Collide (Out for Justice Book Two)
Copyright © 2018 Reese Knightley
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Warnings
Please be advised that this book is intended for adult readers aged eighteen and older due to sexually
explicit content, language, and violence. Trigger warning: Violence
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to the actual person, living or dead,
business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. This is a work of fiction and
should be treated as such.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means,
including information storage and retrieval systems, without the written permission from the author,
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Art: Reese Dante reesedante.com
Disclaimer—Cover content is for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted on the cover is a
model.
Editing provided by Heidi Ryan of Amour the Line Editing
Fleuron graphic by TPS Publishing
Interior Design and Formatting provided by
Stacey Blake of Champagne Book Design—
www.champagnebookdesign.com
Copyright and Trademark Acknowledgments
The author acknowledges the following copyright and trademark owners in this work of fiction.
Uber, AA - Alcoholics Anonymous, Die Hard, Grindr, Keurig, Batman, iPads, I won’t give up on Us,
by Jason Mraz, Love Simon by Fox 2000 Pictures.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Stefano
Stefano Esposito rubbed at his shoulder and shifted a bit. The seat of his
older rental car creaked and groaned. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he
blinked a few times to clear his vision, then focused back across the street.
The house had been alive with activity over the past few days, but he’d seen
nothing more of the kid. They had kept Reboot Hell sequestered constantly.
The only time he’d seen the kid leave the house, he’d been surrounded
by three other men. Really, though, he couldn’t blame them, Reboot Hell
was a genius of epic proportion. Wanted by several agencies, they didn’t
know who the kid really was. He knew, and he couldn’t fucking believe it.
He took a quick swallow from his thermos of coffee and made a face at the
cold brew.
After two years of searching, he’d finally found the boy. He gave
himself a mental shake, took a deep breath, and snagged the cell phone
from the passenger seat.
“What the hell, Stef? I left you five fucking messages,” Giovanni
Rossi’s deep voice growled into the phone, making him smile. His friend,
ex-special forces, ex-military major general, currently a liaison for
governmental bullshit, sounded ready to explode.
“I know. I’m sorry. I was tracking someone,” he said softly, knowing it
wouldn’t take the wind out of the oncoming rampage.
“I don’t care! You call me or send me a text so I don’t send out a
fucking convoy to find you when you turn off your GPS,” Rossi thundered.
Stefano knew without a doubt, Rossi had enough power to assign a
convoy to locate him. He gripped the phone tightly and stayed silent. A
moment later, a short, sharp sigh traveled through the phone.
“Who were you tailing?” Rossi finally asked.
“I found him.” His pulse thundered in his ears, almost making it hard to
hear over the roar. A deep, stunned silence followed his words.
“What? Where the fuck is he?”
“In a hacker group call Tech Suppress. Run by some low-life named
Eddie Johnson.”
“I’m on my way.”
“You shouldn’t. It’s late.” He knew Rossi wouldn’t listen, and sure
enough, the response was explosive.
“Don’t tell me what I shouldn’t do. Now turn your damned GPS back
on!”
The phone went dead and he smiled as he reactivated his GPS via the
settings on his phone. Once he drove from the house to the hotel, he headed
through the lobby. Reaching his room, he tossed his top coat down on one
of the chairs.
Rossi arrived in record time. The man was a force. He banged on the
door, then stormed into the room and right to the minibar before snatching
up a drink. Broad shoulders tense, arms braced on the counter, Rossi took
another swallow of his drink before turning around. Piercing, goldencolored eyes locked with his.
“Where’s my nephew?” Rossi’s deep voice rumbled between them.
“Here.” Tugging his phone out, he moved closer to show Rossi the
pictures. The photo clearly showed that while not heavily guarded, a
constant state of activity filled the house. He filled Rossi in on what he’d
found.
“They never let him out of the house unattended. I think we have a
better chance if we go in at night.”
Rossi grunted, grabbed his glass, and headed towards the couch. “Go
on.”
“That’s it, I want to call in help, but nobody is available.” He followed
Rossi, but chose to stand for the moment.
“Why?” Rossi took a seat.
“Storm and Lash are in Pakistan. That mission is going to take at least
six more days. Frost is in Cuba, too long of a wait for him to come in.” He
finally settled in one of the chairs that sat across from the couch.
Rossi grunted. “Fuck,” the man ran a hand over his ruggedly attractive
face and sighed. “Okay, then it’s you and me.” Rossi nodded decisively.
“Just like old times,” he agreed, excitement warming his stomach.
Rossi’s quirked his lips, and he found himself smiling back.
Darkness clung to the house when they entered. It had been easy to wait for
one of the men who came in and out to come through the door.
Rossi grabbed the guy by the nape of the neck, pointed a gun to the
guy’s head, and walked him backwards into the low-lit house.
“Show me where the kid is,” Rossi quietly snarled.
Stefano stepped in close, covering Rossi’s flank. They were only there
for the kid. They didn’t have the manpower to take out all of Tech Suppress.
“Which one?” The guy gulped audibly. A sudden strong odor of urine
filled the air as the guy shook in Rossi’s large grip.
“Reboot Hell,” Stefano said quickly.
The guy pointed to a small, dark-haired boy curled up on a torn and
filthy couch. Stefano grimaced at the filthy conditions of the place.
Rossi knocked the perp out with the butt of his gun, and then crouched
next to the boy.
“Seth?” Rossi whispered.
The boy jerked upright, knees curled in tight to his chest, and looked at
Rossi through a mop of curly, dark hair with a set of large, frightened eyes.
Seth had turned eighteen two weeks prior. Caught somewhere between
boyhood and manhood, the boy was all arms and legs and sharp angles, too
skinny for his height, but not too tall. It was his face, though, which held
Stefano’s attention. Seth looked so much like a younger Rossi. Large eyes
with incredibly long lashes, a delicate but firm jaw and chin with full lips, a
dark-haired angel living in a shithole.
He rubbed at the ache in his chest before lifting his gun and training it
on the hallway door about ten feet away from them. Someone coughed, the
sound muffled, and he tightened his finger on the trigger. Hearing
movement from the couch, he glanced back quickly. The boy had scooted
further up on the cushions, as if to get away.
“Who are you?” Seth tugged a dirty T-shirt down over thin legs and
stared fearfully at him and then Rossi.
“My name is Giovanni Rossi. I’m your uncle.”
Six years later—Present day
Seth
His gaze followed the brooding man. Impossibly wide shoulders, trim hips,
an ass to die for, and if the bulge in his jeans was accurate, he had a nicesized package. The man’s dark hair was cut short on the sides with the top
left long. An equally dark, unshaven jaw finished the operative’s extreme
good looks. But to him, it was the man’s eyes that elevated him into a whole
other category. Crystal blue, piercing eyes that held stories he could only
imagine.
“That man is so dreamy.” He sighed, turning his gaze away from Asher
Grayson, code named Frost.
“Jeez, poor Dennis,” Noah laughed and nudged his shoulder.
Mentioning his current boyfriend had the effect of a cold bucket of
water. He had no right drooling over Asher. But damn, it was hard not to
with Asher walking around looking so freaking sexy.
“A man can look, Bradford. A man can look.” He smiled sheepishly.
“I guess,” Noah shrugged, evading his gaze. Now that was certainly
suspicious.
“I heard he’s the love them and leave them type of guy,” he prodded,
really just probing for more of a response since Noah was acting evasive.
And wouldn’t you know it, Noah’s lip missed his coffee cup and liquid
splashed on the counter. Guilty!
His mouth suddenly gaped. It couldn’t be, could it? “Wait. Oh my God.”
Stunned, Seth kept quiet for a second as it dawned on him. “You slept with
Asher!” he hissed, his eyes wide on his best friend.
Noah shrugged and carefully set the cup down. Tugging several paper
towels, Noah wiped up the spilled coffee. “Yeah, why?”
For some reason, he couldn’t get his brain and mouth to catch up. He
covered his gaping mouth and dropped his hand to rub where the coffee
suddenly lodged in his chest.
His other hand accidentally squeezed the paper cup he held and coffee
welled over. “Shit!” He shoved the cup onto the counter, grabbed a paper
towel, and started mopping up the mess.
Noah nudged him on the shoulder. “Trust me, it was once and that was
it. Besides, it was a long time ago.”
Glancing up, he caught Noah’s gaze. The smirk the man sported
removed all doubts about it being more than a one-time thing. The
overwhelming relief was something he’d look at later, much later.
Preferably not until the next decade. He had a boyfriend for God’s sake.
He opened his mouth and then noticed something gleaming on Noah’s
finger.
“Wait!” he stared, then grabbed Noah’s hand with disbelief. Studying
the wide silver band, he couldn’t stop smiling. “Is this what I think it is?”
Noah chuckled, the sound deep and filled with happiness.
“Oh wow!” Seth pulled the man into a tight hug. “When?” he
demanded, holding Noah at arms-length. “Tell me everything, and I mean
everything!”
“We haven’t set a date yet,” Noah admitted with a laugh.
“Oh, I’m so happy for you!” Impulsively, Seth hugged his friend again.
“Thank you.” Noah tipped his blond head and studied the ring for a
moment.
“I wish Dennis and I were that committed.” He sighed and stepped
back. Swallowing around a sudden lump in his throat, he blinked rapidly
against the burning in his eyes. What the hell? Not sure where the tears
were coming from, he chalked it up to Noah’s engagement. He was happy
for Noah, he truly was.
“Things okay at home?”
Noah turned to study him, perhaps to search out his secrets. He fidgeted
beneath Noah’s searching gaze and after a moment, admitted, “I don’t
know. Lately, I can’t get a read on Dennis. He’s distant and angry most of
the time.”
Noah gave him an inquisitive look. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I’ve tried to talk to him. He just shrugs me off.” He
found the damp paper towel suddenly fascinating and his restless fingers
smoothed it flat on the counter.
“You deserve to be with someone who makes you happy.”
Looking away, he shrugged and wadded up the towel. Noah had never
made it a secret that he didn’t like his boyfriend. So really, Noah wasn’t the
best person to talk to about Dennis.
He wanted what Noah and Mac had. He wanted to love someone and be
loved in return. He wanted that with Dennis. At least, he thought so. But
lately, every conversation he had with his boyfriend led to negativity. Either
Dennis ended up pissed at him for voicing his concerns or called him a nag
and paranoid. Which hurt a lot.
He certainly couldn’t imagine telling Dennis he loved him. The guy
would probably laugh his ass off. They’d get there though, he was sure of it.
An idea about tonight was forming; a surprise dinner and a movie sounded
perfect. Surely, that wouldn’t piss the guy off? He desperately wanted to get
them back on even ground. Even if things weren’t always stellar, it was
better than living alone. Shivering at the thought of being alone, he
seriously hated when things were strained between them. Dennis was a
good guy, so he must have done something to set him off. Once he found
out what that was, he could fix it.
Catching a glimpse of Asher leaving headquarters, Seth deliberately
turned away. He needed to focus his attention on his own relationship and
not on men who were players. Squaring his shoulders, Seth followed Noah
back to the bullpen. The pen had several desks the team could put laptops
on, and each desk had a comfortable chair. If they didn’t want to use a desk,
there was a large section with a centered area rug and two large couches
flanking it with a wide, short table in between, as well as several
overstuffed chairs. To him, it looked more like a lounge than an office. But
it was the kitchen that set the place apart. Stefano had spared no expense.
Italian tile covered the floor and counters. Modern appliances in stainless
steel and a huge, free standing center-block type bar with stools around it
for eating. Eventually, the commander had told him he’d have sleeping
quarters and showers installed.
Following after Noah, he snagged the next desk over. Tapping the keys,
he entered his password. “So… Asher, huh?” he whispered, unable to
contain his curiosity. He couldn’t let it go.
“Like I said, it was one time.” Noah shot him a look.
“It’s cool, it just caught me by surprise.” That was an understatement.
Seth flashed a quick smile at his best friend and cousin, who didn’t even
know they were related. A damned secret he had to keep, but it was
complicated. His uncle Rossi was Noah’s dad. Rossi had sworn him to
secrecy the day he’d rescued him years ago from Tech Suppress.
Of course, he’d demanded an explanation, and Rossi had explained that
some very bad people wanted him and his kin dead. Therefore, Seth wasn’t
able to tell anyone else he was related to Rossi. The only people who knew
were Ginger, who was his mother, and Stefano, of course. Not to worry
about Ginger, though, she wanted nothing to do with him. And thinking of
his mother brought a sour taste to his mouth, so he shoved those thoughts
away.
It was damned difficult, but he had kept his promise and never breathed
a word to Noah. Someday, he promised himself, he was going to tell Noah
they were related. The guy was cool as shit. Who the hell wouldn’t want to
boast about being related to him? Noah quirked an eyebrow at him when he
huffed a small laugh, but he just shook his head.
Good for Asher for sleeping with Noah, the guy was hot. Both of them
were hot. He, on the other hand, certainly couldn’t hold a candle to either of
them. Asher was dark and brooding, and Noah was a golden-eyed, stunning
blond. In the looks department, those two had it all. While he wasn’t as
skinny as he used to be, no matter how much he worked out, he still
couldn’t gain a lot of muscle. And while that made him fast, it also made
him feel insignificant standing next to most of the men in the unit. His size
combined with his unruly hair and green eyes made him ordinary. He could
never hope to gain the attention of someone like Asher. Damn it! Noah was
right, poor Dennis.
“Look, it’s not something I go around talking about,” Noah said, quietly
cutting into his pity party. His cousin took a seat and opened his laptop. “I
was lonely and trying to fill a void left by Mac.”
Seth sputtered and snorted. “But you’re not lonely now, right?” He
pressed his lips together.
“No, I’m not.”
“I mean, Mac fills your void?” He tried to keep a straight face but failed
miserably.
He dodged the swat Noah aimed at him, and laughing out loud, rolled
his chair back halfway across the room’s slick floor.
“I mean, it’s good to have your void filled, right?” He chortled loudly.
“Yes, you’re such a dork,” Noah groaned, glancing around, and then
reluctantly, it seemed, a laugh escaped.
Seth smiled, then sobered. Noah had been through so much. His cousin
had been in WITSEC and had fallen in love with Mac Mackenzie, the US
Marshal assigned to guard him. Theirs had been a long, brutal road to love.
Being a victim hadn’t stopped Noah. He had risen above it, pushed through,
and emerged stronger. Noah was not only a language expert, but also one of
their most lethal team members.
“So,” he said, teasing as he rolled his chair back to the desk, “any other
liaisons you want to fess up to?”
“Not today.” Noah smirked, shaking his head.
Seth smiled and pulled up the report the commander had given him to
decipher.
Frost
Fucking shit!
Turning thirty was a bitch.
The scumbag he’d chased from the house and down a deserted alley had
come back around the corner, swinging. He barely had time to duck. The
board would have clocked him solidly upside his head if he hadn’t dropped
low.
Then the bastard sprinted up and over a ten-foot fence like a fucking
rabbit before jumping off the other side.
“Stop… Police!” he shouted, but it was more of a formality. Because,
really, he wasn’t the police.
The suspect paused, turned, and looked at the fence between them
before lifting a hand to give him the middle finger.
“Fine, have it your way.” Frost lifted his gun and shot the guy.
Once upon a time, he would have given chase. Now, he was wiser.
Oh, don’t get him wrong, he still chased suspects, but fuck climbing
fences.
The man - wanted on charges of human trafficking small children, drug
possession, and distribution - screamed with a volley of foul words and
dropped to his ass on the ground.
Right where he wanted him.
Shooting the lock, he shoved the gate open and stalked toward the guy.
“Where’d you toss the gun?” he growled menacingly.
“Fuck you!” The man rocked back and forth, holding tightly onto his
leg. “You fucking shot me!”
“Tell someone who gives a fuck,” he snarled and patted the guy down.
He pulled a thick length of chain and a switchblade from the suspect’s
pockets and tossed them a few feet away before snapping zip-ties on the
guy’s wrists. No gun though. He took the guy’s wallet.
Yanking off the suspect’s belt, he tightened it above where the bullet
had grazed the man’s calf. It was just a flesh wound. He left the suspect
sitting on the ground and tuned out the moaning and bitching.
Pulling a small radio from his waist, he glanced around. “Roscoe, you
copy?”
“I heard shots. Where the fuck are you?”
“I went out the back.”
“And ended up where?” his friend demanded.
The partially torn down apartment building and the rubble remains of
the parking lot obstructed the street, but the paint-tagged street sign was
clearly visible. “I’m at Fifth and Brush Street near the overpass, I got one of
them.”
“I’m on my way,” Roscoe clipped out.
“I’m not talking, you fucking copper!” the suspect spat. That wouldn’t
last, they had ways of making perpetrators talk.
“I’m not a cop,” he snapped, keeping his gaze deliberately cold. “So,
shut the fuck up and sit there.”
The scumbag had ruined a perfectly good T-shirt. He poked a finger
through the hole in the material. He hoped like hell the guy knew the
location of a holding area; a place where, supposedly, both children and
adults were held before being sent out of the country as part of a human sex
trafficking ring. He expected that with any luck, the suspect would be
begging to talk before the day was over.
The black Hummer came around the corner and rolled to a crunching
stop on the gravel just outside of the fence. Several men armed with guns
and dressed in tactical gear jumped out of the vehicle.
One of the men was his friend, FBI Agent Roscoe Burns, barking
orders.
Roscoe turned toward him with a scowl. The agent was massive. There
was no other way to describe Roscoe, he was six feet, five inches of solid
muscle with arms like a fucking linebacker and a physique like a twentysomething year old, even though Roscoe was almost forty-one. They didn’t
talk about that.
He’d met Roscoe about six months earlier through Noah Bradford’s
boyfriend - or lover or whatever they were calling it these days - US
Marshal Mac Mackenzie. Mac and Roscoe were friends. Frost had offered
to help Roscoe on a case and the rest, they say, was history.
An ambulance came barreling into the area. Lights flashing, the siren
abruptly cut off and the EMTs parked. Two men grabbed a stretcher from
the back and made their way over.
“He shot me!” the suspect whined, looking up at Roscoe.
Roscoe frowned at him.
“I told him to stop,” Frost offered with a shrug.
Roscoe grunted, and handed the guy over to the EMTs.
“I got him,” one of the other agents responded, following the EMTs up
into the ambulance. The agent handcuffed the suspect to the bedrail and
then pulled out his gun and sat quietly while one of the two EMTs worked
on the guy’s leg.
He turned away from the ambulance and back to Roscoe. He jerked his
chin back toward the alley. “He tossed the gun.”
Roscoe spoke into his radio and a few moments later, the rest of his men
began searching for the weapon.
“You good?” Roscoe gestured at him.
“What? Oh, yeah.” He lifted his torn and bloodied T-shirt to examine
his stomach. The bullet crease was more like a burn, really. It had been
close. If he hadn’t ducked behind a stack of pallets taking up half the alley,
the bullet would have hit its mark and he wouldn’t be standing there. As it
was, he had a red burn where the slug just barely caught the skin on its way
past.
“Fucker just grazed me.”
“You got lucky.” Roscoe handed him a water bottle.
Guzzling down half the bottle, he wiped his mouth with the back of his
hand. Yeah, he’d been damned lucky.
“Where’s the rest of your unit? I thought they were on their way,”
Roscoe grumbled, tucking away his gun.
The unit Roscoe spoke of was an elite group of government operatives
known only as Phoenix. The unit was brought in when cases got messy or
law enforcement needed plausible deniability, which was needed more than
the average citizen even realized. Basically, his team took care of the scum
of the earth that law enforcement couldn’t due to bureaucratic bullshit red
tape. Of course, Roscoe, being FBI, knew of the team’s existence. And
since the unit had opened an office of sorts in the area, their anonymity with
local law enforcement had diminished.
It wasn’t a bad thing, because those that knew about them were people
they trusted. As was the case with Roscoe. Being friends with Noah, and
now Frost, gave the guy an in, which meant less red tape when the FBI
needed help. Not only the FBI, sometimes it was the local police, the
sheriff, DEA, and US Marshals that called on the unit.
Frost tugged the perp’s wallet from where he had shoved it into his
pocket and squinted at the guy’s ID. “It’s positive.” He handed it to Roscoe.
“He works for Yakov Lakhonin.”
Roscoe glanced at the driver’s license. “That’s the name the anonymous
tip gave.”
“One down.” Who knew how many more they’d have to go through
before they came up with any solid evidence. He sighed in frustration.
They’d been trying for months to get evidence on Yakov Lakhonin, the
head of an Eastern European drug and human trafficking ring. They
suspected the kingpin was attempting to set up shop in the States. Yakov
was making faster progress than they’d imagined.
“What did you get from the house?”
“Almost a kilo of uncut heroin,” Roscoe replied.
He whistled softly. “Oh man.” A kilo of uncut heroin could sell for eight
hundred thousand dollars once it was all cut, packaged, and out on the
streets. “Yakov’s going to be pissed.”
“He is,” Roscoe agreed. “Maybe he’ll slip up.”
“Maybe.” He wouldn’t count on it, though. Yakov was proving to be as
fucking slippery as a snake in wet grass. This might be the first good lead
they had. This bust could be the break they needed to take the son of a bitch
down. Yakov had been in the country for four months and showed no signs
of leaving. After months of Yakov doing nothing to generate suspicion and
the lack of fucking evidence, Frost was ready to chew nails. Yakov had
been a model citizen. The man had even done an interview with a journalist,
making a point to say he was here to represent his country in peaceful
alliance. Blah, blah, blah.
Frankly, the guy was full of shit, and Frost knew it would only be a
matter of time before Yakov slipped up.
And things were looking up with Yakov’s man now in custody. A direct
link to Yakov himself. They had a fuck ton of Yakov’s drugs. They’d hit
him where it hurt. If the suspect in custody talked, they’d have the locations
of the holding containers the crime boss used to hide victims before
transporting them out of the area. If they got that info, they’d have their
evidence.
“He may not talk,” Roscoe cut into his musings.
“Maybe.”
“The guy is as good as dead if he makes bail.” Roscoe turned and strode
toward the Hummer.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t make bail,” he agreed, dropping into step with
Roscoe. Yakov had long-reaching arms; if their suspect made bail, his life
would be over.
Frost climbed into the passenger seat of the Hummer and closed the
door. Easing back against the seat, he picked at the hole in his shirt.
“And to answer your question, I’m all you’ve got,” he said. “Seeing that
you had fifteen FBI agents and SWAT, the commander sent the team on
another lead.”
“Well, shit. I thought I might get to see Phoenix in action,” Roscoe
grumbled, then he started the engine and pulled out onto Broadway Avenue.
“Oh, you’ll get to someday. I can guarantee it.”
Frost
“Hey, Frost. Ready for a rematch?”
He pulled his eyes away from the brunet’s ass across the room and
glanced at Noah, also known as Ghost. The rematch had been a hand-tohand impromptu street fight. He’d stalked Noah through the darkened
streets, testing the operative’s skills. It hadn’t been the first time, nor would
it be the last. Noah had been good, but he’d been better. Living on the edge
for so many years did that to a man.
Carrying a coffee cup, Noah approached the counter.
“Sure, if you want your ass handed to you again.”
“Not the way I remember it, but whatever.”
Frost quirked an eyebrow. “How’s it going?”
“Can’t complain.” The whip-cord lean, well put together operative lifted
his hand and slightly waggled his ring finger.
“Going soft, Ghost,” he grunted and gave the ring and Noah a pitying
look.
Noah narrowed his gaze. “It’s not soft, it’s courage.”
He snorted. Not the way he saw it, but whatever. “So, who asked who?”
“Mac popped the question. I said yes.”
“Poor saps.” He shuddered, feeling as if something had walked over his
grave.
“Hey, don’t knock it until you try it,” bubbled a sexy voice from behind
him. That fucking voice. It poured over him like honey, sweet and
mouthwatering. His inner alpha wanted to roll in the sound, turn, and take
the man up on what that voice promised to deliver.
He closed his eyes and then snapped them open in the next moment,
aiming a look over his shoulder. Behind him stood former hacker Reboot
Hell, also known as Seth O’Leary. Holding Seth’s gaze was like stepping
into the wilds of an untamed forest.
Jesus fucking Christ, Seth was a walking wet dream. Sleek muscles on a
slim frame with legs that wouldn’t quit. Black curls surrounded an almost
delicate face that held the beginning of a five o’clock shadow. Thick lashes
surrounded the largest pair of eyes he’d ever seen on a face that delicate,
and a smile curved lush, full lips. Lips that Frost was sure he could lick and
suck on for days. That wasn’t all he wanted to suck on. Turning abruptly, he
snatched up a cup. “No thanks,” he replied gruffly, filling the cup with
coffee. “You romantic types can keep that crap.”
Noah smiled and slapped him on the shoulder. “Well, I’ll let you know
when the big day is.”
“Great.” He turned around and took a sip from his cup. “I’ll be sure to
be out of the country.”
Seth stifled a giggle snort, and the sound was too fucking adorable.
Shoving from the counter, Frost stepped between them and walked out of
the room, having had enough of the fucking cuteness.
“Bye, Asher!” Seth called after him. Fuck if he didn’t love the way his
name sounded on Seth’s lips.
“Why do you call him Asher instead of Frost?” he heard Noah ask and
his steps faltered. He paused, eavesdropping like a fucking school kid.
“Because everyone calls him Frost and I don’t think of him that way.”
He made a sound deep in his throat and forced his feet to carry him
back to the desk he was becoming all too familiar with. He used to stay
away for weeks, sometimes months. Hell, one time, he’d stayed away from
the team for a whole year with minimal interaction. But ever since Stefano
had leased this workspace, he’d been coming in more and more. And he
knew why. He’d gotten one fucking look at Seth wearing a pair of tight
jeans and black rimmed glasses, looking sexy as hell. He justified being in
the building every day due to the fact that if Stefano wanted to hire men that
sexy, then the least Frost could do was enjoy the eye candy.
For a very long time, he’d wanted to scratch the itch he had for the
younger man. But that was before he found out Seth had a boyfriend. It was
his own fucking fault, too. He had skirted around Seth for years, and now
he’d missed his window of opportunity.
Go fucking figure, Seth was in a relationship. And if that didn’t put a
crimp in Frost’s plans, nothing else could. It was one line he wouldn’t cross,
ever. People cheated, and it wasn’t right.
Staring blankly at his laptop, he couldn’t remember what he’d been
doing prior to getting coffee in the kitchen. Fuck.
“Whatcha thinkin’?” a voice asked from near his shoulder.
Frost glanced up. Wild had gotten his code name when he’d gone crazy
during a top secret assignment. Frost and the unit had watched in
amazement as Wild single handedly took out six bad guys. He’d never seen
anything quite like it. The man was a maniac. A fucking tall, sexy maniac
with long, multicolored brown and blond hair, blue eyes, and a body in peak
physical condition, but still a maniac. That day, the unit had dubbed him
“Wild” and the name had stuck. Wild was a skilled tracker and explosives
expert. That Wild knew hand-to-hand combat was a bonus as far as Frost
was concerned. The tracker was also a loner. He’d found Wild multiple
times in front of a gaming computer when not on a mission. Almost a
recluse. Come to think of it, he couldn’t remember ever seeing Wild with
anyone.
“Hey, Wild, do you go out with women or men?” Not one to assume, he
laughed when Wild choked on his coffee.
“Guess that was random.”
Wild chuckled. “I’m attracted to the person, not their genitals.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” jeered Storm, shoving up from a nearby desk.
“Who the hell talks that way?” Storm swore under his breath some more
before stomping out of the room.
A moment of stunned silence followed in Storm’s wake. Frost held
Wild’s gaze, and then they broke into laughter. He had to rest his forehead
on his arms in order to quit laughing.
He’d never had any doubts he was interested in men. He’d discovered
he liked boys when he was young and never thought twice about it.
Thankfully, his father had understood and not made a big deal about it. His
mother, well, he didn’t give two shits about what his mother thought.
Frost glanced over the new setup. And the place was new, only about
two months old. The bullpen had a casual, relaxed air that he liked.
Although, having the unit come in was like trying to contain a pack of wild
animals. Being together at one location for very long was not normal for
them. But then, nothing about the unit was normal as far as he was
concerned. Not even the two men in charge. Stefano Esposito, the
commander, received his orders from a man known only as the chief. A
man none of them, to his knowledge, had ever met.
The commander had rationalized the need to have a main headquarters
due to the fact they needed a hub for the mounds of paperwork that needed
to be done after missions. Even though they were considered a top secret
team, paperwork followed the best. Not that they had actual paper, more
like iPads and laptops. He suspected the commander just wanted a place
where he could keep tabs on them all. The building was large enough to
house fifteen, but there were only eight of them. Well, Stefano made nine
all together.
Frost ran his hand over the top of his desk. It was the first time in his
life he’d had a damned desk. He tapped at his keyboard. The laptop stayed
stubbornly dark.
“You know, Frost,” Storm’s words came out raspy, surprising him. He
hadn’t seen Storm return. “You need to actually turn on the computer in
order for it to work, right?”
He squinted. “Fuuuck you,” he grumbled, poking at the laptop’s start
button. After a moment, the loading screen logo popped up. Go figure.
Storm grunted before stalking to the couch a few feet away. The man
was a mountain. Six feet, seven inches of hard muscle, he kept his black
hair short, but it suited the guy. A perfectly groomed mustache and beard
covered Storm’s upper lip and square jaw. Equally stormy gray eyes made it
impossible to read what the unit’s sniper was thinking.
Turning to the screen, Frost brought up the information they’d collected
so far on Yakov. Inside, he scrolled through several possible locations.
Yakov Lakhonin had a base set up somewhere in Northern California.
Another reason Stefano had rented a building in Oakland. It would be easier
to have the manpower nearby to investigate and track the fucker.
Word from Roscoe’s anonymous source said that Yakov had his sights
set on recruiting several drug dealers from the San Francisco area to handle
his operation. He’d like to be a fly on the wall when that happened. Most
drug dealers didn’t like their territory fucked with. It was a sure way to get a
bullet to the head if handled wrong. He had to admit, there was a slight
possibility that Yakov might succeed in gaining loyalty. If that happened,
the crime boss would literally have enough men for an army.
And he sure as fuck wasn’t going to let that happen. He closed the
documents and the laptop. Right now, they had only one problem.
Gathering enough proof on Yakov to get the go ahead to neutralize him.
With the guy they had in custody, they might have a shot.
Stretching, he cupped his hands on the back of his head and extended
his legs out, crossing his boots at the ankles. Too bad he couldn’t just take
out Yakov like Noah had done with the man’s brother, Viktor, but the chief
said this mission had to be above board since the government was involved.
Fucking politicians, coming in and messing shit up. Typical. The chief
mentioned future funding or some shit like that. It seemed the higher ups
didn’t like the pressure they’d received after the US was blamed for the
assassination of Viktor. But then, the US got blamed for a lot of shit. He
lowered his hands and rubbed at the ache starting along the bridge of his
nose.
“Hey Frost, you still coming for dinner tonight?” Noah called out from
the front door.
“Yeah, I’ll be there. Seven o’clock, right?” He turned from the computer
and spotted Seth standing near Noah.
“Yep.” Noah nodded before suggesting to Seth, “Why don’t you come
over, Seth, and you can even invite Dennis.”
“Um, maybe.” Seth pushed Noah lightly and then glanced quickly at
Frost. Their eyes met, and then Seth turned away and followed Noah
outside. The rest of their conversation was cut off by the closed door.
“Great,” he muttered, not looking forward to the possibility of being
tortured through dinner that evening.
Seth
He skipped back out of the way when two laughing women came out of the
coffee shop. Holding the door for them, Seth smiled before he shuffled the
few steps forward and got in the lengthy line.
He noticed the familiar dark head in the crowd and waved. Ordering a
coffee, he passed on getting something to eat because he wanted to save his
appetite for dinner. He hoped Dennis would be down for a night in. Making
his way through the tables, he protectively cradled the coffee cup.
“Hey. Sorry I’m late, the traffic was crazy,” he said and gave Allison a
kiss on the cheek. He dropped into one of the vacant chairs at the small
table.
“Hey, hon. I wasn’t sure if you’d make it.”
“Always.” He smiled and took a quick sip of coffee. “But why not meet
at the office?” It wasn’t like they both didn’t work there.
She toyed with her napkin, avoiding his eyes.
“What’s up?” He frowned, taking another swallow of coffee.
“What?”
“Not that easy,” he bluntly responded. “What’s the matter?”
She fiddled with her cup. “I’m thinking about going back to France to
live.”
The quick gulp of coffee burned on its way down. “What? Why?” He
coughed and rubbed at his chest.
“I don’t know. Maybe I miss it.” Allison had grown up with embassy
parents that traveled between America and France, so he could see how she
might miss it.
“So what’s holding you back?”
“You guys are all here.”
“Then live there part time and here the rest.” He tipped his chin. It was
a great idea.
“Maybe…” her voice trailed off.
“What’s the matter?” Seth leaned forward, his gaze focused on her face,
trying to read her expression.
“I’m lonely.” She hitched a shoulder.
Okay… not the answer he’d expected, but not unexpected now that
she’d said it. “So, what? There’s no romance here in the States?” He cocked
his head and lifted a single eyebrow, challenging her.
She gave a slight smile. “Guys here are looking to hook up and nothing
more.”
“Not all guys,” he argued, finding fault with her statement. He had to
believe that love existed. Hell, against all odds, even Noah and Mac had
gotten engaged.
“Trust me, hon, the guys here are either gay or players or both. And the
straight ones I’ve dated don’t want a wife and kids.”
He blinked, speechless for a moment. Allison had never hinted she
wanted kids and marriage. He’d assumed she didn’t want that, which was
stupid.
“And you want that?” He squinted at her.
“Yeah. Don’t you?” Her brows lifted and she squeezed her empty paper
cup.
“Me?” He jerked back slightly and slumped in his chair. “Um, well,
yeah. Maybe someday.” He tested the words and then took a quick gulp of
coffee. He hadn’t really planned on having a family because of the dangers
of his job. But that wasn’t what was important at the moment. Allison
moving away was.
“The team won’t be the same without you.” He narrowed his eyes at
her, going for intimidating, but she only smiled.
“Yeah, yeah,” she smirked.
He gave up the scowl and sighed. “I mean it. Who is going to Mamma
Bear our asses when we get out of line?”
Allison huffed and shook her head. “I’m sure Stefano will take over the
job.”
“Oh, hell no. He’s Papa Bear, he can’t be Mamma Bear,” Seth bantered
back. Not that he’d ever call the commander Papa Bear to his face. Seth
was sure it’d be certain death and wasn’t going to test that theory.
“I thought Papa Bear was the chief.” Allison popped a piece of banana
nut bread into her mouth.
“Nah, the chief is…” He paused and tipped his head. “Well, the chief.”
She snorted, and he smiled before sobering. “Please let me know when
you make a final decision.”
“I will.”
“And think about what I said. Part time here and there might work,” he
urged softly.
“I will.”
It was late by the time he got home. The traffic jam on the 880 Interstate
had been a nightmare. Of course, he’d gotten in the wrong lane and had to
wait until someone let him over.
The small apartment building was a welcome sight. A large moving
truck pulled away from the curb and he gratefully took its spot. Most
evenings when he arrived home from work, he had trouble finding a spot to
park on the overcrowded street. When they had rented the place, Dennis
had insisted on having the only underground parking spot assigned to the
apartment. It made sense at the time, or rather Dennis’s arguing about it had
been exhausting until Seth had given in.
Locking his car, he checked his phone. Perhaps a night out at a friend’s
house would be just what he and Dennis needed. Coming up the walkway,
he bumped into someone coming out of the apartment building’s main door.
“Whoa…” He looked up and found Dennis scowling down at him. He
went with cajoling in order to entice his boyfriend into changing his mood.
“Oh hey, you off to get dinner? Don’t do that.” He forced a smile even
though he was dead tired and wanted nothing more than his bed. “Save
yourself a trip. Mac and Noah invited us over.”
“No, I’m leaving.” Dennis swung his keys. Seth hadn’t noticed until
that moment how Dennis’s truck was double parked a few cars down.
“Um, okay,” he said, thinking quickly. Perhaps Noah and Mac’s place
wasn’t a good idea on a weeknight. “Can you grab something on your way
back? I’m beat.” He kept his smile pasted firmly in place.
“No, you idiot.” Dennis said the words slowly as if he thought him
stupid, and Seth’s smile died.
“I’m fucking leaving, didn’t you hear me? I’m not going for food or
anything. I’m leaving, moving out.”
Seth froze, his backpack dangling from one hand and his cellphone in
the other. His boyfriend was leaving him. He swallowed down his panic,
opened his mouth, and then snapped it closed. Dennis couldn’t leave. No
way. He had to fix this. “Wait… let me fix this.”
“You can’t.”
“Jesus, Dennis! You can’t just move out without giving me a chance to
fix it.” Seth clutched his backpack and cell phone to his chest. He sounded
pathetic.
“I’ve met someone,” Dennis said abruptly, avoiding his gaze.
“Met someone?” He blinked up at Dennis, sure he’d heard wrong.
“That’s what I said. Jesus, sometimes you’re so stupid,” Dennis
snapped.
“How long?” His breath hitched.
Dennis looked away. “A while.”
His things clattered to the ground as he fisted Dennis’s shirt and jerked
the man around. “How fucking long?” Seth took several shaky breaths.
“Six months,” Dennis said, looking down his nose at him.
“You fucking cheater.” He released Dennis with a push, then changed
his mind and swung. His fist splintered with piercing pain as it connected
with Dennis’s jaw, sending the guy staggering backwards.
Charging forward, Dennis swung back, slamming his fist into his eye.
He took the hit full-on. An experienced fighter, Seth could have avoided the
punch, but instead, welcomed the blinding pain.
His eye immediately swelled and throbbed like hell, but it was nothing
compared to the panic exploding in his chest. Hunched over, he was left
with the sound of Dennis’s truck screeching away.
Struggling upright, he rubbed at his nose and slowly picked up his
backpack and phone. Woodenly, he walked into the building, not for the
first time grateful their apartment was on the first floor. No nosey neighbors
had seen the altercation.
The door stood partially open. Dennis couldn’t even be bothered to shut
the door. He slowly pushed it inward. It was eerily quiet; deserted, devoid
of life. Empty, he was totally alone. A deja vu from his childhood all over
again. The place was completely trashed, and everything of value was gone.
The couch, TV, table, and some appliances were missing. Shock held him
immobile as he gazed wide-eyed at the scene. Slowly, he picked his way
over the mess and made it to the bedroom. The bed…Dennis had taken the
bed, as well as the storage boxes beneath it, all gone. The things Seth had
bought to start a home, a life, were gone.
Dennis had taken it all. The only thing that remained were Seth’s
clothes, his shoes in the closet, and the toiletries in the bathroom. Stumbling
to the small kitchen, he stepped over the food from the refrigerator dumped
on the floor. Why had Dennis ruined their food?
Sinking to his ass on the hardwood floor, he pulled his knees to his
chest. He’d tried to love Dennis. He’d tried so hard to be a good boyfriend.
Sure, they fought sometimes, but it was over as quickly as it had started. He
had no idea Dennis had been cheating on him. Now, he’d have to get tested.
They’d never used protection after moving in together. Suddenly scared to
death, he tugged his phone from his pocket with shaking hands and called
the first person he could think of.
It was answered on the first ring.
“What, can’t make it tonight?” Noah chuckled.
“Noah.” His voice broke.
Frost
Noah jumped up from the table with his phone to his ear and stepped out of
the room. The man returned quickly and whispered something in Mac’s ear.
“Excuse me, guys, but I’ll be right back.” Noah glanced at him, and
then left. There’d been a troubled expression in Noah’s gaze and the tight
line of his mouth gave Frost a weird feeling. As if something had crawled
over his skin. He knew without a doubt that if it had been about the unit,
Noah would have filled him in. This must have been personal.
Hearing the rest of the dinner party arguing about the wine selection
downstairs, he stood and stalked to the window that overlooked the
driveway. Scratching at the stubble on his jaw, he watched Noah’s SUV
drive away.
When the vehicle disappeared, his gaze was suddenly snagged by the
view. The sea was a churning, foamy green with waves cresting white as
they smashed against the rocky shore of Alameda, California.
The couple had recently relocated. Their current home was identical in
some ways to the home Mac’s grandfather had left him in San Diego. Mac
and Noah had rented out the San Diego beach house as a weekly getaway,
which had given the couple extra income to buy this home. It made sense
that once Phoenix headquarters was established here, they gravitated toward
the area.
Mac worked out of the San Jose Marshal’s office most of the time with
his partner, US Marshal Jake Coleman. Jake, who lived in San Diego,
bunked half the time at Mac and Noah’s and half the time at FBI Agent
Kane Quintana and his wife Becca’s place. Kane, Becca, Jake, and Mac
went way back. Everyone was a bit scattered, but they were making it work.
Frost had heard that Mac and Jake’s boss, Deputy US Marshal Scott Buller,
wasn’t too happy about the move at all, but the man had conceded in order
to retain two of his best men.
“What’s that about?” he asked, not moving from where he stood gazing
out the window.
“Oh, Seth called. Something about some shit going on.”
“What shit?” Frost spun around.
Mac quirked a brow. “Settle down, Noah’s bringing him back here for
the night.”
