Lynley EM Emerald Rewriting History

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Torquere Press

www.torquerepress.com

First published in www.torquerepress.com, 2010

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Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

CONTENTS

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven

* * * *

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Emerald: Rewriting History
By EM Lynley

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Chapter One

Dickens had said it much better than Tobin ever could: It

was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It summed
the situation up nicely.

Maybe a bit melodramatic, but that was the first thought

that popped into Tobin Wyler's mind. Just when he thought
he'd achieved the pinnacle of his career—higher than he'd
expected—everything was about to come crashing down.

He'd been on Cloud Nine when he'd walked into to the

elegant private party, a mass of jewel-colored cocktail
dresses and designer tuxedoes to celebrate the imminent
opening of his most important exhibition.

At Home with Royalty, a collection of antiquities and

artifacts used by royal families throughout the ages would
open to the public in two days. It would be the first time in
over five hundred years all five gems from the legendary
Crown of Amsara would be reunited. The literal crowning
glory of the piece—and of the entire exhibit—was one of the
largest emeralds ever found: The Green Sorrow hadn't been
seen for centuries, and Tobin had not only located it, but
convinced its owner, Sheikh Abdul-Shakur, to allow it to be on
public display.

With the hard work behind him, Tobin let his guard down

for the first time in months. Tonight's reception honored the
private collectors and curators of other museums whose
pieces comprised the exhibit. Tobin had a way of charming
collectors and boards of directors—male or female—into

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

wanting to be part of art history and everyone he'd
approached had been thrilled to include their pieces in the
exhibit, with a few notable exceptions.

With a satisfaction that bordered on arousal, he noticed

the swarm of guests around the case containing the Crown of
Amsara, murmuring in awe and appreciation of the
spectacular emerald.

As Tobin walked through the throng of guests, various

people came up to him with greetings of congratulations,
double-cheeked European kisses and one hotel room key
slipped into a pocket, but he only gave them a fraction of his
attention. He had his eye and his mind on a tall sandy-haired
figure on the far side of the room.

From a three-quarter back view, the way the Italian-cut

tux fit him made Tobin want to get to know him, whoever he
was. God, how Tobin loved what Italians could do with fabric;
even when fully dressed you could still know nearly
everything you wanted about a man's body. Mmm.

Well past Cloud Nine at this point, maybe even on Ten or

Eleven, Tobin had approached within ten feet of his target
when the man turned around. Tobin's mood immediately
plummeted to Earth, crashing into everything on the way
down, and landing with a very real gut-wrenching thud.

"Tobin!" Sheikh Abdul-Shakur's shout came from behind

Tobin's left shoulder, startling him. The sheikh grabbed Tobin,
practically dragging him up to the elegantly dressed man.
"We've been waiting for you to make an appearance! You
know Pierce Worthington, don't you?"

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Tobin's brain hadn't processed this situation yet, leaving

him speechless.

"We're old... friends." Pierce broke the silence. The

considerable pause—and the look of terror Tobin's face
probably displayed—led the Sheikh to glance between the two
men for a few seconds before he nodded in understanding of
words left unsaid.

Pierce Worthington here? Now? And with Tobin's most

important collector? Of course it had to happen sooner or
later. They moved in the same circles, it had been sheer luck
(or had it?) they hadn't crossed paths earlier. Tobin had to
admit, occasionally he hoped he'd see Pierce again and have
a good excuse to speak with him. There couldn't be a worse
place for the meeting to happen than tonight. Because Tobin
knew exactly why Pierce was here now.

To steal the emerald.

* * * *

"Tobin, I've just got a few questions about the security..."

Sheikh Abdul-Shakur's words were like a punch to Tobin's
gut. The way he left the sentence hanging said more than
enough. "Pierce can explain it all so much better." The sheikh
smiled and bowed his head gracefully.

"Is there a more private place to talk?" Pierce asked.
Tobin glanced around. The party was in full swing, and for

once no one seemed to be looking for him, except possibly
the young man who'd deposited the room key into Tobin's
pocket. He almost wished for an emergency that would keep
him from having to speak with Pierce alone.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"Sure. We can talk in my office." Tobin turned on his heel

and strode off with a respectful nod toward the sheikh.

As they walked through the marble hallway, Tobin noticed

how quietly Pierce moved, his shoes barely making a sound,
while Tobin's echoed softly.

"Curator for Special Projects," Pierce read the title on

Tobin's the door as he entered the office. "You've really made
a name for yourself. Congratulations on your achievements,
and of course, the exhibit. It's remarkable, and already a
smashing success."

Tobin wondered how Pierce could be so casual. They

hadn't spoken in nearly ten years, and the last time they had,
it had been... awful.

"Can you get to the point, please?"
"Right to business? Sure." Pierce cocked his head slightly

and looked at Tobin, as if trying to see beneath the surface.

There was a big discrepancy between the facade he

cultivated and Tobin's reality. In truth, he wasn't part of the
elegant, exclusive and luxurious scene like many of his
colleagues, nor did he want to be. Arranging this exhibition
made him realize it had become much more difficult to do his
job. Tobin occasionally found himself contemplating leaving
the art world, where the more genuine the art, the more
phony everyone involved. He made good money, thankfully.
It had been particularly important lately as his father, stricken
with early-onset Alzheimer's, needed more and more care,
and he needed every penny he earned to pay for his father's
care. He toyed with the idea of quitting entirely and caring for
his father himself, eliminating the need for hired care or an

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

institution. But the day would come fairly soon when Dad
would need round-the-clock care and Tobin would need to
work to pay even living expenses.

On the personal side, he didn't indiscriminately—or even

discriminately—bed even a tiny fraction of offers he received.
Sure, now and then he allowed himself the physical rewards,
but it was never more than fleeting pleasure. He was a one-
man-at-a-time, 'til-death-do-us part kind of guy and he
hadn't realized until too late how his career of choice made
finding and keeping a partner so difficult. Often he remained
alone rather than cultivate a series of shallow,
inconsequential relationships.

Now, Pierce had come back into his life and the circuits in

Tobin's brain overloaded.

Tobin hoped like hell Pierce couldn't read his mind because

he was having a terrible time keeping his thoughts on the
exhibit and not remembering every little thing he'd once
loved about Pierce. The man hadn't aged much in ten years,
but he'd filled out, matured, grown even more handsome, and
Tobin's stomach still fluttered the way it had when they'd first
met. Damn Pierce to the seventh circle of Hell.

"This exhibition is really impressive." Pierce broke into

Tobin's memories. "At Home with Royalty. I love the whole
concept, even the title."

"Thanks." Tobin restrained himself.
"How long did it take to arrange?"
"Is this relevant to the business with Sheikh Abdul-

Shakur?"

"Yes, it is."

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Tobin let out a long sigh. "Fine. It took nearly two years to

arrange the loan of all the pieces. As you probably know the
sheikh's emerald proved the most difficult to locate and
secure permission to exhibit."

"Oh, I am most definitely aware. Which is why I'm here. At

the sheikh's request."

Tobin tried not to choke on his reply. "Which is the only

reason I am speaking with you right now."

"Ouch." Pierce's grin emphasized his slightly sardonic tone.
"Pierce, please, no games right now. It's got to be obvious

even to you I'm incredibly busy."

"I apologize for cutting into your champagne-drinking

time. Or for preventing you from stealing away with the hunk
who slipped his hotel key in your pocket."

Pierce had seen that? Tobin tried not to react, but his

cheeks felt hot. He closed his eyes and counted out three
seconds before opening them again. Pierce still sat across the
desk from him. It wasn't a hallucination from overwork and
lack of sleep.

"You do look adorable when you blush. I'd forgotten."

Pierce's voice changed from flirtatious to almost wistful.
Maybe he wasn't as unaffected by their reunion as he
pretended. Tobin didn't know why, but it made him feel
better. At the moment, he wanted to feel nothing at all about
Pierce. Or for him.

Tobin perched anxiously on the edge of his chair, hoping

Pierce would get to the point before his heart gave out. But
Pierce appeared to be in no hurry, leaning back in the chair as
if this were his office and not Tobin's. Pierce's jacket fell open

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

and Tobin once again marveled at the skill of the designer,
highlighting every delicious curve and angle of Pierce's body
beneath the luxurious fabric. Tobin had to take a few deep
breaths and not stare as Pierce sat, legs splayed.

"Right." Pierce said and Tobin pulled his gaze reluctantly

back to Pierce's face. "The sheikh has a few concerns about
the security arrangements, and he asked me, well, my
security firm, Worth Protection, to go over the specifics."

"He's been informed of the security measures and signed

off on them, as part of his contract to allow—" Tobin held
back a sigh. He thought this had all been taken care of. Why
were there still questions at the last minute? And what did
Pierce have to do with any of it?

"Yes, I've seen the contract. Let's just humor him, shall

we?" Pierce's tone grew conspiratorial. "I know he hasn't been
particularly easy to work with, has he?"

Fearing a trap, Tobin kept silent. He couldn't risk offending

the sheikh the day before the opening and have him pull the
emerald.

"Tobin, I'm on your side here. I want your exhibit to be a

success. All you need to do is convince me of the security
arrangements, and I'll take care of the sheikh. I'm used to
dealing with people like him."

People like him. Had Pierce read Tobin's mind after all?
"Persuading him to allow the emerald into exhibit in the

first place wasn't easy..."

"I'll bet it wasn't. In fact, I'm impressed you tracked it

down at all. The gem's been lost for centuries as far as the art

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

world knew. It's a major coup for you to have found it and
gotten it into the exhibit. Bravo."

"Thanks," Tobin said, still wary, but Pierce seemed to

understand what Tobin had been through.

"How did you manage it?"
Tobin bit back his impatience, knowing he also had to

appease Pierce if he wanted to keep the sheikh from pulling
the emerald.

When Tobin had first proposed the concept of the

exhibition, the museum board had loved it. A collection of
items owned by Royal families from around the world,
through history was a brilliant idea. The crowning glory of the
show was to be precisely that: the five gems of the Crown of
Amsara, last seen together in the crown when the ruler and
his entire family, sons, daughters, wives, were massacred
during an Islamic invasion five centuries earlier. What made
this even more spectacular was that the largest and most
spectacular of the five was an emerald, not only one of the
largest ever known but carved—rather than faceted—with
such exquisite detail and delicacy so as to enhance the
shimmer of its inclusions rather than hide them. No one had
seen the Green Sorrow for centuries; in fact, it was assumed
it had been cut into smaller stones centuries earlier, perhaps
to disguise who had committed the heinous murders.

Other gems from the crown had surfaced over the years in

various parts of the world, but no one admitted to owning the
emerald.

Tobin frowned at the memory. "I had no proof it existed in

one piece anymore. I followed the trail, relying on sources

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

from the time of the murders, but every lead ended in a dead
end. It had been too long ago, and too much upheaval in the
region during the intervening years. Despite the Indians, then
the British being such good record-keepers, the trail went
cold. If the piece existed, it wasn't in India anymore."

"Go on." Pierce settled back into the chair, listening as if

he were really interested.

"After a year of fruitless research, I was running up against

a deadline if I wanted the Crown. The interest from the art
world in seeing it reassembled appealed to the Board—or
more likely their wallets—and they pressured me into finding
the emerald. Since the academic path hadn't helped me
discern the path the gems had taken after the murders, I
reversed the process, and resorted to my less savory contacts
in the art world. Eventually I found the dealer who'd sold the
emerald to the sheikh."

It went against everything Tobin believed in about art and

antiquities, but he'd resorted to using the sometimes-shady
dealers who didn't care about history or provenance. They
found what collectors wanted, and were willing to pay for.
Some of them even hired thieves to steal a piece "to order"
for the right collector. Or the right bank balance. But Pierce
knew all of this. Why did he pretend this was new
information?

"And you charmed him into allowing the emerald to be on

public display?"

"Charmed." Tobin choked on the word. Meetings with the

sheikh were among the most unpleasant experiences of his
entire career. "Yes. I charmed him." The sarcasm was obvious

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

and Tobin regretted it, until he saw Pierce nodding in
agreement, with an enigmatic smile.

"Made a deal with the devil, did you?"
Tobin nodded. Pierce had summed it up perfectly.

Necessity had driven him to deal with the shadier aspects of
the art world to find the emerald, then Tobin had to contend
with the sheikh. The man owned an international oil
conglomerate. Five years earlier, one of his tankers had run
aground near what had been a protected area off the
Egyptian coast, famed for its pristine diving. The ensuing
natural disaster had killed off enough aquatic flora and fauna
to put it up with the Exxon Valdez in the record books. To
make matters worse, the sheikh had refused to pay for the
cleanup, claiming it had occurred in international waters and
not under any government's jurisdiction. Just thinking about
it made Tobin's blood boil.

Hating himself for even dealing with the sheikh, Tobin had

played up how participating in the exhibit could help
rehabilitate the company's reputation. He'd had to put it
much more subtly, and it had taken every ounce of his charm
and self-control to suck up to the sheikh. As humiliating
experiences went, it ranked right up there with his break-up
with Pierce.

