A Thief In The Night

by K. Sterling

  “Why not? I can find and steal anything,” Roman said and Quinn gave him a flat look.

  “Ever steal any people?”

  “I’ve yet to find one worth stealing. Do you have any better options?” Roman asked as he examined his fingernails and Quinn pushed out a hard breath.

  “Is an option that makes things more complicated or possibly worse better than starting over?” He said and Roman frowned.

  “How could I make things worse?” He asked and Quinn’s lips pulled tight.

  “I’m not sure why you’re helping me. What if you’re playing a game or you’re just twisted?” He said and Roman’s eyes lit up as he reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a picture and held it out to Quinn and he shrugged. “I’ve seen this. It’s…”

  “From your brother’s room. I’ve been trying to find the man behind him,” Roman said and Quinn’s eyes widened. He recognized most of the people in Jayce’s pictures. He’d met most of them as he hung around outside the house in Belgravia and in the clubs Jayce hung out in. He had yet to come across the man smoking and waving over Jayce’s shoulder. His platinum blond hair was tall and perfectly styled and the harsh angles of his face would have made him memorable. He was strikingly beautiful and his arm was wrapped around Jayce affectionately. “He goes by Dash and I haven’t been able to find him around Town,” Roman added as he stood and dropped the picture on the table. “But if you think you can find him without my help, I’ll leave you to it,” he said and Quinn held out his hand.

  “Fine. I need your help,” he agreed. “I don’t understand what’s in it for you,” he said and Roman’s fingers strummed the air elegantly as his made a vague gesture.

  “I’ve been at loose ends lately,” he said and Quinn shook his head so Roman knew he wasn’t buying it. Roman chuckled as he reached for Quinn and he tensed. He was expecting Roman to touch his face and try to kiss him. Roman’s hand hovered close to Quinn’s chin then slid beneath his collar as he turned him. Quinn’s coat was pulled down his arms and he frowned in confusion as Roman steered him toward his bedroom. He was mentally ready for the kiss but he dug in his heels in the hall.

  “What are we doing?” He asked and Roman rubbed his back soothingly.

  “I’m into many things, Quinn,” he said as he pushed against the door and it swung open. “But I will never take advantage of someone when they are at their weakest or take someone against their will,” he continued and Quinn relaxed. Roman had a very dark reputation but he was a god of seduction and pleasure and his word was considered to be absolute. “I have a suspicion as to who could be involved with Jayce’s disappearance. This has someone’s fingerprints all over it and I think Dash might be the link,” he explained and Quinn jumped as he grabbed Roman’s lapels.

  “That’s great!” He said as he bounced and shook Roman. He leaned back and held onto Quinn’s wrists.

  “It definitely isn’t, if I’m right,” he said and Quinn stopped. “I want you to be prepared for the worst. Your brother didn’t ring any bells until you told me he was a junkie and missing. Darlington has a penchant for junkies and the junkies he has a penchant for tend to go missing,” he said and Quinn’s stomach dropped.

  “They go missing.”

  “They usually go in the Thames, by Kensington. Or, they disappear completely,” Roman said gently as he gripped Quinn’s shoulders and found his eyes. “He would have already been found by now if he’d been dumped in the river. I’m working on finding out what happens to the others. I don’t know if it’s good that Darius doesn’t know and they’re not washing up dead,” he admitted and Quinn shook his head.

  “He’s alive. I think he’s wherever the others are,” he said and Roman’s eyes softened. He wasn’t sleek and prowling or seductive. For just a moment, he was human.

  “Prepare yourself,” he said firmly and Quinn nodded. A hard chill and an ache spread in his chest at the thought but it wasn’t new.

  “I’m never going to be prepared but I’ve been waiting,” he said. Addicts did that to the people who loved them. You never stopped waiting for a call or a knock at the door, even when everything was going great. But it was worse when things were falling apart and out of control because there was only one way it would end, you just didn’t know if this was the last time or if there’d be one more turn around the merry-go-round. “I’d know if he was dead. I can still feel him out there,” Quinn stated and Roman bowed his head.

