Lucas was all too happy to step off the plane back in New York. Miami had been nice but eventually the strange winter heat had gotten to him. He still had the sunglasses but was glad to need a slight jacket. Alex was on his phone almost immediately, setting up meetings and checking in on things.
Joshua gave Lucas a hard pat on the back as he called up rides for them to get home. There was still some tension between Lucas and Nick, but they were trying not to talk about it in hopes that it would fade. It was supposed to be the nature of organized crime—Lucas felt he was prepared to handle it, and Nick didn't. They could have their opinions and difference because as Nick said, they were different people. They didn't have to be the same in every way in order to like each other.
Lucas tried to keep telling himself that, and offered to give in and try a few of Nick's oddly named alcoholic drinks. That seemed to cheer him up enough as he promised to show off during some of the nights before the club opened.
Lucas had almost forgotten that was even happening. The construction was mostly done and now everything was getting down to the details of staff, ordering alcohol and setting up the music. Joshua said they had been promoting around town for it to open at the end of the week.
Nick would be at the bar with some other bartenders they would be hiring, but only one of them was also part of their inner workings next to Nick. They would have a lead bartender there for a few weeks to help get everything running smoothly before going back to another club.
They day after they were back from Miami, Joshua took Lucas back to the club. The offices were done, and so Lucas got to pick out what furniture would be going in his. Other than at Tom's, he had never really needed a desk before. Joshua went over all of the fine details again. "These rooms are soundproof from the music, so you shouldn't hear much. Be sure and check for listening devices regularly. We can't block frequencies because security has to be able to communicate. You'll have a radio to talk to them too. I'll be working here too, and so will Alex, so any questions can always come to us."
Lucas nodded along, though he couldn't help but be distracted still. Nick had him thinking about all of the things he didn't want to dwell on.
"You okay?" Joshua picked it up, giving him a suspicious look.
"Just a little nervous about it," Lucas admitted. It wasn't a lie. Laundering money with Tom was one thing, but here they were expecting him to be in charge of something.
Joshua softened some and gave him an encouraging smile—or as encouraging as a man like Joshua could give. "You'll be fine. You'll get the hang of it quickly enough. Alex and I both put you up to this."
"Gee, thanks," Lucas scoffed, taking a long sit in his overly squishy rolling computer chair. It got to be his chair, so no one could complain. Joshua fidgeted, which then had Lucas noticing something was off. "What's up?"
"I'm not supposed to say anything," Joshua said, closing the office door. "But Alex is pushing to get you moved up."
"I already am, aren't I?" Lucas fanned his arms out over the expanse of his office.
"Yes and no. You're getting a lot of responsibility with this, but you're still kinda down here, officially." Joshua made a motion with his hand of being at the bottom. "But Alex wants to get you more up here." He moved his hand up to the middle. He's talking with some of the higher ups."
Lucas let out a long breath. He was aware that there were people above Alex, but rarely did they get talked about. He nodded stiffly. "And I'm assuming I have to do something to prove myself? Or something."
"Alex is working out the details," Joshua replied vaguely. "You've already done a lot, what with Ron."
Lucas nodded and rubbed at his chin; disappointed at feeling the lack of facial hair he had. He hated to think that maybe he was still too young for that. "I don't think... I don't think we should ever put too much responsibility on Nick."
That seemed to get Joshua's attention. "What makes you say that?"
"I don't think he would have the nerve." It was true and simple enough. "I don't think he has the capacity to separate himself from what he's doing. He might be fine with small game, but I think that's it."
Joshua nodded and frowned. "That's what I figured. Assuming nothing ever comes up, we shouldn't have any problems. He just won't move up. But don't let it cause problems for you."
"I'm not," Lucas answered firmly.
Nick was still too idealistic about the world outside. Lucas had already settled most of his grievances and was comfortable. Lucas frowned when his cell phone started ringing and he saw that it was Tom calling him. "Hey, Tom, what's up? Everything okay?" Lucas asked. They had only just gotten back and he couldn't think of any reason for Tom to call.
"Oh well hi, Lucas," Tom beamed too loudly into the phone. "I know you don't work today, but I was wondering if you wanted to stop by and get your paycheck?"
Lucas narrowed his eyes. "What? Is something wrong?" He didn't have to pick up a paycheck since he turned eighteen and set up a bank account.
"Oh no, nothing like that." Tom cleared his throat awkwardly. "It's not like your mom is here or anything."
"What?" Lucas just about shrieked into the phone. "I mean, are you serious?"
"I told her you still worked here, to not raise her suspicions," Tom admitted. "Somehow she knew to look for you here. I told her I would try calling you in. I'm locked in my office now but it doesn't seem like she's leaving any time soon..."
"Is she alone?" It was one thing if it was just her, but another thing if his father or Brad were there.
