The Exit Strategy Bundle

by Jocelynn Drake

  “And I thought we were here just to get you free of your family,” Justin said after waking from his coffee haze.

  “We are.” At least, that was what Gabriel was still telling himself. He didn’t care what his father was doing or if he was plotting to take down the world. He wasn’t being paid to stop him from conducting his evil plans. Gabriel and Justin were there simply to earn his freedom so they could live the lives they wanted.

  But the sentiment tasted like ash on his tongue.

  Gabriel reached for his coffee and took a sip of the scalding liquid, but it did nothing to get rid of the taste of his own selfish thoughts.

  “What could he be meeting with your uncle for?”

  “I don’t care,” Gabriel said sullenly.

  Justin shook his head. “I hope you don’t think you can lie to me.”

  “I don’t. I’m not. We’re here for my freedom.”

  Justin started to reach across to place his hand over Gabriel’s but stopped himself at the last second and grabbed his coffee instead. Now a scowl played across his handsome features, and Gabriel felt bad for him. The atmosphere in Hungary had turned less tolerant and more dangerous over the past few years. It wasn’t safe to show displays of affection while in public. There were only a few other people now in their little room within the coffee house, but they didn’t want to draw attention to themselves. They needed to slip through Budapest largely unseen.

  But Justin was accustomed to giving in to his need to touch whenever the fuck he wanted. He’d earned that right. And Gabriel loved that he had the strength to follow that whim. Gabriel mentally promised to make it up to his lover later. For now, he shifted on his padded bench seat until his knee bumped Justin’s, rubbing for a moment in a type of caress. The scowl evaporated, turning to a little smirk. It was the best they could manage for now.

  “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do something nice for the world without expecting to be paid,” Justin said in a low, teasing voice.

  “You have been a very bad influence on me,” Gabriel muttered.

  Before he took the job that teamed him up with Justin last summer, Marilyn warned him that Justin was one of those do-gooder types that liked to help people because it was simply the right thing to do. Justin was this weird mix of Robin Hood and Batman. He had a feeling that if he could afford it, Justin would work for free. But the paying jobs kept him in the gadgets and tech he needed to help more people.

  When Gabriel left the SVR and struck out on his own, he’d been less concerned with the whos and whys behind his jobs. He only cared that they paid. He didn’t take hits on kids and only a couple on women. It had been all about the payday at the end. And over the past several years, he’d been very well paid. He’d amassed a nice fortune that included several million dollars and three safe deposit boxes loaded with gems and a bit of art. Retirement was not going to be a problem when it came to affording it. He was more concerned with what the hell he was going to do with his new free time.

  “It’s not a bad thing to want to help good people who can’t help themselves,” Justin prodded.

  Gabriel allowed himself a small smile as he looked over at Justin’s laughing eyes. God, the man was so freaking sexy. He wanted to lean across the table and kiss him. In the US, they would have that freedom, and he was looking forward to taking advantage of that every time the mood struck him. Once they got clear of this mess.

  “You know…” Justin slowly drawled.

  “What?”

  “That could be a business venture for us once we get this little problem cleared up.”

  Gabriel barked a loud laugh, falling against the back of his seat. Calling the murder of his family a “little problem” was a massive understatement, but it was nice to hear. “What are you proposing?”

  “We’ve both been successful working alone, but what if we teamed up to help people? We could take on even bigger jobs than we could alone. Get paid and make sure the right people win.”

  “And how do we decide who the ‘right people’ are?”

  Justin waved a dismissive hand at Gabriel. “Details. We’ll figure it out.”

  Gabriel had a feeling that they’d have a very similar view on what made the “right people.” Downtrodden people whose voices were not heard. People who lived in fear of being themselves. People who had their rights stolen away. Of course, those people rarely had the money or means to pay their high fees.

  “I don’t see this being a very lucrative endeavor for us,” Gabriel murmured. For once in his life, he wasn’t worried about the money side of things.

  “Details,” Justin said. He shoveled a large bite of cake into his mouth and moaned loudly. Gabriel nearly laughed at the extravagant way his eyes rolled back into his head and he slouched in his chair. Yeah, the pastries and cakes at the shop really were that good.

  “Do you think they’d give me the recipe?” Justin asked when he finally swallowed his cake.

  “No.”

  “Damn. That’s really good.”

  “Then we’ll have to return someday…when this mess is cleaned up.”

  “Yearly. We are coming back yearly,” Justin declared as he cut another forkful. He lifted it and looked over at Gabriel with a broad smile. “On our anniversary.”

  Gabriel’s mouth fell open for a second, his heart skipping at Justin’s words. “We have an anniversary?”

  “Today. I think today will be our anniversary.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s our first real day together. The first steps we’re taking together so that we can have a life. And to celebrate our anniversary, we will come back here to have coffee and cake.”

  “You’re insane,” Gabriel said, but he couldn’t stop the smile that pushed its way onto his lips. “But I agree. Today is the beginning.”

  Just saying the words lifted some of the weight from his chest and shoulders. He felt lighter, freer than he had in so many fucking years. They still had a long way to go, and he had no idea if they’d actually reach their ultimate goal. The odds were greatly stacked against them, but saying the words out loud…declaring against the odds and his family that he was taking back his life and being true to himself with the man he loved felt so good.

