Three Lovers on the Grift - 31

It took Lyman several days, and all of his persuasive powers, but he was finally able to convince the powers-that-be within the Portland Police Department that they'd be better served by using Vaughn, Page, and Nigel as undercover agents than they would be by arresting them. Then there was another wait while the decision was cleared nationally and all wants and warrants against the trio were dropped.

With everything set, Lyman and Silas were again standing at the back door of the trio's house, waiting for one of them to answer their knock. The door opened, and Vaughn ushered them inside then from there, into the living room.

"I'll get the others," he said. Then he asked quietly, "Is it all set up?"

"I'd rather tell all of you at the same time," Lyman replied, keeping his demeanor serious.

With a nod, Vaughn went upstairs, returning moments later with Page and Nigel in tow. Once everyone was settled, the three lovers waited, worried expressions on their faces, for Lyman to speak.

"It's a go."

"Thank God. No, no, thank you!" Page sprang to her feet, crossing to hug Lyman so hard he had to beg her to let him breathe. She laughed, releasing her hold on him.

"I'd hug you too, but Silas might take issue with that," Nigel said with a grin.

"He might," Lyman agreed, chuckling.

"Now what happens?" Vaughn asked.

Lyman explained everything, including the fact that all possible charges against them had been dropped. "At this point, the three of you need to go talk to one of the local detectives." He handed Vaughn a card with the man's name and phone number. "He'll get things set up and you go from there."

"Thank you," Vaughn said sincerely. "Now we have one more small thing to settle."

Page went back to the sofa, settling in Vaughn's lap with a shake of her head. "Hardly small."

"True." Wrapping an arm around her waist, he looked at Lyman and Silas. "We'd like to name the two of you as the twins' guardians, just in case something happens to us."

"Are you serious?" Silas was obviously surprised, but ecstatic as well from the smile on his face.

"Very serious, if you're willing."

"We'd be honored," Lyman replied softly.

And so it came about that the three lovers were able to give up the grift, at least the illegal one. While that wasn't the end of their story by any means, it was the end of life as they'd known it, and the beginning of a new one.

The End

Three Lovers on the Grift - 30

Page let out a long breath, laying her head against the back of the sofa. "Now what?" she asked, not looking at the others.

"We take care of the immediate problem first," Nigel said, picking up Brian. "Change diapers."

Vaughn rolled his eyes as he went to get Marcia who was half asleep on the sofa next to Page. "We'll be right back."

They were, five minutes later. Page took the twins to nurse and when everyone was settled again she repeated her question, "Now what?"

"What do the two of you think of his idea?" Vaughn countered.

"It could be—interesting," Nigel said. "He's right about the fact that we've got the skills. And if it keeps us out of jail—"

"Which, according to him, is on our horizon in spades right now."

"Do you think he's got the pull to arrange this?" Page asked.

Vaughn nodded. "I don't think he'd have suggested it if he didn't."

She looked down at the twins with a worried frown. "It will be dangerous."

"True, and before you say it, we won't cut you out of it, but we will make certain that only two of the three of us go off on a job at any one time. That way, just in case of trouble, Brian and Marcia will still have one parent."

"That's a rather morbid thought," Nigel said, "but realistic, I guess."

"We have to face the fact this is not going to be just grifts. We'll be dealing with hardened criminals who have no intention of being caught."

"If this all happens," Page said quietly, "I want us to pick guardians for Marcia and Brian. Or rather, make it official that if, worst case scenario, something happens to one or two of us, whoever's left has no problems about having the right to keep them."

"I agree," Vaughn replied. "And I think we should take it one step further. Now don't shoot me, but Silas and Lyman came here to warn us because of the twins, which to my mind could make them possible secondary guardians."

Nigel looked at him in surprise. "We hardly know them."

"True, but there's no one else I'd even consider. Certainly no one in any of our families."

"For damned sure," Page muttered.

"Okay, before we make a decision on that, let's see if Lyman can work his magic and make the whole deal with the cops happen." Nigel looked at his lovers. "That is, if we're all willing."

"I am," Page stated emphatically. "I want this to be our home, no more running. If that's what it takes then we do it."

"I agree," Vaughn said firmly as he walked across to the sofa. He gently stroked the babies’ heads, then kissed Page and Nigel as if to seal the deal. "I'll get them back up here and we'll let them know our decision."

Three Lovers on the Grift - 29

"As you said," Vaughn pointed out, "we strike hard and fast and then vanish. We're not into the big con, the wire game, or the Tip; they take too many people and last too long."

Lyman nodded. "The same reason we keep our little side business to just the two of us."