* * * *

"I'm surprised you went through all that," Pierce

remarked. "The Crown doesn't exactly fit into the theme, for
you. It's merely a symbol of royalty. What does it tell us
about its owners, as people?"

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Pierce noticed Tobin's eyes light up and he became so

much more animated once they'd started talking about the
exhibit. Just like he used to. Tobin loved art and history and
the way they intertwined. Just watching and listening to him
discuss it was arousing. There was nothing more exciting than
discovering someone else's passion and experiencing it
through them.

Pierce watched Tobin's face and breathed a sigh of relief. It

wasn't until they were face to face again that Pierce realized
how much he'd missed Tobin. And he hadn't understood the
depth of the feelings he still had until his presence threatened
everything Tobin had worked for and accomplished.

When Pierce first mentioned the sheikh's concerns and the

possibility he might withdraw the emerald, the progression of
emotion across Tobin's face was almost heartbreaking:
surprise gave way to confusion which morphed into outright
fear. Pierce cursed himself for not easing into the situation,
but Tobin's initial hostility hadn't allowed for that luxury. He
had to get Tobin to talk to him and that ploy had been
successful.

"Actually, it fits in quite well." Tobin paused, and Pierce

met his gaze and smiled . "To be included, it wasn't enough
to be beautiful, or valuable. Each item tells a story of the
person who owned it, offering a historical or personal context
that elevates it to pure art or beauty. Some have true
historical significance: the ceremonial robe worn by a king
when he signed a particular document or the dress worn by a
queen when she was executed. Each object gives meaning to
the event with which it was associated.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"The Crown holds such significance only if the gems are

reunited. It represents the last point in time that family
lived—and ruled. The murder and subsequent dispersal of the
gems represented the shattering of not only a family, but a
culture and society. Never before had such a heinous act been
documented in that formerly peaceful nation."

"It's worth whatever you had to do to find it."
"The Board really wanted the Crown and to be honest,

they put a lot of pressure on me to include it."

"So you wouldn't want the sheikh to pull the emerald out

now, would you?" Pierce hated to bring the conversation back
to business, but he had a job to do. The change seemed to
catch Tobin by surprise.

"I won't be extorted into making exceptions to the process,

not at this late date."

"Are you saying you won't show me the security

arrangements?"

"No. I'm afraid I can't."
"Or won't."
"The emerald, like everything else, is insured by our

company for the duration of the exhibit. It's in the contract.
Standard procedure." Tobin sat up taller, trying to look
authoritative. "It's not standard procedure for the owners to
second-guess our arrangements once they've agreed to the
terms."

"The sheikh isn't second guessing anyone. Yes, the

insurance is your responsibility, but that's not what this is
about."

"What is it about?"

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"Your guarantee of a payout in the case of a loss or theft—

" Pierce paused significantly at the word, knowing the effect it
would have on Tobin, "is irrelevant. His concern is because
the item is irreplaceable. No amount of money is adequate
compensation."

"And all the sheikh wants is to see the arrangements and

that will somehow make him feel better?"

Pierce let out a cold laugh. "He wants an outside opinion

on the facilities. He has the right to pull the gem out of the
exhibit if he isn't satisfied."

"Why did he wait until two days before opening?"
"All I can tell you is my firm wasn't engaged until the

sheikh received a threat."

"A threat?" Tobin nearly leapt off his chair, and he barely

managed to keep the near-panic out of his voice.

Again, Pierce wished there were another way to go about

this, but he had to get Tobin to the point he'd agree to
anything Pierce suggested. Now he brought out the final
weapon.

"He received letter indicating Jaguar's interest in the

Crown, particularly the Green Sorrow."

"Jaguar?" Tobin's tone turned skeptical and he scoffed.

"Look, Pierce, don't try and con me. I hear the rumors. It's
part of my job, too. People say you're Jaguar."

"Me?" Pierce was slightly shocked Tobin came right out and

accused him. He flushed. "If I were a jewel thief why would I
warn the target, then show up here in public?"

"What better front than to send a threat to your target,

then pretend you run a security firm so you can get an up-

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

close and personal tour of the security system? It's brilliant.
You get people to trust you."

"Everyone but you, Tobe." Pierce's voice softened. The

businesslike tone was gone and he'd cheated by using an old
nickname, hoping to sound like a lover and not a business
associate—or rival.

"I trusted you once and I lived to regret it. I certainly don't

trust you now. It's all too convenient. The sheikh is suddenly
concerned about security and you asking to see the security
details. And even if I didn't have my doubts about you, our
insurers wouldn't allow anyone not fully vetted to see the
security system. You should know that."

Tobin's voice held a sharp edge that cut through Pierce's

facade. He hadn't expected this degree of emotion from
Tobin. But it was a good thing. It meant Tobin still cared, or
at least Pierce hoped that was the case. He just had to put
Tobin's fears to rest.

"I swear to you, Tobin, I am not Jaguar." Pierce kept his

tone even and hoped Tobin was worried—and intrigued
enough—to play into Pierce's plan.

* * * *

"Why should I believe you?"
"I'd like to think I'd earned your trust after what we were

to each other."

"Any trust I had in you ended when... that all ended."

Tobin dropped his gaze, not sure why it still hurt to think
about how he and Pierce had broken up over Pierce's
infidelity.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"I took full blame for it. I made a huge mistake. I knew

that as soon as it happened. I was a fool not to tell you the
truth. I'm sorry." Pierce's voice held no trace of irony or
game-playing. He sounded sincere, and looked about as sick
to his stomach as Tobin felt.

"You didn't bother saying that much when it happened."
"Would it have made a difference?"
Tobin let out a breath, heart pounding almost as hard is it

had that day. "No." He paused. "Maybe." He met Pierce's
gaze head on. "I would have at least liked for you to try. To
apologize. To beg me to forgive you. To beg me to stay."

"You're right, Tobin. That was an even bigger mistake..."

Pierce let his voice trail off, a thoughtful look coming across
his features. He opened his mouth, then closed it again,
blinking slowly.

Tobin fought the urge to ask, though he desperately

wanted to know what thoughts were going through Pierce's
mind. Could Pierce have been as upset as Tobin at the way
their relationship ended? Pierce had been flirting with him
during half this conversation, but Tobin wondered whether it
was all just for show.

Neither looked at the other for a few uncomfortably silent

minutes.

"I do still need to convince the sheikh..."
"Not until you prove you're not Jaguar."
"It's hard to prove a negative. But I assure you, I won't

take the emerald."

"Why should I believe you?"

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"How about if you keep an eye on me until after the

opening. Prevent me from even getting a chance to take it.
Then in the event it disappears, you'll know it's not me."

"What?" Tobin looked at Pierce, trying to figure out his

angle. Was he saying it would be stolen before the opening,
or that Pierce would wait until after to take it? "How?"

"You can watch me for, say the next thirty-six hours.

That's twenty-four hours until the members' opening, plus
another twelve afterward. Does that seem reasonable?"

"That's ridiculous. I don't have the manpower to watch you

for thirty-six hours. My security team is already fully
allocated."

"Watch me yourself." Pierce threw Tobin a smile, one of

those sexy, teasing smiles that used to have one of them legs
spread and ready in under a minute. Way back when.

"You're unbelievable." Tobin exhaled loudly, hoping Pierce

couldn't tell his heart rate had accelerated at the memories.
He tugged at his bowtie, because it had gotten very, very hot
in his office.

"Fine. Suit yourself. At least I offered to prove you wrong."

Pierce began to stand up.

Tobin's blood pressure rose to the point he thought his

head would explode. It would be a disaster if the sheikh
pulled the diamond. "Okay. I'll take you up on your ridiculous
offer." It was only prudent to do everything he could to keep
the exhibit safe. It was his responsibility. It had nothing at all
to do with Pierce.

If only Tobin could convince himself on that point.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Chapter Two

"Good. I feel better already." Pierce settled back into the

chair.

I don't. Tobin felt sick to his stomach. He just wished he

knew whether it was concern for the emerald, or his
excitement at the opportunity to spend time with Pierce
again. Despite what he knew—or suspected—he'd fallen under
Pierce's spell, just as he had years ago.

"So, will we be staying at my hotel, or at your apartment?"
Tobin took a moment to think before replying.
"My place." He would keep Pierce from contacting any of

his accomplices. Codes, protocols and blueprints for the
exhibit were locked in the museum's Security suite anyway.
There was nothing for Pierce to find at Tobin's place.

"I'll need to stop at my hotel to pick up some clothes and

things first. I'd hate to be wandering around tomorrow
morning in this tux. What would people say?" Pierce flashed
another self-satisfied flirty grin at Tobin. "Especially if they
see us leaving together tonight."

"Fine." Tobin reconsidered agreeing to Pierce's ludicrous

plan. But the idea of spending time with Pierce seemed a
necessary evil to ensure the safety of the emerald and the
entire exhibit. As long as Pierce behaved.

They took a cab to the Plaza—of course Pierce had chosen

one of the most luxurious hotels in town—and rode the
elevator in silence, getting out on the twenty-first floor. The
thick carpet muffled their footsteps as Pierce led the way to

Emerald: Rewriting History

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his room, at one end of the hall. It was a corner suite, with
huge floor-to-ceiling windows that provided a spectacular
view over the park. In daylight, it would be even more
incredible. Tobin felt a tiny pang of jealousy at the spacious
and well-appointed accommodations The suite was larger
than his own apartment. Pierce came from money, even if
you didn't count what he must earn from stealing, and he
clearly enjoyed a particular standard of living.

Tobin turned from the window to face Pierce, who was

unknotting his bowtie across the room.

"Make yourself at home," Pierce said, indicating a

comfortable settee.

Tobin sat, not feeling particularly comfortable in such

luxury. You'd have to be Louis the fucking Fourteenth to feel
at home here.

"Funny you should say that." Pierce tossed his tie and

jacket over an ornate chair.

Fuck, did I say that out loud?
"It's actually Louis XV. I know you're more of an expert on

the ancient world than on eighteenth century European
decorative arts. This is Rococo as opposed to Baroque."

Fuck you. Tobin wanted to respond, but this time he kept

his mouth shut and felt his blood pressure rise.

With a disarming smile, Pierce grabbed a beer out of a

small refrigerator—not the typical mini-bar—twisted off the
cap and set it down on the low table in front of Tobin. It was
an obscure Belgian brand Pierce must have requested
specially. The beer happened to be one of Tobin's favorites;
Pierce had introduced him to it on their first trip to Europe.

Emerald: Rewriting History

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Tobin picked the bottle up and took a long pull, wondering
how much that would cost here before remembering money
never really mattered to Pierce.

"The sheikh is paying, in case you wondered. You may as

well take advantage of his hospitality. I am. There's a butler
down the hall who is happy to provide all sorts of services. All
you need to do is ring him and ask." Pierce flashed another
cheeky grin.

When he put the bottle down, Tobin noticed Pierce

unbuttoning his shirt, popping open the studs and revealing
his still-shapely chest, lightly dusted with golden hair glinting
in the room's low light.

Pierce sipped at his own beer and pulled off his shirt. Tobin

nearly choked as he discovered Pierce was in nearly as good
shape as he'd been ten years earlier, and having been a near-
Olympic level gymnast in high school, that meant damn good
shape. The pants dropped to the floor and now Pierce wore
only a pair of pearly gray boxer-briefs that molded
themselves to his shape in a most flattering way. The beer
had combined with the champagne he'd had earlier and Tobin
felt a pleasant, warm buzz. He tried not to stare quite so
blatantly at Pierce, then gave up even trying. He took another
pull at the beer, trying to distract himself from Pierce's near
nakedness, but damn, Pierce walked right up in front of Tobin
and slipped off the boxers, letting them whisper down his long
legs to the floor.

Sitting on the low settee, Tobin found himself nearly face-

to-face with Pierce's cock. How familiar it was. Not too big or
too small, but perfectly shaped and half hard. Just enough to

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

make Tobin's mouth water. He gulped and tried to look away
but he couldn't take his eyes off it. Pierce's balls were long
and heavy and as perfectly shaped as ripe figs. They swung
slightly as Pierce took a step closer.

"Just wanted you to be sure I didn't have a wire or

transmitter on me."

Pierce's voice broke the spell and Tobin stared up at him,

mouth half-open and probably drooling. All Pierce had on
were those rimless glasses and somehow that made it even
sexier. Tobin tried to pull himself together, but the
temperature in the room had risen another ten or twenty
degrees and his pants were three sizes too tight. When he
tried to speak, only a groan escaped his mouth and he shifted
his position to ease the ache in his groin.

"Care to do a more thorough search?" The teasing tone

was back, but it wasn't condescending. It was a genuine
invitation.

Oh, God, yessssss
"I don't think so." Tobin wasn't sure why his mouth

declined when his cock had already made up its mind.

