Ever since last night’s make-out session in the pool, RT hadn’t been looking at him. Not directly, anyhow. Z wasn’t sure why that was, but he didn’t have time to worry about it, either. Throughout the day, they’d pored over the blueprints of Jericho’s house as well as the gallery, looking for a secret hiding place, to no avail. Clay had shot down every nook and cranny they had identified, confirming he’d searched it. Aside from the servant’s quarters, it appeared Jericho’s mansion wasn’t a viable place to store an expensive painting that you didn’t want anyone to find.
And now, the guests of honor had just arrived, and that meant they needed to entertain them while Conner and Colby headed over to the gallery to see what they could find out, at the same time Hunter and Trace went back to Jericho’s. They still hadn’t identified where the original painting was being held, and it looked as though they wouldn’t actually get up close and personal with it until its arrival at the gallery. However, they refused to stop searching, desperately seeking that one piece of evidence that would lead them to the treasure they sought.
Not the way they’d hoped things would go. But the overall objective of the night was to rub elbows and chat it up with Jericho and Amahn while the others handled the tactical recon. If they didn’t find that painting tonight, their hands were pretty well tied until Saturday night. At that point, they’d have to come up with another plan on how to steal it and replace it with the fake they had yet to locate or acquire. All while hoping the thief didn’t get his hands on it first.
Thank God most of their missions didn’t have so many unidentified variables. This was easily turning into a fiasco. Oh, and they couldn’t forget the fact that RT and Z were supposed to be playing a part—one that required them to be rather intimate amongst their guests.
“So, how’s this supposed to go?” Z asked, glancing over at RT, hoping he could provide a solution to get through this with their covers in tact.
“How’s what supposed to go?”
“Well, we’ve put on a show for Amahn thus far; he thinks we’re a couple. As does Jericho.” Z glanced around at the people he considered family. “They’re gonna ask questions.”
RT didn’t say anything, and Z had to wonder whether he’d given it any thought. The idea of a party was great. Get Jericho and Amahn there, distract them while they tried to locate the painting, but Jericho and now Amahn expected Z and RT to be out and proud, a loving, touchy-feely couple. Kind of hard to do when it was all subterfuge.
“What do you suggest we do?” RT inquired, his voice low enough that only Z could hear.
“I say we keep up the charade,” he told him truthfully. “I doubt anyone’s gonna out us here.”
Then again, it was quite possible that the women might make a big deal out of it. It wasn’t a secret that Z and RT were gay. No one questioned that. However, seeing the two of them acting as though they were together… That would likely produce some smiles and encouragement from the women.
He knew these people. They were family, a close one at that. They supported one another, and though they focused a majority of their lives on their company, family still came first for them.
And Z didn’t particularly mind who noticed. It was RT he worried about.
“Then we’ll go with that,” RT said, his voice not as firm or cold as it had been throughout the day.
Z jerked his head over to look at RT. “Seriously?” A seductive smirk turned up the corners of RT’s mouth, and Z was tempted to kiss him. Right there in front of everyone. Then again, maybe… “You want me to kiss you, don’t you?”
RT’s eyes widened, but the smile didn’t disappear.
“Be careful what you wish for, Ryan,” Z said, purposely using his first name again.
“I like when you call me that,” RT responded, surprising Z.
“That right?”
“Yeah.”
Well, then. Z wasn’t sure what to think about this. He’d figured, based on his actions throughout the day, that RT had decided to run and hide, but looking at him now, the man looked ready to combust.
Good to know.
“RT, so good of you to invite us.”
The spell between them was broken when Jericho and Amahn wandered over.
Remembering the ruse, Z moved closer to RT but didn’t put his arm around him. He used his beer as an excuse, holding it in his left hand, which prevented him from wrapping RT in his grasp.
“We’re glad you could come,” RT said politely. “How’s the setup for the gallery showing?” he asked Amahn directly.
“We’ve got most of the items in place,” Amahn said, his eyes darting back and forth between RT and Z as though he was still trying to figure them out.
Z didn’t doubt that he was. That was what guilty people did. And as far as Z was concerned, Amahn was still the prime suspect in the theft of the fake painting. He had opportunity, sure. But the one thing Z had yet to figure out was what his motive was, other than money. But even that didn’t fit. The guy would surely fare better simply by being with Jericho.
Hopefully tonight, with the help of their strategically placed guests, they would get some answers. After all, that was what the party was for.
HUNTER KEPT CLOSE TO TRACE as they hugged the wall of Jericho’s ridiculously large house. Upon his arrival at the party, Hunter had been informed by RT that his assistance was needed. Never one to turn down a job, he had agreed only to learn that he was being sent to break into a house that was occupied while everyone else got to enjoy the party.
As far as he was concerned, he got the better end of that deal. Then again, he wasn’t feeling all that sociable as of late. Not with everything going on in his life.
But it was good to be back. He’d missed his family while he’d been attempting to outrun his demons.
“Earth to Hunter?” Trace whispered. “You ready?”
“Waitin’ on you,” he informed his brother.
Although Jericho—their client—and his lover, Amahn, were at the beach with the others, his entire staff was still at the house, roaming about as they normally did. Hunter wasn’t all that comfortable breaking into an occupied residence, but it wasn’t as though he hadn’t done it before. It required a little more stealth than usual, especially one with the type of security Ardent had, but it was doable.
“Dom?” Trace said into the transmitter he wore to communicate with their IT genius, who was back in Dallas, manning the fort.
“I’m here. Just say when.”
Trace started moving toward a door at the back of the house and Hunter followed.
“Give me a minute to pick the lock,” Trace told Dom.
“Sure thing. When I say go, you’ll have fifteen seconds to get in and close the door behind you. Then the door alarms will be reengaged, but I’ll leave the motion sensors off. I’ve temporarily disrupted the security cameras, so the guards on duty will see everything on a loop. Good?”
“Yeah,” Trace said. “As long as Hunter doesn’t keep draggin’ ass.”
Hunter stared at Trace, unable to hold in the laugh. It’d been a while since Trace had given him a hard time. “I promise, Grandma, I’ll do my best to keep up.”
“You ready, Trace?” Dom asked.
“Two seconds,” Trace told him, twisting the metal tool, then turning to look at Hunter as he smiled. “We’re good on this end.”
“All right, boys…” The sound of a keyboard clacking was heard, followed by, “Go.”
On Dom’s command, Hunter followed Trace inside the house, half expecting the alarm to sound, but fortunately, they were greeted by the lonely sound of silence. Closing the door behind him, Hunter stuck close to the wall while Trace moved across the room and peered out the door.
Trace motioned with his hand for Hunter to follow.
So follow he did.
TWENTY-ONE
AFTER A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH Jericho and Amahn, Ryan mingled with the other guests, keeping his eye on the pair as they merrily interacted with everyone at the party. He noticed they were both social, but Amahn appeared…curious. Or perhaps cautious was a better word. Amahn’s gaze continued to stray to Ryan throughout the night, and he figured Amahn was still trying to figure out how Ryan and Z played into all of this. The man wasn’t stupid. It wasn’t a coincidence that they’d dropped into Jericho’s life when the painting had suddenly become a hot commodity, and it was clear Amahn suspected something.
Knowing the other man’s eyes were on him, Ryan purposely interacted with everyone, finally making his way over to Ally Shaffaer.