“Is he hurt?” He couldn’t get his demanding tone to change, nor could
he give a fuck about it. He wanted every bit of information on Seth, right
the fuck now. “Tell me!”
“Hey, easy,” Roscoe said, suddenly near his side. Frost hadn’t even
heard the agent reenter the room.
“What’s going on?” Kane asked, joining them, holding a bottle of wine.
“I don’t know. Frost is being an asshole,” Mac growled, and then set a
calming hand on the top of a massive chocolate-colored Labrador who
bared his teeth at Frost. The marshal shushed the dog. “Easy, Havoc.”
Becca clicked her tongue and slipped around Mac to take a seat at the
table next to where Jake had slid into a chair.
“If Seth is hurt…” Frost charged.
“We don’t know that yet, just let Noah handle it,” Mac barked out the
order.
He gnashed his teeth. Roscoe put a hand on his arm. “Hey, calm down.
If Noah needs us, he’ll call.”
His eyes narrowed. Shit. True enough. Seth was a grown man and could
certainly handle himself. But Seth had trouble written all over him. Frost
clenched his hands. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. “Sorry, Mac.
I’m… Sorry.”
“It’s okay, man. No harm,” Mac said and nodded to Kane.
Kane filled everyone’s glass with wine, and then took a seat next to
Becca.
The wait was excruciating. The minutes fucking crept by. Frost didn’t
drink the wine and he couldn’t sit still, no matter how hard he tried. Instead,
he paced back and forth between the kitchen to look out the window, and
then into the living room so he could watch the front door. It gave him
something to do. He didn’t care that his odd behavior had everyone staring
at him.
At the sound of the returning SUV, he stalked toward the door and
yanked it open. Noah stepped through with Seth, but Frost only had eyes for
Seth and the black eye that flawed the man’s adorable perfection.
Frost gently lifted Seth’s chin. “I’ll fucking kill him.”
Seth closed his eyes and Frost eased an arm around the man’s waist.
“Not now, Frost, he needs to rest,” Noah snapped.
“I’m okay,” Seth mumbled, fisting a hand in Frost’s shirt, but then just
as quickly, released it with a wince. Frost tightened his arm around the
slender man, noticing the marks on Seth’s knuckles.
“Where can he lay down?” Frost asked gruffly.
“Through here.” Noah led them to one of the guest rooms and then
hurried back down the hall. Frost eased Seth onto the bed and crouched
next to Seth’s knees.
The bruise was going to be a doozy and certain to be there for a while.
Tracks of what looked to be tears had dried on Seth’s cheeks. Every muscle
in Frost tensed and he imagined his hands around the boyfriend’s neck.
“Tell me he’s gone,” he demanded. He wasn’t going to look too deeply
as to why it mattered, but it fucking did. He tried to keep the bite out of his
voice, but failed.
“He left me,” Seth admitted sadly.
“That fucker doesn’t deserve you,” he swore between his teeth.
“Frost,” Noah warned, coming back into the room.
“He doesn’t.” Frost glowered at Noah before turning back to Seth. He
lifted a hand and gently pushed the soft, dark curls from Seth’s forehead.
Seth closed his eyes and leaned into his touch.
“Here,” Noah encouraged quietly, holding out an ice pack.
He snatched the pack, ignoring the strange look Noah shot him.
Carefully, he lifted Seth’s chin and placed the ice gently over his eye.
“Thanks.” Seth hissed, and after a moment, reached up to hold the pack
in place.
“Care to tell me what happened?” He dropped his hand away and
rubbed his palm on his jeans. Seth looked away and Frost took that moment
to ease onto the bed. Their legs bumped when the mattress dipped and slid
them together. Seth’s shoulders hitched.
Frost slowly squeezed his hands into fists and then released them.
Fucking keep it together! He had to check his need to dominate and control
situations. A clear head might prevent him from killing Seth’s boyfriend.
He fucking doubted it, but that was what he was telling himself at the
moment.
“He walked out,” Seth admitted, darting one green eye in his direction.
“No warning. He just packed up everything and left.”
“And then took a swing at you.” He clenched his teeth. It looked like he
wouldn’t need to call Dennis a worthless asshole. Seth had surely figured
that out by now.
“He took all of our stuff, even the bed,” Seth said in what sounded like
disbelief. “He said he was seeing someone else. I was trying to make it
work, ya know? I thought it was my fault that he was so angry all the time.
And he was cheating on me for six months. With someone else. And before
that? Well, I don’t know before that. I need to get tested,” Seth finished with
a mumble.
That right there was a game changer. The dick had put Seth’s life at risk.
It wouldn’t matter how much distance the fucker put between them or how
far he ran, there was nowhere to hide.
“I hit him,” Seth confessed. “I need to get tested,” he whispered again.
“I have to make a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.” Seth twisted the blanket
between his fingers.
“There’s time for all that,” Frost said gruffly, cutting through the
younger man’s rambling stammer.
“I just don’t understand why he didn’t say he wanted out. I would have
let him go, ya know? I wouldn’t have held onto someone who didn’t want
me. I’m not like that.” Seth wiped at his nose with his free hand.
“I know,” he soothed. Fucking hell! The guy looked so despondent, he
drew Seth into his arms. Feeling the shudder against his chest, he smoothed
a gentle hand down Seth’s back. “Do you have anything back at the
apartment you need to get?” he asked in a lowered voice.
“No, I only had my clothes and shoes and personal things. Noah helped
me load it in Mac’s SUV. I’m not going back there. Noah said I could stay
here until I find somewhere else to live.”
“Good idea,” he agreed, easing back a bit. “Is your lease up?”
“It has been for about four months. We’re month to month, so
thankfully, I don’t have to worry about that. Not that Mr. Henderson would
do that though, he’s our …er the landlord. He owns the place. He’d
probably let me make payments.” Seth stopped speaking abruptly as if he’d
realized he was rambling again. Frost smirked. He could only see the side
of Seth’s face, and the man’s neck and cheek flushed adorably. “I’m sorry, I
ramble when I’m nervous.”
He held Seth at arms-length. Well, that was interesting. He wanted, no,
he suddenly needed confirmation. He brushed the back of his fingers along
Seth’s flushed cheek, enjoying the way the color filled beneath Seth’s skin.
Seth’s long lashes blinked up at him and his lips parted. “I make you
nervous?”
“That’s not nice, Frost,” Noah said, coming back into the room and
effectively killing the moment. Seth slipped away from him and Frost
wanted to growl, but dropped his hands away.
“I’m not a nice person,” he sneered irritably at Noah.
“Yes you are,” Seth argued, his all too seeing gaze searching his face.
He stood abruptly. Rubbing a hand at the back of his neck, he gave Seth
a hard look and turned brusquely toward the door.
Frost loved flirting with men. He never hid who he was. But the way
Seth was looking at him made him uncomfortable. Maybe he’d come on too
strong just then. But Seth had to know it was harmless flirting. And no
matter how much Seth turned that alluring gaze on him, it wasn’t going to
change the fact that he didn’t do relationships. And the fact that he was
thinking of Seth and relationships in the same sentence churned his gut.
“You need to rest,” Noah said, and the man urged Seth to lay back on
the bed.
When Becca came through the door carrying a tray loaded with a shit
ton of food and goodies, Frost seized the moment and stalked toward the
door. Roscoe and Kane hovered near the doorway, probably wanting to say
hello, and Frost took the opportunity to leave.
No way was he getting caught up in someone else’s drama. How the
fuck had he forgotten that? He always steered clear of emotional crap. Give
him jobs and missions, those were his areas of expertise. Fighting crime
was what he was good at. He was out of the house in seconds, and quick
strides took him toward his jeep.
The front door opened and closed a moment later, but he kept walking.
“What are you going to do?” Roscoe asked, jogging to catch up with
him.
“What makes you think I’m doing anything other than leaving?” He
yanked open his jeep door.
Roscoe’s hand came up and caught the door.
“I know you,” the man said flatly.
Frost stepped up into his jeep. “It’s none of my business.”
“That’s not what it looked like inside.”
“It wasn’t like that, I was just concerned for a friend, just like you all
were.”
“Mmhmm, and may I point out that we didn’t say we wanted to kill the
guy’s boyfriend.”
“That was just a gut reaction,” he countered, returning Roscoe’s stare.
“Right. So, what are we doing?”
He sighed when Roscoe released the jeep’s door and strode around to
hop into the passenger side.
“Getting his shit back.”
Seth
He adjusted his hearing protection and nodded. Reggie hit the button and
the target buzzed and ran along the railing. The target stopped at twelve feet
away. He took aim and hit the outline on the paper close to the center, then
pulled the trigger three more times.
With a nod, the target moved out to twenty-five feet. Even as
nearsighted as he was, he hit the head on the target at twenty-five feet. Now,
if he lost his glasses or his contacts fell out, it would be a whole different
story.
Even through ear protection, the sound of the gun banged explosively.
He remembered the first time he’d shot a gun. His uncle had taken him to
the shooting range and he’d tried out a nine millimeter Glock. He’d been
afraid the kickback would jerk the gun out of his hands, but his uncle had
assured him that it wouldn’t.
Taking a chance, with his heart pounding, he had squeezed the trigger
and his eyes shut at the same time. He’d hated it. The sound and feel of the
gun jerking in his hand had been violent and brutal. His heart had pounded
and his palms had sweat. It had taken awhile, but over time, he’d been able
to get past the brutality of it all.
He took off his ear protection and stashed it in his case. He bought his
own gear, like any experienced shooter did. Most people looking at him
would probably underestimate him. Smaller than most of the men in his
unit, he’d trained hard to learn to fight dirty. He still preferred his knives
over a gun, but he had to keep up his practice with combat and shooting.
The knife he kept tucked close to his body had been a gift from Lash. The
skills he’d acquired had also come from the operative, but his expertise with
a blade was nowhere near Lash’s.
“Damn, Seth, good job,” Reggie said, holding up the target. Seth smiled
back at the fingers Reggie waved through the bullet holes peppering the
paper.
“Not too bad, at least I hit the damned thing.”
Reginald Ackerman, nicknamed Reggie, was the unit’s computer geek
technician. The guy was just a year younger than him. Reggie wore his
light-brown hair buzzed close on the sides and messy on the top. Intelligent
brown eyes had the girls and boys falling over the guy. The thing Seth liked
about the techie was that he wasn’t conceited. The guy had come to Phoenix
a few years ago to help with the computer technical side of their work and
had very little interest in field work. Reggie didn’t mind hanging out with
him, but that was the extent of it. The kid’s exposure to combat was when
the guy drove the unit’s tactical SUV or provided technical support during
missions. Seth figured some people liked doing that stuff, staying behind
the scenes. Hell, he’d done the same at first, but after a while, he’d grown
bored with staying behind and had branched out.
“And we can make his life miserable,” Reggie was saying. Seth had
missed the first part.
“What, who?” He frowned, unloaded his gun, and put everything away
in his case.
“Your stupid ex.” Reggie pointed at his eye. The shiner was fading after
two weeks, but a yellow portion of the bruise still ran beneath his eye and
along his cheek.
“Nah, he said he was sorry and I got my stuff back, so…”
Reggie rolled his eyes like he was still in high school. “So, what? He
needs a beat down if you ask me.”
He snorted. “And you’re going to do it?”
Reggie flushed a bright red and shrugged.
Seth grimaced and reached to gently squeeze Reggie’s shoulder. “I don’t
want to keep reliving it. It’s over. I’m moving on. I got tested,” he admitted
to his friend.
“And?”
“It’s negative, so at least I don’t have that to worry about.”
“Still, he put you and the guys he was cheating with at risk. Someone
like that should at the very least get the snot knocked out of them. Even if
it’s not me,” Reggie said, pushing open the door.
“Maybe.” Seth stopped at the elevator that would take them upstairs. “If
he keeps on the way he is, though, karma will get him.”
“True,” Reggie acknowledged. “You want to get a drink at that new bar
tonight?” Reggie rattled off the name of a new night club that had opened
over the weekend.
“Nah, Noah and I are heading out later.”
“Oh? Need a techie?”
“Yeah, but if you’re going to be partying…” Seth chewed on his lip to
keep a smile hidden.
“Oh, hell no! Nope, no partying for me. Count me in. Where’re we
going?” The questions came firing off, the techie’s thick eyebrows
scrunched together.
Seth chuckled, then sobered. “We might have found one of Yakov’s
locations.”
Seth
The vacant house was quiet and had that new paint smell. The owner had
moved out a week ago and had assured them it wouldn’t be a problem for
them to use it for a night or two before he put it on the market. The
neighborhood was expensive and in high demand, the owner had gushed.
Seth looked around, the home would probably sell quickly with its tall
ceilings and wide, picturesque windows.
More importantly, though, was the view from one of the bay windows
and the house that sat five houses down on the other side of the street.
The surveillance and bugs had been planted. Now, it was a waiting
game to see what the occupants of that particular house were up to. Not too
long ago, a group of men had arrived and were inside speaking in a
combination of English and a foreign language, so the verbiage ran in
circles. Good thing they had Noah along.
“You sure that house is owned by Yakov?” Noah asked.
Seth pulled a small listening device from his ear and glanced over.
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Good.” Noah gave a quick nod.
“What’s wrong?”
“I just keep kicking myself that I didn’t take Yakov out at the same time
I took out Viktor.”
“Was Yakov even in the business?”
“Not Viktor’s business, no. Yakov was small time.”
“Was Yakov even in Russia at the time?”
“No, he wasn’t,” Noah admitted.
“Then don’t stress about it. Viktor was a twisted psychopath that got off
on hurting innocents. The man had to go. You didn’t have access to Yakov
at the time, so it wouldn’t have made a difference.”
“You’re right.”
“Death was too good for Viktor. If there’s a hell, I hope the guy is
rotting in it,” Seth told Noah. Viktor Lakhonin had been the vilest of human
beings who had preyed on innocent children.
“True.”
Seth lowered his binoculars. “There’s no way Yakov will ever find out
you retired Viktor.”
“I’m not worried about that.” Noah shook his head.
Well, great. Noah might not be worried, but he was. And just to be on
the safe side, Seth wasn’t taking any chances. They may like to think Yakov
didn’t know about Noah killing Viktor, but Seth wasn’t going to risk Noah’s
life on a thought. Consequently, he’d brought everything he could think of.
They were fully loaded if anything other than normal surveillance went
down tonight.
“I found out Yakov Lakhonin’s alias.”
“What?” His head jerked up when Reggie spoke.
Noah spun to face the techie.
“Yeah. It’s Hans Grover,” Reggie said, joining them from the far side of
the room.
“Wait. Hans Grover? Isn’t that the bad guy from the Die Hard movie?”
Noah squinted at Reggie.
“Nah, that’s Hans somebody else,” Reggie argued.
“Hans Gruber, I think,” Seth murmured, angling the binoculars at the
house.
“What’s with criminals using movie character names?” Noah muttered.
“What do you mean?” Reggie paused while hooking up a cable to one
of the monitors.
“A criminal I knew called himself Will Smith when he was hiding from
the Marshals.”
“Did it work?” Seth tossed a quick look at his cousin.
“Yeah, it did.”
“Well, then, there’s your answer.”
Several minutes of silence ensued with only the sound of the occasional
chair squeaking or slight whir of electronics running.
“How’d you find the house?” Reggie asked.
“I accessed the airline’s manifest and the terminal’s cameras and tracked
when Yakov left the airport.” He showed Reggie the program he’d created
as an app on his phone. “Hacking into nearby traffic cameras, I found he’d
made a brief stop at that house before continuing to his interview at the
hotel.”
Reggie gaped at the app. “Dude… that’s some serious shit.”
Seth gave a half smile and tucked his phone away before lifting the
binoculars back up. “Of course, once at the hotel, Yakov must have gone
out one of the side doors because the guy literally disappeared after the
interview with the journalist.”
Reggie turned back to the wire taps.
Seth slowly looked around, suddenly uneasy. His gut was telling him
something was off, and he always trusted his gut. “Something’s wrong.”
“Wrong?” Noah’s fingers paused on his keyboard.
“Why did they suddenly switch to all Russian instead of half and half?”
“It’s all good,” Noah assured him. “I’m deciphering.”
“What are they saying?”
“They’re waiting on someone. They’re careful not to mention names,
but one of the guys slipped up and called the other Syrus.”
“Thank God you speak Russian,” Seth blew out a breath.
The sound of a door closing drew his gaze back to the house. A man got
into a truck and drove away. Seth wrote down the license plate.
“I think Frost and Storm are the only other Phoenix agents who can
speak Russian besides me.” Noah fiddled with the ear piece and replaced it
in one ear.
“Asher,” he murmured to himself, and then shrugged when Noah tossed
him a strange look.
Thinking of Asher drew Seth’s lips into a slight curve. He couldn’t
forget the way the man’s strong arms had held him for that brief moment in
time.
Beneath Noah’s penetrating gaze, heat traveled up his neck. “What?”
The nickname Frost bothered him. He’d learned that Asher had only gotten
the name because of his frosty attitude toward relationships. He didn’t want
to think of Asher as frosty anything, he wanted to think of the guy as hot.
Because hell, Asher Grayson was hella hot.
The sound Noah made could have been in agreement or not, Seth wasn’t
sure, but he gave up the glasses when his cousin approached and took over
watching the house across the street.
Seth took the opportunity to check the monitor. Then, he combed the
house, going into each room, double checking for listening devices. Call
him paranoid, but triple checking had saved his ass more than once. He’d
come a long way from hacking high tech cars. He’d been so grateful when
his uncle had swooped in to save him. He’d never found Eddie and his gang
again, and he’d looked. It seemed Eddie and Tech Suppress had dropped off
the face of the earth. He wasn’t sorry about that at all.
In the beginning, his Uncle Rossi had been his rock. The man had
handed him over to Stefano, and Stefano had put him to work. Seth thrived
and, before he knew it, they’d put him into training with Noah and Allison.
He’d had never looked back. The unit was his family.
Crouching, he ran his fingers beneath the edge of an old desk that sat
empty in one of the spare rooms. Nothing. He sighed and stood.
Family. He’d wanted so badly to be a family with Dennis. Although he
couldn’t share anything with the guy about Phoenix, he had tried to be as
open as possible. Of course, being away a lot hadn’t helped their
relationship. He let himself out of the room and walked back down the
hallway. Maintaining the team’s secrecy was critical to their survival. Some
of the team had informed family about the unit, but not Seth. Dennis had
been his boyfriend for a year, but he’d never once mentioned anything
about Phoenix to the guy. Maybe he would have eventually, if they had
become more. For a while, he’d believed he was in love. But now, he knew
differently. He had never been in love with Dennis. How the hell could he
have been attracted to such a shallow and unethical person?
Returning to the main room, he rolled up an extra cord and shoved it in
a box. Asher seemed nothing like Dennis. It sucked that he hadn’t seen
Asher since the night Dennis left. Asher was staying in the field a lot. All
Seth had to show for that night was a key. The key fit into a lock on a
storage shed that held all of his stuff. Everything Dennis had taken had been
returned and placed in storage. Dennis had called, Seth hadn’t answered,
but his ex-boyfriend had left a nasally sounding message on his phone
saying he was very sorry. Seth knew that Asher had something to do with it,
but nobody was talking.
Maybe it was for the best. While he didn’t really miss Dennis, Seth
feared being alone. He needed someone of his own to be there. At least
staying with Noah and Mac helped. He wasn’t totally by himself.
“I overheard Stefano talking to Lash,” Reggie said out of the blue.
“What?” Seth snapped his head around and Noah almost dropped the
binoculars.
“What? What the hell, Reggie? How come you didn’t say something
earlier?” Noah demanded.
“Sorry! Geez.” The techie held up his hands.
“What did you hear?” Seth asked. Lash was their missing Phoenix
agent. The unit’s hunter had been AWOL for almost a year. Seth was
worried about the guy. Hell, they all were.
“I heard Stefano tell Lash to come home,” Reggie answered.
“What else?” Noah had lowered his voice this time.
“I don’t know. That’s all I heard before Stefano shut the door.”
“How do you know he was talking to Lash?” Seth probed.
“Because he said, ‘Lash, it’s time to come in.’”
“Fuck,” Seth breathed out. He and Noah stared at each other.
“What’s going on?” Reggie glanced back and forth between them.
“Nothing.” Seth glanced away.
“You’re lying. What aren’t you telling me?” Reggie narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t know anything.” Noah frowned.
“We aren’t talking about it, Reggie. Give it a rest,” Seth said, and the
techie backed down.
Seth blew out a long breath and snagged up the glasses. Turning back to
the window, he carefully zoomed in on the house across the street.
“When did they switch to only speaking English?” Seth adjusted the
mic in his ear and kept his eyes on the neighboring lawns and sidewalks.
“The one who spoke primarily Russian left,” Noah murmured.
“I could go for some pizza,” Reggie randomly piped up.
Noah and Reggie then started a heated discussion about where to buy
the best pie. Their voices faded into the background as Seth worried silently
about their missing brother-in-arms.
Lash. Jesus Christ, their missing Phoenix might be lost to them forever.
Reggie accused him of hiding something. He was. Lash was dealing with
something Seth wasn’t at liberty to share.
Lash’s disappearance had most of the team baffled. While Seth only
knew a little, he suspected the chief and Stefano knew more than they were
saying.
Frost
He paced Stefano’s office. The commander had a line of awards and
commendations earned in the military stretching the length of one whole
wall and a bookcase stood against another.
On one shelf sat pictures of a few of the team at Noah and Mac’s house
last Christmas. He’d shown up but hadn’t stayed.
One picture held Giovanni Rossi, who was Noah’s dad, standing next to
Stefano with Seth, Noah, Mac, Allison, Reggie, and Wild. He didn’t know
the other people in the pictures. The party had been held at Mac and Noah’s
place shortly after the sting that killed Terrance Manning, the man who had
kidnapped and held Noah for years against his will.
“Who did Terrance Manning supply with the kids he kidnapped? I know
he used some of them for drug mules, but what about the ones he sold into
the sex trafficking ring?”
Stefano looked surprised at his question, but after a moment of
hesitation, he answered, “He supplied Viktor Lakhonin.”
“Is that why you had Noah kill Viktor?”
“Yes,” Stefano said, easing back in his chair.
Viktor Lakhonin, head of a human trafficking ring, had been Yakov’s
older brother. Frost lifted one of the certificates of achievement from the
shelf.
“Of course, with Viktor dead, it left the doors wide open for Yakov to
assume the reins,” Frost murmured.
Stefano sighed and then nodded.
Frost placed the framed certificate back down and turned. He crossed
his arms over his chest and stared at Stefano.
Stefano steepled his fingers and stared back. “Where is this going?”
Frost narrowed his gaze. “It’s Yakov. Everyone suspects that he’s here
because with Manning dead, he needs to find a replacement for that part of
his business.”
“That’s what we believe.”
Frost turned and set his shoulder to the wall. “Did it ever occur to you
that Yakov just might be here because Noah killed his brother?”
“There’s no way possible anyone outside of this team knows that Noah
killed Viktor. On that, you can be assured, Frost.” The robotic voice of the
chief came through the speaker phone on Stefano’s desk.
Although the repetitious voice was damned annoying at times, Frost
understood the chief’s need for secrecy. He knew the chief needed to keep
his identity hidden. If anyone found out who the man was, the whole team
would be vulnerable. If the identity of the unit’s chief ever got out, Phoenix
could very well crumble.
He studied Stefano. The commander held his gaze without blinking.
“So, why did you call me in today?” He’d been perfectly content
staying in the field, away from temptation.
“Take a look at this.” The commander slid a file across the desk. Frost
pushed from his lean against the wall and walked over to open the folder.
Inside was information on Yakov Lakhonin. Scanning the documents, he
saw it contained information they had already suspected. Yakov was
currently trying to extend his dead brother’s business. And seriously, Frost
was going to make damned sure that shit wasn’t happening.
He glanced up from the papers spread out on Stefano’s desk. “What do
you need me to do?”
“We want you to find someone,” the chief said.
The commander leaned over and pointed to a name in bold on the front
of one of the papers.
He leaned forward and read the name on the file before looking up.
“Who the fuck is Marco Jennings?”
“I’d start with your FBI contact, Roscoe Burns,” the chief answered. “I
believe he has a few leads.”
“And don’t forget, I have Ghost and Reboot Hell working the techie
side of things,” Stefano added.
“As if I could,” he muttered.
“What’s this place again?” Roscoe whispered.
Frost paused, staying in the shadows the shrubs provided.
“Remember that suspect we caught the other day?” he whispered back.
“Yeah, the one that made bail?” Roscoe asked.
Frost clenched his jaw. The suspect making bail had been a surprise. A
huge amount of money had been paid by someone named Hans Grover. It
took him a few short minutes of investigating to find out that Hans Grover
was none other than Yakov Lakhonin. The rat bastard was just itching for
jail time. Only problem was that paying someone’s bail wasn’t against the
law.
“Yes. When he was released, he came to that house.” He pointed. “And
we are going to stake it out.”
“Why can’t we stake it out from the comfort of your jeep?” Roscoe
grumbled.
He snorted. “Come on, old man.”
“Fuck you,” Roscoe charged back.
Frost grinned and ran quickly across a wide lawn and up to a nearby
home.
He surveyed the house. After investigating what Stefano had given him,
he was positive Yakov had or was in the process of recruiting Marco
Jennings. How much success Yakov had depended on how much muscle he
could buy and how receptive Jennings was to another man calling the shots.
The only things that might make a difference in Jennings’ decision would
be how much money Yakov was willing to pay and if he was offering
Jennings the position that Terrance Manning had had in the organization.
“Wait, look.” Roscoe handed him a cell phone.
“How’d you get this?” The agent had pulled up information on the
house.
“I have my sources.”
Sources that apparently listed Marco Jennings as the owner of the house
their suspect had arrived at.
“Check that out,” Roscoe murmured and handed him a pair of
binoculars.
Frost swung the glasses down the street a few houses away from the one
they were watching. Something flashed briefly in the window and then
disappeared.
He frowned, noticing the “For Sale” sign in the front yard. No car in the
driveway, and the grass had grown a tad long and a few old newspapers
littered the front porch.
“It looks like that house should be vacant.” He handed the glasses back
to Roscoe.
“Let’s check it out.” Roscoe tucked the glasses away and pulled his gun.
Frost checked the clip in his own weapon and then darted across the
street. Staying low, he moved around the side of the house. His gun was
aimed left and then right, checking for any movement before he went across
the cement back porch with Roscoe at his back.
A faint light glowed from within. Clearly, there was someone inside.
With a thin piece of metal, he had the lock undone in seconds and moved
silently and swiftly inside.
With his back to Roscoe, they cleared rooms, a lethal, two-manned
team. Whoever was in there remained quiet, almost stealthy.
He froze when a light flicked on overhead. The gun nudging the back of
his head wasn’t entirely unexpected. Son of a bitch! He lifted his hand
slowly and let his gun swivel loose between two fingers. A hand reached
out and took his weapon.
Seizing his chance, he whirled. Why the hell wasn’t Roscoe shooting?
He jabbed out, but hit empty air. Then someone giggled. Glancing down, he
found a pair of gorgeous green eyes sparkling up at him.
Roscoe had his hands up and Noah Bradford stood behind the FBI agent
with a gun.
“You look ridiculous, Ro, put your hands down,” Seth laughed.
“Jesus, O’Leary! You guys fucking suck,” Roscoe complained,
grabbing his gun back from Noah.
Frost scowled at Seth. “What the hell are you doing here?” Seriously
tempted to throttle the man, he stepped closer.
“We were assigned here.” Seth sniffed as he handed back his gun.
“What the hell are you doing here? I don’t remember seeing your name on
the assignment sheet.”
“Assignment sheet?” he asked incredulously. “There’s a fucking
assignment sheet?” Stefano was taking paperwork to a whole other level.
“What did you do, pick up extra work?” Seth’s lips pursed in a cheeky
smile and Frost wanted to punch something. Instead, he prowled around
Seth and into the main room to find Reggie Ackerman sitting at a panel of
monitors. Great, just fucking great.
“Somebody better start talking,” he snarled, whirling around.
“I was talking! You walked away,” Seth clarified, coming after him.
“Stefano put us on watching the house Yakov stopped at when he first
arrived in the US. A Hans Grover rented it two weeks ago. We’ve been
watching it all day.”
“Hans Grover is Yakov’s alias,” Noah offered.
“We know that,” Roscoe said with a frown.
“I was told to locate someone,” Frost seethed, frowning at Seth, but the
man seemed oblivious. “When Yakov’s man was released on bail, Roscoe
and I tailed him to the house across the street. My source says Marco
Jennings owns that house.”
“Nope, it was rented by Mr. Grover,” Reggie corrected and then gulped
when he glared at the younger man.
“Who’s Marco Jennings?” Seth asked, curious.
“Jennings is a local drug lord Yakov is trying to recruit,” Frost said,
dropping into a chair and drumming his fingers on the arm.
“Okay, so our cases are closely related.” Noah shrugged.
“No biggie. I’m sure the commander and the chief knew this was going
to overlap,” Seth offered.
“Except that now we have five people where we only need two, maybe
three tops,” he shot back sarcastically. It was fucking obvious that someone
fucked up and he refused to believe it had been Roscoe and him. They had
arrested Yakov’s man a long time before Seth and Noah set up the stakeout
in this house.
“I’ll call Stefano and see if he wants to reassign us.” Seth tapped his cell
and walked out of the room.
When Seth disappeared into the other room, Frost pulled himself to his
feet and followed. His eyes were drawn to Seth’s sleek, muscled form. The
brunet was compact and lithe, not to mention fucking efficient and deadly
with his own unique skills. He still couldn’t believe the guy had gotten the
drop on him. It was kind of sexy. And heaven help him, he wanted a taste.
Just a nibble, and then he’d back the fuck off. He cocked his head and
allowed his gaze a moment to trace Seth’s lips. Lush, plump lips and the
bottom one was wet where Seth’s teeth were pressing into it.
“Um, Asher?”
“Um, yeah?” he answered huskily. His dick thickened at the sound of
his given name on Seth’s lips.
“My eyes are up here.”
He snapped his gaze away from Seth’s mouth and found himself
drowning in a sea of green. A green so deep, it was as if he’d been
swallowed whole by Mother Earth. When had Seth ended his conversation
with Stefano? The younger man smiled, a flush spreading down his neck.
He shouldn’t be making a play for Seth. Hell, the guy had just been
dumped by the lover he had been living with. His gut warned that it was too
soon, but he took a step closer anyway.
Seth held up a hand, his eyes darkening with some unnamed emotion.
Frost kept moving toward him until Seth’s palm settled like fire against his
chest.
“Asher…” Seth whispered.
He clenched his teeth so tightly, his jaw ached. “I know,” he gritted the
words out. “It’s too soon.”
Seth
Oh,
he wanted Asher. Like he’d never wanted anything before. But he
didn’t want to be another one of Asher’s casual fucks. And he didn’t want
to make another mistake like he had with Dennis. He believed he had loved
Dennis. He’d been wrong. One thing was clear, though, his choice of men
was skewed. He couldn’t trust his judgement. Then, of course, there was the
matter of Asher and his playboy reputation.
He toyed for a moment with the idea of something casual with Asher.
But he knew in his heart he wasn’t made for short term. He was made for
the long run and he didn’t think that long run was in Asher’s DNA. The
man had noncommittal written all over him.
“Asher, I just…” He shook his head, fisting his fingers in Asher’s shirt
before gently easing his grip. For a moment, his gaze hung on Asher’s wide
shoulders before he held the man’s gaze. I don’t think you’re the right man
for me.
“Need more time.” Those weren’t the words he planned on saying, but
Asher was nodding his head and stepping back. Then Asher closed one
warm hand over his where it lay against the man’s chest.
“I’ve got loads of time,” Asher rumbled.
“It’s just that…I thought he loved me.” Seth drew in a deep breath and
released it slowly.
“I know.” Asher’s large, warm palm settled on his upper arm, sending
shivers across his skin as it slid gently up and down.
“How could I have been such an idiot?”
“You trusted him.”
“I did,” he agreed tightly, fisting his free hand. “Maybe I need to be
more like you. Not get involved, tangled up.”
Asher gave him a crooked smile and brushed the hair back from his
face. “Maybe.”
His breath caught at the touch, his anger over what had happened
dimmed and yearning took its place as he searched Asher’s face.
“Oh, Asher…”
The words died when Reggie bounced into the room. “Hey, you guys,
order some food when you…” The techie’s voice trailed off. And just like
that, the intimacy was gone and Asher was stepping away.
Seth dropped his hand and turned. Smiling at Reggie, he walked around
the guy and left the room. Striding into the other room, he plopped down on
the sofa.
Reggie followed, giving him an apologetic look.
He gave a half smile and pretended not to follow Asher with his
peripheral vision when the operative entered the room. But it was hard not
to watch Asher’s firm, muscled body as the man stalked to the window to
glance through a slit in the blinds.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d just made the biggest mistake of
his life. Asher freaking Grayson had hit on him and he’d turned the guy
down. He must be fucking mental. A soft sigh escaped and he swallowed it
back before letting his eyes furtively seek out and follow Asher as the man
paced the room.
The house stood quiet. Only four of them remained. Asher, Roscoe, Reggie
and him. Noah had been pulled to help Allison on another lead. Roscoe
stood near Reggie, listening with a mic. The towering man leaned closer
and murmured to the techie about needing Marco Jennings. Screw Marco
Jennings. Seth wanted Yakov. Taking down Yakov would ensure the
Lakhonin dynasty was forever dead.
Asher watched him, but Seth didn’t dare look over. The guy was all
kinds of intense and had grown broody. He would bet not many people had
put the brakes on with Asher. The man constantly tracked him, and Seth’s
dick noticed every heated look. Fuckity fuck, fuck, fuck.
“I need coffee,” Asher grumbled and left the room.
“I’ll get you guys a cup,” Roscoe offered and disappeared after Asher.
If not for Roscoe and Reggie being there, Seth might have said to hell
with it and made a pass at Asher, screw the consequences. He would pick
up the pieces of his heart later, much later.
The house across the street lit up brightly and yanked him from his
fantasy. Suddenly, a car pulled up out front, pulling his mind away from
Asher and back onto the job where it belonged. Five men got out of the car
and entered the house. It was too dark for him to get a good look at any of
them, damn it.
Seth quickly approached Reggie and lifted one of the small ear buds to
listen in on the house surveillance.
“Hey, man,” a deep voice said.
The connection was lost for a moment when the mic crackled with
white noise, then the voices came in clear.
“I told you to lay low,” another voice was saying.
“I did, man!”
Neither of the voices were Yakov’s, but Seth had Reggie mark it for
later investigation. One voice might be this Marco Jennings guy.
“And you don’t think that anyone followed you here?”
“No, I took every public transportation I could find. I’m good.”
“You stupid idiot. Then why do they have this place wired for sound
and surveillance in a house down the street?” There was a sudden snick,
snick. The sound of a gun with a silencer firing twice.
His stomach lurched and he gripped the back of Reggie’s shirt.
“Get the fuck out!” he yelled, and yanked Reggie up and pushed the
techie toward the door. The guy dropped the mic and ran.
Asher and Roscoe came barreling into the room from the kitchen.
“Get out!” Seth shouted, catching Asher’s gaze.
Asher pivoted, shoving at Roscoe, and they all raced down the narrow
hallway toward the back door.
He didn’t know what to expect, but the thought that someone might
have rigged the house to explode had him counting the seconds to the back
door. Expecting a boom to come and the subsequent explosion at any time,
Seth held his breath. Reggie yanked the back door open and stumbled out
onto the back porch.
“Wait!” Asher snapped and grabbed at the guy.
Pop, pop, pop!
Bullets pinged along the house and walkway, kicking up dirt and
sending stucco flying. Reggie screamed. Shit!
“Reggie!” Seth whispered harshly.
Roscoe having gone out the door low, whirled and lifted Reggie and
shoved the techie closer to the protection of the house.
Crouching, Seth shot out the back porch light and then stopped dead
still in the sudden dark.
“See anything?” Asher whispered.
“No,” Seth answered back just as quietly, and a moment later, Asher
settled at his side, guarding his flank.
They crouched like that, side by side, facing opposite directions,
covering each other. The darkness gave way beneath the nearby street lights
and Seth was quickly able to make out objects. He aimed at a lurking
shadow and pulled the trigger. Someone scrambled with a loud crash
through the underbrush of the neighboring bushes.
Asher’s silencer made a quiet snick, snick in the opposite direction. Seth
continued aiming, silently swiveling, straining to see through the dimness.
A voice shouted in the distance and then all went silent.
Satisfied they’d scared off the attackers for the moment, Seth turned to
where Roscoe was kneeling by Reggie. The techie had fallen and it looked
like he’d sliced his knee open and banged up his wrist. Not shot after all.
That was a relief. Asher wrapped a piece of shirt around Reggie’s knee.
“I called it in,” a voice said.
Seth whirled, raised his gun, and then dropped it when Storm
materialized out of the shadows like some avenging demon.
“A warning next time, Storm,” he gritted out.
Roscoe lifted his gun and Seth gently placed a hand on the man’s arm.
“You remember Storm? From Noah and Mac’s party.”
Roscoe narrowed his gaze. “Oh yeah. The guy that stayed two seconds,
then split.” Roscoe waved a dismissing hand and tucked away his gun.
Storm’s brow turned like a thunder cloud, a storm on the horizon, one of
the reasons for the man’s code name.
“Fuck you, Roscoe. I’m not the one who just ran out of the house like a
little girl.”
“There could have been a bomb in there, you idiot,” Roscoe snapped.
Storm’s arms flexed and he took an advancing step forward. Clearly, the
sniper wasn’t going to take Roscoe’s lip lightly. Roscoe squared off, flexing
his hands.
“Would you both just shut the fuck up?” Exasperated, Seth blew out a
hard breath.
“Yeah, come on, guys. We have bigger shit to deal with without you two
going at it,” Asher whispered harshly.
Storm paused and gave a short nod. Roscoe shrugged and turned away.
Satisfied the two alpha men weren’t going to brawl, Seth assessed the
area. They were sequestered up against a metal shed with spare tires stacked
against the wall, and on the other side were several wooden pallets stacked
in a pile. It was where the trash cans were stored and the smell of rotting
food clung to the damp air.
“I’m going out,” he said, inching forward. “You stay here,” he told them
all. Not sure they’d listen to him, but right at that moment, he didn’t care.
“I’ll take care of Reggie,” Roscoe said. Reggie had attached himself to
the big guy.
“Yeah, and I’ll take care of everyone.” Storm smirked and Roscoe
glowered.
Seth sighed and pushed to his feet. A hand on his arm drew his
attention.
“We go together,” Asher ordered, and Seth didn’t argue. Asher wouldn’t
take no for an answer and really, Seth wanted Asher along; staying in pairs
made them twice as deadly.
Moving through the darkness, he headed along a row of bushes that led
to the front of the house. Distant sirens filled the night air. They only had a
few seconds to get at least one of the bad guys before the cops showed up.
That was if the suspects were still in the house.
He examined the area, but there was no sign of life. Approaching the
target house, Asher went toward the front while he moved around back.
Feeling someone approach from behind, Seth whirled around with his gun
aimed.
“Damn it,” he hissed, lowering his gun when he saw it was Roscoe and
Storm.
“The sheriffs have Reggie. I told them there were four plain clothes
searching. They are canvasing the area,” Roscoe whispered quietly.
Seth nodded. He heard Asher kick in the front door and Storm
disappeared in that direction.
Stepping up on the back porch, a suspect came barreling through the
back door and Seth stuck out his foot. The guy tripped and then tumbled off
the porch.
Out of his reach, the suspect sprung upward but wasn’t prepared for the
size of Roscoe, who easily put the guy in the dirt. The man fought like a
crazy thing and Roscoe cursed.
“Let me go, you motherfucker!”
“Quit struggling,” Roscoe snarled, and the guy actually spit at the agent.
Roscoe flipped the suspect onto his stomach. While Roscoe pulled the
man’s arms behind his back, Seth jumped from the porch and snapped zipties around the guy’s wrists. Roscoe pulled the suspect up.
Seth got a look at the guy. A mop of bright hair fell into the guy’s eyes.
Spitting mad the guy started in with a string of profanity.
“Shut up!” Roscoe roared, and the young man finally took a gulping
swallow and shut up.
“What’s your name?” Roscoe growled.
“Jagger Miller.” The guy glared.
“How old are you?”
“What’s it to you, fucking copper?” Miller spat.
“I’m not a cop, I’m FBI,” Roscoe said, frowning.
“So?” the young man scowled.
“The house is clear,” Asher said from the back porch.
Gazing up, Seth’s eyes drifted over Asher; massive, menacing, and
beefy. He wanted to feel those arms around him again. Except this time, he
wanted to press his lips to Asher’s and not be interrupted for a long time.
Storm came out of the house. “Nobody’s left in there. It’s weird. They
fucking scattered like the wind. I’ll call the unit and start a discreet search,”
the sniper finished and pulled out his phone.
“We’ll fill in Stefano and the chief after we wrap up here,” Seth said,
pulling his gaze from Asher.
Frost
The suspects were on the run. Only one remained in custody, Jagger Miller.
The guy that Hans Grover had bailed out was nowhere to be found. Asher
played the recording again. The echo of gunfire was clearly audible on the
wiretap, yet there had been nobody in the house.
