Stealing Pretty

by R. Cayden

  Jameson laughed nervously, then quickly slammed the door down. “Or whatever those other things were. Sex masks?” He rubbed the back of his head, glancing around. “How many dildos have you seen at once?” he asked quietly.

  Gray grabbed Jameson by the elbow. “Get back in the car,” he said quietly. “I have some bad news.”

  His heart racing, he jumped in the driver’s seat. He handed Jameson the tabloid with an apologetic groan, then took a second to go over everything in his mind. The mirrors were all properly adjusted, and the lights were working. There was no loose end that would get them pulled over, just the risk that someone would recognize Gray as they drove by.

  “Oh, fuck,” Jameson groaned as he read the headlines. He crumbled the tabloid in his hands, then slapped it against the dashboard. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

  A truck pulled up behind them, and Jameson jumped in place. Gray reached out, rubbing his shoulder in the way that seemed to calm him down. Even though anxiety-spiked adrenaline was surging through Gray’s body, he fought hard to stay calm and to try to offer Jameson some security. “No one has spotted us yet, beautiful,” he said. “Take deep breaths.”

  “It’s all going to happen again.” Jameson’s voice was pinched, and his whole body had slumped over. “The news is going to be all over me. They’re never going to leave me alone. They’re going to tell a million lies, and everyone is going to believe them.” He talked faster and faster, and his knee started bouncing up and down. “It’s going to be like when my parents died. It’s going to be just like when my parents died! And now you’re in it, too! Now they’re after you! They’re going to take you away from me, and everything will be ruined again!”

  Gray’s protective impulse broke through his self-doubt, shattering the anxiety he felt. He grabbed Jameson and pulled him into a close embrace, then held him as tight as he could. Even with fear gripping his heart, Gray still had strength for his beautiful guy. Jameson needed him now. He needed to be held until his demons went away, and it was Gray’s job to be there.

  There would be plenty of time later for Gray to beat himself up about it all. Time once the guy he loved was safe.

  Gray squeezed again. He took in a deep breath of Jameson’s scent and felt a little calmer. He’d never fallen in love before, just lust, but with everything on the line, he couldn’t deny what had happened.

  “You’re strong enough to get through this,” Gray said. “You’ve always been strong, stronger than anyone out there knows. And now I’m going to be strong enough, too, okay? I’m going to get us to the other side.”

  Jameson’s body relaxed in Gray’s arms, and his breathing slowed. Finally, he pulled back, rubbed the sides of his head, and then sighed.

  “Okay,” he said, gathering himself. “Let’s drive.”

  Gray buckled up, then headed back out to the busy street. He was used to driving in high-tension situations and keeping his cool. It was one of the main skills required to boost cars. But a fancy sportscar was one thing. The payload he was driving now was irreplaceable.

  “Do you have that spare scarf? The one with the piece cut out of it?”

  Jameson fumbled with his backpack, then shoved the scarf Gray’s way as they pulled up to a stoplight. Gray pulled it on, then adjusted it quickly in the mirror. “Can I pull this off?”

  “The purple is nice with your skin tone,” Jameson confirmed.

  Gray adjusted it and felt his warm breath trapped behind the fabric. “I guess that works.”

  “I’m sorry I got you into this,” Jameson sighed, the edge of a tremble cutting at his voice. “And I’m so sorry that your face is all over the place. That’s going to haunt you for the rest of your life.”

  Gray winced. He hated hearing Jameson blame himself for just living his life. “It’s not your fault. You’re not the one hounding an innocent man and trying to exploit his personal life for profit. The paparazzi owes us an apology, not the other way around, and you should never forget that.” Jameson started fumbling again, and when Gray glanced out of the corner of his eye, he saw him wiping away makeup in the small mirror. “What’s up?”

  Jameson wiped the small damp cloth across his face, smearing his eyeshadow. “I can’t risk this look anymore. If we get pulled over or something, I can’t have a full face of makeup.” He went still for a second and then gasped. “We have to get rid of those dildos!”