"I'm going to jump in the shower, and you'll need to

watch, won't you?" Pierce asked flirtatiously, then turned,
giving Tobin a delicious rear view. It only took him a fraction
of a second before he was following Pierce into the bathroom.

It was obvious at this point that the "watching" excuse was

just a ruse. Tobin could trust Pierce in the shower on his own,
but he played along, allowing both of them to save face.
Neither had to admit the reason they were here together had

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

nothing to do with an enormous emerald or a prickly
billionaire sheikh.

Pierce turned on the shower and stood outside as he

waited for the water to heat up.

"Those glasses really look good on you. Do you plan to

wear them in the shower?" Tobin teased as his gaze raked
over Pierce's body again.

"Glasses?" A startled look flashed across Pierce's face and

he quickly pulled the glasses off, wrapped them in a hand
towel, and left them on the counter before slipping inside the
shower. He ran his fingers through his hair as water poured
down his body. The walls of the shower were clear glass, and
except for the rising steam, Tobin had a perfect view of Pierce
from his vantage point, perched on the edge of an enormous
marble tub fitted with Jacuzzi jets. He kicked his shoes off
and loosened his tie as he watched Pierce soaping himself up
languorously and rubbing slick hands across his chest and
abs. Despite the warmth of the water, his nipples were huge
and peaked. Tobin licked his lips involuntarily at the memory
of how they used to feel in his mouth, the sounds Pierce
made when he sucked them hard or nipped at them. Once
he'd actually made Pierce come just from playing with his
nipples. Pierce put on a little show, pinching them, clearly
knowing just what would be going through Tobin's mind.

Pierce's soapy hand slipped up and down the length of his

cock a few times, and Tobin watched it grow. He gave up any
pretense at all and was on his feet, racing toward the shower
door. He barely slipped out of his jacket before Pierce pulled
him inside.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

The warm water soaked through Tobin's shirt and pants,

as Pierce worked to undress him. All Tobin wanted was
Pierce's naked body against his. Finally, he pulled Pierce
close, feeling the slippery cock brush up against his own
erection and their mouths met.

It was as if nothing had changed. The hunger flared,

strong as ever, the knowing how to satisfy as well. Their
mouths crashed together and the force of the kiss had Tobin
against the glass wall of the shower, head back, opening
himself up for the onslaught of Pierce's tongue.

Discounting the lingering taste of beer and the hotel's

designer shower gel, Pierce tasted and smelled the way he
had in every one of Tobin's memories. Tobin couldn't get
enough, close enough, he let go of every conscious thought
and let himself be carried by the physical sensations.

Somehow they ended up on the enormous bed, wrapped in

thick towels. Tobin let Pierce unwrap him and lay him down.
He struggled to slow his body, but the desire burned so
brightly he worried he might be as awkward as their very first
time together.

Tobin leaned down and took one of Pierce's nipples into his

mouth, alternately teasing it with the tip of his tongue and
sucking hard, feeling it grow.

"Damn you, Tobe. I'm so close and you're killing me."

Pierce's groan added emphasis to his words.

Tobin gave equal attention to the other nipple while he

loosely gripped Pierce's cock, letting his thumb slide along on
the slit, slippery with pre-come. Pierce arched his back and

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by EM Lynley

came in Tobin's hand, with a grunt that mixed pleasure with
obvious disappointment.

"Bastard."
Tobin laughed and licked the pearly strands from his

fingers as provocatively as possible. "Oh, sorry." He leaned
down again and took Pierce's semi-hard cock into his mouth,
feeling it twitch and fill again. Tobin had always loved sucking
Pierce's cock and Pierce made so much noise it was extra
satisfying. But now Tobin wanted more from Pierce.

He let the cock, now fully hard again, slip out of his mouth

with an obscene pop. "There, good as new."

"I guess we'll see about that."
Tobin lay on his back and spread his legs—his own cock

was hard and his balls ached. Every slight touch or kiss from
Pierce had him near the edge, but he wanted to hold off and
come with Pierce inside him. He shuddered at the mere
thought.

Pierce looked down at Tobin, eyes darkly mirroring Tobin's

need. For far too long he just looked at Tobin, gaze traveling
along every line of his body until Tobin was ready to beg for a
touch. As if reading his mind, Pierce pulled lube and condoms
from the night table. He used a couple of fingers to prep
Tobin, who squeezed his eyes shut in concentration when he
felt familiar fingers push inside. Pierce added more lube after
donning the condom and then finally, he pressed against
Tobin's entrance.

Pierce pushed in slowly, for which Tobin was grateful. Even

with the lube he felt more pain than pleasure until Pierce
embraced him and Tobin relaxed. Even after all these years,

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by EM Lynley

Pierce knew just how to move, how to touch, how to take him
just to the edge and leave him shuddering and breathless,
just this side of release. Pierce stroked and caressed Tobin's
body as tenderly as any time they'd been together before.
Tobin hadn't expected that. This wasn't just a get-your-rocks-
off fuck for old time's sake. Tobin's last boyfriend hadn't been
this loving, ever.

When at last Tobin came, he felt the zing through every

inch of his body and long afterward, as he lay in the
comfortable embrace of Pierce spooned behind him. Relaxed
and completely sated for the first time in ages, Tobin dozed
off.

When he woke, Pierce was snoring softly against his left

shoulder. Neither had changed position. Listening to the once-
familiar, soothing sound Tobin wondered whether or not it
had been a mistake. To sleep with Pierce. To promise to show
him the security arrangements. To look for that fucking
emerald in the first place.

What was Pierce thinking? Did being with Tobin again

mean anything to him, or was it just a means to an end? If
Pierce was Jaguar, Tobin was afraid he already knew the
answers.

* * * *

"Okay, if you won't say why you suspect me, at least tell

me what I'm supposed to have stolen?" Tobin was surprised
Pierce had brought up the topic but he didn't have the heart
to list his reasons. Not while they were in bed together and he
could pretend nothing else mattered.

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"Remember this is my business, too. And I don't know of a

single theft attributed to Jaguar by any law enforcement
agency in any country, do you?"

"Not officially. But you know the art world. Museums and

collectors don't like to openly admit something's been stolen
from them. But I hear things, some of which turn out to be
true."

"What things? Name one piece he's taken."
"Your refusal to acknowledge he's taken anything is highly

suspicious."

"I'm just trying to see how you've connected the dots to

come up with me being this mysterious art thief, who's
apparently never actually been accused of stealing anything."

"Items have been removed from high-profile exhibits with

no explanation."

"Removed by whom?"
"The owners supposedly removed them for personal and

confidential reasons, but no one's really talking. Sometimes
they get put back, but it's fishy."

"You still haven't convinced me anything's been stolen.

Again, what items?"

"Last year it was a drawing, said to be of Rembrandt's

infant daughter who later died."

"And?"
"Well, it had been scheduled to be included in an exhibit of

artists' use of family in their work, but after the exhibit
opened, this piece was never displayed and it wasn't in the
printed catalog. The owner decided to remove it with no
explanation."

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by EM Lynley

"Don't they have that right?"
"Yes, they do, though it's often breach of contract. It

depends on specific terms agreed. I don't deal with the legal
minutiae, I have someone on my team who does, in
conjunction with the exhibit sponsor."

"What else?"
"A set of Iraqi artifacts disappeared from an exhibit of

items recovered after Saddam's fall."

"I remember that. Some question as to whether the party

owned the objects, or whether they were property of the
nation of Iraq."

"Yes, that's the one.
"Was there any speculation about that Rembrandt doodle?"
"I don't recall saying it was a 'doodle.'" Clearly Pierce knew

exactly which item Tobin had mentioned, despite the
pretense. Tobin's ire rose further at Pierce's cavalier attitude.
Wealthy art owners often sounded as if they had a God-given
right to the most beautiful things in the world and they were
doing the world a favor by allowing the riff raff to gaze upon
them. Sometimes Tobin had to rely on that attitude to get
their artifacts into an exhibit. Though Pierce's family had an
extensive art and antiquities collection he'd never expressed
that degree of entitlement, though at the moment, he was
coming awfully close.

"Sorry. Drawing. Doodle." Pierce mimicked old Professor

Starwood and Tobin couldn't help laughing.

"Aha, there remains some tiny bit of your sense of humor

after all, Tobe. I thought maybe it was stuck so far up your
tight little ass it might never see the light of day again."

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Only Pierce could manage a compliment and such an insult

in the same sentence. How that brought back old times,
though Tobin had never been the object of Pierce's insults
before. It stung.

"Wow. You are trying to get on my good side, aren't you?"

That tight-ass remark hurt in more ways than one.

"All joking aside, Tobe. If I didn't have personal experience

to the contrary, I'd have thought you were a virgin."

How the hell was Tobin supposed to respond to that?
"It's none of my business. I shouldn't have asked." Pierce's

tone softened. "Makes me feel kind of special, though." He
leaned forward and brushed his lips against the shell of
Tobin's ear.

Tobin hated how his body responded to the slight touch

and way the words sounded as they caught in the back of
Pierce's throat. It had been a while since he'd been with
anyone, even longer since he'd bottomed, but he and Pierce
had fallen into their familiar lovemaking habits as if had been
mere days rather than a decade since the last time they'd
been together.

"Shut up, Pierce, and remind me what I've been missing."
Pierce's eyes twinkled as he pulled Tobin back into his

arms and kissed him, as if Pierce hadn't kissed anyone else
during the past ten years. It was Tobin's turn to feel special.

* * * *

"Tobin?"
"Hmm?" Pierce was still pressed against Tobin and the

sound vibrated through Pierce's body.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"There's something you should know about Jaguar."

Pierce's lips brushed against the back of Tobin's neck.

"No business," Tobin said. "Let's not talk business in bed."

He rolled over to face Pierce.

"You're right. But I need to—"
"No business," Tobin repeated, fingers pressed to Pierce's

lips.

Pierce kissed the fingers, feeling Tobin's cock harden

against his thigh. He would rather not have to discuss the
topics of emeralds, museum security or Jaguar at all, but
eventually it had to happen. He desperately wanted to come
clean about the whole thing. Explain to Tobin why he was
here now and have it be out in the open, rather than allow it
ruin their unexpectedly pleasurable reunion.

Tobin moaned softly and Pierce pulled him closer.
This was a much better way to enjoy their limited time

together. He hated himself for being selfish and arranging this
ruse to get time alone with Tobin. Once he'd gotten the
assignment for the emerald and realized he couldn't turn it
down, Pierce had been so distracted at the prospect of seeing
Tobin again he'd blown the prep and training. Maybe that was
a good thing.

If only he could stay here and make love to Tobin for the

next two days. If only.

* * * *

They'd met as sophomores at Stanford. The prof who

taught a required Art History course was on the old-fashioned
side—no surprise there—and expected students to sit in

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by EM Lynley

assigned seats, in alphabetical order. Midwestern-shy Tobin
would never have dared to speak to gorgeous beach-boy
blond Pierce. The only connection was their last names:
Worthington and Wyler. They'd sat silently through two weeks
of slides accompanied by boring narrative from the
monotoned Dr. Starwood, with Tobin venturing furtive
glances at Pierce out of the corner of his eye. Then one day,
Pierce called the prof Dr. Strangelove under his breath and
soon had Tobin laughing so loudly Starwood stopped lecturing
and glared in the half-light cast by the reflection of an image
of the umpteenth Ascension.

When Pierce invited him for coffee after the lecture,

Tobin's heart did a little dance. It took another week before
they fell into bed and two days more before they got out of
the bed again. Tobin hadn't been out back home and even
here in California he hadn't gotten used to really being
himself, so he was still pretty inexperienced sexually. He'd
been surprised at how patient Pierce had been and hoped the
phenomenal sex wouldn't ruin their budding friendship. He
worried that he might be falling in love too quickly, because
so far Pierce epitomized Tobin's dream man.

Lucky for Tobin, the feeling was mutual and the two were

nearly inseparable after that first weekend together. They
were lovers, best friends, and kindred hearts when it came to
their other shared passion: art. They both majored in Art
History. Tobin's love of the ancient world led him to double
major in Classical Archaeology, while Pierce was drawn to the
arts of the Renaissance. He was a talented painter and he
chose a Minor in Art.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Tobin's first inkling that there was something odd about

Pierce's family occurred about a month after they had started
seeing each other during their second year of college.

Pierce's parents had been killed in a skiing accident when

he and his twin sister Carlotta were ten, and they had been
raised by their paternal uncle Reggie. The way Pierce spoke
about Reggie convinced Tobin their upbringing had been quite
unconventional, but filled with love. When Pierce invited Tobin
for a weekend at Reggie's home, about twenty miles north of
the university, he couldn't accept the invitation fast enough.

Reggie's home was set on acres of wooded land, the

nearest neighbor the equivalent of a city block away.
Constructed in a Tudor style, the house itself seemed like
something from Masterpiece Theatre and once inside, the
dark woods, rich fabrics and scents of leather and cedar only
added to the atmosphere. For Tobin who had grown up in a
plain box-house in Minnesota, it felt like another world. An
adventure.

