by Avery Brite
"C'mon in, guys." I offered. Tanner walked in scrutinizing Zenith down to his hair follicles. Of anyone, he would be the one to test his meddle. Cody came off as warmer, but I knew that he measured my omega up as well.
"Please to meet you finally," Cody said, putting his hand out. "Declan has been talking about you nonstop." I could feel my face going red as Z shook his hand. Tanner gave him a quick perfunctory shake and a polite hello. Tanner, being a hacker, always tested and retested out of habit.
Both men immediately went for the fridge and pulled out a beer before slumping down into chairs in the living room. To anyone else it might seem presumptuous to take liberties at someone else's house, but we were brothers-in-arms, not strangers who tolerated each other.
"I think Tanner isn't convinced yet." Z murmured in my ear.
"He's naturally cautious and very protective. Don't read too much into it." I murmured back, splashing some whisky over ice in a glass.
“Declan says you have skills,” Tanner said, his big eyes boring into Z. Here we go, time to be tested again.
“I suppose you would need some skills to break into this place,” Cody said. He liked to play devil’s advocate to Tanner’s skepticism. It made them an effective team.
“It took a little time and research, but really, it wasn’t that tough. Once I got past the guard, and shifted, I could slip into here easily.” Zenith explained. It sounded a little cocky, but he earned it.
“He's lucky that a non-shifter guard worked that night. Any other would be able to tell he wasn’t Galloway.” I added.
“Was it luck, though?” Zenith teased. I squeezed his hand affectionately. The gesture was not lost the others.
“Must have been tough to get by the security system,” Cody said as he fixed the collar of his polo shirt.
“Not really. There is a dead space by the vent that the sensors don’t touch, and alarms don’t work too well once you cut the power,” Zenith shrugged.
“Did Declan mention that Cody and I put together his entire security set up, alarm and all?” Tanner said his eyes locked on Z’s. He couldn’t back down now, it was do or die.
“I'd be happy to install a hidden back up power unit, adjust the sensors, and put an echo in so if the system does go down, there is a back up to the back up.” Z stared straight at Tanner, smiling innocently the entire time. Tanner said nothing for long seconds.
Finally he turned to me, “Shit Dec, you found yourself a good one.” At those words I relaxed, Zenith had passed with flying colors.
“So glad to hear you say that, because you two are going to upgrade my security system. I don’t need to find anymore naked omegas in my place. I have my hands full with the one I do have.” I laughed.
We sat back and talked amongst ourselves, mostly references to in-jokes and follow-ups to previous jobs. As we talked, Zenith grew more and more comfortable. The included him in, here and there. Being on my own for so long, the idea brought an alien sense of solace.
As the hour grew late, Cody turned the conversation around to the whole purpose of the visit. “So the job,” he said, setting his newly refreshed beer on the table beside him. “How are we looking on it?”
“Just a matter of time. The exhibit is due to hit the museum in two weeks, but won’t go on display for nearly a month. That gives us a decent window of time, should anything come up.” I explained.
“What about that safe?” Tanner asked. His tight t-shirt left little to the imagination. If I didn’t trust Z so implicitly, I might get a little jealous every time Z looked at him. “It’s a double lock, manual and electronic. I can do one, but not both.”
“If only you know someone who could easily crack a safe. Like, I don’t know, the one at the bank.” Zenith’s words dripped with sarcasm, as he looked right at me.
“He can get through your security system and he cracked the safe at the bank?” Cody said sitting forward, “Why is this a question? I say he’s in.”
We all looked at Tanner, who just shrugged. “I need someone to help me with the vault.” With that, Zenith sat back in his chair and beamed. I hated what I had to say next, to rain on his parade, but it had to be said.
“Zenith is pregnant.” Tanner’s eyes got even wider than I thought possible, and Cody sat back in his chair.
“Holy shit,” they said in unison. I didn’t tell them this over the phone because I wanted to tell them in person. Also, I worried what they would think. I knew the liability of having a family man on a job. When you have something to lose, risks that need to be taken are second-guessed at the wrong times.
