by K. Sterling
“But you did,” Quinn guessed and Roman bowed his head in agreement.
“I never really cared about the boys I went to school with. They were all insufferable and privileged. And most of them were bigots, so…” He waved airily and Quinn cringed. Roman’s parents might have believed he was passing as the ideal British child but he would have been an outsider and a target for bullies. “I cut school whenever I could and convinced my parents I had normal friends and hobbies so I could run with Darius. His father was my uncle and he treated me like his own even though my father would have nothing to do with him. He taught me how to play the violin and everything I know and he was there for me after my mother died,” Roman said and Quinn’s stomach sank.
“What happened?”
“Cancer. From the factories she cleaned at night and she wouldn’t go to a doctor until it was too late. I wouldn’t have had a family after she died, if I hadn’t been adopted by my uncle. My parents cut us off from everyone. I hid it from them but he made me his son in every way that mattered. I’m just as safe in Stockwell, Hackney or Peckham as I am on my front doorstep because of him and Darius. I studied law at Oxford and I passed the bar but I’ve never worked a single day in that profession. My mother died the morning I took my last exam. I completed my degree but I knew it would never make me rich enough to buy the sort of home my parents dreamed I’d live in. So I turned to my true talents and training and became a professional,” Roman said then slowly stood and set the violin and bow on his chair. “I’m tired, Quinn,” he said as he hooked his finger beneath his chin and pulled his lips closer. “Will you stay with me? I promise I’ll behave,” he murmured drowsily. He was naked and the thought of sleeping in his bed should have given Quinn at least a little bit of pause but he nodded as he kissed him. Their lips clung and Roman tasted so good. Quinn could already feel his heart breaking but he tossed the robe at the back of the chair as he followed Roman. They slipped beneath the sheets and Roman settled against Quinn’s side and his body became heavy as he let out a relaxed and contented breath. “Thank you. I’ve had a hard time sleeping since… I lost something a while ago and I haven’t figured out how I’m supposed to live without it,” he whispered. His voice was raw and ragged but it was heavy with pain and caught in his throat as he breathed through the grief.
“I’m so sorry,” Quinn said as he tightened his arms around Roman and rubbed his cheek against his hair. “Is that why you’re helping me?” He asked carefully and Roman shook his head.
“No but I think I’ll understand some of what you’ll feel if we can’t find Jayce or if he’s truly gone. I won’t be able to help, I haven’t figured out how to help myself, but I’ll understand.”
“Why are you helping me?” Quinn asked. It was quiet for several moments and he started to suspect Roman fell asleep. He leaned back to check and Roman grunted as he pulled him close again.
“Because I want to and I don’t know what to do with myself,” he muttered as his face burrowed into the corner of Quinn’s neck.
“Oh.” Quinn expected him to say something about being rewarded or being bored. “Why do you want to?” He asked and Roman groaned.
“I’m tired and I’m not in the mood to make this weird,” he said and Quinn’s lips twisted as his eyes went to the window. There was a good chance he could see the Queen’s bedroom and she could be sleeping in it. As he was staring at it. It was a little surreal to be sleeping that close to the Queen’s residence. In addition to being in Roman’s bed with him. And there was the whole him being naked thing…
“Do you ever wonder what the Queen would think?” He asked.
“About what? Not that I ever think about that,” Roman mumbled and Quinn grinned.
“What do you think she’d say if she knew a master thief lived within spitting distance of her sitting room? I bet they’d watch the Crown Jewels a lot closer,” he mused and Roman snorted.
“The Crown Jewels is a collection that comprises of 140 separate objects. There are over twenty-three thousand stones and thirteen maces. It would take days just for me to haul everything out of The Tower. I have taken the orb and the scepters from the coronation case in The Tower,” he said and Quinn tried to sit up but Roman wouldn’t let him. Roman symbolically stole the Queen’s “Godly” power and right to rule. It was… Insane. And a little terrifying.