"So I get that the word is now out about us to all police departments, nationally." Vaughn looked at Lyman for confirmation.

"Yes," Lyman replied. "And with pictures of Page, the ones she gave that mark."

"Damn it!" Vaughn glanced at his lovers. "We blew it on that. Although you were a blonde in them, Page."

"The cops aren't stupid, Vaughn, they've come up with composites with her in varying hair colors and lengths."

"Which means the department here has them too, I suspect. Hell."

Lyman nodded.

Page looked miserably at the others. "And here we thought we finally could settle down and have real lives like everyone else."

"With our help, maybe you still can," Silas responded. "Not to put too fine a point on it, how are you doing financially at the moment?"

"We're not hurting." Vaughn smiled tightly.

"So despite what we overheard, you don't have to run another con anytime soon."

"No. It's more a matter of keeping our hand in."

"Have the three of you ever considered going legit?" Silas asked.

Nigel snorted. "Doing what? The grift is all we know."

Lyman tapped his fingers together as he studied the trio. "Remember when you asked the first time we met if I ever went undercover to get a story?"

"Yeah, and?"

Lyman glanced at Silas, getting a small nod from him, and then said, "Obviously I have friends in the police department. I just might be able to act as a middleman and get them to cut you a deal."

That piqued Vaughn's interest. "What sort of deal?"

"The three of you are experts at going undercover if you think about it. Plus you have no connection whatsoever with law enforcement." Lyman chuckled, "Quite the opposite, actually. I happen to know from talking to a couple of detectives on the force that they could make use of someone with your skills. In point of fact, most police departments could when it comes down to it."

"That's hardly going to help us pay the bills, even on the off chance they'd go for it."

"Discretionary funds," Lyman told him, "plus whatever you can pick up while on the job. You're grifters; just use your skills on the people you're gathering information about."

Vaughn nodded slowly, looking at Page and Nigel, and then said, "Give us a few to talk this over?"

"Of course. We'll wait downstairs, if that's all right." Lyman and Silas stood when Vaughn gave them a sharp nod, leaving the office.

Three Lovers on the Grift - 28

Silas nodded. "We figured this might be the first time you've ever had to answer the question of what you do and were winging it. So Lyman, being inquisitive, did some research, something he's very good at."

"Hopefully you didn't find out anything about us," Vaughn replied calmly.

"I did, and I didn't. What I know is all conjecture, but since you haven't thrown us out or just denied that what we heard had anything to do with anything, I'm fairly certain I'm right about you all."

Vaughn crossed his arms over his chest, resting one hip on the corner of his desk. "Mind telling me exactly what you know, or think you know?"

"And how you got what information you think you have," Page added.

"And why you decided to break in here and face us down," Nigel put in, finally sitting again.

"As I said, what I put together is all conjecture." Lyman held up his hand, bending down one finger. "First off, there are stories about a team of confidence people—one female, two male—who strike hard and fast then vanish. Secondly, their preferred game involves the woman claiming to have had sexual relations with the mark and then threatening to tell his wife if he doesn't pay her off. Sometimes there's also a man involved, acting as her incensed husband if the mark needs a bit of a threat to make him pay her off."

"A standard grift," Nigel said with a smile. "It's almost been done to death. Why think that they are us?"

"Two men and a woman who are more than cagey about how they support themselves tweaked my interest. So, Silas being the expert at such things, took advantage of a call of nature to access your computer."

"Like hell!" Vaughn exclaimed. "It's so well protected—"

"Against normal invasion, yes," Silas put in. "I'm not normal. I have to know what I'm doing for our little side business. You're smart enough not to keep anything incriminating on it, but you don't eradicate your searches. Or"—he smiled—"your picture manipulations. By the way, you're damned good at that. I'm envious."

"Thanks, I think," Vaughn said with a bit of a smile. "Guess I've got some cleaning up to do."

"This all still begs the question of why you're letting us know what you think you've found out about us, as well as admitting to what your 'side business' is," Page said quietly.

"That's my fault," Silas replied. "I like the three of you, but more, I love the twins." He grinned as Marcia seemed to smile at him. "I really don't want to see you all end up in jail, and from what Lyman found out today you could be on your way there if you try pulling off this scam."

"Shit! Why, how?" Nigel spat out.

Lyman fielded that one. "Your shenanigans out west caught the eye of a particularly dedicated police detective who happens to be a good friend of one of your marks." He looked pointedly at Page. "The one that you claimed made you pregnant."

She chuckled. "That could be one of three actually. It was a good scam while it lasted."

"Well, this particular one reported what happened to his friend. Not soon enough to set up a sting, which was lucky for the three of you."

