Chapter 18

Jud did everything he could to calm Luke down, but even in the safety of his room, Luke was still worked up.

Raymond had explained more about Luke's relationship with Michael. It had been the worst one he had ever been in, and the damage done to Luke had caused him to withdraw from reality for several weeks. Raymond had even offered himself to ease Luke's pain and his tortured soul, but he'd been turned down.

Jud hadn't realized how much Michael had used Luke. If he had known how badly it would affect him, he would never have agreed to letting him come. No matter how much he knew or didn't know, he wouldn't have set foot in Bennett's tonight.

He sat at Luke's desk and watched helplessly as he lay in bed. He didn't want to be talked to or touched. It was the first time Jud had seen him completely shut down. It hurt his soul to see it because he couldn't fix it.

There was a knock at the door. Raymond poked his head in. He spotted Jud then looked at the bed. His face fell as he saw his best friend's crumpled form. He knew there was nothing he could do so he shook his head and opened the door further.

Cameron followed him. He'd changed out of the awful outfit he'd been wearing into jeans and a plain grey shirt. He looked normal, but Cameron was a chameleon. He could blend in anywhere. It made him the best undercover cop in Baymont.

He was one of Jud's closest friends. The captain had first met him when he transferred to Baymont. Cameron had been the first to welcome him, and they'd gone out for drinks that night. When Jud had been transferred to the team he was in now, Cameron had received his undercover assignment in South Bay. They'd stayed in contact, and Jud had gotten some useful information over the last eighteen months.

Cameron looked at the bed. His usually calm demeanor shifted, and a look of concern took over. He'd known about Luke when they'd first met. He'd also seen them out on a date, but he hadn't said anything. He didn't want to be a hypocrite since he'd risen to the top of the Saints by sleeping with influential members.

Raymond sat on the edge of the bed so Cameron could have the empty chair. He patted Luke's hip soothingly then looked at the two cops.

"Do you have any info?" Jud asked. He sounded much older than his thirty four years.

Cameron shook his head. "That kid was just a dope head. He'd been hanging around the Saints since Arturo slept with him and compensated him in White Jasmine. He wanted information on how to take down Amos Meyers. When he didn't get what he wanted, he gave him drugs in hopes he'd overdose."

"It sounds like a Thai novel I read once," Raymond muttered.

"So we've hit a dead end?" Jud mused. He let Raymond's comment go because he knew exactly to which he was referring. "Did you get a report on his bag?"

"It wasn't White Jasmine this time. It was just run of the mill cocaine. He was trying to score some through me which is why he sought me out." Cameron paused, tapping his phone on his knee. "He wants to take Luke down. I don't know what happened between them, but he despises Luke."

"They dated," Raymond said, "and we caught him trying to steal."

""Whatever the reason, he said he'd do anything to take down Luke and/or the Baymont Kings. It'll only be a matter of time before word gets back to the Saints that I'm a cop."

"Myka said she has a plan. She emailed it to Gibby before she went dark." Jud handed a piece of paper to Cameron. He'd printed it off when they'd gotten back. "We can tweak it a bit and perfect it to suit our needs."

Cameron and Raymond looked at each other then back at Jud. The captain glanced between the two. He didn't have to ask what they were thinking. It was written all over their faces.

"You're not going to let me go, are you?" he asked.

"I'm not the one you'll have to answer to," Raymond replied.

They all glanced at Luke. He was finally still on the bed, his restlessness satisfied for now. He wasn't necessarily peaceful, but he didn't move. As long as he was quiet and resting, they left him alone.

Jud remembered the look on his face when they'd mentioned that man's name - Michael Stone. It was a name that was enough to back traumatic memories. He may never know more than what he'd witnessed and what Luke told him, but Jud never wanted to see that distressed and destroyed look in the other man's face ever again.

"Let's fine tune it," he said. Cameron cast him a serious and dark look. "I won't plug myself into the plan, but I will be a last resort. It will just be in case things go south."

Cameron nodded and motioned Raymond over. The younger man sat on the floor as the now former undercover agent began to tweak Myka's plan. Since they had her undercover, Cameron wouldn't need to return. Now without Jud at the helm, he could oversee the finer details.

His plan was to have a mob on mob attack. Somehow they would lure the Saints into Baymont. It wouldn't be too hard since their target was Luke. If they knew his location, they would come after him.

Cameron knew where the Saints were storing their product. If Myka could get the key or passcode to them, they could get the proof and maybe get a takedown of some sort.