“You’re joking!”
“I stole them twice. I was paid to take them as a stunt, to humiliate the monarchy. Then, I was hired to steal them back,” Roman explained.
“Why didn’t they arrest whoever hired you if they knew who had them?” Quinn asked and Roman hummed happily.
“It was so beautiful and the highlight of my career. They claimed the collection was being restored and temporarily unavailable for public viewing because it would have been a huge scandal. The person who commissioned me to steal them is a rabid antimonarchist but also a relative of the Queen. I was discreetly contacted by a representative of the royal family and paid as a consultant to find and retrieve them.” There was a soft rumbling laugh and Quinn raised his head so he could look at him.
“They didn’t know it was you?” He said and Roman’s laugh was a fading sigh as he melted against Quinn.
“No. It was bloody spectacular. The first job was one of the greatest challenges of my career, the second was the most fun I’ve ever had. Until you.” His head became heavy and Quinn’s hand cradled it protectively as he stared at the palace and wondered how hard and how many times Roman would break his heart.
Chapter 13
“Darlington’s having his event tomorrow night,” Roman said once their server left them and Quinn’s eyes swung to his.
“I didn’t think you’d want to go to that,” he said. Roman teased the champagne foam on his plate with a fork. He was doing his best to eat better but he was distracted and disinterested in his food.
“You’ve heard about it,” Roman noted and Quinn nodded as he cut off a piece of crab.
“I heard it was the golden ticket but I assumed I didn’t need one, I already snagged the prize so it wouldn’t make sense for me to go. And I didn’t think you’d want to get that close to Darlington,” he added and Roman clenched his jaw as he hummed in agreement. He hadn’t mentioned it until then because he wasn’t sure. He thought about going without Quinn and letting Darlington approach him. It would give Roman a good idea of where his head was at. But he could also accomplish that with Quinn on his arm and flick Darlington’s temper. Or, he could just not go. Roman didn’t believe he’d gain much, in the way of intelligence by being there but it was a stupid opportunity to pass up.
“I’m never in the mood to be close to Darlington but he’ll be too involved with his guests to be a problem and his entire staff will have the night off,” he explained and Quinn’s brows jumped.
“The whole staff?”
“The whole staff,” Roman repeated. “Just a few hired footmen will be brought in to serve drinks. It’s a little like Almack’s was for the marriage mart. If a man like myself were looking for a more permanent companion, like yourself, I would look for an invitation to Darlington’s. If a young, talented and attractive gentleman like yourself wanted to enter an arrangement with a gentleman like myself, you’d do damn near anything to get into Darlington’s,” he said and Quinn’s teeth dug into his lip as he considered.
“Why get rid of the staff if it’s such a big deal?”
“Discretion. Because that’s where men like me go to try out men like you and that’s where men like you do your best work,” Roman said and Quinn was starting to get it.
“It’s like spring training for recruiters,” he stated and Roman tilted his head.
“The best escorts displaying their best talents to the very best customers,” he summarized. “It’s very high stakes because a man like you could walk out of there with a daddy on his arm and never work another day of his life,” Roman said and Quinn’s lips tightened.
“He’s still working, he’s just on his back,” he argued and Roman smiled.
“Nice work if you can get it and it pays very well. I can think of plenty of jobs I’d find more degrading,” he replied and Quinn gave him a dubious, expectant look and Roman snorted. “I’d rather be a whore than a politician. At least people know I’m fucking them and they’re happy about it.”
“Very true but you’d have to stretch for too many more,” Quinn said.
“Telemarketer, lorry driver, slaughter house worker, any sort of costumed mascot, a port-a-loo or a crime scene cleaner, a traffic warden, road-kill remover or a guard at Buckingham Palace,” Roman said quickly. “I would swiftly and happily fuck just about any man on God’s green earth than do any of those jobs.”
