ were written on a note we found.”
“So everything’s linked. We are going to talk about the dead people, Gage, I haven’t forgotten, but crap—why on earth do these people think I have something to do with all this? I don’t understand.”
“That’s what we have to work out.”
Sancha patted Landry’s knee. “Don’t you worry, honey. From now on we’re gonna look after you better.”
“How?” Landry was close to tears. “I can’t close Treasure Trove.”
“And we don’t want you to,” Sancha said. “But you won’t be alone. We are going to give you a new assistant.”
“Are you gonna work in the shop?” Landry thought he could handle that.
Sancha giggled, the sound making her seem younger. “Not me. Gage.”
“Oh!” Landry chewed on a fingernail.
“Stop that,” Gage said. “As of tomorrow, I’ll be working with you at least for the next few days. Someone out there is getting impatient. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of your Yakuza friends and I’m not having you bait a trap alone.”
Sancha got to her feet. “I need to get home. Landry, it was a pleasure. Try to get a decent night’s rest, okay?” She gave him a hug. “And you.” She waggled a finger at Gage. “No keeping him up all night. I assume you’ll be staying?”
“I’ll be here.” Gage stood. “I’ll follow you down to lock up.” He glanced at Landry. “Don’t get into any more trouble while I’m gone.”
Landry rolled his eyes. “I’ll try not to.”
Gage was gratified to find that work on securing the shop’s front door had been completed. Wooden boards covered the parts that should have been glass but replacing the panes would take longer. Inside the store, someone had swept up the broken glass and apart from the boarded door, it was impossible to tell that any violence had happened. He locked the door between the shop and the hall then went outside to deal with the security shutter. On the way back he locked the gate onto the road, thinking all the time that none of the security arrangements were safe for Landry to be handling alone, even in normal circumstances. With a grunt of dissatisfaction, he secured the hall door and, with an excess of caution, pushed a tin bucket and mop in front of it. Muttering to himself, he stomped up the stairs, latching Landry’s apartment door once he was inside.
“Why does your boss not have an alarm system?” he asked Landry, who had pulled a fluffy throw over himself.
“He doesn’t like technology. Have you seen how old the cash register is? He only switched from an antique one with keys because he got fed up of writing out receipts, and he still keeps a ledger. If you want to give him a lesson in security when he gets back, be my guest.”
“You’re pale. Do you have any cooking supplies?”
“Sure. I can’t afford take-out all the time.”
“Stay put. Nap if you want to. I’ll throw something together.”
Landry’s eyes grew big and round.
“Don’t look at me like that. I can cook some.”
“I didn’t say a word.” Landry blinked.
“You didn’t have to.” Gage retreated to the kitchen to explore the cupboards and the fridge. He found the makings of mac and cheese and decided that comfort food would be a good option. He set the pasta to boil before making a cheese sauce from scratch. Once it was ready he mixed the two together in a casserole dish. Humming to himself, he created his signature topping by combining panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. “Perfect.” He sprinkled the mixture over the top of the pasta then pushed the dish into the oven before walking through to the lounge. Landry was watching baseball on the TV.
“That won’t take long. I’m impressed you had panko and parmesan,” Gage said. “I didn’t know you were a sports fan.” He sat next to Landry.
“Oh, I’m not.”
“Then why…?” Gage gestured at the screen.
“They wear super-tight pants, obviously. Football isn’t bad, but I prefer baseball. Or wrestling!” Landry’s eyes lit up. “Lycra is my friend. I also like diving, swimming, gymnastics…”
“I get the picture.” Gage shook his head.
“You have a great body too.”
“Well, thanks. I think.”
“You do! That six-pack is a thing of beauty and you have gorgeous thighs, and calves, and your chest is…”
“Stop! I won’t be able to eat the mac and cheese at this rate.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ll be worrying about my calorie intake.”
Landry chuckled. “I think you can stand a bit of carb-loading.”
“You can help me work it off later.”
Landry blushed, the color making him look a bit healthier. He twisted the corner of the throw in his hands.
Could he be any more adorable? Even if he is a brat. “Come here.” Gage pulled Landry onto his lap. “You’ve had a tough day and I made it worse by interrogating you. I’m sorry.”
“At least you didn’t tie me to a chair…actually, that wouldn’t have been so bad…with you, I mean, not the Yakuza guys.”
“No one should be putting marks on you except me.” Gage rubbed Landry’s wrists.
“They’ll be gone by tomorrow, then you can replace them, Sir.”
“Sounds good.”
“Hey!” Landry bounced in Gage’s lap. “I’ve just realized…tomorrow I’m gonna be your boss!”
“In your dreams.”
Landry pouted. “But you’ll be working for me—that means I’m in charge.”
“I think you’ll find that I could be scrubbing floors for you but I’d still be in charge.”
“Oh, that’s… You’re making me hard.”