  “Breathe, beautiful,” Gray reminded him. He was practicing the advice himself, sucking in and releasing steady, timed breaths. It helped him stay focused, always driving the exact speed limit, flipping on his blinker for five seconds before turning, regularly checking his blind spots. “We’ll ditch the dildos as soon as we can, but I need to get us out of the city first. There’s security cameras everywhere here, and if the cops are actually buying this load of shit from the tabloids, they could be looking for me, too.”

  Jameson took in a couple of deep breaths, then went back to work on his makeup, tearing little cloths from a packet and then tossing them aside. He pulled his scarf down, wiping off his lipstick, as Gray pulled up to another spotlight.

  “Look at that,” he said. “The interstate is right up ahead.”

  He turned to look at Jameson, who had finally wiped the last of his makeup off. When Jameson turned back to Gray, they held each other’s gaze, and Gray willed his strength to extend to Jameson.

  Jameson’s eyes popped open, and he stared behind Gray, then buried his face in his hands. “Oh shit.”

  Gray turned to look over his shoulder. In the lane beside them, a car full of teenagers were gawking back their way, totally shocked.

  The light switched, and Gray hit the gas. “Okay, that wasn’t great. They definitely saw you with your scarf down.”

  “If we get caught, at least I can tell everyone that you didn’t kidnap me. That’s good, right? Because if I say you didn’t kidnap me, no one can really argue.”

  The teenagers pulled up beside them and Gray cursed under his breath. He wanted to tear the fucking scarf off and breathe properly, but instead, he just kept his eyes on the road and tried to force his stomach to unknot. “This is not going to be your news story,” he said, slowing down, then shifting lanes to keep the teenagers away from another look. “And there is no way in hell I am letting them get a picture of you.”

  Gray eyed the interstate entrance, two blocks up. At the next light, the teenagers landed a couple of cars ahead, and they all strained backward to point at the Subaru. Jameson ducked, burying his head between his knees, and Gray stroked his back. “Almost there,” he said soothingly. “Almost clear.”

  Jameson let out a slow breath. “I’m okay,” he said, his voice a full octave higher than usual. “I think I’m pulling it together.”

  Gray glanced in the rearview mirror, then cursed again. There was a cop car right behind him, and from the look on her face, the officer behind the wheel had clearly noticed the distraction the teenagers were making.

  The light turned green, and everything became slow and quiet. Gray was lightning-focused on driving. He felt like there was a light shining on Jameson, and as long as he kept the car right in the middle of that light, they would be safe.

  He transferred lanes one more time, and finally, the teenagers got pushed ahead with the rest of the traffic. He and Jameson didn’t say anything as he gripped the wheel and turned them onto the expressway. His stomach lurched when the cop followed, and as she stayed firmly behind him on the expressway, every second passed with the thudding of his heart in his ears and nerves tingling up his spine.

  And then, at last, the police officer sped up, pulled ahead, and drove into the distance. Gray grunted, breath puffing out his nose. “Holy shit,” he said, breaking the silence. “That was close.”

  Jameson pulled his head up from between his legs, then rubbed his hands over his face. “They’re all gone?”

  “They’re all gone, Jameson, don’t you worry.”

  “That was just like the action movies.
”

  “What do you mean?”

  Jameson lowered himself in his seat, sinking down and away from the window. “You’d think a getaway was supposed to be fun, but when it’s actually happening, it’s not fun at all.”

  The sun came out from behind the clouds, and Gray grabbed his sunglasses from behind the visor, popping them on. “Hopefully, that’s our last getaway.”

  Jameson lifted the tabloid, then shook it lightly. “Now that I see where the stories went, I don’t even know if my publicist will be able to help. All she cares about is money, which works fine when you’re just trying to keep things quiet. But things are already way past quiet.”

  “There might be someone else who could help us out.”

  “Wherever you think,” Jameson said. “I—” He cut himself off, then nodded. “I trust your call.”

  Gray nodded. He wasn’t looking forward to the lecture he was about to receive in front of Jameson, but he knew that it was past time that he reach out to Declan for help. Just like he wished Raiden and Horatio would have talked to him before they went and messed with the fentanyl dealers, sometimes, the smartest thing to do was to turn to someone smarter.

