by A. L Long
We were all beginning to get on each others nerves and it was evident. We were unable to come to any type of agreement on how we were going to make Gallo believe that I was more than capable of working for him. It wasn’t going anywhere until Nick suggested that I prove to Gallo just how qualified I was by stealing a priceless painting. He had this crazy idea that we break into one of the ritzy homes that commissioned his landscaping services. There was one house in particular that he suggested where he knew there was artwork, and it was original. He knew of it only because the wife of one of his clients had taken a liking to him and invited him in for tea, only she wanted to give him more than tea. When she mentioned that not even the millions her husband spent on a Warhol could give her want she wanted, Nick was pretty certain she wanted him to fill that void.
It actually wasn’t a bad idea. The plan was for me to pose as an employee and lift the painting while Nick kept her occupied. With her husband out of the country for six months on some big construction project for a shopping center, it would be days before she realized the painting was taken, especially since it was kept in a room that she hardly went into.
The first thing we needed to do was to set up a meeting with Gallo and hope that he agreed to hire me. All I had to do was convince him he needed me, and the best way to do that was to come off as an expert as well as a cocky bastard.
****
I never thought that I would be spending my days working with Nick on landscaping shit and spending my nights learning about art. The only thing that made it tolerable was the fact that Charlie was with me every step of the way. I would never be able to get enough of her. As distracting as she was, it was well worth it to see her gorgeous body. Watching her dig into the dirt was the sexiest thing I had ever seen, and knowing that we would be taking a shower together later made my dick stand at attention. One thing I had to give Nick credit for, he really knew his job well and also seemed to enjoy what he was doing.
Finishing the final touches on the rock garden that the owner requested be changed because there were too many shrubs vs. flowers, we headed up the street to the house that held all the answers. Today Evelyn Becker would be gone for her weekly spa treatment, which would give me the chance to scope out the grounds and get familiar with the interior. She trusted Nick enough to let him know where the spare key to the back door was hidden. Even though I only had a couple of hours inside the house, it still gave me plenty of time to find out where the painting was so I could get a good picture of it to show to Gallo. If he knew that it would soon be his in exchange for my loyalty to the job, I was certain he wouldn’t refuse to hire me.
As I entered the house, I put on a pair of work gloves just in case I accidentally touched something. The last thing I needed was to have my fingerprints in the house. Taking in my surroundings, I turned to the doorway on my left, just as Nick instructed, and walked over to it. Turning the handle, I pushed the door open to see that it was a library. I wanted to get what I needed and get out of the house as quick as possible. As I looked around, the only thing I could see were bookshelves stacked to the ceiling with books. There was another door on the other side of the room, which Nick indicated would lead to the art room where the painting would be.
Wandering in that direction, I stopped my movement because something caught my eye that was sitting on the antique desk. On the edge of the desk was a picture of an attractive woman and a man with salt and pepper hair holding up a glass of wine in front of a sign that said Gallo Winery. This had to be a coincidence. Could the man in the picture be Morris Gallo? It would make sense that he would be using a winery for the front to his criminal activities. About the time I was going to take a picture of the happy couple, Nick entered the room.
“Ryan, what the fuck? Evelyn is going to be home any minute,” he cursed.
Holding the picture up, I asked, “Do you know who this couple is?”
Waiting until he came my way, I held the picture up so he could inspect it. Taking it from my hand, he looked at the picture and said, “Well, that is Evelyn and I assume that the guy next to her is her husband,” Nick surmised.
“Doesn’t it seem odd that they would be standing in front of a sign that says ‘Gallo Winery?’” I questioned.
Scratching his head, he focused on the picture. It was then that he removed the backing and said, “If they are like every other person I know, I bet there’s a description of who is in the picture on the back.” As he flipped the picture over, his facial expression changed, indicating that there was in fact something written on the back of the picture. “Marty and Evelyn Becker, 2015, 10th Wedding Anniversary, Gallo Winery,” he read. “It could be just a coincidence, Hyatt. It may not even be the same Gallo.”