“Dinner first. Playtime later.”
“You’re spoiling me, Sir.”
“After what you’ve been through today, you deserve it, but it won’t happen often. I’ll get our food.” Gage lifted Landry off his lap. He had a smile on his face all the way to the kitchen. It was time to step away from being a detective and give Landry some comfort and care. He couldn’t think of a better way to spend the evening than with Landry, good food and a night’s cuddling to look forward to.
Chapter Twelve
“I never imagined you’d have so many customers coming in and out of here,” Gage said. “People buy the weirdest stuff.”
“Hey! That weird stuff you’re talking about is antique. Every piece has history. Imagine what a seventeenth-century armoire may have witnessed.”
“It’s an inanimate piece of furniture. It didn’t witness anything.”
“You’re thinking like a cop. You need to discover your romantic side.” Landry shifted on his stool, grimacing.
“Uncomfortable?” Gage grinned.
&n
bsp; “What do you think?”
“I think I’m enjoying watching you squirm.”
Landry stood, and the plug in his ass shifted. He worked the invader with his inner muscles, hoping no one could see what he was up to. There were still a few people browsing the aisles and Gage’s knowing grin was a giveaway. Landry muttered curses under his breath. The leather strap Gage had buckled around the base of Landry’s balls was tight and getting tighter by the minute.
“You’re mean.”
“That’s not what you were saying this morning, when I put the plug in,” Gage said.
Landry’s mind went back to the scene in his bedroom. Him on his hands and knees on the bed, legs spread. Gage fingering his hole, driving him wild with need then pushing the thick rubber plug into place. Gage hadn’t let him come, just buckled the strap, smacked Landry’s rump and ordered him to get dressed.
Landry sighed. It was perfect, but I’m not telling him that.
“You know you’re smiling, right?”
“I am not.” Landry pressed his lips together in a tight line. God, he’s infuriating… And gorgeous… And, fuck, I’m a lost cause.
Gage smirked. “What would you like me to do, boss?”
Landry could think of a few things involving cuffs, floggers and a lot of lube but none were suitable for public consumption. “You could give the storeroom a good dusting. I put a load of new stuff in there the other day and it was all pretty dirty. I haven’t cleaned in there for a while.”
“What do you keep in there?”
“Stuff that hasn’t been valued yet, things waiting to be repaired or restored, stuff that Mr. Lao thinks might sell better in specialist auctions, that kind of thing.”
“I don’t like leaving you out here alone.”
“Prop the door open and you’ll be able to see me,” Landry said. “There are cloths and dusters on the bottom shelf. To be honest, if you’re back there it won’t be so obvious that I’ve got a bodyguard. That’s better for the investigation, isn’t it?”
“Good point. Shout if you need me.” Gage ambled over to the storeroom.
Landry surveyed the aisles, checking out the current batch of customers. He had a vague feeling of anxiety, something he wasn’t used to, and he found himself examining each person with suspicion. He didn’t think any of them looked like the types to be involved in organized crime but looks could be deceptive. Who was he to know whether the old guy with the handlebar mustache and silver-topped cane wasn’t an international arms dealer, or if the woman with a sleeping baby strapped to her chest in a carrier was a hard-core drug dealer? He shrugged. There’s no point in worrying. He wandered over to an elderly couple admiring a glazed, oriental pot stand, to offer his assistance.
An hour or so later, Gage emerged from the storage closet with dust in his hair and a dirty smudge across his cheek.
“When you say you haven’t cleaned in there for a while, how long are you talking about?”
Landry gave him a sheepish grin. “I lose track of time, so I can’t be sure.”
“Anyone around?”
“Not at the moment, the last customer just left.”
“Good.” Gage pushed Landry over the cash desk then gave his backside six swift slaps. Landry yelped as the plug nudged his prostate over and over again. His cock jerked and strained. “That’s for knowing full well how filthy it was in there.” Gage whirled Landry around then kissed him hard.
“Do that again!” Landry was a little breathless and far too turned on, but the entrance bell jangled and a group of people walked in. “Damn.” He brushed the dust out of Gage’s hair then handed him a tissue. “You have dirt on your face. After that, I think the least you can do is go get me a coffee. I don’t think a bunch of old ladies are going to do me any harm.”
Gage rubbed his face. “I’m not leaving you here alone, old ladies or not.”
“But I need coffee!”
“I will get you a coffee, but only because I want one too, and not until the local patrol guys show up.” He leaned closer. “Tomorrow, I’m going to make you wear nipple clamps under your shirt.”
Landry gulped and fixed a smile on his face as an octogenarian with a blue rinse approached him, clutching a pair of brass candlesticks.
Once the patrol car was idling outside, Gage left for supplies. He didn’t take long and he was whistling when he returned, clutching two tall take-out cups of coffee. He waited until Landry had finished serving the customer he was dealing with before handing over the drink.
