Page 6 of Wolf's Whistle
“Lunch?” Richard asked, his brow furrowed.
“I’ll explain later. Finish your plate and we’ll go and get your things.” Julio gave Richard a hug. “It’s so good to see you again, to have someone who remembers me from before.”
“Before what?”
“I’ll tell you on the plane. Are you still hungry?” Julio took Richard’s plate. “When we get back, you can have some wedding cake. I had two cakes, one in New York, and now a second one here.”
“You honestly appear fabulous, Julio. I don’t know what happened to you before this, but you seem to be both healthy and happy now.”
“If you’re done eating, I’ll have Denis call for a limo, and we can go back to your place and pack. Are you and Julio coming, Etienne?” Julien asked.
Richard stared at Julien in profile while he spoke to Etienne. All the men were attractive, but Julien, well, Richard would have to be careful not to fall for him while he stayed at his house. That was a very large rabbit hole for him to trip down.
“Of course, let me tell Théo to pull the limo around to the front. That way we’ll have two trunks in which to pack your belongings.” Etienne picked a phone out of his blazer pocket, had a brief conversation, then Gilbert and three other men came down the stairs.
Julien introduced them. “You’ve met Gilbert Renaud, Etienne’s first assistant. This is Adrien Petit, his second. Sebastian is his third and in training. His driver is Théo LeBeau. My first assistant is Denis Leclerc, and Charles Bonnet my second. Marcel Quartier is my driver and factotum and his wife, Isabel, my housekeeper. They traveled with us to help with the reception. Let’s get going. We want to be back before dark.”
Julien and Julio escorted him to the front door and the waiting limousines. Julio got in one with Etienne and his assistants.More likebodyguards, Richard thought.And he was hustled into the second limousine with Julien, Denis, and Charles. Marcel waited in the front driver’s seat.
Chapter Two
Lutz’s Bar and Grill
Wednesday at Two
The wall phone rang, and Bill Lutz answered. “Richard?”
“Hi, Bill, I hate to do this to you, but I finally got a job in my field. I ran into an old friend, and it just so happens his husband works for Garou. He hired me on the spot.”
“I’m sorry to hear you’re leaving, but you’ll be happier working at a job you were trained for. I hope it all works out for you. Even I’ve heard of Garou.” Bill poured a drink while he kept the phone cocked on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry for the short notice, but they’re leaving for Manhattan tomorrow morning.”
“No problem. You’ve been a good employee but with your training, I didn’t expect to have you as long as I did. Good luck.”
“Thank you, Bill. You’ve been very kind.”
Bill hung up the phone. He announced to the room at large, “That was Richard. He got a job with Garou Industries in Manhattan and won’t be back.”
Davilor Kasun slammed his mug of beer on the scarred wooden bar. “What da ya mean he’s not coming back? I was taking my time, now he’s getting away? Where does he live, Lutz?”
Bill Lutz started to shake in his shoes. You didn’t mess with Davilor Kasun in Riverdale. “Two Hundred Thirty East One Hundred and Thirty-first Street, but don’t tell him I told you because it’s illegal to give out that information.”
“I’ll take that into consideration the next time you owe me money.” Kasun smiled, showing all of his tobacco-stained teeth. “Put the beers on my tab. I’m going to take him. I’m sick of wooing.”
Kasun got into his illegally parked car and headed over to Richard’s.
§ § §
The two limousines pulled up to Richard’s address, and he peered out of the tinted window. Davilor Kasun was sitting on his stoop. Richard faced Julien. “If you don’t want trouble, maybe we should forget about this.”
“What’s the matter, mon ange?”
Mon ange?
“The man on the step is Davilor Kasun. He’s a thug in the local Serbian mob and has a thing for me. I can’t prove it, but I think he’s been stalking me. However, up to now, he never knew where I lived. He must have coerced my boss into giving out my address. I can’t let you get involved with this.”
Julien’s face contorted. “Has he threatened you?”
