Thick as Thieves

by zeph317toho

Leonardo isn't sure how he can juggle the Medici job and his own work on the key project when The Count is chasing him around the globe and threatening his friends. No one ever said being a genius con man/forger/thief would be easy.

1. Chapter 1

Title: Thick as Thieves, 1/6

Pairing(s): Leonardo da Vinci/Girolamo Riario, some mentions of Leonardo/Lucrezia and Leonardo/Ima

Rating: M overall

Disclaimer: I am making no profit from this fic, and I own nothing of the characters or show. I don't even really own the plot—such as it is—because it serves only as a framework for the UST and sex.

Warnings: Violence, fighting as foreplay, criminal activity, bad language.

Summary: Leonardo isn't sure how he can juggle the Medici job and his own work on the Key project when the Count is chasing him around the globe and threatening his friends. No one ever said being a genius con man/forger/thief would be easy.

Author's notes: This is a Modern AU.

Thick as Thieves Chapter 1

Leonardo had to raise his voice above the industrial metal booming through the loft to finally get Zoroaster's attention away from his marked deck of Tarot cards.

"Have you seen Nico today?" he yelled.

Zo shook his head but turned down the music a little and shouted back, "What?"

"When was the last time you saw Nico?" Leo tried again. "He didn't sleep here last night."

"I haven't seen him since breakfast yesterday," Vanessa offered, pulling up the straps of her sundress as Leo's attention turned away from her.

"Hey, I didn't say you could cover up. I'm not done with you yet." Leo tried to argue, but Vanessa just patted his cheek and pecked a kiss to his nose.

"I have a shift in half an hour, and if I'm late again, my manager has threatened to throw me back to the convent."

"He wouldn't dare. He knows what a big draw you are, especially for one Medici who likes to toss around his money to impress serving wenches like you," Zo teased.

Vanessa smiled and flipped him off as she grabbed her purse. "You're only jealous that none of us wenches are impressed by your arrogance and lack of money. Good night, you two, and don't forget to feed Nico when he comes back."

"Feed Nico," Zo shouted at her back, "when you haven't even fed us?"

Leo paused from packing up his brushes and paints. "Speaking of Nico again, I'm getting a little concerned. If he left yesterday morning and it's almost five now…Zo, you don't have him running another game for you, do you?"

"What? Moi?" Zo slapped a hand to his chest and tried to look offended, but Leo stared through it. "No, the kid and I aren't working on anything right now. Not after you warned me off that whole bookselling fiasco. I'm glad you found out they were working under the Medici family because I'm not anxious to kick that hornet's nest again anytime soon." When Leo winced minutely, Zo narrowed his eyes. "We aren't, are we? Going to mess with the Medicis again?"

"It's a little complicated."

"Complicated." Zo's voice couldn't have been flatter. "That's what you said right before we almost got caught in St. Petersburg. That's what you said when we were running through Paris. This has something to do with the girl, that Lucrezia, doesn't it?"

Leo continued to push his art supplies around the messy table so Zo let his voice get angrier. "Is it about the girl? Come on, Leo, stop thinking with your dick!"

"I'm not thinking with my dick. I'm thinking with my brain, which is something you should try sometime by the way." He held up a hand to stop Zo's angry retort. "I know I said we would get out of here as soon as I helped the Medicis get clear."

"And now you have," Zo interrupted. "So we can get the hell out of here."

"The shareholders' meeting is next week. If they believe what I cooked up with Lorenzo—and that's still a big if—then we'll get our paycheck and we can move on. But, I owe it to them to stick around long enough to make sure, and besides, I've been getting a lot of work done on the key project. You know how the threat of imminent danger turns me on."

Zo ignored Leo's smirk. "Yeah, well it's been nice lolling around, running the small cons with Nico while you do your research and fuck a certain pretty girl, but you promised we'd get out of town once the Medicis were taken care of."

"And we will, it's just—"

Both men jolted when the loft's door opened and Nico stumbled in. "Where have you been, you little pizzle? Off drinking and screwing a horde of women until you forgot where you live?" Zo hooted.