Three Lovers on the Grift - 27

Lyman stood there, smiling slightly. Beside him, Silas lounged against the doorframe.

"How did you get in here?"

Silas held up a set of lock picks. "You really should keep your alarm system on 24/7," he commented.

"How long have you been listening," Nigel asked as he stood, handing Brian to Page. "And more to the point, why were you listening? Why are you here?"

"Long enough to know what you three are planning. As I said, you might want to reconsider," Lyman replied, stepping into the office.

"Fuck," Nigel said quietly but passionately.

Vaughn stared at Lyman angrily. "Why would we want to do that?"

"Do you mind if we sit down? We need to talk."

"No shit," Page muttered. "Who the hell are you two? Obviously more than what you seem."

Silas shrugged as he dropped down on one of the office chairs. "You might call us concerned citizens."

"We might not. Now talk," Vaughn ordered.

Lyman moved to stand behind Silas, resting his hands on his husband's shoulders. "We are concerned, and we are citizens, not that one has to do with the other. I guess an explanation is in order."

"You could say that." Although he felt no real threat from the two men at the moment, given their attitudes, Vaughn still wished he was the kind of homeowner who kept a gun handy, as much as he hated them.

"To start with, I really am a reporter, and as all of you know well, Silas is a pediatrician. Those are our day jobs so to speak. In my case being a crime reporter serves me well as it gives me an inside edge with the police and keeps us off their radar."

"Which we really prefer to be," Silas added with a chuckle.

"All right, I think I'm beginning to get the picture here." Vaughn looked at Lyman and Silas, one eyebrow cocked. "Your day jobs, as you put it, are legit; it's what you do at night that isn't."

"Exactly," Lyman agreed. "Like you three, we're not exactly model citizens at times, although we don't count on what we do to be our sole support. It's more of a hobby."

"A night time 'hobby' suggests you're thieves of some sort, right?" Nigel said.

"Right, although since we consider you friends we've never taken advantage of your occasional absences to see what you might have that would interest us."

"Nice of you," Page said acerbically. "And yet you seem to know more about us than we're comfortable with."

"A great deal more," Lyman agreed. "The first time you invited us for supper, Silas took advantage of your hospitality to do a bit of snooping."

"I'm nosy," Silas said with a grin. "I could blame it on living with a reporter, but honestly, it comes naturally."

"There was something about the explanation you gave us regarding what the three of you did for a living that didn't ring quite true," Lyman told them. "I mean it all sounded good, but as if you were sliding around corners to keep us from knowing the whole story."

Three Lovers on the Grift - 26

A month after moving into their new home, the three lovers were again planning a new game.

"That would work," Page agreed after Vaughn laid out his idea. "However—" She suggested a couple of minor changes to make it even better, and safer. Then she picked Marcia up from the bassinet and settled down at one end of the office sofa.

At the other end of the sofa, Nigel was listening with one ear while jiggling Brian on his knee. Now that he knew without a doubt, thanks to Silas, that the baby was his son, he had become even more attached to him. He still adored Marcia but there was just something special about having a child of his own. He knew from watching Vaughn with Marcia that his lover felt the same way about her.

"Niles, pay attention."

"I am, I am. It all sounds good to me. After all it's just a variation on what we've done several times before."

"Only your part is bigger now. It's one thing to be the protector. It's another to be the incensed husband and father, and now doubting that you are the father of her child, all things considered. That's why we're using Marcia, not Brian."

"That's certainly going to make the mark more afraid than he will be already."

"Exactly. And the man we're targeting this time has even more to lose than most," Vaughn's smile was predatory, "since he's a 'reputable' minister and family man. Too bad for him that he tends to stray when he goes off on retreats."

"And I was so shocked when he came on to me, and then suggested we go to his room for some 'special praying for my soul'." Page's face reflected her dismay for a moment before she laughed. "This man deserves what he's going to get, or more to the point what he's going to give up in order to save his sterling reputation."

"When are we going to set this in motion?" Nigel asked.

"He's going off on another retreat next week, so either right away or when he gets back."

"If he holds true to form then let's wait till he gets back. He screws around but never on his home turf so he should be ripe for feeling guilty about his peccadilloes."

"Word of the Day strikes again," Vaughn said, laughing. Then he got back down to business. "That's a good point. So we've got a bit over a week to finalize it and get out there."

"Which would not be the smartest move you three have ever made."

Vaughn swung around at the sound of a voice coming from the office doorway. "What the hell!" he spat out.