  “Then we’ll keep looking,” he said. “Darlington is known to allow his boys to…overindulge.” He offered Quinn an apologetic smile. “I assumed it was that with Jayce, at first. Nobody’s surprised when junkies do what junkies do. Someone like Darlington throws them away and it’s just one more dead, gay junkie to the police. Sorry,” he murmured as Quinn became queasy. “But I think he’s up to something much worse than that.”

  “Why?” Quinn asked as he tried to imagine what could be worse than letting young men overdose then carelessly discarding their bodies for the police to find.

  “Because he’s hiding it,” Roman said and Quinn felt like he was sinking.

  “Jesus, Jayce,” he whispered.

  “I don’t like Darlington and I’ve spent much of my adult life avoiding him. And I don’t really care if someone like Jayce decides to party with a man like him and dies. That was his choice and it will eventually catch up with Darlington,” Roman said and Quinn stared at him in horror.

  “He’s manipulating addicts!” He argued and Roman shrugged.

  “He’s manipulating manipulators. Do you think Jayce didn’t get exactly what he wanted from Darlington? Why do you think he was with me and why do you think he’d be with Darlington?” He said and Quinn took a step back as his stomach turned.

  “You got him high and had sex with him,” he remembered and Roman became severe as he pointed.

  “I am nothing like Darlington and I treated Jayce the way I treat any man who approaches me in that sort of environment. I treated him exactly as I treated you. Jayce wasn’t looking for love when he found me at that party. He was high and he wanted to stay high and get fucked. I gave him that and nothing more because I was just using him for his body,” he said clearly and brutally and Quinn took it like a blow and stumbled back. Roman caught him and pulled him close and shushed him soothingly but Quinn tried to pull away. “He told you he was in love with me, didn’t he?” He asked and Quinn nodded. “Did he tell you I was going to take care of him?” He said and watched Quinn closely. He became still as he sank into Roman’s eyes. Jayce said those exact words.

  “He said you were enthralled and you were going to take care of him,” he whispered and Roman purred silkily as he turned them toward the mirror. He was behind Quinn and his breath huffed against his neck as his hands kneaded his shoulders.

  “What do you see when you look at us?” He breathed as his lips teased Quinn’s ear. It made him shiver but heat washed down his chest and arms and he wanted to lean back so he could feel more of Roman. He focused on the mirror and he was mesmerized as Roman’s fingers spread and pulled at his shoulders. He tilted his head so Roman’s lips could drift lower and Quinn’s eyelids and heartbeat became heavier. “Look at us,” Roman whispered and Quinn frowned at the mirror. He didn’t recognize himself. He was aroused and disoriented as Roman played him like a fiddle. “Now, picture Jayce,” Roman said and the spell broke. Roman was older, wealthier and obviously powerful. Jayce was pretty and practically disposable. “He didn’t love me, Quinn. He didn’t want to love me. He thought he found a sugar daddy and his boat finally came in. Why would I care about someone like that?” His eyes were gentle again and Quinn swallowed hard. Roman wasn’t a hero. His intentions weren’t noble but he’d played fair and took good care of Jayce when he was with him.

  “Why do you care about what happened to Jayce, then?” He asked and Roman raised a shoulder as he went back to teasing Quinn and nibbled on his ear. His hand glided down Quinn’s chest, explo
ring his abs through his shirt as it pushed lower. Quinn grabbed his wrist and Roman sighed hard as he released him.

  “It’s one thing to play the game, it’s another thing to cheat. Men like Jayce choose to play but that doesn’t mean men like Darlington should be allowed to cheat. I believe men like Darlington and I should adhere to a certain code, especially when playing with men like Jayce. We have to or else we become monsters, like Darlington. The police aren’t going to do anything about it. He’s going to continue to cheat and men like Jayce will continue to disappear unless someone like me does something about it because we’re the only ones who can stop him.”

  “So, you’re helping me because you believe Darlington should be brought to justice?” Quinn asked and Roman held up his hands.

  “Something like that. And you heard Darius, it’s getting harder and harder to find quality trade,” he said then crossed his arms. “That’s a bit of a concern as well,” he admitted and Quinn drug his hand down his face and stifled a scream.