  As they merged onto another expressway, a new cop car appeared behind them. Gray jolted alert, then grumbled. “Make yourself comfortable, Jameson. It’s going to be a long ride.”

  Jameson

  Gray’s uncle lived out in Long Island, just a short walk from the beach. Kaiser Security sat in a little stretch of businesses on a quiet corner, in a squat brick building. Up above, Declan and his boyfriend had converted a few apartment units into their home, and when Jameson stepped out of the Subaru, he thought he spotted movement in the upstairs window.

  “Come on,” Gray said, taking Jameson’s hand and hurrying forward. When they reached the front door, he pounded a few times with his fist. “It’s after business hours. I hope someone hears us.”

  A moment later, the door flew open. An older man with a full head of silver hair and a furrowed brow stood there, squinting at them. “Get the hell inside before someone sees you,” he growled, then tugged Gray behind the door.

  Jameson followed. His heart was in his throat, just like it had been all through the drive, and the man standing before him in a thermal shirt and silver necklace had fire in his eyes. Thankfully, though, Gray had prepared Jameson on the car ride and explained not to run from the bark.

  “You’re lucky there aren’t reporters are around to spot your ass, you know that?” Declan led them down a hallway and to a set of stairs. “Seb did a good job hiding the trail that leads back to Kaiser Security, but with the kind of attention you’re getting, it can’t last forever.” He stomped his boots up the stairs, and Jameson scrambled behind Gray to keep up.

  Declan stopped after the first flight of stairs. “You know,” he said, thrusting his finger against Gray’s chest, “you’ve caused me a hell of a lot of headaches, Gray.”

  Gray frowned. “I’m sorry, Uncle Declan.” Jameson reached out to take his hand, knowing that the approval of his uncle met everything to Gray. “Things just got out of hand. But I’m safe! And so is Jameson.”

  Declan looked at Jameson, nodded, and then pushed the door open. They walked into a big open loft, with large, floor-to-ceiling windows that faced in the direction of the ocean. There was a strange mismatch of furniture and decorations, with an old orange armchair up next to a fancy new couch and a big old stereo with a tape collection sitting next to a sophisticated telescope, angled to the stars.

  “I’m glad you’re safe,” Declan grunted, then turned to Jameson. “And you.” He glanced back and forth between the two of them, and Jameson held Gray’s hand a little tighter. “Well god fucking damn it,” Declan cursed. “You’re fucking in love, aren’t you?”

  Heat flamed Jameson’s cheeks. Of course the way he felt for Gray was obvious, but he hadn’t even quite said that to himself yet. And ever since Gray had seen the tabloid, his body had been tense, like a new wall had gone up. Jameson understood that he had to focus on the drive, and definitely, he was as anxious as Gray was on the way to Declan. But something still felt different, like even though Gray was touching him and holding him, there was still a distance between them.

  Gray swallowed, then turned to look at Jameson. “Something like that?” There was still a glint in his eye, Jameson was glad to see, and he held Gray’s hand tighter.

  Declan stomped over to the fridge. “Fuck,” he said, then stuck his head in and rummaged around, his curses muffled by the machine. When he emerged, he had a bottle of beer in his hand, and he flipped the cap off. “Of course you’re acting like a damn fool, then.” He raised the bottle in the air, then grinned to Jameson. “Glad to meet you, Jameson. He treating you right?”

  Jameson smiled back, then dropped his backpack onto the chair. “He is,” Jameson said. “Thanks. And I’m sorry to hear about all the trouble we’ve caused you.”

  Declan took a swig from the beer, then glared at Gray. “That’s not yours to worry about. Although Gray here isn’t getting off so easy.”

  “You can yell at me as much as you want after Jameson goes to bed,” Gray said. “But can I have a beer first?”

  Declan grunted, then rummaged in the fridge for another beer. “Anything for you, Jameson?”

