Ancient History Series
That Rat, Carter Janson (Ancient History Book 1)
Every man has secrets, but some are bigger than others ...
Felix Peake escaped a shady past to carve out a successful career as an expert in Mesopotamian art and gain the respect of the Chicago art community. But when an assistant curator -- a man Felix could easily see himself falling for -- asks him to reauthenticate a cuneiform tablet to avoid a looming scandal, Felix’s carefully constructed life could crumble.
The tablet is a fake, and Felix is intimately familiar with the artist. Master forger Carter Janson -- Felix’s ex and first love -- disappeared from his life six years before without a word of explanation. Now, to hold his world together, Felix must find the original tablet, steal it back, and replace the forgery -- all before the museum exhibit debuts. It’ll mean slipping back into a role Felix wanted to leave behind and risking his promising future. But even then, he can’t do it alone. He’ll have to confront that rat, Carter Janson.
Excerpt
When Carter left the bedroom, he found Felix standing at the counter, fighting with his Keurig.
He had only taken enough time to brush his teeth and drag on the pair of jeans he had dropped on the floor the night before and a freshly laundered I Got Me Timber Shivered at Cap’n Willy’s Blowhole T-shirt from his drawer.
“Let me do that.” He shooed Felix away, pulling a peppermint teacup from Felix’s hand and a simple green teacup from the holder for himself.
They moved around the kitchen in silence, Felix finally taking a stool on the other side of the island, eyes burning holes in Carter’s back until he turned, a cup of tea in each hand.
“This conversation is long overdue,” Carter began, handing over a cup to Felix.
“The only conversation we’re having is about the tablet. Where is it?”
So, that was the way it was going to be.
Carter set down his tea untouched. “I don’t know. I only dealt with a middleman. He needed somebody with a knowledge of the period and the best way to simulate an existing piece. I needed the money.”
“Looks like this middleman keeps you busy.” Felix looked around the open space, and Carter said nothing. “How long ago?”
“Three months.” He may not have been able to remember the unimportant stuff, but he never forgot a job.
Felix nodded, and Carter could see the wheels turning. “So the buyer has the piece.”
“And he’s probably halfway across the world.”
“That doesn’t matter. Who’s the middleman?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“I didn’t ask. Just give me the name.”
Carter sighed.
“You know Rex Klein? Klein Fine Art?” Felix shook his head. “They sell that mall art shit. Gaudy frames, overblown price tags?”
It was obvious from Felix’s expression he wasn’t on the Klein Fine Art’s mailing list.
“He has a little retail shop on lower Milwaukee Avenue on the south side.”
“A front.”
“For more than just counterfeit art, I think.”
“Okay, then.” When Felix stood, Carter grabbed his arm.
“Absolutely not.” He held a little tighter when Felix tried to pull away. “This isn’t like back home. This guy isn’t your dad. I don’t think he’s someone you want to fuck with. You got me?” Carter let go, and Felix dropped back in the chair.
“I don’t have a choice.”
Carter wanted to ask why. How was he involved in this anyway? But he knew better than to push, not now, not when Felix couldn’t even look at him without making those scary, squinty, laser-beam eyes.
They really needed to talk.
“Listen, I think if you just let me explain myself --”
“Oh, for fuck sake, Carter. I know my dad threatened you. I know he was your reason for disappearing. It didn’t take Nancy Drew to figure it out.”
“No, he --”
“At least he did it to protect me. You were just trying to protect yourself.”
“He didn’t threaten me. He threatened you.”
Felix was actually quiet for a surprised beat, and Carter knew to push on.
“He said if I didn’t disappear from your life, do everything he told me to, your part in his little operation would accidentally come out.”
“And you believed him?”
“Of course I believed him.” At the time, Carter had felt certain David Pike would have done it in a heartbeat. It was just the why he hadn’t understood.
Felix stood up again. “Then you’re a bigger idiot than I realized.”
“I am not.” Carter reached out to stop him, but Felix slipped away, heading to the door.
He hesitated, but only for a moment before bolting after him.
It hadn’t gone at all the way he’d expected. Not that he’d spent much time playing out the various confession scenarios in his head. Well, he had some, but it had pretty much played out the same way every time. Felix had thanked him for being his protector, revealed that David Pike had died -- peacefully in his sleep/after falling into a coma/following being shivved in the shower -- and then had fucked him over the couch. But instead, Felix had only seemed to get more pissed.
When Carter pulled open the door, he was surprised to see Felix sitting on the hood of his Jeep and thumbing something into his cell.
Selfishly, he wanted to keep Felix there longer. He had figured out long ago that David had been making empty threats. But it hadn’t felt like it at the time, and he hadn’t felt like he’d had a choice.
He wasn’t sure it was possible to still love someone after so many years. They were different people now, weren’t they? But you could still miss them, and God, he hadn’t even realized how much he’d still missed Felix until the last few weeks, with the dreams. Before that, it had just become part of him, an unidentified sadness that was being awake.
“I think I can help.”
Felix looked up from whatever he was doing, brows knit and looking dubious. “What do you suggest?”
“You’ll like this.” Carter beckoned Felix back inside. “I’ve got us a plan.”
He didn’t. He really didn’t.
The Ghost of Burr-Fawn Hall (Ancient History Book 2)
Coming this Fall from JMS Books