  “At least you know exactly who you’re dealing with,” he muttered under his breath and Roman nodded.

  “And you shouldn’t forget. I’m not going to apologize for what I am or what I’ve done,” he said as he uncrossed his arms and offered Quinn a spoon. Quinn’s head cocked forward as he blinked hard at it. The spoon was silver and a perfect mound of sugar rested in the bowl.

  “What…?”

  “To help the medicine go down,” Roman sang softly.

  “Where did you get that? That’s not one of mine,” Quinn said as he looked toward the kitchen. He looked back at Roman and the spoon was gone.

  “I’m a thief and I’ve fucked more men than you’ve probably met in your entire life, including your brother. Your brother was a drug addict and a whore. There’s a good chance he’s dead or as good as dead. You need to accept that and be prepared to see and do some terrible things because your brother and I are terrible people. I’ll help you but I’m not doing it out of chivalry or because I’m a sucker for a happy ending. I don’t think we can save your brother but I can offer you justice. Darlington’s time has come,” Roman said and Quinn’s lips pulled in as his brain and his heart combusted. He’d never felt so many extreme and extremely different feelings all at once. He was disgusted and loathed Roman but he trusted him. He felt grateful and hopeful but also sad and tired of all of it. He needed Jayce more than ever but he was so sick of him. If Roman was right, and Darlington was somehow responsible for whatever happened to Jayce, he wanted to find him and make him pay.

  “You think Dash is the link. How do we find him?” He asked and Roman’s eyes lit up as he reached for Quinn. His hand curved around Quinn’s jaw and he hummed appreciatively as he pulled him close.

  “You’re so ready to ruin yourself for him. I’m going to enjoy this,” he said as he danced Quinn back, toward the closet. He backed him into the wall and Quinn grunted. Roman’s lips curved as they nudged his and Quinn couldn’t deny that desire was one of the very extreme feelings he was struggling with. Part of him wished he’d never met Roman or needed his help but there was a part of him that wanted to know what he’d do next. Part of him wanted to see what would happen if he said yes. “I’m going to become obsessed with you,” Roman breathed and it tasted sweet and warm.

  “I’d rather you didn’t,” Quinn requested.

  “You can go everywhere I go and no one will question it,” Roman explained.

  “People will trust me and talk to me,” Quinn realized and his heart throbbed as his nerves flickered. It was different from the soft, tender sensuality he felt in the hall with Jenna. This was frantic and intoxicating and Quinn craved the whiff of fear and shock he felt every time Roman kissed him.

  “Very good. We start tomorrow,” Roman said and Quinn groaned.

  “I can find something else to borrow from Jayce’s stuff,” he said and Roman shook his head.

  “You’re going around with me. Jayce’s things were fine, for Jayce,” he stated as the closet door swung open. He reached in and Quinn’s head jerked over his shoulder as Roman pulled out a black coat. “You need an entirely different wardrobe,” he declared as he stepped back and presented the coat. “Try this on, please. I’d like to see if I got your measurements right,” he said and Quinn leaned and looked around the wall, into the closet. Several garment bags lined both sides and boxes were stacked on the floor and the shelves. His clothes were squeezed into a small section in the corner and his baseball caps were gone and he wasn’t seeing his favorite sneakers.

  “Where’s the rest of my stuff?” He asked warily and Roman let out an impatient breath.

  “I had some things packed away, in case you wanted to donate them. Or burn them,” he said and Quinn skipped over the fact that people had been in his home without his permission.

  “Why do I need an extreme makeover for a few parties?” He said as he took the coat and Roman hissed as he leaned against the door and gestured for Quinn to get on with it.