“Maybe so, but I think it is worth looking into,” I responded.
Placing the picture back on the desk, I walked over to the other door and pushed it open. I had never seen so many pieces of art in my life. It looked more like a museum than an art room. There were paintings on every wall with recessed lighting above each one. In the middle of the room there were glass cases placed on tall pedestals that were protecting either vases or sculptured statues. As I looked around, something about this room just didn’t sit right with me. Thinking to myself, I questioned. “If a person has this much priceless art, why wouldn’t it be kept in a more secure area?” As easy as it was for Nick and I to enter the room, someone else could do the same thing. There had to be some sort of surveillance in this room.
Scanning the room, I happened to notice the small bubble-like fixtures disguised as hanging hooks above each painting. If a person who had no knowledge of surveillance came in the room, they would never have suspected that these were cameras. Pointing them out to Nick, I swiped the screen on my phone and contacted Peter to let him know we had a problem. Since we were standing just inside the doorway, I was pretty sure our mugs weren’t captured on the cameras, which was good for us. The best thing for us was to get the hell out of this room and back outside. After taking a few pictures of the room, we were outside pretending to have been working the entire time.
****
The end of the day couldn’t have come any sooner. After talking to Pete about what I had found, he agreed that it was too much of a coincidence that the Becker’s would be at Gallo Winery. Chavez was able to get the information we needed about the connection the Beckers had to the winery. At first it was thought that they just happened to be spending their anniversary there, but then it came out that Evelyn Becker, aka Evelyn Gallo, was actually the sister of Morris Gallo. This information was going to put a dent in our plan to steal the Warhol painting. Even though they were related, it could prove to be an advantage for us. We just needed to put a back-up plan in place in case something went wrong, but it would have to wait. I was too exhausted to think of an alternate plan.
On the drive home, all I could think about was holding the woman who was sitting beside me in my arms and never letting go. The day must have been hard on Charlie as well, because as I looked over to her, she was relaxing back in the seat with her eyes closed. It was just past one o’clock in the morning, and a lot later than I had planned to leave the shop. The flip side of the whole evening was that we finally came up with a plan to beat Gallo at his own game and how it would go down. After Aaron made the call, I would be meeting Gallo at a place of his choosing. Peter thought this would be the best way to gain his trust. If he was in control of the meeting place, it would only prove that I trusted him. Once we were face to face, I would set the scene by offering him a proposition he wouldn’t be able to refuse. I would offer up my loyalty to him by suggesting I steal the priceless Warhol painting hanging in the Becker home. If Gallo agreed to the proposal, which we were pretty confident he would since he was a greedy bastard, then all I had to do was get the painting and deliver it to him. Chavez had already hacked the system, and was able to get control of the cameras in the house. I would have two minutes to get inside the house, steal the painting, and g
et out before he would have to turn the cameras back on. The last thing he wanted was to arouse suspicion at the security company that monitored the activity of the cameras.
Everything would go down in two days. Mr. Becker would still be out of town and Nick would be free to give Evelyn Becker the attention that she craved. She really wasn’t bad looking for an older woman. If anything, Nick should be glad that this woman, older or otherwise, showed that much interest in him. He was a kind of a dickhead and probably scared women off with his ‘fuck you’ attitude.
Putting the car in park, we finally reached my apartment garage. Rounding the back of the car, I opened Charlie’s door and placed my arms underneath her body in order to carry her out of the car and up to the apartment. She felt so warm in my arms as her head made its place between the crook of my neck and my shoulder. Just like a small child, her little whimpers sounded, and I could feel the vibration of her breath against my skin. Adjusting her slightly in my arms, I managed to push the up button to the elevator.
Riding in the confined space, the only thing that filled my senses was the smell of her body. It was fruity, yet sweet, but that wasn’t what got me, it was the strawberry scent of her hair that had me undone. It was so feminine, just like her. It was a scent I would never get tired of. If I could bottle it so I could take it with me wherever I went, I would have in a heartbeat.