None of the voices on the recording matched Jagger Miller, and the man
wasn’t talking. Miller had been questioned and set to be released.
“This is beyond fucked up!” Roscoe accused, getting in the sheriff’s
face. “We went to all this trouble and you’re just going to let that little
fucker go?” The agent threw up his hands.
The sheriff’s mouth tightened. From where Frost stood, the sheriff
wasn’t happy about his decisions being questioned. The fucked up part was
that Kane Quintana, Roscoe’s boss, agreed with the sheriff. They had no
evidence to hold Miller past seventy-two hours, and Kane had told them he
didn’t want to waste the resources keeping the guy in custody.
“We don’t have anything to hold him on, Agent Burns,” the sheriff said
stiffly. “Just like I told your boss, the house is clean and Miller doesn’t have
a record.”
“No traces of blood?” Roscoe’s eyes narrowed.
“No.” The sheriff bared his teeth.
“We heard gunfire coming from that house. Someone is dead,” Roscoe
charged. “Accessory to fucking murder. There’s a dead guy somewhere. Or
at the very least, wounded,” he amended.
“There’s no body.” The CSI tech approached and stood next to the
sheriff. “We can’t find traces of blood anywhere,” the man said, shaking his
head.
“Jagger Miller is somehow connected to a fucking kingpin who is
suspected of having dealings in sex trafficking children!” Roscoe bellowed.
“How the hell does Jagger Miller not have a record?”
“Hey.” Frost placed a hand on Roscoe’s shoulder to keep the agent from
yanking Miller from them.
“You’re working for a man that abuses children.” Roscoe glared at
Miller. “Do the right thing, man.”
Miller’s lip curled and he gave Roscoe and him a two fingered salute
that turned into one finger in the universal sign for fuck off.
“Fuck you very much, officers.” The punk smiled and walked away.
Wild, who had arrived a few minutes prior, came out of the house and
stepped over the yellow tape that surrounded the roped off area. “They used
plastic,” the tracker said, and none of Phoenix questioned his findings. If
Wild said the suspects used plastic, then they used plastic.
“Son of a bitch,” Roscoe hissed between his teeth.
“We’ll get him another way,” Frost promised.
Frost
Frost knocked on the door to the one story house that stood facing the bay.
The slight breeze felt good after the heat from earlier in the day. He rolled
his neck to ease the stress that had built up.
“When are you going to ask Seth out?”
“Shut up or I’m not going to invite you to dinner anymore.” He
narrowed his eyes at his friend. Fucking Roscoe and his meddling. The guy
only laughed at his empty threat.
“Roscoe!” Karen Potter’s face lit up at the sight of the agent. Karen was
tall and put together nicely for a woman of fifty-five. She didn’t worry
about appearances and wore faded blue jeans beneath a flowing floral top.
On her feet were brown flip flops, and in her hand was a dish towel.
Roscoe lightly hugged the woman. “Hi, Ms. Potter.”
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Karen?”
“Um, okay, Karen.” Roscoe eased past her when she reached for Frost.
He smiled and folded Karen into his arms. “Hey, Karen.” He genuinely
liked his father’s fiancé, she was the real deal, but more importantly, his
father loved her.
“I’m so glad you came today. Your father has been grumbling about the
long time between visits.”
“How is he?”
“Today is one of his better days.” She smiled and led the way into the
room.
Tennessee Grayson struggled up from the table, smiling. Frost reached
for and gently hugged his dad.
“Son,” Ten said, beaming, and then winced as he retook his chair. His
dad suffered from severe back pain as a result of an accident over ten years
ago. The accident had not only killed his partner, but had taken Ten from a
career in law enforcement, a job the man had loved doing for years.
Chasing a suspect, his dad’s patrol car had flipped and rolled doing
eighty miles per hour. His father had several metal pins in his neck and
lived in constant pain.
“Hey, pops,” he greeted. “Look who’s here.”
“Roscoe!” His dad grinned.
“Hey, Mr. Grayson.” Roscoe smiled in return.
“Dammit, Ro. Call me Ten,” his father said, urging Roscoe to take a
seat.
“Ten,” Roscoe agreed, dropping into a chair.
“So, what have you boys been up to?” Ten asked while Karen went
about putting dinner together.
“Oh, you know. Trying to get your son to change his wicked ways,”
Roscoe teased.
He rolled his eyes. “Please. Like you’re any better,” he snorted.
Roscoe and his dad got into a heated debate about a sports game on
television. He stood for a moment, watching the two go at it before he
turned and went in search of Karen. He found her in the small wash room
away from the kitchen.
“How are you set for money?” He got right to the point.
“We’re good. I have yet to touch what you put into his account last
month,” Karen replied, smiling as she folded towels and placed them on top
of the dryer. “His social security and Medicare cover everything.”
“Is Maryanne still stopping by?”
“Once each week. She said she’d come in daily, but seriously, with me
here, I don’t see why she should.”
Maryanne Simpson was an in-home care nurse, and Frost paid her to
come look in on his dad. The woman was a gem. Not only was she his dad’s
nurse, but also a longtime family friend. The woman had worked in the ER
when his dad had been brought in with a gunshot wound. The pair had
stayed in touch over the twenty-five years since.
When Ten had problems after his career-ending injury, Frost had called
Maryanne. She hadn’t said a word, other than to tell Frost she would take
care of everything. He’d hoped that after his mother bailed, Maryanne and
his dad would hook up, but they never did.
“She’s cared about his health for a long time,” he murmured. Much
longer than the two years Karen had been around. “I want her to continue to
come in at least once a week.”
“I know.” Karen smiled slightly. “She means well,” she agreed.
“Hey, you two,” Roscoe called from the other room. “Is this done? I’ve
been stirring it for ten minutes.”
“Oh shoot!” The woman scurried around him and into the kitchen
where she took over stirring the pot from Roscoe.
Frost headed over to sit near his dad. They picked up with the game of
chess they’d had going for weeks now. He knew his father still missed his
mother. Tennessee had repeatedly told him how his mother was the love of
his life and any woman afterwards was second best. He would never
understand it. His mother was a cheating whore. The woman was like the
plague, a tsunami, wreaking havoc on any poor, unsuspecting bastard she
could manipulate. He had watched her walk out after the accident that had
left his dad crippled. He’d never seen his dad so broken.
For a while there, he’d watched over him, afraid he’d eat a bullet. It
wasn’t a bullet that finally brought Tennessee Grayson to his knees, it was
the bottom of a bottle. Frost watched Ten drink until the man had ended up
in the hospital from alcohol poisoning. At his wit’s end, Frost had called
Maryanne. She’d come and read his father the riot act, then took him to an
AA meeting where he’d gotten a sponsor the very same day. His dad had
sobered up and had remained sober to this day, but the desertion of his wife
when he needed her the most had taken a toll.
Karen called them in for dinner and he helped his dad back to the table.
He really liked Karen, she was one of a kind. He was thrilled when his dad
had proposed to her. Karen was funny and sweet and really good for his
dad. It wouldn’t change his mind, though. After what his mother had done
and continued to do, he’d seen enough cheating to last a lifetime.
Relationships were traps wrapped up in pretty words and lies.
“It’s beautiful out here.” Roscoe patted his full belly.
“Yeah, it is.” He nodded, taking in the sun hovering over the ocean.
They stood looking over the bay. His father’s house was located in
Alameda, an old, military island. The military had long since pulled out, but
the people had stayed. Frost was third generation Alameda born. He lived in
the house just a few blocks away that his grandparents had owned when
they were alive. He was grateful Stefano had chosen to put their
headquarters in Oakland, not far from there. Being able to see his dad often
was a nice change.
“So, what’s Storm’s deal?” Roscoe asked out of the blue.
“Storm?” The question caught him off guard. “Why?” He wouldn’t say
much about a fellow operative.
“He just seems angry all the time.”
“That he is.” Frost nodded in agreement. Storm was very aptly named.
There was a long moment of silence penetrated by the sound of seagulls
squawking over a discarded piece of bread and the quiet splash of the ocean
against the rocky coast.
“What happened to your mom? Did she pass away?” Roscoe asked,
turning to look at him.
He choked on his sip of beer and cleared his throat at the abrupt subject
change. Although friends for some time, they had never broached the
subject.
“No, but she’s dead to me,” he said flatly, hoping to kill any further
questions.
Roscoe looked at him and he shifted, turning away from the man’s
searching gaze. After a moment of silence, he shrugged.
“She’s on husband number four.” He gave a harsh sigh. “I have so many
step and half siblings, I don’t know all their names. She walked out after the
accident that ended my dad’s career.”
“Wow, that’s fucked up.”
“It was. He wasn’t even out of the hospital yet. But I truly believe that
what goes around comes around,” he murmured, moving his gaze over the
shoreline where people were walking their dogs on a small path that ran
along the water’s edge.
Karen and his father had joined them, but were sitting at a table near the
far end of the deck. They look cute together. He hoped it worked out
between them, he really did. But from what he’d seen, people typically
came together and promised happily ever after, but it was just a bunch of
bullshit. Because everybody eventually cheats. The best thing for him was
to keep it casual and avoid forever kind of men. And he’d been doing that
for years without incidence. So yeah, he had hook ups, but he didn’t let
them evolve into anything else.
Seth wanted to be like him. He didn’t think the man had it in him. Seth
seemed like a forever kind of man. Perhaps the experience Seth had with
his ex-boyfriend had changed him. And while he would miss the softer side
of Seth, he’d take full advantage of the new version. If the hot brunet
wanted to have a fling with no strings attached, then he was all in.
Maybe now, Seth understood that relationships were dead-ends leading
to nowhere. If that was the case, then they could hook up and have fun. And
if he could coax Seth into his bed, all the better. That fucker who had left
Seth had dented the guy’s self-esteem and Frost was just the man to fix it.
A few hours later, he pulled up outside of Roscoe’s apartment building,
idling the jeep.
“So, you never answered me. When are you going to ask Seth out?”
Roscoe pressed.
“If Seth wants to have fun and get laid, then I can certainly
accommodate him,” he answered after a moment.
Roscoe snorted. “Dude, you’re like the grim reaper of relationships.”
He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “I just know how that
shit turns out.”
“Not all relationships end badly.”
“Maybe not,” he said, looking through the windshield at the deserted
street. “But they aren’t my thing.”
“After hearing about your mother, I get it.” Roscoe clamped a hand on
his shoulder for a moment. “Have a good night.”
“You too, man.”
Roscoe turned, holding the cab door open. “I’m going to check out that
house tomorrow. Maybe we missed something on Miller.”
“Watch your six, Ro.”
“I will.”
Seth
Headquarters was humming with activity. Sure, the stakeout watching
Yakov hadn’t produced evidence, but it wasn’t the end of the investigation.
For the third time, he combed through the data they’d collected.
Catching Jagger Miller and then having to release him had been all
kinds of screwed up. What wasn’t screwed was having a voice on tape
shooting someone. If they found the suspect that matched the voice, it
might lead to enough evidence to make an arrest.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed, and Seth lifted his head.
He could feel the sizzle in the air. Glancing over at the door, he watched
Asher stalk into the building and prowl toward the kitchen. Asher was
finally back! For some reason, much to his disappointment, Asher had
stayed away the past few days.
He jumped out of his chair and it went rolling. Reggie’s snicker
followed him as he made his way after Asher. Thankfully, Reggie’s taped
wrist hadn’t diminished his ability to type. Otherwise, Stefano would have
asked him to take over the guy’s duties.
Coming to an abrupt stop in the breakroom door, he looked his fill.
Asher stood with his back to him, pouring a cup of coffee. Oh man, the guy
was so sexy. All hard muscle and attitude, and he wanted to latch onto
Asher and climb him like a tree. He wanted to sink his hands into those firm
cheeks. His mouth went dry when the man’s package was suddenly
presented as Asher turned.
“Seth?”
“Hmmm?” He absently lifted his eyes from Asher’s crotch. “Oh!” His
face burned. “Hi.”
Asher narrowed his gaze, slammed the cup to the counter, and prowled
toward him.
Seth backed away, not out of fear, no, but because he wanted the wall
for support. His hands latched onto Asher’s wide shoulders as the man
settled between his spread thighs, his legs purposefully parted to allow the
bigger man room.
Seth groaned. Lifting his hands, he fisted them into Asher’s dark hair.
When Asher’s head dropped, he was ready for him.
Finally! He opened his mouth to return the hard kiss. His nails ran over
Asher’s unshaven jaw. He loved the scruffy look the dark and dangerous
agent wore.
Asher lifted his head from the hot-yet-all-too-brief kiss. “I want you,”
Asher said gruffly.
“Yes, come to my place tonight,” he breathed.
“You don’t have a place.”
“Oh!” He sucked at this. “I can get a hotel.”
“Oh, um- hi,” a voice interrupted Seth’s haze.
He jerked back and shot a quick look at Reggie. The techie strikes
again. Seriously, the guy should win some type of an award for showing up
at the wrong time. Behind Reggie stood Allison, and she glared daggers at
Asher. Asher stepped back and smirked. He lifted his coffee from the
counter and before Seth could protest, he was gone.
“Thanks,” he pouted at them.
“What? For cock blocking you?” Allison snarked.
Reggie sputtered.
“Yes, as a matter of fact.” Seth rolled his eyes and turned to pull down
ingredients for making a new pot of coffee.
“That dirt bag sniffing around?” she jeered.
“He’s not a dirt bag,” he argued. Asher was just misunderstood. The
man was all confidence on the outside, but Seth sensed a gentleness beneath
the surface. Or maybe it was only with him, because for the life of him, he
couldn’t ever remember Asher being gentle. Ever.
Allison was just pissed at Asher because he’d had a fling with one of
her friends and the guy was heartbroken when Asher hadn’t called. He’d
heard all about it a hundred times already.
“Don’t fall for his line.” Allison slammed her palm on the counter,
making Reggie jump. “Frost led one of my friends on.”
Oh boy, here we go again. He exhaled.
“Um… I’m out,” Reggie said, and beat a hasty retreat.
“I’m sorry about your friend.” Seth held onto his patience. “But Asher
doesn’t have a line.”
“Yes he does, and he uses it on every person he comes into contact with.
Well, every hot guy.” Allison hitched a hip against the counter.
“Maybe he’s different,” he mumbled.
“What? Different how?”
“Different with me.” He ducked his head and put the filter in the coffee
pot and carefully measured out the grounds.
Allison sighed briefly. “Just be careful. He’s not one to be trusted.”
“What do you mean?” He gave her a shocked look. Asher was highly
respected in their unit.
“I mean with your heart.” Allison rolled her eyes. “Of course, I trust
him with our lives.”
“Oh! My heart.” He smiled with relief. “Yeah, I will.”
Asher was considered a catch because nobody could catch him. He
wasn’t sure if he wanted to catch Asher, but the guy was clearly interested.
That much he did know. Did Asher feel the same connection or was this all
just a game to him? Still smarting from Dennis’s desertion, Seth knew he
shouldn’t even be looking at another man. But if he were truly being honest
with himself, he had looked at Asher long before Dennis had come and
gone.
They’d been dancing around their attraction for years. At least, he had.
Memories surfaced of the first time he’d ever seen Asher. He had been
eighteen and timid as hell at the time. His uncle, trying to figure out what to
do with him, had delivered him to Stefano’s office. Stefano, as a favor to
Rossi, had hired him. Around that time, Seth had been going over reports in
Stefano’s office. A man called Frost arrived unkempt, unshaven, with eyes
hard and wild from being in the field for so long. It had taken his shaking
fingers only seconds on the keyboard to find out the guy’s real name, Asher
Grayson.
Asher had left without even glancing in his direction. Because a good
deal of the assignments Phoenix handled were out of the country and Asher
appeared to like those best, it would be almost another year before he would
run into Asher again.
This time, though, the moment their gazes collided, he knew in his heart
they’d have their day.
It was in that moment when he had become even more wildly aware of
Asher. For one split second that day, he’d seen the hard edge of Asher’s
mouth soften. Even from a distance, the heat between them blistered. But
then Asher had disappeared again and Seth had met Dennis at a party.
People made bad decisions when lonely and Dennis had been one of his.
He stared at nothing, lost in the past, and then smiled when Allison
shoulder checked him.
“I’m not saying people can’t change, just… be careful,” she cautioned.
“I can’t stop thinking about him,” he admitted.
“Him too, apparently. He stares at you all the time.”
“He does not.”
“Then why is he watching the kitchen like a hawk, waiting for you to
come out?”
He glanced over and sure enough, there was Asher at the copier.
“Because he’s terrified of you and won’t come back in until you’re gone?”
he joked, but an unexpected thrill chased down his spine.
Allison rolled her eyes. “Smart ass.”
“Hey! That fight you two had wasn’t pretty.” He poured a cup of coffee
and lifted it to his nose. He took a tentative sip. Coffee was nirvana.
“I told you.” Allison pursed her lips.
“Yeah, I know. He was shitty to your friend,” he recited.
“What’s really the problem?” she probed when he avoided her gaze.
“I just don’t know if I’m any good at love.” He avoided looking at her
as he picked at the small chip along the rim of his cup.
“What?” She sounded surprised.
“Well, Dennis took off, and you know about my mother.” He ducked his
head, adding more creamer to his coffee.
“Yeah, let’s not bring up that bitch,” Allison snarked. “And Dennis is a
douchebag.”
Seth gave a short, grateful laugh. “Thanks.”
“He is. I never liked him. He used you and now he’s gone.” Allison
hesitated. “Don’t let other people define who you are or who you can love,”
she finished.
“Okay,” he responded because that sounded like really good advice.
Snagging a tiny wooden stick from the bundle on the counter, he used it to
stir his coffee.
“What do you see in him anyway?”
“Okay, here we go.” He sniffed and tossed her a look. “What happened
to love?”
Allison huffed and turned so her back was resting against the counter.
“Yeah, but Frost? Pulllease.”
“It’s Asher, actually,” he corrected.
“Whatever.”
“I like him.”
“Why now, though? You’ve known each other for years,” she pointed
out.
He took another swallow of his coffee, trying to come up with a good
enough answer. “I don’t know, but there’s definitely a connection between
us.” He glanced at the door. “It’s like when a person comes along, you just
know they are going to change your life.”
“Well, hopefully it’s for the better,” Allison said quietly.
“Me too,” he murmured. Asher enthralled him. Intrigued him. Set his
blood boiling and his heart racing.
For the first time since Dennis had walked out, he was looking forward
to the day.
Frost
“What are you doing?”
Bemused green eyes looked up at him in surprise followed by a quick
frown. Teeth chewed at a plump bottom lip and Frost bit back a groan.
“Working?” Seth looked at him expectantly.
“Is that something you need to do now?”
“Um, maybe?”
“Oh.” He turned away.
“Wait, why?”
He hid a smile when Seth shoved to his feet and hurried after him.
“I just thought you’d like to take a drive with me. Stefano needs me to
check out a small shipping yard they may be using as a trafficking holding
place.”
“I’m in.” Seth jogged back to his desk to grab a jacket.
“Where you going?” Frost heard Reggie ask Seth.
“With Asher. I’ll be back.”
“Can I go?”
“No,” Seth said hurriedly.
It was nice that Seth wanted to be alone with him. “It’s a two man job.
If there’s any techie stuff, I’ll relay it back to you,” Seth promised the kid.
Stepping outside, Frost was glad Reggie wasn’t tagging along. If he
could get through the happily ever after ideals in Seth’s head and get him to
acknowledge that a quick hook up would work wonders, then they just
might have a shot at mutual satisfaction.
They both climbed into his jeep. He liked the way Seth looked sitting in
the passenger seat. And the way the man smelled was downright fucking
sinful. Most of all, he wanted another kiss.
“So, what’s the deal? How did the commander find out about this
holding place?” Seth asked, clipping on his seatbelt.
“The county sheriff’s office called about an anonymous tip.” Discreetly,
he adjusted his crotch before starting the jeep and peeling out of the parking
lot. He took the freeway - because it was quicker at this time of day - to the
location in Oakland. Containers upon containers were stacked on top of
each other and took up the length of at least one city block. They canvased
the area, but nothing stood out. The manager’s office was locked.
There was no way in hell they’d be able to find anything without a
manifest listing the contents.
“Looks like the place is closed for lunch.” Seth tried the door knob.
“Why don’t we grab a bite to eat?” he suggested. He wouldn’t mind
spending an hour watching Seth put something in his mouth. Of course, it
wouldn’t be the something he wanted in the man’s mouth, but it would have
to do for now.
“There’s this little cafe just around the corner,” Seth suggested with a
smile.
“Sounds good.”
The place was small, but surprisingly uncrowded. After seating them at
a booth, the waitress left them alone for a moment. Frost picked up the
menu and gazed at it. Silence across from him made him look up to find
Seth watching him with those wide, green eyes.
“What?”
“This is the first time we’ve eaten together.”
“No it’s not.”
“Yes it is.”
Frost had to think a moment. “Yeah, okay. It is.”
With a tiny pout, Seth lowered his menu and blinked those incredibly
long lashes.
“Stop that,” Frost growled and reached beneath the table to adjust his
dick in his jeans.
“Sorry,” Seth said, but the playful angel didn’t look a bit sorry.
“What are you going to eat?” He changed the subject away from
dangerous ground.
“A burger and fries.”
He ordered breakfast and grinned at Seth’s astonished look. “I can eat
breakfast every meal.”
“I do love pancakes,” Seth agreed.
The food came quickly and Frost kept the conversation light. The last
thing he needed was to walk out of there with a hard on. Although, it was
damned difficult with the way Seth’s long fingers lifted each individual fry
to his mouth.
“So, tell me about yourself,” he ordered.
“You first,” Seth volleyed back, taking a bite of his burger and wiping
some juice from his chin.
He took a deep breath, shifted on the booth’s seat, and recited his Grindr
mantra. “I’m thirty as of my last birthday. I make a pretty good living, and
I’m an Aries.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “I know all that. I want to know…” The man’s
head cocked to one side. “Where did you grow up?”
“Here, just across the water.”
“Really?”
“Yep. I’m an Alameda native. My grandparents moved here when they
got married. My dad worked for the Oakland Police for years.”
“No brothers or sisters?”
The dreaded conversation. Did he lie and say no? Technically, he didn’t
know any of the kids his mother had spit out, but that didn’t make them not
related.
“A few.”
“How many?”
“Let’s save that conversation for another time.” Taking a bite of his
pancakes, he ignored the searching look Seth gave him. “What about you?”
he asked, waving his fork at Seth.
“I grew up with my dad just north of here in Sacramento.” Seth
suddenly went quiet for a long minute. “Then, when I turned sixteen, he…
went away. I was on my own,” Seth finished evasively.
Frost frowned. What the hell did that mean, went away? All these years
and he never once questioned Seth’s upbringing. He just figured the guy
grew up normal. Whatever the hell normal was.
“I’m sorry?”
“Nah, don’t be. It’s not your fault.” Seth looked away as if bothered by
something.
“So, you went and lived with your mother then?” he probed gently.
“Nope. I went and crashed on the couch of a guy I was doing some
hacker jobs for.”
“That’s crazy.” His eyebrows shot up. “How’d you get into this line of
work? How did you meet Rossi? He was the one that introduced you to the
commander, right?”
Seth looked down at his plate and then away for a moment before
looking back at him. “You have to promise not to repeat what I tell you to
anyone.”
His heart picked up tempo and concern filled his voice. “I promise.”
Seth took a deep breath. “Giovanni Rossi is my uncle.”
His mouth slackened and then snapped shut. Going over past
conversations, he couldn’t remember anything said about it. He did
remember the day Stefano had shown up with Seth about six years ago. The
commander had Noah, Allison, and Seth train together. That was about all
he knew of the story. It was his own fault, really. He’d taken one look at the
angelic, dark-haired young thing sitting in Stefano’s office and had
hightailed it out of the country for months. So, Seth was Giovanni Rossi’s
nephew.
“Wait, that makes you…”
Seth nodded. “Noah’s cousin.”
A question gnawed at him. “Does Noah know?”
“No, Rossi doesn’t want me to tell anyone.” Seth glanced down at his
hands and Frost immediately missed watching the man’s expressive gaze.
“Why not?”
“Because there’s some bad people after my Uncle Rossi and the less
people related to him the better. That’s his words, not mine.” Seth finally
looked up.
“I thought all that shit stopped with Terrance Manning’s death. Who
else is after him?”
“I’m not sure. But he hasn’t given me the go ahead to share any of this
with Noah. I think there’s other stuff going on that he’s not telling me
about.”
“Damn it. Well, I promise, I won’t breathe a word.” He didn’t know
much about Noah’s dad, Giovanni Rossi, other than the shit that went down
with Terrance Manning and having met the guy at Mac and Noah’s place a
few times.
“Thank you.”
The thought of someone gunning for Seth turned his mouth dry and he
took a hasty sip of water. Rossi had better keep whatever the hell he was
into away from Seth or Frost might take a chunk out of the guy’s hide if he
put Seth in jeopardy.
After lunch, they traveled back around to the shipping office. The place
was open and the manager was helpful. He handed over the manifest and
they called in the local police to help search. The tip turned out to be wrong,
the containers were empty.
“So, I’ll see you tomorrow…” Seth’s words petered out.
He saw the moment when the words dried up because he was totally
focused on that lush mouth.
They were standing near the passenger side of his jeep, just outside the
gate and hidden from view of the small shipping yard that was closing for
the day. Frost didn’t give a fuck if the people leaving saw them. All he
could think about was getting a taste of Seth.
“Um, Asher? My eyes are up here.” Laughter laced Seth’s voice.
“What if I don’t want to look at your eyes?” he grumbled, but then
looked up to catch Seth’s enticing green gaze. The stare went straight to his
crotch.
“Well…what do you want to look at?” Seth sucked on his bottom lip
again. The move seemed to be deliberate, flirtatious.
“Everything. But I’ll take a taste.” Leaning back against the side of the
jeep, he tugged Seth forward. The man tripped into him and Frost took the
opportunity to lower his head and take Seth’s lips in a kiss. Slipping an arm
around Seth’s waist, he partially lifted Seth against him.
On second thought, maybe Seth had taken his mouth. Or fuck, maybe it
was them both taking each other, but the heady kiss awoke a deep hunger
inside of him. Their teeth clacked, tongues whirled, mouths bit, and hot
breath rushed.
Frost sent his hips grinding into Seth’s. The man’s hands sank into his
hair and curled into fists, holding him tightly. His chest lurched and he
angled his head, following Seth’s lead. He nibbled and sucked in the taste as
the kiss grew slow and intoxicating. Fucking Christ, he’d met his match.
Seth screwed with his reasoning; his whole fuck em’ and leave em’ agenda.
Seth
Hell yes!
He groaned into Asher’s mouth and bit at the man’s lips before thrusting
his tongue inside. Asher tasted like sex and sin all rolled together. The kiss
mesmerized him, all dangerous and hot. The roughness of Asher’s unshaven
jaw scraped against his cheek and he pushed into it, relishing the scratchy
touch. He shivered and the small sound that escaped from his throat was
swallowed by Asher.
The man kissed him as if there was nothing on this earth more
important. Seth loved it. Asher’s strong arms closed around him and he
found himself lifted onto his toes. Their chests bumped together and he
slipped his hands up Asher’s massively corded arms, over his shoulders,
and gripped the back of his neck. He ground his crotch against Asher,
feeling the man’s hardness through the denim.
He grew lightheaded just before Asher broke the kiss. Seth sucked in
lungfuls of sweet air and tipped his head back.
“Asher,” he breathed.
The operative’s smile flashed wicked in the semi-dark and he dipped his
head. The firm mouth running along his throat drew a gasp from his lips. It
felt so good, so right, all he could do was fist his hands into Asher’s shirt
and hang on.
“I knew we’d blow a fucking gasket,” Asher growled against his skin
with a warm hum before slowly stepping back.
Seth swayed and leaned against the jeep to keep his legs from buckling.
The sexy smirk almost had him coming in his jeans.
He was disappointed that Asher hadn’t stayed. The chemistry between them
was mind-blowing. Yet, something had flashed in Asher’s eyes. He’d seen
it. But before he could determine what it was, the man had become
thoughtful. When he’d tried to ask questions, Asher had given him a smile
before driving away. He was starting to think it had all been in his own
head. The guy probably hadn’t stayed because he didn’t live alone. He got
it. Really, this was Mac and Noah’s house, there was no privacy here. Too
bad Asher hadn’t taken him seriously when he had offered to get a hotel
room. He sighed and stared after Asher’s jeep until it disappeared before
heading inside.
Too distracted by thoughts of Asher, he didn’t see the stack of mail
sitting on the small table just inside the door of the house. Later, Mac had
passed the letter to him after dinner on his way to his room. The envelope
was white, the stamp a little crooked, but the handwriting was as familiar as
his own.
Ripping open the envelope and pulling out the letter addressed to him
from his father, he read the short message.
Would love to see ya, boyo.
Love, yer Da
He gave a warm-hearted laugh and smiled at his father’s corny writing.
Finnegan O’Leary was half Irish, but his accent had been gone for years. He
did love to pour it on when he needed something. Damn, he missed Finn.
He’d do anything for his dad. And it appeared that Finn needed to see him.
He carefully folded the note and tucked it into his wallet.
Pulling up the website, he requested a visit online and selected the date
on the prison’s calendar. Everything took time, so it would be a few weeks
before he could get in. Even the mail was slow, so he didn’t bother writing
back like normal. He’d be seeing his dad before a letter could even reach
the prison.
“Good news?” Noah asked.
He glanced up to find Noah standing in his open doorway, and smiled.
“Yeah, it’s from my dad. I’m going to see him.”
“That’s great.” Noah made his way into the room. “You know what’s
weird?” Noah dropped into a chair near the bed.
“What’s that?” Seth scooted back to sit cross-legged on the bed.
“After all these years, you have never told me why he got arrested.”
“It’s not something I go around telling people,” he tried to explain.
“I’m not just people. We’ve been friends a long time.” Noah looked
down at his hands.
He reached out and touched Noah’s knee, drawing his attention. “Best
friends. And I think that’s why I avoided telling you. Your opinion matters
to me.” He blinked against the sting in his eyes.
“You know I don’t care about that shit. Your family doesn’t define you
any more than mine does me.” Noah squeezed his hand while holding his
gaze.
He nodded and drew in a breath. He chewed his bottom lip. Damn, how
he wished he didn’t need to have this conversation. But wishing didn’t take
away the fact that his dad was doing nine years in the State Pen for second
degree robbery. And wishing didn’t change the fact that he owed it to his
best friend to share.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”
“No, I need to.” Seth dipped his head for a moment, and then spoke. “I
was sixteen when my dad got mixed up with a really bad man. I mean, he’d
done an odd job here and there, but this guy was on a whole other level.
Stanley Starr, that’s the guy who talked my dad into robbing a high end
jewelry store. Long story short, it didn’t go down the way they had hoped.
My dad’s doing a stint for armed robbery and Starr got away free.”
“What about your mom?” Noah frowned, looking concerned.
“Not in the picture.” He kept it short and looked away. He was glad
when Noah didn’t push.
“Have you tried to get anything on this Stanley Starr guy? You know, to
make him pay?”
“I haven’t really looked.” He knew if he searched for Stanley Starr, he’d
find the guy. He just wanted to forget about that time in his life when his
father had whored out his hacking skills like a pimp.
The visit with his dad came up before Seth knew it and he sat anxiously
waiting to speak with his father through the thick glass that separated them.
Finnegan O’Leary appeared older. More lines bracketed his eyes and
mouth. New gray hair threaded through the reddish strands and a fresh cut
slashed over his eyebrow.
“How’d that happen?” Seth pointed at the cut.
“This? That’s just a scratch.” His dad shrugged it off.
It was more than a scratch if the stitches in the cut were any indication,
but he let it go. Prison was a harsh life. There was no getting around it.
“It’s good to see you, son.” His father reached out a hand and placed it
on the glass.
He lifted his own hand and touched the glass. He blinked back the sting
of tears and smiled. “You too, old man.”
“Bah, not so old.” Finn chuckled. “So? Tell me about this new office
you’re working in.”
He couldn’t tell his dad what he really did. So, he’d made up a cover as
a help desk technician. Seth dropped his hand and clutched the phone. “It’s
cool. I like it, dad. It’s legit and makes me feel useful.”
“That’s good. You always was good at computer stuff,” Finn said,
nodding. “You ever hear from anyone in our old life?”
“No. Nobody knows where I am. I like it that way.”
His Dad nodded and sighed.
“Why?” His stomach turned suddenly queasy. It was a feeling he got
whenever his dad got a certain look on his face. Finn had that look.
“Well,” the older man began, looking away. “I was hoping you could
look someone up for me.”
“I thought we were past this.” His chest suddenly ached.
“We are, we are,” his dad said hurriedly. “I just need a favor. I’d do it
myself, but I’m stuck in here,” Finn joked.
“What favor?” He swallowed hard.
“I just need you to find Stanley and tell him that the cops took the goods
from the job. I didn’t get nothing. I didn’t have no time to hide anything.”
He frowned. “Does he think otherwise? Did he contact you?”
“Yeah…” his dad said, evading his searching gaze.
“What happened?”
“Oh, ya know. He knows people.” Finn touched the fresh scar over his
eye.
“Did Starr sic his dogs on you?” he demanded.
His dad hung his head.
“That prick.” He squeezed the phone.
“It’s okay, Seth. I’m fine. I just need him to get the message.”
“Okay, Dad. I’ll do it.”
Seth
“Hey, did you see this?” he asked Noah, not looking away from the screen.
Noah rolled his chair closer. “What?”
“It’s a shipping container rented under Jagger Miller.”
“How the hell did you find that?”
“The sheriff’s office contacted the commander for the second time and
said they got another anonymous tip regarding a shipping container that
supposedly was used to hold trafficking victims.”
“Second time?”
“Yeah. The first tip, Asher and I checked out a few weeks ago. The guy
was helpful, but we didn’t find anything.”
“So, what’s this place?” Noah leaned in to look at the screen.
“This place is about six blocks away. I was able to pull up the credit
card payments on the shipping containers.”
Noah snorted and Seth grinned at the man. “Don’t ask.”
“I wasn’t going to,” Noah retorted, and they shared a chuckle.
“Anyway, I found a credit card receipt from Jagger Miller. I just can’t
believe the guy would be that stupid.”
“Or maybe we just got lucky with the tip.”
“Yeah, it’s still really odd.”
“What’s odd?” Asher murmured from near his shoulder.
He jumped and jerked his head up, meeting a pair of amused blue eyes.
“Hey! Don’t sneak up on people.” he complained and Noah chuckled.
Asher snorted. “I didn’t sneak. So, what’s odd?”
Asher sure was persistent. He rolled his chair back and pointed to the
screen. The operative leaned closer and Seth took a deep breath. Asher
smelled like cloves and pine trees. He closed his eyes for a moment to get
his pulse to calm down.
“Another shipping container,” Asher said with a frown.
“Yep, just down the street from the last one,” he added.
“Why would Jagger Miller leave a paper trail for a shipping container?”
Noah questioned.
“Maybe because it’s legit.” Seth clicked through a few more screens and
found out the container was ordered empty. He’d hacked into the manifest,
but it was going to take an onsite inspection to find out where that container
was located.
“Maybe it’s not empty now,” Noah suggested.
“We should check it out.” He opened his drawer and pulled out his
Glock. He checked the clip, tucked another into his pants, and shoved the
gun into his arm holster.
“Hold on,” Asher commanded.
He turned slowly, lips pursed, his eyes narrowed at Asher.
“Don’t go off halfcocked,” the man continued.
“What the hell? Since when have I ever gone off halfcocked?”
A flush filled his cheeks. Noah’s mouth went into a complete circle with
eyes wide, and both Wild and Storm looked up from their desks.
Embarrassment lit up his face with a hot glow. He was going to strangle
Asher for treating him like a newbie.
“I can’t go,” Noah said, backing away. “I’m supposed to meet Mac
about a wedding venue.”
“That’s fine. Apparently, I’m going off halfcocked, so I may not go
either!” he snarled at Asher.
“That’s not what I meant,” Asher charged, and strode to his desk to grab
a gun. Hustling to pull a jacket on, the operative tucked the Glock into the
back of his jeans.
“Need some backup?” Wild asked, snorting with laughter.
“Just shut it, Wild,” Asher growled.
Storm snickered, but quickly held up his hands when Seth glared at the
guy from the door. That was all he needed, ribbing from the unit.
“It’s not that you’re not capable. Having backup isn’t stupid,” Asher
said, approaching him.
“Ooooh,” Wild drawled. “Did you just call him stupid?”
“Fucking shit!” Asher shouted.
Having heard enough, Seth turned and smacked the front door so hard it
slammed open with a crack.
“Since when did I ever say I was going without backup?” He stomped
out the door and swung it closed, hard. “Jesus H. Christ! You’d think I’d
never been out on a fucking assignment before.”
The door slammed open and Asher jogged after him. Wild and Storm’s
howls of laughter floated out the door.
Mortified, he moved so fast, he made sure Asher had to run to catch up.
“Seth…”
“Shut the hell up, Asher,” he snapped, and jumped into his car. He was
of half a mind to leave the guy at the curb, but he reached over and shoved
the passenger door open, then tried to ignore the way the man’s body took
up every inch of space. Just because he was smaller than Asher didn’t mean
he wasn’t just as much of a badass, damn it!
“Calm the fuck down,” Asher grumbled, snapping his seatbelt in place.
Clenching his jaw, he gunned the engine, sending the car skidding out
of the parking lot, which had him feeling a great deal of satisfaction when
Asher grabbed the “oh shit” handle over the door.
“I am calm.” He pressed his foot down on the accelerator.
“No, you’re not. You’re pissed and driving like a crazy person.”
He sighed and eased off the gas. He wanted to strangle Asher, not kill
him. At the next light, he took the onramp to the freeway.
“That comment was uncalled for.”
“I’m sorry.”
I just feel like you’re babysitting me,” he declared. “And don’t call me
stupid!”
“I’m not.” Asher made a sound in his throat. “I have much better shit to
do than babysit you and I didn’t mean to say that.”
“Right.” He squeezed the steering wheel.
“Did you stop to think that maybe I wanted to come with you?”
He darted a quick look at Asher. Well, that took the wind out of his
sails. Did Asher want to come because it was him?
“So, if this was Noah’s deal, you wouldn’t have wanted to be here?”
“No, I didn’t say that. But if this was Noah’s deal, I would have dragged
you with us.”
He found himself smiling. “Alright. We’ll have an Asher and Seth day.”
“Don’t start giving it names.”
He laughed when Asher grumbled. This was starting to be fun.
The man shook his head and pulled out his phone. Within a few
minutes, Asher was talking with Roscoe Burns. By the time he took the
exit, Asher had provided the agent with every detail of what they’d
discovered about the container.
“It looks deserted.” He drove through the gates of the humongous
shipping yard.
“They should be open.” Asher ended the call.
“Isn’t there supposed to be a guard or something?”
“I don’t know,” Asher replied, rolling down his window.
Seth eased the car into one of the parking spots and got out. They
approached the small trailer that housed the main office, or so the sign said
on the door. Seth knocked and waited.
“Come in!” a masculine, muffled voice called out.
“Guess it’s open.” He shrugged and reached for the handle. Asher eased
the gun from his waistband and motioned at him. Seth pushed the door open
and kept to the side of the entryway.
“Hello?” He took a quick look and ducked back. All he saw was a large
man behind a desk with an office phone to his ear.
He jumped up into the trailer with Asher’s hiss of “Wait!” ringing in his
ears.
“Hey there.” He approached the sweaty man behind the desk with
Asher’s sizable presence eating up the space behind him. Asher was acting
protective, but he was letting him make the call. Which was nice.
The manager hung up the phone and lifted his T-shirt to wipe at his
face, leaving streaks of wetness on the material.
“Can I help you?” The guy looked agitated, and if Seth had to guess,
irritated at the interruption.
“Yes, we need the location of a container.” He put on his best smile. He
had the manifest, but it would be a lot quicker if the guy pointed them in the
right direction.
“ID?” The guy’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Seth pulled out his badge and handed it over. It was a bit vague. On
purpose, of course, but it could be a pain in the ass sometimes. Especially
when they had to be above board on things.
“Yeah, pull the other one.” The manager snorted and tossed the ID back
at him.
“How about we call the FBI while we wait?”
He looked around, and then settled into one of the fold out chairs near
the desk. The guy shrugged, but his Adam’s apple bobbed and he
swallowed hard when Asher pulled his phone.
“Agent Roscoe?” Asher said. “Remember that address I gave you
earlier? Yes, that’s the one.” Asher gave him a thumbs up and a big smile.
Seth tried not to laugh. “Fifteen minutes? I’ll see you then.” The Phoenix
operative tucked his phone away and took up a spot against the wall, arms
folded across his massive chest, the shirt he wore straining at the seams.
The man was intimidating without trying. Seth looked at the guy behind the
desk.
“Now, wait a minute. I didn’t mean…” the manager sputtered.
“Too late,” Seth interrupted, then pulled out his phone to check
messages.
After a few very long, uncomfortable moments later, the loud crunch of
tires signaled several vehicles arriving in the parking lot.
“What’d he do? Bring the whole office?” How the hell had Roscoe
gotten here that quickly? Maybe the guy had already been on the way.