  “I love you,” Gabriel said.

  Justin looked surprised by his statement. He blinked a couple of times, directing his eyes down to his plate of half-eaten cake. They’d said those wonderful words earlier in the hotel suite in Germany, but Justin acted as if he hadn’t expected to hear them again so easily from Gabriel. Justin Mallory deserved to hear them every day of his life. If Gabriel dedicated his existence to anything, he was sure there wasn’t a more noble goal than to spend his life making sure that Justin felt loved.

  “I love you too,” Justin replied, his voice a little rough. He cleared his throat and smirked at Gabriel as he took another sip of his coffee.

  Before they could make any additional plans for their future, Gabriel’s new cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He’d picked it up before they left Hamburg and had added only two numbers to it: Justin’s and Marilyn’s.

  The text from Marilyn was brief and to the point.

  Rudas Baths

  10:45

  It was already nine thirty. That didn’t give them a lot of time to prepare. Luckily, Rudas Baths was in district one of Buda, just a short drive from their current location. The only problem they were facing was the baths itself. It was an excellent place to hold a private meeting with some very sketchy characters since everyone in the baths tended to be naked.

  “What’s she say?”

  “We’ve got just over an hour until the meeting.”

  “Why do I feel like that’s not the reason for your frown?”

  Justin was already starting to know him far too well. Forcing a brittle smile onto his face, Gabriel looked up at his companion. “Have you ever been to a Turkish bath?”

  “Once…a very long time ago,” Justin said slowly. “How traditional are thes
e baths?”

  Gabriel’s smile became more genuine, and he picked up his coffee to toast his companion. “Very.”

  “Fuck. Where the hell am I going to hide my gun?”

  Gabriel chuckled and turned his attention to his untouched torta al kirsch. They had enough time to linger for a few minutes over coffee and pastry before heading to the baths. Life was meant to be enjoyed, and he was going to start enjoying it with Justin.

  The Rudas Baths were a type of old-world decadence that would make the most prudish Americans faint where they stood. First, of course, was the fact that the old Turkish bathhouse was restricted to men only except for Tuesdays, which were for ladies only, and weekends when the bathhouse was coed. Second, on the single-sex days, clothing was optional, and nearly everyone went nude.

  Normally, Justin might see this as a feast for the eyes, except for the fact that the majority of the men strutting around the old Turkish bath were old and incredibly wrinkly with their bellies sticking out in front of them as they wandered from one room to the next.

  And then, the one man that he wanted to see in all his naked glory was wrapped in the white sheet they all received upon entering. It was the only way Gabriel could effectively hide the tattoos that covered his arms and chest as well as the bruises and cuts that still peppered his skin.

  Gabriel may not have seen his Uncle Sacha in person in well over a decade, but he was afraid pictures had been sent to him during his torture. The tattoos listing the names of the family he’d taken out would be too easy to spot.

  The risk of being seen meant that Gabriel would have to hang back and remain hidden while they were in the baths, leaving the spying part to Justin. Gabriel was not thrilled, but Justin simply smiled at his companion. It was nice to finally be included, to be needed. Justin knew that Gabriel had been trying to protect him, but he refused to be sidelined any longer.

  After wrapping their sheets around their bodies like togas, they started to wander through Rudas. It was one of the oldest Turkish baths in all the city, and there were a lot of baths built on the city’s thermal springs. They quickly passed by a large swimming pool housed in an exquisite Classicist building with columns, swooping arches, and an ornate ceiling that soared at least two stories above them. There were too many people in the room, their voices and splashing echoing off the high ceiling.

  From there, they passed carefully along the six other thermal baths, searching for either Sacha Krestyanov or Jozsef Dkany. Marilyn had sent them recent pictures of both men, giving Justin an idea of who they were looking for.

  In the dimly lit octagon room, they found Jozsef Dkany sitting in a pool. Steam rose off the surface of the water, dampening his face and thick gray hair. Uncle Sacha hadn’t arrived yet.

  “Enjoy. I’m going to grab a massage,” Gabriel said, loud enough to be overhead by Dkany.

  “Cool. I’ll meet you at the pool. I’m just gonna relax here for a while,” Justin was sure to affect a laid-back, carefree American accent. He absently waved at Gabriel, not even looking over his shoulder at him.

  He strolled into the smaller room with the old gray stones. It was like taking a step back into time. He would have preferred to lounge in the hot mineral waters with Gabriel and wonder about what life was like so many centuries ago, but they’d just have to add this to their to-do list for when they returned on anniversary visits. For now, his focus was on the job.

  “This room is reserved for a private meeting,” Jozsef said in Hungarian. At least that was what it sounded like. Justin hated to admit that his Hungarian had gotten rusty over the past few years. Jozsef’s voice was gruff, but Justin smiled at him as he whipped off his sheet, tossing it onto an empty chair outside the water. He kept his smile light and easy as the man’s eyes swept over his powerful frame.

  “Sorry, man. I’m an American. I don’t understand a word of what you just said.” He stepped into the hot water and let out a lusty sigh. “God, I wish we had this back home.”