“I would hate to be a traffic warden,” Quinn whispered then shook his head faintly. “Why would we go? You’ve already got me,” he said cockily and Roman sighed contentedly as he pressed his finger under his chin and kissed him. Quinn allowed it and his lips toyed with Roman’s for a moment before he pulled them away. Roman almost cried, it made him so hard. They were dining in The Square and he had to behave.
“It’s still a very coveted invitation and…an interesting spectacle to witness. It’s also an excellent time to search Darlington’s house while he’s busy and his staff is away,” he suggested and Quinn’s eyes went wide and distant as he considered. Roman didn’t think it was very likely that Darlington would leave anything incriminating out with that sort of company in the house or that they’d have the kind of time and freedom he’d need to do an adequate search but Quinn thought so. And they could see or hear something useful. Roman didn’t think so but it couldn’t hurt. “It’s worth it to make an appearance, he expects it. We’ll keep our eyes open and take advantage of the opportunity,” he decided and Quinn nodded and looked excited.
“It sounds like a good plan, I’d like to finally get a look at Darlington and maybe learn something useful for finding Jayce,” he said and Roman stretched his neck as the muscles tightened.
“I’m not sure if it’s a good plan. You’re going to need to be careful and stay with me. It’s very important you follow my lead,” he said and he made sure Quinn understood. “The key to Darlington’s success is his charm. He is all things dignified and proper when he shows his face to the world and he is magnetic and charming to his guests and his prey but he’s a ruthless predator, beneath it all. He doesn’t believe in consorting openly and indiscriminately, he thinks men of a certain status should be selective and indulge in their interests in more private or exclusive settings,” he stated and Quinn cringed.
“He’s not totally wrong, though,” he mused. “There’s something to be said about being selective and enjoying some things privately.”
“Always beware of what men hide, Quinn,” Roman reminded him. “Darlington doesn’t go to nightclubs, parties and orgies because they don’t offer what he’s looking for and they’re beneath him. You’ve seen pictures of Dash. He’s young, flawless, shameless, fearless and ruthless. Darlington grooms someone like Dash to be his right-hand man. He’ll have a few other boys around to maintain a party atmosphere and sell his drugs but Dash is his pet and completely under his control. He’ll use Dash until he overdoses or he’s bored with him then move on to a new boy. I wasn’t around but I’ve heard Darlington picked Dash because he can swallow your fist up to your elbow, enjoys being tortured and has a limitless threshold for pain. You won’t find many escorts like that at a house party or Minton’s but you’ll find them at Darlington’s. It’s more an evening of exposition than entertainment, it’s very mercenary and there’s almost no pretense. You’ll find all the fancy trappings of a high society party or one of Minton’s soirees but it’s all about performance at Darlington’s. Men like me have a standing invitation because we bring the money that buys the escorts’ drugs and we buy more when we have more expensive pets. The competition is fierce among boys like you and Dash so they break their necks and sell their souls to get in. Dash may find a few of them but they also come in on the arms of men like me. I might want to share my new toy…” he paused and gave Quinn a suggestive look and his face twisted. Roman laughed softly as he prodded his crab. “I might be ready to trade him in and feel like he’s worth recommending or I might just want to show him off,” Roman added then winked at Quinn. “If you’re there with me and intend to leave with me, you’ll only be interested in entertaining me. If you’re hoping to leave with someone else, you’ll sing your sweet little heart out. Or whatever it is you’re considered the best at,” he said and Quinn pushed his plate away.
“So, someone like me would go and let Darlington’s guests try me out before they took me home?” He clarified and Roman pointed his fork at him.
“Exactly! And it’s also become sort of a…venue for men…of a certain age to prove they’re still virile enough to keep their paramours satisfied.”
“Oh, my God,” Quinn groaned quietly as he set his elbow on the table and dug his thumb into his temple. “Why couldn’t they start a softball league and get drunk and messy at the afterparties or use Yelp?” He muttered and Roman’s eyes flared and a laugh burst from him as he fell back in his seat.