Three Lovers on the Grift - 25

Two days after arriving in Portland, the three lovers and two babies were finally getting settled into their new home. Page, with the guys' help, had gone on a spending frenzy to furnish the house. Even at that they still had a couple of empty rooms and only the barest minimum of furniture in some of the others.

Vaughn had made all the arrangements to transfer their monies into an account at one of the local banks. For the first time since he'd met Page, he used their real names, as well as Nigel's. He felt both scared and elated as he signed the papers that would open a checking account for them. He knew, deep down inside, that there was no way to connect them to any of the aliases they'd used over the years, but he still felt a shudder run through him as he slid the papers back across the desk to the branch manager.

She smiled at him, thanking him for choosing the bank, before taking him to one of the tellers. There he handed over the bearer bonds for the monies he'd gotten from closing out the various accounts he'd had under other names. The teller looked surprised, but made no comment as she recorded the amount and then handed him a checkbook as well as the sizable amount of cash he'd requested.

He'd already arranged for driver's licenses and other needed forms of ID for each of them soon after they'd finally decided to settle down permanently in one place, using the man who had always handled that for him. He was expensive but his work was beyond compare so Vaughn had never minded paying the price. The same man had also produced credit cards for them that would pass any known inspection and were linked to a known vendor bank. That bit of legerdemain had drained one of Vaughn's smaller bank accounts but was well worth the price.

* * * *

Now, after the shopping spree, they were finally feeling that sense of satisfaction that comes with a new home that was all their own. The men were collapsed on the sofa in the living room, eyes glued to a game on the decently sized television on the built-in bookcase opposite them.

Nigel turned as he heard Page coming down the stairs and immediately jumped to his feet to take Brian from her. "You're supposed to holler rather than carrying them both down at once," he admonished her.

With a dramatic eye roll, she countered with, "I'm quite capable of handling these two tiny bundles by now."

"But what if you slipped, especially on the stairs? God, Page."

Without turning away from the game, Vaughn growled, "Children, behave and quit arguing."

Nigel snorted in amusement as he rejoined him, putting Brian in Vaughn’s lap so that he could watch the game too, even though he knew the baby really couldn't yet.

"Practicing for when they get older?"

Vaughn smiled down at Brian, one hand on his stomach to keep him securely in place. "I have a feeling the twins will be much better behaved than either you or Page."

"I resemble that remark," Page said, smiling sweetly as she took over Nigel's lap, leaning back against his shoulder, Marcia carefully held in the crook of her arm. "So, who's winning? For that matter, who's playing? And can I change the channel to something worth watching?"

"Hell no," Vaughn growled, making certain the remote was well out of her reach.

And so they spent the third evening in their new house, contentedly bantering, each one happy that, for the first time in his or her life, they really were 'at home'.

Three Lovers on the Grift - 24

Nigel was hard pressed not to laugh at Vaughn's description of what they did. It was true, but not the way he knew Lyman and Silas would take it. "The only drawback, of course, is the amount of traveling Vaughn, and sometimes all of us, have to do as part of that," he commented.

Lyman nodded. "That would be hard. So even though you're freelance from what he said, you're still part of it, I take it."

"When he needs my help, yes. I know nothing about investments but I'm fairly knowledgeable about certain real goods, as he puts it, primarily cars and jewelry."

"So you buy and sell?"

Nigel shook his head. "No. In general I'm the one who convinces someone that parting with a specific item would be advantageous to them. For instance, grandmother's heirloom bracelet might have emotional significance but keeping it locked in a safety deposit box doesn't pay the mortgage or put food on the table."

"Good point, I suppose, especially in this economy."

Silas, who had been listening with interest, asked, "What made you decide to move here? It's hardly centrally located if you travel a lot."

Page fielded that question. "With the twins, we wanted to put down roots and give them a real home. We also needed a city that was gay-tolerant. As adults, we can deal with things but I do not want my children to have to feel ashamed of who and what their parents are."

"You picked a good place then," Silas told her before patting Lyman's thigh, saying, "We shouldn't outstay our welcome. I'm sure they're tired and ready to collapse."

Lyman smiled at him. "You're right, as always. It's a pleasure meeting the three of you and if you ever have any questions or just want a friend to talk to, we're on the other side of the alley, as I'm sure Silas has already told you."

"Thank you," Page said, getting up to give both men a hug, which obviously surprised them from the looks on their faces.

Vaughn chuckled as he and Nigel stood as well. "She's very touchy-feely. You'll get used to it."

"You will come to supper one night, I hope, once we're settled in," Page said as she walked with them to the back door.

With a smile, Lyman told her, "It would be our pleasure."

