Title: Thick as Thieves
Pairing(s): Leonardo da Vinci/Girolamo Riario, mentions of da Vinci/Lucrezia and da Vinci/Ima
Rating: M overall
Disclaimer: I am making no profit from this fic, and I own nothing. I don't even really own the plot—such that it is—because I feel like I've read it/seen it elsewhere. It serves only as a framework for the UST and porn.
Warnings: Violence, fighting as foreplay, criminal activity, blood
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: Modern AU. This is an extreme AU since the show takes place in 1470s Florence, sort of.

Chapter Three

Leo rubbed the bruises on his throat as he buttoned his shirt and started knotting his tie. He couldn't really hide the marks, so he'd had to put up with some bawdy teasing from Vanessa and Nico who wondered when Lucrezia had gotten so adventurous in bed. Zo had only looked like he was going to throw up. Luckily for Leo, Riario had aimed most of his blows for his body, so only his cheek had a visible matching bruise.

He thought maybe he was luckier that Zo hadn't told the others exactly who he'd been with that day to cause the injuries.

The bathroom door creaked open, and he met Zo's eyes in the mirror. "Speaking of the devil," he muttered, giving his tie knot another yank.

"Look at you, all cleaned up. You don't make a bad banker. Or stock broker. Or maybe the poor wanker who works in the mail room."

"Lorenzo insisted I look the part today."

"And he paid for that get-up?"

Leo shrugged. "Lucrezia picked it out, but I paid. Thought maybe I'd get some use out of it later."

"When? You have another appointment to screw the Count?"

The tie crinkled in Leo's fingers, and he forced himself to smooth it out and start tying it again. "I didn't screw him, and I'm not planning on doing anything with him again. Things got out of hand. You know how impulsive I can get. It was stupid. And I'm certainly not going to help him."

"Impulsive?" Zo said in a flat voice. "Try suicidal. Reckless. Ridiculous. I know you do rash things when you're angry, but do you really think that offering sexual services to the very man who is trying to arrest us all was smart?"

"No, it wasn't smart, Zo, I'm well aware of that." Leo still wasn't sure what he'd been thinking that day Riario had come to the loft. He'd reacted in anger at the jabs about his family, but he'd only intended to kick Riario's ass then kick him out. But as he'd wrestled with the Count, once he'd seen him breathing hard, felt his body beneath him, all the force contained in it… when Leo had been on top, it had been like an aphrodisiac. He'd been shocked that Riario would initiate a kiss—the man didn't seem like the type. From there, he'd thought it was another level of war, another battlefield to see who would dominate, but instead, Riario had surprised him again by being more tender. Leo had wanted to take back the power but he still wasn't sure what spurred him to go down on Riario. Or accept the helping hand afterward.

"If your dick had half the brains you have in your head, it could have its own business. A cock entrepreneur," Zo said, bringing Leo back to the conversation. "Let me do that. Seriously, do you have any skills that are useful in everyday life?"

As Zo deftly knotted the tie in a perfect Windsor, Leo shook his head. "Only a few, but they mostly involve drinking games."

Zo smirked and patted the tie to his chest hard enough to make Leo wince. "Well, it's time to put that giant brain to work again. If you make it through this deal of the Medicis' in one piece and keep Lorenzo happy, we can get out of here. And get away from your no-so-secret admirer Count."

"No problem, Zo. It's all in the bag. Get ready to leave for a paradise of white beaches, blue water and ladies in very tiny bikinis."

As Leo took a cab to the headquarters of the Medici Bank, he wondered what would go wrong. No matter how optimistic he always tried to appear to Zo, Nico and Vanessa, Leo wasn't sure at all if the plan would work. He regretted ever getting involved with the Medicis. It seemed like all the deal was giving him was the necessity of lying to his friends and now the bad luck to meet the fucking Count.

He'd also lied to his friends about not knowing anything about Riario before they'd met. He'd done some hardcore hacking to figure out things about Riario and whatever shady international group he was funded by. Apparently some countries thought white collar crime was every bit as criminal as murder. Leo found out they chased any kind of crimes that involved the potential loss of money to very important people who would do whatever it took to get it back. Although it was a quasi-law enforcement group, it worked with agencies in the country to make arrests or turn the evidence over for prosecution. Riario had been highly successful in flushing out investors who made off with millions in Ponzi schemes and CEOs who embezzled and wiped out retirement funds, and he'd managed to recover most of the stolen funds. But Leo's art deals seemed to have struck a nerve with him.

