When Trink had called to pass along Wulf's request to meet in public, Luc had almost refused. Inviting gossip never appealed. But the draw of seeing Wulf had overridden his objections, and now he sat like a public spectacle, waiting for a man who would likely stand him up. He clenched his fists so hard they hurt.
He opened them, tried to relax. What the hell is keeping Wulf?
As if summoned, Wulf stepped inside. He gazed around the room, eyes shielded with one hand, standing in a shaft of golden summer light.
Luc shoved aside the bottle and sat up straight.
The defined masculine grace that had rocketed Wulf Gabriel to the top of the fashion modeling industry was in full view. With his classic beauty and strong jaw, any time he flashed his blinding smile, people slowed down to enjoy it. Show off that sculpted body in a business suit and the world ground to a halt. In a swimsuit ... the empire would never be the same. Wulf's appearance here today would be entertainment news around the empire tomorrow.
Especially when the media discovered with whom he'd met.
Wulf the boy had been a precocious, endearing pixie with a million questions and a penchant for learning. Wulf the man fascinated on every level. Intelligent, attractive, generous, kind. Perfect body, stunning face. Luc chided himself for such thoughts regarding one he protected.
Remember what you are, old boy. He will. He wants your help, not you.
Wulf started toward him across the club. Luc smoothed the front of his suit and squared his shoulders. He snapped his fingers at a passing waiter-droid to take away the bottle.
Table after table of patrons delayed Wulf's progress, recognizing him as he passed. Luc drummed his fingers. Every person Wulf greeted took full advantage of the opportunity to shake his hand, their touches lingering.
Wulf smiled at him across the distance, their past relationship making the warmth seem far more intimate than it was.
Curious stares turned Luc's way. He basked in the change from shock on their faces to grudging admiration once they realized Wulf had come to meet him. People feared him. They wanted Wulf Gabriel.
Fact was if they knew the truth, few would envy.
Luc stood when Wulf reached the table. Neither spoke. They took each other's measure like old sentinels, seeking a chink in armor or a lowered guard. Neither looked away, as if breaking eye contact would cost them points. Wulf offered his hand first.
While they shook, Wulf continued to hold his gaze without hesitation. He'd never feared Luc, even as a child. "Thank you for agreeing to see me in person."
Luc inclined his head and lifted a finger to signal the waiter.
Wulf slid into the opposite chair.
The waiter approached Wulf. "May I serve you, sir?"
"A Black Mystery, please." Black vodka layered above crushed ice and a clear mixer. Wulf folded his hands on the table in front of him.
"The usual." Leaning back in the chair, Luc tapped his fingertips together. "I see you still have your sense of humor."
Black Mystery indeed. As black-skinned as any Kelthian-born human, Luc passed for one in every test known to man. The rare few whom he allowed to know his true nature--his Chosen--concealed it. Black contacts completely covered his eyes, hiding more of the truth. Wulf's fair skin, dark hair, and pale brown eyes made a unique counterpoint of light to Luc's darkness.
Luc cracked a smile. "It's good to see you after so many years. You're all grown up. None of the gawky boy I remember."
Wulf tossed back a lock of dark hair. "I like to think I left him far behind."
"I have to agree. I was afraid I wouldn't recognize you when we finally met again. I should have known Wulf Gabriel would stand out in a crowd."
Wulf's smile blazed. "I felt the same way about you." He slid one finger back and forth on a wet spot on the table. "I had this memory of a huge black-skinned man with all black eyes towering over me. I wasn't afraid of you, but I was in awe."
"Awe, was it? I recall you were quite a scamp. I believe the last time I saw you, you were munching cookies fresh from your mother's oven." They both smiled at the memory. "We could have met in private."
"I wanted this to be public for several reasons. I need--" He broke off as the waiter returned with their drinks.
"Will there be anything else, sir?"
Wulf deferred to Luc, who flipped his hand in dismissal.
Against the shimmering light in the outer ring of the table, the crushed ice in Wulf's drink glowed blue-white. The murky darkness of the vodka on top seeped down around it into the clear liquid at the bottom.