Three Lovers on the Grift - 23

"Interesting furnishings, very minimal," Lyman commented.

"Until tomorrow when we go shopping," Page told him before introducing herself and Nigel.

Once Lyman had settled down beside his husband, Silas continued with what he'd been going to say. "Would you like to know who the father is for each of the twins?"

Vaughn nodded slowly. "We would, I think, primarily because we were told there's the possibility that we both are."

"Most definitely," Silas assured him, "if the circumstances were right, and given the relationship between the three of you I'd suspect they easily could have been."

"So we just need to find a doctor to perform whatever test is needed."

Silas grinned. "Now by an interesting coincidence, I happen to know just the man. Me. I'm a pediatrician."

Page immediately asked, to no ones' surprise, "I don't suppose you'd be willing to take on two more patients?"

"I'd be quite happy to, actually. Remind me before we leave to give you my office number and address so my nurse can set up an appointment. While I won't do the actual paternal testing in my office, I will refer you to a lab which does." Silas chuckled. "Probably more information than you needed at the moment, but that's me."

"Boy, is it," Lyman agreed with a smile. "Now, if it's not being too inquisitive may I ask if the three of you are also partners in whatever it is you do to keep a roof over your heads?"

"Ever the nosy parker," Silas said with a mock sigh. "But it comes with the territory since he's a reporter."

"Really? Newspaper or television?" Page wanted to know.

"Newspaper. I'm a crime reporter for the 'Sentinel', one of the city's two dailies."

"Is there enough crime here to keep you busy?" Vaughn asked as he joined Page and Nigel on the sleeping bag they were using as a seat.

Lyman nodded. "Unfortunately, being a fair sized city, we have our share of crime, and I get to write about the most interesting bits."

"Do you ever go undercover to do that?" Nigel wanted to know, obviously fascinated with that idea.

"No, not yet anyway, although I wouldn't turn down the chance if it came up. That could prove to be a real challenge. And back to my question," Lyman said. "Are you three business partners as well as real life ones?"

"In a way, yes. I'm in acquisitions and finance, which are not mutually exclusive, and Page acts as my secretary when needed," Vaughn replied. "Nigel is freelance."

"Acquisitions as in property?"

"As in just about anything. I help people reinvest their money or real goods to make a profit."

Three Lovers on the Grift - 22

Two hours later, happily replete, the two men were sipping wine while Page drank her glass of milk. A sudden knock on the back door made them all jump in surprise. Vaughn went to answer, opening it cautiously to find a young man standing there holding a casserole.

"I'm Silas. We wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood." He turned, pointing to the house across the alley.

"Thank you, and please thank your wife as well," Vaughn replied as he took the dish.

Silas laughed. "I wouldn't call Lyman my 'wife' if I were you. He'll have your head on a platter for sure."

With a chuckle, Vaughn said, "Ah, I'll be certain to remember that. Would you like to come in and meet my family? I'm sure they'd like to meet you."

"I'd love to."

Silas followed Vaughn through the kitchen, waiting while he put the dish down on the counter. When they got to the living room he smiled, seeing the babies. "Twins, fraternal, obviously," he commented as he went over to look at them.

"Yes, Marcia and Brian. I'm Page by the way, and that's Nigel." She nodded toward him.

"Nice to meet you, Nigel." Silas held out a hand, which Nigel promptly shook. "So, which one of you is the father, if you don't mind my being nosy?"

"That's yet to be determined." Vaughn gestured toward the only seat in the room, the built-in one in the bay window.

Once Silas sat, he looked at the trio. "So the three of you are—?"

"Partners," Vaughn answered. "We have been for quite a while now."

"Nice. I've never met a committed ménage before, and certainly not one like yours." He studied the two men for a moment. "Would you…?" A knock on the back door interrupted him. "Probably Lyman, making certain I'm not talking your ears off."

It was, as Vaughn discovered when he answered the door again. A tall, dark haired man stood there. Vaughn immediately told him that his partner was in the other room and invited him to come in.

"My partner?" The man smiled. "My husband. I'm Lyman as you obviously figured out." When Vaughn cocked an eyebrow at the description of his relationship with Silas, Lyman laughed. "I bet he warned you not to call me his wife."

"Well, yes."

"The brat. He loves to tease about that."

Vaughn shook his head in amusement as he led the way across the kitchen to the living room door.

Three Lovers on the Grift - 21

"The next time we decide to take a road trip across the country, the kids will be twenty and on their own," Nigel stated emphatically.

"Now, now, it hasn't been that bad," Page said tiredly, reaching across the back of the seat to pat his shoulder.

