fuck’s sake. Who else knew about these emeralds?” Now Kasey was growling as though he was the werewolf instead of his lover, Deke.
“I have no idea. I had an address, a window. That was it.”
Jonny nodded slowly. “Okay. Kasey, you and Deke find out who else had an interest and if Silvia has anything to do with this. Luc, you need to get ahold of your brother. I want a detail on him.”
“What does that mean?” Luc scribbled down an address, a safety deposit box number. “He’ll go here. I mean, I’ll put an ad in the paper, see if he hollers. He’s... slippery.”
“That means if we thought he looked like you, someone else might think he’s you,” Kasey said. “I’m on it, Boss.”
Jonny sat back with a sigh, drew his mate into his lap. “You are a very great deal of trouble, sweet.”
“I’m worth it.” Luc kissed him. “Yves is... not like me.”
“Tell me about him?” Jonny stroked Luc’s hair, curious as hell.
“He’s addicted to gemstones, to the stories behind them. It’s like a sickness, worse than the jobs I used to work, I think, because I was at least collecting funds for it.” Luc leaned in, snuggling close. “There was another of us. He died fighting insurgents in the desert, long before there were troops on the ground. Yves went a little crazy when we lost Girard.”
“I’m sorry, sweet.” His family had been gone so long that he barely remembered them fondly.
“It was a long time ago; he’ll get over it.”
The sudden stiffness in Luc’s body said perhaps that was a bit of a fib. Jonny didn’t remark upon it; he simply touched and kissed until Luc relaxed.
“Love you, Mate.” And that was that, yes? What they had together, it was love.
“And I you, Luc.” He kissed Luc’s jaw. In fact, he loved his kit enough to want to finish off whoever had hurt him and to protect this unknown brother Yves.
Good thing Kasey and Deke knew what to do from here.
Someone needed to have a clear head in all this. He hoped his friends could do that for him.
***
Someone was following him.
Yves wrinkled his nose and headed into a tavern, sliding through the crowd and out the back, into a wee coffee shop where he could get a view and a corner table where he could hide.
Very odd.
He hadn’t done anything worthy of being hunted, at least not as far as he knew. His brother may well have, but Yves couldn’t find Luc. Not so much as a whisper of the man.
Again, very odd.
Luc was usually easy for him to track down. There was always an ad somewhere, whether in the London Times or the New York Craigslist personals. Some way for them to touch base.
He had his laptop and slipped it out of its sleeve, opening up before searching for any ad with the keywords Yew Bow.
There. Rare yew bow for sale or trade. Prefer gemstones. Email mailbox 4998. That was it. God, it had been a long time coming this time.
He immediately emailed with his phone number listed backward with a single number added to each digit.
Luc would know how to call.
In fact, his little international cell rang a few minutes later. Gratifying speed.
“’lo?” He stayed noncommittal, just in case.
“Bonjour, Yves.”
Relief made him dizzy a moment. Luc. His own brother.
“ Frère . Missed you. You’re well?”
“I am.” Luc chuckled. “Mostly. Are you safe?”
“As far as I know. I’m in the city.” Are you? Are you close and safe?
“Good. I have a favor to ask.” Luc never asked for anything. Never. Yves was always the supplicant.
“Anything.” If possible.
“I sent someone. I imagine he’s following you. He’s there to protect you. Let him.”
“What? Why?” No. No way. He could take care of himself.
“This is serious, Yves. You haven’t surfaced in over a year.”
“I’ve been in Colombia.”
“So, you found them.”
He didn’t have to ask what Luc meant.
“I did.” Now all he needed was the catalyst.
“ Frère ...”
“Don’t, Luc.” He couldn’t bear criticism,
“I have no idea. I had an address, a window. That was it.”
Jonny nodded slowly. “Okay. Kasey, you and Deke find out who else had an interest and if Silvia has anything to do with this. Luc, you need to get ahold of your brother. I want a detail on him.”
“What does that mean?” Luc scribbled down an address, a safety deposit box number. “He’ll go here. I mean, I’ll put an ad in the paper, see if he hollers. He’s... slippery.”
“That means if we thought he looked like you, someone else might think he’s you,” Kasey said. “I’m on it, Boss.”
Jonny sat back with a sigh, drew his mate into his lap. “You are a very great deal of trouble, sweet.”
“I’m worth it.” Luc kissed him. “Yves is... not like me.”
“Tell me about him?” Jonny stroked Luc’s hair, curious as hell.
“He’s addicted to gemstones, to the stories behind them. It’s like a sickness, worse than the jobs I used to work, I think, because I was at least collecting funds for it.” Luc leaned in, snuggling close. “There was another of us. He died fighting insurgents in the desert, long before there were troops on the ground. Yves went a little crazy when we lost Girard.”
“I’m sorry, sweet.” His family had been gone so long that he barely remembered them fondly.
“It was a long time ago; he’ll get over it.”
The sudden stiffness in Luc’s body said perhaps that was a bit of a fib. Jonny didn’t remark upon it; he simply touched and kissed until Luc relaxed.
“Love you, Mate.” And that was that, yes? What they had together, it was love.
“And I you, Luc.” He kissed Luc’s jaw. In fact, he loved his kit enough to want to finish off whoever had hurt him and to protect this unknown brother Yves.
Good thing Kasey and Deke knew what to do from here.
Someone needed to have a clear head in all this. He hoped his friends could do that for him.
***
Someone was following him.
Yves wrinkled his nose and headed into a tavern, sliding through the crowd and out the back, into a wee coffee shop where he could get a view and a corner table where he could hide.
Very odd.
He hadn’t done anything worthy of being hunted, at least not as far as he knew. His brother may well have, but Yves couldn’t find Luc. Not so much as a whisper of the man.
Again, very odd.
Luc was usually easy for him to track down. There was always an ad somewhere, whether in the London Times or the New York Craigslist personals. Some way for them to touch base.
He had his laptop and slipped it out of its sleeve, opening up before searching for any ad with the keywords Yew Bow.
There. Rare yew bow for sale or trade. Prefer gemstones. Email mailbox 4998. That was it. God, it had been a long time coming this time.
He immediately emailed with his phone number listed backward with a single number added to each digit.
Luc would know how to call.
In fact, his little international cell rang a few minutes later. Gratifying speed.
“’lo?” He stayed noncommittal, just in case.
“Bonjour, Yves.”
Relief made him dizzy a moment. Luc. His own brother.
“ Frère . Missed you. You’re well?”
“I am.” Luc chuckled. “Mostly. Are you safe?”
“As far as I know. I’m in the city.” Are you? Are you close and safe?
“Good. I have a favor to ask.” Luc never asked for anything. Never. Yves was always the supplicant.
“Anything.” If possible.
“I sent someone. I imagine he’s following you. He’s there to protect you. Let him.”
“What? Why?” No. No way. He could take care of himself.
“This is serious, Yves. You haven’t surfaced in over a year.”
“I’ve been in Colombia.”
“So, you found them.”
He didn’t have to ask what Luc meant.
“I did.” Now all he needed was the catalyst.
“ Frère ...”
“Don’t, Luc.” He couldn’t bear criticism,
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