Leo was the first to notice the blood and was beside Nico in a flash. "What happened?" he asked as he helped Nico to the couch and examined his bleeding hand.

Nico was shaking all over and could only jerk his hand back as Leo poked at it. "Get me some alcohol and something clean to wrap it with," he ordered Zo and turned back to Nico. "Can you tell us what happened? Where have you been? Did one of your marks catch up to you?"

"The Count," Nico finally gasped out and Leo froze as he heard Zo drop something behind him and start swearing.

"No, it can't have been."

"It was," Nico's eyes were huge as they met Leo's. "It was the Count, Riario. Someone grabbed me when I was going down the alley beside the bakery yesterday. I thought it was one of those guys Zo and I tricked in the cemetery con. He dropped a bag over my head and pushed me into a car and next thing I knew I was in a jail cell."

"He doesn't have any jurisdiction in this country," Zo pushed the first aid supplies at Leo and took a seat on Nico's other side.

"Yeah, well, tell that to him. Damn," Nico hissed as Leo splashed a liberal amount of whiskey on his hand then took a swig of it. Zo grabbed the bottle from him and took a healthy drink too.

"What did he do to you?" Leo's voice was quiet as he wrapped gauze around Nico's hand.

"He introduced himself. Interrogated me. Kept asking me where you were and what you were working on now." Leo jumped when Nico clutched his arm with his good hand. "He knew you were here, helping the Medici. And he knows about the key, Leo. He knows!"

Leo patted Nico's hand, but Nico clung tightly. "I'm really sorry, Leo. I told him where the loft is, but I couldn't tell him anything else because you never talk about it. And I can't understand your notes."

Leo barked a laugh at Nico's quiet admission and pulled him into a sideways hug. "It doesn't matter what you told the Count. He doesn't have any power here. I'm not afraid of him, but I am worried about this hand. How did he hurt you? Have you had a tetanus shot recently?"

"Before I left for uni; my hand will be okay. He handcuffed me to a table, said he would make me talk, threatened to use some sort of medieval torture device on me, got all smug about it. When he finally left the room, I was desperate to get away and I tried to slip out of the cuffs. There was a sharp edge on the chain…"

"You daft boy, you did this to yourself?" Zo's voice was a bit relieved as he wrestled Nico to the back of the couch and noogied his hair.

"He didn't even care. He laughed a little and said something about how blood tastes salty. I swear to God I thought he was going to drink me like a vampire." Nico shivered. "He's a scary man."

"A man who shouldn't even be in this country. He had no right to take you and hold you in custody, and certainly none to charge you with any kind of crime," Leo said.

"He talked to me all night. He knew all about Paris. And Monaco. And about the Botticelli in Florence. It's like he knew everything about us—where we've been, the jobs we've run. He said he's coming for you, Leo."

"Let him come," Zo said. "We're getting out of here. Now."

"No," Leo interrupted. "I have to see this through for the Medicis. I owe them that much. But then, we'll leave. I can do my research just about anywhere, so we'll leave the Count far behind."

"What agency does the prick even work for? We've heard threats of him chasing us all over Europe. Everyone has a different idea of who he's working for. I fucking knew that was him in Florence. He couldn't have been more than a couple minutes behind you. How can that possibly be legal?"

"It's not, Zo. There's no international law enforcement agency that would be after us for the small-time stuff you pull. Or even the white collar art deals I've managed. It's almost … personal at this point. And while it's a bit worrisome that he knows we're connected to the Medici, he would have a very hard time proving anything, particularly since Lorenzo has been very circumspect about the entire arrangement." Leo slapped his knees and stood up, turning to smile down at his two friends. "So next week this time, we'll be working elsewhere. And we'll let Nico choose this time. What do you think? Sunny Los Angeles? Bustling Tokyo? Sheep farm in Australia?"

"What about the key, Leo?"

He shrugged off Nico's question, trying hard not to let the worry show on his face. "He won't get the key from me. Like I said, he has no power here."