Nigel rolled his eyes before turning to watch where they were going. "Look at that. Damn, I feel like a kid myself." He grinned happily, pointing to the water that surrounded them on both sides of the interstate, as if Vaughn and Page wouldn't notice it if he didn't.

Vaughn chuckled, reaching over to give Nigel's thigh a squeeze. "Yes, there really is water here, lots of it actually. Our house is only about four blocks from one of the bays, according to the realtor."

Twenty minutes later, after a stop at the realtor's to pick up the keys, Vaughn pulled the van into the driveway beside their new home.

"It's a real house. I mean with two stories and a yard and—everything. See?" Page picked Marcia up, holding her so she could look, much to the men's amusement. "Blue and white," Page told her daughter as if she'd understand.

"Hey now," Nigel said, leaning over the back of the seat to get Brian. "He's feeling neglected." The baby chortled as if agreeing.

"Okay, you two, enough. We need to get things inside before it gets dark."

In much less time than it had taken to pack up the van, they had it unpacked, the boxes sitting in the middle of the living room floor. Once they had the babies nestled together in the bassinet—the first thing they'd set up and their only piece of furniture—the three adults explored the house.

Page was ecstatic at how much room there was. She kept hugging one or the other of her men in her excitement, telling them what furniture they'd need for each room. Finally, Vaughn put a hand over her mouth to quiet her, picked her up, and carried her back downstairs.

"Furniture, we will deal with tomorrow. For now we'll unpack the sleeping bags and then call out for supper."

She made a moue of disappointment, about to protest that there was still time this evening to go shopping. Marcia's cry of hunger stopped that thought in its tracks and soon she was busy feeding the twins while Nigel dug out the sleeping bags and the last of their stash of diapers. Vaughn used his cell to find a nearby restaurant that delivered, ordering enough to feed a small army after checking to make certain the refrigerator was up and running.

Three Lovers on the Grift - 20

Nigel pulled onto their street and felt his heart drop as a wave of panicked fear washed over him. There was a police car parked in front of their house. For a second he debated turning around and leaving but there was no way he'd desert his lovers and the babies.

On the other hand he wasn't going to just march into the house without knowing what was going on. He continued down to the end of the street and then into the alley behind the house. Parking, he picked up the boxes of diapers, which were the reason that he wasn't inside. Cautiously, he moved up the walk to the back porch, setting the boxes down silently by the back door.

With infinite care, he unlocked the door and slipped inside. Silence greeted him for a minute then one of the babies started to cry. Without a thought he snatched open the door to the living room, expelling a sigh of relief. Page sat on the sofa, Marcia at her breast, while Vaughn held Brian on his shoulder, patting his back to make him burp.

"Very domestic," Nigel said, a bit of tension in his voice. "What the hell's with the cop car out front? I aged ten years when I saw it."

"The end of a traffic stop. They should be leaving soon, hopefully," Vaughn replied. "But I'll tell you what, when I heard the siren—well, you weren't the only one who put on ten years. I think this may be the last impetus we need to finish packing up and get our asses out of Dodge."

"I'm all for that," Page agreed. Smiling at Marcia, she expertly put her over her shoulder and burped her before getting up to set her in the bassinet. "How soon can we get a van?"

Putting Brian down next to his sister, Vaughn replied, "As soon as I make the call." Which he did seconds later. When he'd finished, he said it would be available in an hour.

"Good." Nigel tossed him the keys to the car. "You go for it; I'll get what's left boxed up."

With a chuckle, and a salute, Vaughn left. Nigel immediately went into the bedroom to put the last of their clothes, other than what they'd take in suitcases, into the open boxes on one side of the room. Page joined him minutes later to finish dressing and then clear out the bathroom.

"Put all the babies' things in there," she told him, pointing to an empty suitcase on the desk in front of the window.

By the time they heard Vaughn pulling up behind the house, they had all but the very essentials sealed in boxes. While Page tended to Marcia and Brian, getting them bundled up and ready for the trip, the men moved the boxes to the van.

"Good thing we travel light," Nigel commented when they got the last of them in. "Anything more and we'd need the car too."

"Which isn't an option since it was the trade-in. Let's make one more check to be certain we haven't forgotten anything and then get the car seats installed."

It took half an hour before Vaughn was satisfied that everything was as it should be in the van. Once the babies were in their seats, Page got in beside them while the two men settled down in the front seat.

"Portland, here we come," Nigel said with a smile as Vaughn pulled the van out of the alley onto the street. "A new life and a real home."

Three Lovers on the Grift - 19

"Brian Craig, welcome to my world," Vaughn whispered in awe when the nurse handed him the baby. He looked over at Nigel whose expression was just as awestruck as he handed Marcia Anne to Page.

