Page 14 of Wicked Games
Percy tilted his head to the side and studied me. “And you don’t?”
“Not a chance in hell,” I admitted.Ryder.God, his goodbye kiss would haunt me forever.
Not for the first time, I wondered what Banks was holding over Deverish’s and Percy’s heads. Or, had they chosen this life willingly? Could they walk away without a backward glance or would Banks squeeze their balls and pull them back? I suddenly regretted the comment I made to Banks the previous day. I shouldn’t have said anything that could cause either of them grief. Even though I didn’t know Deverish well enough to trust him implicitly, I knew enough to know he wouldn’t undercut Banks. As for Percy, the only thing I knew about him was how much Deverish cared for the man. I knew lust and love clouded a person’s judgment and made them overlook the obvious. Hell, hadn’t I counted on it with Ryder in Paris and Cairo? I was willing to put my faith in Dev up to a point, but the jury was still out with Percy.
“To what do I owe the honor of your presence,” Deverish asked as he hobbled into the room on crutches. It was startling to see someone so smooth and graceful looking so clumsy. His hair was as disheveled as Percy’s, and he’d made no attempt to tidy the mess eager hands had made. “And why the devil do you look so glum? You look like someone just stole your—” His green eyes widened suddenly. “The hell you say.”
“I haven’tsaidanything, Dev.”
“Not so much with words,” he said, awkwardly lowering himself beside Percy and exposing his dick and balls at the same time.
Percy tsked, then said, “Darling, we’re not on those kinds of terms with Lucien.” He covered Deverish’s groin then placed his hand possessively over Dev’s hairy thigh.
“Why are those robes so damn short?” I asked, changing the subject. “Percy nearly flashed me, and you did.”
“Babe,” Deverish admonished lightly. “You shouldn’t taunt someone as hard up as Lucien. He gets the wrong idea every time.” Dev looked at me, and the smile slid from his face. “Has Carmen Sandiego struck again?” Beside him, Percy snorted, but he’d never seen the woman to know how closely Carmen resembled the fictional character, both in looks and in name.
“She has,” I said, nodding. “I saw her slinking around in the hallway where the directors’ offices and restoration labs are and knew I had my hands full, especially since I hadn’t known she was on the hunt here.”
Deverish threw up his hands. “Don’t look at me, Lucky. I had no fucking clue. She hadn’t presented herself to me before my accident, so she must’ve moved in while I was recuperating after surgery. The woman loves to boast about the time she beat me to the Picasso painting in Italy, and she never misses an opportunity to taunt me. She either assumed I was gone or knew I wasn’t going to be a challenge.”
“But she would’ve expected Banks to send backup. There was something different about her the night of the gala too.”
“Different how?” Percy asked while Dev continued to study me intently.
“There’s something different about you too,” Dev said before I could answer Percy. Dev’s eyes zeroed in on my busted lip. I expected him to mention it, but he didn’t.
“He looks sad,” Percy said like I wasn’t in the same room with them.
“I’m used to him looking like a sad sap, pet. This is different, more intense.” He glanced at my lip again then returned his gaze back to my eyes. Dev’s green eyes sparkled with mirth.
“Let’s focus on what I came to discuss,” I said, trying to get them back on topic.
“Do you mean your friendly little interrogation to see if Percy or I were involved in helping Carmen steal the vessel out from under you?” Neither of them looked offended I’d momentarily entertained the idea they were behind it, but then again, they would’ve had similar thoughts if the situation were reversed. “Why would either of us risk Banks’s wrath?”
Bankswasholding something over their heads too. “I know you weren’t involved, Dev, and no offense intended to you, Percy, but you don’t know enough about the operations to give much away to Carmen beyond where we’re staying and what we’re driving. You don’t set the times for the recoveries or arrange transportation for the items.”
“None taken,” Percy said simply. “Especially when it’s true. Banks may be a deviant, but he’s a brilliant one. He only tells us what we need to know to complete our individual jobs. It’s why we click so well together. I hate his fucking guts but still admire the well-oiled machine he runs.”
“Why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you about the job?” Dev said. “I can see there’s more going on than Carmen finally getting the best of you.”
“Mmm-hmm,” Percy said, cuddling into Dev’s side. “You might not believe it now, but you can trust us, Lucien.”
I needed to talk to someone because I had carried it inside me for too long. The question was: how much did I reveal? All of it, including my history with Ryder? Wasn’t discovering Ryder’s presence in Cincinnati the first time I felt the wiggling worm of doubt burrow inside my brain? It was, so telling Dev the partial truth wasn’t going to do any of us good. For the next thirty or so minutes, neither Dev nor Percy said a word or moved from their positions. They were a rapt audience hanging onto my every word. I started with meeting Ryder in Paris and worked my way to the events at the gala and my reunion with Ryder the prior day. When I finished, I was both drained and relieved to have spoken my sordid history out loud. I wasn’t looking for absolution, and I didn’t need mollycoddling. I needed answers—at least when it came to the Cincinnati job.
“Wow,” Dev said, looking stunned. “I guess your busted lip makes sense now.” Percy nodded beside him. “We don’t know a damn thing about one another, do we? I had no idea you were carrying that inside you. I knew you were distant and cold at times, but not the reasons why.”
“We’re not permitted the opportunity to get to know one another,” Percy said. He looked up at Dev and offered a smile. “You and I wouldn’t have fallen in love if not for the blizzard popping up out of nowhere and stranding us together for days.”
Dev placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. “They were the best four days of my life, even if I pushed you away a time or two.”
“All of it is behind us now, Dev. We’re forging a new future with trust and honesty.”
I was pretty sure they’d forgotten about my existence until I cleared my throat, pulling their attention back to me. “I’m truly happy for both of you, but I need to figure out what’s going on here.”
“Why do you care so much?” Dev asked. “What’s really at stake here?”
“If I can find out who is fucking Banks over, maybe I can use it to my advantage to get out from under him once and for all.”