“It’s not Roscoe,” Asher answered smoothly, then lifted his gun and
jumped down the trailer steps.
Seth stood and glared at the guy behind the desk. The smug bastard’s
face said it all, he had tripped a silent alarm. Rage made Seth want to pound
the guy’s face.
Instead, he leveled a hard gaze at the guy. “Let me be clear, if anyone
gets hurt today, it’s your ass that’s going down for it.” The manager turned
pale. Not waiting for a response, Seth pulled his gun and leaped from the
trailer to follow Asher.
Marco Jennings and Asher had faced off. Several of Jennings’ thugs
fanned out, and at his right stood Jagger Miller.
“Still keeping shitty company, I see,” he said to Miller. The man’s eyes
narrowed, and Seth could have sworn he saw humor in Miller’s gaze.
“Everything’s legit here,” Miller smirked.
“Right.” He drew out the word. “Is that why you used a credit card to
rent it?”
Miller just stared back at him. The guy didn’t seem surprised that they
knew. “There’s no law against using a credit card to rent an empty
container.”
“There is if the container is being used to hold victims of human
trafficking,” he snapped back.
“I rented it empty,” Miller retorted.
Flashing lights suddenly filled the small parking lot as vehicles marked
FBI tore into the drive. Sure enough, Roscoe arrived with what looked to be
the whole office.
The agent stepped out of the SUV and strode toward them. Roscoe’s
hard gaze traveled over the area and then landed on Jagger Miller for a brief
moment before he addressed Marco Jennings.
“What seems to be the problem?” Roscoe’s deep voice boomed.
“Nothing, Agent,” Jennings responded smoothly.
“The intelligence we found gives us reason to believe that there’s a
shipping container in this yard that was rented by Jagger Miller and is being
used to hold or transport human trafficking victims,” Asher answered
Roscoe.
“That’s ridiculous.” Jennings glared at Asher.
“Well, if that’s the case, then you have nothing to fear,” Seth countered.
“Wait!” Miller’s voice rose. “Don’t you need a warrant?”
“And that would be right here.” Roscoe slapped a piece of paper against
Miller’s chest. Asher’s earlier call to the agent had paid off. “It pays to have
a judge on standby. You just stand over there and look pretty and let us do
our job.” The agent turned away, and then swung back suddenly. “And
don’t think of going anywhere.” Roscoe pointed one finger at Miller.
The sweating manager was ordered to locate the container and then the
group walked to the south end of the yard.
He, Asher, Roscoe, and a few agents followed the manager while other
agents walked behind to keep tabs on Miller, Jennings, and their men.
The lock on the container was missing. Pulling his gun, Seth aimed it at
the doors as two of Roscoe’s men pulled the container open. The smell
singed his nose hairs and he held his breath. The container was empty of
life, but clothing and half empty bowls of rotting food lay strewn about.
“Jesus…” Roscoe whispered, and bent to pick up a woman’s dirty blue
sweater.
“I have nothing to do with this,” Marco Jennings said, looking bored.
“Miller must have rented it on his own.”
Miller snorted, but said nothing.
“This is a serious crime,” Roscoe growled at the snorting man. “Are you
going to take the fall for this?”
“What crime?” Miller looked at the empty container and then back at
Roscoe. “I rented an empty container. Looks like some homeless people
used this one and then left.”
“You little shit,” Roscoe growled.
“Where are the people?” Seth cut in. Roscoe looked ready to pummel
Miller.
“What people?” Marco Jennings asked, looking around.
“The people that were eating the food and wearing these clothes.”
Asher’s eyes narrowed. His partner looked like he was going to take a
punch at Jennings, so Seth stepped between them.
“Like I said, I have nothing to do with this. You’ll need to talk to him,”
Jennings pointed at Miller before walking away. Well, the guy tried to walk
away, but one of Roscoe’s men blocked the way.
The shitty part was Marco Jennings was right, they couldn’t hold him
on any charges. There was nothing there but circumstantial evidence. Seth
took in the horror of the container. So they may not get Jennings, but Jagger
Miller, on the other hand, they could hold, possibly for seventy-two hours.
“Turn around,” Roscoe told Miller and snapped a plastic zip-tie around
the man’s wrists.
A federal agent stepped up to take Miller.
“He works for you,” Seth said, calling after Jennings.
The drug lord sneered at him. “So? I don’t control his every move. If he
wants to rent a container, who am I to interfere?” Jennings said mockingly,
and then shoved the FBI agent out of his way.
Miller’s face looked set in stone. Did the guy feel anything about his
boss’s desertion?
“On second thought,” Roscoe snarled, “arrest them all. I want a
background check on every god damned single one of them.”
“On what charges?” Jennings yelled as his hands were cuffed behind his
back.
“For pushing an officer of the law and on suspicion of involvement with
human trafficking. Don’t tempt me, Jennings, or it’ll get a lot worse!”
Roscoe bellowed back.
“Fuck you! You can’t do this!” Jennings hollered.
“Read them their rights and get them the hell out of here,” Roscoe
growled, and the agent’s men hauled Miller, Jennings, and the others away.
Seth crouched by a bowl of food. “We were a couple of days too late.”
The food was molding and half dried up.
“This can’t be the only holding place,” Asher said near his side.
“Pretty fucked up that Miller used a card for this,” he said, letting the
piece of blanket he’d lifted fall back to the ground. Standing, he brushed his
hands together.
“You think he did it on purpose?” Asher glanced at him.
“Maybe,” he said thoughtfully and walked to the end of the container,
turned, and then walked back toward the door.
“What are you thinking?” Asher moved so he was in step with him. He
loved the feel of Asher’s big body next to his and had to drag his mind
away from that and concentrate on Asher’s question. Especially when
Roscoe joined them.
“I’m thinking this is just a temporary holding place.”
“What makes you say that?” His partner looked back at the contents of
the container.
“Think about it, it’s got everything but the people. And why would they
not eat the food?” He pointed to the bowls. “They must have been
starving.”
Asher frowned and then nodded. “Could be.”
“I’ll ask smartass over there and see if he’ll talk,” Roscoe said with a
sigh and left them to walk toward Jagger Miller sitting in the back of an FBI
SUV.
He sensed Asher move closer rather than saw him. He supposed they
would always have this connection. Just the sheer size of the man felt warm
against his back as Asher hovered near his shoulder. Wanting to see Asher’s
expression, he tipped his head back and looked up. The man’s blue eyes
weren’t cool at the moment, but rather achingly hot. It appeared Asher was
just as affected by his closeness. When Asher leaned closer and gently
bumped his groin against his ass, Seth made a sound in his throat and eased
slightly back into that solid mass of muscle.
“Anything else?” Asher’s rough breath ghosted over his ear and Seth
swallowed with difficulty. Rubbing his sweating palms against his pants, he
nodded.
“They could have loaded this container on a truck, but they swapped
them out for some reason. I think there’s another holding place.”
“Good observation.” Asher agreed, making him smile. Afraid to move
lest Asher moved, he stayed still. It didn’t last long, though, and after a
moment, the operative stepped away.
“Or, maybe it’s a place they use as a quick transferring of people. I
mean, if the people get here and there’s no transportation, then they need to
hold them somewhere. The pick-up transportation must have come before
they could finish eating.”
“So maybe not temporary,” Asher agreed. “Maybe they were just
interrupted.”
“Okay, so let’s say it’s not temporary. But if this is the main container
where they keep trafficking victims, why the hell use a credit card and his
real name to rent it?” he questioned and stepped back when the FBI forensic
technician skirted past him to dust for prints.
“That’s the million dollar question,” Roscoe said from the door. “And
neither Miller nor Jennings are talking,” the agent added in disgust, then
stalked away.
Asher moved to stand near the door. Seth couldn’t blame the guy, the
place smelled rank. The pale shade of the operative’s face said he was
having a hard time with it.
“What?” Asher asked a bit sullenly and covered his nose with the long
sleeve of his shirt.
“Nothing.” Seth grinned and walked toward the man.
“Don’t give me that. You’re laughing about something.”
“Quit being such a baby.”
“I’m not a baby.” Asher sounded affronted.
“Yes, you are. Now, come on.” He grabbed Asher’s arm and marched
him a few feet away. “You should have just let me handle this and stayed
the hell at headquarters.”
His partner’s mouth dropped open and eyes widened. “Because I don’t
like the smell of rotten food and feces?”
Seth bit his lip and headed toward his car.
Frost
Sweet hell. Hot and fucking cold.
Seth was a boiling mixture of sexy and temper that was driving him
nuts. Here he was nudging up against Seth at a fucking crime scene no less.
The guy was a hot tempered hottie and he seriously wanted to crush Seth’s
full mouth again, fuck the fact that they were in public.
Seth was smart with a keen mind and take charge attitude, which was a
serious turn on. Frost had no problem following the man’s train of thought.
That was until he got distracted by Seth’s killer ass. An ass that was made
for pounding.
When Roscoe interrupted his crude thinking, he’d taken the opportunity
to walk out of the stinking container. His clothes smelled like shit and he
brushed at the front of his T-shirt.
Trailing after Seth, his gaze admired the man’s pert ass. And it was pert.
He’d like to take handfuls of it into his palms and squeeze, press it open,
and bury his face against Seth’s warm body.
“Asher!”
He blinked, glancing up.
“Quit looking at my ass at a crime scene.”
He sucked in a breath, and then choked on his own spit before looking
around. Thank fuck nobody had heard. He gave Seth a death glare.
“Not cool, O’Leary,” he hissed between his teeth.
Seth smirked. “There’s a time and a place.”
Climbing into the passenger seat of Seth’s car, Frost rolled down his
window.
“Stop by my place on the way back to the office. I need to change.” The
smell had absorbed into his nose hairs.
“Okay.” Seth sounded like he was laughing at him. “I need you to lend
me something to wear.”
Frost groaned, but the wind swallowed it up. He wanted to withhold his
closet so that Seth wore nothing, just bare skin to stroke and touch. He’d
been so tempted to ask Seth back to his place a few weeks back, but the
look in the man’s eyes had given him pause. Seth had to be wondering what
had happened, but the guy had the good sense not to ask.
“I have extra clothes in the spare room,” he said, pressing a hand to his
crotch. Seth didn’t seem to notice.
He gave the code to get into the gated community and Seth pulled up to
his brownstone house.
“Wow. This is nice.”
Asher smiled. “It was a gift from my grandmother. My dad’s mom.” He
wished his dad would take him up on the offer to live here, but his dad was
adamant he would stay where he was just a few blocks over.
“You’re lucky.”
“That I am,” Asher agreed with Seth’s softly spoken words.
The house was quiet when they entered. He lived alone, no pets and no
roommates, and that was the way he liked it.
“The spare bedroom is down the hall. There’s a shower through there.
Here.” He shoved a clean towel from the dryer in Seth’s hands and then put
distance between them. Having Seth in such close proximity was making it
difficult for him to keep his hands to himself.
“Just rummage through the spare closet for something to wear,” he said
gruffly.
“Thanks.” Seth flashed a quick smile and disappeared into the spare
room.
Frost sighed. What would Seth’s reaction be if he stepped into the
shower uninvited? He was pretty confident that Seth wanted to hook up, but
was also positive now was not the time. That really wouldn’t have stopped
him before, but for some reason with Seth, he held back.
The man had recently gone through a breakup. And that right there gave
him pause. He knew firsthand what desertion felt like.
Showering quickly, Frost headed into the kitchen and tossed together a
quick omelet for them both. Trying to get his mind off the naked man in his
spare shower, he went back over the details of the case.
Yakov was definitely slippery. Roscoe had confirmed Marco Jennings
and Jagger Miller were Yakov’s new go-to men in charge. Yakov was
careful to keep his men between him and whatever dealings he had going
on. Now they had the added puzzle of why Miller had used his own name
and a credit card to rent the container. Cash would have been untraceable
and they would have never been the wiser. An oversight perhaps? Or maybe
Miller wanted to throw them off the trail of another location. Maybe Miller
was a patsy. Someone thrown in the way to take the heat. Frost could see
Yakov throwing Miller under the bus without a second thought.
He was just removing the omelet from the pan when Seth shuffled into
the room. The legs of his sweat pants were too long, and Seth fisted the
material to keep from stepping on them. He laughed at the man’s grumble.
“Come, eat.” He smiled. “I made eggs.”
“Thanks.” The beautiful brunet suddenly smiled back and Frost lost his
ability to speak for a moment.
He took a seat at the kitchen counter across from Seth and lifted his
fork. It was odd to have another person in his kitchen. He never took
potential hook ups home. But then again, Seth wasn’t yet a hook up. The
man was a part of Phoenix, so this was different, he reasoned. Seth took a
bite and closed his eyes. Seconds later, long, thick lashes blinked open and
forest green eyes caught him staring. A pink tongue darted out to lick a
piece of egg from the corner of his mouth and Frost almost groaned out
loud. Oh, what the sight of that tongue did to him.
He deliberately glanced away for a moment, and then back.
“Good?”
“Mmhmm,” Seth moaned around a mouthful.
He grunted and dug into his own food.
“Miller deliberately left that paper trail. He’s too smart not to realize
that.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” he admitted, looking up from his plate.
“What do we really know about Jagger Miller?”
“I searched every database we have and I think I’ve actually come
across him before. He’s a technical genius. He makes what Reggie and I do
look like kindergarten play. I actually heard about the guy years ago, I just
didn’t make the connection.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. My, um… old boss wanted to hire him, but Miller was way
outside of his league and price range.”
On the tip of his tongue to ask about the “old boss,” he said instead,
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I found out earlier before I found the credit card.” Seth waved his fork
at him.
He cringed inwardly, his high-handed manner at headquarters had
caused the delay of information. “Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“So, you’re thinking Miller’s there under duress?”
“It does make sense. If Miller is there against his will, it could be the
reason he’d slipped up with the paper trail.”
“And if that was the case, then we might get lucky if Miller does it
again,” he concluded.
“I don’t know,” Seth admitted. “Miller sure played the part of the bad
guy when he flipped us off last week.”
“True.” He drizzled a bit of ketchup on his eggs. “Still, though, it’s a
possibility.”
“But why not just come clean when we busted him?”
“I don’t know, you think you can do your techie stuff and find out or dig
around?”
“Yeah.” The corners of Seth’s mouth curled upward. “I can do my
techie stuff,” the man finished on a teasing note.
“You know what I mean,” he grunted.
Seth tipped his head. “Miller could be the one anonymously calling into
the sheriff’s office.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
The room was quiet when they entered. He headed to the desk area while
Seth hurried away to check into Jagger Miller and muttering something
about running a personal errand.
Allison was just coming out of the kitchen, and he groaned inwardly.
The woman’s gaze followed Seth’s retreating form and then she turned and
stared daggers at him.
“You better not fuck this up, Grayson.” Allison didn’t even use his
handle. Just Grayson, like it was a slur.
Defensively, he snapped, “I’m not doing anything that he doesn’t want.”
Because they hadn’t done anything. He hadn’t made a move on Seth other
than the kiss. But he wanted to do a lot more.
“Just watch yourself. And don’t play with his feelings,” Allison snapped
back and shouldered past him.
“I’m not!” His voice rose, calling after her, but she just kept on walking.
He made a sound deep in his throat. That woman was damned prickly.
Reaching his desk, he plopped in the chair and stared at the dark computer
screen.
“Hey, Frost?”
“Save it, Wild.”
“I was just gonna say—”
“I know what you were going to say,” he interrupted.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, you were going to say some smartass remark about how my
computer needs to be turned on to actually do some work.” He glared at the
guy while he deliberately lifted his boots and planted them on his desk and
then crossed his outstretched legs. He lifted his arms and locked his fingers
behind his head.
The tracker snorted. “Take the fun out of everything, Frost.”
“Behave,” Storm grumbled from his spot near their desks.
“What are you doing here?” he asked Storm.
“Why? Can’t I come into the god damned office?” Storm charged
loudly.
Frost threw up his hands. “Whoa.”
“He just means you never come in. In fact, you said you wouldn’t be
caught dead in the office,” Wild reminded Storm. “And now you’re here all
the time.”
Storm glared at Wild, then him. “I have some research to do.”
“Ooooh, can I help?” Wild asked, rolling his chair over and scooting
closer to Storm’s computer.
“No,” Storm barked and shoved Wild’s chair so hard, it rolled all the
way back to the guy’s own desk.
Wild looked hurt but quickly covered it up. “Fine, be that way. Grumpy
ass.” Wild scrunched his nose. Storm ignored the man.
Frost shook his head at the pair and lowered his legs to turn on his
computer. Might as well complete some paper work. An hour went by and
he glanced at Seth’s empty desk. What kind of errand would keep Seth out
of the office this long? Not that an hour was long, but there was something
he wanted to check out.
Scrolling through the pictures on his phone, he selected one of the
photos he’d taken earlier. He’d spotted a paper napkin with the name of a
diner on it inside the shipping container. Googling the location, he grabbed
his phone and jacket and slipped out the back door. Heading across the
parking lot, he flipped off the alarm on his jeep and pulled the door open.
“Need company?”
About five feet away, Wild stood silent. The guy was fucking stealthy as
hell. For all his teasing, the tracker could be as quiet as a spook and
definitely a man you wanted at your back if shit went south. The longhaired beauty had an allure that brought men to their knees. He’d seen Wild
use both his skills and looks to get what he wanted and together, it was a
powerful and very deadly combination. Even though Wild was stunning, he
wasn’t his type. Now Seth, on the other hand, rang every one of his bells.
“Sure, hop in.”
It took twenty minutes to get to the place. The diner stood on the side of
a small highway. With chipped paint and a sagging roof, it looked like it
was on its last leg. Yet the big rig trucks filling the cracked and cratered
parking lot told another story.
Wild looked around. “What a dive.”
“Maybe it’s the food.”
“Maybe.”
Seated in a booth with Wild on one side and him on the other, they
could see both sides of the room.
The waitress came and poured them coffee and left the creamer. He
noticed her talking to a man who was standing at the back of the diner near
the swinging kitchen door. A moment later, the guy glanced in their
direction and then away. A few seconds after that, the guy pulled out a cell
phone and disappeared through the swinging doors of the kitchen.
“What can I get you guys?” the waitress asked as she approached the
table. She looked nervous. The pen in her hand shook as she wrote down
their order. The man she’d talked to was still in the kitchen.
“I’ll put that right in,” she said, and hurried away.
“What are we looking for?” Wild took a sip of coffee.
“I found a napkin from this diner in that shipping container earlier.
You’ll know it when you see it.”
“I think I see it,” Wild said, tipping his chin toward the door.
“Gentlemen.” Yakov Lakhonin’s silky, smarmy voice traveled the
distance between them. The well-dressed kingpin approached their booth. A
quick glance past Yakov showed two big, beefy men fully armed by the
bulges in their jackets.
“Turning yourself in?” Frost provoked.
Yakov’s nostrils flared. “Marco has told me a lot about you.”
“Marco the jailbird?” Wild’s silky, deep voice rasped. “Get used to that
view. You’ll be joining him soon enough.”
“He didn’t tell me what a smart mouth you were, and apparently your
companion as well.”
“Funny how my reputation proceeds me. You, on the other hand, you’re
a nobody. Forgotten as soon as we clean you out.” Frost smirked.
Yakov’s mouth tightened, it was clear he wasn’t pleased. A narcissist
wouldn’t be, having been told he was nothing.
He didn’t give a rat’s ass if the guy was perturbed or not, and he sure as
hell wasn’t going to stroke the guy’s ego.
They couldn’t exit the booth because Yakov’s men were blocking them
in on each side. Finding comfort in the familiar grip, Frost closed his hand
around his Glock hidden beneath the table.
Wild, on the other hand, whipcord lean and quick, changed his position
and crouched on the booth’s seat. Yakov’s men tensed. Wild dead stared at
them with one arm hung low, out of sight beneath the table. Crouched with
his back to the back rest and his boots on the seat cushion, to the casual
onlooker, it would appear as if Wild were still sitting. His partner’s eyes
remained coldly trained on the men blocking their path. Nobody moved or
spoke for a full minute.
While Wild faced off with the two bodyguards, Frost kept his focus on
Yakov. The clash and clang of dishes and the cook shouting orders filled the
small diner. A group at a nearby table broke out in laughter.
He hoped like hell Yakov wouldn’t do anything stupid to endanger the
people in the diner, but he wouldn’t put it past the fucker to do just that.
“Is there something you wanted?” he questioned flatly. “Maybe
something you want to confess?” His lip curled, it wasn’t with humor.
Yakov narrowed his gaze, took a deep breath, and finally said, “The
burgers are tasty.”
“Yeah.” He took a sip of coffee with his free hand before carefully
placing the cup down. “So I hear.”
Yakov studied him for a long moment and Frost held the guy’s stare,
steady, never wavering until Yakov was the first to glance away.
“Looks like you’re running a little thin on men,” Frost pointed out,
goading Yakov just to see if the son of a bitch would squirm. Yakov did one
better. Rage flashed in the man’s gaze.
“Well, we must be on our way.” The kingpin angled his face away and
brushed at the front of his immaculate suit jacket. “Enjoy your meal.” The
way he said meal made it seem like it might be their last.
Yakov turned his back and walked away, but his men didn’t. The two
bodyguards, including the one that had made the earlier phone call, slowly
backed away, watching them every step until Yakov was safely out the door.
Then the rest of them filed out. The diner as a whole seemed to give a
collected sigh of relief. The waitress pressed a hand to her lips and Frost
didn’t blame the woman. It must be hell dealing with Yakov and his thugs.
Wild sucked air through his clenched teeth and lowered to sit on the
booth’s cushioned seat. “I want to know how the hell he knew who we
were,” Wild said, reaching up to tie back his long hair.
“Probably Jennings. I have a feeling Yakov’s got us under surveillance.”
Frost moved his coffee cup out of the way when the waitress delivered a
plate of steaming hot pancakes.
While eating, he kept one eye on the door, and about a half an hour
later, they left the diner.
“Let’s head back to headquarters, I think Stefano needs to know -” A
loud crack followed by a quick echo traveled the distance seconds before a
bullet punched through the glass of his rear passenger side window.
Dropping into a crouch, he took cover next to his jeep, putting the metal
between him and the shooter.
“Wild?” he hissed, pulling his Glock. The shot had come from Wild’s
side of the vehicle and the man had zero protection.
“Wild!” he hissed again, adrenaline sending his heart racing.
“I’m okay.” Wild’s voice sounded muffled coming from beneath the
jeep and Frost bent to take a quick look. Glass was scattered over Wild’s
jeans and shirt where he lay, having rolled beneath the vehicle.
“Are you hit?”
“No,” Wild all but growled. “Got eyes on anyone?”
“Not yet.”
He eased his head up along the side of the jeep as a second shot sent the
glass spidering outward from the point of impact. Son of a bitch! He
crouched back down, having caught a glimpse of where the shots were
coming from.
“Sniper. Looks to be tucked in a building or rooftop about a hundred
yards out, due south,” he growled.
Wild rolled out on his side of the vehicle and crouched, brushing glass
and debris from his jeans and shirt. The tracker pulled his gun and took aim
near the back of the jeep.
“The grayish stucco building?”
“That’s the one,” Frost said between his clenched teeth when another
bullet slammed into his jeep, hitting the hood.
Frost quickly took aim and returned fire and so did Wild. Turning, he
crouched and placed his back against the vehicle. Whoever was shooting
had them pinned down. Scanning the area, there was nothing close by that
offered enough cover to work their way around and behind the shooter.
The noise of the shots drew attention, and people from the diner spilled
out through the front entrance. Someone shouted near the parking lot.
Another shot went off, denting the metal of his roof, and a woman
screamed. Frost lifted up slightly to return fire.
“Get down!” he shouted at the family huddled near a minivan. The
woman had the good sense to open the door and get herself and two kids
inside.
Frost clenched his teeth harder. If an innocent bystander got hurt, Yakov
would pay dearly. Hell, who was he kidding, the motherfucker was going to
pay regardless. Several moments of silence followed.
“I think they’re gone.” Wild rubbed at his cheek.
Frost lifted up enough to see over the side mirror. Silence. Nothing. It
seemed that whoever had been shooting at them was gone.
The crowd from the restaurant stood huddled together in shock, the
sounds of crying children and wailing sirens filled the air.
Seth
The house was a wreck. Just getting to the front door took some work,
stepping over a large spare tire and wading through tall weeds with all kinds
of garbage on the ground. With relief, he finally reached the front door. He
knocked and waited. He kept an eye on the front gate of the chain link fence
he’d come through. No answer, so he knocked again, this time louder and
longer.
“Hold yer fuckin’ horses,” someone shouted from inside.
His surprise at finding the address was fifteen minutes from Oakland
had been staggering. He was still trying to wrap his head around it when the
door rattled as if locks were being worked open.
The door barely cracked open and beady eyes stared at him through the
gap. Seth settled his hand on the butt of the gun tucked in the holster hidden
beneath his jacket.
“Stanley Starr. I don’t know if you remember me.”
The guy cracked the door open wider. “I know who ya are. I got eyes,”
Starr said, and then shoved the door wide. “Seth O’Leary. Been a long
fuckin’ time. You here to give me what your old man stole from me?”
“No.” He stayed where he was even though Starr gestured him inside. “I
met with my dad, he doesn’t have what was taken. The cops have it. You’ll
need to get it from them.” He cut right to the point of his visit.
“That’s a fuckin’ lie! The cops didn’t even have time to get that stash of
jewels. Finn was in there a good ten minutes before the cops arrived, and he
came out empty.”
“Of course he came out empty, you idiot. He was in fucking handcuffs.”
“You got my stuff?” Starr peered suspiciously at him. “You got it
hidden away, waiting for your old man to get out?”
“Is that why you’re living in this area?” He narrowed his gaze at Starr.
“I wasn’t even there that day.”
“Your old man was.”
“He came out in cuffs. The jewels are probably back on the store
shelves by now.” He threw up his hands. “Fuck, man, use your head.”
Starr looked at him with a deadly gleam. “Who the fuck you think you
are? Don’t forget who gave you a walloping when you was a snot nosed
kid.” Spittle flew from Starr’s mouth.
“Yeah? Well, I’m not a kid anymore.” He stood to his full height even
though it was still an inch shorter than Starr.
“Is that right?” Starr barreled out the door and took a swing at him.
He stepped back out of Starr’s reach so quickly, the guy went tumbling
forward. Clamping a hand to the back of Starr’s neck, he kept the man
stooped over, facing the chipped porch floor.
“Yeah, that’s right.” He squeezed his hand and the guy winced. He
released the fucker with a shove, and Starr stumbled until he regained his
balance.
“Come after me again and I’ll do more than bend you over, old man.”
He held Starr’s hate-filled gaze. “And if I find out anything has happened to
my dad inside, I’ll come back for you and nobody will be able to find your
body.”
“You fuckin sissy,” Starr sputtered. “You always was a pussy ass kid
hanging out with boys. Get the fuck off my property.”
Seth pointed at Starr. “I’m not fucking around. Anything happens to
Finn and you are history. I’d seriously suggest you pack your shit up and
move on.” With that, Seth jumped off the porch and made his way through
the junk in the yard and back out the gate. Starr’s curses followed him.
He eased behind the wheel of his car and didn’t take a breath until he
was back on the freeway and headed toward Noah and Mac’s place.
It was laughable, really, that Stanley Starr had moved here in hopes that
he knew where the jewels were. What a loser. He had a pretty good idea of
how Starr had found him. Finn had buckled under pressure. Starr had
changed. The guy he remembered had been a leader, feared and respected
among criminals, and had had an army at his disposal. This guy was old,
unclean, unhealthy, and his place looked a pigsty. Seth hoped the guy took
his warning to heart. Although, he wouldn’t mind putting a bullet in Starr’s
head, but he’d prefer not to if he didn’t need to. Yet, one less dirt bag in the
world couldn’t hurt.
He pulled onto the freeway just as his phone rang. He put it on speaker.
“O’Leary.”
“Seth? You turned your GPS off, where the hell are you?” Stefano
roared into the phone.
“I had something personal to take care of, why?” Seth frowned.
“Are you close to Manchester and Fifth?”
“About ten minutes away.”
“Shots fired at Frost and Wild. I need you there now! The team is about
twenty minutes out.” Stefano sounded out of breath, as if he were running.
“Shit! I’m on my way.” Wait, shots fired? He punched the gas. “Are
they still under fire?”
“I don’t know. The details are sketchy.” Keys jangled in the
background.
Seth disconnected the call and floored it, whipping in and around slower
traffic. If the cops chased him, all the better. In fact, he hoped they did. The
sirens would let Asher know help was coming. If anything happened to
Asher… He tried to keep his anxiety under control, but his unease increased
the closer he got to the address. Squeezing the wheel, he fought down the
desire to make a rookie move and panic. Bad shit always happened when
people panicked.
Pulse pounding and heart racing, he pulled into the diner’s parking lot
and hit a pot hole. That was gonna leave a mark. He didn’t give a shit. All
he cared about was finding that dark-haired head and wide shoulders above
all others. Suddenly, he spotted Asher standing near his jeep talking to an
officer and Wild. A strangled sound escaped in the confines of his car.
Not stopping to think, he shoved the car in park and barreled out of the
seat. He broke into a run across the lot, and when Asher turned, Seth
launched himself into the man’s arms. He could feel Asher’s momentary
shock of surprise before the man’s arms closed tightly around him.
“I’m okay,” Asher breathed against his hair.
“I know,” he said, his voice muffled against Asher’s shirt. He finally
looked up into the man’s face. Jesus fuck. If anything happened to Asher, he
would die. Embarrassed at the stares they were collecting, he pulled from
the operative’s arms.
A black SUV barreled into the parking lot, signaling the commander’s
arrival. Noah, behind the wheel, parked the vehicle. Seconds later, they
exited. Allison and Noah started walking the perimeter. After talking to a
cop, the pair headed down the street.
“What the hell happened?” He turned back to Asher, rubbing his
sweating palms down his jeans. When the hell had he fallen so hard for this
man?
“Came out of the diner and a sharp shooter took a few shots at us.”
“How’d you know they were aiming for you?”
“They shot up my jeep and pinned us down,” Asher told him.
“What the hell were you doing here?” He looked at the dive.
“Hey, don’t knock it,” Wild answered with a cocky grin. “The food is
great.”
Screeching tires drew his gaze around. Two more black Phoenix SUVs
barreled into the parking lot. The unit took this shit serious. Nobody messed
with one of their own.
Storm literally stepped out of the rear door of the still rolling SUV. The
sniper looked like he wanted to kill someone. The man’s long strides ate up
the distance between them. Storm kept moving until he was up in Wild’s
space. His large, rough hands reached to cup the man’s face. One hand
gently brushed the hair back from Wild’s neck. Seth couldn’t ever
remember a time he’d seen Storm be so gentle.
“What the ever living fuck happened?” Storm growled menacingly as
he traced fingers down a scratch on Wild’s cheek.
“I rolled beneath the jeep.” The tracker shrugged, reaching up to touch
his own cheek with the tips of his fingers.
As if just now realizing how he’d come off, Storm abruptly dropped his
hands and stepped back.
“Sir, I can treat that,” an EMT said from nearby and Wild turned to
follow the guy.
Storm’s gaze tracked Wild until he reached the ambulance. Then, Storm
turned his raging gaze on Asher.
“Before you go all postal,” Asher held up his hand, “We did meet up
with Yakov. They left, we ate, and when we came out, someone shot at us
from over there.” Asher pointed to a building down the street.
“What made you think this was Yakov’s place?” Stefano asked, joining
them.
Seth ground his teeth when Asher filled Stefano in on the napkin he’d
found in the shipping container. He should have put off seeing Starr until
another day, damn it!
“Seriously, boss, I knew he’d show, but I certainly didn’t think he’d try
and kill us,” Asher finished.
“Rookie move!” Storm growled, advancing.
“Tell me you’d have done it differently!” Asher snarled right back, not
budging.
Storm’s eyes narrowed.
“Stop it,” Seth cut in before the pair got going. “I have to agree with
Asher. In this case, less was better.” He placed a hand on each of their
chests and shoved them back a bit. “If the whole unit had come to the diner,
I doubt that Yakov would have shown his hand inside. He might have just
waited and picked one of us off when we came out.”
Storm grunted and crossed his arms against his chest. Asher shoved his
hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels.
“What a fucking shit show,” Allison told them, having walked over
from where the police stood grouped together. “Boat tail, hollow round.”
She held up the bullet casings in an evidence bag before handing it off to
the anxiously hovering CSI.
“Sniper shot from there,” Noah stated as he approached with Mac at his
side. At some point, US Marshal Mackenzie had joined his lover.
Mac pointed to a spot on the roof of an apartment building about an
eighth of a mile away. “You both were lucky,” the rugged marshal told
them.
“One thing’s for sure, Yakov’s not liking the heat,” Seth declared.
“No,” Asher agreed. “No he’s not.”
The office was quiet when they walked in and Asher motioned him over to
his desk.
“I have a hunch.”
“Aren’t you done with hunches for the day?” Seth blew out an
exasperated breath. Still a bit lightheaded from relief that Asher was
unharmed, he dropped into the chair next to the man’s desk.
“Hear me out,” Asher snorted and settled into the chair at the desk.
“I also found out something, but you go first.” Seth leaned an elbow on
the desk and cupped his chin in his hand.
“I want to go back and question the owner of the diner. The guy wasn’t
in when Wild and I were there earlier. I just have a feeling that Yakov is up
to no good and that diner might play a part.”
“Alright. Let me know when you’re going back and I’ll tag along.” He
wasn’t taking no for an answer. Thankfully, Asher didn’t argue.
“What did you find?” Asher broke into his thoughts.
“That our Jagger Miller is not really Jagger Miller. His name is Wyatt
Jagger Hughes.”
“He probably goes by another name because of the shit he’s mixed up
in.”
“Maybe. I was able to find out his real name but nothing further. With
his history, you’d think his prints would at least be with the DMV, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Nope,” Seth said. “They’re not. He’s wiped them clean.”
“Well, he is a hacker.”
“Yeah, but he might have some trouble wiping all data bases. I didn’t
check the FBI.”
“I’ll call Roscoe and have him look into it,” Asher said.
The front door opened and a slight breeze followed Noah, Allison,
Wild, and Stefano into the office. Storm was nowhere to be found.
Seth quirked a brow at Wild.
“He’ll be back. Just needs to cool off,” the tracker said with a shrug.
Asher frowned. “As long as he doesn’t fuck with the investigation.”
Wild shrugged again. “He’ll do what he needs to do.”
Which could add up the bodies. “Call his cell phone,” Seth said.
“I’m not calling.” Wild walked away.
“Damn it.” Seth glared after Wild and pulled his phone from his pocket.
You better not fuck up the investigation, he sent in a text to Storm.
Seth shivered when Asher moved closer and looked at his phone with
his chin resting on his shoulder. He could feel the man’s breath against his
ear.
Asher snorted and moved away. “Yeah, like that will work.”
I’m not doing shit to the investigation, so fucking chill, Storm replied.
Seth smirked, holding up his phone. “See?”
“All I see is Storm placating you.”
Seth worried that Asher might be right. Storm was unpredictable.
Frost
He could still feel Seth in his arms and his firm body pressed against his. To
say he had been surprised when Seth had thrown himself into his arms was
a fucking understatement.
He could have held Seth indefinitely, except for some reason, the man
had become embarrassed and pulled away. Frost wasn’t one for PDA either,
but with Seth, he’d make an exception.
“Still no word from Storm?” Frost asked Wild when the tracker
approached the bull pen and settled behind his desk.
“No,” Wild said briskly and buried his head in his laptop.
“He overreacted out there,” Frost poked verbally.
Wild’s head jerked up, his eyes flashed. “He did not.”
Frost smirked. “Why are you defending him?”
“He reacted like any of us would have.” Wild scowled.
“Ah, no. He didn’t walk up to me and cup my face and get all fuckin’
growly and shit.” Frost took a sip of the coffee he’d grabbed in the kitchen
on his way to his desk.
“That’s because you had your arms full of Seth!” Wild snapped.
“So?” Frost kept his tone smug. “He was worried about me.”
“So, I rest my case.”
“Wild, there is no case. Just face it, Storm has a thing for you.”
The man’s pupils expanded and his lips parted. Wild then heaved a
breath. “No, Frost. Trust me. There is no ‘thing’ between us.” The guy’s
eyes narrowed and he turned away.
“Wild?” Frost frowned and rolled his chair closer to Wild’s desk.
“Everyone, gather around.” Stefano’s voice pulled his attention from the
stubbornly silent Wild.
Their commander came out from his office with his cell on speaker
phone.
“Listen up, men.” Stefano placed the phone on Frost’s desk.
Seth, Reggie, and Noah came from the kitchen and gathered around.
Allison stood and walked over. Wild turned from his desk, angling his chair
toward Frost’s desk.
“Chief, all but Storm is here.”
“Stefano filled me in on what happened today,” the chief’s robotic voice
stated over the phone. “It sounds like you’re making waves and someone
doesn’t like it. I’ll say this, keep doing what you’re doing. People who are
guilty react when you put pressure on them. The noose is getting tighter.
That means Yakov and his henchmen are going to react. Watch your backs
out there and watch each other’s. Keep Stefano abreast of everything. And I
mean everything. That includes you, Frost.”
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir,” he said.
“Apology accepted. Now let’s tighten this shit up and get some god
damned evidence to pin on Yakov,” the chief finished, and then told Stefano
to take the phone off speaker. Once their commander went back into his
office and shut the door, Frost let out a deep breath.
“Hey,” Wild told him, “I could have said something too.”
“I know,” he acknowledged, rubbing at his chin.
Wild clamped a hand on his shoulder before heading after Reggie and
Noah.
“If you don’t want to fill in Stefano for some reason, you could at least
talk to the rest of the team. Or me.” Seth dropped into one of the vacant
chairs next to his desk.
Frost grimaced. “You had an errand to run.”
“Well, I could have put that off.”
“Where did you go?”
“No place important.” Seth seemed to shake himself. Frost didn’t pry.
Seth would share if and when he was ready. “Um, about earlier.” The man
rubbed a hand at the back of his neck and looked away.
“Yeah?” He held his breath.
“I overreacted.” Seth’s throat moved as if he had difficulty swallowing.
“Overreacted which time?” he baited, and dodged the small paperclip
Seth tossed at him.
“When I, um, hugged you at the crime scene.” Seth wrinkled his nose,
clearing up any doubts. Hugged was putting it mildly, Seth had practically
thrown himself into his arms. Not that he was complaining.
“I didn’t mind.” He tried to put Seth at ease.
‘You didn’t?” Large, green eyes lifted to his and those silky, dark curls
dropped over Seth’s brow.
Frost itched to touch. “No,” he replied gruffly. “You know I want you.”
Seth’s pupils expanded and his lips parted. “I want you too.”
Frost shoved a hand through his hair. “I know. Now stop looking at me
like that or I’ll find an empty back room and fuck you silly.”
Seth grinned. “I wouldn’t mind.”
“Stop it,” he ordered to the cheeky little menace.
“Have dinner with me tonight,” Seth said, taking him by surprise and
sliding closer.
“If I say yes, will you go back to work?” he grumbled, but didn’t mean
a word of it. Seth had him hard. Seth made it impossible to think. That last
part had never happened to him before. No matter what, he always kept a
cool head.
“I’m going, I’m going. Meet me at that new place in Jack London
Square.” Seth rattled off an address.
“I’ll be there.”
“Seven!”
“Get,” he grumbled, hiding a smile. Dinner? What the fuck? He never
had dinner with a potential fuck. Sure, they’d eaten lunch together the other
day during work hours, but dinner? Although Seth wasn’t just a potential
fuck, he was a coworker, a friend, and a fellow Phoenix. The look in Seth’s
eyes was nothing close to casual, but he wasn’t going to think about that
when he might get lucky tonight.
The restaurant had a four star review on Yelp and Frost loved their creamfilled pancakes. The place had an old century vibe to it. The bartender was
dressed in a white shirt with a royal blue vest, sleeves rolled up his arms. A
low wall separated the dining room from the bar area, and the tables sat in
the center of booths. Old-time looking booths with red velvet and large
rivets separating the fabric to give it diamond shapes. The lighting was
dark, the bulbs casting a yellow glow.
Frost wasn’t a fan of the lighting because he couldn’t see Seth’s
expressive green eyes. But the breakfast plate he ordered was almost worth
the denial of seeing Seth’s eyes… almost. The pancake was moist, custardy,
and mouthwatering. Flavors exploded on his tongue and when he looked up
from his plate, he noticed Seth smiling as if he had found him funny.
“What?” he moaned around a mouthful.
“You do love your food,” Seth teased him.
“Breakfast food. I love breakfast food.”
“How do you survive on that?” Seth asked, and then took a large bite of
burger.
“Ever hear of bacon, ham, and eggs? Lots of protein there. Spinach and
veggie omelet.”
Seth looked at the separate plate that held a hearty portion of bacon and
eggs and shook his head. “You should save the best for last and eat your
protein.”
“No can do.”
“Why not?”
“Because I have to eat the pancake, waffle, or French toast first while
it’s still hot.”
Seth’s laugh made him smile.
“Come on, tell me you don’t have one strange habit.”
“Um…” Seth’s brow pinched before he looked away.