Leo wished he knew how Riario had found out about the Key. He'd been making huge progress with it during the months he'd been funded by the Medicis because he'd been able to focus on just their work and it.

It was definitely past time to take a break from the game for a while. He would rest on a sunny island somewhere, indulge in brightly colored drinks with little umbrellas, put the Medicis and the mess with behind him— maybe persuade Lucrezia to take a vacation and come along—and work on the Key. And he would definitely forget the look on Riario's face as he'd climaxed.

The cab left him in front of the Medici Bank, a foreboding building that oozed money and power. It was hard to believe that the family's fortune and influence had come from nearly every illegal activity Cosimo could get a hand in back in the day, and even harder to believe that his grandsons wanted now to have at least the veneer of respectability and legality. If only his plan worked.

Leo had contacted Lorenzo after he'd heard murmurings in the art world that the Medicis were willing to part with a number of their treasures in order to gain the cash they needed to make their bank solvent. They were betting their private fortune to fund public works to clear their name long associated with money laundering and crime. Unfortunately for Lorenzo, many of the pieces hoarded by Cosimo didn't have provenances or were badly damaged. Leo had spent months forging paperwork, authenticating some pieces, restoring a few and downright forging others so that the Medicis could make the money they needed. Leo still thought it was a much safer crime than choosing something like arms dealing.

Lorenzo nodded to him from across the boardroom, and Giuliano scowled but led him to a seat at the front of the rows of shareholders from the Medici and Pazzi banks. Although Lorenzo and Giuliano were supposed to make the presentations, Leo thought they probably wanted him nearby in case the PowerPoint presentation failed. Or someone saw through the carefully crafted designs and made Leo get creative on the spot.

The welcomes went as planned; the Medicis smiled brightly, the Pazzis smiled back even more. They all shook hands then introduced their boards of directors and their major shareholders who were in attendance. Francesco Pazzi had raised an eyebrow when Leo was called "a special consultant."

Then Lorenzo stood up to begin the official presentation, and everything went to hell. Jacopo Pazzi interrupted by slapping down a sheaf of papers and declaring that his company was staging a takeover. He demanded the Medici board vote in agreement with them to merge because the Pazzis had recruited enough votes from Medici shareholders to sell.

Giuliano stood and raised his voice that that was impossible, the Pazzis had no right to call for a vote, there was no way in hell the Medicis would sell. Francesco snapped his fingers for an attorney to come forward with proxy forms and the yelling started. Leo stayed out of the way as some of the most powerful men and women in the financial world commenced a shouting match.

Jacopo Pazzi was screaming up into Giuliano's face, and Giuliano poked a finger into his chest, calling him "a sack of shit." Francesco rushed over and punched Giuliano, yelling "don't touch my father." Lorenzo tried to grab his arms, but Francesco pulled out a handgun and screamed that everyone knew the Medicis were only a bunch of fucking criminals and they could all go to hell where they belonged.

When everyone in the boardroom saw him wave the gun, the screams turned terrified and many of the financiers ducked behind the tables, trying to get low. Some of the board members rushed for the double doors. Two of the Medici security stepped in front of the main entrance, but several of the Pazzis rushed them, turning the entire chaos into violence. Both security teams drew their weapons in the melee.

A Medici security guard alerted by the noise opened the door that went into the family's private offices then tried to hold off members of the Pazzi company who were looking for a way out. Leo ducked behind a table and saw Clarice, Lucrezia and several of the Medici board who'd been seated near the door escape with the head of security. Lucrezia looked back at him and beckoned, but the wide table and a row of chairs was between him and the door. Not to mention the Medici brothers.

Leo watched Lorenzo as he and his brother tried to calm Francesco. He was still shouting that the Medicis would get what was coming to them, but he should get more. His family would have the bank and all its business as well as the prestige he felt was due. Lorenzo had his hands up in front of his chest—a universal sign for peace—as he continued to talk quietly despite the noise of the scuffles at the doors. Leo saw Giuliano slide toward Francesco's back then several things happened at once.

A gun went off somewhere in the middle of the fighting security guards. The gunshot made Pazzi jump and his finger jerked on the trigger. Lorenzo shouted and went down. Francesco turned toward the doors and realized Giuliano had crept up behind him and fired two shots at him. He fell without a sound.