“Congrats!” They jumped out of their chairs and pulled us up, giving us hugs and clapping us on the back. It caught me by surprise; they almost seemed more excited about it than we were. “I guess this means we really are trying to retire on this job.”
“Gonna have to now,” I laughed. After all the congrats, and refreshed drinks, we sat back down. Z sipped on his mineral water, already guessing that I had to bring the conversation back around.
“So, Z is on the job, but what about the pregnancy? I want us all to be in agreement on this. There is too much at stake.” I asked, looking each one of them in the eye.
“As long as he doesn’t have the kid during the heist, I don’t see a problem. If all goes according to plan, we’ll have the place cleaned out before he even begins to show noticeably.” Cody said tipping his glass to Zenith.
“Sorry Dec, but he’s in,” Tanner agreed. Outvoted and outgunned on this one, I took Zenith’s hand. Looks like this robbery is going to be a family outing.
{11} – Zenith
Days went by in a haze. After all that had happened in such a short time, both of us needed to step back and take a breath. Between meeting the person I will happily spend the rest of my life with, getting pregnant, and planning a major heist; life had gotten so busy. As much as I didn’t want to, I would spend an occasional night alone. Walking into my little shithole apartment, a mild depression settled on me. The walls closed in on me, more drab that usual, and the space nearly suffocated me. Normally I would scoff at the affluence that Declan lived in, and admonish myself for getting caught up in its ‘opulence’, but maybe it’s time I starting using my skills to better my life, not just survive on the edge. Declan made me want to have a better life.
I did a small job, lifting some cash from a Nordstrom’s, so I had some walking around money. The rest of the time, I mooned. Never in my life had I been moony over anyone.
Declan and I would meet for dinner at places that would otherwise never let me in. Declan, his taste impeccable, would show up with some tailored suit for me to wear. Other times we met for lunch at some greasy diner where they knew me by name. For the first time, I woke up with something to look forward to.
One sunny afternoon, I sat outside a coffee shop watching people walking up and down the street. To amuse myself, I made marks, people to pick pocket, but didn’t actually do it. It kept my mind off the person growing in my belly. It scared the crap out of me, knowing that I would have to be responsible for someone other than myself. It also filled me with a joy I had never experienced before. I couldn’t keep my hand off the subtle swell of my stomach.
The phone in my pocket buzzed. Declan’s voice filled my ear, and my heart. “Have any plans for the rest of the afternoon?”
“Just you,” I answered, wondering what sort of adventure he had planned this time.
“I hate the thought of you living in that roach motel of an apartment. I’ll be by with a truck to grab your stuff. What do you think?”
The normal reaction for me would be fear and I would already be on my feet running, but this time I sat back with the widest grin on my face. “Nothing could make me happier. I hate not spending nights next to you.”
“Good. Find out what it will take to break your lease and I’ll meet you there. My apartment is now your apartment.” He said the joy of my acceptance evident in his voice.
“Don’t bother
with the truck; I can fit what I need in my pockets. And on that side of town, they don’t bother with leases. That’s rich guy talk.” I joked.
“Get used to the rich guy talk.” He laughed. “I’ll see you soon. Love you.” He signed off and I just stared at my phone. Not only was I now moving in with my love, he just trusted me with his entire world. As thieves, you don’t trust anyone, period. Even those you love to most could turn on you, but Declan just tore all that down. I could easily clean him out. I could empty out his hidden vault the moment he left me alone with it. He knew I wouldn’t do that, and I know I couldn’t even entertain the thought. We were one.
Feeling on top of the world, I ordered another coffee and biscotti to go. No more gas station swill and dry bologna sandwiches for me. Now it was artisan roasts and prosciutto.