“What?”
“Nope.”
“Nope? What does that mean? I told you mine,” he argued.
Seth huffed. “Okay. I spend extra time on my hair every morning. Even
on weekends.”
Frost eyed Seth’s hair. It was a mess of gleaming curls. Mouthwatering,
if he were being honest.
“You mean that doesn’t just happen?” Frost pointed his fork at Seth’s
curls.
Seth shook his head. “Nope…when my hair gets wet, it frizzes as it
dries. It takes time to get it looking like this. If I don’t have time to fix it, I
wear a baseball hat.”
Frost grinned. “There, see? That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Seth laughed and Frost dodged a piece of napkin thrown his way.
The conversation became lighter, fun. Frost couldn’t remember a time
when he’d laughed so much with someone. He couldn’t remember the last
time he’d just hung out with a man he was interested in having sex with.
Usually, he hooked up, scratched an itch, and bailed. Seth was different.
The guy was funny, smart, and intense all mixed together and Frost liked it.
Seth insisted on picking up the tab, and he didn’t argue. He was more
interested in an after dinner delight. When Seth paused outside on the
sidewalk, he backed the man up against the side of his borrowed SUV. After
an initial start of surprise, Seth wrapped his arms around him. Returning the
tight squeeze, Frost dipped his head and buried his nose in Seth’s curls.
For all the boasting Seth did about spending time on his hair, his curls
were soft and subtle, not hard with product. And they smelled like citrus
and heaven.
“Come home with me,” he murmured.
“Yes,” Seth simply said, and Frost’s heart just about punched through
his sternum. “I took an Uber, you’ll need to drive.”
“That’s fine.”
He tucked Seth into the passenger side and started the engine before he
pulled out his ringing cell phone. Just as he answered it, Seth’s phone rang.
They both groaned simultaneously.
“Frost, is Seth with you?” Stefano asked.
“Yeah.”
“Good. I have Noah calling him on the other line. I have a job for the
both of you.”
Frost sighed. There went his idea of hot sex tonight. Seth looked just as
disappointed as he did, so he was somewhat mollified.
“We just got the details on an establishment that Yakov owns in Russia.
I need two men on the ground over there to check it out. I want to know
who the hell lives there. Are they victims or is it his family? Is it a holding
place or a home?” Stefano ordered.
“Russia,” he stated flatly and put the phone on speaker. It wasn’t on his
list of favorite places.
“Is there something wrong?” Stefano’s voice came clearly over the
vehicle’s speakers.
“No, boss. I would love to go to Russia in the dead of winter,” Frost
answered sarcastically.
Stefano chuckled. “It’s always winter there.”
“No it’s not,” Seth chimed in, having ended his call with Noah.
“Yeah, yeah. I made reservations at a hotel in a little out of the way
town. Your flight leaves at one A.M. It was the soonest I could get. Go
home, pack your bags, and catch that flight.”
Frost didn’t reply, he simply hung up.
“So… Russia, huh?” Seth rubbed his hands together, smiling.
Frost squeezed the steering wheel. “Fuck.”
Frost
Snow lay packed on the sides of the roads, having been pushed aside by the
street plows. Flurries lingered, dancing on the night’s cold, crisp breeze and
the smell of exhaust and dampness filled the air. The hotel was nice enough.
Not your fancy high end kind that could be found in one of Russia’s major
cities, but the bed was nice and the room had heat. Seth stood in the middle
of the room looking at the queen-sized bed.
“I wonder if he knows there’s only one bed?”
Frost snorted. “Why would it matter, we’ve bunked together before.”
“Yeah, well, that was before I decided to fuck your brains out.”
He choked on his spit and started coughing. Seth, the cheeky little
bastard, walked over and patted him on the back.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Warn a guy, O’Leary.”
The brown-haired angel, or devil he should say, just smiled and went
about unpacking his stuff.
“When do you want to scope out the place?” Seth asked.
“Tonight, hopefully when people are sleeping.” Lifting his cell phone,
he called a number and put it on speaker.
“We’ve landed,” he said.
“Be there in ten minutes,” a deep voice declared through the speaker.
“How do you know where we are?”
Frost caught and held Seth’s gaze across the room.
“I know everything,” the voice answered, and then a click and silence.
“That guy’s fucking spooky.” Seth gave an exaggerated shudder.
“You have no idea.” He snorted, tossing the phone on the bed.
Seth slipped off his jacket and draped it over a chair before walking to
the small counter near the bath and combing through the snacks. From
there, Seth kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed.
“What’s his name?”
“Fear.”
“Anyone know his real name?” Seth asked around a bite of cracker.
Wrappers from a scavenger hunt for food lay scattered around the greeneyed beauty. Frost traced the line of Seth’s throat with his eyes as the man
guzzled half a bottle of seltzer water from the middle of the bed. Crumbs
hovered at the side of Seth’s lip, and then his tongue peeked out to lick
them away, Frost stifled a groan and fought to stay where he was across the
room.
“No.”
“Why Fear?”
“Black ops, ex-special forces. He’s a legend. The story is that his unit
was killed in combat. He and one other man were the only ones alive when
the rescue helicopter landed. When they got there, the enemy lay scattered
at his feet. Twenty some men dead.”
Seth’s eyes went wide and his mouth hung open. “What about the other
guy?”
“He was wounded, badly. Couldn’t have helped if he wanted to. When
the rescuers asked what happened, the soldier said that Fear killed them. Of
course, the men asked what fear and the wounded soldier pointed to Fear.
The name stuck.”
“Who was the wounded soldier? What was his name?”
Frost wondered how much to say, but figured Seth would find out
eventually. “It was Lash.”
“Our Lash?” Something flashed in Seth’s eyes.
“You sound surprised.”
“I just thought he’d have shared this, is all.” Seth shrugged, not meeting
his gaze.
A quiet knock on the door signaled Fear’s arrival and Frost quickly
slipped to the door.
“Who is it?”
“Fear.”
He flipped the lock and pulled open the door enough for the man to step
inside.
Fear wore all black. It matched the midnight hair that fell just short of
the man’s nape. A chiseled jaw sported a very short beard and mustache
that surrounded his upper lip and jaw. Small nicks and scars peeked through
the warrior’s scruff. Cold, gunmetal-gray eyes studied them for a long
moment.
Frost narrowed his gaze. The soldier stared right back. Neither blinked.
He introduced Seth. “This is Reboot Hell.”
“Two of you? Going soft, Frosty?” Fear sneered mockingly.
“Fuck you,” Frost growled.
Fear’s lip curled. “No thanks, I like my men slim. Kind of like cutie on
the bed over there.”
“He’s off the market,” he replied, his gaze flat, deadly.
“Standing right here,” Seth pointed out and scooted off the bed to come
closer. “Hello, I’m Seth. Code name Reboot Hell.”
“Phoenix’s hacker,” Fear rasped. “I’ve heard of you.”
“Much more, but that’s okay. I’m a damned good hacker too,” Seth
quipped back.
The warrior looked past Seth and held his gaze. Frost squared off, they
were the same size. He wasn’t giving an inch.
“It’s been a long time, Frost,” Fear finally said.
Frost smirked. “That it has.”
They moved then, coming together, and Frost gripped Fear in a hard
hug that was returned equally as hard.
“Wait, you two know each other?” Seth demanded, grabbing his seltzer
from the nightstand and stepping closer.
“Yeah, we’ve met during a few missions.” Frost smiled and shoved the
man. Fear swiped a hand at him, but he was quick and Fear missed.
“Stefano and the chief called. They said you’d need some gear when
you landed,” Fear said, lifting the backpack from his shoulder and the
massive duffle bag from the floor. He slung both on the bed and unzipped
the bags. “Surveillance and weapons. I have both.”
“You should work for Phoenix.” Seth grinned.
“They wish.” Fear curled his lip.
“We’ve been trying for years, but he won’t come in from the cold,”
Frost told Seth.
“He probably has his reasons.” Seth tipped the contents of the backpack
on the bed and began assembling the items with quick, efficient
movements.
“Beauty and brains.”
“You have no idea,” Frost told Fear.
“Still right here,” Seth cut in, screwing a suppressor on the end of a
9mm.
Fear held up his hands and backed away from the bed. The soldier
prowled over to the mini bar and poured a drink.
“Seen Lash lately?” Frost followed the guy.
“No, why?”
“He’s MIA.”
Fear didn’t even blink. The soldier tossed back the drink before he
shrugged. If Frost hadn’t been watching the man so closely, he would have
missed the tick in Fear’s tight jaw.
“He’s a grown man. He can handle himself,” Fear grunted.
“I know. I just thought you might have run into him.” Frost shrugged
and moved to the bed to pick up a recording device that Seth had
assembled.
“Is he out of the country?” Fear stalked to the glass doors of the
balcony. The man stood facing away from them. His wide shoulders set, he
took another swallow of his drink.
“I don’t know. He could be in the U.S. Nobody knows or nobody’s
talking,” Frost responded, setting down the listening device and picking up
one of the Glocks on the bed.
Seth looked up and met his gaze. Frost gave a small shake of his head.
Fear wouldn’t be pressured. But if the soldier thought Lash was in trouble,
Frost had a suspicion that Fear wouldn’t stop until he found out what the
hell was going on.
“Like I said,” Fear rumbled, “he’s a big boy.”
Seth
He tucked away his Russian visa under his alias name in his pocket and left
his US passport in a secure place.
Fear had come and gone, leaving a small arsenal in his wake. The guy
was all kinds of intense. Fear rivaled Asher and Storm in the intense
category. Well, no, Seth took that back. Nobody rivaled Storm in intensity.
Seth hoped Fear located Lash. He missed him. They’d cultivated a
friendship. He knew the tracker was going through hell. Thankfully, a few
months ago, Lash had sent him a short text saying he’d be back soon. It was
a good thing too, otherwise Seth might have called out the cavalry.
Seth took the vest that Asher handed him and slipped it on. It was
lightweight, but more importantly, it could stop a bullet. Armed and dressed
in all black, he pulled on his black running shoes. They were leather and
would help keep his feet warm, yet flexible enough to run flat out if he had
to.
Pulling on a thin jacket like the vest, he checked the lining. The jacket
was designed with a special material that kept out the cold. It also had a
Velcro pouch along the bottom he could use to store things like his knife
and sleeping darts. When the pouch was empty, the bottom could be pulled
out and down, and the coat became full length in order to sleep in if needed.
He tugged on insulated gloves because Russia’s weather could be
brutal. When they’d arrived, the airport monitor said thirty six degrees, but
that had changed with nightfall. Thankfully, it was March. And while there
was still snow on the ground, the climate was changing for the warmer.
Asher was dressed similar and looking sexy in all black as he tucked the
handgun into the jacket pockets. Seth wished they were away together
under different circumstances. It would have been nice to have gone back to
Asher’s together. Nice was putting it mildly, he had a suspicion that they’d
ignite the sheets when they finally came together.
He pulled the black beanie over his head and adjusted it to cover his
curls. Looking in the mirror, he saw Asher watching him.
“What?” He smiled and kept arranging his hair until it was tucked away.
“Nothing.” Asher walked up behind him and closed his arms around his
waist. “You look so cute doing that.”
Seth rolled his eyes and pushed Asher away. “Stop. You’ll make me
forget why we’re here.”
Asher huffed, and Seth laughed. He turned and kissed the operative on
the lips before darting around the larger man and toward the door. “Later, if
you’re good.”
Asher barked out a laugh. “I’m always good, O’Leary.”
“You can call me Seth.”
“I know.”
Perhaps, Asher felt that saying his name was too intimate. Like sex
wouldn’t be intimate? He shook his head and grabbed the room key. “Come
on. I think our ride is here.”
The car took them to the outskirts of the city. From there, they picked
up a pre-arranged rental car Fear had left them, and made their way north.
A few miles from the address, Seth parked and got out. Hiking through the
snow wasn’t too bad at first, but after a while it grew freaking cold. The air
was so frigid, his breath came out in white puffs and ice crystals formed
around his mouth.
The driveway stretched a good five hundred feet. The human trafficking
business sure paid those bastards well. It was sickening to think any part of
the massive mansion had been built on the backs of men, women, and
children.
Two guards stood inside the gate, bundled up in snow clothes, sharing a
cigarette.
Seth whispered. “Guards to keep people in or guards to keep people
out?”
“Both, probably.”
“How do you want to do this?” he asked quietly, watching the guards
through the cover of bushes for a moment before he pulled his mask down
over his face and turned toward Asher.
“We may not have to do anything,” Asher whispered back. Crouched
next to him, Asher pulled out his own mask and pointed toward the gate.
Seth’s head snapped around. One of the guards dropped the cigarette
and moved into the other man. In seconds, they were kissing hungrily.
“Well, that helps. Maybe they’ll stay distracted.”
The two men did one better. One of the guards pulled the other into a
small shed that stood off to one side and closed the door behind them.
Asher snickered.
“Hey, that’s love.” Seth bit back a smile.
“More like lust with some added sex,” Asher countered.
His smile faltered. Was that how Asher thought about romance? Would
it be just sex between them as well?
“Let’s move.”
Asher shot him a quick look, but Seth didn’t stop. He could tell the man
was curious about his sudden mood change, but he really didn’t give a shit
right then. Let Asher wonder what the hell was up. He shouldn’t have
assumed that Asher wanted the same things he did. It was just that he
thought they were starting to share a connection. That was his bad.
He darted toward the fence, slipping a bit on the icy snow, but when he
reached the fence, he scaled it easily with the rope attachment Fear had
supplied. He went first, leaving Asher to follow.
All appeared quiet, but that could be deceiving. He stayed near the tree
line to keep his tracks hidden, and Asher followed suit. But it was work
pushing through the thigh-deep snow. He paused with Asher at his back to
let the search light swing on past. Once it moved, he sprinted, leaping
through the snow and along the side of the mansion. He flattened against
the building, with Asher so close, the man’s arm brushed his.
Asher touched his shoulder and pointed to a snow-covered path that
wandered to just beneath a set of patio doors on the second story balcony.
There were several sets of foot prints in the snow that clearly marked the
path as well used.
A convenient wood trellis ran up the side of the wall near the balcony
and Seth spider climbed to the top. Chunks of snow fell with each grip of
his hand on the whitewashed wood. Pulling up and over the railing, he
leaned over. Asher turned his head to avoid the falling snow, then resumed
climbing. Hunching down, Seth stayed low and moved to the darkest part of
the balcony.
They each took a side, crouched, and waited. Most of what they did on
a job like this was observe. They'd fight if they needed to, but Stefano
wanted information, and dead people didn’t really give up much
information. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be discovered. If they found victims
tonight, they would call in a clearing team.
Seth cupped his gloved hands to his mouth and gently blew hot air into
them so it would melt the ice forming around his exposed lips.
Through the doors, a dimly lit lamp sent a small glow in the bedroom
and from what he could see, it appeared empty. He lifted his gloved hand
slightly to get Asher’s attention, and then pointed to the next patio over.
“Let’s try that one,” he whispered, and stepped over the railing onto the
next balcony. Asher silently followed. This balcony was bigger, covered,
and held a heat lamp that surprisingly was turned on. The glass doors were
centered and each side held windows with curtains. No curtains on the
doors though. From where they stood, a thick, brown vine trailed up the
side of a small side wall blocking them from view. It was a good thing
because the patio door suddenly opened.
“Stop it, Mother,” a masculine voice said in English. The man sounded
irritated as he stepped out onto the balcony. The guy looked to be in his
mid-thirties from what Seth could see in the faint light coming from inside.
“I’m only saying that you need to take more precaution. All we need is
your stupidity to get in the way.” A woman followed him out. She was
older, her bleached-blonde hair pulled into a tight bun. A too-tight sweater
and spandex pants hugged a body that looked like money had been spent on
it. Her English sounded American. The woman moved to the heater and
lifted her hands up to the warmth.
“Don’t call me stupid. What happened in Suzdal wasn’t my fault.”
The Russian city Suzdal, he knew was twenty-five miles from their
location. Seth barely dared to breathe when the guy walked over to the
railing.
“The American Consulate was asking too many questions about the
missing Americans. I couldn’t take the chance that Suzdal would be
discovered.”
“But to kill them all?” the woman huffed.
“Yakov agreed with my decision,” the man snarled. “And, it wasn’t all
of them, just… most of them.”
“But all the money,” the woman moaned.
“Oh, for god sakes, Mother. Doesn’t Yakov put enough into your bank
account?”
She sniffed. “I needed more for my trip to Spain. And I wish you
wouldn’t call your father by his first name.” The woman turned back
toward the room, tossing words over her shoulder. “It’s so disrespectful.”
“Why? He was never around when I was growing up.”
“But he was when it mattered,” she said, disappearing back inside.
“This will be the last god damned thing I do for him. I’m through,”
Yakov’s son snarled after the woman.
They were the lowest form of scum. Trading lives for money and then
killing them to avoid detection. Seth squeezed his hands into fists. He so
wanted to explode and take them out. If ever there was a time when he
didn’t mind killing a female, this would be it. A gentle nudge from Asher
shook him out of his rage. Angling his head down to keep his frosted breath
hidden, he took a few slow, quiet breaths.
Somewhere inside, a door slammed.
“Fucking bitch,” the son said beneath his breath and headed back inside,
closing the patio doors.
Asher motioned to him and Seth nodded. He couldn’t get out of there
fast enough. His hands shook when he grasped the trellis and lithely hopped
over the balcony railing and made his way back down.
He headed back the way they came, crouched in the darkness, running
through the snow to the rope and climbing back over the fence. Still no sign
of the guards. Reaching the rental car, they were on the road in a matter of
minutes. Not soon enough for Seth. He was frozen solid, inside and out, and
thankful Asher had driven.
Quiet filled the car. Seth didn’t know what to say. All the lives lost. He
gazed out the window. What a devastating situation, all the families waiting
for loved ones that would never come home. He rubbed his forehead to ease
the headache starting just behind his eyes and swallowed around the
tightness in his throat. The lengths people went to for the almighty dollar
was fucking revolting.
They arrived at the rental place and while Asher returned the keys to the
drop box, he used his phone app to call an Uber to take them back to the
hotel. Entering silently, he found himself standing in the middle of the suite,
breathing harshly. As if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs.
Strong arms closed around him and he leaned gratefully back against
Asher. He wanted this man. He wanted to relish in the fact that he could
make love. That he was alive.
Turning, he cupped Asher’s unshaven face and pressed his mouth to his.
With a rough sliding of lips, Seth stroked his tongue along Asher’s bottom
lip, nipping and tugging until the man groaned. In a sweeping tangle of
tongues, the kiss turned earnest. Asher tasted so good. Seth had been
waiting forever to have this moment.
“Come take a shower with me,” he murmured against Asher’s lips. “I
need to wash the ick away,” he admitted. “I need to be warm.”
“Wait…” Asher caught his hand, stilling him mid-turn. Seth couldn’t
bring himself to look at Asher. The man would see too much. Fingers
beneath his chin tilted his head up and he couldn’t avoid Asher’s searching
gaze.
“Are you okay?”
“I will be,” he whispered, rubbing his hands up and down his own arms.
Frost
He was worried. Seth had been too quiet on the drive back to the hotel, and
then stood lost in the center of the room while he’d locked up the place.
Removing his jacket and shoes, he called Seth’s name twice before
finally reaching out and taking Seth into his arms. The way Seth turned to
him, returning his embrace and initiating a kiss, stole his breath. He didn’t
know what Seth was going through, but he wanted to comfort him.
A shower with Seth would lead to sex, Frost knew without a doubt. And
he wanted that. He couldn’t have said no to save his life, so he followed as
Seth left a trail of snow dampened clothing in his wake. The view of Seth’s
luscious bubble butt filled his vision before the man stepped into the large
shower.
It wasn’t as large as the one he had at home, but it had plenty of room
for the two of them and was cozy enough to keep them close. He stripped in
record time, snatched the condoms and lube from his razor bag, and stepped
into the shower.
Seth stood beneath the hot water, face upturned, eyes closed. The water
trailed down his sleekly muscled frame, flattening the small amount of dark
hair that trailed from beneath his belly button and surrounded his groin.
Seth’s cock lay limp, but even resting, he found it mouthwatering.
Placing the supplies on the small ledge above the shower door, Frost
reached out to touch Seth. He lifted the soap and began smoothing it over
Seth’s shoulders. Working up a lather, he set the bar aside and ran his hands
over Seth’s chest, arms, and stomach.
“Oh, that feels so good,” Seth moaned, opening his eyes. The green of
Seth’s eyes glimmered like emeralds and Frost caught his breath. He could
feel Seth’s cock waking up against his thigh as they bumped together.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Frost asked again, taking a risk that the
question might kill the mood, but he couldn’t… no, he wouldn’t, take
advantage of Seth.
“Yeah, it just pissed me off.”
“They’ll get what’s coming,” he promised.
Seth drew in a deep breath and lifted his hands to collect soap and
transfer it to Frost’s body. Frost bit back a groan. “I’m okay.” Seth closed
one soapy hand around Frost’s cock. “More than okay.”
He sucked in a quick breath and pushed his dick through Seth’s tight
grip with a firm thrust. He’d waited so fucking long for Seth’s touch.
Dropping his head, he ran his mouth along Seth’s shoulder. The water had
washed the soap away and left a clean scent behind. Seth tasted like heaven
and sin all mixed together. His head swam as he kissed along the man’s
intoxicating skin.
“I want you to fuck me,” Seth whispered hotly against his ear and Frost
shuddered.
Without a word, Frost went to work washing the rest of Seth. He turned
Seth around and eased his fingers between the man’s cheeks and ran a
finger along Seth’s taint.
Seth gasped and spread his legs. Arching his back, Seth presented his
body to Frost.
Frost dropped to his knees and buried his face between Seth’s cheeks.
He ran the flat of his tongue over the man’s hole. Seth gasped and Frost did
it again, loving how sensitive Seth was.
“Asher,” Seth moaned against the wet tile, “it feels so good.” Lifting
quickly, Frost grabbed the lube from its perch and dropped down again. He
drizzled lube along Seth’s crack and then eased one finger into the man’s
tight channel while his mouth roamed the small of Seth’s back.
“So fucking beautiful,” Frost said as Seth arched more, offering his ass
up. With the slickness of the lube, Frost slipped in another finger.
“Asher, I’m ready. Do it,” Seth panted.
He would have laughed at the demand if he hadn’t been so fucking
turned on. Fumbling, Frost reached out and grabbed a condom, tore it open,
and rolled it on. It wasn’t easy, but he managed.
Easing Seth against the tile wall, Frost gently knocked the man’s legs
farther apart. The spray of water was at Frost’s back, so he smeared a good
bit of lube on his dick. Leaning forward, he aimed his cock between Seth’s
cheeks and pressed a hand on the wall near the man’s head.
“Don’t go slow.” Seth shuddered and flattened his hands against the tile.
Frost wasn’t going to charge in. Not on their first time together. He was
going to take his time no matter how much Seth begged.
Reaching upward, Frost closed one of his hands over Seth’s and linked
their fingers together. Seth jerked as if surprised, and then the man’s fingers
curled around his tightly. Frost bit at the shell of Seth’s ear, feeling him
shudder.
He bent his knees slightly and guided himself to Seth’s entrance. He
pushed in and Seth gasped. He paused until Seth’s hips started undulating.
Frost clenched his teeth and eased farther in. The tight ring split open and
the tip of his cock slipped inside.
“Jesus, you’re tight,” he grunted.
“Hurry, please,” Seth urged, and unexpectedly shoved back. Their
separation disappeared and Frost found his cock embedded in Seth’s body.
Oh fuck. Hot silk surrounded his dick and Frost couldn’t stop from
rutting against Seth’s ass. He lifted their joined hands and wrapped his arm
around Seth, lifting him back against him. He leaned in so his chest crushed
against Seth’s back, his knees bent so he could piston his cock into the
man’s warmth. Seth arched and groaned. Frost shoved deeper and roamed
his mouth along Seth’s shoulder and up his neck.
“So good. So fucking good, Asher,” Seth moaned, tipping his head back
against his shoulder.
“Yes,” Frost agreed, panting, his breath harsh. Better than good, fucking
mind blowing.
The shower started to cool at his back and Frost had just enough mind
to snap the water off.
The sudden silence amplified his heaving pants and stifling groans.
Water trickled down the drain and dripped from the shower head.
Seth panted in quick succession, accompanied by soft, high sounds.
Those little noises drove Frost crazy.
Setting Seth’s hand back on the wall, Frost reached down and gripped
both of Seth’s hips between his hands and set up a hard pace.
Seth widened his legs so Frost fit perfectly between them. Frost moaned
when he went deeper than ever. He angled his hips and pegged the spot
deep inside Seth that would generate the most pleasure.
“Oh yeah, right fucking there!” Seth begged.
“Take the soap and get your dick slick. I want you to stroke yourself,”
Frost purred. Setting his forehead to Seth’s shoulder, he fought back his
need to release.
Seth
Fuck. Seth took a few shallow breaths. Finally having Asher inside of him
felt so right, so fucking good. Seth lifted to his toes when Asher pegged his
prostate. A long shudder ripped through his body and he struggled not to
come.
Pressing his chest to the wall, Seth arched his back and offered up his
ass. Asher took up his silent invitation and hammered home. Asher’s stride
became jerking strokes accompanied by grunts. Hard hands clenched at his
hips as Asher fought for control. Wet slaps when skin met skin filled the air
and Seth smiled against the wet tile.
He wanted Asher to lose control. Seth hung his head, his forehead
pressed to the tile, and then gave a long shudder when Asher’s harsh and
hot breath ghosted over his neck, teeth biting gently at his ear, and Asher’s
hard mouth trailed over his cheek.
Seth pressed his hands up along the shower wall and spread his legs
even wider. Every hit to his prostate caused his dick to jump. He pressed his
cheek harder to the shower tile as ripples started up his spine.
“Take the soap and get your dick slick. I want you to stroke yourself.”
When Asher gave him that gruff, sexy command, Seth moaned and
grabbed the soap. He soaped up his hand and grabbed his own dick,
pumping it in time with each of Asher’s thrusts.
“Not going to last long like this.” Seth struggled to talk. He groaned
when Asher’s hand suddenly came around and squeezed the bottom of his
cock.
“Don’t come yet,” Asher rasped against his ear and pounded into his
ass. Asher released his cock.
“Fuck!” he complained, and set his forehead back to the tile wall.
“Not yet. I’m close,” Asher panted.
I’ll try,” Seth promised, and he teased the head of his cock before
sliding down the length to grasp it tightly, then lightly, over and over. Until
he wanted to scream.
Asher picked up the pace and each thrust lifted Seth onto his toes and
sent him out of his mind.
“Asher! I need to fucking come,” Seth begged as his shudders grew and
his body spasmed.
The man grunted and slammed into him. “Okay, come,” Asher gritted
out through his clenched teeth.
Seth exploded with a heated groan. Asher reached around and cupped
his balls and squeezed. The the extra pain in his balls intensified his release
and he shouted. Pleasure slammed into his gut and semen spilled hotly over
his fingers.
Asher literally lifted him off his feet and drove his impressive cock deep
and then froze before he gave several ragged shudders. Seth moaned, his
cheek pressed to the cool tile as he imagined Asher’s come filling him
instead of the condom.
“Oh fuck. Nnnnnh,” Asher groaned, heaving against his back. It was all
Seth could do to hold onto the wall. He hung there spent until Asher slowly
eased out and lowered him to his feet. They stood like that, breathing hard.
Asher’s open mouth roamed lazily along his shoulder. After a moment,
the man reached out and flipped back on the shower.
There were no moments of awkwardness as they finished washing each
other. Toweling dry, they made it to the bed and slipped beneath the sheets
and blankets.
Seth opened his arms and Asher smiled, easing over to pull him close.
Seth tossed a leg over Asher’s thigh. Fingers stroked through his wet curls.
“It’ll be a mess tomorrow,” Seth yawned.
“So wear a hat,” Asher murmured, continuing to stroke his hair.
Seth’s eyes closed. “My beanie’s soaked.”
“We will buy you a new one.”
Asher’s soft murmur was the last thing he heard before sleep sucked
him under.
Seth
Things
went relatively back to normal when they got home. Way too
fucking normal for him. They’d been back from Russia for two weeks and
he’d been with Asher two more times. And both times, they’d made love.
Seth liked to think it had been making love, but in reality, it had been
hot, sticky, unimaginable sex. Which was fine, but after each time, Asher
found some excuse to not stick around. Which was odd because they’d been
at Asher’s house! The second time the door closed behind the dark haired
man, Seth had vowed he wouldn’t come back. And he hadn’t. Asher could
take a flying fuck.
Thinking of the guy seemed to conjure up the brooding man. Their eyes
met briefly when Asher entered the front door of the office.
“Hey,” Asher practically growled, then he strode away with long,
confident strides toward the kitchen.
Seth clenched his teeth. The closeness in Russia had faded. They didn’t
talk. What they did was a far cry from what Seth had imagined, and
honestly, it hurt. In fact, the next time he got Asher alone, he was going to
ask what the hell was going on. Of course, the sexual attraction was mutual,
but that didn’t mean he was going to be some casual fuck.
He worried Asher couldn’t fully commit. Perhaps Asher really was the
love them and leave them type, like Seth’s mother had been. That worried
him most of all. He didn’t want a trail of broken relationships.
Seth had witnessed first-hand the devastation his mother had left in her
wake when she deserted them. When he was younger, Seth hadn’t
understood what was going on when she moved out. Naive, he thought he
could just talk to her and fix it. He believed mothers naturally understood.
He’d been so very wrong.
Seth clearly remembered the day he’d tracked his mother down. Not
that it had been hard; even at twelve years old, he was killer with
computers. The bus stopped a few blocks from her house and he jumped
down from the high step. His legs wobbled the closer he got to her house
and he rubbed his palms against his pants. Taking a deep breath, he’d
knocked on the door.
His mother looked expensive with her dark hair pulled back into a tight
bun. Her brown eyes were cold. She was thin, too hard, and her clothes
were silk. Rich jewelry hung around her elegant neck, fingers, and wrists,
and she jangled when she stepped back. Almost as if he would contaminate
her if he came any closer.
He hadn’t seen her since he was ten, two years prior. She hadn’t been
the best of moms. He thought she resented him, but his father said she was
just sad. His dad had been wrong about that part.
“What are you doing here, Seth?” his mother had hissed. Throwing a
look over her shoulder, she stepped out of the house and pulled the door
partially closed behind her.
“I, I wanted to see you. I know you’re probably busy, but I wanted to,
to, see you. I thought maybe we could, you know, hang out or something. I
could come over and visit or you could come to my house. It’s not as nice
of a house as this one, but it’s a house and I have a room. Not a big room.”
He kept talking, he couldn’t seem to get his mouth to stop.
From the quick glimpse inside, her entryway had been three times the
size of his bedroom. He stood awkwardly, feeling scared but not
understanding the feeling for what it really was, being judged and found
unworthy.
Her face pinched with annoyance. “Seth, I moved out for a reason. If I
wanted you with me, I would have taken you along. Now, you need to go
home.”
“But I love you, mom. I, I, miss you.”
He hated the way his voice wobbled. It shouldn’t have wobbled that
much, he was almost a teenager and wanted to show her he was grown up.
That he wasn’t a baby any longer and didn’t need to be taken care of.
Swallowing hard, he fought the tears that welled to the surface.
“No, Seth, go home and don’t come back.” She turned her face away,
walked back into the house, and shut the door. She left him standing on her
front porch with tears streaming down his cheeks.
He’d walked for miles before realizing his surroundings were
unfamiliar. Not even knowing where he was, he found a woman who lent
him her cell phone. Seth had called Finn. When his dad arrived, Seth was
sitting on the curb of a main street where cars whizzed by at top speed.
“Oh, boyo,” his father crooned, picking him up. Finn held him tightly in
his burly arms and Seth sobbed for what seemed like forever.
He had cried until his face was swollen and blotchy. Finn had taken him
home, cleaned him up, and tucked him into bed. They had never talked
about it, but Seth had gotten a glimpse of Ginger Rossi’s true colors. She’d
left them both like yesterday’s trash. He couldn’t understand how that
woman could be related to his loving Uncle Rossi. Rossi told him that
Ginger, his sister, had a different life growing up. Ginger had been placed
with a wealthy foster home, the Mathieson’s, when she was little. Seth had
later learned that Ginger’s foster parents had adopted her, while Giovanni’s
life had been a series of shitty foster homes. The prestige and money must
have gone to his mother’s head. Seth had to wonder why she’d bothered
sleeping with his father in the first place.
He shook off his thoughts. He had a job to do. He didn’t have time to
pick apart Asher’s hang ups. His mission was to get inside of the American
Consulate in Switzerland.
“Sup,” Reggie said from near his shoulder.
“Hey, I’ve been looking for you,” Seth replied, smiling up at the guy.
“Oh yeah? Whatcha doing?”
“I’m running through some data and need your help.”
“Oooooh, I like data.”
Seth laughed. “Pull up a chair.”
“How’d Russia go?” Reggie asked.
“Yakov has a mistress or wife living there. I’m not sure which, but he
definitely has a son.”
“Do they know about Yakov’s business?”
“Oh yeah,” Seth said flatly. “They are as crooked as Yakov. We
overheard them talking about killing innocent people because the
authorities were getting too close.”
“Son of a bitches,” Reggie gasped.
Seth nodded in agreement. “The woman sounded American. I’m trying
to find out if she’s his wife or just the mother of his son.” Seth pointed to a
list scrolling on another computer.
“I can take that database.” Reggie dropped into a chair and scooted
closer.
“Okay, thanks.” Seth pulled up the plans on the American Consulate in
Switzerland.
“What’s that?”
“One of Yakov’s contacts was tailed to Switzerland.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, a woman,” Seth murmured, looking over the small map.
“Surveillance showed that she visited the prison not far from the embassy.
Stefano thinks the woman is a go-between Yakov and someone in that
prison.”
“I’ll hack into the prison. Maybe we can get some remote intel,” Reggie
offered.
Seth shook his head. “The internet is closed circuit, there is no wireless
access to hack in remotely. We need to physically go there.”
“Figures, backwards technology.” Reggie wrinkled his nose and Seth
smiled.
“Not really, Switzerland is pretty high tech. It’s just that particular
prison.”
“Weird. Okay, you do that and I’ll check through this list to see if I can
find out who the woman was in Russia.”
“Thanks, Reggie, you’re a life saver.’
“That’s what I’m here for.” Reggie rapidly blinked his brown eyes
flirtatiously and Seth laughed.
Frost
He stilled by the kitchen door, staying out of sight. Reggie sat way too
fucking close to Seth. The pair whispered beneath their breaths, but Frost
could definitely read the body language. Reggie was all hot for Seth. It was
clear as fuck that the little shit wanted the smoking hot operative.
Reggie looked like a punk rocker from the eighties except the kid
couldn’t have been more than twenty if Frost had to guess. They should
have left the eighties crap back in the eighties. It did nothing for the guy.
The hardened hair gel was the worst. Thank fuck Seth didn’t wear his hair
like that. Seth’s hair was a soft drop of bouncing black curls so dark, the
light from the overhead reflected on the onyx strands and sent brightness
scattering in all directions like a halo. Like a dark-haired angel.
More like a little devil. Things had been strained between them, and he
knew it was his doing. He hadn’t been able to stay away from Seth after that
first time. Two more times, he’d coaxed Seth to come home with him and
each time, the sex had been better than the last.
He needed to nip this shit in the bud because he’d began to see feelings
in Seth’s eyes. It was in the way Seth watched him with those incredible
eyes and tempting lips pursed. As if waiting for him to say something or
confess. Well, he didn’t have shit to confess. On some level, Seth’s staring
felt fucking fantastic, but on another level, it made him uncomfortable as
hell.
Relationships were traps designed to set people up to fail, he reasoned.
To him, they appeared to be created to get hopes and dreams and
expectations ramped up so when the end came, the unsuspecting bastards
were left blindsided. Everybody leaves and everybody eventually cheats.
His own mother had been a prime example. His lips twisted and he rubbed
at the ache in his chest. Her lying skills were unprecedented.
Best thing to do, he decided, was keep it casual. That way, Seth
wouldn’t get his heart broken. Now, he only needed to convince Seth that
sex was enough, they didn’t need hearts and flowers.
Then the little punk rocker wannabe placed a hand on Seth’s shoulder.
Frost shoved at the kitchen door hard and it banged loudly against the wall.
Reggie jumped and looked like a startled rabbit. Frost smirked. Seth
whirled with a hand to his chest, and Frost avoided that damned searching
gaze.
Cradling the hot cup of coffee in his hand, he sauntered from the open
kitchen doorway to his desk and plopped down into his chair. Casually, he
leaned back and took a swallow of the bitter brew. He didn’t try to mask his
unfriendly gaze at Reggie and when the guy’s throat moved, he smirked
again.
“I-I-I’ll see you later!” Reggie hurriedly stood and beat a hasty retreat.
“So, what’s the punk gotta say?” Frost sneered and his hard gaze
followed Reggie before he turned back to Seth.
“He’s not a punk.” Seth frowned up at him.
“I get it. You’re just keeping your options open,” he said, rubbing at his
chest, the acid burning his throat from drinking too much coffee.
Frost squeezed the coffee cup. If Seth wanted to fuck Reggie, it
technically wouldn’t be cheating. Seth and he didn’t have anything
permanent going on. And that was the way he liked it.
“What options?” Seth sounded surprised, his large, green eyes pools of
confusion.
It pissed him off that the guy actually looked hurt. “Look, I said I get it.
I’ll fuck anything once, even a few times, it seems. Although, I only do one
at a time,” he finished deliberately cruel. He turned dismissively away and
poked his computer awake.
“Asher!” Seth snapped before he could get his screen to come up.
“What?” he barked back, crossing his arms as he drilled a hard stare at
Seth.
“I wasn’t flirting with nor am I fucking Reggie.”
Seth’s voice poured over him and then the sexy fucker rolled his chair
up next to his desk. And fuck if the little shit didn’t reach up and place both
hands on the side of his head. Of course, Frost had to make eye contact. The
softness in Seth’s eyes had him breaking out in a cold sweat. He suddenly
took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“I don’t care if you were,” he said between clenched teeth. Ignoring the
hurt that resurfaced in Seth’s eyes, he rolled his chair back and effectively
out of Seth’s reach. But the dark-haired devil kept coming, and Frost kept
rolling his chair until it hit the wall.
“I only have eyes for one sexy man. I only want one man in my bed.”
Seth crowded closer. Their knees bumped. Seth’s words were fucking corny
as shit, but he had to admit, he loved it.
Fuck it. Leaning in, he took a kiss from Seth’s full lips. Something
lurched beneath his sternum and he fisted a hand in Seth’s shirt, jerking him
close.
“Take it out of the building, boys,” Stefano said, effectively cock
blocking him.
Then the commander moved calmly as you please past the lounge area
on the way to the kitchen. Perfect fucking timing. Frost scowled, releasing
Seth’s lips and shirt, and swiveled his chair around. What the fuck was he
doing? This was bullshit!
“That won’t be necessary,” he snapped, whirling around before he
stood. With a shove, he pushed Seth’s chair so it rolled across the floor,
taking Seth with it back to his own desk. This time, he was able to retreat to
the cabinet across the room where they kept laptop chargers. Seth’s burning
gaze followed him.
He dug through the selection on the shelf. There was no happily ever
after here. That shit didn’t exist. Emotional attachment only led to
heartache, he silently quoted the familiar mantra. So what, they had sex. It
had been mind blowing but that was no fucking reason to get involved and
ruin a perfectly good friendship. Why the fuck people put themselves
through that shit, he’d never understand. He snatched the laptop charger and
returned to his seat before tugging his laptop closer.
“I meant what I said,” that smoky voice said from behind him.
He swiveled in his chair, quirking one eyebrow up at Seth standing next
to his desk. Did they have to keep rehashing this shit?
“It doesn’t matter. We’re just friends. I don’t own you.”
“Would you like to?”
He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What is the point of
this conversation?”
“Nothing. You just seem…” Seth shrugged. “Brooding, angry, since
we’ve been back.”
“I’m always that way.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I’m not?” Well, that was a surprise. Lately, all he did was snap and
brood.
“Nope. You weren’t that way in Russia.”
“Is there a reason you’re standing at my desk instead of working?”
“Yes,” the little shit replied, but didn’t elaborate.
“And?” He sighed long and hard.
Seth smiled. “I was working with Reggie because we have an
assignment together.”
He waited, but of course the normally talkative man didn’t elaborate.
“Where?”
“Can’t say.” Seth grinned cheekily.
“Why the fuck not?” he asked, affronted.
“It’s top secret.”
Frost squinted. “Are you fucking with me?”
Seth didn’t answer and sashayed away. The man headed back to his
desk and took a seat. Frost shoved back his chair and stalked after him.
“Where are you going?” he demanded.
“Can’t say,” Seth repeated.
“You can tell me. I won’t tell anyone.” Frost dropped his voice to a
husky whisper and hitched a hip on the corner of the desk. When Seth’s
breath hitched, he pressed closer, running the back of one finger along
Seth’s cheek. He bent closer. He could do this. Using sex to get answers
was what he was good at.
“No.”
“No?” he crooned, deliberately deepening his voice to a husky whisper.