Someone outside the room shouted, "The Pazzis taking over the building,"and Leo bashed a chair over the back of a Pazzi guard who was trying to get closer to Lorenzo. Francesco whirled in his direction, so Leo dropped and crawled under the table toward Lorenzo, seeing blood spreading out from his neck. Lorenzo was struggling to move and had his hand clamped over the wound in his neck.

Giuliano was facedown, and Leo couldn't tell if he was breathing, but blood was pooling on the carpet under his body. With only a second to make a choice, Leo grabbed Lorenzo under the arms and pulled him under the table. Francesco had turned to scream at his father, and he saw their feet leave his line of sight, so he took the chance to heave Lorenzo up and toward the nearby back door. Lorenzo could barely stand on his feet, so it was more like Leo dragging him across what felt like acres.

There was a musclebound man wearing a Medici jacket in front of the door, so Leo thought he was security. Instead the man pulled a long-bladed knife. The shouting was increasing, another gun fired, and Leo dropped Lorenzo long enough to punch the guy, blocking his wild swing with the knife. Leo kicked out his knee, bent his wrist until he dropped the knife then crumpled him with a hard hit to the solar plexus. The man fell to his knees, wind knocked out of him, and Leo turned to grab Lorenzo again just as the double doors exploded open.

Those nearest the doors were knocked down from the force, and more panicked screams rose even though the newest combatants were yelling "FBI" and "Police." Leo took one look at the assault team members, covered in body armor and armed with high caliber assault weapons, and thought it was still wiser to get out. He yanked the door open, dragging Lorenzo now, and just looked back to meet the eyes of Riario, bursting through the door with only a flak vest marking him as an "Agent." Riario looked directly at him, ignoring the carnage surrounding him and made for the Medici door, knocking aside Pazzi and Medici supporters alike even as law enforcement were forcing them to surrender and kneel.

Francesco saw Leo trying to rescue Lorenzo and screamed obscenities, leveling his handgun at the two. Leo got Lorenzo through the door into a hallway as a bullet tore off a piece of the door frame beside him. They stumbled down the hall until Leo's strength was giving out and he chose a door at random. It was a windowless file room of all things, but Leo easily pushed a copy machine in front of the door to barricade them in. Let the feds dig them out; he was more worried about the Pazzi maniac trying to even the score.

Lorenzo was somewhat conscious, groaning in pain, hand and neck coated in blood. Leo tried to examine the wound then told him to keep applying pressure. He was sure that help would arrive eventually but there was no telling who he could trust. A burst of automatic gunfire nearby made him wince. Then a loud explosion jarred the entire floor, shaking dust loose from the ceiling tiles.

"Don't tell me they're fucking bombing you too," Leo muttered.

"I always said the Pazzis were traitorous sons of bitches," Lorenzo panted.

"Just stay still until help comes. Unless you think you can climb up there and we can escape through the ventilation system." Leo's ill-timed joke didn't seem to please Lorenzo.

Hammering at the door shook them both. "You Medici bastard, I know you're in there! Give up and come out here so I can end you myself!" Francesco's voice was muffled but clear enough to hear him yell "Break it down!" The door bounced as someone or something rammed it.

"Well, Lorenzo, I must say it's been an interesting time knowing you."

"The same to you, da Vinci."

Leo was scanning the room, searching and failing at finding any way to escape, when he heard another shout. This time, Francesco's voice was screaming back until it ended in a crack. There was a thump as though someone hit the floor. There were some more scuffles. Leo dared to take a breath when there was a quiet knock on the door.

"Mr. Medici, Mr. Da Vinci. May I ask you to come out, please?"

The fucking Count. Leo thumped his head three times against the wall behind him and grit his teeth. "No way," he finally answered.

There was a pause. "I understand that at least one of you is in need of medical assistance. We can provide that now."

Lorenzo was looking up at him, torn between hope and despair. Leo spoke up. "If you don't mind, we'd rather wait until things are settled. It's pretty comfortable in here without all the shooting and the bombs."

"While I'm sure that's true, I'm afraid Mr. Medici could be bleeding out. We're already taking care of his brother. If you would be so good as to open this door, we'd like to do the same for him."

"Go fuck yourself."

"Really, da Vinci, don't make me come in there."

"Don't make us come out there until we have proof that all the Medici family are safe and the Pazzis are all under arrest."

"That's being taken care of as we speak. The FBI and various other agencies are clearing them out now."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Lorenzo winced as he spoke up, raising his voice making his wound hurt more.