Tobin was barely through the front door when he spotted

what appeared to be a Titian hanging in the spacious
entranceway flanked on both ends with a winding staircase to
the second level

Oh God, it was beautiful. He recognized it at once as one

of a series of Madonnas Titian had painted in the early
sixteenth century. The colors weren't as vibrant as the
restored pieces he'd seen on display in churches and
museums. Tobin went up as close as he dared, checking the
painting for clues, like they'd learned in class. It certainly
looked authentic based on what he knew of Titian's style.

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by EM Lynley

"This is beautiful. An exquisite fake." Tobin turned to

realize Pierce had come up from behind and had been
watching him.

"What makes you say that?" Pierce cocked his head

slightly. "I've examined it thoroughly and it shows all the
characteristics it should. And nothing to show it's not
genuine."

Tobin leaned closer, afraid to touch it, but wanting to.
"Your uncle owns a real Titian? It would be worth millions.

It can't possibly be genuine. The original is in a tiny museum
in Padova. I've seen it myself."

"How do you know the painting in Padova isn't the fake?"

The voice startled Tobin. He spun to see who had spoken. A
middle-aged man with close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair
stood in the doorway, a mischievous grin spread across his
face. An all-too-familiar grin.

"Tobin, meet my Uncle Reggie."
"Oh, uh. Hi." Tobin's embarrassment stifled the words.
Reggie walked up to the painting and held out a hand to

Tobin, who took it nervously, surprised by the strong grip.

"Nice to finally meet you, Tobin. Pierce never stops talking

about you." Reggie smiled and glanced knowingly at Pierce.
"You're probably the only person who's seen both. Besides
me."

"Where did you get this?" Tobin
"In Europe."
"It's a magnificent copy."
"But it's not a copy."

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by EM Lynley

"Reggie, please stop teasing Tobin." Pierce's tone sounded

wary.

Reggie chuckled indulgently and patted Tobin on the

shoulder affectionately. "I'm sorry, my boy. Forgive my joking
around. Does it matter which is real? Or only that we can
appreciate the beauty of an artist's gift, which lives on long
after he is gone. Let me show you some of my other
treasures. Pierce tells me you're quite interested in the
ancient world."

"Yes, sir."
"Just 'Reggie,' please." Reggie's smile was as disarming as

Pierce's. "And make yourself at home here, you're family."

Pierce threw Tobin a sexy grin and mouthed, "Family?"
Tobin couldn't help cracking up, the way he had the first

time Pierce had spoken to him in Art History.

"Speaking of family...Pierce, did you hear Carlotta's on the

verge of being expelled from MIT?"

"Again? What is it this time?"
"Apparently she hacked into the university computer

system and sent pink slips to her least favorite professors,
and granted raises to her favorites." Reggie let out a deep
laugh. Pierce joined in and Tobin noticed again the close
family resemblance.

"My sister, the super hacker with an altruistic agenda."
"I think it's time for a drink."
The weekend had been surreal. The house had been filled

with the some of the most exquisite pieces Tobin had seen
outside of a museum. Only a handful of them were of the
quality of the so-called Titian, for Tobin wasn't convinced of

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by EM Lynley

its authenticity, but the rest were top quality work of lesser-
known artists and sculptors. There was one room filled with
antiquities that Tobin could have spent the entire weekend
devouring with his eyes. Pierce had been almost hurt when
Tobin seemed more interested in the art than in getting to
know Reggie, but that had come in time. They spent a
weekend at Reggie's every month or so, and Tobin grew
almost as fond of the older man as he was of his own family.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Chapter Three

Tobin hadn't intended to spend the night in Pierce's hotel

room, and would have to go home and change first thing in
the morning, then head into the museum. He woke just
before dawn and noticed his wallet and cell phone on the
night table, though he didn't recall putting them there. He
groaned at the memory of wearing half his tux in the shower,
though he admitted it had been worth it, even if the pants
were ruined.

Pierce was still snuggled up next to him, and though

technically Tobin had let him out of his sight while he had
slept, it didn't matter since Pierce hadn't learned anything
about the security system and had no information to pass on
to an accomplice.

He rolled over and the movement roused Pierce, who

pulled him close, murmuring a sweet morning greeting
against his ear. Physically sated, they lay in each other's arms
sipping designer room-service coffee and watched the
majestic sunrise over the city from the picture windows in
Pierce's suite. The park was transformed from a dark, tangled
mass to a green-gold forest as the sky transitioned through
half the colors of the rainbow.

Apparently some time during the night, Pierce had put

Tobin's tux and shirt in the hall for the laundry and the butler
delivered them, clean and perfectly pressed, before they'd
finished the coffee. Tobin could get used to this lifestyle, but

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by EM Lynley

knowing it might be funded by art theft or destruction of
natural resources tainted the perfection.

Rather than wear the tux home, Tobin borrowed some of

Pierce's clothes for the short taxi ride to his Greenwich Village
apartment. He made certain to pay the taxi fare, even though
Pierce had pulled out his wallet. They'd barely gotten inside
the apartment when Tobin's cell phone rang. He would have
ignored it but it was the ring tone he used for his parents. He
glanced over at Pierce, not wanting to have this conversation
in front of him and Pierce seemed to get the message.

"I could use another coffee. Okay if I make some?" Pierce

wandered off in the direction of the kitchen as Tobin
answered the phone.

"Hello?"
"Morning, son." His father's voice, bright and lively,

shattered the quiet on Tobin's end of the line.

"Dad. How are you?"
"Good. Today's good."
"What did you and Mom decide? Are you coming for the

opening tonight?" Tobin felt a mixture of hopefulness and
fear. As much as he wanted them there, he didn't need
another complication right now.

"Well, son. Your mom doesn't much like flying, you know?

So we're gonna stay put."

"You sure, Dad?" Tobin couldn't help the immense relief

that washed over him and immediately hated himself.

"We're sure. Don't forget to send us lots of pictures. You

know we're so proud of you. And you look so handsome in
those tuxedoes. Mom can't get enough of those!"

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by EM Lynley

"Thanks, Dad." Tobin chuckled. "I know. I'll miss not

having you here."

"I'm sure you have enough on your plate without the old

folks to worry about. We love you, Tobin. Bye now."

"Love you, Dad." Tobin swallowed hard and fought back

tears. His dad sounded so normal today, but it was still early.
By afternoon it would be a different story. Peter Wyler's
Alzheimer's was progressing more quickly than expected and
he was aware of the burden he could be to his family. Always
an independent, self-sufficient man, the former Sheriff hated
his increasing dependence on others. At Tobin's last visit
home, they'd found a full-time care facility and were simply
waiting for a spot to open up. It had been a difficult decision,
but everyone agreed Peter would very soon need more care
than his wife could give him.

Peter Wyler especially hated causing inconvenience or

anxiety for Tobin. It was hard to see his dad's condition
deteriorate each time they were together, and the knowledge
of the future responsibilities were heavy on Tobin's mind. He
was grateful for the dignified way his father had turned down
his invitation to attend the opening. His mom wouldn't even
mind he'd blamed it on her, to keep some of his own self-
respect.

"How's your dad?" Pierce's voice startled Tobin.
"Fine," Tobin lied, taking the coffee Pierce handed to him

and clutching it against his chest, hoping the warmth could
somehow make it true. He took a tentative sip, welcoming the
burn.

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by EM Lynley

"Good." Pierce nodded, but something in his expression

told Tobin he didn't believe it. "Don't suppose you mentioned
seeing me again?" Pierce raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not." Tobin gulped more coffee, seeking the

support of caffeine to deal with Pierce's probing questions. He
clearly distinguished its inferiority to the Plaza's brew, but if
Pierce noticed or cared, he didn't let on.

"Why not?"
"Why would I?"
"He and I always got along great."
"True, but this is not about him, Pierce."
"What is it about?"
"It's not about anything except business of a sort, I

suppose. What did you expect?"

Pierce frowned and Tobin wondered whether Pierce had

thought their sex had been about anything more than sex. It
had been great sex; as good as any they'd ever had. Maybe
better. Tobin would have loved for it to mean more, but given
the situation, how could it? Any deeper connection he'd felt
the night before was either his imagination or just fantasy.

"Business. Right." Pierce looked thoughtfully into his coffee

mug, avoiding Tobin's eyes. "So what happens at the end of
the thirty-six hours?"

"We're down to twenty-four."
"What happens at the end?"
"What do you want to happen?"
"I don't know. What do you want, Tobin?"
"Let's see how the rest of the time passes."
"Figures."

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Tobin didn't know what he wanted or expected. Not true.

He expected to be disappointed. Pierce would be gone, very
likely with the emerald, and he'd end up regretting they'd
spent the time together.

What did he have to lose? Only his job, reputation and self

respect.

Pierce had hurt Tobin ten years ago, but now they were

together again it seemed like old times. The thing was, until
their final argument when Pierce had outright lied to him,
their relationship had been as near perfect as he'd ever hope
to have. They'd had their share of disagreements, but never
over anything substantial. Not that college students had
incredibly substantial issues to deal with, but they'd
weathered everything just fine. He'd never even seen Pierce
give anyone more than a casual glance when they were
together. It had come as the surprise of his life to learn Pierce
had been with another man.

* * * *

It happened less than a week after graduation. Tobin had

been shopping in preparation for their imminent trip to
Europe, when he ran into a friend who told him she'd seen
Pierce having an intimate dinner with another man.

"Emilie said she saw you at Bistro Elan tonight." Tobin

confronted Pierce when he arrived home to the apartment
they shared. "You told me you were going to be at the studio
clearing out your supplies."

"I was at the studio."

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"Pierce, I stopped by there on my way home and your stuff

hadn't been touched. Why don't you try again?"

"Okay. I didn't make it to the studio." Pierce let out a

breath and Tobin realized he hadn't been breathing either. No
wonder his lungs felt like they might explode. Pierce had
never lied to him before, or if he had, it hadn't been so
blatant.

"So, it's true? You were with someone else?"
Tobin felt his gut contracting, folding in on itself, tightening

to a tiny ball that might just suck the rest of him in like his
own personal black hole. He wished he hadn't asked. He
didn't really want to know the answer.

"I was at the restaurant with a guy, but it's not what you

think."

"Emilie said you looked very cozy. Heads together,

whispering. Looking almost in love." Tobin nearly spat out the
words, remembering the times he'd enjoyed with Pierce at
Elan.

"That place is so noisy. The only way to hear someone is to

get close and I guess it might have looked 'cozy,' but not 'in
love.' What is Emelie smoking?"

"Then what was it? Who was he?"
"No one important."
"Then just tell me."
"He was one of Reggie's clients."
"Why would you meet a client of Reggie's like that? And

not tell me?"

"I didn't think it would matter or I would have said

something."

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by EM Lynley

"Well, it does matter. It mattered enough to you to lie."
"I really was going to the studio when Reggie called and

asked me to meet this guy at the last minute."

"Okay. You could have just said that sooner." Tobin didn't

believe it for a minute. He knew he could just accept what
Pierce told him and not pursue it further, but something told
Tobin there was a lot Pierce wasn't saying. "What were you
talking about?"

"Art."
"Right."
"He wanted Reggie to find a piece for him."
"So, why wasn't Reggie there?"
"He couldn't make it, so I met with the guy. He was just in

town for a couple of days and their schedules didn't sync up."

"What piece?"
Pierce opened and closed his mouth a few times, like a

fish. That only convinced Tobin the story was a lie. At least
the part about art.

"What piece?" He'd give Pierce a chance to answer, let him

tie the noose around his own neck.

"I can't say."
"What the fuck? Why not?"
"He wants to keep it a secret, or it might drive the price

up."

"You really think I'm that much of an idiot to believe you

need to keep that from me? Worried I might inform my
extensive art world contacts and ruin the deal?"

"That's not it." Pierce started to laugh, but stopped,

realizing Tobin wasn't joking around.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"Then what is it?"
Pierce inhaled deeply and chewed the inside of his bottom

lip as he exhaled. "Please don't ask me. If I tell you, I'm
afraid you won't like the answer."

"I don't like what I've heard so far. And I don't like no

answer."

"Why can't you just trust me?" Pierce practically shouted

and Tobin took half a step back, shocked at the force of the
words. "Tobin, this has nothing to do with you, but it's not at
all what you think. I promise I'd never to lie to you, but I just
can't—won't—say anything more about it."

"If you need to keep secrets about 'art,' then there's

nothing real between us. Why can't you trust me? Have I ever
given you a reason to think I wouldn't understand the truth?"

"I don't think you would understand." Pierce's tone turned

hostile again.

Tobin's gut churned and he fought back panic and tears.

He stared at Pierce, feeling like he didn't even know the man
standing in front of him.

"Tobin, this is really complicated. It's not my secret and I

can't reveal someone else's private matters."

"This mystery man is more important than I am?" Tobin

didn't even try to keep the sarcastic tone out of his voice.