  “Just a water,” he answered. A funny half-smile turned up the corner of Jameson’s mouth. Declan definitely was all bark at first, but it was pretty clear to Jameson that there was nothing but love behind it. And watching the guys express their emotions to each other so easily was satisfying to Jameson in a way he didn’t expect.

  “All right, nephew,” Declan said. He jumped forward, took Gray under his arm, and mussed up his hair for a minute before tossing him aside. “I want to hear what happened, and I know you two have some stories for me. But first, Justin—”

  “Jameson,” Gray corrected immediately, saving Jameson the trouble.

  “Right,” Declan grunted. “Jameson. I’m sorry, but I need to ask for your help with some Kaiser Security business. I’ve got the number of the police officer assigned to your case here. She doesn’t suspect that there’s been an actual kidnapping, despite what the tabloids say, but if you give her a call and confirm that, they’ll be able to correct the media on one story, at least.”

  Jameson nodded. “Right. Okay, that makes sense.”

  Declan nodded, then slid his phone to Jameson. “She might ask you to come in, but you don’t have to answer anything now. Just say you’re fine, and Kaiser Security will be back in touch on your behalf soon.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Declan,” Gray said. “I appreciate your help.”

  Declan grunted. “Don’t think he’s the only one with some phone calls. Your mother is worried sick. On with it, though. Once you’re done, you need to give Jameson a tour of the place and a proper welcome, and someone needs to go interrupt my boyfriend’s work to let him know that we have guests.”

  “Got it,” Jameson nodded. He picked up the phone, glanced at the number, and then nodded again.

  “First step,” Gray said, kissing him on the cheek. “You can do this.”

  Jameson gathered his nerves, then made the phone call, pacing around the open loft space the whole time. The woman was nice enough, even if she seemed a little frustrated by the media circus that had arrived at her doorstep, and she didn’t push on anything that Jameson obviously didn’t want to talk about. When he hung up the phone, relief flooded his body, knowing that at least some of the heat was off Gray.

  A reflection in the window he stood before caught Jameson’s eye, and a second later, Gray appeared behind him. His face was scrunched up with concern, and even though Jameson wanted to pull him into a kiss, he stopped himself for some reason.

  “You like my uncle’s place? Want a tour?”

  “Sure,” Jameson answered. “It’s really nice. Some of the stuff reminds me of you.”

  “Oh yeah? Like what?”

  “You had an armchair l
ike that,” Jameson said, nodding to it. “Didn’t you?”

  Gray spun around, then finally smiled. “You remembered my grandma’s armchairs.” He laughed and gave Jameson a quick kiss on the cheek. “That’s cool.”

  They did a slow tour of the downstairs of the house, with Gray showing all of his favorite things while Declan sat at the floating kitchen counter, grunting and sometimes shouting out a comment. Jameson did his best to take it all in, hungry like he always was to understand Gray a little bit better, but dazed and disoriented from the afternoon.

  When they got the second floor, Gray knocked lightly on a big wooden door, and a minute later, a young guy about Jameson’s age answered with a small black dog at his feet. He was cute in a perfectly geeky way, and it made Jameson like him immediately. His hair was a little messy, and he looked tired as he stared back and forth between them, but then he did a little hop, and his eyes lit up. “Oh my god, Gray!”

  He welcomed them into the room, and everyone did introductions. Jameson forgot about all of his other worries as he watched Seb, smiling and chatting as he tidied the papers that were sprawled out on his big wooden desk. Something about him being boyfriends with Declan started to make Jameson over-identify with him, and he found himself bouncing a little on the balls of his feet as he listened.

  “Are you here for long?” Seb asked, pushing the last papers aside.

  “At least a minute,” Gray answered. He had his arm over Jameson’s shoulder, but his eyes were still cast aside, and his voice sounded a little flat. “I thought my uncle was probably the right guy to help me out, considering the situation I got us into.”

  Jameson bumped his hip against Gray’s, then squeezed their bodies closer. “It’s okay, Gray,” he said under his breath. “It will be okay.”

  Gray nodded, then finally turned to hold Jameson’s eye. When Jameson smiled softly, Gray smiled back, and Jameson felt a rush of relief that his guy was still there.