Both Zo and Nico started to argue but quickly shut up when a knock sounded on the loft's door. All three froze, then Zo swore and rushed toward a crate that Leo knew held the defensive tools of his sometimes dangerous trade. Leo held up a hand, utterly convinced that the Count would never knock politely if he were intent on finding them.

"Who is it?" he called out and all three breathed a sigh of relief when Lucrezia's voice answered. She gave Leo a hug when he let her in then nodded to Zo and Nico who moved to the kitchen side of the loft so Zo could take a closer look at Nico's hand. The occasional yelp of pain echoed through the loft, but Lucrezia only raised an eyebrow and didn't ask any questions.

"What are you doing here? I thought Lorenzo had you monopolized." Leo pulled her closer for a hello kiss but Lucrezia ducked away with a smile.

"Thanks to a certain someone who has revitalized his legal businesses, Lorenzo has very little free time right now. Although, he did ask me again last night if you were ever going to finish that portrait of me. Are you going to?"

"Of course, of course," Leo spread his hands wide, but Lucrezia knew him well enough not to believe the innocent gesture. "Eventually," he conceded. "Perhaps if we went somewhere quiet and alone, you could provide me with some more … inspiration."

Lucrezia let him steal a kiss then pulled back until the garment bag she held was firmly between them. "I have provided you with all the inspiration I can until I am done with the party tomorrow night. Planning this has drained me of all my creativity. I never knew there were so many shareholders and families and business people who have to be coddled but kept apart. You should see the spreadsheets I've made to figure out who can be seated next to whom for dinner, and who will have to be introduced first in order to keep the peace. Lorenzo doesn't pay me enough to be his social hostess."

"I thought your official title was personal assistant, emphasis on the personal."

Lucrezia's look said it all. "Clarice is no fool; she's known about our affair for some time. But she puts up with it because it gets him out of her hair so she can concentrate on running her family's interests as well. I only wish he'd made her step up and plan this ridiculous reception. She's probably laughing all the way to her bank at the thought of me having to put together this masquerade. Why would a grown man and his brother find it so amusing to host a costume party?"

Leo tried to take her into his arms again, but Lucrezia pushed away. He almost laughed at her pique, but he'd learned first-hand how dangerous she could be with any tool left to hand when she was upset and he acted without thinking. The wound from the letter opener had itched for days. Instead, he made sympathetic noises until Lucrezia looked appeased.

Then he held her again and laughed. She stamped on his foot and shoved the garment bag into his arms. "Let's see how funny you think it is when you're mingling with the big shots in tacky costumes."

"What? I'm not going."

"Oh yes, yes you are. Lorenzo has ordered it."

"He can't tell me what to do."

"Lorenzo the Magnificent has demanded it, and so you shall appear. Wearing that. It was the best I could do on short notice."

Leo gaped and was almost afraid to open the bag. It was Lucrezia's turn to smirk. "I'm sure you'll look dashing as always, Leo. I'll see you tomorrow night at the mansion." She kissed him quickly then headed to the door before Leo could reel her in again. She paused to look back over her shoulder, giving him the look that had drawn Leo to her in the first place. "And if you're a very good boy at the masquerade, maybe we can sneak away for a private party later." She blew him a kiss and left Leo cursing the Medicis again.

He was a bit more subdued when he arrived at the Medici family mansion the next evening. He and Zo had spent most of the night going over their past jobs, looking for loose ends, and planning their next move. He didn't want to leave anything behind that could give the Count more ammunition against them. Nico had finally fallen asleep, but yelled himself awake when Vanessa came home from work. She'd been much more gentle in ministering to him than Leo and Zo had been, and she'd come up with some good ideas about getting a clean break from the Medici family. Leo had thought she'd be sorry to leave Guiliano and he'd been ready to insist she stay in the city, but Vanessa had anticipated him and said she was ready to move on with them.

"After all, who would take care of Nico when you boys game all night and carouse? He and I will just find our own fun and keep you out of trouble. That's what family is for," she'd said, pulling Nico over for a hug. He'd smirked from the comfort of her chest.