"I think so. I didn't see anyone else and she even ordered some food for herself and made it very clear she plans to stay a while."
Lucas groaned. He was content to just not go by the restaurant, but his apartment was in the building above it. And so was Nick, and maybe he was even waiting tables right then as he finished up his last week there. Joshua was off to the side laughing, having pieced together the conversation.
"I'll be over soon," Lucas grumbled.
Joshua drove Lucas back to the restaurant, and he stepped in to look for his mom. She was sitting at a small table near the kitchen and pinned him almost immediately with a wide smile and a wave. He approached her and she got up for a hug, but he stopped her with a firm but pseudo-affectionate grip on her forearms. "What are you doing here, mom?" he feigned a smile.
"I've been looking for you... you left without saying anything. I contacted the social worker here in New York, and she gave me the name of this place. They said you worked here." She took a step back and looked him up—the tie, slacks, and button up shirt. "But those are some nice clothes."
Lucas mentally swore and gave another tight smile. "I'm off today, these aren't my work clothes," he answered simply—though now they would be. Ken had insisted he dress nicer for his higher position. "Did you need something?"
"What? No," she protested quickly, waving an arm down at the table. "My food just got here, but maybe you want to order something too?"
Lucas sat down and she followed suit, but he didn't pick up a menu. "Are Dad and Brad here?"
"No," she replied quickly. "I know that's... not the best idea right now. Brad is still in physical therapy for his knee."
Lucas let out a pleased grunt and began to play with a sugar packet. "So what are you doing here?"
"You're still my son," she stated firmly. "You were only fifteen when you ran away and we never got a chance to talk about it."
"About the getting out of the house unless I change my ways and allowed myself to beatings?" Lucas corrected her flatly. "I hitch hiked for a couple of weeks until I hit the coast here. Made my way to downtown. Lived on the streets a while, before Tom started letting me pick up some shifts here. Now I'm training for management." It was vague but truthful enough.
She didn't respond and twisted her fingers together nervously. "I hear all kinds of horror stories about kids living on the street."
"What of them?" Lucas dropped his voice. "Did you want to hear the details?"
She shook her head quickly. "No. But I can't—I know it wasn't easy. I don't imagine it was good. So why would you want to come back here? How did you manage to get back so quickly?"
Lucas sighed. "I have a job here, a life. I have friends that I consider family. Tom and a few others put together some money to fly me back as soon as I turned eighteen."
His mom leaned forward then, frowning. "The woman with the services... she says its dirty money here."
Of course she did. Lucas was already picking his words carefully, doing his best to give nothing away should anyone from law enforcement follow up with his mother. Lucas shrugged and glanced off. "They help people with sordid pasts, like me. Of course they have a bad reputation." He nodded over at Nick. "He got tangled up in a break in with his brother and got put away. Couldn't find a job, so we gave him one."
Her face seemed to relax then, believing most of what he was saying. "That's good. That sounds good. Management, huh? At the restaurant?"
"I've been learning the ropes here, but I'll be working somewhere else next week," Lucas said without names or places. "Nick too."
"Are you and Nick close?"
Oh, how he savored the question. He bit out another smile. "We're dating." Even though it was rocky at the moment, and he couldn't say where it was going, it was still good to see the shock on her face—as if she had known he was gay, but never imagined him actually getting involved with another man.
"Oh," she let out quietly, sliding another glance over at Nick, who was avoiding their table like the plague. "But he looks... older."
Lucas shrugged again. "We're just dating. He's a good guy. He's been respectful about it." He felt his pocket buzz and glanced at a questioning text from Tom. Lucas already knew he had a lot of explaining to do. "Look, why don't I walk you back to wherever you're staying, and we can meet up or something tomorrow? After you finish eating."
She nodded and started digging in to her pasta then, and Lucas excused himself briefly from the table. "I just need to check in with Tom really quick."
Joshua was hovering in the back with Tom in the office, and Joshua still looked like he was trying not to laugh. "So your mom tracked you down, huh?"
"Yes, the feds are still trying to pin me with something," Lucas frowned thoughtfully. "They hinted to my mother that this restaurant is dirty money. She was asking me about it."
That sobered Joshua up quickly. "What did you say?"
"Nothing. I said Tom helped people with troubled pasts get jobs, like me and Nick, and that it gets a bad reputation because of it."
Joshua nodded, looking pleased. "Does she plan to stay?"
"I'm going to try and get her home soon. I'll give her my phone number to call every once and a while and hopefully that'll satisfy her enough." Lucas couldn't handle her being here. She was part of his life from before, from back in Utah. New York was something completely different. She had a reason to not want to know the details of what he had been doing the last three years.
He got money from Joshua to pay for a cab, and Lucas took his mom home from the restaurant before catching a ride back. Nick was waiting in the apartment, looking worried. "They said that was your mom?"