“No! Damn it, Asher,” Seth cried, rolling his chair back out of his reach.
“What?” he asked innocently, then gave a sly smile.
Seth’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t use sex to make me talk.”
Seth shoved to his feet and hurried over to Reggie’s desk.
From the corner of his eye, he watched Reggie smile at Seth. After a
moment, Frost pulled his phone from his jeans and scrolled through it while
keeping one eye on them. The pair bent closer to the monitor and he took
that moment to walk closer. Wild gave him a curious look, but Frost held a
finger to his lips.
“It’s going to be cold there,” Reggie was saying.
“Yeah, but just think, it’ll be nice to get out of the office,” Seth
answered.
“Road trip!” Reggie gave Seth a fist bump.
Frost narrowed his eyes, then slipped from his hiding place near the
wall and prowled back to his own desk. He’d find out the answers another
way. Once the commander was back in his office, Frost closed his laptop
and followed Stefano.
“Where are Seth and the punk going?” he demanded, shutting the door.
Stefano frowned. “Punk?” The commander eased back into the chair
behind the desk and studied him.
“Reggie, the mail guy?”
“Reggie isn’t a mail person, and you know it.” Stefano looked
exasperated.
He shrugged and dropped into one if the chairs that lined the front of
Stefano’s desk.
“So?”
Stefano sighed. “They’re going to Switzerland.”
What the fuck for?”
“Yakov has a contact who we believe is transporting messages for him
to someone in a Switzerland prison.”
“Do we know what’s in them?” The message could be the key to
finding out what the hell Yakov was planning. He wanted his hands on
those messages.
“No. And I want Seth, Noah, and Reggie to settle in at the American
Consulate. There’s a hardline there they can use to get into the prison
database. I need them to find out who Yakov’s contact is meeting.”
“We just got back from Russia,” he groused irritably.
“So?”
“Why can’t we just tap Yakov’s phone?”
“We can’t get to it. He’s moving every day or so.”
“What about his contact? Where is he?”
“She. And she left the country before we could pick her up for
questioning. This will need to be an on the ground mission.”
“Well, fuck. We seem to be chasing our tails.”
“A bit,” the commander agreed.
“Send me with them.”
“Why?”
“They’ll need some muscle.”
“You’re not the only muscle.”
“No, but I have more combined than those three do together,” he
pointed out.
Stefano quirked a brow at him and then sighed. “Pack your bags. You
leave at 0600.”
He stood and gave a two fingered salute. He stopped by Seth’s desk.
“So… Switzerland, huh?”
Seth’s eyes narrowed. “Who told you that? If Reggie is talking about
jobs before they even happen, then he’s going to get into big trouble. I
swear—”
“Hold on.” Frost cut Seth off. “It was the commander, and I’m going
with you.”
“You are?” A flush spread over Seth’s cheeks.
‘Yes.”
“That’s awesome.” Seth flashed a shy smile.
“Yeah, somebody needs to watch your asses,” he said callously.
Seth’s breath caught. “You can be such an asshole.”
“You’re just now noticing?”
“Go to hell, Asher.”
Seth
Switzerland
was colder than Russia had been. The weather was a mere
twenty-seven degrees. At least the sun was shining and they were indoors.
The Embassy of the United States was located in the Canton of Bern,
Switzerland. Otherwise known as the gateway to the Alps. Seth wanted to
come back when he took a vacation.
Four of them flying to Switzerland was a bit on the excessive side, but
Stefano had reasoned more backup was better than not having enough. He’d
gotten over his anger at Asher during the flight over. Truth be told, he was
glad Asher had insisted on coming along. Still unsure of where they stood
as lovers, he couldn’t deny he was wildly attracted to the man and decided
he’d take it one moment at a time.
Under the guise of an auditing team, Seth entered the embassy, followed
by Asher, with Noah and Reggie bringing up the rear. He snickered beneath
his breath when one of the clerks looked skeptically at Asher. Asher
scowled and the clerk swallowed hard before hastily leading them to a tiny
office in the back of the building.
Asher prowled, the man’s muscles flexed, and he looked dangerous.
Wearing dark fatigue pants and a tight black T-shirt, Asher Grayson looked
more like a freaking bodyguard than an auditor. Seth stifled a laugh when
Asher aimed another hard stare at the office clerk. The guy gulped and
hurriedly left, closing the door.
Seth slapped Asher on the arm. “Be nice.”
“This is nice,” Asher grumbled.
Reggie giggled, and then yelped when Asher scowled at him. Seth
rolled his eyes and pulled Reggie along to find two computers sitting on
two desks toward the back of the tiny room. Noah dropped into a chair next
to the desk and perched an open laptop on the surface.
Asher took a chair near the door. Long legs splayed, he scrolled through
his cell phone as if engrossed, but Seth knew the man was far from
preoccupied. He’d witnessed many times Asher coming up and out of that
position with the speed of lightning.
“Yakov’s contact spoke with someone located in the Wauwilermoos
Central Switzerland prison in the Canton of Lucerne,” Reggie confirmed,
drawing his attention.
Seth pulled up the prison website. “Great, the website is completely in
German.” He rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
“Don’t worry.” Noah chuckled and rolled closer. “The language genius
is here.”
Seth gladly handed the tablet to Noah, who began reading it quietly to
the group.
“It’s like a ranch,” Noah murmured, browsing through the website.
“The prison has several programs. From stabling horses, community wood
working, local mechanics, to a library. Oh look, the place even has a farm
shop that sells fresh organic vegetables to the public.”
“Since the prison services the public, the inmates must not be
considered dangerous to the community,” Seth speculated.
“Or perhaps, they have to prove themselves worthy before working in a
department that deals with the public,” Noah volleyed back.
“True. I’ll access the online cameras and see who Yakov’s contact
visited.” Seth turned to the computer. The contact was a woman, it
shouldn’t be too hard to find her entering an all-male prison.
“Okay. Reggie and I will access the visitor’s logs, there’s a shit ton,”
Noah replied.
Seth started hacking into the prison camera system. It wasn’t going to
be easy. Since the creation of Swiss Cyber Storm, Switzerland now knew of
and employed some of the best young hackers in their country. He’d heard
that the creation of the organization had originated in 2017, and had come
about after Switzerland fell victim to global hackers in 2016. Having the
hard line helped, but it still took a while for him to access the cameras.
“There’s nobody named Lakhonin in the data base.” Reggie said.
Seth rubbed at his temple and saved the screen shot of the contact just
inside the prison doors. “There’s no photos of who she was meeting.”
“There’s over two hundred inmates in the prison’s system,” Reggie said.
“I’ve downloaded it to my phone.”
“We need that visitor’s log. She could have seen any one of them,”
Noah said.
“I snagged all the mug shots.” Seth finished transferring the prisoner
mug shots to his phone. Two hundred and sixty-one, it could have been
much worse. Still, it was going to take time to figure out which one was
their guy.
“Someone’s coming,” Asher drawled deeply from his spot near the
door.
Seth flipped his screen down, as did Noah and Reggie, before turning
slightly toward the others to go over a printed report of the embassy’s
financials Stefano had given them.
“Um, I was just checking to see if you guys want food. I’m ordering
from a local place.” The clerk stood hesitantly in the doorway.
“No thanks. We’re going out for lunch,” Asher stated, not looking up
from his phone or acknowledging the wide-eyed look the office clerk gave
him.
Well, that was news to Seth, but he actually wanted to get out and
stretch his legs. Putting on the tourist act helped their being here seem
genuine.
“Yeah, I want to see the local scenery while we’re here.” He smiled at
the nervous man, which for some reason, deepened Asher’s scowl. He
chalked it up to the operative having jet lag, plus Asher’s ever present, allaround grumpy disposition lately.
“That sounds good.” Noah stood and stretched. “I could use a break.”
“Any place you can recommend?” Reggie chimed in.
“Oh yeah, sure. There’s a cafe close by if you like Asian food.” The
clerk rattled off the address.
Asher looked slightly horrified and Seth bit back a smile. “Do you have
something that serves breakfast food?”
“Um, we have a steak house. I don’t think they’re serving breakfast
right now, but you can get a burger and fries.”
“How’s that sound?” he asked Asher, ignoring the curious looks both
Reggie and Noah threw him.
“Steak sounds good. What about you two?” Asher turned to Noah and
Reggie, and they both agreed that steak sounded fine.
“Alright, then steak house it is.” Seth rubbed his hands together and
smiled at the embassy man. The guy nodded in relief and gave them the
address before he hurriedly left the room.
Huddled in his coat, he was glad the drive was short. Thinking about
checking out the area and actually being out in the cold were two different
things completely. The weather wasn’t nice at the moment.
The restaurant ended up being a large hotel-style building with tables
and chairs set outside. Why anyone in their right mind would want to sit
outside in this weather, he could never understand. A heat lamp stood
nearby but it was still hella cold to him. He hadn’t been able to get warm
since they had arrived. Thankfully, a fire crackled in a massive stone
fireplace that pumped warmth through the inside dining area. The scent of
burnt wood drifting along with spices and grilled meat filled the air and his
stomach growled. The low hum of conversation made talking impossible
until they were seated at a booth near the back.
“What’s the name of this woman, the contact?” Asher asked.
“She left the country as Sara Bunker. It could be an alias. Why?” Seth
shot Asher a questioning look.
“I’m just thinking about what we found in Russia.” Asher rubbed at his
chin and stretched his arm along the back of the booth’s seat. The warm
contact of Asher’s arm along his shoulders sent his pulse humming.
“What are you getting at?” Seth’s brows furrowed.
“Call it a hunch, but who is this Sara Bunker, other than Yakov’s
contact?”
Following Asher’s thought process, realization dawned. “You’re
thinking family?” Seth’s eyebrows lifted.
Asher shrugged and took a drink of water.
“Okay,’ Seth said suddenly, nodding emphatically. “Let’s lay it all out.
Every bit of information we have. Starting from the point Asher and I were
in Russia.” Seth kept his voice low. “Even if it’s a repeat, let’s go back over
it.”
“Yakov has a wife.” Reggie pointed out. “We located her in Russia,
living with an ailing aunt.”
“And we found out that the woman on the balcony was the mistress,”
Seth murmured.
“Or ex-mistress,” Asher said, sounding jaded.
Seth glared and almost kicked the man beneath the table.
“Yakov’s son’s name is Vladimir,” Reggie read from his phone.
“Right.” Seth nodded.
“How involved is he?” Noah asked
“It sounds like he doesn’t want anything further to do with his father’s
business.” Asher repeated what Vladimir had said about doing nothing
further for his father.
“One less asshole to worry about at the moment,” Reggie piped up.
“So, that leaves three women, the mistress in Russia, the ex-wife in
Russia, and this woman, one Sara Bunker, here in Switzerland,” Noah said.
“What’s the chance this Sara Bunker is the wife?”
“The wife is Aria Lakhonin,” Reggie said. Reading from the
information on his phone, the techie held up a picture of the woman. “Sara
Bunker and Aria Lakhonin look nothing alike.”
Seth leaned forward to study the picture and then sat back. Reggie
turned and showed Noah the picture.
Asher, who had also looked at the phone, said, “True, Bunker could be a
new mistress.”
“Aria Lakhonin doesn’t look Russian,” Noah said after studying the
picture on Reggie’s phone.
Reggie snagged his phone back. “No, the report I pulled says she’s
American.”
“It appears that Yakov prefers American women,” Asher said around a
bite of steak. Seth supposed that it was as close to breakfast food as they
were going to get when it was almost night time. Maybe he’d research and
see where there was a good breakfast place in the morning.
“Apparently.” Seth lifted his phone and brushed his finger along the
face of it, scrolling through the list of prisoner names Reggie had sent him
earlier. “There’s no Lakhonin on the list, but let me check for Bunker.”
Bunker came up empty as well. “Another dead end.”
“Wait. What’s the wife’s maiden name?” Noah leaned forward, taking a
bite of his burger.
Seth motioned to Reggie’s phone. “Start checking. You’re the one with
the data on her.” Reggie put down his fork and quickly scrolled through his
phone.
Seth took the opportunity to dig into his food and watch Asher. Lately,
watching Asher had become his favorite thing to do. He couldn’t deny how
much he wanted the man. The only thing keeping him from asking Asher to
go back to the hotel room and make love was the presence of Reggie and
Noah.
Seth looked away from Asher. Perhaps he should do what he was
thinking earlier. Maybe they should just cool it. It could be that seeing
Asher hadn’t been a good idea to begin with. He wasn’t sure what Asher’s
agenda was or if the guy even had one. The man continually boasted about
keeping things casual. Seth even overheard Asher telling Noah he didn’t
date. So what exactly were they doing? Okay, yeah, when they were
together, it was out of this world, but was it just sex to Asher? Each time,
Seth felt like they were making love. He was falling for the powerful man
sitting next to him. And that was another thing, Asher did the craziest things
sometimes. Earlier, when Reggie went to slide in next to him, Asher had
given the guy the death stare. Reggie had gulped and quickly switched
sides, sitting next to Noah.
Right now, Seth could feel the press of Asher’s thickly muscled thigh
against his own and his cock was having trouble behaving.
“Seth?”
He blinked, looking away from Asher’s muscled chest. Had they said
something to him?
“What?” he asked, and took another bite of burger to cover up his
spacing out.
“Here it is.” Reggie held up his phone.
“What’s her name?” Seth swallowed the bite.
“Gibson.”
“Gibson?” Noah said suddenly, looking up from his plate in surprise.
“Yeah, why?” Reggie asked.
“I just use to know someone named Gibson.”
“What does the inmate roster say?” Asher nudged him.
He jerked his gaze from Noah and down at the list on his phone.
Scrolling all the way to the G’s. “There’s a Belton Gibson serving ten
years.”
Noah suddenly choked on his food and starting coughing hard.
“Are you okay?” Reggie asked, patting Noah on the back.
“What’s wrong?” Seth asked, concerned for Noah.
“A Belton Gibson lived at the compound where I was held captive,”
Noah growled.
“Is this Gibson Aria’s and Yakov’s son? Her brother? Or what?” Reggie
fired off, but none of them could answer the techie’s questions.
Seth’s mind reeled. He pulled out his phone and showed Noah the photo
he’d downloaded from the prisoner mugshots.
“Is that him? Is that Gibson?” Seth asked.
Noah nodded and plunked his fork down. “How the fuck did he end up
in a Switzerland prison?” Noah’s whisper was harsh.
“More importantly,” Seth tucked his phone away, “how did he end up in
the compound you were held at?”
“I don’t know,” Noah rasped.
Seth tipped his chin at Asher. “You don’t look shocked.”
Asher sighed. “Nothing surprises me. Let’s go back to the hotel room. I
think we need to get the commander and the chief on the phone.”
They all agreed and quickly finished eating, although Noah was done.
Seth worried about his cousin, those were some very dark times Noah had
spent living on that compound beneath the tyranny of Terrance Manning
and Noah’s own stepfather, Ricky Stevenson. Thankfully, both were now
dead, but apparently not all of Noah’s tormentors were gone.
They walked silently through the hotel lobby. Reggie had called the
embassy and told the guy they wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. They’d
shut down the computers before leaving for lunch and wiped all traces of
what they’d really been up to, so they were in the clear.
The door shut and Noah turned on Asher. “Do you know anything?”
“Hey.” Seth stepped between them and placed a hand against Noah’s
chest, not holding him back, but rather preventing him from stepping into
Asher’s space. “Let’s call the commander.”
Noah nodded abruptly and stepped back to drop down into one of the
chairs in the suite’s common area.
“Stefano?” Asher said into the phone, and then punched the speaker
button. “You’re on speaker. We found out the name of the prison inmate
Yakov’s contact has been talking to.”
“Okay?” The commander sounded puzzled.
“It’s Belton Gibson,” Noah said before any of them could.
Another deep voice came through Stefano’s speaker phone. “Who’s
that?”
“Dad?” Noah inquired with surprise.
“Hello, son.”
“What are you doing there?”
“Having a drink with Stefano.”
A short silence followed.
“Tell me what you found out about this Belton Gibson guy. And who
the hell is he? Why do you think Yakov’s contact met him?” Stefano
ordered.
Seth took a breath. “There are no cameras in the prison visiting area, so
we couldn’t see who the contact met with. But Reggie found out that
Yakov’s American wife’s maiden name is Gibson. I checked, there’s an
American man on the list by the name of Belton Gibson.”
“Belton Gibson was at the compound where Terrance Manning held me
captive.” Noah’s words rang out. The room dropped into dead silence.
“That’s a pretty big fucking coincidence,” Asher growled.
“This Gibson could be the wife’s brother.” The commander sounded
thoughtful over the phone.
“That’s one scenario,” Seth agreed.
“Or Gibson could be Yakov and Ari’s son,” Asher pointed out.
There was silence on the other end of the phone. The silence extended
into the room as they all processed what that might mean.
“I just don’t see how that’s possible! Gibson is scum,” Noah charged,
appearing to lose his cool. “He was unkempt, unclean.” Noah scowled and
Seth stood and moved over to place a hand on the man’s shoulder. Noah
looked at him. “He was a thug.”
“So is Yakov,” Stefano said.
Rossi’s voice came through the phone. “Even a thug is related to
somebody.”
Seth silently agreed. Asher had become awfully quiet and Seth would
have loved to know what the operative was thinking.
“Son, I think you, Seth, and I need to have a talk,” Giovanni Rossi said
suddenly over the phone.
Seth jerked his head up. Could his uncle mean what he hoped?
“Okay…” Noah drew the word out, looking at him. Seth shook his
head. If Rossi was ready to tell Noah they were related, the story should
come from his uncle.
“Get back here as soon as possible. I’ll put Allison on researching into
Belton Gibson,” the commander ordered. “I just booked a flight for the four
of you in two hours. That’ll give you enough time to get to the airport.
Hopefully, by the time you land, I’ll have more information on Gibson.”
With not seeing Switzerland at all other than Bern, he vowed to
definitely make a trip back there. Maybe once his cousin knew of their
relationship, he’d want to take a trip. His gaze followed Asher as the man
disappeared to pack. A trip back here for leisure certainly wasn’t in the
cards for them. When they got back to the States, Seth was going to have a
heart to heart with the frosty man.
Seth
They
were gathered in Stefano Esposito’s office. The commander sat
behind a large oak desk. The office was filled with commendations and
memorabilia from Stefano’s many years of service in the military. Seth had
seen some of the same commendations and awards in his uncle’s home.
“Have a seat, Seth,” Stefano said, cutting into his wandering thoughts.
He dropped into one of the wide, plush chairs. Noah took a seat in the
other one and his Uncle Rossi sat on the couch next to Stefano’s desk.
There was a long moment of silence where the commander and Rossi
looked at each other. Then Stefano nodded his head.
“Noah,” Rossi began, then sighed. “I never told you that I have an older
sister.”
Noah started in surprise. “Why not?”
“Because she’s someone who doesn’t associate with me.”
“What do you mean she doesn’t associate with you?”
“I’m…well, she thinks,” Rossi said, stumbling uncharacteristically over
his words. “I’m beneath her. Or rather, anyone who doesn’t make the kind
of money her adopted family and current husband make is beneath her.”
Rossi named a significant figure. “It’s a long story. But she got pregnant
when she was in her twenties and walked out, leaving the boy with the
father.” When Noah opened his mouth to speak, Rossi held up his hand.
“Let me finish, son.” Noah closed his mouth.
Seth blinked against a sudden sting in his eyes at all the people his
mother had hurt with her callousness.
“The father made some very bad decisions,” his uncle continued, and
Seth could agree with that. “He got into a life of crime and left his sixteen
year old son, my nephew, in a very dangerous situation.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why is Seth here?” Noah asked.
“He’s my nephew, your cousin by birth.”
By the look on Noah’s face, he had already figured that out.
Noah turned to him. “You knew,” he said as his golden eyes filled with
hurt.
Seth nodded, then their gazes met and held. “I wanted to tell you so
many times.” He rubbed damp palms down his jeans.
‘But I asked him not to,” his uncle cut in, and Noah turned back to
Rossi.
“Why would you do that?” His cousin’s voice cracked.
“Because when Seth came into the picture, I had some very bad men
after me. The more people who knew about my relationship to Seth would
have put his life in jeopardy.” Rossi sighed, looked away, and shoved a
hand through his hair.
“Why not tell me in December when you came to our home for
Christmas? Both Manning and Stevenson were dead.”
“You’re right, they were.” Rossi took a deep breath and tilted his head
as if contemplating saying something. He blew out a breath. “I was once
again put into a situation that gave me concerns about revealing the identity
of anyone in my family. It was better that I only had one living relative.”
“Put in what situation?” Seth leaned forward. Rossi held his gaze, then
turned his head away.
The silence was loud and stretched uncomfortably. In the quiet, an email
pinged on the commander’s laptop. Stefano reached for the keyboard.
“Here’s the report on Gibson,” Stefano said.
“What does it say?” Noah jerked his head around. Seth turned his
attention from his uncle to Stefano.
“Allison’s informant says…” Stefano’s eyes moved swiftly and he
spoke as he read the contents. “Belton Gibson is the son of Yakov and Aria
Lakhonin, and that Yakov apparently placed Gibson with Manning
because…” The commander stopped and sucked in a breath.
“Because why?” Giovanni Rossi’s deep voice interjected when Stefano
stopped reading in surprise and looked up. “Terrance Manning and Yakov
are half-brothers,” he finished.
“How is that even possible?” Noah frowned.
The commander swiveled the laptop on the desk so it was facing them
and continued reading. “According to the email, Yakov, Viktor, and
Manning all share the same father, just different mothers.”
They all stared at each other. Seth gripped the arms of the overstuffed
chair.
“So, wait,” Noah frowned, scratching at his chin. “Do you think that
Yakov is here to avenge Viktor?”
“No. Yakov has no idea you killed Viktor,” the commander said.
“Plus, it’s common knowledge that Yakov hated Viktor, so I highly
doubt he’s here to avenge Viktor’s death,” Seth said, having investigated
into the relationship between the two men. He was watching his uncle,
otherwise he might not have noticed the sudden closing of Rossi’s eyes and
pinch of his brow before his face cleared. Rossi hadn’t seemed at all
surprised at the information that his son, Noah, had killed Viktor Lakhonin.
“You knew.” Realization dawned. “You already knew that Noah killed
Viktor, didn’t you?” Seth’s gaze stayed on Rossi’s face.
“Yes,” Rossi answered, turning to meet his gaze. “There’s not much that
Stefano doesn’t tell me. I do have military background and clearance.”
Oh, how vague. The fucking elephant in the room was growing and Seth
would bet his paycheck that his uncle was the chief. Just what situations did
Rossi have that would force the man to continue keeping him a secret?
Rossi looked away from his searching gaze. Seth snapped his eyes to
Stefano, but the commander said nothing, just silently stared back.
Silence filled the room again and this time, it was thick and heavy. Seth
turned his gaze from Stefano to his cousin. Noah sat looking back and forth
between Rossi and Stefano.
The commander cleared his throat and continued reading through the
sudden strain in the room. “There appeared to be a strong bond between
Manning and Yakov. And here, I quote the informant’s words exactly, ‘You
can conclude that Yakov is in the United States to avenge Manning’s
death.’”
“Terrance Manning came after me. I didn’t go after him. Yakov can
suck it,” Noah snapped.
Stefano blew out a harsh breath. “Clearly, he’s a man with a grudge, and
not to be taken lightly.”
“I’m not taking him lightly. Let him come.” Noah folded his arms
against his chest.
Rossi drew a hand over his mouth and chin. “Let’s not forget that I
killed Manning’s son. Whom we now know was Yakov’s nephew.”
“Fuck!” Noah closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Seth had heard the story. His uncle Rossi had killed Terrance Manning’s
son during a black ops raid. Manning junior had been a very bad man. In
revenge, Manning killed Noah’s mother and paid Ricky Stevenson, Noah’s
stepfather at the time, to hide Noah from Rossi.
Noah had been eleven at the time and hadn’t been rescued until the age
of seventeen by US Marshal Mac Mackenzie, his current lover. Of course,
they hadn’t been lovers while Noah was young, but circumstances had
brought them back together years later. How had Noah survived six years in
that hell hole with Manning and retained his sanity?
“So, he’s coming after you because you killed his nephew and he thinks
I killed his half-brother.” Noah stood, clearly agitated, and paced back and
forth. “How could we have missed this? How could we have missed that
Viktor and Yakov were fucking related to Manning?”
“We weren’t even looking in that direction,” the commander answered.
“What we knew was that Terrance Manning supplied Viktor with sex
trafficking victims in exchange for drugs.”
“I know that. It was one of the reasons you had me take him out in the
first place,” Noah responded.
“Right, but with so many differences between the three men along with
the different names, it just never came to light that they were related,”
Stefano reasoned.
“Does Yakov know you have a sister?” Seth questioned his uncle. His
cousin’s head jerked around.
“Nobody knows about Ginger. She was adopted and I was put into the
foster care system. I have no connection to her,” Rossi replied.
“Well, that’s a relief,” Noah stated.
“Nobody outside this room knows I have a nephew.”
“That’s not true, I told Asher,” Seth admitted, tilting his chin up, daring
any of them to say shit.
Not one person looked surprised.
“Well,” Stefano cleared his throat, “after what you discovered in
Switzerland and in light of this email, the family connection between
Manning and Yakov will be brought to everyone’s attention at the next
meeting. As well as Seth and Noah’s connection to Rossi.”
“When’s the next meeting?” Seth asked, curious.
“Tonight,” the commander answered.
“Did you put a protection detail on our home?” Noah asked Stefano.
“I did,” Rossi interjected. “As I was saying earlier, I was pulled into a
situation that gave me concerns. I don’t take your safety lightly.”
There was that “situation” comment again. Were the issues concerning
Rossi’s position as unit chief? What else could it be?
“I thought someone was watching us. Mac thought I was being
paranoid,” Noah said, shoving a hand through his hair, pulling the long
strands from the hair tie.
“You’re not being paranoid,” Rossi told Noah.
“In light of Yakov coming for revenge, we need to get protection on my
dad.” Noah turned from Rossi and narrowed his eyes at Stefano.
“Your father has around the clock protection.” The commander sat,
unflinching. Seth’s head snapped up, his gaze traveling over his uncle, but
the man wasn’t looking in his direction.
“I’m not too concerned about me, son,” Rossi told Noah. “I am
concerned about you and Seth.”
“And what about you keeping my cousin a secret from me?” Noah
snapped.
“Noah…” Stefano tried to cut in.
“Wait a minute,” his cousin told the commander, and then glared at
Giovanni Rossi. “I get that you both have top level clearance issues going
on and you can’t tell us everything. But this, you should have. I went my
whole life not knowing I had living family and then I found out about you.
Now another year has gone by and I’ve just found out about Seth.”
Seth hid a smile. Damn, he loved his outspoken cousin.
“I’m sorry,” Rossi had the grace to say. “The less people who show up
as related to me on paper, the better. I fear for your safety every day,” his
uncle told his only son.
Noah narrowed his gaze and then the tension bled from his shoulders.
“Well, I’m concerned about you both,” Seth said quietly into the
silence. He was thankful Yakov knew nothing of his connection, but he was
ready to put the guy down if it became an issue.
Noah turned toward him. Seth sat still, searching his cousin’s eyes for
the first time with the man possessing the knowledge that they were related.
The secret was out and brought a sting to his eyes. Would Noah accept him?
“I’ve always considered you a brother,” Noah said with a half-smile,
and then pulled him up. Strong arms wrapped around him and Seth
chuckled, squeezing the man tightly.
“So, I have a question. How did Belton Gibson end up in a Switzerland
prison?” Seth asked, releasing Noah and turning to his uncle.
The commander slightly lifted his hand, catching their attention, and
pointed to the laptop. “According to the informant, no person by the name
of Belton Gibson was arrested during the raid on Manning’s compound.”
Stefano looked up from the screen.
“Wait, I saw Mac tie him up in a tunnel.” Noah rubbed a hand over his
mouth and pulled at the short hair on his chin.
“That may very well be, but in the chaos, Gibson got away. From what I
hear, a lot of the offenders ran for the Oregon hills that day and have yet to
be found.”
“So he got away.” Noah approached Stefano’s desk. “But like Seth
asked, how did he end up in a Switzerland prison?”
Stefano was still browsing the information, but looked up when Noah
approached. “It appears that two years after the raid in Oregon, Gibson was
picked up on hit and run charges in Switzerland and is in his seventh of a
ten-year sentence.”
No one spoke as they digested the commander’s words.
“So if we hadn’t found out about Gibson, we wouldn’t have known
about the connection between Yakov and Manning.” Noah blew out a hard
breath and Seth felt for the guy.
“Exactly,” Stefano said.
A cold chill swept over Seth as the details were brought to light. Now
things started to make sense. They couldn’t risk Yakov finding out any of
them were related.
“He isn’t getting anywhere close to us,” Seth vowed.
Frost
He had treated Seth coolly in Switzerland and even colder upon returning
home a week ago. His answers to Seth’s questions had been short and
abrupt with as minimal amount of words as possible. After the meeting
where the commander and chief informed them all of the connections
between Viktor, Manning, and Yakov, and then declared Noah and Seth his
relatives, Frost had pretty much stayed away from the office. Truth of the
matter was, he was having grave misgivings about what he’d started with
Seth.
Today brought him in for the cell phone charger on his desk. He really
needed to get a few chargers to keep on hand. He knew he was in for it by
the look on Seth’s face when he entered the room. Seth’s shoulders were
tense and his normally full mouth was pulled into a tight line. Frost could
see the anger in the tilt of Seth’s chin at his cold behavior. A storm was
gathering in those amazing green eyes, and Frost knew it was only a matter
of time before Seth blew up.
Fuck it. Frost turned and strode back out of the building. He’d spend the
day working in the field and pick up a charger later. Rapid strides took him
to the SUV, but before he could get his door open, a voice stopped him in
his tracks.
“Asher Grayson!” Seth snarled from behind him.
Frost closed his eyes and turned, holding Seth’s angry gaze.
“You can’t avoid me forever!” Seth barked, advancing on him.
“I know.” Those simple words stopped Seth in his tracks. Frost saw hurt
swirl and a sheen come to the surface.
“You know?” Seth’s eyes widened, his words spoken thickly. “You
know? Is that all you can say?”
“I’m not good at this.” Frost shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Neither am I.” Seth’s voice became quieter, softer if possible.
Seth’s voice washed over him. He fucking wanted this man so badly,
but the thought of continuing past what they had done was crippling.
“Just give us a chance,” Seth breathed out and stepped closer.
“Seth…”
“Please, Asher. Whatever is holding you back, I’ll understand.”
“I know.” Frost gritted the words out. He could feel the noose
tightening. Seth wanted a commitment, which had him breaking out in a
cold sweat. He couldn’t give it to him. “This isn’t enough for you.”
“It’s enough if I say it is.”
“You say that, but you don’t understand.”
“I do understand, Asher, even if you can’t say the words.”
“I gotta go,” he said, his skin suddenly crawling.
Ignoring the bewildered look on Seth’s face, Frost got into his vehicle
and drove away. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done in his life.
He rubbed at his chest and then wrapped his hands around the steering
wheel until his knuckles turned white.
Making a quick decision, he punched in a number to the only person he
could talk to. Someone who was close but not too close.
“Ro?”
“Hey, man. What’s up?” Roscoe said.
“Meet for a beer?”
“Same place as usual?”
Frost smiled. “Yeah.”
The place was in Jack London Square. The square was named after the
famous author. The bar was a hole in the wall brewery that had sprung up
along with a dozen others in the area. It was crowded, but the staff was
friendly and the sign boasted they had zero tolerance for hate. The menu
featured Mexican food today, which suited Frost just fine.
They ordered and Frost looked out the window. People milled about,
walking their dogs. Some carrying small plastic bags. The area took
cleaning up after your dog to a whole other level.
“So, what’s going on?” Roscoe asked after the waitress set their beers
on the table and left.
“Seth.”
“What about Seth?”
“We…” Frost paused.
“Had sex?”
“Made love,” Frost said at the same time as Roscoe. He sucked in a
quick breath. “Yeah, sex,” he changed quickly.
“Made love?” Of course, Roscoe latched onto that word.
He sighed harshly, then shoved one hand into his hair as he lifted his
beer with his other to take a quick swallow.
“Don’t read anything into it,” he grumbled beneath his breath.
“Ooooh.” A slight smile curved the agent’s mouth.
“What?” He speared Roscoe with a hard look.
“You have feelings for him.”
“No shit. He’s part of Phoenix,” he shot back.
“Do you have the same feelings for Wild, Noah, or Storm?” Roscoe
asked.
“No!” He suddenly frowned.
His friend laughed. “I rest my case.”
“Fuck.”
“It can’t be that bad. Just take it slow and see where things go. He may
not want anything to do with your sorry ass after he gets to know you.”
“What the hell, Ro?” He scowled.
Roscoe grinned. “Ease up, buddy. Joking.”
He sighed and played with his drink. “Sorry. I’m just on edge.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Roscoe joked, and then thankfully,
changed the subject.
“We had to release Marco Jennings and Jagger Miller aka Wyatt
Hughes,” the agent said. Apparently, Seth had filled the FBI in on Miller’s
real identity.
“Well, we knew it was coming. The evidence was circumstantial.”
“Yeah, it just sucks, is all.”
The world seemed a bit off kilter the next day, but he arrived at the office
and planted his ass at his desk. His palms were sweaty and he lost focus
every time Seth so much as looked in his direction. He hadn’t eaten in
hours, which wasn’t like him.
“Here,” that soft sexy voice said next to his desk and a hand placed a
hot coffee with cream and sugar, just how he liked it, and a hot ham and
cheese croissant on his desk. His mouth watered and he stared at the treat
because he couldn’t seem to look at Seth.
Big, bad fucking Frost was afraid of the ex hacker. When Seth went to
step away, Frost closed his hand around Seth’s wrist. With an outstretched
leg, he hooked a foot beneath a nearby chair and pulled it closer. He held
still until Seth sank into the vacant chair and then released his hold.
“Thanks,” he said gruffly. Not sure if he meant the food or the fact that
Seth had stayed. He wanted to say something, anything, but he had nothing.
“You’re welcome.”
Frost looked at Seth then. Sweet hell, the man was fucking exquisite.
Oh, not in a flashy way, but in a real way. In a rich, deep, genuine way.
Thick lashes surrounded Seth’s eyes and Frost wanted to keep that molten
gaze fixed on him for as long as possible.
“I want to try,” he said awkwardly and shoved a hand through his hair,
wondering where the hell that offer had surged up from. Somewhere deep,
he supposed, but wasn’t going to look too closely at it.
The smile Seth gave him lit up the fucking room and Frost’s heart
picked up its tempo. He couldn’t stop the smirk that lifted the corner of his
mouth. Suddenly starving, he lifted the croissant and took a huge bite.
“It’s good,” he said around a mouthful. “You want a taste?”
“No, I had mine,” Seth said with a tiny smile. “That one is all yours.”
That smile drove Frost crazy, he wanted to nip at Seth’s lips. Taking a
deep, slow breath, he let it out.
“Would you like to go to dinner tonight?” Frost asked. Looking away,
he found a renewed interest in his food. The silence stretched.
“I’d love to.”
The softly spoken words sent his heart pounding.
Seth
Stepping outside of the building, he eyed the food truck currently parked
across the street one block over near the bank. Should he risk it? The
burritos weren’t bad, but seriously, he wasn’t sure what was in the meat.
“Hey, cuz,” Noah called out, jogging to catch up with him.
“Hey.” Seth turned and smiled.
Noah grinned. “Want to grab some lunch?”
“What about Mac?” It was cute as hell how Mac usually came by the
office and picked Noah up for lunch each day. He was incredibly happy for
his cousin, although a bit envious.
“He’s on a case with Jake down in Santa Maria. I think he’ll be staying
down there for the night.”
Noah had told him a few days earlier that Jake was thinking of moving
up here. Something to do with the marshal not getting along with his boss.
“Alright, where to?”
“How about we hit that little Asian place that opened down the street,”
Noah suggested.
“Sounds good.” Seth grinned, rubbing his stomach. “You drive. I took
an Uber to work today.”
The place was a bit crowded, but they were seated in twenty minutes.
One of the things he liked about the place was the quick service and hot
food.
“I wish we would have known each other growing up,” Seth said a bit
wistful. It would have been nice growing up with a cousin.
“Me too. It sounds like we both had a shitty childhood.” Noah’s smile
was lopsided.
“Mine wasn’t as crappy as yours, but it wasn’t the best. After my mom
split, my dad just lost any semblance of being law abiding. If it wasn’t for
Uncle Rossi, I would have headed down that same road.”
“How so?”
He’d never told Noah much about his past. He hadn’t wanted to let
something slip. Now, though, he told his cousin about his involvement with
the hacker side of things and how Rossi had wiped his record. “He basically
picked me up and took me home. After a few weeks, he called someone, I
think it was the chief or maybe Stefano, and before I knew it, I was part of
the team.”
“So he rescued you around the same time I was contacted by Stefano to
join Phoenix.”
“Yeah.”
“For some reason, I thought you came after I did.”
“I was around a bit before you, just not part of the team yet,” Seth
explained.
“It seems odd that my dad has such close ties to Stefano, but they don’t
work together.”
“That is odd.” Seth nodded, not daring to say the words. Instead, he
took a bite of his spicy chicken.
Noah, on the other hand, had no problem with saying it. “I think my dad
is the chief.”
“I do too.” Seth laughed in relief.
“It makes sense.”
“It does. And you can see why he can never tell us or anyone.”
“Yeah, it would make him even more vulnerable. Plus, now he’s been
pulled into another situation, whatever the hell that means,” Noah added.
Seth agreed. If their enemies found out Rossi was the chief, the whole
unit would be a target. Seth shuddered to think what would happen if Yakov
found out. The man would definitely focus all of his might directly at the
unit. If Yakov came after the team, the kingpin would surely die, but some
of Phoenix would fall in the process. Both sides lose during war. He
swallowed on a suddenly dry throat just thinking of something happening to
his brothers-in-arms.
“If my dad is the chief, Stefano sure can keep a secret.”
“I always thought your dad and Stefano were lovers.” He cringed
slightly. There went his mouth. “Gah, sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Noah laughed. “I thought that once too, but I’ve
never seen them do anything remotely romantic.”
“Me either. It’s just that sometimes Stefano looks at your dad like he
loves him.”
“They are close friends. I think since boyhood. I’m not sure,” Noah
responded around a bite of food.
“Tell me about your mother, you know, since mine got the shittiest
award. I can live through you.” Seth smiled. He wanted to hear about
Noah’s happy times.
“She was beautiful. Smart. She had a way with words, but was quiet and
read a lot. She taught me German, English, and Italian by the time I was
eleven years old. And I picked up Spanish when I was fifteen. Then
Russian, French…” His cousin trailed off, suddenly looking sheepish.
“Holy shit, you never told me that. I knew you were a language genius,
but damn…three by eleven?” Seth could only imagine being that smart.
“I’m not a genius. Languages just came easy to me. Kind of like you
and computers.”
“Pfft.” He shook his head. “I’m not a big deal.”
“Hey, don’t do that. Don’t sell yourself short. I heard that you were part
of a hacker team that was on the FBI’s most wanted list.”
“I was, but that’s nothing to brag about.” Thankfully, the FBI never
discovered he had worked for Tech Suppress.
“What’s the riskiest thing you ever did?”
“Hacked into the sheriff’s database,” he smirked.
“No shit?” Noah’s eyebrows lifted.
“Yeah, your dad lectured me for days.” Seth grinned.
“How’d he catch you?”
“I hacked it from his computer.”
Noah laughed loudly and a few people glanced their way. “Your life of
crime,” his cousin teased him.
“Yeah, that’s me.” Seth took a bite of rice and then poked at a piece of
chicken. “Thankfully, I didn’t end up like my old man.”
“You said you did jobs for this Starr guy?” His cousin’s voice changed,
becoming quieter and filled with concern.
“Yeah. I worked for Starr while also trying to keep Eddie happy.”
“Who’s Eddie?”
“Eddie was the head of Tech Suppress. I was fourteen when Eddie had
me tweak electronics so he and his crew could break into the cars and drive
them away,” Seth said, taking a bite and chewing it slowly. “I was fifteen
when I started working for my dad and Starr.”
“You did jobs for this Eddie guy and Starr at the same time?” Noah’s
eyebrows lifted.
“Yeah, it wasn’t that hard. With Starr, I only had to hack the
surveillance.” Seth pushed away his empty plate. “Starr went to ground
after my dad went to prison.”
“Social services didn’t pick you up?”
“Nope. My dad’s girlfriend at the time, Lucy, lived at the house.” Seth
slurped the last of his soda through the straw in his cup. “They thought she
was my mom and left me behind. She couldn’t pay the rent on the place and
split a week or so later.” He scowled, remembering how empty the house
had felt. “I just worked for Eddie after that.”
“Damn,” Noah said, shaking his head.
“It wasn’t so bad,” Seth lied. When in reality, it had been one of the
lowest points in his life. “I crashed on his couch and I got pizza almost
every night.” He wasn’t going to reminisce about how scared he’d been
back then.
Noah laughed just like Seth planned. His cousin must have sensed he
didn’t really want to talk about his old life any further, at least not for today,
and changed the subject. “How surreal is it that Terrance Manning, Viktor,
and Yakov are related?” Noah asked softly.