"The American law enforcement community does not look well upon those who betray their trust. Or those who attempt to bomb and occupy a federally recognized bank."

"Betray their trust?" Leo looked at Lorenzo who shook his head, wincing as it pulled again.

"Why don't you come out so you can have this explained to you? I feel sure that Ms. Orsini and various other members of the family would be relieved to hear Lorenzo's voice."

They looked at each other again, but didn't answer. This time it was Riario who struck the door with something hard enough for it to splinter. Leo threw himself over Lorenzo, but was relieved to hear the voice of Lorenzo's head of security.

"Mr. Medici, are you all right in there? Sir, the feds are clearing out all the Pazzis, and your wife is safe."

"Giuliano?"

"He's in an ambulance. They rushed him out of here. Sir, can you come out so we can help you?"

Lorenzo pushed at Leo and demanded, "Get me up." Leo still wasn't convinced, but he helped Lorenzo to his feet and they swayed to the door. He leaned Lorenzo against the wall while he shoved the copier away, and the wreck of the door pushed open. Lorenzo collapsed into Dragonetti's arms. Several men in uniforms rushed toward them, one talking into a shoulder radio, requesting a medical team immediately.

There were five bodies lying in the hall, none of them looking like law enforcement. Leo recognized a sixth as Francesco, lying on his stomach with his hands and ankles zip-tied. He was unconscious. Riario was standing several paces away, arms crossed over his chest. He watched Leo rather than the work on Lorenzo, eyes sweeping down then back up to meet Leo's. Another man wearing FBI gear marched down the hall toward them.

"There you are, Riario. My team leader said you swept the place clear in record time. Are you what happened to the men in the hall, too?"

"I was trying to reach the Medicis. They were in my way," Riario said in a quiet voice that made the FBI agent take a step back without seeming to realize it.

"Good work, but we can take it from here."

"I really must insist on our agreement that I be allowed to personally question the Medici family," Riario said.

"Sure, but that was before that Pazzi bastard opened fire on innocent people."

"The Medicis are hardly innocent people."

"Maybe not, but most of the people injured in that boardroom are. I'm afraid you're going to have to wait to interrogate them until we get this mess straightened out."

Leo saw Riario's jaw tighten then he turned and walked back toward the boardroom without another word. The EMTs passed him, hurrying toward Lorenzo. The FBI agent watched Riario leave too, and muttered, "That bastard fights like a berserker and is probably crazy as one too." Then he looked at Leo, covered in Lorenzo's blood, and said, "I'm assuming you're da Vinci. We're going to need to talk to you."

"I don't know anything about this," he answered truthfully.

He sighed. "Well, someone has to figure out this clusterfuck of a day."

Leo was led to Clarice's office where she waited with the board members who'd gotten out safely. Lucrezia wasn't there; Clarice said an agent had taken her away for questioning.

Throughout the rest of the day, they learned the whole story in bits and pieces, broken up only when Clarice demanded information on her husband and brother-in-law.

They found out that the Pazzis had turned state's evidence against the Medicis and were working with the federal agents trying to entrap them. The plan had been for the Pazzis to wait through the board meeting, wearing surveillance equipment and gathering all the information they could personally from Lorenzo and Giuliano, then having the FBI round them up in a sweep after it was over.

But, the Pazzis had decided to make it personal and thought they could beat the FBI. They had made their own plan to take over the company and actually take over the building, planting some explosive devices and arming their men as a failsafe. When the shooting started, it had snowballed from there. Surprisingly, no one had been killed.

Clarice had been thrilled to find out that both Lorenzo and Giuliano were expected to live. Both had lost a lot of blood, but were saved by emergency surgery. Giuliano was the worst, taking two shots to his abdomen, but the doctors were optimistic.

She led the questioning by the federal investigators and refused to allow the small group to be separated.

Finally the investigators were forced to admit that since the Pazzis had tried to kill the entire family and staff of the bank, they would be the ones facing a multitude of federal charges while they had no real evidence against the Medicis. After Clarice had been reassured of that, she demanded they allow her to go to her children then her husband. An agent followed her, for protection they said.

Leo had asked several agents about Lucrezia, but they'd all shrugged or ignored him.

