** RAVEN'S HOLLOW – Part VIII **
=== RIGHTFUL CLAIM ===
Framing the Asiatic environment behind the Raven Resort were the green needles of pacific yew trees and the fall-dyed foliage of red alder. Officer Sullivan had found a decent angle to obscure his parking spot while observing the mark.
He once again cursed whatever had made Detective Joe Barnes add himself to the nude parade and get kicked out of the force, right into jail, before even finishing the file on that British nudist. At least the streak of streakers seemed over.
Gordon Sullivan had had to join the case of the jewel thefts to make up for Barnes absence, munching protein bars in his subtle hatchback – the misfortune of being a newbie on the force.
And for what? A hunch.
So far, the Sunray Ruby, and Diadem of Amaryllis and an entire collection of jewelry including the Blue Elephant's Necklace and the Northstar Set had vanished - the latter having reappeared on the black market.
The Mondragon kid was a descendant of the Sunrays' and Northstars' original owners who had suspiciously touched down at PDX just before the thefts began and, yes, nobody could figure out where he had been before, when gems had gone missing in other locations.
But seriously, Samuel Mondragon was one vapid, spoiled brat without the braingrease for criminal mastermindery. Although the fact he didn't come from money made his constant spending suspicious as well.
Gordon Sullivan had followed the twenty-something boy on his shopping trip and back to the side of the Raven's, watching Samuel walk up the private entrance to his grand suite's terrace on the second floor.
Occasional glimpses of the boy through the window assured the detective he hadn't left yet, and the coveted Glory Opal was getting moved to a more secure location tonight. Just boring, basic surveillance.
==========+++++==========
With a knock, Jasper entered the vestibule from the hotel corridor. The arched glass door to the private entrance terrace cast late sunlight through the white peonies on the end table in the center.
"Sammy? Ready to party?"
The off-duty concierge and masseur glanced into the sun flooded living quarters, where a nearly empty box of Belgian chocolate on the four seat dining table, frilly lace panties across the overstuffed sofa's armrest and an open condom wrapper on the coffee table told a story.
"Sammy? You there?"
"Bedroom."
By right, the grand suit had been the family patriarch's habitat but Mordecai had long since retreated to a comparatively minuscule tower room in the only part of the attic built up enough to be generously called a third floor, choosing coziness over grandeur.
Jasper turned around and walked across the vestibule's marble, through a small office space dominated by an executive desk, into the bedroom.
Sammy had strewn designer clothes over the king-sized bed. The light brown skinned, young man with stylishly cut black hair and a winning smile was in nothing but white briefs. His slender body was centered on prominent abs and a light definition of all other muscle.
"Jas, help me pick."
Jasper chuckled. "Do I look like I'll be a great advisor?"
"Oh come on, you look fabulous."
Jasper had donned black jeans tight enough to make him worried about crouching and a much looser white tee.
Samuel eventually picked faded blue jeans, a white button up with silver sparkling accents that cost more than the Raven heir's monthly salary and an earring with an inch long dangling piece. He popped his collar.
They left through the suite's private exit and the way Sammy kept giggling and leaning on Jasper's arm made Jasper fully understand why people thought of the rich kid as his boytoy. Regrettably, the mildly flamboyant man was officially straight, just too rich to bother with rugged masculinity.
"Finally," Sammy said. "A night out is just what I need to recharge."
Jasper kept his hand around the boy's tight waist. "What do you do all day that's so exhausting?"
"Research, planning, you know."
"Researching what? Outfits? Rooftops and other party locations?"
"Ts ts. The market of course."
"Ah, makes sense. And now you're on the prowl on the dating market instead?"
"You could say that," Sammy admitted with a wink. "Not that I'm ready to be tied down. No common girl could keep up with my lifestyle. Wish I could just bed you instead. I feel like men are more my social caliber, if you understand, but sadly I'm not sexually inclined that way."
"You've mentioned," Jasper said, feeling teased and lightly flexing his muscles as if to challenge the suite guest's claim.
Their car was waiting.
==========+++++==========
The basement club `Kloud Nyne' was just the thumping, techno-blasting lightshow of a party Jasper had needed. Between the irresponsible, hedonistic offsprings of the North West's upper crust, Jasper occasionally felt a bit old but his body got girls' attention which in turn got boys' attention and he liked to be sexually confusing.
Sammy didn't stick with him the whole time, breaking away to make out with whatever chick caught his fancy, but they bonded through shouted chatter anytime they took a break from dancing.
==========+++++==========
Gordon Sullivan was glad to finally see them leaving Kloud Nyne, but even more glad he hadn't accidentally missed them as they headed to a bar for a calmer environment.
He left his car behind, feeling suitably dressed for a late bar visit in gray slacks and a beige sweater, and followed the mark and the mark's buffer buddy. As inconspicuous as 200 pounds of muscle could be.
The Glory Opal was on the move now, so as long as the Mondragon kid stayed in his sight they could check him of the list of immediate suspects.
==========+++++==========
Carl's Watering Hole was fairly crammed but Jasper and Sammy still found space to stand at the bar. The crowd was older than at the night club, and showed somewhat less skin.
Entertainment came from a lone guitar player, jamming on a low stage, with a positively ancient guitar on his knees.
