Luke was tired.
His head hurt and his muscles were very tense. He'd signed so many documents that he felt his fingers were going to fall off. Inventory day was always rough. He had to count all of his stores then make orders to replenish what he used the most.
Not only that, Church always fell on inventory days. Once a week, the Baymont Kings met at the family home to discuss what was going on in their various businesses. Money never exchanged hands, but it was common knowledge dues were to be paid at the beginning of the month. If they weren't paid by the third meeting, the member was put on probation. Any money made in business went to the dues. It meant the person didn't make a penny.
Luke and his friends had made a deal. He would pay their monthly dues as long as they worked at Bennett's three days a week. It had worked out in their favor. They got to keep the tips they made at the host bar while Luke got to see his friends have fun. It was a win-win scenario for both of them.
But it also meant that Church was sometimes a little chaotic. Some of the older members didn't think the youngsters should be involved in decisions if they didn't make their own money. They were talking about Luke's friends. The Prince's Royals were considered mooches because they relied on Luke despite being from the six main families of the Baymont Kings.
This time, church was very obnoxious. Lou Rayes, Amos Meyers' left hand man, had voiced his disdain for the youngsters. He tried to get Amos to force them to pay their dues and not be a pariah on the family. Mainly, he didn't want Luke to shoulder their responsibilities. Amos agreed, but Luke didn't argue with them. To an outsider, Luke was a pushover, but it was far from it.
Luke's friends were actually running their own lucrative businesses. Bennett's was a host club, meaning the men employed were very charismatic and were able to make a woman feel loved and appreciated without sex being involved. That was one of the hard rules Luke had established. His best friend Raymond James monitored their hosts closely. Girlfriends and other partners were well-documented so there was no fraternizing with the clientele. If one slipped once, it was a severe reprimand. If it happened again, it was automatic termination.
As for the other friends, they all worked at the Hamilton. It was another club that Luke owned but it wasn't affiliated with the Kings. It was a legitimate business, but it was more of a generic bar. It didn't have the upscale feel as Bennett's did, but it wasn't as trashy as some of the other clubs. It was the one club where age was strictly adhered to. No one under 21 was allowed to enter after a certain time, usually twelve. Every third weekend there was a minor's night where no one over 21 was permitted. It brought the most money because of its diversity.
That was how the others paid their dues. A certain percentage of their paychecks went into a pot that was specifically for their dues, and that was how Luke paid the expenditures. The check was always in his name so he understood how it looked, but it was far from the truth. If they ever audited his books, they would see it.
That conversation was a regular conversation held at every church meeting. But this time, things had been very different. When Church was over, his dad had pulled him into his office with Raymond and Lou.
Amos Meyers was a soft spoken man who carried himself with a regal manner. He never yelled, but when he took on a hard tone, everyone knew he was not happy. For as long as Luke had been a full-fledged member of the Kings, he had never once seen his father order a kill or yell at someone, especially at Luke. He had let his son make mistakes and bear the consequences, but he'd always explained the reasons behind it.
"You need to bring your police boyfriend into the know," he'd said.
Luke had stared at him. In the four years since the start of the relationship, he had never once thought his father had known about Jud. He had never let on that he had known anything, so for him to bring it up suddenly had stumped his son.
Ray had placed photos on the table in front of him. He had been following Luke for several months to find where he'd been going. He had pictures of Jud's house, his motorcycle, and Luke's beamer parked out front. He even had erotic pictures of Jud taking Luke in the living room in front of the window. There were sheer curtains that provided some privacy, but Luke's erection, turned on face, and Jud's face were very easy to see.
Luke had stared at that picture for a long time, dread and fear rolling through him in rapid succession. He had known his father would find out about Jud, but he had never expected to be called out like this. He had wanted to tell him on his own, but only when things had settled down with the rival South Bay Saints, their rival gang who were known for their prostitution ring.
"Dad?" He'd had to control all of his emotions so they didn't really know how scared he was. But the look on his father's face had been very gentle, which put him at ease. "How long have you known?"
"Since the two of you got together."
Luke had let out a shaky breath at the knowledge. His dad had known for four years about Jud. This time he hadn't been able to hold back all of his emotions. Tears had rolled silently down his face. He had unknowingly put Jud at risk because his father had known and had watched from the sidelines.
