21. Percy
CHAPTER 21
Percy
It took that entire day and part of the next to come up with solutions. Richie, ever an indulgent sort, had used my software to encrypt the data on the drive. It was a sturdy security measure. Most would never get past it. I trusted that the feds might, so long as they were using my technology.
And while it wasn’t easy—the software took me through hoops and loops until I heard myself mutter, “Why did I have to be so good?”—the bolts finally moved. The documents were sorted neatly in Richie’s obsessive manner. There were copies of datasets categorized based on all kinds of variables like he wanted to make it easy for anyone to see his criminal doings.
“But it doesn’t scream ‘Come get me, I’m so clever,’” I told Finn, who was still naked and sweaty in his bed, glistening in the late afternoon’s sunlight. “It’s proof of his cockiness.”
“Nobody’s untouchable,” Finn said.
Late that night, I left Finn in Hermes’ Hearth to rejoin my family. Emily had put up all the balloons she had helped Dimitrios pick out and the house looked more like there was to be a wedding there tomorrow.
Richie was engaged in a motivated discussion about the stock market’s bleak future with my father, who couldn’t care less about the stock market. “I was a happy poor man,” Father said. “And if I am happier today, it’s only because of my family.” His hand found Mom’s on the table.
“We are all different,” Richie said in what was almost a sly dismissal of my father’s sentiment.
I couldn’t avoid noticing it anymore.
“Troubles in the love nest, Percy?” Richie asked before everyone as I stepped out onto the terrace.
“Nothing to worry about,” I said with unintended coolness. Have you fallen so low in your greed that you would steal from the poor? My stomach turned at the thought of it. He was the luckiest, most privileged man I had ever met. He had a duty to be aware of that.
“You’ve been gone all day and night,” Richie said in an off-hand manner as if it were all the same to him.
“Richie, darling,” Mother said. “I highly doubt they were fighting all this time.”
My cheeks flushed at my mother’s pointed glance and a happy smile. “Quite right,” I murmured. “As I said, it’s nothing to worry about.”
“And where is our young Casanova?” Richie asked nonchalantly, his mouth stretching into a broad smile. “Must be a helluva place if it beats the house.”
You’d love to know, wouldn’t you? I thought.
“The question is, should we pack a slice of cake, or will Muffinn join us?” Mom pitched in.
“He’ll join us,” I said softly, fingering Finn’s USB drive in my pocket.
Mother and Father were pleased to hear it and Richie kept his cool exterior as if he couldn’t care less either way. Even so, he drummed the table restlessly as he turned his gaze to the distant horizon.
As the day sped by, I was stretched thin across the town and the house. I moved back and forth, keeping myself, Finn, and Kim busy all while holding our breaths. It was the longest day of my life and it had only barely begun by the time I returned to the house for the party with Finn’s hand in mine.
“Are you sure it’s not weird?” Finn asked.
I laughed softly like I had the first two times he’d asked. “With my mother and father, nothing is weird, Finn.”
“What about Richard?” Finn whispered as we entered the house.
“Don’t worry about Richie,” I said, tightening my hand around his.
If he was worried, he didn’t show it. Thrusting his chin up, he was the perfect image of defiance and pride and I loved that look on him.
“Just stay with me and enjoy the show,” I whispered into his ear, making him squirm just a bit under the warmth of my breath, and it lit my heart on fire.
We walked over to the sitting room, where quite a few people had already gathered. Out on the sundeck, plenty more were standing in small groups and large. The decorations were all white and blue, so it felt like walking through a Greek flag. I made a mental note to tease Emily mercilessly about it. The scents of savory food mixed with the scents of honey and fruit, and Dimitrios moved through the house in a dignified hurry, supplying everyone with enough wine to overlook any other mistakes that might occur during the afternoon party.
Distant cousins, old neighbors, and friends of friends flocked to the house this afternoon, making it easy for Finn and me to be lost in the crowd for a while longer. I couldn’t see Richie anywhere in the crowd, but I noticed my parents moving smoothly from one group to the next, greeting people and chatting along.
“Why aren’t they coming?” Finn asked worriedly.
I turned to him and put my hands on his face. Looking into his chocolate eyes, I smiled. “Relax, Muffinn,” I said, my heart warming swiftly. “They’ll be here.”
He nodded, his eyes glimmering. “It’s just that…” He hesitated, his voice wavering. “I’ve been heading down this path for so long. I’m antsy.”
“So am I, and I only just joined you,” I admitted. “But it’s not up to us anymore.”
Clamoring and chatter died down when someone clinked a silver spoon against the wine glass. We turned our attention to my parents standing on the deck, all doors wide open to let the people flow in and out of the house and hear the speeches from afar.