“Yelp!” He gasped as he clapped his hand over his mouth. “That would be fabulous!” Roman wheezed as he waved his hand in front of his face. People were looking and it was perfect because he was truly having the time of his life.
“Or maybe something like Yelp but call it Welp,” Quinn murmured thoughtfully. “Or, Help,” he said as he shook his head. “They need it.”
“Good Lord!” Roman cried and he almost fell out of his chair. “You’re priceless,” he said as he struggled to breathe and reached for his glass. And he was, Roman realized. Nothing in the world could make him part with Quinn.
Chapter 14
“Stay close and let me do the talking,” Roman reminded Quinn as they waited to enter the ballroom. There was a life-sized replica of the statue of David rendered in ice and every guest seemed inclined to stroke or lick some part of it. Quinn’s nose wrinkled as they passed. The sculptor wisely made the ass and genitals much larger but they were quickly melting away. Quinn thought he was prepared after his experience at the orgy and the house party in Belgravia but the tone was far more direct. Most of the younger men were scantily clad in fetish wear or naked and preened and pouted provocatively unless they were on the arm of an older or more powerful man. Or servicing one. Quinn turned quickly and tugged at his bow tie as a man in a very elegant tuxedo and gloves choked the man kneeling before him.
“This feels so wrong. Is this straight?” Quinn asked and Roman grinned.
“It’s not straight but that’s the point, Mary,” he said as his hand curved around Quinn’s waist and he pulled him close. A waltz played softly in the background but only a few couples danced or swayed lazily. Most were too busy engaging in foreplay or demonstrating their talents and best features.
“He’s turning purple!” Quinn whispered in mild terror. He held onto Roman’s shoulders and stared at his chin as they twirled exuberantly.
“Relax and pretend you’re madly in love,” Roman crooned then locked their hips together and easily guided Quinn through a series of steps and shuffles then spun him again.
“We’re calling a lot of attention to ourselves,” Quinn pointed out. He hadn’t actually looked but he could feel all the eyes on him.
“This is a very fun and efficient way to let everyone know you’re with me,” Roman explained as they turned. His thighs parted Quinn’s as his hand tightened around his ass and his lips brushed against his ear. “A quick lap around the room to see who’s here is always a good idea,” he breathed and Quinn nodded faintly. Roman’s cock dug into his thigh and he smelled unbelievable. Quinn wasn’t sure if he was actually dancing but it felt nice and it was a lot less shocking than just about anything Quinn would see if he was able to take his eyes off Roman. He was mesmerizing. His silver
eyes sparkled as they swept around the room and his lips curved mischievously. His arm wrapped around Quinn, keeping him tight against Roman’s body as he swayed and bounced with an easy grace that was irresistible. The candlelight, laughter and music became a soft haze around them and for a moment, they were alone and Quinn laughed as he pressed his lips to Roman’s. He felt lighter and it was beautiful. They weren’t surrounded by elegant depravity, Jayce wasn’t gone and Quinn mattered more as Roman’s heart beat against his and time slowed.
“Quinn…” Roman breathed as his hand cradled his jaw. His eyes spilled into Quinn’s and he was trembling.
“The two of you should get a room!” Someone laughed and Roman muttered a curse as his shoulder was shoved playfully. Roman’s thumb dragged Quinn’s lip before he sighed and released him.
“Hello, Fitzroy,” Roman grumbled petulantly. Quinn looked away and pretended to study the chandelier. Fitzroy was a well known MP and lived two houses down from the Whittacombes.
“Surprised to see you here. Slowing down in your old age?” Fiztroy laughed as he elbowed Roman and he scowled as he pushed his arm away.
“Worry about yourself, Droopy. My friend was curious and Darlington swears these things are interesting. I’m not convinced,” he muttered and Fitzroy made a lewd sound as he stepped around Roman so he could take a closer look at Quinn.