Amos had gotten up and had hugged his son. Luke had melted into his arms, burying his face in the Armani pinstripe suit. It had been the two of them since his mother had passed away ten years ago, and Luke had never gone against his father except in this.
"I'm sorry," he'd blubbered.
Amos had stroked the back of his head, smoothing the dark hair lovingly. "What are you sorry for?"
"For being with a man." Luke rarely cried like this. Yes, he was a bit more emotional than those he ran with, but he had never outright cried in front of people. And he'd never cried in front of his father about business matters. But disappointing his father was something he never wanted to do.
They'd never had the discussion of what life would be like if Luke found a male partner. After his mother had passed away, Luke had kept all of his relationships as secretive as possible. Raymond had been the only one to know where he had gone at all times. He'd also been the first to know when Luke had slept with one of his hosts in the VIP lounge after hours. Raymond had also been the one to make sure no one disturbed him when he took one night stands up for the evening.
To hear that his father had known for years that he'd been with the same person was one thing. Now that he knew it was a man, he felt like he had betrayed the trust his father had instilled in him. He knew he didn't have a reason to feel that way, but they'd never fully discussed it so he didn't know where his father stood. That scared him the most, and that fear brought out extreme emotions.
"Lukas, you have nothing to be sorry for. I've seen how happy you are with him. He takes away all the stresses of this life for you. He's your refuge when you have to do something difficult, and he keeps you on the straight and narrow in this hellhole we call life."
He'd pulled away and framed his son's face. He'd wiped the tears from his cheeks, smiling gently when Luke had sniffled. "I know he's the reason your businesses are all legitimate, and I want to thank him for it. However, if I know who you're sleeping with, so do our enemies."
He had explained everything as quickly as possible so Luke could go home and relax. He hadn't wanted to give too many details because he had wanted both of them to learn at the same time.
He had hugged him once more and had sent him on his way. Luke had gone back to his condo and had done some business matters to ease his mind. It hadn't worked so he'd done his best until Jud had gotten off work. Then he went to his house.
He walked in the door just as Jud poured a cup of coffee. The officer's face was shocked at first then drawn as he watched Luke walk to him. Luke knew what he looked like. He was haggard with dark circles under his eyes. He hadn't slept, and it was obvious to the other man.
Jud was surprised when Luke rounded the counter and walked right into his chest. He pressed his face into his shoulder and nuzzled gently until he was satisfied. A sigh shuddered out of him, making his arms dig into Jud's ribs.
Luke had never acted like this before. Not even when one of his subordinates had been shot by police. Yes he had mourned the man, but he had known if the man hadn't threatened officers with a gun he would have lived. This was new. Luke was completely overwhelmed.
Jud lifted his face so he could look into Luke's eyes. He saw the tear stains that were hours old. Luke's eyes were red and swollen, and his cheeks were puffy. Whoever had made him cry was an asshole.
He did the only thing he knew to do. He gently pulled Luke up and covered his mouth with his. Luke made a noise, a depressed whine that hurt Jud to the core, and the shorter man pressed back into his kiss fervently. His hands spanned Jud's back, fingers digging into his shoulders as he held onto him tightly.
Luke crumbled in his arms when he broke away from his mouth. Jud felt the shock settle into him. Quietly, he knelt down and wrapped his arms under Luke's bottom and straightened. Luke wrapped his legs around his waist, locking his ankles as he rested his head on his shoulder. Jud made a second cup of coffee as he held his lover like a toddler.
He held the two cups by their handles, and with one hand supporting Luke, he walked into the living room. He put the cups on the table then held onto the other man as he sat down. He rubbed Luke's back soothingly as he settled on the couch.
Luke finally looked up into Jud's face. The other man sighed as he ran his hands up and down his spine, rubbing his head every so often. Luke kissed Jud again, holding his jaws as he poured all of his emotions into it. Jud responded with a firm and steady press of his lips while one hand held his hip gently. He knew he was safe with the officer.
"Luke?" Jud's voice was thick as they sat with their foreheads pressed together. The man in question stroked his stubbled jaw with his fingertips. "What happened?"
"My dad knows." It was three words, but Jud knew what they meant. He sighed and peppered sweet kisses along Luke's jaw. "He's known since we've been together. He had Raymond follow me for the last several months."
The officer sat back, hand trailing lazily over the back of his lover. "What did he say?"