He was the last one allowed to leave the office after some confusion about what his role was in the bank. They'd wanted to take him in for questioning after realizing he wasn't injured, but finally word came from someone that he was only to be held in the building along with the staff who hadn't yet been questioned. Leo sighed but eventually talked them into letting him visit the roof so he could have a smoke, the city's smoking laws being as strict as they were.

He leaned against the railing of the high-rise and looked out as the sun was starting to set. The city was beautiful in its own way, particularly when he was so far above to see the contrasts in lights and perspectives. He wasn't surprised to hear quiet footsteps behind and then the Count stood beside him.

Neither spoke while Leo finished his cigarette.

"Today gave an entirely new meaning to the term hostile takeover," Leo finally said.

Riario made the little noise that meant he was amused but probably shouldn't laugh at the bad humor. Leo heard it often from people. "Even the best-laid plans often go awry."

"That seemed nothing like a best-laid plan."

"You are right," Riario conceded. "Leave it to the Americans to fail even the easiest of tasks."

Leo smoked a while longer in the quiet. The sun was reflecting off the river in an array of colors.

"I still want you, you know," Riario spoke in that voice barely louder than a whisper, but all the more powerful for those who had to strain to hear it.

Leo stubbed out his cigarette but didn't look away from the river. "I thought you'd had me."

"Don't be vulgar. We both know you're done here, just as we both know the Medicis are as guilty as sin, even if the Americans won't be able to convict them. They're done with you, and there's no one keeping you in the city, now that Ms. Donati has left for good."

Leo couldn't help but look at him then. Riario turned his head but looked beyond Leo, not meeting his eyes. "Oh, you didn't know? I'm surprised the FBI were able to keep any secrets at all. You see, Ms. Donati was working for us."

It felt like a hit to Leo's gut. It hurt, and his mind raced back to everything he'd discussed with Lucrezia, every detail he'd told, every dream he'd laid out. The betrayal was crushing. That was how Riario had known everything he'd been working on. He'd thought Lucrezia was special, had thought she understood his passion, and he'd wanted so badly to share it.

"Why, Artista, do you need to sit down for a moment? You look quite overcome with emotions."

Leo pulled away from the hand Riario had placed on his elbow, but he did sit down, sliding his back down the railing to sit on the roof.

"Fuck. I can't believe the whole time… she was giving you all the information on Lorenzo. You made her sleep with him then give you information."

"Hardly. She made her choices as how to best infiltrate the company. I certainly never suggested she have sex with anyone, but she is very talented at using all the weapons at her disposal."

"Fuck," Leo repeated, digging the heels of his hands hard into his eyes until he saw stars. He felt Riario sit down beside him.

"If it makes you feel any better, sleeping with you was also her idea, and I'm sure she held back some things from your pillow talk. We've had more than one discussion about her seeming lack of loyalty to our cause. She appeared rather taken with you."

When Leo didn't answer, Riario said, "Now that you've learned the truth about your relationship and you have no one else holding you here, I can offer you—"

"What? The same deal you made her?" Leo interrupted in an angry voice. "What'd she do, sell her soul for something? Money? Power?"

"Freedom," Riario said, and Leo turned in confusion. The last burst of setting sun was reflecting in Riario's eyes, and Leo saw the way one fringe of hair was stuck in his eyelashes. It had done that when they'd wrestled in his loft, some longer strands of hair entwining in his lashes. It made Leo want to reach out and brush it out of his eyes.

"How would working for you bring freedom? It's more like striking a deal with the devil."

"The truth shall set you free," Riario quoted, and Leo rolled his eyes. He shook another cigarette out of his pack and lit it, blowing smoke up into the gathering twilight.

"I doubt that Lucrezia would ever say that being with you was truthful or freeing."

"It saved her. And her father. But that is not my story to tell," Riario said when Leo would have interrupted.

"Well I'm not going to be part of your story," Leo took a deep drag of his cigarette.

"You are the entire tale." Riario plucked the cigarette from his fingers, turned his head and kissed him. Leo exhaled the breath of smoke, but Riario didn't choke like he'd hoped. He only bit Leo's bottom lip, hard, a chastisement, then kissed him deeper. His tongue teased Leo's lips, wetting them, opening them until he could meet Leo's tongue and Leo couldn't help but kiss back. One of his hands came up to cup Leo's cheek, the same one he'd bruised, and his thumb stroked it as though apologizing.

Leo felt the bristle of whiskers around his mouth and wondered if Riario's skin would redden from his own beard. He put his hand to Riario's face, smoothing the high cheek bone, feeling all the planes he would so love to sketch one day. He grabbed Riario's shoulder, and Riario twisted.