As Leo jogged up the lavish stairway into the Medici mansion, he admitted to himself that he wasn't sure. About any of it. Oh, he was pretty sure things would work out for Lorenzo and his brother, as long as Clarice continued to get her family to back them. If things went to plan, the Medicis would be able to finally cast off the long-standing family curse of being called swindlers and pirates and legitimize all their businesses in the eyes of the world—even the money-laundering and illegal ones. As long as they could keep the wretched Pazzi family occupied long enough to get the deal to go through… that was only one of Leo's worries.

There was the key he'd devoted so much of his life to, his time, his intellect, his passion. He knew he was getting close, he could feel it in his very being, but it still eluded him. Although he always told Zo he worked better and let the creativity flow faster when he was under pressure, Leo was starting to wonder if he might need to take a little break from the schemes and wild plots and buckle down to work on the key.

And then there was the fucking Count. The man who'd chased him and his friends halfway around the world. Leo had heard stories about him, whispers among the forgers and thieves he'd met, but while everyone thought they knew something about him, it seemed no one actually knew him. It worried Leo more than he could let on. He had to take care of his family, such as it was.

He told himself that's why he was dressed up in a costume, about to barge through the doors and schmooze his way through a crowd for a few hours to fulfill his obligations. It figured that Lorenzo caught him right inside the door of the ballroom.

"There is my esteemed artist," he boomed and stuck out his hand for a hearty shake that pulled Leo into whispering range. "Is everything still under control for next week?"

"Yes, it's all good."

"Good." Lorenzo's clap to his shoulder was stronger than Leo thought a co-conspirator deserved. "Make sure it stays that way."

Leo gave a little salute, but Giuliano laughed before he could walk away. "What exactly are you dressed as, da Vinci? You look like some sort of scurvy-ridden Renaissance pirate prostitute."

Leo glanced down at the outfit Lucrezia had put together. He rather liked the leather jacket, form-fitting pants and boots, but he thought there should have been laces to close the shirt. "I'm pretty sure I eat enough fruit to prevent scurvy, thank you."

Giuliano scowled as he usually did when he tried a verbal spar with Leo, so Leo took the opportunity to wander off. There was plenty to see. The glitterati had all turned out for the party since the Medici family had long been known for their extravagant fetes. Leo ran his critical artist's eye over the costumes and found them sadly lacking. Like a wealthy version of Halloween, it seemed most of the women had chosen sexy, skin-baring outfits they wouldn't have been caught dead in any other day, while the men ranged from superheroes to their own attempts at sexy.

"Do you like what you see?" The husky female voice made Leo turn his head right into a towering bright red wig.

"Oh, excuse me," he rubbed his nose and looked down at the masked woman wearing a red, feathered dress and body paint that transformed her into a walking piece of art. "You are a vision. I would absolutely love to sketch you."

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

"Only the spectacular ones. May I draw you, you amazing phoenix?"

She ran a red fingernail down his bare chest, making him shiver. "I don't think so. You look like the wastrel type that would promise a girl a portrait then never follow through."

"I'm working on it, Lucrezia, I promise." She laughed and stroked his chest with fingertips this time. "I knew it was you immediately. After all, I have drawn your form repeatedly."

"How do you like the party?"

"It's well over the top. Just what Lorenzo wanted, right?"

"Absolutely," she said. "And do you like your costume?"

"Guiliano called me a diseased pirate prostitute."

She laughed as she sipped champagne. "Not quite the look I was going for, but I can see it." Leo put a hand on his hip and posed to make her laugh again. "If you really are a pirating rent boy, you should meet me in the atrium an hour after the entertainment ends."

"The phoenix will come out of her shell?"

"If you're lucky." Lucrezia handed him her champagne flute. "Now find me a refill."