"They're beautiful," Page said so softly both men had to strain to hear her. Vaughn took Brian over, placing him in the crook of Page's other arm. Then he sat beside them while the nurse explained to her how to start their first feeding. To him it seemed complicated but Page appeared to understand immediately, adjusting the twins so that both could feed the way each of them needed to.

Again, Vaughn looked over at Nigel, smiling at the wide grin on his lover's face. "Pretty spectacular, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah. But poor Page." Nigel pushed a loose strand of dark hair back from her face. She looked exhausted, which was no surprise considering the labor and delivery took almost eight hours, but her eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

When the nurse deemed that the twins were finished, explaining to Page how she would know, she took them from her, saying that they would be in the nursery. "Page needs to sleep while she can. When you take her home," she continued, giving the men a stern look, "you are to make certain she rests as much as possible. Which," she added, her eyes twinkling, "should be no problem with the two of you there to do all the housework for her."

Nigel gave a mock groan of horror, earning him the requisite, if weak, smack from Page.

"I'll be back with them in a couple of hours," the nurse said as she left the room.

"How are you doing?" Vaughn asked, leaning over to kiss Page's forehead.

"I feel like I've been run over by a Mack truck, but other than that I'm okay." She gave him a worried look. "They are all right, aren't they? I mean, well, you're not trying to keep anything from me."

"Page, they're perfect. Ten fingers, ten toes, all the other requisite parts, and the doctor pronounced them just fine."

"You done good, Page," Nigel added to reinforce Vaughn's words.

"We done good," Page replied, taking both their hands. Then she yawned.

"Go to sleep," Nigel said, getting up but not before he also kissed her forehead. "We'll be right outside."

Vaughn chuckled at her small look of surprise. "You bet we will, at least till the next feeding is over. Then we're going to take turns being here. After all," he patted her hand, "we want to bond with our kids too, right from the get-go."

"Yeah, yeah," she murmured sleepily as her eyes closed.

"Now what?" Nigel asked quietly once they were in the hall.

"Now we start getting ready to move. We've pressed our luck in staying here for as long as we have."

Three Lovers on the Grift - 18

"If we're going to settle down, and I'm not saying we are," Vaughn said, pacing the living room with his hands clasped behind his back, "we need to decide where."

Nigel nodded. "Somewhere that we've never been before, for starters. No sense in taking any chances."

"A big city, though," Page added. "We'd stand out like sore thumbs in some small town."

"You already stand out like one," Nigel told her, grinning as he rubbed her belly. "Are we sure it's only twins?"

"Yes," she grumbled in reply, swatting his hand away and then immediately apologizing. She'd been experiencing mood swings, which her doctor had told her were perfectly natural during the last few weeks before the babies' births. As a result she'd tried very hard to let her men know that she didn't mean it when she growled at them.

Nigel pulled her closer to him, stroking her long, dark hair, murmuring, "Sorry."

"Me too. I just wish—" With a sigh, she returned to what Vaughn had been saying. "Did you have somewhere in mind?"

"Yes. Two places and they aren't big cities. I did a little research—"

"Of course," Nigel muttered, earning him another swat and the admonition from Page not to interrupt.

Vaughn chuckled, coming over to sit down on the other side of her. "One of them is Portland, Maine; the other is Portland, Oregon."

"Got a thing for the name Portland," Nigel asked, one eyebrow cocked in amusement.

"Not really. They both just came up as being good places that we've never even been close to. Portland, Oregon is definitely a city, though not a big one by New York standards. It's about the same size as here. The one in Maine is much smaller."

"Easier to get lost in a bigger place," Page pointed out. "What's the school system like in both of them?"

Vaughn chuckled. "You're really getting into this mother thing."

"Well, it is important," she huffed.

"I know, I know. I'll check that out. But we haven't decided yet if we do want to end up somewhere on a permanent basis."

Nigel tapped his lip. "Nothing wrong with it. It's not like we have to go legit, we'll just have to spend more time on planes or driving."

"Page?" Vaughn looked at her.

"He's got a point, as long as we take turns. You two are not going to cut me out of this. Understood?"

"Never," Vaughn stated emphatically, hugging her carefully. "You're our inspiration and our brains."

"Aww, thanks for that, and I am not going to break, mister," she grumbled.

"I know, but you have to admit getting my arms around you is harder these days." He kissed her quickly before she could growl at him again.

Three Lovers on the Grift - 17

"She's in room 410," Mr Leigh said as he and Vaughn entered the hotel.