“Friends, family, thank you all for coming,” my father began, his eyes taking the shape of cartoon hearts when he looked at my mother. “Truly, the reason we are all gathered here is love. Love that lasts decades, never losing its warmth, its beauty, its passion. I wish I could tell you that I am equally responsible for all the wonderful moments that this marriage has afforded me, but I would be taking credit from the person who put in the real work—my wife, my companion, and my best friend, Alicia Davenport. You are, darling, the sunshine of my life.”
People sighed dreamily while my heart beat faster and I thought about the future. Finn was the sunshine of my life. I hadn’t known how gloomy and grim my days had been until this confetti of a person brought color to my monochromatic world.
I had thought I had been happy, or at least content, with my way of living. I had thought my work had a purpose. I had even thought my time was filled with meaningful activities. But then fate put Finn on my jet and he taught me what it was to love as passionately as my parents loved one another.
As if he read my thoughts, Father spoke, “You have given me so much, never holding anything back. When others would save their love, spare it as if it could be spent, you shared yours freely. And to everyone asking us how we remained so happy for thirty-five years, the simple truth is that love is not a pitcher of wine. It’s not a platter of cakes. The more you give, the more there is to be given. That, and Alicia’s divine level of patience.” The last bit caused a ripple of chuckles.
My parents kissed then, as if they were all alone in their bedroom with the door safely locked, and I grunted, looking at Finn instead.
Finn’s gaze on me was warm and powerful as if he could read all my thoughts. Yes, I will love you without holding back , I thought, and the corners of Finn’s lips ticked upward.
After the speech, the crowd relaxed a little more, and people stopped Finn and me for a quick chat, a business pitch, or an embarrassing anecdote from my childhood every step of the way. We worked through the crowd until we reached the main dining table where my parents sat, flanked by Emily, Aunt Judith, my godparents, and Richie. The stiffness in Finn’s muscles at the sight of Richie sitting like an evil Bugs Bunny with one leg over the arm holder of his chair was so swift that I felt it under my hand.
“Here he is,” Emily said with delight. “Come, sit with me.”
Finn forced a smile, although I noticed Richie’s intent gaze before he pulled on that expression of indifference. Finn sat next to Emily, and I pulled a chair next to him, with Richie sitting straight across from me. Our gazes met and he smiled casually. “What a surprise,” Richie said in a tight voice.
“Are you alright, Richie?” I asked. My mother and father sat next to my old friend, busy feeding each other cake and giggling like young lovers on their first date. Aunt Judith kept my godparents entertained with tales of Benny Tupper. “You don’t seem too happy.”
Emily spoke quietly to Finn, asking him if he wanted anything.
Richie scratched his cropped stubble and held a breath of air. He exhaled in frustration a moment later. “Me? I’m perfect, Percy.” He glanced around the table with rising irritation, then zeroed in on Finn. “So glad to see you back, Finn. I thought you’d run away when the ex arrived.” He stretched his lips into a mirthless smile. “But there is truly nothing to worry about. Isn’t that right, Percy? Oh, we always give a piece of our heart to our first love, but that’s all far behind us.”
“My heart’s always been yours, darling,” Father said to Mother, listening to our conversation.
“I’m not sure I’m the jealous type,” Finn mused with enough confidence to make me beam with pride.
I checked the time on my wristwatch and glanced at my love. He looked at me with a pleased smile and I knew we had won. No matter the outcome, Finn was done. He was at peace, his battle behind him. He found someone who trusted him no matter what, someone who watched his back. And while I was happy to see him at peace, I was not done.
I looked at Richie, inhaled, and sorted through my thoughts.
My old friend caught my glance and stiffened. He knows everything , I realized, although I had suspected as much. He cleared his throat to attract attention. “Gah, I really am sorry to be that guy, especially on such a lovely occasion, but I simply can’t watch my best friend walk into a trap. You’ve told me all about the predators trying to get in and milk what they can out of you, but sometimes, they’re not so easy to spot.”
“What are you talking about?” Mother asked, concern coming over her face.
Finn shot me a worried look and I opened my mouth to speak.
“The man you know as Finn might as well be called that, but I knew him as Matthias,” Richie announced loudly enough for everyone at the table to hear. My parents stiffened, Emily cocked her head, and Aunt Judith observed us keenly from her end. My godparents whispered to each other. “You don’t know this guy, Percy. You told me yourself that it was all an act.” Richie looked around, smug as fuck and victorious.
My mother and father looked at one another, then at Aunt Judith, and all three burst out laughing.
Under the table, Finn’s hand grabbed my thigh, and he let his fingers sink into my flesh. What’s happening? But I neither knew the answer nor how to communicate it to him. I gaped at my mother, father, and aunt, all quivering with laughter. “Darling, Richie, of course it was an act,” Mother said. Glancing at my horrified expression, she said, “Don’t be silly. We could tell from the minute you walked in. But it didn’t matter if you thought it wasn’t real. Any fool could see the way you two looked at one another. It wasn’t just business.”