Jasper couldn't quite place the song and even as he was convinced he had never heard it before it seemed incredibly familiar. Then the hipster kid with tattered jeans played a cover of a recent pop song and the sensation didn't go away. There was something about this guy, so familiar to Jasper...
As Jasper tried to puzzle things out, he noticed a guy behind them, staring at Sammy as if the boy owed him money. Not a big deal but Jasper vowed to keep an eye out for trouble. Sammy looked just as rich as he was and despite efforts at the gym, the stylish boy was probably quite easy to rob by a thick hunk like that.
Through the haze of tipsiness, Jasper stared at the guitar playing hipster who was inexplicably popular with women. Usually a random guy with an instrument wouldn't attract so much attention from the female patrons who even ignored the men which were obviously their dates.
Of course! A siren. The player had the Voice – or rather the instrument did.
Maybe he was too tipsy to be gracefully subtle with his assessing stare, but the player noticed Jasper noticing.
The Raven heir took a step forward, squeezing through the lose crowd, rising a hand as if reaching across the room. The hipster grinned and averted his eyes. Jasper's hand sank. What had he...
Looking behind him, Jasper found Sammy and the buff guy in a sweater making out like they wanted to bite each other's face off. Holy shit!
With renewed resolve, Jasper stepped toward the stage but the player realize his Voice hadn't been enough. He began a new song, something much sultrier.
Blood rushed into Jasper's crotch. He stumbled back, crashing into Sammy who was instantly nibbling on his neck. The women in the audience were released from their daze and turned their attention to the aggressively gay spectacle. The men followed.
Sammy's shirt dropped first. Jasper felt the buff guy's hand move into his tight jeans and in response tore on the stranger's sweater, exposing a raging bull tattoo on the thick chest.
"Excuse me?" a waitress asked. "Y-you can't... Hello?"
By the time all three men were shirtless and Sammy was licking the "Bull's" nipples Jasper regained self-control. His fly was open and his dick begged to be free but he was no ordinary man.
Jasper stepped away from the two guys who were now humping each other and faced the waitress.
"T-turn on music. Loud. Go."
She looked scared but hurried behind the bar and the sound system crackled to life.
Lounge music drowned out the guitar – not enough to break its effect, but enough for Jasper to focus.
He took two steps toward the stage where the hipster was staring with a frown, strumming aggressively.
"I am heir of the Ravens and child of the Browns," Jasper spoke, audible only to himself. "The Voice in this guitar is of my lineage. It is mine to claim and to use. You have no power over me."
The sound warped and parted around him like water hitting a rock. Behind him, several men were splashed' by the acoustic overflow and stepped closer to Sammy and Bull' who both had their pants at their ankles.
Under the amused, stunned or horrified gazes of their dates and girlfriends, half a dozen men joined the fun, rubbing Sammy's and Bull's bodies while stripping.
Jasper fought his way forward, step by step. The sound pressed into him and tried to deny every inch of advance, but the guitar wanted to return home. The player wouldn't be able to stop him.
Sammy moaned into Bull's mouth as somebody started sucking his dick. Somebody else was eating Sammy's ass while jerking off and Bull's backside got the same treatment just as the beefy guy grabbed the head of a leatherjacket-clad boy and shoved it into his unshaven crotch.
The player wasn't even playing anymore, just hammering his fingers across the strings to `hit' Jasper with sound after sound, but the rightful owner forced himself into reach.
Sammy cried out, half in lust, half in pain, as a jacked thirty-something entered his ass. The orgy was now ten men strong. Bull was on all fours, face humping the leatherjacket-boy as somebody of Bull's size lined up his dick at Bull's ass. Sammy leaned forward as his own ass go hammered and took somebody's dick in his mouth.
Finally Jasper was at the stage.
"Fuck you," the hipster said and rose, ready to run.
The sudden end to the Voice's source made the warped sounds around Jasper rush in the opposite direction – at the player. The musician cringed hard under the assault of tones he couldn't consciously hear but exacted revenge for his misuse nonetheless.
Jasper grabbed the guitar off him and gave him a shove, off the stage and into the orgy. He practically dropped with his lips in leatherjacket-boy's ass crack and was licking instantly.
==========+++++==========
"Gordon! Gordon, you there?"
Officer Sullivan snapped out of the memory. Nobody could ever know he had sucked, fucked and licked a dozen men in plain sight – including the mark himself. Getting fired would be the least of his worries.
"Uh, yes sir?" Gordon said into the mic.
"Still on the trail of the Mondragon?"
"Yes sir," Gordon said but his chief had sounded so upset and yet teasing, as if there was something he knew that Gordon didn't. On no. Oh fuck. "They're uh... He's on his way back to the hotel."
"Keep an eye on him for now, since you're already there, but I have a feeling this'll be the last night you're doing that..."
Oh fuck, they knew. His life was ruined.
"...cause the Glory opal is gone."
"What? Uh, how, sir?"
"No clue. The armored van was empty on arrival. This is shaping up to be a long investigation. Well, this has to be the work of a group and Mondragon hasn't made any moves we could see. I'm putting you elsewhere."
"That's... probably for the best, sir," Gordon said and felt his boner rising again.