Leo bowed and turned away to find the bar just as the couple entered the ballroom. Leo was struck immediately by the overwhelming urge to pull out his sketchpad. He couldn't take his eyes off the two, strikingly different but equally gorgeous. The woman was tall and dark and easily the most elegant form he'd seen in forever. She carried herself with a model's grace, no, Leo corrected himself, she was too poised and authentic to be a vapid model. An air of competence and calm surrounded her as she eased through the crowd on the arm of a tuxedoed man. She was not masked but wore a spectacular robe and jewelry that made her look every inch a queen. Leo memorized her face, her beautiful features, her warm eyes, knowing he would reproduce them all, but wishing he could convince her to join him for a painting session. She could be his Venus.

The couple was coming closer when Leo realized the man was staring at him with the same intensity he'd been giving the woman. Leo figured he was jealous of the long look Leo had taken of his date, but he couldn't help giving the man the same treatment. He was dressed in a tailored tux, almost traditional but for a textured lapel and a black and white polka dot scarf draped under the lapel. He was only a breath taller than the statuesque woman, but his posture was strong and made him appear taller. Leo admired the breadth of his chest and shoulders and the ratio tapering to his waist Leo could discern even under the tux jacket. His unmasked face was a study of bold features, high cheekbones, huge eyes that all worked together, not competing, and made him just as attractive to Leo as the woman had.

What he wouldn't give to draw them both.

When they came within reach, Leo was jolted out of his artistic vision by Lucrezia grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the bar. "Really, Leonardo, what does a girl have to do to get a drink around here?"

Leo complied but he couldn't resist a glance behind at the man still watching him.

Lucrezia had to leave with her drink to make final arrangements for the dinner. Leo spent the time glancing around the ballroom for more inspiration but no one intrigued him like the couple had. He caught glimpses of them weaving through the crowd and at the dinner but they were seated at the far opposite corner from him. He was tempted to sketch the woman's profile onto the white tablecloth but knew Lucrezia would kill him if she saw it. He contented himself with watching until the dinner was over and the entertainment began. Guiliano had produced some kind of short play that included nearly naked dancers, live pheasants and a boa constrictor. While Leo applauded all the arts, he wasn't interested in sitting through another half an hour of that, so he sneaked out when the lights went dim.

He was standing in a hallway in front of an excellent reproduction of Donatello's David when he heard the light tread of footsteps behind him. They stopped a few feet away, and Leo could feel the eyes on his back.

"Truly a masterpiece. One of a kind," the soft voice breathed out.

Leo turned, a quip ready about whether it was the statue or he being talked about, but it died on his tongue. The man in the tuxedo was standing there, openly admiring them both.

"Yes, it really is," was all Leo could respond.

"And this is simply a reproduction, is it not? I don't believe you've yet turned your talents to Donatello's works."

Leo's blood ran cold, and his heart skipped a beat. The man took a step closer to the statue which brought him beside Leo. "I believe you know who I am."

"The Count," Leo damned how weak his voice came out so he repeated louder, "Count Riario, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Oh, I assure you, the pleasure is all mine," Riario's voice purred out.

Leo wanted to shiver, but he wasn't sure if it was due to the evil he projected onto the voice or the soft, intimate tone the man had taken.

"You are a very talented artist in your own right. I have no idea why you persist in leading a life of crime," Riario said, still staring at the David.

"Well, a fellow has to eat. You know what they say about starving artists."

"Ah, yes. But you must be doing well for yourself. Your little friend Nico appeared healthy and well nourished."

Hearing Riario casually mention Nico sparked Leo's anger, and he turned to face him. "I don't know what kind of stunt that was, kidnapping Nico, but you had no right to do that. Or to deny him medical treatment."

"I think you'll find that I do have the right. My employer has a very nice agreement with American law enforcement. And here they are allowed to detain a suspect for up to 24 hours without charging them with anything. I think you'll find I met with every letter of the law."

"That's bullshit and you know it. Nico hasn't done anything wrong."

Riario softly tsked the language, and it made Leo want to swear at him again. "It's a shame young Nico left such a prestigious school as Cambridge to travel with the lot of you. I thought that by having a nice chat, I might be able to persuade him to see the error of his ways."

"But you don't have any evidence that he's ever committed a crime."