  “If I’m right and Darlington is behind this, we have to be very careful and play this perfectly. He’ll destroy everything if he suspects he’s being investigated and I’m getting too close,” he said as Quinn pulled on the coat. Roman tugged at the lapels then smoothed them out. “Whatever this is, it’s nothing compared to what he’s worth and he won’t let it ruin his reputation.” Roman’s hands slid down Quinn’s arms and he gave the sleeves a tug then nodded. He lead him to the mirror then tilted so he could inspect Quinn’s back. He looked pleased as he stepped around him. He rested his shoulder against the wall, next to the mirror, and invited Quinn to take a look. It was absolutely perfect. It was a lot more fitted than any of the tuxedos he rented in the past. “If this is as grim as I think it is, he’ll kill anyone who can implicate him, including you. We have two options: we find Jayce before he can burn the evidence or we find something damaging enough to offer in exchange for Jayce. That’s going to take time,” he warned and Quinn swore as he shrugged out of the coat.

  “He’s been missing for months. I don’t have time for all of that,” he said as he waved at his closet and handed Roman the coat. He went to the bed and dropped onto it. “And I’d like to avoid getting my head totally fucked in the process,” he said as he scrubbed his face with his hands.

  “Your brother isn’t missing because he got on the wrong train and found himself in the wrong part of town. He made friends with some very shady people. I can’t get you close to them if you’re a straight man. You’re going to be my new…” His hand waved in a circle as he considered. “Companion,” he decided and Quinn’s hands fell away as he stared up at him. It would be huge if Roman showed serious interest in someone. He imagined attending a few parties and being introduced to a few people, not being the center of attention and the focus of gossip.

  “Like a friend or a boyfriend?” He asked slowly and suggestively. Roman’s face pinched and he looked like he could have used a little sugar. That kind of boyfriend, Quinn realized and he felt a little sick.

  “You’re going to have to dress appropriately and act the part,” Roman countered and Quinn’s cheeks puffed out. He understood what Roman was saying. Before, he dressed like a gay man and blended in with gay men just to get close to Roman. Now, he had to pass as the sort of man who could keep Roman’s attention.

  “This is going to be great,” Quinn grumbled as he lowered his head and rubbed his temples. “What could possibly go wrong?”

  “We could practice, if that will help with your confidence,” Roman offered and Quinn snorted.

  “Oh, my God, you’re going to make me do so many things I don’t want to do,” he complained and Roman was gone when he looked up.

  Chapter 6

  “This one’s nice,” Roman murmured as he leaned into a roadster then wrinkled his nose. “I don’t like red leather, it’s garish,” he decided then stood and looked around the showroom.

  “We do have the Centenario in the grey interior,�
� the saleswoman said softly and Roman turned to Quinn and raised his brows but he raised his brows back at Roman and held up his hands.

  “Could you give us a little time to browse and talk?” Roman asked and she bowed as she backed away then took herself off. “You don’t like it?” He asked as he turned back to the car and leaned as he inspected the lines.

  “It’s a Lamborghini, it’s fine,” Quinn said sarcastically. “What are we doing?” He asked and Roman frowned as he turned toward him.

  “We’re car shopping,” he said unnecessarily and Quinn looked adorably baffled.

  “Why? You have a car,” he argued and Roman opened his mouth to explain but Quinn snorted as he shook his head. “You have a Bentley limo and the world’s biggest driver, what are we even doing here? You don’t need these, Mr. Bishop wouldn’t fit in any of them and I’ve only seen one with a backseat,” he pointed out. I really wish he wouldn’t say such things, Roman thought and sighed hard as he led Quinn to a Veneno roadster then opened the passenger door for him. He waved for Quinn to sit then shut the door once he was comfortable. Roman stepped back and his head tilted from side to side as he imagined them in the South of France.

  “But is it comfortable enough?” He said under his breath then jogged around the front of the car and slid into the driver’s seat. He gripped the wheel loosely and checked the rearview mirror as he reclined and shifted until he was comfortable. He hissed as he looked behind him. “We’d have to pack very carefully,” he noted then grinned as he looked at Quinn. “Of course, if we weren’t planning on wearing many clothes…”

  “What are we doing?” Quinn whispered as he leaned over the armrest. Roman patted Quinn’s cheek and pulled him close for a kiss. He almost pulled away then remembered. It ruined Roman’s little daydream and he waved dismissively as he fell back in the seat and slouched.

  “I’m looking for something for us,” he explained and Quinn blinked back at him.