When the elevator door opened, I dug my keys from my pocket so that I could open the door quickly. Charlie was beginning to stir in my arms, letting me know that she was waking up. Feeling the warmth of her breath on my neck, she softly whispered, “Make love to me.”
There was no way I could or would ever refuse her. She had a spell on me and all I wanted to do was consume every inch of her. Carrying her to my room, I gently placed her on my bed and began removing my clothes. When I was completely rid of them, I began removing hers. Each article of clothing I removed, I kissed her exposed skin. Just the softness of her skin beneath my lips made my cock come alive.
When she was completely bare, I positioned my body between her legs, balancing my upper body over hers with my hands. Bending to my elbows, I dipped my body lower so I could capture her mouth with mine. Her breath hitched for a moment as I gently bit her lower lip before pushing my tongue between her lips. Her tongue began to promenade with mine, gradually pulling me deeper inside her soul. Something about the way she took me let me know that she was giving herself to me freely and completely.
Pulling away from her for a moment, I rolled her over on her stomach and lifted her hips so that her perfect ass was now higher than the rest of her body. Smoothing my hand across her soft flesh, I bent lower and began kissing her back along her spine until I reached the perfectly aligned dimples just above her gorgeous butt. I wanted her so badly that I forgot to sheath myself as I pushed slowly inside her. All I wanted was just to feel her, if only for a moment.
With my hard member planted deep inside her, I glided my hands up her body, following every line of her curves. Extending my arms beneath her, I cupped her breasts and caressed them tenderly, shaping and molding them in my hands with complete satisfaction. Her movements became more animated as her head fell back and her hips rocked back and forth, mirroring the thrust of my shaft inside her. I exhaled a long sign of contentment, knowing that the hole in my heart that I thought would never mend was finally being filled by the woman I loved.
Reeling in my own pleasure, I heard her cry out my name. Worried that I may have hurt her, I pulled from her body and flipped her over. Her eyes were filled with emotions that I would never be able to get out of my mind. As I pulled her close, her tears continued to spill. And just like a child, I began rocking her back and forth asking for forgiveness. “I’m so sorry, Charlie. I’m so sorry for everything.”
Her voice was barely audible as she said, “Please, don’t ever leave me.”
Charlie pulled from my embrace, meeting my eyes with an undeniably compelling serenity in hers. Unable to hold back the truth any longer, I placed my hand on her cheek, brushing away the last tear I would ever cause and confessed, “I would die before I’d ever leave you. I’m in love with you, Charlie, and that will never change.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Charlie
I wasn’t sure what was going on with me. I was a complete emotional train wreck. Everything between me and Ryan was like a dream come true. I finally got the boy that I had never stopped loving. So, what was the matter with me? Why couldn’t I tell him that I loved him? I knew that he loved me. He confessed it. Maybe it’s the fact that the last time I said, ‘I love you,’ to him, he left.
As I finished drying my hair, I could hear Nick and Ryan at it again in the living room. I wasn’t sure what the deal was with these two, but I was getting tired of being their referee. Grabbing the first thing I found in the closet, I put it on and headed to the living room to put an end to this once and for all.
Something that was said must have really pissed off Nick because he was gone and the front door was still open. It wasn’t like him to just take off like that. Walking over to the door, I looked down the hallway to see if I could at least convince him to come back. Taking off the way he did wasn’t a smart thing to do, especially since Gallo was still after him. Going back inside the apartment, it was clear he was already long gone.
Turning my attention back to Ryan standing in the kitchen with only his jeans on, I walked over to him and asked, “What the heck were you guys fighting about that caused Nick to leave?”
“Your brother is out of control. He should take an anger management class or something,” Ryan suggested.
“Well, something set him off. Do you mind telling me what is going on between you two?” I demanded. There was no way he was going to get out of this.