“The glass guy just pulled up outside.”
“That’s good,” Landry said. “A boarded-up door isn’t the most attractive invitation to prospective customers.”
“You could have fooled me.” Gage slurped his coffee. “I’d bet half the people who have been in here today only wanted to ask you about the broken door.”
Landry had given his fictional explanation for the damage several times. “I’m grateful for the business. I’m going to have enough explaining to do when Mr. Lao gets back without having crappy sales to show him too.”
“I was thinking while I was in the coffee shop,” Gage said.
“Careful now, you could strain something.”
“You just guaranteed no orgasms for the rest of the day and you’re going into chastity tonight. To get back to what I was saying, I wanted to ask you about some of the things in the storeroom. There’s a whole bunch of stuff that looks oriental. Did that come in recently?”
“Yes, it did. You remember that crate you moved the other evening from Mr. Lao’s nephew, Eddie? All that stuff was in it.”
“Remind me, where did it come from?”
“A neighbor of Eddie’s who passed away. Mr. Lao valued some stuff for the family. The old lady’s grandson dropped the box off with Eddie to bring over here.”
“Is Eddie’s surname Lao?”
“Yes, he’s Mr. Lao’s brother’s son. Why?”
“What about the neighbor’s grandson, do you know his name?”
“No, I’ve no idea. I suppose Eddie would be able to tell me.”
“Don’t ask him yet. I need to do some checking first. Is there any other way you could find out?”
“I could text Mr. Lao. He might know but he doesn’t look at his phone that much so I’m not sure how long it will take him to reply. He’ll want to know why I need the information too. What do you want me to tell him?”
“How about that you found something in the box that didn’t belong there and you need to get the grandson to come and collect it?”
“Okay, that should work. I’ll do it now.”
“Thanks. In the meantime, I’ll call Sancha and get her to check up on Eddie.”
“Am I allowed to ask where this is coming from?”
“Think about it. For some reason, some very nasty people think you have information about an item they want. This item is of significant value and they’re not likely to give up until they get it. You took receipt of a box of oriental antiques shortly before all this trouble started. I’m guessing there has to be a link to the key.”
“This is crazy.”
“I could be completely wrong, but I don’t like coincidences. I’m gonna find a quiet spot to make my calls. When you get a chance, can you give those pieces a good look over and see if you can spot anything unusual or out of place?”
“I can have a go,” Landry said. “But I’m not an expert. You need Mr. Lao.”
“Have a look anyway. There may be something that sticks out to you that I would never spot.”
“Okay, I’ll do it later, when it’s quiet.”
Landry spent the rest of the afternoon itching to get into the storeroom, but a steady stream of customers meant that he couldn’t leave the cash desk. When the patrol car came by, Gage made a couple of short trips to get lunch and another coffee but spent most of the time talking on the phone. It was still nice to have someone around and, when Landry had to take a toilet break because of all the coffee, Gage pr
oved able to charm the customers until Landry returned. Gage even allowed Landry to take out the plug, about ten seconds before Landry thought he would have to use his safe word. By early evening, the store was deserted. Landry was just about to head to the storeroom when Gage gestured to him.
“I need to go out. I don’t know if I’ll be back tonight so I want you to close early and lock everything up before I go. I want you safely upstairs in your apartment and you have to promise me not to go out.”
Landry debated arguing, but the look on Gage’s face told him it would be a worthless exercise. He would only be closing an hour early and the circumstances were exceptional.
“I can see you’re trying to think of a reason not to do what I’m telling you, but I’m not taking no for an answer, Landry. Either you lock up then head upstairs or I carry your disobedient ass up there myself then take all the keys away.”
“You make a persuasive argument,” Landry said. “I’ll do it because I don’t want to be here alone, but no chastity.”
“You drive a hard bargain.”
“It’s non-negotiable. If you’re not gonna be around, I have to be able to amuse myself.”
“The no-touching rule still applies.”
Landry gave him a slight smile. “Of course… Sir.”
Gage shook his head. “When this mess is over, and it will be over soon I hope, I’m putting you into a strict training regime.”
“I…”
“No, no speaking. You’ll just dig yourself into an even bigger hole. Not that I don’t have an endless supply of suitable punishments for you.”
“I never got a chance to look at that stuff in the storeroom.” Landry decided a change of subject was in order.
“It can wait until tomorrow. If I’m not back by morning, don’t open. You wait for me, understand?”
“Yes, Sir.” Landry gave Gage his best pleading look. “But come back tonight if you can. I don’t care how late it is.” He detected a slight flush on Gage’s cheeks. “And stay safe. No getting yourself shot again.”
Gage pulled him close and treated him to a long, inspiring kiss. When he finally pulled away, he left Landry breathless and gasping. “Let’s get this place locked up. Really should extend that to you too.”
The Lucky Cat Page 12