"Wait," Jud interrupted. "You want to send him into enemy territory when he has a huge target on his back?"

"We don't have another option," Raymond said. "They think you're dead. If they'd known of your relationship before now, you both would be dead. It would have been our side who would have killed you."

Jud sat still for a while. If this was the only way it could happen, he would have to go with it. But the thought of Luke being in harm's way set his teeth on edge. He wanted to whisk him away, but he knew Luke would do what he could to make sure those he loved were safe.

"What about you?" he asked. The young guy pointed at himself. "What can your group of friends do?"

Raymond started laughing. It wasn't hysterical, but it was a dangerous Jud have never heard from him.

He explained who they were. Luke was the Prince, everyone knew that. But his friends were his backbone. They'd all grown up together and had earned the moniker the Royals of Baymont.

No one could be the king since that was Amos's title. Raymond was the Jack - the middleman and closest to Luke. He had his back no matter what he said or did. Luke could ask him to part the dead and he would do his best to make it happen.

Andreas was the joker. He could tip any situation to their advantage no matter what was going on. He had a knack for finding loopholes that always benefited them in some way. He was the smartest one out of them by a landslide, and he had a mouth that could get them in or out of trouble. Usually it was in it.

The twins Kendra and Emma were Queenie and Rook respectively. The rook and joker were interchangeable in terms of cards, but in their group they were different. Emma was the solid backbone. She could be told what to do and would find the dirtiest way to do it. Kendra was the sweet talker. She could get anyone to do her dirty work, and she acted like the queen. It didn't help that Andreas treated her like one. She was also the one Luke took with him to social events when he needed a plus one.

Winston was their literal ace in the hole. He was an all-arounder. His degree from MIT meant he could outsmart them on the best day. While Andreas was the smartest one, it was Winston who backed up his words. He was excellent with weapons, but his bread and butter were computers. He could hack into anything given enough time.

They all had their strengths, and they played them to their advantage. In every mission they had done, they had proven they were Amos's golden group. If there was any team to back Luke, it was his childhood friends.

Jud understood his reasoning. Raymond would know his friends best. If the police weren't behind this raid, then he would have chosen them. Since they had always had Luke's back, they would continue doing that on this mission.

"The only thing that I ask," he said, "is that you tip off the police. I know you know how to do it."

Cameron nodded his agreement. "That I can do. I'll bring Reynolds up to speed, and when the time comes, I'll lead the arrest."

With that agreement, Jud simply nodded. Cameron collected their plans and let himself out. Raymond sat on the floor and watched the older man. He could see the look of disappointment on his face. He didn't want to let Luke go, but since he couldn't go himself, he had to have faith in his team, in his friends.

Raymond knew the feeling. It was as if he was being left behind even though he wasn't. Being left at home while going out on a dangerous mission was always nerve wracking. It was the same feeling Luke had every time Jud went out.

"This feeling," he said. Jud looked at him. "This is the same feeling Luke feels when you go on radio silence. He never knew if you were coming home in one piece or a body bag."

"The feeling of your heart being ripped from your chest?" Jud asked. Raymond nodded. "If being a cop hurts him this much, then I may have to reconsider."

"He wants you to be you. Don't decide something drastic simply because you're panicking over something that hasn't happened yet." He glanced at the bed, at the man who was finally at ease. "He just wants you to do what you love safely. I know that may seem hard, but he doesn't ask for much."

Jud didn't know what else to say. Raymond was right. Luke didn't ask for much except his safety. As long as he came home in one piece, he didn't make his ears bleed by nagging too much.

Raymond got up quietly and left, pulling the door gently. Jud sighed and sat at the desk for a long time. He didn't want to get in bed and disturb Luke with his own restlessness. He had just gone to sleep after a long, stressful day.

After what seemed like hours, he was finally ready. He climbed in bed and pressed up against Luke. With a sigh, Luke wrapped his arm tighter around his waist and laced their fingers together. He pushed back, squeezing Jud's knee between his. His shoulders went slack and he dropped back off to sleep.

This is what Jud wanted to protect. These quiet, still moments that made him feel at ease. He wanted to make sure Luke was taken care of and happy. If it meant putting his body on the line he would, but he had to make sure he came back.

He didn't really sleep, but his body relaxed. He heard Luke's soft snore, and that made him relax even more. However, the thought of sending Luke on a dangerous mission kept nagging at him