"Of course not. But I gave my word..." Pierce wouldn't

meet Tobin's gaze. He shifted his weight and gnawed some
more at his lip.

"Fine. I won't ask again. But I can't see why you feel the

need to keep something from me. I don't like secrets like
this."

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"So, now what?"
"Yes, now what?" Tobin waited, hoping Pierce would just

tell him. Or at least apologize.

"I don't know." Pierce turned and headed for the door. He

slammed it behind him and the sound echoed through the
apartment.

Tobin spent a sleepless night tossing and turning in the

guest room. He knew he had a choice: he could ask again and
get a lie, after which he'd never be able to trust Pierce. Or he
could drop it and choose to believe he had nothing to worry
about. The issue was no longer who Pierce had met, but why
he refused to explain. Until now, he'd never given Tobin a
reason to doubt anything. But this one time would lead to
another, and another. If Pierce really cared, he would tell
Tobin, wouldn't he?

* * * *

Pierce watched Tobin sipping coffee in his apartment,

knowing what thoughts must be going through his mind.
Pierce's own memories were as fresh as if it had been that
morning. Remembering made him sick to his stomach and he
frowned into his coffee mug. He'd gone over it thousands of
times over the years, and always wished he'd done it
differently.

But could he have told Tobin everything? Could he explain

now?

He knew exactly what was going through Tobin's mind that

day. Pierce could have told Tobin the truth and risked losing
him, because how do you explain to your lover—and the son

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

of a sheriff—that your family business was stealing? It
wouldn't matter to Tobin why they stole art. That it wasn't
stealing in the usual sense of taking something that wasn't
yours, but stealing back. Returning art and artifacts to their
rightful owners, sometimes decades or centuries after they'd
been taken. It was a gray area, but Tobin was such a stickler
for honesty, truth and the American way, he wouldn't easily
accept it. The son of a county sheriff, Tobin had grown up
respecting if not worshipping the law. Worse, he could turn in
both Pierce and Reggie, and the rest of the crew who helped
them carry out their operations.

Saying nothing had left a proverbial white elephant sitting

on the sofa between them. An elephant that grew and grew
until it sucked the life and air out of the room, and out of
their relationship. The fastest-growing elephant in the history
of the universe, since it had taken less than twenty-four
hours for Pierce to come home to a nearly empty apartment.

Tobin had taken only his personal belongings but with him

gone, the loss of his love left even the beautifully furnished
rooms devoid of emotion and comfort for Pierce.

Tobin refused to return Pierce's countless messages and

emails. None of their friends would say where Tobin had gone
and Tobin's parents also claimed ignorance.

Pierce went to the airport the day their flight was

scheduled, but Tobin wasn't there. If he'd gone to Europe on
his own, he'd taken a different flight. Pierce toyed with the
idea of camping out at one of the museums he knew Tobin
would visit, but felt too much like a stalker.

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by EM Lynley

Pierce didn't know how many times he'd tried to paint a

portrait of Tobin that summer. He'd started and abandoned at
least a dozen, never being able to capture the essence of him,
the warmth and laughter and vibrancy.

Over the years, Pierce kept track of Tobin's success and

accomplishments. It hadn't been difficult. Tobin had published
several articles during graduate school and quickly made a
name for himself. Several times their paths had crossed at an
opening or other art-world function, but Pierce had kept his
distance.. He spared both of them the pain that a meeting
would entail. It would bring up everything that had torn them
apart, and Pierce hadn't been ready to explain. Until now.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Chapter Four

* * * *

Once Tobin had dressed, they taxied to the museum,

arriving just past nine. Tobin usually was in his office by
eight, but no one mentioned his late arrival, or that Pierce
accompanied him. He hoped it wasn't completely obvious
they'd not only left together the previous night, but hadn't
been apart a moment since. Tobin got a secret little thrill
knowing that, which surprised him. He tried to keep his
private life out of office, and this time the two worlds had
collided like never before.

The downside to Tobin's enjoyment was the uncertainty of

whether the sheikh would pull the emerald, and of course,
whether Pierce was Jaguar. And if so, would he really steal
the emerald out from under Tobin in his most important
professional occasion? Breakfast churned in his stomach at
the thought of how many ways his post-coital good mood
could be shattered today. He cursed Pierce for being there,
and worse, for being so damn attractive. Why couldn't the
sheikh have hired a security expert Tobin didn't know? Or at
least one who wasn't likely to steal the damned thing?

"Let me just check in with Chantal, the assistant curator,

then we can start your tour." Tobin left his coat in his office
and peeked into the next office, but it was empty. He spotted
Chantal heading toward him with a mug of coffee.

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by EM Lynley

"Chantal, Mr. Worthington is from Worth Protection, on

behalf of the sheikh. I'm giving him an update on the security
arrangements for the exhibit. Buzz me if anyone needs me."
He patted the pocket with his cell phone.

"Sure thing, Tobin. Mr. Worthington." Chantal nodded and

gave Pierce a thorough appraisal. He winked at her, and she
giggled like a schoolgirl, which shocked Tobin, considering she
was a fifty-six year old grandmother of seven. But Pierce
could have that effect on Tobin, so he didn't begrudge her.

Tobin led Pierce into the third room of the exhibit, where

the emerald lay on a bed of black velvet, clearly the
centerpiece of the crown and the room. The case and the
lighting had been specially designed and built to allow its
beauty to shine from every angle. No matter how many times
Tobin saw the emerald, he remained in awe of its majesty, a
combination of natural beauty and supreme workmanship. As
one moved around the case, the gem glowed a vibrant,
mesmerizing green.

"It's magnificent." Pierce seemed to be under the

emerald's spell as well, and Tobin's heart lurched. But it
wasn't greed he saw reflected in Pierce's gaze, only a genuine
admiration of beauty. "Photographs do not do it justice. It's
infinitely more impressive in person." He walked around the
case slowly, then reluctantly pulled his gaze away from the
gem. "Back to business."

Two workmen were adjusting the lighting on another piece

in the room and Tobin asked them to take a break—paid of
course—while he covered the necessary information for
Pierce.

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by EM Lynley

"The case itself is wired and there is a pressure-sensitive

pad under the crown. The velvet base is weighted, so even if
you—a thief—were to correctly estimate the weight of the
crown, it would be highly unlikely to know what pressure
would set off the alarm."

"Interesting." Pierce nodded.
"Not taking notes?"
"Why should I?"
"I expected you'd want to get the details down accurately."
"The basics are enough for the sheikh. He wouldn't

concern himself with the specifics. That's my department."
Pierce grinned. "Oh, you mean if I were preparing to steal it?
Well, I have an excellent memory." He tapped his temple,
slightly knocking his glasses askew, so he had to reposition
them. The awkward gesture made Tobin laugh, breaking the
tension. After a few seconds, Pierce joined in and for the ten-
thousandth time Tobin wished he could just relax and enjoy
this strange but so far pleasant reunion. But too many
unanswered questions nagged at Tobin's gut and he knew
trouble was brewing. He just wasn't certain from which
direction it would ultimately come.

"What about lasers?"
"While the museum is open, we have a set focused on the

case from the ceiling, but there is a more extensive set in use
after-hours. They operate in a random pattern on a random
timer. The only way to get around them is to turn them off.
Only I and the security director have the codes."

"Which company set up the laser system?"
"I can't tell you that."

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"Can't or won't?" The corner of Pierce's mouth ticked up.
"Both. I'm not authorized to give that information, and if I

were, I wouldn't share it with anyone not on the exhibit staff."

"I see. Maybe I should have shown up in overalls rather

than a tuxedo."

"Maybe you should have." Tobin gave a half smile, but

couldn't help glancing at the door through which the
maintenance men had left. Could one of them be part of
Jaguar's team, gathering information that would be used to
steal the emerald, or another item in the exhibit?

"Got anyone new on the maintenance crew?" Pierce had

read Tobin's thoughts.

"Not to my knowledge. I personally approved everyone

working on this exhibit or in any of the adjacent rooms. As far
as I know, this team has been part of the museum staff for
several years. It's very difficult to get a job here, even as a
janitor or ticket clerk."

"Then you have nothing to worry about from that flank."
Tobin didn't feel any better.
Leaving the exhibition rooms, Tobin gave Pierce a cursory

tour of the security suite, explaining the camera system and
flicking through the different camera views of the room.
Again, Pierce didn't take notes, but spent time watching what
each and every officer in the room appeared to be doing. He
asked Tobin to scan through the camera angles again, which
he did, though more quickly than the first time.

Back in Tobin's office, Pierce shut the door and made

himself comfortable, again sprawling in the chair facing, Tobin
who sat behind the desk.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"I think I've got everything I need to reassure the sheikh."
"Really?" Tobin felt torn. Had he given Jaguar too much

information in his desire to placate the sheikh? Would Pierce
disappear now he had what he needed?

"Yes. I'll call him and give him the news, and the emerald

can go on exhibit in public as originally planned."

"And what about you?"
"You've performed your side of out little contract, showing

me the security. I still owe you..." he looked at his watch,
"twenty hours. You keep an eagle eye on me so I don't give
my alleged accomplices the information necessary to steal the
emerald." Pierce pulled his phone out of his breast pocket.

"Uh-uh." He held his hand out and Pierce gave him the

phone. "Use my phone to call the sheikh." Tobin didn't trust
Pierce. He was too smooth, too calculating, and Tobin
wouldn't take any chances. He'd monitor every phone call or
email Pierce sent, now that he had seen the security details.

"Fine. Would you like to dial, so you can be sure I'm calling

him?"

Tobin set Pierce's phone down on the desk, then pulled his

own cell from a pocket and speed-dialed the sheikh's local cell
number. He handed the phone to Pierce once the sheikh
answered. He listened to Pierce sum up his approval of the
security and took the phone back once Pierce had finished the
call.

"I'm all yours again." Pierce said.
"I have work to do. Can you entertain yourself while I take

care of emails and return calls?"

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"Sure." Pierce got up and strolled across the fairly spacious

office to look at the art on the walls and in the two display
cases.

Tobin watched for a few minutes, to see what would

interest Pierce. He could have watched Pierce wander around
his office all day, but probably had a few million emails to
take care of.

Tobin logged onto his computer, but his mind wasn't on

work and he stared, unseeing, at the screen. Even the
excitement of the exhibit's gala opening that night paled in
comparison to his concern for the emerald. And his inability to
separate his feelings for Pierce from his worry that despite
Pierce's protests, he was Jaguar.

* * * *

Over the years, Tobin had pieced various clues together

and it all just made sense. There had been rumors throughout
the art world about pieces that had gone missing, or been
removed from exhibits. Some were high-profile like the
emerald, and others were less spectacular. Nothing had been
made public, and there were no newspaper headlines or
exposes, but among curators, collectors and dealers, the
rumors were whispered. No one knew of any of the pieces
going onto the open market or the black market. It was as if
some items had disappeared off the face off the earth. Other
items showed up again as if they'd never been missing. A few
names were put forward as the man responsible for the
strange disappearances. All but Pierce were known
international criminals of some repute, wanted by Interpol,

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

but Pierce had been present at several of the exhibits from
which art or artifacts had disappeared.

As Tobin thought back over the past, certain events clicked

into place.

But the evidence didn't end there. There was Pierce's odd

family history and the priceless works of art in Reggie's
house, like the Titian. It was only years later, when Tobin
became more familiar with the reality of the art world he
discovered at least one of the items he'd seen at Reggie's was
on lists of lost or stolen art at one point or another.

Add in Reggie's jokes about famous fakes, and both his

and Pierce's artistic talents and training, a near-perfect copy
of a Degas sculpture Pierce had made and given to him as a
birthday present one year had been just one piece of hard
evidence. Pierce's gymnastics training and his super-nerd
sister's computer expertise. Wrap that all up in a blanket of a
family business of art security, and Reggie's past as an art
dealer, and it didn't take a genius to see.

After he'd started working as a curator, Tobin had once

tracked Pierce's movements with Worth Protection and he
was in too many places at the wrong time. Tobin couldn't
directly pin him to the disappearance of any particular item,
but the evidence added up. Pierce had to be Jaguar.

The odd thing was he seemed to have trained for it,

prepared for the career, as did Carlotta. And Reggie certainly
seemed involved or supporting it. It was an odd family,
though Tobin couldn't deny he'd loved every minute he'd
spent with them. Incredibly unconventional, they were kind,
loving, well-read, traveled, educated, and constantly

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

amusing. When he'd left Pierce, it felt like he'd abandoned his
own family. The Worthingtons were such a contrast to his
meat-and-potatoes Midwestern upbringing. Not that he didn't
love his own family, but the Worthingtons were like having
Christmas every day.

But that was unrealistic, and Tobin knew there had to be a

dark side to the bright, shiny surface.

* * * *

"About Jaguar?"
Pierce's sudden question sent Tobin's heart racing. Had

Pierce read his mind again? Guilt mixed with worry and Tobin
couldn't look at him.