Luc sipped his whiskey. "You were saying?"
Wulf finished a long sip and made a face as he set the drink back on the table. "I wanted to be tied to you publicly when I do what I'm about to do."
Toying with his drink, Luc waited a moment before speaking. "Which is?"
"Quit my job."
Trink had made Luc swear he wouldn't reveal he knew about the threats. "How is associating with me going to help you do that?"
"I wanted to leave modeling last year. I can't prove it, but I think my agent altered some stipulations in my contract." He squirmed on the seat. "I wasn't able to quit and had to remain with him another year. I want to really leave this time. I'm afraid he'll find some other way to keep me working for him."
"Just say no."
"I have. He doesn't take that for an answer. He's been angling to keep me tied to him by offering me acting jobs. Last week, he sent over a script with some goon who looked like an escapee from a gorilla farm. The threat was implied, but it was there. Read the script or else. I felt like I was in one of those third-rate holovids, but this is my life. I want out and I want away from him."
"I see." Luc steepled his fingers. "You believe your agent will think twice about trying to intimidate you if you're associated with the Harbinger."
"Yes. Exactly." Wulf gifted him with a flash of teeth so brilliant it could melt rocks. That blinding smile beamed from the walls of half the dentist's offices in the empire.
"Because I'm rumored to head the largest crime syndicate on Kelthia?" Luc leaned momentarily forward. "Not true, by the way. Or perhaps because I used to head the Thieves' Guild? Or is it because I own three percent of all businesses here in the capitol and have a direct influence over eight percent on Kelthia?"
Wulf stared at him for a moment, brows drawn together. All at once, he relaxed. A smile tilted the corner of his mouth. "Does it matter? The fact is he won't mess with me if he sees me with you."
Luc let him squirm. Picking up his whiskey, he tasted it, licked his lips, set it down again. "I'm disappointed in you, Wulf."
The brown eyes went a bit wider, face paling. "Dis--Why?"
"Four reasons." Luc laid a hand next to the shot glass. "First, the concept of scaring off one bad guy with a bigger one rarely works. That brings us to the second, which assumes your agent will fear me. He may not. Although, unless he's a fool, he should. Third, you didn't simply ask for my help. Fourth, you assumed I would agree to being used."
"I wasn't using you! I was--"
"Setting it up so we are seen in public together chatting like old friends precisely so your agent will draw specific conclusions about our relationship sounds like 'being used' to me." Luc faced him squarely. "How else would you define it?"
Wulf opened his mouth, shut it again. "I should have known better than to ask you for anything." He shoved himself to his feet.
"Sit down." The sober authority in Luc's voice wrought instant obedience. Luc controlled his breathing. I almost lost him. The very strength Wulf found so irritating was the same trait he sought. "Have a little patience, my boy. I did not say I wouldn't help you."
"Don't ever call me 'boy' again. I'm thirty years old. Even to someone as ancient as you, that should count for being a man."
Luc let out a long breath. Thousands of years alive and it still bothers me when someone calls me old.
Wulf pushed one hand back through his hair, shoulders
sagging. "Look. I'm sorry. That was harsh, but I felt safe knowing you'd be in the picture."
"Hence my disappointment." At Wulf's wilted expression, Luc softened. "You were not trained in the way of the Chosen, so you don't understand. I forgive your rash behavior."
"You forgive me? I'll have you know, if there's any forgiving here today, it needs to be by me. Not you!"
"Glad to hear that. I accept."
"Oh!" Wulf tossed himself back against the seat. "You are infuriating!"
Luc lifted the whiskey in a toast, tossed it down, and signaled the waiter for more.
"I do not have to take this." Wulf stood.
"Your family served me faithfully for five generations. I owe them a debt. No one takes advantage of the Chosen without facing my wrath. That said; if you want my help, next time ask for it."
The waiter came up with Luc's drink, and Luc turned his outward attention to that, although every part of his being attuned itself to Wulf.
The young man stood there, hands flexing open and closed, his breathing audible. Wulf seated himself once more. "Let's get something straight. I do things on my own. I don't ask for anything. One thing I sure as hell don't need or want is your damned forgiveness."