“It’s a long story, Charlie. Matter of fact, it is pretty silly, if you ask me.”
Taking a seat on the couch, I made myself comfortable and said, “I’m all ears.”
Ryan blew out a breath as he forked his fingers through his hair. He rounded the couch and took a seat beside me and began telling me about the problems between him and Nick. I had no idea that Nick had been bullied in school so many years ago. Even though Ryan didn’t technically help prevent him from getting beat up, he did something even better. He helped him fight back.
“Ryan, why don’t you just tell him what you did? Wouldn’t it be better than fighting with him all the time?” I asked.
“I want him to think he did this on his own. If he knew that I contacted Miles to help him, it would make him even more pissed off at me. He would never understand. I need you to promise not to tell him what I did.” Ryan stood his ground. There was no way he would ever tell Nick what he had done.
Nodding my head, accepting of his wish, I was beginning to think that I would understand the way that men think. If it was me, I would have been grateful that he knew of someone that could help me protect myself. I guess the male ego thing was a lot stronger than I thought. Rising to my feet, I straddled Ryan’s lap and put my arms around his neck. “You’re a wonderful person, Ryan Hyatt,” I declared before placing a kiss on his lips. “So, do you think we should go find Nick?”
“I think maybe Nick needs a little bit more time to cool off. Besides, he won’t get too far with Cop and Sly keeping an eye on the building.”
I had no idea that they were even around, but in some way, I was glad to have two additional alpha-males protecting us. It made me realize how much Ryan really cared about me. Maybe his confession of love was real this time. Kissing him one last time before standing, I asked curiously, “So, what’s the plan today, anyway?”
“I know what I would like to do, but unfortunately we have to be at the shop in half an hour,” Ryan admitted.
Smiling to myself, I knew exactly what he was thinking, and just like him, I was thinking the same thing. Pushing from his lap, I began heading to the front door to check with Cop or Sly to see if they managed to stop Nick from leaving the building
. Before I got to the door, it opened with Nick on the other side. I wasn’t sure exactly where he went, and based on the expression on his face, he wasn’t going to tell me anyway. Stepping to the side, I allowed him to enter. He must have felt my annoyance because he stopped and turned toward me. In a loving fashion, he placed a kiss on my forehead without saying a word.
As he left to go to his room, I knew there was still some animosity between him and Ryan by the way he didn’t acknowledge that Ryan was in the room. I was about to end this childish behavior, but I remembered what Ryan asked of me. I couldn’t go against his wishes to keep his little secret, but if he didn’t come clean with Nick soon, I was going to have to break my promise.
****
The park was a lovely place to be after we had spent most of the morning going over the final details of the plan to get Gallo once and for all. Even though Nick only spoke to Ryan when needed, it was better than the cold shoulder he gave him at the apartment. In a way, maybe it was good that they were working so closely together. Ryan was trying to make amends by inviting Nick along with us to the park, but Nick’s excuse was ‘two’s company, three’s a crowd,’ which was actually kind of stupid since being the third wheel never bothered him before. So, while he stayed at the shop, Ryan and I headed to Central Park.
As we found our spot to relax and eat the lunch that we picked up on the way here, I breathed in the fresh air as I took my sandals off and let my feet feel the coolness of the grass. Back home, in East Bank, I never had the chance to go to the only park we had. It wasn’t even close to the size of Central Park, but it still had its own charm. Matter of fact, the only time I ever went to the park was the day Ryan told me that he was leaving for the service. By all accounts, I should have really hated parks. That was the worst day of my life.
Ryan spread the blanket that he had stored in the trunk of his car over the plush grass that my feet were currently enjoying. Placing the brown paper bag on the gray blanket, I took a seat and began removing the contents. I handed Ryan his turkey on rye and a bottle of water while I pulled my chicken wrap from the bag. Taking a hefty bite, I savored the flavor as I watched two mallards tease and play while bathing in the little pond. It made me wonder if dipping their heads under water was their way of showing interest.