He logged out of the email system and pushed his chair

back a few inches from the desk. He was still too keyed up
about that night's opening for the museum's top donors,
press, random celebrities and anyone in the art world who
could wrangle an invitation. Would the emerald still be there
when the reception began? So far, Pierce hadn't made a
single call or sent an email or text since they'd been together.
Tobin couldn't see how he could take the gem, or anything
else, from the exhibit.

"Have any of those pieces allegedly taken by Jaguar

resurfaced?"

Tobin glanced at Pierce, who looked as if this were a

simple question and not filled with irony.

"I think a few have. It's not like I'm an expert on the guy,

or follow his adventures. It's entirely possible." Once Tobin
had convinced himself Pierce was Jaguar, he hadn't kept

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

track. And he'd been more concerned with items disappearing
from museums, not necessarily whether they'd eventually
reappeared.

"Now you've got my curiosity piqued. Let's Google it."

Pierce moved behind Tobin, getting distractingly close. One
hand moved to Tobin's shoulder, the thumb pressing and
massaging the knotted muscles.

Tobin bit back a groan at how good Pierce's strong, skillful

fingers felt. He shuffled in his chair, trying to make room for
the way his cock swelled at Pierce's touch.

"What? Why?" Tobin couldn't remember what they were

talking about. Oh, right. Jaguar.

"Let's see what's been taken. Give me some chance to

show I'm not involved."

"Go ahead. I want to stretch my legs." Tobin practically

leapt out of the chair and gestured for Pierce to sit in his
place. He needed to get away from Pierce, physically.

Pierce tilted his head slightly, gave Tobin a roguish grin,

then settled himself at the desk. He tapped at the keyboard,
and settled back in the chair as he perused the results on the
screen.

"Come look at this."
Tobin padded across the plush carpeting and stood behind

Pierce, bending down to peer over his shoulder. How did the
man manage to still smell so damn good? The scent of the
Plaza's shower gel on Pierce reminded Tobin of the previous
night. Being close enough to feel the heat emanating from
Pierce's body only inches away, Tobin felt his cock stirring
again. He was still exhausted from the previous night, and

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by EM Lynley

truth be told, slightly sore, but it didn't stop him from wanting
Pierce again.

It took all Tobin's concentration to follow the cursor as

Pierce pointed to the information on the screen and Tobin
read out loud, "...the item was returned to a grateful owner
who had never expected to see the artifact again."

While he read, Pierce reached back and stroked Tobin's

thigh, distracting him and getting him fully aroused again.
The fingers on his thigh moved higher, almost burning
through the fabric, tracing the clear outline of Tobin's cock
and providing the perfect amount of pressure. Pierce's phone
rang, distracting both of them. He reached out to silence it,
but Tobin noticed it was a text message, something about an
optometrist appointment, before Pierce clicked a button and
the screen went blank. Pierce folded up his glasses and stuck
them in his jacket pocket

Good, Tobin thought. The last thing he needed was to have

someone walk in on him with Pierce's hand on his crotch in
the middle of working hours. But Pierce's hand went right
back to the same spot again, and damn it felt good.

"Unh," slipped out before Tobin could stop it and the next

thing he knew, Pierce had maneuvered him around, ass
against the desk. Silently, Pierce unzipped Tobin's pants and
slipped his boxers out of the way so he could take Tobin's
cock into his mouth.

Oh. God. Oh. No." He couldn't form the words but his brain

was screaming, Not in my office! "Not here."

Pierce barely stopped what he was doing to murmur,

"Door's locked," against Tobin's balls with a heavenly

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

vibration. "Mmm," Pierce added, tongue licking up the length
before circling the head of Tobin's cock. He sucked hard for a
moment before dipping into the slit to torture Tobin again. For
the next ten minutes—or maybe it was ten hours, Tobin lost
all sense of time, all sense of anything but what Pierce's
mouth and hands did to him. Pierce brought him to the edge
then eased back before again building momentum. Tobin
grabbed at Pierce's hair, fingers curling into the silky, dark
golden locks for balance. At one point he opened his eyes and
looked down to see Pierce watching him, an impish delight
filling his eyes.

Someone may have knocked at the door, but Tobin gave

up caring. When he finally came, Pierce held his hips tight and
swallowed everything, then pulled Tobin onto his lap as his
knees were about to give way. Tobin sat there for a moment,
regaining his equilibrium. He leaned closer and kissed Pierce,
long and hard, thinking up ways to reciprocate until loud
knocking on the door disturbed the mood.

"Tobin?" It was Chantal.
Tobin leapt out of the chair, pulling his pants up and

making sure he was presentable. He opened the door.

"Sorry, on a long-distance call."
"Okay." Chantal eyed him suspiciously and Tobin felt like

running back inside and hiding under the desk. "Didn't mean
to disturb you and that beautiful visitor of yours. Where've
you been hiding him all this time?"

"Long story."
"Well, don't waste any more time, honey. You don't want

someone else snapping him up! Anyway, I wanted to let you

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by EM Lynley

know I'm leaving early to get ready for the reception tonight.
I think everything's under control."

"Yes. That sounds like a good idea."
Chantal peered around Tobin and he could see Pierce wave

to her. "You could leave early, too, Tobin"

"Thanks. See you tonight."
Chantal gave him a knowing wink as she turned and

departed, humming.

* * * *

[Back to Table of Contents]

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Chapter Five

Pierce and Tobin had brought their tuxedoes with them

that morning and, after a quick bite at a quiet bistro near the
museum, they changed in Tobin's office. There was an
impressive catered spread at the reception, but Tobin would
be too busy to eat. He was expected to make the rounds with
the director or on his own, trying to make the important
people feel even more important. It was part of his job, and
one he liked less and less.

Pierce remained close, in eyeshot the entire time. Tobin

still had his cell phone. He felt a little guilty about not trusting
Pierce, especially after so many great orgasms in a twenty-
four-hour period, but that had been the deal, and Pierce
seemed to be enjoying himself so far.

The evening went off without a hitch. Tobin gave a few

short interviews for print and one film crew, and, as expected,
the Crown was the center of attention. He repeated the story
of its original theft and his efforts to reunite the gems. Pierce
tagged along on the obligatory tour of the highlights to a
group of the director's closest cronies, engaging in polite
chitchat with white-haired, bejeweled art patrons, several of
whom appeared to be acquaintances. Pierce kissed hands,
fetched drinks and charmed everyone, as Tobin watched with
a heavy heart. If only their time together wasn't so artificial
and filled with his own dread about what would undoubtedly
eventually happen to the emerald.

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by EM Lynley

After the reception, the museum slowly emptied out except

for security personnel. Tobin was still on a high. He loved to
wander the deserted building, and now he hoped it would
calm him a little. Pierce followed along, mostly silently, until
they got to the Egyptian room. The centerpiece of this
collection was a display including an actual burial chamber
completely reconstructed in the center of the room, which
visitors could enter and experience the inside of a genuine
pyramid, including the original if faded wall and ceiling
murals.

"Remember the first time we came here together?" Pierce

asked, his voice soft and wistful.

"What about it?" Tobin knew exactly what Pierce meant

and he didn't particularly want to be reminded. He recalled it
every time he entered this room.

"Didn't you once say something about fucking in a

pyramid?" A corner of Pierce's mouth lifted.

"Yeah, I said something like that." Tobin wished Pierce

would stop rehashing their past. It was killing him to
remember the good times, and he didn't want to play this
game with Pierce. Not again.

"Well?" Pierce's expression turned hopeful.
"Turned out it wasn't as good as I expected." Tobin kept

his voice even, though his chest ached with the effort. He
wasn't as good at this as Pierce was.

"You did it then?" Was that disappointment, or maybe

even hurt in Pierce's voice?

"Twice." Tobin lied.

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by EM Lynley

"Oh." Pierce's veneer of suave sophistication and

playfulness seemed to have thoroughly cracked and he
sounded as awful as Tobin felt. Truth was, Tobin had never
been in the pyramid with anyone, but every time he saw it,
he recalled that conversation he and Pierce had years ago. He
closed his eyes for a few seconds and attempted to gather his
thoughts.

Pierce turned from the pyramid's entrance and wandered

over to the next display, leaning down to examine a collection
of scarabs. He kept his back to Tobin.

"I think it would be amazing with you, Pierce..." Tobin's

voice was little more than a whisper but in the empty
museum it echoed and he hoped Pierce couldn't hear the
pain.

Pierce's head shot up, but he didn't turn toward Tobin.
Tobin bit his lip. Pierce didn't seem to be playing after all;

he seemed genuinely upset. Tobin wished he could take back
that ridiculous lie. Why did he always handle things with
Pierce the wrong way? Maybe he could still salvage the
situation.

"Still interested?" Tobin hoped he didn't sound like he was

pleading. He pulled his phone from a pocket and punched in
the code that locked down the room and the doors slid shut
with an echoing clang. No one could enter until he released
them. He turned off the cameras with another code.

Seeming startled by the shutting doors, Pierce rotated

slowly, a thoughtful look on his face, until Tobin held out a
beckoning hand. As soon as Pierce's fingers touched his,
Tobin pulled him close. Damn, how good Pierce smelled.

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by EM Lynley

Always had. It had taken years to get the smell of him out of
Tobin's memory so he could be around other men wearing
Pierce's favorite colognes and not think of him. And in barely
twenty-four hours, it had all come undone.

Pulling each other's jackets off, they kissed, mouths at first

eager and seeking, but then slowed, savoring each other, and
the poignancy of this moment, long delayed. Tobin backed
Pierce against the side of the pyramid, kissing him deeply
while hands strayed under Pierce's shirt, fingers seeking skin,
caressing, pinching, possessing.

* * * *

Afterward, they lay in each other's arms.
"I'm surprised you'd even go in this thing," Pierce said, still

slightly short of breath. "Shouldn't it be back in Egypt?" He
knew Tobin was on the Restitution Committee, but the
pyramid had been here for so long and it had always been a
major bone of contention.

Tobin let out a soft laugh. "It's on loan now. Officially. The

museum restored it to Egypt a few months ago. "

"What?" Pierce turned to see if Tobin was joking.
"It's been kept quiet, protecting the Egyptology

Department from too much scrutiny about what else they
have. The museum arranged an 'indefinite loan' of the
pyramid and a few other choice items, and in exchange the
Egyptian government overlooks anything else currently in the
collection." Tobin sounded bitter.

"I take there is a lot left here that ought to go back?"

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by EM Lynley

"A lot. Much of it isn't even catalogued, so the museum

can deny knowing they own it. But the curators and archivists
know exactly what's here."

Pierce nodded and let out a sigh. Pierce hadn't realized

how disillusioned Tobin was with his job, a job he'd dreamed
about for years, long before they'd ever met. Leaning down,
Pierce combed his fingers through Tobin's hair and kissed his
temple, the hair slightly damp from their exertions. "What can
you do?"

"Nothing." The word burst out between Tobin's lips, then

his expression softened. He closed his eyes and leaned into
Pierce's touch. "Some days, I just want to send a list to the
Egyptians. Or maybe just ship it all off in a big crate. A bunch
of big crates."

"Interesting idea. You'd probably lose your job."
"And be blacklisted from working for most institutions."
"You'd be a folk hero, though. Maybe they'd write songs

about you."

"You're funny."
Pierce stared at Tobin, picturing him earlier in the evening,

wandering through the rooms of the exhibit, eavesdropping
on visitors' comments and making notes on his phone.

"Don't you ever stop working?" Pierce had remained within

sight of him, though he knew Tobin didn't expect anything to
happen to the emerald in the middle of the reception.

"I like to know what people's reactions are. Helps me fine-

tune the exhibit. Some of the description cards need to be
rewritten. People are wondering what a few pieces are."

"Damn, you're tiring me out just watching you."

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by EM Lynley

"I'm sure you're just not recovered yet from last night."

Tobin winked, surprising Pierce. Despite his attention to detail
about the exhibit, Tobin seemed to have loosened up quite a
lot about other things, namely sex in his office and then in
the pyramid. Pierce smiled, remembering the details, burning
them into his memories. Tobin had been a diligent student,
the kind who read all the assignments and even made notes
in the margins. But Pierce found a new respect after watching
him work for the past twenty-four hours. He'd grown and
matured into a competent and well-respected man, both
personally and professionally, and Pierce grieved over the lost
years in between.

Even more, he regretted knowing this fragile detente

wouldn't last much longer. They'd put their past behind them,
possibly only because it was for two short days. Was there
any chance it could last longer?

"Tobin..."
"What?"
Pierce wanted so badly to tell Tobin the truth. This was the

perfect moment. But if he miscalculated, the job would go
south and it would be his fault. Damn Reggie for scheduling
this. Of all the times to get close to Tobin and he found
himself working against him. Just when they'd found some
way to put the past behind them and start over.

"Nothing. Kiss me?"
Tobin looked into Pierce's eyes, searching but not finding

whatever he was looking for. "You don't need to ask twice."