Later that evening, we sat in a swanky bar lounge. The entire room had more brass and leather than I had ever seen in my life. Glasses shined like crystal and the crystal shined like stars as they sat behind the bar. It was the type of place where whiskey was sipped, deals were made, and call girls dressed better than the rich housewives the men left at home. My fingers itched to lift some wallets, maybe a few watches too. Instead I sat at the bar, nursing a club soda that cost more than my last meal. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Declan. He sat in a plush leather chair, handing off one of those hundred dollar cigars.
His drinking companion acceptance with relish. The man had a wave salt and pepper hair, heavy on the salt, a well-groomed mustache, and a suit that fit him like a glove. For an older guy, I would have definitely given him a second look. I caught pieces of an eastern European accent. He sipped cognac while Declan swirled bourbon around ice.
Right after I had said good-bye to my old apartment, and my old life, Declan received a phone call. Apparently, his contact with the Romanian exhibit had to meet with him. We sped back to his apartment, put on expensive suits and came to this overpriced watering hole. I still hadn’t gotten comfortable with wearing suits, having scoffed at such clothing my entire life, but it started to grow on me. I cleaned up well. I still left my hair long and rough, though. I had to keep some of the street with me.
Both of us agreed that his contact didn’t need to know any other players in the heist, so I sat at the bar, keeping a clandestine eye on things. I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb, but no one gave me a second look, with the exception of a couple of the cuter call girls. I made it known that I was not interested.
The man puffed the cigar and emptied his glass. Declan frowned at something he said, and I worried that something had gone wrong. The man seemed unconcerned and Declan’s demeanor lightened after a moment. I guess I would find out later.
The cute Korean bartender came and tried to chat me up. I knew he just wanted to fish for more tips and I played along, knowing my role as Declan did his thing. Just as the bartender started crossing from flirting for tips to flirting for a phone number, a voice said from behind me, “You come here often?”
“Only when I’m looking for trouble,” I grinned. Declan sat next to me, his face hiding whatever he had discussed with the European. “Everything okay?”
Declan handed the bartender his empty glass to be filled. Disappointed, he went to fill Declan’s order. “Yes and no. Looks like the date for the exhibit is being moved back. The museum needs to do some repairs and upgrades in between exhibits. The Romanians are okay with this because the exhibit is doing so well on the west coast that they were asked to extend its stay.”
“Shit. How long?” As disappointed as I was, I know it had to worse for him. He had been planning this for a long time.
“It’s pushed back two more months. I mean that’s not horrible, but we’ll have to rearrange our timetable. What worries me are their upgrades. It’s taken this long for Tanner and Cody to infiltrate the system and get it to work in our favor. Now it may all be for nothing and they’ll have to start from scratch.” Declan sighed and took a belt of his refreshed drink.
Putting my hand on his knee, I comforted him. “This is why we’re the best at what we do. We see the challenge and do better.” He smiled and put his hand on mine.
{12} – Declan
Time had passed and we still had at least a month before the heist. Zenith fumed as he stomped off into the living room, nude, as usual. I watched him as he did, his amazing body showing his growing baby bump. I didn’t like it that I had upset him, but I had to make a decision, even if neither one of us liked it.
We were slowly getting ready for our new baby. The time would be here before we knew it, as coyotes only gestate for around sixty days. We needed so many things for the apartment. We also needed to plan our next steps. After the Rumfoord job, it would be best to get out of town. Going back and forth on where to go, we hadn’t yet decided where to land. I voted for southern France. I loved the Mediterranean and it would be a great place to raise our child. Z leaned more towards the Caribbean. He wanted warm beaches and palm trees. Our future travel plans didn’t upset him. What I said about our immediate plans did.
“You’re not going on the Rumfoord job,” I said, his head on my chest as we snuggled in bed. I felt him stiffen, and then sit up.
“Excuse me? You can’t just take me off the job. You need me. I thought we already put this issue to rest.” I saw the hurt in his eyes, and I hated it, but after talked about it with Tanner and Cody, I thought it would be best. “When all the jewels and art hit the vault you’ll need all the hands you can get. You don’t have enough time to replace me, and frankly, you won’t be able to find anyone with my skill.”
