Cross & Crown

Nick huffed a laugh, and they followed Mikey down the hal . Mikey turned to Kelly and patted him on the arm. “This guy taught me how to kiss when we were kids,” he whispered.

“Landed Mary Katherine McDowell on that lesson.”

Kelly laughed despite the nerves roiling through him.

“How’s that work?”

“I’ll show you later,” Nick promised with an almost playful smile.

“Hey Nicky, does that make me g*y by proxy?” Mikey asked.

“Yeah, Mikey,” Nick answered, deadpan. “Yeah it does.”

“Fuck.” They reached the room and Mikey turned his back to the door. He met Nick’s eyes, his expression sobering.

“You know you’re even with him right now,” he said softly.

“Still time to head back.”

Nick didn’t respond, merely returned Mikey’s stare.

Mikey sighed heavily. “If you hadn’t left, you’d be in that room right now, and I’d be screening your visitors. You know that, right?”

Kelly could barely restrain the shock, or his questions. He looked between the two men, wide-eyed. How the f**k would Nick have ended up in that position when his childhood friend was still basically a bodyguard? Nick nodded curtly. “That’s why I had to leave.”

Mikey mimicked the nod, eyes melancholy and brow furrowed. Then he shook off the dark mood and gave the rest of them a grin that struck a little false. He pointed to Nick.

“Most stand-up guy I ever known.”

Pure devastation flashed in Nick’s eyes as Mikey spoke.

Kelly wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him somehow.

But he didn’t think even he could make this better for Nick.

Mikey patted each of them down, being pretty thorough about it, and then he knocked on the suite door. It was opened by one of the bodyguards from before, who allowed them into the suite.

Kelly couldn’t stop himself from gawking. He could see more and more why Nick had wanted to bring him here for a little romance. Hints of the brick from the original jail 160 structure showed along the outer wal , but the majority of the wall consisted of an enormous decorative window, just like the one that had greeted them at the front entrance.

The room had been rearranged, with more seating being brought in to accommodate everyone. Paddy sat near the window, smoking a cigar. He gestured for them to join him.

One of the bodyguards stopped them, though, stepping in front of Nick when he moved forward. Nick didn’t back away, merely side-eyed the larger man, jaw tightening. Kelly cursed internally and slid a little so he was in front of JD if things went south.

“Need to check you over one more time,” the bodyguard told Nick. There was something in his voice, though, a taunt perhaps. Enjoyment. Kelly got the feeling that Mikey’s attitude in regards to Nick’s sexual orientation was perhaps the outlier in this organization. Keep your hands inside the ride, indeed.

“Be gentle with that one,” Paddy warned, and he sounded amused.

The bodyguard sniffed, then grabbed Nick’s arm and turned him, shoving him against the wal . Nick hit hard, slamming his face and chest. The man kicked Nick’s feet apart, then pressed his hand against the back of Nick’s head and rammed Nick’s cheek into the plaster again. Kelly jerked to move, but Julian’s hand on his elbow stopped him. If they started a fight here, they’d all leave the hotel in body bags.

Nick’s face was turned away from them, so Kelly couldn’t see his eyes, couldn’t gauge his expression. Kelly gritted his teeth, preparing to watch this guy manhandle his lover and unable to do anything about it.

“Watch the suit, huh?” Nick said, and his voice was deceptively calm.

The bodyguard laughed. As soon as he took a step back and gave Nick enough room, Nick brought his elbow hard into the man’s temple, then spun and kicked him, grabbing for the holster under the man’s jacket and pul ing the gun away as he stumbled back from the kick. It was all dizzyingly fast, even for Kelly, who had seen the move plenty of times before.

With a few rapid flicks of his fingers, Nick had pulled the slide off the Glock and dropped the magazine to the floor. He stepped on the magazine, then dropped the gun and tossed the slide toward Mikey, who caught it with a grin as wide as a cartoon cat.

The bodyguard got to his feet again, glaring at Nick and flexing his shoulders. His nose was bloody.

Paddy cackled gleefully. “Told you to be gentle with that one. Now get the f**k on that door, both of you,” he added, waving at the bodyguards. “Fucking useless bastards.”

They grudgingly took up their posts on the door, but not before the bloody one pointed at Nick and murmured a threat under his breath. Nick watched him, only turning back to face Paddy once he was between JD and the bodyguard.

Paddy stood and came closer, opening his arms for a hug that Nick returned stiffly. The mob boss pulled him close like he was embracing a son, though, patting him on the back and then on his head like a proud father might before pul ing him over to the couches. “Been a while, Nicky.”

“No one calls him that anymore, boss,” Mikey informed him with a cheeky grin.

Paddy gave Nick’s cheek an affectionate tap, then sat.

He gestured for all of them to take seats. Kelly was confused again. Nick had been so tense, so worried, but this was a warmer reception than Nick received at his own home when he visited.

Paddy propped one leg on his other knee and reclined, arms on the back of the sofa. He surveyed the four of them.

Julian had remained standing, his arms crossed. Mikey stood beside him, hands in his pockets, looking at ease. JD and Kelly flanked Nick on the sofa. They waited silently while Paddy looked them over.

“So,” he finally said. “You need my help again.”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” Nick said, words coated in ice.

Paddy laughed. He pointed at Nick while glancing at Kelly. “So f**king stubborn. He ever told you this story?”

Kelly shook his head, then remembered Nick’s warning about being respectful. “No, sir.”

Paddy grunted. “First time I saw these two chuckleheads, they were sixteen, walking down the street from baseball practice. That one had a black eye.” He pointed at Nick again. “Looked so much like my son, Patrick Jr. Lost him to a goddamn drunk driver the year before. Saw Nicky and thought he was a ghost. I stopped my car, called to him, asked him how he got that shiner. And this f**king kid, he looks me straight in the eye. You know how many people look me straight in the eye, even back then?”