* * * *

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

They were silent in the taxi back to Tobin's, fingers

interlaced and legs pressed together from ankle to hip. Bright
lights cast multi-colored reflections on Pierce's hair and across
his face and Tobin had to turn away when he felt the lump
closing in his throat. The thirty-six hours was nearly over and
Tobin understood the significance. It meant Pierce would be
gone, and likely very soon afterward, the emerald with him.
Tobin wondered why he'd made such a foolish deal in the first
place. He suspected he could only postpone the theft, not
prevent it. He wasn't stupid enough to expect Pierce—or
Jaguar—to change his spots just because they'd spent two
days deluding themselves that ten years and countless
suspicions didn't separate them.

At Tobin's door, Pierce raised his wrist as if to check his

watch, but stopped.

Tobin looked into Pierce's eyes, seeing that same hopeful

look as in front of the pyramid. He opened the door and let
Pierce inside.

Once inside, Tobin poured them both tumblers of Irish

whiskey and settled onto the couch, watching as Pierce
wandered around the living room, admiring Tobin's collection.

"I never wanted this job, Tobin. Taking the emerald."

Pierce's back was to Tobin, head bent down over a
reproduction of a Degas ballet dancer—the one Pierce had
given him so long ago. "I tried hard over the years to be sure
we never met—professionally—on one of these jobs. But I
never stopped hoping our paths might cross under more
agreeable circumstances."

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Tobin wasn't certain whether he was happy or not that

Pierce had given up denying he'd come to steal the emerald.
He still refused to admit to being Jaguar, but that was just a
detail. At least the biggest issue was out in the open now.

"But you're here. Apparently the money was too much to

turn down this time."

"It's got nothing to do with the money."
"I know you probably don't need the money. So have you

got them all on display in some grand house of yours? Like
Reggie's?" Tobin couldn't keep the scorn out of his voice. This
wasn't how he wanted tonight to play out. But how could he
have expected it not to end badly?

"Of course not." Pierce turned. "I gave them all back. We

give them back, to their owners."

"What?"
"We're not stealing art. We're returning it."

* * * *

[Back to Table of Contents]

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Chapter Six

Tobin just stared, clearly not understanding. Pierce sat

down next to him, the ice clinking in his glass.

"Don't you see? We aren't thieves, not in the strictest

sense of the word. We give things back to their rightful
owners."

"Yeah. I'll buy that. Just like you pretend to be security

experts to case your victims."

"We are security experts." Who better than thieves to

know how to protect your most valuable possessions? "But
they aren't victims. Just ask any one of them. They'll tell you
nothing of theirs was stolen."

Tobin harrumphed. He was pretty good at it. Pierce wasn't

even certain he could make such a sound.

"Will you let me explain?"
Tobin let out a skeptical sigh, settled back in the couch and

nodded, eyes wary.

The "victims," as Tobin called them, were never the

rightful owners of the items in question. Some hadn't realized
they'd purchased a piece that had been lost or stolen and
were happy to help in its restoration. They provided
information that often resulted in the true thieves being
apprehended. UNESCO—the United Nations organization for
art—had a fund to compensate collectors who mistakenly
purchased stolen art. In every case of actual theft, the
acquirer had gotten the piece either by illegal or immoral
methods, and that's why they'd been targeted. They refused

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

to cooperate when Jaguar contacted them about their pieces.
That was the other half of the family business. Making people
pay. "Revenge, Inc," Tobin's dad used to call it. Most of the
family money had been earned from rewards, primarily from
governments or insurance companies, but occasionally from
grateful owners, often surprised to have their beloved
possession returned. The Worthingtons never took money
from anyone who couldn't afford to pay. One grateful woman,
finally reunited with several lost paintings done by her late
father—a world-renowned and loved artist—had insisted
Reggie take one as a reward. He refused and she had a
messenger deliver it anyway. Reggie returned the paining.
This went through several iterations until the woman hand-
delivered it. Finally, Reggie relented. The painting, though
small, hung in his bedroom, his most prized piece, though the
painter's name was long forgotten and his talent paled in
comparison to the Titian, Picasso and just perhaps, a
Rembrandt, that hung in the sitting room.

"How did you start this... business?"
"My great-grandmother started it. Though at the time it

was simply a woman trying to right a wrong she'd seen
committed."

Tobin looked blank.
"It's a long story. You'll need another drink."
"Okay." Tobin's eyebrows rose, but he accepted a refill of

whiskey from Pierce who settled back onto the couch.

"My great-grandfather was an archeologist. He worked on

digs with the most well-known scholars of his time, in Egypt
and the Middle East. Back then, digs were privately funded,

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

with the benefactors being repaid in loot from the
excavations. Some of them even expected to pick and choose
their prizes before the researchers had a proper opportunity
to catalog and study the finds. There's no telling how much
history has been lost to academia and the public because it's
sitting in some oil baron's guest bedroom. Or worse, their
attic."

"Sure, I know all of this."
"What you don't know is that my great-grandfather died on

one of those digs."

"A mummy's curse?" Tobin let out half a chuckle then

clamped his mouth shut, realizing it wasn't a joking matter.

"No. He was found beaten to death, and based on what

he'd written in a letter he'd mailed the day he died, it was
later discovered most of the artifacts he'd been cataloguing
that afternoon were missing. They never found who killed
him."

"That's awful." Tobin pressed the tips of his fingers to his

lips for a moment. "So your great-grandmother wanted to
recover the items?"

"No. She wanted nothing to do with them. In fact she

insisted my grandfather, who was still at university, return
everything my great-grandfather had in his own collection to
the authorities or museums in the countries where he'd found
the items."

"What?"
"Yes. Even items he'd legally purchased or been officially

given. She thought it was a curse, and he'd been punished for
helping others steal history and heritage. My grandfather did

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

as she asked. But he had too much love for history and
archeology to stay away from digs, and after she passed
away a few years later, he resumed his studies."

"Fascinating."
"So in her honor, he never looted or allowed anyone else

to loot a dig he worked on. He wasn't particularly popular
after that and couldn't find much work, so he started working
to recover other lost items. My dad and Reggie started
helping him after they'd finished university."

"What about all those things in Reggie's house? The

Titian?"

"Reggie may have bent some of the rules, slightly. He was

quite well-known in certain circles as a forger years ago, and
he likes to play games. He may have forged a piece to replace
an original painting now and again. He may have made more
than one copy and possibly kept one."

Tobin just shook his head.
"Even so, Reggie is scrupulously honest. He seeks out the

clients and the targets, based on what he hears on the black
market. He has been known to take a job to steal on demand,
and provide the client with a fake, rather than the original. He
has his own method of justice, but he's never stolen from
anyone who didn't probably deserve it."

"I still can't condone theft. Especially not from my

museum."

"I know. And I said I wouldn't take the emerald." Pierce

looked deep into Tobin's eyes. "I'd give anything for these
last two days to have happened at any other time, to have

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

nothing to do with the emerald or your exhibit. For this to just
be about us. And for more than thirty-six hours."

"Us?" Tobin repeated. "Anything about us is ancient

history. We broke up because you lied."

Pierce let out a soft groan. "I'm telling you everything now.

No more lies, no more secrets. That man I met and lied
about, he was for one of these... jobs. A theft to order, only
Reggie delivered a fake instead of actually stealing the
painting. But I couldn't exactly tell you what we were up to,
even though we didn't break any laws."

"Why didn't you trust me?"
"Trust you not to tell the cops that we'd been hired to steal

something, or trust how you'd react?"

"Both, I guess."
"Your dad was a sheriff; of course I thought you'd tell the

cops."

"But I might have understood why even then, and not

called. Now I have an obligation to the art world, which I
didn't before. You at least owed me an opportunity to make
up my own mind."

"You're right. You deserved that."
"This time, I can't just overlook it for some romantic notion

of returning a stolen piece of a family's history."

"You'll report the theft?"
"You said you wouldn't take it."
"Not tonight."
"Then I won't call the cops tonight."
They'd arrived at a tacit agreement that both could accept.

And it left them with one final night together.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

* * * *

By some mutual decision they fell into each other's arm,

mouths crashing together. Tobin welcomed the power and
naked desire in Pierce's kisses and returned them with equal
passion. Hands pulled faces closer, tongues plundered
mouths, teeth nipped at soft lips. Tobin could barely breathe,
but he feared letting go of Pierce long enough to take in air.
What if one of them came to their senses? He pulled even
harder at Pierce, who was trying to remove Tobin's shirt,
popping off a button in the process. They made it into the
bedroom, still half-clothed; and breathless, they fell onto the
bed.

Pierce struggled out of his pants and shorts while Tobin did

the same. When they reached for each other again, Tobin
sucked at Pierce's tongue, pulling it into his mouth, letting his
own tongue circle it, tasting Pierce and the whiskey, needing
to take as much of Pierce in now as he could.

Pierce relaxed his grip on Tobin's arms, and slowly licked

back at Tobin's tongue and lips, planting soft, sweet kisses on
his mouth and jaw line.

Tobin sucked air into his burning lungs as Pierce cradled

him close, not giving into his own desire. Now they traded
soft lazy kisses, and instead of gripping tight, Tobin's hands
caressed Pierce's shoulders and back, tracing the again-
familiar lines. Taking his time memorizing them. He knew
now this would be their last night together in a way he'd
never known ten years earlier. He'd wished a million times

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

he'd taken away more tender memories of his time with
Pierce.

Now he would. They both would.
Neither spoke as they licked and touched, smelled and

tasted. Pierce's tongue explored every inch of Tobin and he
followed suit. When they were ready to make love, Pierce
carefully spread Tobin's legs and prepped him with mouth and
fingers, touching so gently Tobin thought he'd explode before
Piece ever got around to pushing inside.

With Tobin on his side, Piece spooned up behind him, lifted

Tobin's top leg, and finally slid in.

"Open your eyes." Pierce spoke for the first time since

they'd gotten into bed.

When Tobin did, he saw them both in the dresser mirror.

Himself stretched out, in Pierce's arms, with Pierce behind
and slightly over him. He'd never watched himself being
fucked before. He loved how they looked together. With each
slow stroke in, Tobin's cock bobbed slightly and pre-come
streamed. He watched Pierce kiss his neck and lick at his
nipples, all the while gently thrusting inside. The sensations
overwhelmed him. Pierce was in him and on him as lips,
hands, cock all worked together.

"I wish I could paint you right now. Eyes so dark and your

skin flushed." Pierce punctuated the words with his own soft
groans, his breath fluttering against Tobin's ear.

Tobin couldn't speak. He was right on the edge. He wanted

to come so badly, but he wasn't ready for the feeling of
pleasure or of being enjoyed to end. That was how it felt, as if

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Pierce were admiring and enjoying every single part of him:
looking, touching, tasting.

Pierce must have known how close Tobin was and he

stopped moving. Still inside, he shifted position so they could
share slow deep kisses, Tobin tangled his fingers through
Pierce's hair. Three more times Pierce took Tobin just to the
edge, leaving his body so sensitized even the puff of Pierce's
breath across a nipple seared through his skin and shot right
to his balls.

"Please?" Tobin asked, and Pierce obliged with a few

perfectly placed strokes of his cock across the magic spot
inside until Tobin's entire body tense up and the sweet
release begin, starting in his balls and exploding outward, like
electric shocks to his fingertips and toes. Somehow he
managed to keep his eyes open long enough to watch thick
pearly jets splash across his chest and neck. He won't sure
what he said, but he heard himself groaning, or maybe even
crying, as the last of the pleasure coursed through him.

* * * *

The last shudders of Tobin's orgasm squeezed tightly along

Pierce's cock and he gave up any pretense of holding back.
He'd gone far past his own limits, wanting to draw the
pleasure out for Tobin. Watching Tobin's face and body react
as Pierce made love to him had been the most incredible
thing he'd ever experienced. He wished they could have
lasted longer. There was still plenty of time for more.

None of it had been about the pleasure, not the physical

pleasure. That had been a reward, but such feelings were

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

fleeting. Again, Pierce wondered how many of the world's
problems came down to someone's decision to fuck someone
else. All for a few minutes of sheer pleasure? With
consequences that lasted for years, decades, millennia. There
was no time for philosophical musings. Pierce wanted to give
as much as he possibly could. Especially because he had to
take so much from Tobin. Again.

Tobin moaned softly as Pierce withdrew. Pierce removed

the condom and rolled Tobin onto his back. Pressing close,
they kissed, Tobin's slick come gluing them together. Pierce
loved the feel of it on his body. He licked Tobin's neck clean
and moved farther down, enjoying the saltiness, mixed with
the taste of Tobin's skin. Tobin dozed off, while Pierce cleaned
up in the bathroom. He flicked off the lights and climbed back
into bed, inhaling deeply of Tobin's familiar smell and the soft
murmurs of peaceful slumber.