"Yes," Lucas sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing the back of his neck. "Social services told her where I worked. She's worried, but I think they were hoping she would fish for some information out of me too. I've convinced her to fly back in a day or two."
Nick frowned, rocking and spinning in the recliner. At least he had gotten the hint not to suggest Lucas going back with her. Lucas settled in at the end of the couch and started popping the buttons of his shirt and yanking his tie loose.
Nick watched with mild interest, and Lucas grinned at him. "Told her I was dating you."
"Trying to make her cry, are we?" Nick joked.
"If she really wants to keep in contact with me, it's more than just acknowledging that I'm gay. She has to know I do things too. I'm not celibate."
Nick laughed and crawled over to the couch, straddling Lucas' lap. Nick leaned in and kissed him, sliding his hands inside Lucas' shirt and feeling over his bare chest. Lucas pulled him in closer for the kiss, nipping on Nick's bottom lip. "I'm sorry," Nick sighed.
"For what?" Lucas drew back in confusion.
"Miami. The Keys."
Their disagreement on the way back. "We're different people," Lucas agreed.
"But I'm not going to survive very long if I don't pick something up," Nick pointed out. "I know their going to have me trafficking at the bar. But you know I'd really like to stand at your side, right?"
Lucas felt himself trying not to blush. "I don't need a bodyguard."
"Not all the time. But I'm saying, if you need help, I'll be downstairs. And I might not be good at manipulation, but... I can do other things." He bit at the side of Lucas' jaw. "You wouldn't want to get your hands dirty anyways, not with those nice clothes."
Lucas laughed. "What do you think the knife is for?"
"That is definitely messy," Nick reminded him.
Lucas hummed at the thought. "Blunt object then," he theorized. "And you."
***
Lucas swore and resisted throwing the modem across the room. "Yes, I have tried turning it off and on again," he screamed into the phone. "And I still can't connect to the internet!"
The woman on the phone scrambled to find another answer, and Lucas heard a faint knock at the door to the club office. He turned and saw a grinning Alex sticking his head in, holding a cord. Lucas swore under his breath. "Never mind, I figured it out, thanks," Lucas snapped into the phone, now feeling guilty. "Was it you?"
"Joshua and I wondered how long it would take you to start looking outside your office for the cause," Alex joked and tossed the cord over to Lucas. "He won, though."
Lucas swore at him under his breath and got everything plugged in, with his laptop set up on the desk. Now he could connect. "I figured out a way to store everything of mine on a server, so that even if someone gets on my computer, there are no physical files."
"Could anyone else gain access to it?" Alex asked curiously.
"They'd have to connect to the internet first, asshole. Then it's only my login, and I'm setting it to where it only works from this location's internet and some other security measures," Lucas explained, settling into his comfy computer chair.
Alex nodded and sat in a less regal chair on the other side of the desk. "I wanted to talk to you about something. I think Joshua mentioned it already, knowing him and you."
Lucas felt himself tense. "About moving up?"
"Officially," Alex added. "I had been talking about it with some others before Miami. When we got back I also told them about your bank scheme... they were doubly impressed." Alex propped an arm up on the chair and leaned into the palm of his hand. "They're going to take it up large. They've already started taking some loans out. You'll get a percentage. The bank is set to fail within the next fiscal year or two anyways."
Lucas nodded deftly. Percent was a vague word, but knowing the number of shell companies that they had, he knew it wouldn't be a small amount.
"I have a name for you, first." Alex sat up straighter. "Joshua would go with you and make sure it goes smoothly. We believe he's been talking to the police."
Lucas felt his stomach twist. The first thought in his mind was Nick, and the second was what came with talking to the cops. "You want me to kill someone."
Alex nodded, and Lucas felt his breathing catch. It was one thing when it was an accident, when it was self-defense. This would be in cold blood and with no going back afterwards. "What's the name?" He asked, doing his best to keep his voice steady. It didn't work well; he could feel it waver.
Alex didn't seem bothered by it—the fact Lucas had asked for the name showed enough. He sat forward. "William Crenshaw. He's been doing low runner stuff with us for a few months, but he's been taking the drugs we give him and turning them in to the feds. They give him tracked money that he turns into Fred, and they follow the movement of where our money goes. We've already shut all of that down and put the bills out of circulation... but now there's just William."
Lucas nodded and felt a strange flood of relief at hearing that Nick wasn't involved. He didn't even know why to think that. Nick had sounded determined the other night on the couch about being willing to get his hands dirty in his own way.
"This has to be done before they can communicate to William that we've stopped circulating the bills, and he gets the chance to run," Alex explained shortly. "Joshua is downstairs in the car."
Lucas sucked in a deep breath. "Okay." He shut his laptop and grabbed his coat.