"Perhaps nothing that would convict him in a court of law in this land, but we all know he's as guilty as the rest of you. Helping that Zoroaster run rackets and do everything short of grave-robbing, although I'm surprised that's something he hasn't tried his hand at yet."

Leo snorted. "It's ridiculous that an investigator of your stature is interested in alleged small-time crimes like you've just described. What a waste of your esteemed time."

"On the contrary." Riario moved closer to Leo and lowered his voice even more. "You are most worthy of my time. You see, I know that you are attempting to help the Medicis cover up their lucrative but, unfortunately, illegal money laundering while fending off a hostile takeover by the Pazzi family. And if that weren't enough to spark the interest of law enforcement in every country they do business in, there is always your special, pet project. The Key."

The way Riario breathed out that word made it sound exactly the way Leo thought it in his head. Like a mystery, like a blessing, like a thing that could change the world.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I have no key."

Riario looked at him, not meeting his eyes for a moment as he appeared to try to stop a smile. Leo was intrigued by the expression.

"You may not have it all yet, but you will. Soon. And when you finish, it will have the power to rule the world. Or, rather, he who holds it can wield that power," Riario said.

"And you would be the man to do that?"

"Oh my, no. That kind of power should be held only by those who are ready for it. By those who will use it wisely to make the right decisions."

"By the one percent? By kings and presidents? By those who run countries and economies and innocent lives into the ground?" Leo spit out.

Riario shrugged. "It's certainly not for the people. To put that kind of power into the hands of the masses who spew anonymous hate and would use it only to topple businesses, governments, create anarchy—that would be madness."

"When it's done, when it's completed, I will make it available for everyone, not just those with money and power already. It can level the playing field, ensure that those in leadership are playing fair, give the 99 percent a modicum of power."

Riario sighed. "And then a consortium of governments and businesses will create another system which will force you to find a way around it. Tensions will escalate in a never-ending spiral as each side postures and threatens, and yes, that did so well during the Cold War, didn't it?"

Leo pulled back like he'd been struck. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I'm only trying to help mankind, make some things better, not destroy nations."

"But that's what at risk, if you persist in releasing the Key to the public. If you work with us, we can provide you all the resources you could ever want. We can help you make the world a safer place, with the Key in the right hands."

Riario was meeting his eyes now and making no effort to hide his smile. Leo shook his head. Riario took a step closer and said, "We can do this the easy way. Give you whatever you want. All I ask is you come with me. Or we can do it the hard way. I will destroy your friends, and I will make sure the full wrath of the law falls upon the Medici family. I might even let it go public that you turned evidence against them."

Leo reared back. "You would see me dead."

"No, I would see you working with me. I can protect you." Riario reached out, but Leo didn't let him touch. He stepped back, heard voices coming around the corner, the laughter of partygoers leaving the ballroom, and he walked away.

Leo was shaken by the encounter, couldn't believe how much Riario knew or pretended to know about his work. He'd often wondered what the Count would be like, but nothing had prepared him for the reality. The conviction and sincerity in his voice told Leo he would never be able to persuade him to his own side. He was rattled as he kept to the back hallways of the mansion and finally found the door to the atrium where he was to meet Lucrezia.

That voice came from behind him again, even more threatening when he had to strain to hear it.

"I could threaten those you love the most. I'll find your weak point." Leo faced Riario, grinding his teeth in frustration while the other man smiled faintly. "I know desire when I see it."

The spark of Leo's anger took flame. He grabbed Riario's upper arm, but Riario turned into it, and it was Leo who was pressed against the wall, body held against the wood paneling by strong hands. He panted even though the manhandling shouldn't have driven out his breath. Riario leaned in closer to his face, with no concept of personal space, and hissed, "I will have you, Artista."

Leo strained against the hold to free his shoulders from Riario's hands, thinking it would force the other man back if he pressed closer. But Riario didn't freeze, he didn't blink, didn't budge, and let Leo's body meet his. They just stood there, sharing breath, until Lucrezia started humming inside the room, and Leo was the one to jerk away.

He realized he was hard when Riario released him, then patted him on the shoulder and walked away, not looking back even once.