They made love again once more an hour or so later, just

as sweetly, and this time when he came, Pierce was glad for
the darkness, so Tobin couldn't see the tears spilling from his
eyes.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Chapter Seven

Early morning stillness was shattered by a shriek from

Tobin's cell and he fought through layers of sleep and
satisfaction to wake up. The ring tone said everything: it was
the security department. Tobin's gut contracted as he looked
over at the other side of the bed. He was alone. Pierce and
any trace of him were gone. The bedside clock showed 6:25.

He listened as Barker, chief of security gave him the news

he'd been dreading.

"Let me talk the sheikh first before you notify the police or

the director," he mumbled into the phone and forced himself
into lucidity.

He called Sheikh Abdul-Shakur, who insisted neither the

police nor the museum director be informed, despite Tobin's
insistence.

Showering and dressing as quickly as possible, Tobin made

it to the museum in record time, arriving just before seven.
He headed directly for the Security suite where Barker had
footage on the four large screens that covered one wall.

"Last night's team didn't see anything amiss on their

rounds or from the surveillance cameras' streaming images."
Tobin nodded as Barker explained again. "It was only when
we did the system re-check that one guard," Barker nodded
toward a dark-haired female guard at one of the terminals,
"spotted something hinky with the time-stamps. Lopez, tell
Mr. Wyler what you found."

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"Well, some of the file sizes from the streaming cameras

looked really small compared to usual, so I did some digging
around..." Lopez began, but Tobin barely listened.

What Tobin hadn't told Pierce was the exhibit had two

separate camera systems. One streamed and recorded
rotating three-second slices of each room or exhibit, which
were monitored in the security suite, while the other simply
recorded everything from several different viewpoints. Even if
Jaguar's team hacked into the streamed data and replaced
images of the robbery with "clean" ones for the security team
to watch, the second system recorded what had really
happened in the room.

The proof of what had happened played out for him, larger

than life, on one wall.

Tobin did a double take and nearly spilled his coffee. A

man, wearing dark clothing and a ski mask entered the room.
It was Pierce! Identical body types and the same almost cat-
like grace of Pierce's—gymnastic training most likely, He
punched a series of keystrokes into a cell phone that
deactivated the lasers, then proceeded to dismantle the case
and remove the emerald. But they'd been together when the
emerald had been stolen, based on the timestamp.

"Didn't anyone in here notice the security in that room had

been turned off? That should have clued you in that
something was going on in that room." Tobin tried to keep
the anger out of his voice and only partially succeeded. He
slammed a fist down on the desk. Stupid fucking security
team. It was rarely the system that failed; the human
element was nearly always responsible.

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by EM Lynley

"Well, Mr. Wyler," Lopez looked away as she spoke. "You

had shut the security system down in the Egyptian tomb
display earlier, and I guess they thought..."

Tobin let his breath out slowly, hoping his cheeks didn't

look as hot as they felt. He had no response to that. Anything
he said would be more embarrassing than silence.

"Are these timestamps accurate?" Tobin pointed to the

numbers in the bottom of each screen, glad to draw
everyone's attention away from himself.

"Yes, they are. The gem was taken just after two o'clock,"

Lopez confirmed.

How on earth had Pierce done it? They'd been in the taxi

on their way home at two a.m.

At one point the figure on the screen turned his head and

Tobin noticed an oval-shaped mole or birthmark on his neck.
Not Pierce; Reggie had a birthmark.

Pierce had indeed been with Tobin when this had

happened, keeping to his promise in letter if not in spirit.

"I promise I won't take the emerald or any of the other

gems from the crown."

The words meant nothing now. Someone else had taken it,

but Pierce was still involved. They'd danced around the issue,
but both knew what would happen. It didn't matter at all why
he took it. Pierce's motives may have been pure, but he'd left
Tobin to pick up the shattered pieces of his reputation, and
his heart.

Tobin's worst fears were confirmed. Both Pierce and the

emerald were gone. In its place was a ridiculous green plastic
Easter egg. The humor of the replacement did nothing for his

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

mood and the loss of Pierce stung even more. It was if
Jaguar—Pierce—was making fun of him and the feelings he'd
let resurface. Tobin had put all the pieces together to know
why Pierce had gone, but it didn't diminish the pain in Tobin's
heart.

"Tobin, if you didn't shut the system down again, who

did?" Barker's voice was grave.

Tobin turned from the wall display toward Barker. He

noticed two of the guards now blocked the door.

What's going on? His throat tightened.
"Care to explain how your access code was used to shut

down the lasers? And why you asked me not to call the police
or the director."

"You don't think I stole it, do you?" Tobin found his voice,

but it was little more than a croak.

"I can't help thinking you're involved somehow."
Tobin knew he was responsible, even marginally, for

letting Pierce in to see the security system. How on earth he'd
gotten hold of the codes, which were randomly generated
several times a day, Tobin couldn't fathom, but Carlotta could
probably hack the program.

Tobin swallowed. How easy it would be to blame the

breach of security on Pierce, and ultimately on the sheikh who
had insisted Pierce be apprised of the details. But he stayed
silent.

"Tobin?"
"Don." Tobin let out the breath he'd been holding. "I had a

dozen opportunities to take the emerald before now. Why

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

would I wait until it was in the museum with the full security
system in place?"

"Yeah, I thought of that." Barker didn't sound convinced.

"Maybe you figured that would put you beyond suspicion."

"You're kidding me." Tobin realized everyone in the room

was looking at him as if he were guilty. His day had gone
from bad to worse. Not only had Pierce left him hurt and
disappointed—betrayed—but now Tobin was being accused of
masterminding the theft.

"I have to consider every possibility. Everyone. Including

you. I'm sorry."

"Are you detaining me?"
"No. But I suggest you don't leave the building."
"Don, just think about this." Tobin's heart was racing. "The

emerald going missing on the eve of the public opening puts
me in an untenable position professionally. Why would I
damage my reputation by helping someone steal it? I'm
ruined if I can't recover it by noon."

Tobin gulped as he sat down on the edge of the nearest

desk. He wouldn't just need to find a new job, he'd need a
new career. No one on the planet would trust him with art or
antiquities after this. As the enormity of the situation dawned
on him, his stomach churned and he reached down for a trash
can and retched. He looked up to find Barker handing him a
handkerchief, a sympathetic look on his face.

"Thanks," Tobin said instinctively as wiped his mouth.
"Okay, I believe you, Tobin."
Tobin just stared at Barker.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"A guilty man wouldn't puke. But I'm still going to have to

include you in the investigation."

"You wouldn't be doing your job if you didn't. Can I go to

my office?"

"Sure. Look, I'm sorry I put you through that. Can we—"
Tobin cut him off with a wave of the hand. "It's forgotten. I

need to call the sheikh back, then the director and police. Can
your team make sure nothing else is missing from the
museum, from any of the exhibits? Check all the file sizes and
times on every camera."

"Will do," Barker said and Tobin left.
He locked his office door behind himself, hands tearing at

his hair as he held back screams. Tears came instead and he
slid down the smooth door into a broken heap on the floor. He
let the sobs wrack his body until his chest hurt, then pulled
himself up to a sitting position, back again to the door, as if
that would keep the truth from catching up with him.

Every single security measure had been neutralized. Tobin

didn't know how Pierce had gotten the information to Reggie
and Carlotta, since he'd been with Pierce constantly from the
time of the security tour until after the time of the robbery.
Pierce had spoken only to the sheikh by phone, and Tobin had
dialed that call himself. That wasn't it.

The phone on the desk rang and Tobin glanced toward it,

thankful it went to voicemail after a second shrill peal.
Something tugged at the corners of his memory. Pierce's
phone had rung, that odd text message about his glasses
appointment. That had been an incoming message, not
outgoing...

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

Glasses. Pierce hadn't worn glasses when they'd been

together, though perhaps ten years later he may need them,
but he'd taken them off as soon as he'd seen that text. Why?
Then it hit him, what if Pierce had a camera built into the
glasses? He could transfer information about the security
system and the personnel easily. Tobin recalled how carefully
Pierce had looked over the room. And he'd taken the glasses
off when they'd been intimate, so as not to allow anyone else
to watch, except in the office. Carlotta's odd text must have
been a reminder she could see what he was doing. Farfetched
perhaps, but it certainly could explain how Pierce had gotten
the information out. Piecing this together didn't make Tobin
feel any better, though.

He knew why Pierce had taken the gem, and had it been

up to him, Tobin may have done the same. He felt no grief or
pity for Sheikh Abdul-Shakur. As Pierce had said, he had it
coming to him. This wasn't the only illegal artifact he owned;
Tobin had seen plenty other pieces of dubious provenance
when he'd visited the sheikh. Items proudly displayed as if his
money gave him the right to plunder the world. No, this
wasn't about art, it was about the way Pierce had betrayed
Tobin. Once again, Tobin had come in second place to Pierce's
selfish actions and desires, no matter the motivation.

Gathering his wits and what remained of his dignity, Tobin

shuffled toward his desk, trailing a fingertip along the smooth
surface, thinking how he'd traced a line along Pierce's back
just hours earlier. It was only then he noticed a long green
envelope on the chair. Emerald green. Pierce really was a
bastard! Tobin snatched it up, ready to crumple and toss it at

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

the door, but it was too thick to crush. Curiosity kicked in. He
didn't want any fucking excuses, and he didn't think Pierce
was stupid enough to apologize, so what had he left for
Tobin?

Dignity thrown aside yet again, Tobin ripped the envelope

open. A check fell onto the surface of the desk: made out to
the facility where Tobin's dad would soon move. The figure
amounted to five years of expenses! Fucking asshole Pierce.
He was using Tobin's father to get out of this one? Tobin had
half a mind to actually send the check to the home, but he
felt guilty about profiting from art theft. He'd lose his
reputation even if he didn't end up in jail. He put the check
aside and looked at what else had been in the envelope.

A note card, with a glossy photo of a Titian painting. Not

just any Titian, but the one he and Pierce had been talking a
bout the day he'd first met Uncle Reggie. The note was
written in shaky cramped script. It was from Reggie, not
Pierce.

* * * *

Tobin,
The check is from the sheikh. It is his gift to you for not

turning him into the authorities for illegal acquisition of the
emerald. He has relinquished ownership of the gem and gifted
it to the Indian government, who are happy to allow it to
remain in your exhibit. The sheikh will make a public
announcement of this at a time convenient to you, and thank
you for your part in allowing him to rewrite the ugly history
that surrounds the Crown. The emerald will be delivered by

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

messenger to your office in time for the exhibit to open on
schedule today. I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience this
transaction has caused you.

I'd like you to join us in the family business. As by now

you know, we aren't art thieves. We simply return items to
their rightful owners, no matter how much time has passed
since the two became separated. Your skills and contacts
would be immensely helpful in allowing us to reunite other
wronged parties with their property. I hope you will forgive
me for letting Pierce mislead you all these years. I've always
felt you belonged in our family, given your love of art and the
people whose lives it can and will touch. Pierce will never ask
you, for fear you would turn him down; he simply couldn't
handle that rejection. Join us for our next project. Stay with
us as long as it suits you.

—Reggie

* * * *

The final item inside the envelope was a plane ticket—the

old-fashioned paper kind—made out in Tobin's name, for a
flight leaving in four days' time for London. At the minimum,
he knew where Jaguar's next job was, and that gave him an
excellent idea of the target. Most likely the British Museum.
How easy to simply turn them in to the authorities, who
would be waiting to nail whichever one of them went to
retrieve the item.

Tobin read and re-read Reggie's note. He picked up the

check and stared at it until he lost track of time. He looked at
the plane ticket again, and made his decision.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

He picked up the telephone.

* * * *

Four days later
Tobin got off the plane in Heathrow and was met by a

driver outside Customs who took him to a hotel as grand as
the Plaza. At the check-in desk he found a room had been
reserved for him and he was handed a key.

He refused the services of the bellboy and entered the

elevator on his own, heart heavy. Now he was here, he wasn't
sure it was the right decision. He pushed the key into the lock
and it clicked open. As he opened the door, he was startled to
see someone sitting on the couch, back to him.

The man turned, just as he had at the reception less than

a week earlier. Pierce. It almost looked like he'd been crying
from the red-rimmed eyes and watery gaze.

"Tobin! How did you find me? I thought I'd never see you

again." A wide grin split Pierce's face and he leapt up and
raced toward Tobin, but stopped several feet away. The grin
vanished and a somber look replaced it. "Did you bring the
cops?"

"Not this time, unless you're into orgies." Tobin grinned,

and his heart hammered in his chest. He hadn't realized that
Pierce had been as upset as he had over the emerald. The
knowledge gave him hope that he'd made the right choice.
"I'm here since Reggie doesn't think you can do the job on
your own."

"What?" Pierce seemed unaware of Reggie's machinations

to get Tobin to London.

Emerald: Rewriting History

by EM Lynley

"I think he offered me a job. Or he proposed. I'm not quite

sure which."

"And?"
"I said yes."
"To Reggie?"
"To you, you fool."

* * * *

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