Leo braced himself, thinking the Count was bucking him off or preparing to fight, but he realized Riario was pulling him closer. At his urging, he sank down on top of him, straddling his lap to fit their bodies as close as he could.

He knew it was the post-fight adrenaline, the old-fashioned thank-goodness-we're-alive feeling, but he suddenly really wanted to fuck the man who was cradling him almost carefully, one hand on his waist, gently encouraging him to rock against the hardness he felt, the other hand still smoothing his cheek and jaw. This time, the hand caressed the throat he'd bruised days before.

This felt nothing like the thank-you-convenient-deity fucks he'd had in the past after a job had gone wrong. Or the hazy celebratory fucks he'd had after jobs that had gone right. Maybe best of all—it was nothing like being with Lucrezia, not the first lover he'd had betray him, but the last he'd like to remember.

Riario pulled away from his lips to nose against his cheek. Leo kept his eyes closed and rubbed into it as Riario kissed to his ear, tugged the earlobe with his teeth, nibbled down his throat, suckling carefully over the bruises. He opened another of Leo's shirt buttons since he'd long gotten rid of the tie that afternoon, and he bit, licked and kissed his way leisurely across his collarbone and down the expanse of chest.

Leo was languidly grinding on him, one hand braced on Riario's shoulder, the other spread through his hair, helping to guide his mouth. He ground a little harder and wasn't disappointed when he felt him as hard as Leo was himself. He let go of Riario's head and fumbled at his fly. Riario pulled back to say something but Leo shut him up with a kiss, plunging his tongue into his mouth while he unzipped him and grabbed his cock.

Riario tried to speak again, then reached down to Leo's fly and opened it easily. Leo gasped into his mouth when Riario's hand pushed his underwear out of the way and drew out his cock, already hard and aching. Riario's hand felt so good, fingers stroking up and down before he found the right handhold to pump it, twisting at the top to rub his thumb over the head, smoothing in the precome that beaded there. Leo couldn't help but buck his hips into the hold.

As good as it felt, it was even better when he fumbled Riario's cock nearer and the two rubbed together. He swore he felt Riario stop breathing for a moment when the slick heads touched. Leo got his hand around both dicks and pumped then moved his hips to help the motion. Riario kept one hand around his and their cocks and one on his hip, slowing his frantic pace, pulling him even nearer so Leo couldn't look down, but he could feel more of Riario's body underneath him. Riario kissed and bit at his chest when it was in range.

The dry heat and friction caused a pleasant burn as Leo let the feeling wash away all his thoughts, stop his tortuous mind for a few blessed moments. It was all about the grip of Riario's hand, the brush of the velvety skin of his cock, the power in his forearm as he set their rhythm, the wash of his breath over Leo's collarbone, and as Leo's hand felt down his chest, he knew underneath the flak jacket, that his heart was racing in time to his own. Riario groaned, not as unaffected as he seemed, and Leo twisted down to kiss him, nip his upper lip then his bottom before capturing his mouth and sealing them. His tongue thrust in time with his hips, and Riario groaned again, his hand stilling on their dicks then tightening as he came.

Leo felt the hot rush spurt over his hand and his dick and he buried his head in Riario's neck as he followed. He'd been right—he could feel Riario's pulse under his lips and it was as uncontrolled as his.

They stayed that way for long minutes, until the night air was cooling on exposed skin and Leo felt a distinct need for a shower. They tucked themselves away, carefully not making eye contact, until Leo laughed ruefully and shook his head as he wiped his hands on his jacket, already ruined from Lorenzo's blood.

It didn't look like there was a spot on Riario. Leo tried to fix his shirt and found two of the buttons missing.

"Why am I always losing clothes around you?" he muttered without thinking. Riario smirked, and Leo resisted the urge to smack it off his face. "At least I don't dress like a stuffed shirt like some people. Do you sleep in a suit as well?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Leo snorted and lit a cigarette. His hands were still shaking, and he had a lot to process. But part of him felt calmer.

Riario cleared his throat and the easy silence broke. "I was sent up here to tell you, you are free to leave the building so long as you make yourself available for more questioning and do not leave the city without informing us."

Leo exhaled his smoke right into Riario's face, making him grimace then give a little smile but he did not back off.

"I'm not giving up on you, Artista."

"You wouldn't be you if you did, Count."