Seth made a face. “It’s crazy. And that guy, Belton Gibson, is their
freaking family.”
“Yeah.” Noah’s gaze turned hard.
“Did Manning ever let on that Gibson was his nephew?” Seth asked
curiously.
“It’s there now. Thinking back, I can see the signs. But back then, I just
thought Manning was showing favoritism to anyone who wasn’t me,” Noah
clipped out, and Seth’s heart hurt for his cousin.
“I’m so fucking glad he’s dead.” Seth clenched his fists.
Noah gave a half-smile. “Me too.”
“So grateful for Storm,” Seth added.
“Don’t tell him I said this, but I was never more thankful in my life than
I was to see Storm on that day.”
“Me too,” Seth agreed with a smile. Storm had been the one to take the
shot that had killed Terrance Manning, finally ending the psychopath’s
reign of terror.
Seth’s eyes burned and he squeezed his cousin’s hand tightly. They took
a longer lunch than normal just getting to know each other. Oh, they knew a
lot about each other, having been friends for years, but it felt different
knowing they were cousins.
“So…” Noah cautiously began while driving them back to work. “You
and Frost, huh?”
Seth made a face. “I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
Noah laughed at him. “Love usually is.”
“I wouldn’t call it love,” Seth admitted sadly.
“What? Why not?”
“Asher is gun shy. He has this whole player facade and he won’t share
why he keeps his distance. I mean, I can see he wants to let me in. I see it in
the way he looks at me or the way he touches me, but then his mouth and
head take over and it all goes to shit.”
“I suspected something between you two in Switzerland.”
“Yeah, we hooked up in Russia and a few times afterward,” Seth
admitted.
“Ah, I see.”
Seth ran a hand over the light stubble on his jaw and then rubbed his
pant legs. “I thought, wow… here I go, back into another relationship so
soon after Dennis.” He looked out the window and deeply sighed. “It just
seems so right with Asher…”
“But?”
“But that’s not what he wants,” he mumbled.
“What does he want?”
“That is exactly what I’m going to find out tonight,” Seth answered
with a decisive nod. He’d had enough of Asher’s hot and cold treatment.
Tonight, he was getting some answers.
Frost
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Wild said.
“What’s up?” Frost glanced away from the information on his laptop.
“Look what the sheriff’s department just forwarded to the Phoenix main
email,” the tracker said, and rolled back from his computer so Frost could
take a look.
Frost scooted his chair closer and Wild opened the small video. “That
fucker,” Frost growled, and shoved back his chair.
“We better let the boss man know,” Wild said.
Together, they walked into Stefano’s office. Their boss looked up, saw
their faces, and frowned.
Once Stefano got the email and video file open, Frost and Wild watched
over his shoulder as the scene from the small video clip unfolded one more
time.
The scene from the video could have been something from out of a
fucking movie, but appeared all too real. A man knelt on the ground in a
deserted warehouse. Two men, one of the men being Marco Jennings, held
the guy down on his knees. Yakov Lakhonin walked into view of the
camera and said something. The guy on the ground shook his head, then
Yakov walked closer and shot the guy in the head.
Yakov then turned and gave a thumbs up toward the camera. Frost
would bet money Yakov had no idea he was being filmed. The guy seemed
too relaxed to know he was on camera.
“We’ve got him.” Amazement and shock filled Stefano’s voice.
“We sure the fuck do,” Frost said, pulling his gun and checking the clip.
Stefano stood and moved to his office door. From there, he called the
team into his office and quickly called the chief on the phone.
Noah and Seth had just come through the door. Storm came to stand just
inside the door. Allison took a seat next to Reggie on the small couch. It
was a tight squeeze, but they all piled into the commander’s office and
watched the video.
The chief was on speaker phone, the man had his own copy of the video
by then.
“Okay, so this is a full on manhunt,” the chief’s robotic voice directed
over the speakers. “I’ll let the sheriff’s department know to keep this video
under wrap. I’ll be contacting the US Marshals and FBI so you’ll have back
up.”
“Jennings and Miller are out on bail,” Frost chimed in.
“Yes, I’m reading the FBI report right now,” the chief responded.
“Okay, I’ll have Yakov, Jennings, and Miller’s pictures sent to every police
station in California and the surrounding states just in case they run for it.”
“I’m putting you on two-man teams to do stakeouts at every location we
have on Lakhonin, Jennings, and Miller,” Stefano interjected.
“Watch yourselves and each other out there,” the chief added.
“Storm and Wild, you’re team one. Reboot Hell and Frost: team two,
Ghost and Mamma Bear: team three. Reggie will run the command center
remotely from here. There are five known addresses. I’m putting you on the
most well-known places. The FBI and Marshals will cover the others.
Check your phones for addresses and hit the streets, team. We have zero
time to waste,” Stefano continued after the chief had disconnected the call.
It might have been better if Stefano had put Seth with someone else, but
it also made sense that he hadn’t. Recently, he and Seth were frequently
paired together. But honestly, the last thing he wanted was to be trapped in a
vehicle with Seth. What if Seth wanted to talk about feelings and shit? He
rubbed his sweaty palms down his jeans. He’d rather take a slow train ride
through hell.
Frost tugged at the collar of his T-shirt, and then shrugged out of his jacket.
Unclipping the seat belt, he shifted in his seat. All he wanted was peace and
quiet, and he would have had it if Seth would shut the fuck up.
The man’s low, sexy voice had been a constant thrum against his
eardrums, and the sound went straight to his crotch. Just don’t think about
it. Think of something else. He turned and squinted out the window, but
couldn’t see shit. Fog had rolled in, hovering over the street. Its thickness
clung to the street lights and gave the quiet neighborhood an eerie glow.
The same house they’d staked out before stood quietly on the other side
of the street. So far, there’d been no sign of Yakov or his men. So far, the
only thing that moved had been a neighbor taking his ankle biter dogs for a
walk.
Seth ended the call and turned in his seat. Frost kept his gaze trained out
the window.
“Nothing over on Tenth Street,” Seth murmured.
Tenth, where Noah and Allison were, was supposedly where Jagger
Miller lived. In the off chance that Wyatt “Jagger” Hughes was undercover,
they decided to continue calling the man Miller. Although, they hadn’t
found shit to indicate Hughes was on their side.
“Yakov may already be gone,” Frost said, running his gaze over the
edges of the houses where the fog clung the thickest.
“For some reason, I don’t think so.”
“Why?” he asked irritably and shifted in his seat. Beneath the cover of
darkness, he adjusted his dick.
“Because he has unfinished business. If he’s really here for revenge,
then he’s got to be after Noah or Uncle Rossi.”
“Or you,” Frost added and rubbed at his chest where the acid from the
coffee earlier still burned.
“He doesn’t know about me.”
“And I aim to keep it that way,” he said, and then snapped his gaze back
to the street, scowling. A gentle hand landed on his arm and his muscles
tensed. He tugged away and rubbed at the spot.
It might have been dark, but Frost saw the quick flash of teeth when
Seth smiled.
“Thank you.”
He shrugged. “I’d do the same for anyone in the team.” He played it off.
“Mmhmm.”
Frost whipped his head around. “What does ‘mmhmm’ mean?”
“Nothing, just mmhmm,” the cheeky fucker said. “Are we still on for
that date?”
“It’s not a date. It’s dinner,” he muttered.
“Date, dinner, whatever. You asked me out.” Seth chuckled softly, a
light, almost musical sound.
It wasn’t a fucking date. Everybody had to eat. It was only a meal. Two
people eating food together. He must have taken too long to answer because
Seth’s started nervously chewing on his plump bottom lip and those large,
green pools were wide.
“Yeah. We’re on,” he answered gruffly. Fuck, he was in trouble.
There’s movement,” he whispered.
Seth’s head snapped up and he sank down a bit in his seat. Frost waited
three more seconds, and then quickly eased open his door. Seth scooted
over the center console and followed him out of the vehicle. Crouching low,
he ran across the street with Seth at his six, staying in the shadows and
cover the fog afforded. They came up suddenly on two men walking across
a wide lawn.
“Federal Marshals, stop right there,” Frost ordered. US Marshal Mac
Mackenzie had sworn in all of Phoenix on the off chance they’d need it.
Frost found it sounded cool as shit to say it out loud.
Because really… saying, “Phoenix, put your hands up,” just sounded
stupid. Very few people knew about them. The team was so top secret, not
even some heads of states knew of their existence. Nobody was going to
stop when they shouted. Besides, he was more likely to shoot a person than
ask them to stop, but he was trying to rein his shit in for the commander’s
sake. He’d started to worry about Stefano’s blood pressure when the
commander had yelled for a good twenty minutes the last time he’d shot a
perp.
“Fuck you, copper. You just walked into a trap.” One of the bad guys
cackled as if his partner had said the funniest thing. More laughter followed
from others who joined in.
Yakov must have been recruiting. Men came at them from all sides. Not
thinking, Frost shoved Seth behind a small wall that extended outward from
the house and pulled his gun.
Seth cursed loudly when he lost his footing and fell to his ass. Frost shot
the ring leader in the head before he ducked behind the wall. The bad guys
scattered and a few bullets cleaved into the concrete.
“You fucking do that again, Asher, and I’ll shoot you myself,” Seth
snapped, and then lifted up to balance his gun on the top of the wall. Seth
then proceeded to shoot two thugs in quick succession.
Fuck, he was losing his shit. “Sorry,” he apologized. It had been a gut
reaction to protect Seth.
“Phoenix! You copy?” Seth hissed, lifting a hand to his earpiece.
“On the way, hold tight,” Storm barked the reply through the mic.
“Can’t. Come find us,” Frost growled, pressing his own earpiece. Men
dressed in black swarmed out. Fuck this! He reached for Seth and pulled the
man after him. They ran, staying low. Shots followed, but they were quickly
swallowed by the fog.
Stopping a brief second near a tree, he checked his clip. Seth did the
same. “Let’s drive,” Seth suggested.
He nodded and they ran to the vehicle. Leaping behind the wheel, he
jammed the keys in the ignition and the engine roared to life beneath his
steady hands. As soon as Seth was safely inside, Frost turned on the fog
lights and low beams and stomped the gas. Tires screeched as the SUV
lurched forward.
A perp came out of the fog, and then jumped out of the way as they
barreled down the street. The guy spun and followed up with a shot that
took out the rear window. Which surprised the hell out of Frost, because the
only handgun he knew of that could shoot through bulletproof glass was a
454 Casull.
More shots were fired and men swarmed out of the area in front. Frost
aimed the SUV at three of them coming from about fifty yards down the
street. Bullets pinged off the hood, slammed into doors, and created craters
in the body of the black vehicle.
He gripped the wheel, clenched his teeth, and drove right into the
shooters. They scattered before he reached them, jumping out of the way. A
shot took out his front tire, and then the other one, and the SUV swerved,
jumped the curb, and screeched to a shuddering stop.
Seth rolled down his window and began picking them off as they came
out of the fog. Frost jammed another clip into his gun and shot one guy in
the leg. There were so many of them. Too many for the two of them to take
on alone.
Where was the fucking cavalry? In the next moment, Storm and Wild
charged into the area driving a massive Hummer that did, in fact, mow
down one of the perps.
Other vehicles roared onto the street and tires squealed. Returning fire,
Yakov’s men scattered. US Marshal Mac Mackenzie’s booming voice could
be heard in the distance, shouting orders to get the fuck down.
Several of Yakov’s men were between them and the team, and Frost
didn’t like it.
“What’s the call?” Frost shoved open his door, shot another perp, and
looked back at Seth.
Seth had been damned quiet since he had fucked up and shoved the man
behind the wall.
“Make it to the side of that house,” Seth pointed.
The team had to suddenly do fucking crowd control when the neighbors
started spilling out of their homes. From where they crouched some
distance away, he heard Roscoe and his boss, Kane Quintana, shouting at
people to stay indoors and lock up their houses.
“Let’s do this,” Frost said, and then yanked Seth close and sealed their
lips together for a quick moment. Seth’s lips were firm at first, but softened
in that brief second of contact.
“Great timing for a fucking kiss, Asher,” Seth complained.
“I know, huh?” He wasn’t smiling.
“Who the hell stops in the middle of getting shot at and steals a kiss?”
Seth glared at him.
“You’re dating a crazy man.” Frost slipped out of the SUV.
“I thought you said we weren’t dating!”
With Seth on his six, Frost ran to the side of a nearby house. Several
shots followed them.
“I’m thinking it over,” Frost admitted, checking the clip in his gun and
then slamming it home.
“Like I said, great timing award.”
He grunted.
Apparently, the perps were told to take out as many of them as possible,
because the show of law enforcement was not slowing them down. If
anything, Yakov’s men showed more determination.
Frost wished he had time to talk to Seth, but he didn’t. Instead, he lifted
Seth’s hand to his mouth and kissed his fingers. Ignoring Seth’s surprised
look, Frost turned away and eased down a small walkway.
They slipped through the back gate of a track home and moved along
the side where the garbage cans sat.
“Perfect. Stop right there,” a voice demanded, and to Frost’s horror, a
gun came out of the foggy darkness and settled against Seth’s temple.
Without hesitation, Frost struck. With a brutal blow, he snapped the gun
from the man’s hand and pistol whipped the guy with several savage blows.
Another figure emerged and Seth ducked and kicked out the thug’s knee
cap, taking the guy down and leaving him writhing in pain.
Frost stepped in and took out another man coming from the opposite
direction. Pain exploded from his jaw when a fourth guy caught him on the
side of his head with a brutal blow. His rage welled swiftly. If something
happened to Seth… He pushed through the pain and jabbed at the thug’s
throat. Seth came up from his right and kicked out.
Two more men came out and Seth spun. He suddenly had a barrel of a
gun pressed to his forehead.
Too far away now, Frost froze, and so did Seth. His eyes met Seth’s,
their gazes holding. Sure, they could take out the one, but how many more
were in the area? His unspoken question was answered when a floodlight
suddenly lit up the backyard of the house as Marco Jennings, Jagger Miller,
and two thugs stepped out of the fog.
They all held weapons, and the distance between them was too great for
Frost to do anything other than grit his teeth. He badly wanted to step in
front of Seth but instead, he stilled and leveled his gaze at Jennings and
Miller.
He’d been too focused on this thing between him and Seth. It had been
a costly mistake. He hadn’t seen the setup, and now Seth had a gun to his
head. Frost’s throat closed, his gaze swiveled back and burned into Seth’s.
He tried to convey patience. Seth’s fists clenched and Frost’s stomach
dropped.
He knew that look.
Seth
The cold barrel of the gun gave him pause. And even though Asher’s gaze
said to wait, he didn’t. He didn’t like it when someone threatened his life.
He dropped like a stone, the gun went off, and when he came back up, he
jabbed his fingers into the guy’s throat. In the next second, he snatched the
gun so fast, the gasping man stumbled back. “Watch who you’re messing
with,” Seth growled.
The thug gagged and bent over, clutching his throat before he lurched
away. The other men slowly backed away toward their leader.
Marco’s laugh traveled the distance between them, and Seth held the
guy’s gaze across the way as he field stripped the gun and dropped it into
the dirt. The side of the house was maybe six inches away and Seth was of a
mind to pull Asher to safety just as the guy had done to him earlier.
“Hello, boys,” Roscoe said, stepping out from the side of the house and
standing next to him and Asher.
It was about fucking time! Help had arrived. Roscoe positioned himself
so the three of them were facing off with the men in the backyard.
“Where’s your back up?” Asher snarled out the side of his mouth.
“On the way,” Roscoe rumbled back.
The guy standing next to Marco reached behind his back and Seth put a
bullet in the guy’s thigh. The man screamed and clutched at his leg.
The perps opened fire, and Seth dove for the side of the house with
Asher and Roscoe on his six.
“God damn it, Seth! Warn someone next time,” Asher yelled.
“Hey! He was going for his gun.” Seth braced his back against the
house and quickly darted a look around to take another shot. “I could have
just let him shoot you.” This time, when he took aim, his bullet hit Marco
Jennings center mass in the chest.
Yakov’s men, lurking in the shadows, poured from the other side of the
house. There were too many men to count. Too many to take on with only
the three of them.
Seth darted a quick look around. “Backup is taking too long. I say we
fall back and regroup.”
“I don’t like these odds,” Asher grumbled.
“Me neither,” Roscoe agreed, and then issued orders into his ear piece.
Staying low, they skirted around the front of the house and headed
toward Roscoe’s SUV. Seth had his gun drawn, constantly swiveling left
and right. Odd that the front of the house was relatively quiet.
“Hold it right fucking there.”
Spoken too soon, one of Yakov’s men stood on the front porch. There
was only the one man. The rest were probably giving life support to a
wounded Marco Jennings.
“Dude, you’re in a world of shit. You may not care, but it’s the balance
between life and death and the way I see it, it’s your death,” Roscoe
informed the criminal.
The front door of the house slammed open and Jagger Miller stepped
out next to the guy. The perp next to Miller stepped forward. It seemed as if
Miller’s leg swept out. Seth did a double take. Was he seeing things? Miller
had tripped the advancing thug, and the guy stumbled down the stairs. The
guy’s gun went off as it flew out of his hands on impact.
“Stop them!” someone shouted from the back of the house.
“Fucking let’s go,” Seth hissed at Roscoe.
“Go!” Roscoe’s gun arm lowered.
Miller stepped forward, lifted his gun, and fired. The bullets went high,
way the fuck over their heads. Seth ran crouching to the SUV. Roscoe
ducked, but didn’t return fire.
“Motherfucker!” Roscoe shouted at Miller and ran for the vehicle, but at
the last minute, Roscoe looked back. Seth jumped in the back as Asher
jammed the keys in the ignition.
Through the dirty windshield, the guy whom Miller had tripped
struggled to his feet and threw a punch at Miller. Miller moved fast with a
quick-fire hit to the chin and knocked the guy back to the dirt. Men spilled
out from the side of the house.
“Come on!” Asher shouted at Roscoe when the agent hesitated.
Asher’s command galvanized the FBI agent into action and Roscoe
leaped into the passenger seat and slammed the door. Bullets pinged off the
side of the vehicle as Asher tore across the front lawn with grass and dirt
flying. Roscoe’s head swiveled and Seth could see the agent was keeping
his gaze trained on Miller. Seth took aim out the passenger side window and
winged another thug as they tore away from the house.
Miller watched them for a moment before he turned and jogged into the
tree line.
Storm and Wild came barreling down the street in a big, black,
menacing Hummer and moved in on their tail as Asher sped away down the
street and whipped it around the next corner.
“What the fuck was that?” Asher swore.
“I don’t know, I think he did that on purpose,” Roscoe replied, sounding
confused.
Seth was in total agreement. “I think so too,” he added. What the hell
was Miller playing at?
“I meant you fucking hesitated. Jesus Christ, Ro! You could have shot
that motherfucker dead,” Asher shouted.
Roscoe rubbed a hand over his mouth and turned to look out the
window. Seth’s hand settled on Asher’s shoulder and just his touch seemed
to calm the operative down.
They drove two blocks from the scene and reached the hub of activity in
a few moments. Relief washed over his cousin’s face when he hopped out
of the SUV.
“Don’t do that again,” Noah muttered and yanked him close. Seth
returned the hard hug.
“What?” Seth shoved his cousin playfully. “Get shot at?”
“Yeah, that,” Noah drawled, and after hearing his name called, Noah
turned and jogged over to where Mac stood with a group of marshals.
The area was an organized chaos with Kane Quintana’s agents and the
Marshals taking over, taking names, statements, and making arrests.
Sitting on the edge of an ambulance while an EMT checked him over,
he knew that other than a few scratches and bruises, he was in pretty good
shape.
“Okay, all set.” The EMT left them alone and moved away to tend to
others and Seth eased his shirt down over his ribs.
Asher sat on the other side of him. The man’s arm brushed his every so
often, and Seth took a moment to lean against Asher, even though he made
sure to not look like he was leaning.
“I shot Marco Jennings,” he informed Stefano.
“We didn’t find a body,” Stefano replied, frowning.
“Well, I shot him. The only thing that will save that man is if he goes to
a hospital.”
“Or if he was wearing a vest,” Asher interjected quietly.
“Well, yeah, that too.”
“We didn’t get Yakov,” Stefano confirmed.
“Of course not,” Storm said, approaching. “That man stayed far away
from this shit storm.”
“We think they were after Noah and thought that he’d be here at this
address,” Stefano told them.
“Why would Yakov think Noah would be at this address?” Seth looked
around for his cousin and found him still standing with the marshals. It
seemed he didn’t need to worry about Noah’s immediate safety with Mac
standing like a mountain next to the guy, but it didn’t mean Seth wasn’t
going to worry.
“It makes sense,” Wild added, moving closer. “Yakov knows we’re
staking him out. He took a chance that Noah would be here like last time.”
Wild stopped next to Storm.
“So this was a snatch and grab…” Worry filled him. This had been too
close.
“Yup,” Wild drawled, crossing his arms over his muscled chest.
“My guess is, Yakov still doesn’t know about the video,” Storm
interjected quietly, moving closer so as not to be overheard. “Otherwise, I
have a feeling he would have left the country.”
“But Yakov’s got to wonder why we came after him full out tonight,”
Seth pointed out tiredly, keeping his voice just as quiet.
“True, but he could be thinking we are just chasing leads,” Asher added,
adjusting the white bandage the EMT had wrapped around his arm.
“Whatever the case may be, we need to call it a night and regroup. The
feds have several suspects in custody,” Stefano said, tucking his cell phone
into his pocket. “We have some planning to do. Maybe some questioning in
the morning. Go home, get some sleep. Stay in pairs. Lay low, I’ll call
you,” Stefano ordered before striding away.
A tow truck took the beat up SUV from the scene and they used the
unit’s SUV to give Allison, Noah, and Mac a ride. Wild and Storm followed
them in another vehicle.
“Glad you’re okay, squirt,” Allison said after giving his cheek a hard
kiss and hugging him tight.
“Not so much a squirt.” Seth hated that nickname. Sure, he’d been small
when he had first joined Phoenix, but he’d beefed up by working out. Well,
as beefed up as his slender frame could get. He’d worked hard for his
ripped, swimmer’s build.
“Yeah, not such a squirt now,” she agreed softly and gave him another
quick hug. “Take care of him.” She narrowed her eyes at Asher.
“I don’t need looking after,” he snapped, growing irritated.
“I will…” Asher said at the same time. “Err, he can handle himself,” the
man finished lamely.
Allison laughed and slipped out of the vehicle. She waved before
jogging up the walkway to her front door where Wild and Storm were
already waiting. Allison had rented a small apartment not far from the
office.
Asher drove the short distance to his house. It made sense to go back
there after grabbing a bag from his room at Noah’s place. Stefano had said
to stay in pairs. He gave Noah a hug and shook his head when his cousin
waggled his brows.
He loved Asher’s house, it was gorgeous. Two-toned with inlaid brick
and raised flower beds. It stood not too far from the coast and a view of the
boats and water could be seen from Asher’s front window. A large expanse
of lawn covered the back yard.
The best part of the house was the quiet. Seth wandered around the
place. He hadn’t had a chance to explore the last few times he’d been there.
Pictures of when Asher was little with an older man lined a bookshelf. A
military medal and a handful of books were jammed together. He suddenly
sensed Asher at his back.
“I’m mad at you.” Seth shrugged him off.
“I know,” the operative breathed against his nape, and then settled his
forehead against the back of his head. “I’m sorry.”
“You damn well know I can take care of myself.” Seth leaned back into
the strength of the man’s arms. “And you too, if I needed to.”
“Yes,” Asher acknowledged.
“Why did you do it?”
“I couldn’t stand the thought of you getting hurt,” Asher said simply,
and Seth’s heart melted. He sighed and sank into Asher’s arms.
“Come to bed,” Asher whispered.
“No.”
“Why not?”
Seth smiled at the grumpy tone in the man’s voice. “I want dinner first.
And a real date.”
“But it’s almost midnight!”
“There’s always tomorrow.”
“Give me strength,” Asher muttered.
Seth tried not to laugh at the grumbling in Asher’s voice, but he failed.
Frost
He racked his brain for a place to take Seth on their date. He tossed aside
all of the clothes he had strewn across his bed. None of the shirts he’d tried
on looked right. He needed to buy some new jeans too, most of them were
stretched out and faded in the ass and knees.
Last night had been hell. What the hell had he been thinking? A fucking
date? So many times, he’d almost told Seth fuck it. But the look in the
man’s eyes kept the words still on his tongue. It had been late, so he’d
ordered pizza. Seth had disappeared into his spare room shortly after eating
and hadn’t appeared until almost noon today.
Stefano called and updated the whole team via a conference call.
Questioning the suspects was going slow. One had caved but couldn’t give
them much. They were ordered to stay low until Stefano called with the
unit’s next move. After the call, Seth curled up on his couch and started
checking his phone. Going quietly nuts, Frost had gone outside and watered
the lawn and washed the Phoenix SUV. He missed his jeep.
Heading inside, he groaned at hearing the spare room’s shower go on.
Snatching up his cellphone, he punched in the phone number he’d
researched and squeezed the phone, lifting it to his ear. Picturing that darkhaired devil with water streaming down that sexy-as-fuck body had him
palming his cock. He couldn’t believe how much he craved Seth. After
having had sex with Seth three times, he still wanted him.
Actually, he wanted him even more. And Seth demanding he wait was
driving him nuts. He didn’t want to wait. He wanted to devour Seth until he
was sated. The only problem was he didn’t think he’d ever be sated.
“Yes, we can fit you in with a nine o’clock reservation.”
“Sir?” the voice said when Frost failed to respond.
“Yes, that’s fine.” He finally got the words out and gave his name to the
restaurant hostess.
Nine o’clock, secluded table, dinner for two. That meant killing several
hours until dinner.
Freshly showered, Frost reached up and unbuttoned the top button of his
dress shirt. He stood and pulled on the only decent pair of pants he owned, a
pair of black dress pants. He tucked in the dark gray dress shirt.
“You ready?” Seth asked from the doorway. Frost turned and his breath
caught in his throat. Seth was dressed in black skinny jeans, a white T-shirt,
and a stone-washed sweater that zipped up the front. Seth looked hip and
stylish and very young next to his attire.
“I should change. I just don’t have any nice jeans,” Frost groused.
“No!”
His head jerked around and their gazes collided.
“I fucking love what you’re wearing. Do not change,” Seth ordered.
“You do?”
“I do.”
Seth stepped closer and Asher stilled. Slim fingers lifted and adjusted
the collar of his shirt. His hands came up automatically and caught at Seth’s
waist. Fingers clenched in sweater material, Frost kept Seth close. Seth
stilled, took a deep breath, and then looked upward beneath a sweep of
lashes. Frost slid his hands up and cupped the back of Seth’s head and
settled his mouth against the man’s temple. Sweet fucking torture. Seth’s
inhalation was sharp, a slight gasping sound, and Frost dipped his head
further, meeting Seth’s lips.
His name whispered on a breath, “Asher…”
With a slow brush of his mouth, he parted Seth’s lips and then slowly
withdrew. His own inhalation sounded overly loud in the quiet space. His
fingers tightened in brown, silky curls and he set his forehead to Seth’s. Not
ready to release him just yet, he held him close, something he didn’t
normally do. But there were a lot of firsts with Seth.
The restaurant was fairly crowded and a woman laughing and talking with a
friend walked out the door and almost ran them over. Frost sidestepped and
curled his arm tightly around Seth’s waist. Avoiding Seth’s suddenly
searching gaze, Frost pulled open the door and ushered Seth inside.
Frost’s stomach growled. “No pancakes for me,” he whispered against
Seth’s ear, feeling him shiver. The pleasure of Seth’s chuckle warmed his
belly.
“Going for steak?”
“Mmm, I’m not sure.” He drew Seth closer as they waited.
They were seated quickly and had water on the table and a menu in their
hands.
“Maybe I’ll do a burger and fries,” Frost mused.
“Because that’s gotta be good for you.”
Frost glanced up in time to see Seth roll his eyes. “What? It has all the
food groups.”
“Right!” Seth appeared skeptical.
“Lettuce, tomato, onion, meat, cheese, potato, bread.” Frost ticked off
each ingredient with his finger. Not food groups, of course, more like food
items. He couldn’t stop the laugh that erupted when Seth fucking giggled.
“Well, since you put it that way, it’s got to be better for you than
pancakes and bacon,” Seth agreed with a smile.
The woman came back and they both ordered the same thing with the
exception that Seth liked his burger medium and Frost wanted his well
done.
“So, what’s this dating comment you made out there in the thick of the
shit last night?” Seth leaned forward, a frown marring his pretty forehead.
“Like I said,” Frost began, looking away and then back. “I’m thinking it
over.”
“Who says I’ll even date you now?” Seth quirked a sexy eyebrow at
him.
“What?” he asked, affronted. “What do you mean, you won’t date me?”
“I don’t know. I’m thinking it over,” Seth teased, tossing his own words
back at him.
Frost groaned. “Such a smartass,” he told the cheekily grinning man.
“You know, you’re not the only one having doubts, Asher,” Seth
admitted, and then paused when the woman delivered their food.
To say he was stunned by Seth’s comment would have been an
understatement. He watched Seth attack his food and lifted a fry to chew
on.
“I’m not?” Frost probed.
“No, don’t be so self-absorbed.”
“I’m not!” Frost frowned. Was he?
“Yes, you are, but that’s one of the things I like about you.”
“You do?” Relief flooded him.
“Yep, that and your two worded sentences,” Seth teased.
Heat crawled up his neck. Thank fuck he hadn’t shaved in a few days.
“I can say more than two words,” he grumbled.
“Well, look at that. You can, that was seven.” Seth grinned around his
drinking straw.
“I’ve a mind to come over there and…” Frost scowled.
“Promises, promises,” Seth laughed.
He stilled when Seth closed his legs around his beneath the table and
sought out a quick comeback. “Now who’s using two words?”
“That was actually one word said twice,” came the snarky reply.
Frost chuckled. He enjoyed Seth’s quick comebacks. Seth kept him off
kilter and always guessing. The rest of the meal was relatively the same.
The topic went from hobbies to reading to movies and sports. He was a
fan of baseball, but Seth didn’t care for the game. They both shared a love
for basketball and hoped their favorite team would make it to the playoffs.
He hadn’t known that Seth was looking for a place to rent in Jack
London Square. It was a nice enough neighborhood with some cool, newer
apartment buildings.
“It’s close to the railroad tracks,” Frost pointed out.
“Yeah. But eventually you can get use to anything.”
“True. What about Noah and Mac? Are they wanting you out of there?”
“Oh no. If it were up to Noah, I’d move in permanently. But they are a
new couple. They need their privacy,” Seth said.
“Who says?” He poked at a bite of salad. Yeah, sometimes he ate rabbit
food. “Some people don’t need privacy. All they need is their own room.”
He studied Seth, seeing the little tell when the man chewed at his bottom
lip. “Don’t go thinking that leaving will give them their space.”
“But it will,” Seth argued.
“No, it won’t. The only thing it will give them is time to worry about
what you’re up to.”
Seth smiled and pointed a French fry at him. “No, it won’t.”
Frost waggled his eyebrows and quickly snapped the fry between his
teeth, effectively snatching it out of Seth’s fingers.
Seth laughed a rich, full-bellied laugh. “You’re a nut, did you know
that?”
He just grinned.
Seth
He’d never had so much fun on a date before. Hell, he’d never truly been on
a real date. Sure, he had gone out with Dennis, but it was usually to a fast
food place depending on the time of day. Nothing as fancy as the place
Asher had chosen.
Asher had seemed nervous earlier when he called to make the
reservation, but had tried to hide the fact by scowling at him. An unsure
Asher was adorable. It wasn’t often that the big, tough Phoenix operative
showed any vulnerability. It had been hard as hell to keep the man at arm’s
length overnight, but he’d managed it. Even now, his skinny jeans felt extra
tight. He was glad he’d remembered his sweater.
The dinner reservation had been at nine that evening and Asher had
suggested a movie beforehand. He’d loved the idea. The local theater was
showing Love, Simon. Although Seth had already gone with Allison, he was
very much willing to see it again. In his opinion, the movie was a giant step
forward for their community in the movie industry. He was proud to play a
supporting part even if it was only monetary by buying a couple of tickets.
The movie theater had been dark and held more people than Seth had
expected. Yet, there remained enough room to put quite a bit of space
between couples. Nobody had taken the back row, so he’d headed up and
moved down until he was in the middle, deep in the darkness.
Asher lifted the arm rest between them and took a seat next to him with
the man’s whole side nudged up tightly against his. Thigh, hip, arm, and
shoulder. Seth had immediately rubbed his moist hands on his jeans and
then jumped when Asher reached over and linked their fingers.
The man hadn’t moved his hand from his leg. Through the previews of
upcoming movies, Asher’s hand had rested near his crotch. If Seth had
moved their hands just an inch, their entwined fingers would have touched
his groin. The movie started, but he couldn’t concentrate when Asher’s
hand had brushed his thigh.
Shifting, he’d stifled a groan when the back of Asher’s hand had
brushed his jean-covered dick. Seth remembered whining, and then he’d
froze when fingers smoothly unzipped his pants. He’d panted quietly when
Asher’s hand closed around his straining cock.
“Seth?”
He jerked. The restaurant bled through the sizzling hot memories. He
fumbled with his glass of water, avoiding Asher’s intense gaze. Biting his
lip, he held the glass tightly before gulping a hasty swallow.
“Are you okay?”
“Yep.”
Bouncing one knee, he waited for Asher to say something else,
anything. If the guy didn’t, he was afraid he would. And when he got
started, he’d say something stupid without a doubt. He finally looked over
at Asher, but yeah, that was a mistake because he couldn’t take his eyes off
the sexy man. He grabbed a fry and stuffed it into his mouth.
“Seth.”
Goosebumps covered his skin when his gaze caught on the size of those
magnificent hands. He swallowed and cleared his throat.
“What’s the matter?” Asher looked concerned.
“I like you, a lot,” Seth blurted out. Heat filled his face and he ducked
his head, looking anywhere but at Asher.
“I like you too.”
He had a pretty good idea that the man liked him, but he wasn’t sure
just how much. “And?” He glanced up, catching and holding Asher’s gaze.
“Liking you is not the problem.”
“Well, then what is the problem?” The answer was more important to
him than Asher would ever know.
“I…” Asher began, then shook his head and sighed.
Seth leaned forward, waiting for Asher to find the right words. He
clenched his hands against his legs hidden beneath the table, his heart in his
throat as he waited for Asher to decide if he was going to take a risk on
them.
“Nothing.” The man gave a slight smile after a moment. “Nothing at
all.”
Seth became almost lightheaded and returned the smile. “I’m starving!”
God, he loved the sound of Asher’s laughter.
From that point, the tension faded from his shoulders and his smile
grew as the night wore on. Asher told him a funny story about when he was
in boot camp. Seth shared that he’d never been out of the country until the
other day.
“What?” Asher’s mouth dropped open.
He laughed at the man’s stunned expression. “Yeah, I just didn’t like the
idea and, well, neither did my uncle. When Stefano asked me if I wanted to
take that assignment in Russia, I finally took the plunge.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Asher asked quietly.
Seth shrugged and took a hasty sip of water. “I don’t know. Everybody
seems so worldly. And I’m, well, I’m not.” He carefully set the glass on the
table.
“I’m not worldly either, whatever that means. I’ve been a lot of places,
but I would never call myself worldly.” It was clear Asher was trying to
make him feel better.
“I just didn’t want you to think I’m just another nerd that lives in his
parents’ basement,” Seth explained.
Asher laughed loudly and people looked their way. Seth ducked his
head, hiding his smile. He’d never had so much fun. Asher was so easy to
talk to. Seth still had to figure out when to tell the guy about his father. Oh,
the man knew his dad was in prison, but he hadn’t ever heard Seth’s side of
what happened. Tonight was definitely not the time.
More than anything, he craved the promise of that hand in the theater.
Asher had played with him like a flute, and then tucked his dick, with much
difficulty, back into his skinny jeans without letting him get off. It had been
torture and Seth had glared in the dark so long, Asher eventually leaned
over and whispered hotly against his ear, “Later.”
“I’m paying the check.” He gave Asher a stern look. Asher had insisted
on paying for the movie and the goodies at the theater. Seth was picking up
this check.
After a moment of hesitation, Asher nodded. “But let’s have one more
coffee before we go.” Asher’s smile was way too lethal to Seth’s heart.
“One more coffee.” His cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “Flag the
waitress down.”
Seth pointed to their waitress helping another couple at a table across
the room. Asher glanced over and froze. Seth followed Asher’s gaze and
noticed an older couple holding hands. The older man leaned closer and
kissed the woman on the lips and Seth smiled.
“Lovers,” he said softly, happy for the older couple.
“Yeah,” Asher gritted the words out. “Pay the bill, I’ll be right back.”
Surprise had his gaze trailing after Asher’s tense form. Was it something
he’d said? The mention of love, perhaps?
“What can I get for you two? Any dessert?” the girl asked, having seen
them looking at the dessert menu.
“Oh no,” Seth said, shaking his head and smiling at her. “We had too
much at the theater.” He gave the woman his credit card. “But we would
like one more round of fresh coffee, please.”
“Sure thing, love.” The girl filled both cups with the pot in her hand and
then left to ring up the check.
Seth curiously looked back to where Asher was. The man had walked
over and stopped next to the couple at the table. Asher’s shoulders were
tense. Words were exchanged, but the distance was too great for Seth to
hear.
The woman looked upset and her lover looked like he wanted to punch
Asher, but Asher’s massive size seemed to keep the older man in his seat.
“What the heck?” Seth whispered beneath his breath and smiled when
the waitress came back with the receipt and more creamer.
He left her a good-sized tip and was just reaching for his cup when
Asher arrived back at their table.
“Hey,” Seth greeted.
“Let’s go, we’re leaving,” Asher ordered.
Seth’s lips were pursed against the cup and he looked up. Wondering
where the loving man from earlier had gone, Asher’s face was stone cold
and his eyes glacial.
“I thought we were having coffee.”
“Let’s go, Seth. Or I’m leaving you here.”
Seth blinked in surprise at the snarled words and stood. Asher turned
without another word and strode from the restaurant. Seth grabbed his
sweater, threw the couple a curious look, and then followed Asher out into
the cool night.
“What the hell was that?” Seth hissed, running after Asher. Damn, the
man’s legs were long.
“None of your business,” Asher growled out and got in the SUV. The
engine roared to life. Seth stood there next to the passenger side door,
feeling so different than when Asher had opened his door at the beginning
of the date.
He swallowed and clenched his teeth. Opening the door, he jumped in
and slammed it hard. The silence was tense, thick. Seth wanted to demand
answers, but knew that wouldn’t work. So, he tried the softer approach.
“Asher, talk to me. What happened?”
Asher stonily looked straight ahead and didn’t answer or acknowledge
him at all. Asher drove straight to Mac and Noah’s and idled the vehicle. He
just stared straight out the windshield.
“Asher?” he whispered. His heart thumped in his chest and he
swallowed around a suddenly dry throat.
“This isn’t going to work.”
The harsh, cold words cut at him, slamming into him like a hammer.
“But it was,” he whispered, and then cleared his throat. “It is working,”
he argued.
“No. It’s not.” A muscle ticked in Asher’s jaw. “Good night, Seth.”
He took a slow, shaky breath, willing Asher to look over at him. When
Asher stayed stubbornly quiet looking out the SUV’s windshield, Seth was
at a loss. He did know one thing though, he knew when to back off.
Oh, he wasn’t giving up on this hard-headed man, but tonight
apparently wasn’t the time to try and get Asher to see reason.
“Good night, Asher,” he said quietly, trying like hell to keep the wobble
out of his voice. He wasn’t sure he had succeeded. “I’m here if you need to
talk.” With that said, he slipped out and shut the door.
The vehicle roared away before he could take a step toward the house.
Frost
He couldn’t look at Seth until he was driving away, and then he glanced in
the rearview mirror. The lonely set of Seth’s shoulders caused an ache in his
throat that crawled into his chest and lodged there.
He squeezed the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Instead
of turning around, which would be a huge mistake, he punched the phone
button near his fingertips.
“Yo, wazzup?” Roscoe drawled.
“You got time for a beer?” Frost said. “Or several beers?” It was only
eleven o’clock on a Friday night, after all.
“Sure, I don’t have any plans.”
“I’ll stop at the store and meet you at my place.”
Not only beer, Frost bought a bottle of bourbon. The image of Karen
with another man burned into his brain, overshadowing his date with Seth.
No, it hadn’t been a date. It was just food. Fucking eating, because all
they had was sex. Seeing his father’s fiancé, he had wanted to introduce
Seth. He had been in the action of lifting his hand to wave at her when
Karen kissed the man on the lips. A lingering kiss with entwined fingers, a
loving gesture and look.
And the man was not his dad. That fucking bitch! He stood there for a
while, looking at the bottles of booze on the shelf, not really seeing the
whiskey before he grabbed a bottle.
Karen was cheating on his father. This could break his dad.
His gut swirled and he took several shallow breaths. Someone bumped
into him and said something, but he didn’t hear. It was his mother all over
again.
“I thought you were getting beer?” Roscoe asked when Frost let him in.