Luke sat up and ran his hands down Jud's shirt. The older man watched as they traveled lower then switched directions and moved back up. Luke played with the buttons, picking at them.
Jud knew he was scared. Luke had never wanted anyone to find out about him because he didn't want something to happen to him. Jud understood and he had never pressed him to tell anyone. A cop and a mobster in a relationship was bad enough, but being two men could easily get them both killed. Not everyone had an open mind.
But the way Luke was acting told the officer there was so much more. He never just fidgeted like he was. Any time Luke started fidgeting it meant he was trying to figure out how to tell him something. The last time he had done it this badly was when he'd accidentally bumped into the Kawasaki while pulling away from the curb. Kid had already known about it, but Luke had acted like he would be scolded harshly.
Luke made an unhappy noise when Jud pushed him gently off his lap. Jud pressed a cup into his hand, wrapping his fingers around it. He didn't need the caffeine, but it was the warmth that seeped into him. It soothed him and gave his hands something to do. Jud knew his weird quirks and had many ways to calm them.
"Dad said he has known about us the entire time we've been together. He said he didn't say anything because he saw how much relief I had when I came here," he said.
Jud picked up his own cup and settled back on the couch. He brought a knee up and pressed it into Luke's thigh. The other man propped his elbow up on it. It brought him comfort touching him, and Jud would do just about anything to make him feel at ease.
"He wants to meet you." That caught Jud's attention. He paused in drinking his coffee to look at Luke. The other man did not meet his eyes. He stared into the overly sweet liquid. "He wants to bring you in, to tell you everything that has been going on."
"What does he know, Luke?"
"South Bay has been sending people in to infiltrate our businesses. Dad noticed that some unsavory people had been coming to his clubs for the last several months. He doesn't discriminate against his clientele so he can't rightfully throw them out. But about a month and a half ago, he noticed cocaine and meth being passed around his club. He's been trying to figure out how it got there and who's passing it."
Jud propped his head up on his hand. "You're saying the Baymont Kings aren't dealing drugs, but someone is trying to set them up to make it seem like it?"
"Mmhmm." Luke sipped his coffee even though he didn't necessarily taste it. "I'm inclined to believe him. I went over the logs for not only my establishments but every one tied to the Kings. It took me half the day. Our managers and other workers keep in depth records. Nowhere in any of them did I see any documentation of illegal drug trade. When I went through Dad's, one of his workers documented his suspicions twice while working as a bouncer, then he suddenly disappeared."
Warning bells were ringing in Jud's head. If Amos Meyers' books were spotless up until a month and a half ago, then that meant he wasn't manufacturing drugs. Distribution in his clubs could be a way to get him in trouble. What had he done to incite the ire of the South Bay Saints?
Luke continued speaking. "Dad has made it known his disdain for drugs other than medicinal marijuana. He punished one of his high ranking members for getting caught with a pipe in his pocket. I was a kid then but I remember it vividly. He's been adamant that we don't peddle drugs."
"Can you prove it?" Jud asked. Luke looked at him sharply. He realized he had made a bad choice of words. If Luke was telling him willingly, it meant he could prove it. "What do you have?"
"It's on my computer. I'll email them to you later."
Jud nodded. He wouldn't press the issue with Luke anymore. He was already shaken up as it was. He wanted him to settle down and relax while he could. He had a feeling things were going to get worse for the two of them.
He wouldn't be certain what was going on until he got his hands on those files and books. But someone was bound to find out Amos Meyers' son - Prince Luke- was fucking a cop. When they did, all three of them were in danger as well as those who protected that secret. His guy said whoever went after them was the one who wanted to make pushing drugs their new business scheme, and the person would do anything to take the top spot.
"You need new curtains." Jud frowned at the sudden outburst, but he saw Luke looking at the window decorations with disdain. "If we're going to have sex in here, we need privacy."
A smile erupted over his face as he propped his head in his hand. "Are you suggesting something?"
He was amused. What had the curtains done to upset Luke so much he wanted to change them?
Luke looked at him. "Can we?"
Jud nodded. "Sure. I don't have to be at work until eleven. As long as I'm asleep by two, it shouldn't be an issue."
He laughed when Luke took his cup from his hands and set it back on the coffee table. He straddled his hips and pulled his face up into a passionate kiss. One thing was certain. Sex always made Luke feel better.