"All right." Vaughn headed toward the bank of elevators, Mr Leigh following slowly behind him. As Vaughn pressed the button, he realized the man had stopped a few yards away. Going back to him, he said, "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

"No, yes, no, I guess not. But what if she denies everything? I mean isn't she going to wonder why I brought someone along?"

"She's not going to know I'm there until after you hand her the money." Vaughn frowned before starting back to the elevators.

Mr Leigh hurried after him. "What's wrong?"

"It just occurred to me that she sometimes works with a partner, a man."

The elevator doors opened just then and the two men stepped on, Vaughn pushing the button for the fourth floor.

"This won't work if he's there, will it?" Mr Leigh asked, looking as if he was about to change his mind.

"It will. We'll just have to alter our plans a bit," Vaughn said confidently. "The first thing is, when we get to the room you'll put the briefcase on the floor by the door and knock. If Ms Del Gado answers then we're good and you pick it up. If it's the man, you make an issue of needing to talk to Ms Del Gado, not to him. He might tell you she's not there, in which case you step into the room and look around."

"Is he—will he be upset if I do that?"

"No. He's just her protector. She'll be there, only not where you can see her immediately. The minute you do, you say her name so I know it's a go. Got it?"

By then they were off the elevator, Vaughn swiftly hustling Mr Leigh to room 410. Mr Leigh put the briefcase down then knocked on the door.

It opened and Nigel said, "You're early."

"Where's Ms Del Gado?" Mr Leigh replied, trying to look past him into the room.

"She's here, see for yourself." Nigel moved aside to let the man enter. When he had, Nigel stepped into the hallway, closing the door swiftly behind him. Vaughn grabbed the briefcase and seconds later he and Nigel were on the move. They'd chosen room 410 for a reason, its proximity to the emergency stairs. They raced up them to the fifth floor then walked calmly down to room 520 and knocked.

Page opened the door, smiling when Vaughn handed her the briefcase full of money. "With Mr Leigh's compliments," he said, grinning.

"As if." She put it on the desk and opened it. "Baby's getting a new pair of shoes; both of them are, in fact."

"And while we wait for things to calm down, because you know he's going to call the cops, I suggest Vaughn and I take a shower to get rid of the hair coloring and what have you," Nigel said pointedly, wincing as he pulled off the dark mustache he'd been wearing.

"Not without me," Page told him, swatting his ass. "So strip, I'll get rid of your clothes and then join you."

Nigel smiled wolfishly as he yanked his T-shirt over his head. "I so love the aftermath of a good game."

Three Lovers on the Grift - 16

Vaughn walked into Mr Leigh's front office three minutes after Page had left. He stopped at the receptionist's desk, flashed a badge, and told her that he was Detective Sinclair and he needed to speak with her boss. She immediately let Mr Leigh know and then told Vaughn to go right in.

"Thank god," Mr Leigh said. "I was just going to call the police."

"About Ms Alexis Del Gado?" Vaughn asked.

"I guess that's her name. She never actually told me. About so tall"—he held up one hand—"shoulder length blonde hair, pregnant?"

"That's her, although she's not really pregnant, that's just part of her con. We've been after her for the past year, but until now we haven't found anyone who's willing to help us stop her. I'm hoping you might be the one."

Mr Leigh frowned deeply. "She's a criminal then?"

"Oh yes. She runs confidence games on married men, like you. Her favorite one is pretending that she's pregnant and blaming her victim. Once she's got him believing her, she asks for money. The problem is, as I said, none of the men have been willing to help entrap her."

"I—how would I be able to help do that?"

"First, I need to know how she asked you to deliver the money, presuming of course that you didn't already give it to her."

Mr Leigh shook his head. "Believe me, I don't keep that kind of money here. I'm supposed to withdraw it from my bank and then meet her at her hotel."

"Perfect," Vaughn replied, smiling. "I need you to do exactly that."

"I don't know," Mr Leigh replied hesitantly. "How will I explain withdrawing that much cash?"

Vaughn seemed to be thinking for a moment, and then told him to tell anyone at the bank who might question it that he was in the process of making a down payment on a vacation home and the owner requested it be in cash.

"I can do that," Mr Leigh said slowly. "And then what?"

"Take something with you to carry it in, obviously. Do you have a briefcase?" Mr Leigh nodded. "Excellent. From the bank, we'll go to her hotel. As soon as you hand over the money, I can arrest her." Vaughn checked his watch. "We should get moving. The sooner we get this done the sooner I can get her off the streets and you can stop worrying."

Mr Leigh still hesitated. Then, with a sharp nod, he put on his suit jacket and picked up his briefcase.