  “You’re here on vacation?” Jozsef asked cautiously in English, his eyes still roaming over Justin’s frame.

  He splashed some water onto his chest and over his head, letting it run down his face and pecs. Yeah, he wasn’t above playing up his sexiness if the man was enjoying the view. It increased the chances of him being allowed to stay in the room.

  “Yeah, came over with some friends. We’re doing a sort of extended bachelor party. A last hurrah for a friend of mine before he gets married next month. We’ve got two nights here, and then we go on to Prague and then Munich.”

  Jozsef nodded. “I hope you have a good trip.” He paused and finally relaxed down in the waters. “I’m surprised that you came here. I thought Americans were uncomfortable with nudity.”

  Justin let out another loud sigh and sank into the water. Jozsef certainly wasn’t trying to hide his perusal any longer. Let him look. He’d break the fucker’s hand if he tried to touch. Jozsef wasn’t his type. The man looked old enough to be his father, with a set of wild, bushy eyebrows that likely crawled out of the forest and just settled on his wrinkled and bloated face. The poor guy appeared to be at least fifty pounds overweight and one bad scare away from a major coronary incident. Justin was not performing mouth-to-mouth if this deal went bad for him.

  For now, he gave his companion a little shrug. “When in Rome, right? Americans are missing out. This is the life.”

  A low chuckle rumbled from Jozsef, and they settled into a companionable silence. Justin felt a tiny bit guilty about the fact that he was enjoying a nice, relaxing soak in the hot mineral water while the battered Gabriel was covered up and lurking out of sight as he waited for his uncle to appear. Gabriel should have been the one enjoying a nice hot soak. He would have to find a way to make it up to his lover later.

  They waited only twenty minutes before another man appeared followed by two other fully dressed men who clearly looked to be burly bodyguards. The first man wrapped in a white sheet was older. His bald head was already shiny with sweat while thick tufts of white chest hair popped out of an opening in the sheet.

  Justin lounged back against the rim of the pool and appeared to close his eyes, but he left them open just enough to keep the newcomers in sight.

  “Who is he?” Sacha Krestyanov demanded, motioning with one hand toward Justin. His words were in Russian, which he clearly understood, thanks to his recent refresher course from Gabriel.

  “Just some tourist. He can’t understand what we’re saying,” Joszef replied in Russian. He gestured for him to get in the pool as well.

  Sacha lingered by the doorway for a moment before he gave a short grunt. He tossed his sheet over a nearby chair and slowly eased into the pool, sighing loudly as the water closed over more and more of his body. The two bodyguards positioned themselves beside the doorway, blocking anyone from coming or leaving.

  “Did you bring the information that you promised?” Jozsef asked.

  Sacha sat down in the water an equal distance from both Justin and Jozsef as if he were afraid to get too close to two naked men. He was wearing the little apron that was handed out at the front desk that covered all the private parts, and Justin was grateful. He didn’t want to see the bits and pieces of the man he was going to happily kill to save Gabriel’s life.

  “Here,” he muttered. He snapped two wet fingers, and one of the bodyguards stepped forward. He reached inside the black leather jacket he was wearing to pull out a handful of papers. The silent guard handed them over to Jozsef and then stepped back to where he was standing next to the doorway.

  Jozsef quickly flipped through the sheets of paper, frowning and shaking his head by the time he got to the end. “I’ll need to tweak some of these stories if they are to gain any traction here.”

  “This style worked in the US,” Sacha grumbled.

  “And Americans are fucking idiots.”

  Justin carefully kept his face blank and didn’t change the rhythm of his breathing. He’d had plenty of practice playi
ng dumb when he was really dying to stand up and punch someone in the face. Like Sacha. Or Jozsef. But the more important thing was to stay close to good old Uncle Sacha. And maybe get his hands on that little stack of paper there.

  Was Gabriel’s father introducing some fake news into the Hungarian media the same way the Russian pushed fake news in the United States? Jozsef was the perfect conduit. As the boss at the state-run media organization, he could easily pick and choose which stories ran.

  That was not good. The country had swung to the far right over the past several years, growing more intolerant of outsiders as well as the LGBT community. They didn’t need help from a meddling Russia to work out their future.

  They continued talking for a few more minutes, mentioning some upcoming minor elections and a bill regarding increased regulation of television. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much Justin could do. This wasn’t their fight. But he almost smiled when he thought of someone who could do something useful and profitable.

  As it sounded like their conversation was winding down, Justin made a show of standing and stretching. All his muscles were comfortably loose and he kind of wanted to take a nap, but it really wasn’t the time. He climbed out of the pool and strolled over to the lounge chair where he’d left his towel and sheet. After drying off, he stretched out in the chair and tossed one arm over his eyes, while still leaving himself enough of an opening to see the people around him.

  Sacha and Jozsef spoke for only a couple of minutes more before Sacha climbed out of the pool. The Russian quickly dried off before wrapping the sheet around his slightly damp body as if he couldn’t stand to be exposed longer than necessary to the eyes of others. With a soft grunt, he turned and walked out of the Turkish bath with his bodyguards close on his heels.