Finn looked at me, his lips parting, eyebrows rising, and a small smile creeping to his face.
But Richie interrupted again. “Be that as it may, he is still a thief. I should know. Your darling Finn and I met in New York and he stole something valuable from me.”
“Pray, tell,” Mother said skeptically.
“No, he’s right,” Finn said, his voice a little shaky.
“Should I go back on Grindr?” Aunt Judith asked worriedly.
“I did steal something from him,” Finn said clearly enough for everyone to understand. “Something Richard would like me to give back, I’m sure.”
“What are you talking about?” Mother asked, concern finally creasing the space between her eyebrows.
“I’m not proud of it,” Finn said, not even a trace of defensiveness in his tone. “It was a desperate act, and I lied my way to it, but I hope you’ll all understand why I did what I did when you know the whole story.”
Mother lifted her hand to stop him. My heart sank in anticipation, but she simply asked, “Does Percy know?”
“I do,” I said, looking at Richie’s tightening lips.
Mother looked at Finn kindly. “Then you don’t owe anyone any explanation here, darling.”
“What about me? He owes me…” Richie began, but the doorbell sounded the next moment, and I looked toward the door to find Dimitrios walking with his head held high.
“I believe our guests are here,” I told Finn loudly enough for Richie to look at us both. His eyes widened for a moment as I turned my gaze to him. “I know what you did, Richie. Thanks to Finn, the Feds also know. Millions, Richie. You stole millions from innocent people while sitting on billions we made together.”
“What are you talking about?” Richie asked breathlessly.
I shook my head. “I don’t get it, though. It’s like you just wanted to hurt them.”
“You’re making a mistake, Percy,” Richie said, his voice cracking. “Come on. After everything we’ve been through. For them? For some strangers you don’t even know?”
“Exactly,” I said softly. For them in particular , I thought without adding it. There was no point. Richie had chosen his path and a lecture from me wouldn’t change his mind. But the four police officers from the local precinct on Naxos passed through the crowd. Finn’s fingers dug deeper into my thigh as tension rose in my chest. The officers neared the table as Finn and I got up, with Dimitrios joining us to help translate.
“Good afternoon, officers,” I said, taking Finn’s hand in mine. “If you are here on the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigations of the United States of America, the man you are looking for is Richard Harrison.” I moved with Finn aside and gestured at Richie, who sat gobsmacked and stared furiously between the police officers and me.
Dimitrios translated in hearty tones while Nektaria neared the commotion. She wore a beaming smile I had never seen on her face before.
“Percy, are you insane?” Richie demanded.
“On the contrary,” I said softly while two officers rounded the table. One spoke enough English to inform Richie that he was under arrest for fraud and an entire list of related crimes and that he would be extradited to the United States shortly. There was a warrant for his arrest and he was at a high risk of fleeing.
And the sight of sweat breaking over Richie’s brow as the two officers beside him put handcuffs around his wrists was priceless. Finn, with tears welling in his eyes, watched every moment of it. “This is for my sister’s college fund, asshole,” he said.
“You’re all fucking insane,” Richie said. “Do you have any fucking idea what you’re doing?” But the officers yanked him away from the table and Richie stumbled. They had to lift him up and walk him through the crowd of spectators. “Insane! You’re insane, Percy!” His voice cracked more and more as he shouted, but he didn’t dare resist the arrest. Inch by inch, step by step, the four officers parted a way through the gathered guests and led Richie Harrison out of the house.
And when they did, I turned to Finn, who released a long breath of air and slouched, his head hanging low. “It’s over,” he whispered.
My arms were around Finn in an instant. As the others whispered and chattered about what just happened, I only had eyes and ears for him. His breaths were deep, his chest rising high, and he laughed so freely and sweetly that my heart fluttered.
The party resumed its normal course after a few minutes of gossip, but I took Finn to the side, where we were allowed some privacy. On the pool deck, gazing out at the sea, I wrapped my left arm around his waist. “I love you,” I said.
He looked up at me, his long lashes batting. “I love you, too, Percy. More than you know.”
“Oh, I know,” I said and winked. “And now, we can start fresh.”
“I’d like that,” he said, pressing closer against me. “Thank you. For everything.”
I turned toward him so our torsos pressed together, my arms around his waist, hands resting on the small of his back. I looked at his gorgeous face. “Don’t thank me, Finn. Not for this or anything else. I should be thanking you for adding some life into my existence.”
He chuckled. “That’s clever.”
“I thought of it this morning,” I admitted. “But without being clever and all, I just really love you. And I won’t let anyone hurt you, babe. Not on my watch.”
Finn rose to his toes and pressed his lips hard against mine. The setting sun warmed our cheeks and set our hair alight, but the real heat came from within us, blazing and passionate and shameless. We kissed for a long time, holding one another and silently promising ourselves better days to come.