“I know, but I can’t risk it. Not with your condition. You’ll be ready to give birth by the time we hit the museum. If something went wrong, or we were caught-“I started.
“We’re not getting caught, and nothing will go wrong,” he interrupted, his face turning red. “The four of us have planned it down to the last detail. Tanner has even found a way to circumvent the upgrades. This will be the smoothest robbery in the history of robberies.”
“But the baby,” I pleaded as he climbed out of bed and stomped off. Now I just lay in bed feeling guilty about kicking Z off the job like this. After a few minutes, I heard him banging around in the kitchen, putting some concoction together to satisfy his odd cravings. Lately it had been a ham omelet with a dill pickle and grape Jello on the side. I expected stranger ones to come.
I waited until he had fixed his breakfast and had a chance to eat it before climbing out of bed. Pulling on a robe, I joined him in the kitchen. He refused to look at me. I didn’t blame him.
“Z, I’m sorry. But I’ve never had anyone that I loved like this. The thought of losing you, and losing the baby, is too much. You know as well as I do what sort of distraction those emotions can be on a job. I don’t expect you to slip up, but if either one of us are the least bit unfocused, bad things can happen.” I took his hand and he didn’t pull away. I took that as a good sign.
“I know,” he said putting his fork down. “I get it, but dammit Dec, to pull me out at this stage would jeopardize the entire thing. You know as well as I do that you can’t put anyone else in my spot. If you’re that concerned about it, then cancel the job.”
“You know I can’t do that,” I said. “This is just as much for Tanner and Cody as it is for us.”
“Then I guess I’m going.” He didn’t present it as a suggestion, but as a fact. I couldn’t refute it. Worrying about his safety might be one thing, but the job had to go on. We all had too much riding on it to back out now. He shifted in his seat and his elbow nudged my penis. It responded by growing. He looked down at the sudden movement in my robe. He reached in and grabbed me. He stroked me softly as I sighed in pleasure. “Since we’re now in agreement, why don’t we do something to seal the deal?” I could just nod.
He carefully slipped down to his knees and put the head of my cock in his mouth. I had to grasp the edge of the counter as he slowly swallowed me whole. Undoing the belt to my
robe, he pulled it away and I slipped it completely off. I was glad to see that his morning sickness had finally gone away. I missed our morning sex. Grasping the base of my shaft with both hands, he bobbed back and forth making my knees weak. He ran a hand up my tight stomach before coming off me with a pop.
Standing up, he kissed me, our tongues brushing each other. We parted and he turned around, leaned over the counter, and presented his ass to me. I was fully erect now, hard enough to crack concrete. As I pushed lightly on his wet hole, I stopped.
“Will this be okay? I mean it won’t hurt the baby, right?” I stammered. This was all new territory to me and I felt a little silly just asking, but I had to be sure.
Z looked over his shoulder, “It’ll be just fine. Just take it easy on me.” His eyes shut as I pushed into him. His tight ass sucked me in all the say. Carefully I began to fuck him, making sure to slowly pull out and push back in. Occasionally he would buck his hips, telling me to go faster, giving me the go ahead to give him more. Soon I had one hand on his hip, another on his shoulder and the kitchen filled with the sound of our flesh slapping together. Zenith had one hand a blur as he stroked himself while the other one tried to get a hold of the slick tile counter.
I took his free arm and pulled it back, holding him up over the counter as I continued to pound him. He cried out as his ecstasy intensified. I could feel my own orgasm building and knew that I probably wouldn’t last much longer. I tried to slow down, to make the bliss last longer, but he apparently had other ideas as his hips kept bucking, trying to get me to keep up my pace.
With little warning, I had to let his arm go and grab his hips. Z fell to the counter, letting go of his cock to grab the counter. He knew how close I was and pushed back with all he had. I pounded him hard, until the last second when I pulled him to me and filled him up. Poor old Galloway downstairs could probably hear my cries of passion.