Luc inclined his head. Time to return a little of his pride. "You've carved quite a career for yourself." He toyed with his drink. "I've been pleased at your success. And you did it on your own, as you declared you would. Quite an accomplishment."
Wulf held himself more erect, chin lifted. "Thank you."
"But apparently, after twenty years, you've decided you need my help. Why?"
"Because..." Wulf hesitated. His chest rose and fell, mouth a tight line. "My life has been threatened, and I knew if anyone could keep me safe, it was you."
Now we're getting somewhere. "Tell me what's happened."
Wulf groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "My agent used to be great to work with, but in the last few years Jim has gotten mixed up with some people who've changed him. He's..." He made a futile gesture. "I don't know. Different. Distant. Edgy. I don't trust him any more. He's not taking care of my interests. He's taking care of his. At my expense. And now he's threatening me."
"Provable?"
"Yes. I went to the police with three instances."
Luc tapped his fingers on the table. "They did what?"
"Took my report, and assigned extra android security to my building."
Luc curled his fingers into a fist. "That's it?"
"Yeah. And then last night Jim sent this." He reached into an inside pocket, unfolded a sheet of paper and slid it across the table. "It wasn't signed, and didn't say it was from him, but I'm sure it was."
One of Wulf's Draap posters with its eyes gouged out and the mouth carved with the word obey. Ugly piece. Luc refolded it. "May I keep this?"
"Glad to be rid of it."
Luc slipped the paper into a pocket. "To start with, you're not to return to your quarters. I'd prefer you not stay with friends. No need to endanger anyone else. I'll send my butler around to pick up your things. You'll be staying with me."
"What?" Wulf held up his hands. "Oh no I'm not. There is no way I--"
"Are you so naïve? This level of threat will not go away because you've been seen with me. If you want safety, you should tie yourself to me in every way possible. If your name had been linked with mine from the beginning, none of this would have happened." He held up a hand, stopping Wulf's objection. "Yes, I know. That was not part of our agreement." Time to play dumb. "Refresh my memory. You said your agent's name is Jim..."
"Stahlwell."
"Stahlwell. Familiar, beyond the fact that I've kept up with your career. Not sure why." Luc passed a hand across his mouth. He'd investigated the man thoroughly before meeting with Wulf, but it wouldn't do to let that slip. "You can stop worrying about him as of this second. I'll see to it Stahlwell never interferes with you again. Send him your resignation letter this afternoon, certified tradestandard e-post."
"You..." Wulf chewed his lower lip. "You won't hurt him, will you?"
"You don't trust me."
"No, I don't." He dragged a finger through that wet spot on the table again. "It's not as if I don't have reason."
Luc folded his hands. "You came to me with a problem. If you want assurances everything will be done legally, you have them. I cannot guarantee Stahlwell won't suffer for his reckless decisions. Losing you as a client will cost him his entire tradestandard commission. If you're asking if I'll hurt him physically, I will do whatever it takes to ensure your safety while maintaining my good name." He tapped his fingers on the table. "Now either you trust me, or you don't."
"Fine." Wulf spread his hands and leaned forward. "I trust you. Satisfied?"
"It will do. Now, if that's settled, let's get to more important details. What do you want to do instead?"
"Instead of modeling?" Wulf rubbed his chin. "I'm not sure. I know what I don't want to do."
"Which is? Wait. Let's order food first. I'm starving." He gestured the waiter to their table. "Beef tenderloin steak." He held his hands close together. "A filet about so big. His rare, cool in the center, mine medium. Baked potatoes with everything, his on the side. Field green salads, his with no tomatoes, and a berry vinaigrette on the side. Pour plenty of it all over mine and give me his tomatoes. Bring us the salad first. Do I need to remind you I want organic?"
"No, sir. The Jade House serves nothing else. I'll bring the salads at once, Mr. Saint-Cyr." The waiter bowed away.
Wulf propped both elbows on the table, hands together. "You haven't seen me in twenty years, yet you ordered my favorite meal."
"I'm the Harbinger, remember? All right. Go on, Wulf. What do you want to be when you grow up?"
At that, Wulf laughed. It had a lilting sound, like a voice singing. Luc leaned forward, hoping to hear it again.
"I don't much care what I do, as long as I can use my brain and walk through a room without being mobbed." He shrugged one shoulder. "It's not that I mind the fans. I don't have a private life. Anything I do is all over Imperinet the next day."
"Happens when you're the top model in the empire, I imagine." He sipped his whiskey. "You counted on that notoriety today."
Wulf had the moxie to grin. "Yeah."
"Private lives can be bought, my boy--sorry. Won't call you that again. They're not cheap, but nothing worth having is." He gestured toward the room. "You notice no one has approached our table since you sat down."
"Yes." Wulf rested his chin on one hand, an appealing pose. "It's like you have a force field up or something. No one's even glancing our way."
"Being a boogey man has its advantages." Luc tapped near one whiteless eye. "Don't think we aren't being watched, however. The media is predatory."
"Straight up right. But even the dumbest predators recognize the difference between easy prey and one with claws."
Luc folded his arms and rested against the booth's back. "True. Go on. What else don't you want?"
"I'm tired of the same thing every day. The locations change but it's always the same. I'm up before dawn, do the make up, fool with the hair, take this set of clothes off, and put that set of clothes on. 'Sit here. Stand there. You'll need to be nude for this shot. Of course it's tasteful.' Riiight. All the flashing lights, the holocams spinning around to get the whole shot. 'Hold that pose. Smile. Smile more. Smile over here, please.'" He made a toothy grimace. "And then the very next shoot, it's 'Don't smile, lovey. No one wants to see all those teeth.' Grrrr!" Massaging his temples, eyes closed, he slouched. "Plain tired of it all."
Luc slid one finger along the edge of his glass. "Your life would sound like heaven to some."
"It's not that I'm ungrateful for the opportunities I've had. I'd like to have a real job. Use my mind instead of standing around getting paid to be stared at. It's brainless and mind-numbing. Most of my co-workers are pretty faces with nothing behind them."
"Ah. Now we're getting somewhere." He stroked
the outside of his glass. "As I recall, you have more than one degree. What did you study?"
"Business. I picked up dual degrees in administration and management, then added a third in NETway tradestandard communications."
"Which you gained before the age of twenty-two. You have a wonderful mind. How much time did you spend working in those fields before you went into modeling?"
"Luc, why ask that? You already know the answer."
"Indulge me."
Wulf toyed with his drink before answering. "None."
"Do you remember my advice when you decided to model right after graduation?"
"I can quote you in your own voice, even though you wrote it to me and didn't say it aloud."
"Is that so?" He narrowed his eyes, unwilling to let him see how much it pleased him that Wulf had read his letter. He'd agonized over writing it for days. "By all means, do."
"'Continue to study so you'll be current in your field.'" Deep voice, perfectly pitched. "'You might want to enter the business world one day.'"
Luc tried not to smile too widely. "That was quite good. You must be all the rage at parties."
"My mother loved that but I never did it for anyone else."
"Good. See that you don't." Luc tapped the table. "Did you follow my advice?"
"Of course not." That hot, bright smile flashed. "I was far too impetuous." Wulf stirred his drink. "Besides, I thought I'd be rich and famous and wouldn't need to work."
"Ah." Luc tilted the nearly empty glass toward him. "And are you?"
"Not as rich as I'd like." He laid the drink stir on the table. "I didn't count on being bored either." He sipped the drink, peered down into it and pulled out the lime twist, which he popped into his mouth whole. He moved it to one side of his mouth to speak. "Or that I'd want a new career at thirty."
"Mmm. What do uncles know?"
Wulf covered his eyes. "I had that coming. But to be honest, I haven't thought of you as an uncle in years."
"No?"
Wulf lowered his head and smiled up at him through his lashes. The seduction in that pose sucked Luc's breath away. "Far from it."
Wulf, Tales of the Chosen Page 4