“I was, but I needed something harder.”
Roscoe chuckled. “Isn’t that Seth’s job?”
“No, it fucking isn’t Seth’s job. I’m not in a committed relationship with
the guy. He was just a casual fuck,” he snarled, and took another swig from
the bottle. Jesus Christ, his chest fucking hurt like a motherfucker.
“Anyway,” his voice sounded like gravel, “it’s over.” Taking another swig,
he gasped at the burn.
“Does Seth know that?” Roscoe frowned.
Frost shrugged as he took another drink, trying to get Karen’s betrayal
and Seth’s soft parting words out of his head.
Love was a lie. Words were traps. He didn’t need anybody.
“People always fucking cheat.” He knew his slurred words sounded
ridiculous. Rationally, lumping everyone as cheaters was just plain absurd.
Seth had never cheated on his boyfriend, a little voice said in his head. He
rubbed at his eyes and then fought to keep a firm hold of the bottle Roscoe
was tugging on, but he lost the battle and glared at his friend.
“Okay, buddy, what’s up?” Roscoe capped the bottle and headed toward
the kitchen. “I’m making coffee. We are not drinking tonight.”
“Fuck you, Ro. I can drink if I want,” Frost muttered, knowing he
sounded like a kid. The room was swirling when he tried to stand and his
head thunked against the back of the couch. He didn’t even make it close to
getting to his feet.
“This isn’t drinking. You called me less than an hour ago and this
whiskey is half gone.”
Frost rolled his head to the side and looked at the agent in his kitchen
doorway. “What if I said that was an already open bottle?”
“I’d call you a liar.”
Frost grunted. The coffee didn’t take long, it was the Keurig kind, so he
had a hot cup in his hand before he knew it. Roscoe sat in the overstuffed
chair across from him.
“Now, talk to me, and as your friend, I’ll try to be as brutally honest as
possible.” Roscoe smirked.
“Fucking smartass,” he mumbled, taking a sip of the hot brew.
“That’s me,” Roscoe agreed. “So, what gives?”
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “I saw Karen with another
man at the restaurant Seth and I were having dinner at.”
“Karen, as in your dad’s fiancé?”
“Yeah.”
“How do you know it wasn’t just a friend?”
“They were kissing and holding hands.” He tiredly swallowed more of
the coffee.
“Well, fuck.”
“Yeah. I’m just not sure how to tell my dad.” His head rested on the
back of the couch and the room swayed.
“Did you talk to her? Maybe it was a misunderstanding.”
He grimaced at the ceiling. “Yeah, I confronted her right there. She
didn’t deny it.”
He’d said some nasty and degrading shit to her. Fuck, he’d been angry.
Right now, he couldn’t remember half of what he’d said, but he
remembered the tears that had swam in her eyes. Her date looked like he
wanted to punch him. Frost would have welcomed the joy of knocking the
guy out.
“Ah shit, Frost,” Roscoe said. “Sorry, bro. When are you going to tell
your dad?”
“I don’t know. I took a few days off work to try and wrap my head
around it. Stefano assured me if he needs me, he’ll call me in, but since we
haven’t got any solid leads on Yakov’s whereabouts, he’s letting me take
some time.” At least he’d had the sense to call Stefano before he took that
first swig of whiskey.
“Does Stefano know you found your dad’s fiancé cheating?”
“Fuck no. Only you know.”
“Wait, I thought you said you were with Seth.”
“I was.”
“And you didn’t at least share this with him?”
“Like I said, we aren’t anything but a casual fuck.” His chest tightened
and he rubbed at it while taking another sip from his mug.
“That’s bullshit. At the very least, you’re friends. Or have you forgotten
that?”
Roscoe was right. He did consider Seth a friend. “I guess that'll teach
me never to fuck a friend.”
Roscoe shook his head and let the subject drop.
After a few minutes, Frost asked Roscoe something that was bothering
him. “What was with you yesterday?”
“What?” Roscoe shifted in his chair, crossed one ankle over one knee,
and took a sip of coffee before he looked over and out the darkened
window.
“You had the perfect shot to take out Jagger Miller and you hesitated.”
“I didn’t hesitate,” Roscoe said, turning his head and meeting his gaze.
The agent’s eyes burned in his face.
“Okay, then tell me what happened.”
“I don’t know. I was going to shoot, but then he tripped that thug.”
Roscoe shook his head.
“You think it was on purpose?”
“I don’t know. Maybe?”
“It was probably an accident.” He hadn’t seen the whole thing clearly
because he had been sliding behind the wheel of the SUV, but Seth had
filled him in at dinner.
“Shit happens in the middle of trying to kill people,” Frost said.
“Then why did Miller punch the guy and shoot over our heads?”
That was the million dollar question, one he couldn’t answer.
“Maybe he’s enthralled with your dashing good looks,” Frost said.
“You think?”
Frost snorted and took another sip of coffee. “I can just see it now. How
the world turns. The FBI agent and the hardened criminal.”
“That’s fucked up.” Roscoe glared at him.
“Seriously,” he agreed.
Seth
Asher had been gone from the office for two long and torturous days. He
missed seeing the wide set of Asher’s shoulders during the day or the way
the man’s hair curled near his ear. He dreamed of Asher’s dark, unshaven
jaw and the fact that he wanted to rub his skin against the roughness.
Seth sighed and lifted his phone. Asher hadn’t answered any of his
calls, so he was taking drastic measures and leaving a message.
“I’m on my way over after work tonight. This is going to stop,” Seth
warned Asher’s voicemail and hung up before Asher could pick it up and
tell him no.
Damn it! That man pissed him off half the time and the other half, he
wanted to kiss him. He wanted Asher. There was no doubt in his mind,
Asher was made for him, yet it was frustrating trying to figure Asher out.
What hang ups did the guy have that would keep him from love? That was
the mystery Seth was determined to figure out. And he wanted to know who
the couple had been in the restaurant.
Should he confront Asher or just break off the whole thing? He sighed
and grabbed his keys. He knew in his heart he couldn’t walk away, not
when there was a chance at a life and love with Asher. He knew Asher had
the capacity for love, he’d seen it. Felt it. If Asher could just get out of his
own way, then they might have a shot at real happiness.
“Seth!” Noah called after him just as he reached one of the unit’s SUVs.
He glanced back and saw Noah heading toward him with Allison. When
they drew closer, Noah smiled at him.
“Hey, what’s up?” He juggled his keys from one hand to the other.
“They found a body near the train tracks by Jack London Square.
Roscoe called, they think it might be Marco Jennings. We need to check it
out,” Allison said.
“I’ll drive,” he offered. Asher and his love life would need to wait. The
case took priority.
Although the train station was a main hub, the place wasn’t nearly the
size of L.A. Union Station. It was tucked away between a large parking
structure and a few smaller warehouses. All the way down Second Street
stood high-rise apartment buildings.
An approaching train honked its horn several times on approach. It
rumbled past, chunking and hissing with the wheels squealing on the rails.
Several minutes later, the area grew quiet.
Roscoe met up with them and they walked together down the walkway
that ran the length of the station. The local PD had covered the body and
CSI was on the scene.
“A passenger found him and reported it to the clerk at the station,”
Roscoe said, pointing to a woman standing next to a set of black suitcases.
Reaching the body, Seth crouched down and lifted the sheet near the
head with his pen.
“Yeah, that’s Marco Jennings,” Seth said. The bullet Seth had put in
Jennings had entered his chest cavity and probably bounced around. Marco
Jennings had expired not long afterward.
“Talk about loyalty.” Seth stood, brushing his hands against his jeans.
“Looks like his own crew tossed him away,” Allison added, stepping
back.
“He probably couldn’t keep up,” Roscoe grunted.
Noah was talking to one of the cops and walked back over to join them.
“There’re no witnesses of whoever dropped him off,” Noah told them.
“I’d say he’s been dead eighteen hours or so,” the CSI tech said from
where he was stooped over near the body.
“Cause of death, gunshot to the chest,” Seth murmured.
“Oh no,” the CSI replied, startling him.
“What?” Seth frowned.
“This man was strangled.” The tech pulled back the sheet and pointed to
the bruising around the dead man’s throat. “See the finger marks here?” He
pointed a pen light along the throat. “He was dying from the gunshot wound
without medical attention, but somebody choked him to death first.”
“Guess he was expendable,” Allison said quietly.
The CSI technician stood and nodded to the waiting crew who moved in
to take the body away.
Seth stepped back with Allison and watched as they carried Marco
Jennings’ body to the crime scene van.
Walking toward Roscoe’s Hummer, Seth motioned with his head before
sliding inside, followed by the team. He shut the door to gain privacy.
Roscoe joined them a few minutes later, sitting in the driver’s seat.
“So, this leaves Yakov without a right hand man,” Noah pointed out.
Seth nodded. “Except that he has Jagger Miller ready to step in.”
“Can you seriously see that punk filling in for Marco?” Roscoe charged
with emotion.
Seth blinked. “Well, maybe? If the guy has Yakov backing him up. And
Miller does know the business.”
“That is one possibility,” Allison agreed.
“Or Yakov could just take over himself,” Noah noted.
“Not with that video tape out there. Eventually, Yakov is going to
discover its existence,” Seth responded. He was positive when the video
came to light, Yakov would go to ground.
“But he doesn’t know about it yet,” Noah pointed out.
“At least, we hope not,” Allison returned.
“Which still leaves the question of who made that tape,” Seth added
with a frown.
“Right. And we are no closer to finding whoever sent it to our email.”
Allison nodded. “Reggie has reached so many dead ends, it’s almost as if
the government itself sent the damned thing,” she finished.
“What makes you say that?” Seth asked with a quick grimace.
“Because Reggie said the email return address was encrypted. And the
address had pinged on servers worldwide. Reggie called it the ‘gray’ zone. I
asked him what the hell that was and he said it was wiped.”
“That’s odd,” Noah murmured.
Damned odd. Reggie was one of the best. If he couldn’t hack it or find
it, then it meant someone had wiped it. Someone with elite hacker skills.
“Does Stefano and the chief know yet?”
“He was filling them in when we got the call to come out here,” Allison
stated.
“Let’s head back,” Seth said.
“Where’s Asher?” Roscoe paused as if just realizing Asher hadn’t come.
“Oh, I hear he took some time off work,” Noah said absently, clicking
away in his notes on his iPad.
“Poor baby waby, needed some timey wimey,” Allison sing-songed.
“Yeah, as in two days,” Seth muttered, glaring at her.
“Have you heard from him?” Roscoe asked with a frown.
“No,” Seth sighed.
“Did you reach out?”
“I’ve called several times, but he won’t answer,” Seth said. Hence, the
reason he’d left his message.
“Why don’t you try going by there?” Roscoe suggested.
Seth glanced out the window at the encroaching darkness. “That’s on
my list of things to do tonight.”
Roscoe chuckled. “Good idea. I’ll probably stop by myself. Let me
know if I can be of any help.”
“Help with what?” Noah looked up, frowning.
“With getting his head out of his ass,” Roscoe said.
“Good luck,” Allison sneered.
“Whose head?” Noah looked puzzled.
Seth choked on a laugh and Roscoe snorted.
“Asher’s,” they said simultaneously.
They switched vehicles and Seth dropped Noah and Allison back at
headquarters. With sweating palms squeezing the wheel, he made a few
stops and then drove to Asher’s house.
Juggling things in his hands, he knocked and waited. When nobody
answered, he knocked louder. He’d knock all damned day if he had to.
Finally, the door opened and was tossed wide. An unshaven Asher stood
barefoot, without a shirt, in ripped jeans hanging unbuttoned but zipped,
riding low on his hips. That yummy path of dark hair trailing down and
disappearing into Asher’s jeans made Seth’s mouth water.
“What do you want, Seth?” Asher coldly clipped out the words.
“I, I… wanted to see if you’re okay.” Seth stumbled over his words,
silently cursing his nervousness.
“I’m busy,” Asher said as if bored with him.
And that was when Seth glanced past Asher and spotted another man,
without a shirt, sitting on the couch.
Frost
“Who’s that?” Seth asked him with wide eyes. Frost knew this was coming,
but he didn’t expect it to hurt so much. The pain was physical. His chest
squeezed with a heavy weight.
Frost looked over at the stranger sitting on his couch. He really didn’t
need to look, he knew what Seth was seeing. He couldn’t even remember
the hookup’s name. Ryan, Bryan, something like that.
“It’s none of your business.” He jerked his gaze back to Seth and
narrowed his eyes.
“I thought…”
“What? You thought what?” he cut in over Seth’s halting words. “That
we were exclusive? That we were going to buy a house, have kids and a
fucking dog?” Frost deliberately added a note of mockery to his voice,
ridiculing the wonderful man standing before him. He had to get Seth the
fuck out of there, now.
“Well, n, no…” Seth stammered. That was when Frost saw the candy
and flowers.
He couldn’t name the feeling that coursed over him. If he had a heart, it
would have broken at that moment. As it was, he had no heart, so the pain
in his chest couldn’t be that. The feeling, whatever the fuck it was, would
just need to go away.
He took an aggressive step and Seth’s eyes grew wider, if possible.
Frost froze when Seth jerked back as if he were going to hit him. He didn’t
let that stop the snarled, nasty words from spilling out.
“Listen up, Seth. I’m not a flowers and candy type of guy. You had one
thing I wanted and now that I’ve tapped it…” Frost gritted his teeth,
stealing himself against the agonizing hurt that filled Seth’s expressive eyes.
“Let’s just call it a day.”
As if in slow motion, the candy and flowers fell from Seth’s hands to
lay scattered at Frost’s feet. Without another word, Seth turned his back and
walked away.
Frost squeezed the wood of the door and then slammed it violently shut.
He took several deep breaths and set his forehead against the wood.
Jesus fucking Christ. When had he become that man? The man who
went around shitting on another person’s feelings? Just like his mother. A
cough sounded behind him and he spun and glared at the guy sitting on his
couch.
“When you hear his car drive away, feel free to leave,” he ordered and
dropped a hundred on the table.
He strode to the window and watched Seth stumble down the sidewalk
to his car. Clenching his fists at his sides, he gritted his teeth until his jaw
hurt.
The look in Seth’s eyes fucking killed him. But it was for the best. He
wasn’t a good man. He didn’t believe in love. Seth needed someone who
could live up to the stars in his eyes. He wasn’t that man.
Movement outside drew Frost’s gaze. Roscoe was coming up the
walkway. Roscoe stopped, but Seth didn’t say a word, he just kept on
walking and wiping at his face.
“Seth?” Roscoe called out, but Seth jumped into his car and tore away
down the street.
Roscoe stalked to the house and pounded on his door. “Frost, open this
fucking door!”
Would they just leave him the fuck alone?! Frost pressed his fingers to
his temples, then turned to yank open the door.
Roscoe stepped inside, then took one look at the trick pulling on his
shirt. The man grabbed the money from the table and beat a hasty retreat at
Roscoe’s thundering expression.
“You did that to Seth?” his friend charged, whirling on him.
Frost sucked in a harsh breath. “Seth was fun while it lasted.” His eyes
burned. “I told you that!”
“That’s such bullshit and you know it!” Roscoe yelled.
“No, it’s not!” Frost snapped back. “He went into this knowing how it
was.” He snorted. “But I should have known better.” It pissed him off that
he’d misjudged Seth.
“Should have known what? That he’s the best thing that’s ever
happened to you?” Roscoe slammed the door after the hooker left.
He suddenly regretted sharing so much. Roscoe seemed to have no
problem using it against him.
“That he couldn’t be one of my casual fucks,” he charged back, irritated
as fuck.
“Seth’s not just a casual fuck and you know it.”
“I made the mistake of thinking he was okay with just sex.” Frost turned
and strode toward the kitchen. He filled up a shot glass with bourbon and
tossed it back. The burn was welcoming.
“You got that god damned right. Seth O’Leary could never be
someone’s casual fuck,” Roscoe said bluntly and cruelly, having followed
him into the kitchen.
“You don’t need to remind me. And since when did you become his
fucking fan? You want to tap that?” Frost asked crudely. “Go for it.”
“Fuck you, Frost. It’s not like that between Seth and me. He’s a friend.
Like you are.”
“Yeah, well. Things were going so good until he wanted hearts and
flowers. Fucking started giving me those bedroom eyes. That’s not me.” He
shrugged, refusing to admit that for a moment, he had wanted that like he’d
never wanted anything before.
Seeing Karen cheat on his father reminded him of why he didn’t do
forever and shit. And Seth O’Leary was most definitely a forever kind of
man. Now, Seth hated him.
“You’ll have to see him at work. Fuck, Frost, he’s been with Phoenix for
years.”
“We’ll keep it platonic. I’m sure we’ll manage.” Seth might manage,
but he wasn’t so sure about himself. He couldn’t get the look of absolute
betrayal in Seth’s eyes out of his head.
“This is total bullshit.” His friend’s tone had quieted some, softened a
bit. “You need to talk to your dad. Hell, talk to someone.”
“What, like a shrink?” Frost sneered, rolling his eyes and tossing back
another shot.
“Yeah, instead of trying to find answers in the bottom of a bottle.”
Roscoe paused, and then added bluntly, “Like your old man did.”
Oh fuck. Those words cut like a motherfucker and Frost glared at
Roscoe.
“Fuck you, Ro.”
“The truth hurts, buddy, but you gotta stop with this self-annihilation
bullshit. You’re just hurting the people who love you. And yourself most of
all.”
Frost swallowed and capped the bottle. He wasn’t an alcoholic. He
didn’t need the booze. His hands shook and he placed the bottle in the
cabinet. Bracing his hands on the counter, he kept his back to Roscoe.
“How the fuck am I going to tell my dad?” he whispered, gazing out the
window, the scene outside going unnoticed.
Roscoe sighed and the soft tread of boots signaled his approach.
“It’s probably one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, Frost, but if you
don’t do it, you’ll regret it.”
Roscoe’s hand squeezed his shoulder.
“I know,” he murmured.
Seth
He wiped at his face. Had Roscoe seen him crying? What did it matter? It
didn’t. He was done. He was done looking at Asher with blinders on. Done
giving that man his time and love. A harsh sound filled the car and he
sucked in a breath. Love. He’d gone and fallen for Asher.
His feelings were all over the place. This hurt much more than Dennis’
desertion ever had. Why had he been so wrapped up in Asher? No! It was
Frost. That was how he’d think of Asher from now on. The frosty fucker!
What a fool he’d been. He cringed inwardly, seeing how pathetic he’d
been. Shit! How many times had he stood right in front of Asher anxiously
waiting for some small look or acknowledgment? He pounded one hand on
the steering wheel and wiped at his nose. Humiliation turned his stomach
sour.
He had been ready to take the plunge. How could he have read the guy
so wrong? Apparently, he wasn’t enough. What did that guy on Asher’s
couch have that he didn’t? Or maybe, he was too much, he’d come on too
strong. He didn’t think so, but he’d been wrong.
He should have listened to Asher when the guy said it was over, but
he’d had hope. Hope for them, and he couldn’t pinpoint when his feelings
for Asher had changed past the point of no return, but they had.
He stifled a sob. It snagged in his throat, but came out anyway. His view
grew watery. He slowed the car and dashed at his face, blinking until he
could see out the windshield. He ground his teeth and his jaw began to
ache. Twice, he’d been dumped twice in a matter of months. And it was his
own fucking fault. He was too emotional and way too trusting. He fell too
fast, wanted to be loved too quickly, that was his flaw. And it stemmed from
his fear of being alone. An insecurity left over from his mother’s desertion.
Rubbing at his chest, Seth laid his forehead on the steering wheel. At
some point, he had parked, but had no recollection of when he’d reached
the store parking lot.
He had given his all to Asher, only to be tossed away as if he were
nothing. He’d only been with two men before Asher. One had been when he
was too young to know better and the other had been a committed
relationship with Dennis. Seth wasn’t a player. Did that make him a freak?
With a shaking hand, he covered his trembling chin and lips. When that
didn’t work, he pressed a fist to his mouth. His breath hitched and he took
several deep breaths and sniffled.
“Suck it the fuck up, O’Leary,” he whispered against his fist. “He
doesn’t want you.”
Asher had cheated. He never promised to be exclusive, his inner voice
sneered. In reality, the guy was free to fuck whomever he wanted. He just
thought maybe Asher was beginning to fall for him. If only a little. Now, he
needed to pick up the pieces of his heart and dented pride and move the
fuck on.
He resolved right then and there to avoid Asher if he could. He’d stay in
the field and take whatever assignments Stefano gave him. Allison had an
apartment in France, maybe he could stay there until he figured out what to
do.
Seth opened the door, took a deep breath, and stepped out.
He always wanted to see the world, here was his chance. Who knew,
maybe he’d find the man of his dreams overseas. Or perhaps it was time for
him to be single and on his own for a while.
Damn it! The store was closed. He went to turn back to his car door
when a hand came around from behind and covered his mouth. A man
suddenly appeared on his other side, boxing him in.
Something sweet and cloying pressed against his nose and mouth. He
choked, his reflexes instantly kicking in and he jabbed, striking out. He
wasn’t going down like this. He went slack in the guy’s grip. Surprised, the
attacker lost his hold. Seth dropped hard, smacking his shoulder against the
ground and his head against the open door. Sluggishly, he reached for the
knife tucked into his waistband and wildly slashed at his captors. Someone
yelped and Seth slashed at them again.
The shit they’d tried to drug him with turned everything woozy. His
knife arm went numb as something hard was slammed down on his forearm
and his weapon went skidding away. He cried out and on instinct, he rolled
and kicked out. One attacker screamed and slammed to the ground. Strong
hands grabbed at him.
“Fucking get a hold of him!” someone snarled on his right and Seth
jabbed that way. When he swung his arm out, his hand met flesh. The guy
gurgled and gasped. Seth shook his head, gasping in clean air. A perp
grabbed at his leg and he kicked. Two more men grabbed his arms and he
twisted his lower body, catching one man on the chin. The guy let go and
stumbled backward.
Freedom was within his reach, so he kicked out again. His wave of
relief was short lived when something hard slammed into the back of his
head. Blinding pain splintered his skull and he slammed to the pavement.
Then everything went dark.
Frost
The sun was bright and the birds were fucking chirping. The exact opposite
of his mood this morning. He took a swig of coffee. Determined to get the
deed over, he’d be stopping by his dad’s house this morning.
The shitty thing on his part was how he’d avoided his dad’s phone call
earlier. He couldn’t think of anything to say other than to call Karen a bitch,
so he’d opted to let the call go to voice mail. It was Ten checking in, letting
him know he was doing okay. His dad sounded happy, which meant he had
to play the bad guy.
His hand clenched around the cup before he carefully placed it in the
sink and grabbed his car keys.
“Hey, dad,” Frost said, giving his father a hug when the man answered
the door.
“Hey! Son!” Ten’s smile was wide. “What are you doing here?”
His heart suddenly ached and he fought the sting in his eyes as he
managed a small smile.
“What? I can’t visit my old man?” Frost inquired gruffly, helping his
dad back into his easy chair before taking a seat on the chair next to him.
“Pffft. That’s not what I meant. But you usually come for dinner, not
breakfast,” Ten teased.
“I know. I took a few days off work,” Frost admitted.
“What’s wrong?” Ten’s sharp gaze must have noticed his restlessness.
Damn it. How was he going to say it? Why did it need to be him taking
the joy away from his father? Because apparently, Ten didn’t know about
Karen cheating. And when he found out, Frost might not be there. At least
this way, he was there to pick up the pieces. He’d take the week off and stay
with Ten if he had to.
“Karen cheated, dad,” Frost blurted, his voice cracking on the last word.
“Son—”
“I’m sorry I have to be the one to tell you.” Frost’s voice broke as he cut
his dad off. His hands squeezed into fists and he risked a glance at his
father.
“Son, she didn’t cheat.”
Tennessee was clearly in denial. Frost shook his head. He loved his dad,
but sometimes Ten could be so dense.
“I saw her. She was out with another man,” Frost said, looking
anywhere but at his dad.
“Son, look at me.”
Frost turned his tormented gaze on Ten. “She didn’t cheat. We had
already broken up. Didn’t she tell you that?”
No, Karen hadn’t said anything because Frost had jumped to
conclusions and hadn’t let her get a word in. He’d left her with tears in her
eyes.
“So what, then? She couldn’t hack it, huh? Had no staying power?”
Frost muttered, even though the words tasted so fucking wrong.
“Asher,” Ten sighed. “It was mutual. I knew we weren’t working out.
I’ve known for a long time.”
“Then why did you stay with her?” Surprised, Frost searched his dad’s
face.
The corner of Ten’s lips curved in a half smile. “Fear, if I’m being
honest.”
“Fear of being alone?” Frost drew a breath.
“No, more like fear of love.”
“I don’t understand.” Ten wasn’t making sense.
“I didn’t love Karen, she was the safer choice. I was afraid of growing
too close and of being hurt again like I had been with your mother, so I
avoided my true feelings.”
“And what are your true feelings?”
“I’m in love with Maryanne.”
“Maryanne? Your nurse?” His mouth gaped. Well, fuck. No wonder
Karen had been less than thrilled about Maryanne coming around. Shit, he
was the dense one.
“Yes. I’ve always loved her. I fell for her back when she helped me after
the accident. My feelings for her scared the hell out of me. All I could
picture was her leaving me, like your mother did.”
Frost was stunned. His dad loved Maryanne and he hadn’t even known
about it. Oh, he’d suspected, but when they hadn’t gotten together, he
chalked it up to his imagination.
Ten scratched at his beard. “Or me messing it up,” his father admitted.
“What do you mean, ‘messing it up’?” Frost frowned.
“I always wondered if I had hung on tighter or maybe I hung on too
tightly to your mother and that’s why she left.”
Frost covered his dad’s hand with his own. “Hey. Mom left because
that’s what she does.”
“I just keep thinking I messed it up,” Ten said again.
“That’s not true, dad. It was her loss. Anyone would be damn proud to
be with you.”
His dad cracked a slight smile and squeezed his hands.
“Same with you, son.”
“No, relationships are not for me,” Frost said, but a pair of bright green
eyes and soft, dark curls edged into his mind. “I thought for a moment it
might be, but I fucked it up.”
“Don’t do like I did, son. Don’t turn away from a good, loving person
because you’re afraid of being hurt.”
Tennessee gripped him on the shoulder hard, their gazes met and held.
Fuck. He’d spent his whole adult life doing just that, turning away from
love. He’d crushed any hope of love out of fear of desertion. Inside, he was
still the young man whose mother had left his father. And him. And that
was the crux of it. He’d taken up arms against his mother on behalf of his
father, when in reality, he’d been hurt by her leaving just as much as Ten.
He hadn’t given the fragile, budding thing between Seth and him a
chance. It had been doomed to fail from the start because he’d been too
wounded. He saw now how angry he’d been and had taken that anger out
on any man who tried to get close.
It didn’t matter. Seth would never forgive him. He’d crushed the man’s
spirit and love with his own selfish behavior.
“I’ve done something I don’t think I can fix,” he admitted around a
lump in his throat.
“Do you love him?”
“I don’t know. Yes? Maybe?” Fuck. “It’s complicated. I can’t stop
thinking about him.”
“He’s first on your mind in the morning and last before you go to
sleep.” Ten smiled.
“Yeah…” And all fucking day long.
“And there’s this pressure in your chest when you think you’ve
disappointed him.”
“Shit…” he rubbed at his chest.
His father smiled. “If he loves you, then you can fix it.”
Suddenly his hands went clammy. “If he forgives me.” He rubbed his
palms down his jeans.
“Son, do me a favor?”
“Sure, dad, anything.”
“Go to some counseling.” Ten held up a hand at his automatic protest.
“I’m not talking extensive. Just go to a therapist and talk about what
happened with your mother. Dump those old ghosts there so you don’t
transfer all that shit onto your loved ones.”
Ten was so fucking wise. Everything his father said made so much
sense.
Seth
He came to, but very slowly. Assessing the pain, he fought back nausea.
Hanging from his arms, his toes barely touched the floor. His hands
were numb, so he knew he’d been suspended for a while. Heavy, wet, and
sticky, his jeans clung to his legs. Not his shirt, though, they’d taken that.
His head lolled when he tried to look around, and the pain splintered into
his skull.
Blood from where they had hit his head had dried and crusted between
his neck and shoulder, pulling painfully when he lifted his head. Groggily,
the first thing he spotted was his wadded up dress shirt tossed on the
ground. He’d worn that shirt to impress Asher. Blood stains had ruined the
material and he vaguely wondered whose blood it was.
“Bout time you woke up, you little motherfucker. Now, it’s time to show
you who’s the boss.”
A figure moved into his vision and he blinked. His brain had trouble
connecting the face with a name for a split second, and then Seth’s eyes
grew wide.
Stanley Starr stood in front of him. For as unkempt as Starr had been
the last time he’d seen the man, the guy had shaved and taken a shower.
Starr wore a wrinkled suit jacket over a pair of sweat pants, and Seth
hysterically thought the guy needed some fashion advice. Behind Starr
stood four, no… maybe five men. Seth had no idea how many thugs might
be standing behind him.
His face hurt like a bitch and his mouth wasn’t working right. Seth
couldn’t remember how it got that way. His tongue swept out along his lips,
finding them swollen and one with a jagged cut.
“Starr?” he mumbled, finding his voice.
Starr laughed, pointing to Seth’s face. “We started while you was
sleepin’.”
Jesus, they’d beat him while he was unconscious?
“What the fuck, man?” Seth spat out blood. “When they find out I’m
gone, they are going to kill you. Hell, I take that back. They will kill you
just for hurting me.” Of that much, Seth was sure. Phoenix would move
heaven and earth when they found out he was gone. Seth just had to hang
on long enough for the cavalry to arrive.
The next instant, he gasped when Starr yanked back his head by his
hair. Seth winced and jerked in Starr’s grasp.
“Who the fuck’s ‘they’? Your techie team? Oooooh,” Starr said, using a
scared voice, and then guffawed. “They gonna type me to death or beat me
with a keyboard?”
He roared with laughter at his own joke. Several of Starr’s men joined
in. Of course, Starr didn’t know about Phoenix. Shit. But then, how had
Starr learned of his cover story?
“No, they’d probably strip the flesh from your muscles and stuff your
dick in your mouth,” he told the old man.
“Strip my flesh,” Starr said with a calculating smile. “Maybe that’s what
I’ll do to you if you don’t tell me where the jewels are.”
“I told you, my dad says the feds took them.”
“I don’t believe you,” Starr said and nodded to someone behind him. He
couldn’t see. The pain was immediate and took his breath away. They were
using something hard. A cane, perhaps? Whatever it was, it was thick and
he knew it would leave deep bruising.
Jerking on the restraints, he clenched his jaw, holding back any sound.
“This is only the beginning,” Starr taunted.
“Fuck you! You fuck! I’m going to kill you!” Seth lashed out with his
feet, but Starr backed up out of reach.
Another hit stole his breath and Starr laughed.
He didn’t know how long he held out, but eventually the pain splintered
in his head, fire licked at his back, and a stab of pain jabbed into his spine.
Blissfully, he blacked out.
He swam in and out of consciousness, hearing men laugh. The new wetness
on his jeans, he idly thought was probably blood. He was bleeding from
somewhere that was soaking his jeans. Maybe he’d bleed out and the pain
would finally end. He wouldn’t get to see Asher again. Not that it mattered,
Asher had moved on. He would move on as well. Move on maybe to the
next world if Stanley Starr had anything to say about it.
Really, though, nobody in this world loved him except Noah and his
uncle. Oh, and his dad. And Finnegan O’Leary had been the one that had
gotten him into this mess by asking he work for Starr in the first place. His
vision clouded and he blinked away the sting.
Struggling to draw a deep breath, he knew they’d broken a rib. If they
kidney punched him, he’d be pissing blood for a week.
The room swam. He kept his lids lowered and tried to make out the
area, but it whirled. His heart thundered when he caught movement and he
clenched his jaw in anticipation of another hit, but it never came. He let out
a shaky breath and lifted up onto his toes, trying to take the pressure from
his wrists. The pain was instant and he stifled a scream.
“Shhh,” a soft, tentative voice said from somewhere outside of his
vision. “They’ll come back if you don’t be quiet.”
The voice sounded timid and kind. And fuck, right then he needed a
little kindness. He blinked, trying to see through the wetness that streamed
from his eyes, but he couldn’t focus. He opened his mouth to whisper, but
no words came out.
He tried again. “Help me, please,” was all he could manage. In a last
ditched effort, he jerked on the chain. It held strong.
Frantically, he twisted against the restraints. He had to get out of there.
He gripped and pulled. He wanted to live. He wanted what Allison and he
had talked about. A family, a home, children, and he’d always wanted a
puppy. If not with Asher, then someone else.
One thing he knew for sure, he needed to calm the fuck down. He drew
in a deep breath and held it before letting it out slowly. His heartbeat slowed
and his breathing eased as his training kicked in.
The room swam and wobbled in and out of view. Tired from struggling,
he lost his grip and slumped, letting his hands take his weight. He spiraled
back down into the darkness.
Frost
Too antsy to go into the office, Frost drove around for a few hours and
ended up at one of his favorite spots. The ocean soothed his ragged nerves.
He sat on a large boulder along the rocky coast. The wind lifted the strands
of his hair and whipped it around his head. He welcomed the breeze and
breathed in the cool, crisp, and salty air.
His mind was all over the place. The circumstances with his mother had
damaged him. The fucked up part of it all was how he’d thought he was
doing fine. He rubbed at his chin. It had made sense to stay out of
relationships after seeing the screwed up way his mother handled them.
Now though, he knew it for what it was. A dysfunctional side effect from
his young adulthood. Bitterness caught on his tongue. He prided himself on
being successful. Sure, he was recognized as a top agent, but he’d failed on
a personal level.
A small group of pelicans flew across the bay and Frost watched their
flight until they were lost from view. He would make an appointment in the
next week to see someone. His dad’s suggestion, while it had stung, made
sense. He just wished he’d talked to his dad before he’d hurt Seth so badly.
Shifting on the rock, he pushed up and stood for a long moment. Drawing
in a deep breath, he let it out just as slowly.
He was being given a fresh start. It was as if he hadn’t really been living
his life prior to now. Or maybe, his life to that point had been a lie. He
didn’t know exactly what it was, but he knew in his heart he’d never felt so
alive prior to being with Seth.
He slipped back into his borrowed SUV and pulled out onto the main
road that ran along the beach front.
Would Seth forgive him? He needed a plan. He just couldn’t show up at
Seth’s place and ask for forgiveness, no, he’d beg for it.
Was he even relationship material or just too damaged? He’d fucked up
horribly. It would take a long time to fix the pain and hurt he’d seen in
Seth’s eyes.
It had become clear after talking with his father, he wanted to be with
Seth. He wanted Seth in his life, without a doubt. In whatever capacity Seth
would have him. He wanted to explore the possibility of…love. Sweet
fucking hell. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The possibility
of loving Seth.
Squeezing the steering wheel, he swallowed down nerves at the
realization that he might just be in love. If that was what the crushing in his
chest and the crazy way he couldn’t stop thinking about Seth was called.
He drove to a nearby store and picked up flowers and candy. If Seth
punched him, then he’d take the hit like a man. He went to Noah and Mac’s
place, but it was empty. It looked like Mac had taken Havoc to work with
him, so he didn’t even have the dog to keep him company while he waited.
Sitting on the front porch, he watched the waves as he held the wilting
flowers and melting candy.
Frost was almost positive Seth wouldn’t go into the office today. He
called Seth’s phone, but it went straight to voicemail. When Seth’s sexy
recording came on to leave a message, he hung up. He didn’t want to do
this by message.
The morning crawled by slowly, but he didn’t mind. He scrolled
through his phone and pulled up the Facebook app and sent Seth a private
message, saying only that he needed to speak with him.
Taking a deep breath, he decided to call Seth’s number again, but it
went straight to voicemail or maybe Seth sent it there. This time, he left a
message.
“Seth, hey. It’s me, Ash…Asher.” He stumbled over his own fucking
name. “I need to talk to you.” He added, “Please, it’s about us.”
Ending the call, he sat there gripping the phone.
His phone buzzed and he jerked it up. The damned thing had run out of
battery and was shutting down. Fuck. He’d failed to pick up a fucking
charger. He sat for a while, lost in thought, reliving past mistakes and
fantasizing about future possibilities. Standing, anticipation tightened his
gut. Maybe Seth was at headquarters. Disappointment came quickly when
Seth’s car wasn’t there. Frost sat brooding behind the wheel. Maybe he
should just go back to Noah and Mac’s house and camp out until Seth came
home.
What if Seth had taken an Uber to work? Making a decision, he stepped
out of the SUV. He’d go back to Noah and Mac’s if Seth wasn’t inside.
The waiting was making him antsy and he hurried toward the building.
He needed to fix this. If Seth wasn’t there, he would track him down. Seth
couldn’t avoid him forever, they did work together. He was determined to
give his apology, he’d grovel for forgiveness.
Entering headquarters, he pulled out his cell and plugged it into the first
charger he came across. Silence in the room drew his head up and he found
the team watching him. He frowned, had there been a meeting?
His gaze met Stefano’s and the man looked troubled. Noah, Storm,
Reggie, and Wild were looking at him with a variety of expressions that
ranged from surprise to worry. Allison’s eyes were red, but he wasn’t sure if
that was because she was spitting mad or had been crying. He’d go with
mad. She wasn’t the crying type. Reggie jumped from his chair, clutching a
laptop case to his chest.
“Why the hell weren’t you answering your phone?” Allison yelled. Yep,
she was mad. He’d nailed it.
“Sorry.” Frost held up his hands. “I was taking care of a personal
matter.”
“I called you twice.” Stefano let out a deep sigh.
“Once, here.” Wild raised his hand. “And a text.”
“I told you I was taking a few days off,” he said irritably. His phone had
charged just enough to ping rapidly and he glanced down at the text
message from Wild that simply said, 911 fucking call me now.
Frost’s head whipped up. Suddenly, he froze. And then his frantic gaze
searched the room for one familiar face. The face of the one he craved. Not
finding Seth, ice filled his veins.
“What’s going on?” Fear filled his voice and the words came out thickly
as if they might dry up at any minute.
“Frost,” Stefano began, and then paused.
That was when Frost saw the deep worry lines carved into the
commander’s face.
“Seth has been taken.”
Frost
He wanted to kill something so fucking badly, he could hardly breathe. It
took every physical effort he had to keep his shit together.
Even Storm had been watching him like a fucking hawk. Rage
simmered just beneath the surface, he could feel it like a living thing.
Something dark had unleashed inside of him.
Coiled and ready to strike, blood roared in his ears. At first, he didn’t
hear Wild until the tracker gripped him by the arms.
“You with us or are you out?” Wild snapped.
“I’m in,” he snarled, heat racing up his neck into his face. He glared at
Wild and jerked away. He knew what the man was doing and was grateful
for it, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to punch Wild in the mouth.
Nobody on earth was going to keep him here while Seth was out there.
He had a fucking score to settle, a mission, a purpose. To get Seth back.
Someone had gotten in the way of his happily ever after and they were
going to fucking die. Even if Seth never wanted to speak to him again, Frost
was primed to kill them all.
Seth was his. He just had to find the balls to tell Seth. It wasn’t too late.
They still had a chance. He refused to believe that Seth was dead.
Frost wouldn’t rest until he set his eyes on that messy crop of curls and
deep green eyes. His throat closed and he yanked on his tactical vest.
Giovanni Rossi had arrived a few minutes earlier looking haggard.
Stefano and Rossi were sequestered in Stefano’s office at the moment.
Marshal Mac Mackenzie, as well as his partner Jake Coleman had
arrived. Mac hadn’t left Noah’s side.
Frost looked at his unit. Wild was fidgety, which was unusual for the
tracker. The man’s long hair was pulled back and twisted into a man bun at
the back of his head.
Wild snapped ammunition into the gun’s chamber with violence until
Storm closed a palm over the man’s hands. Wild stilled, then his shoulders
lifted with a deep breath and he gave Storm a short nod.
Storm stepped back, the man was stoic. Not much rattled Storm, ever.
Frost could tell, though. This had rattled him. It was in Storm’s eyes,
brewing like a fucking shit storm that was going to unleash holy hell.
Noah was quiet, his movements quick, precise, and methodical as he
tucked away each extra weapon Mac handed him.
Allison, having gotten a grip, was strapping on two throwing knives at
her hips before pulling on a jacket over a tactical vest. He almost felt bad
for any perp who got in her way. She crouched and tucked a small pistol in
one of her black leather combat boots.
They would kill for each other. Even with all the squabbling they did,
he knew they would die for one another.
Rossi and Stefano came out of Stefano’s office and stood in front of
them. Rossi, visibly upset, appeared to be at a loss for words.
“Go, bring our boy home,” Stefano said quietly.
The unspoken “dead or alive” hung in the air. There was no fucking
way he would accept that Seth was dead, no fucking way.
The unit turned as one and stepped out the back door. In complete and
utter silence, they moved toward the fully-loaded black SUV. He paused
and looked back through the open door and saw Stefano take Rossi into his
arms. They said something to each other, and then Rossi nodded and pulled
out his cell phone.
Frost turned away and jogged to the vehicle. Reggie was already behind
the wheel. The techie wasn’t armed, but wore a vest. His face was red and
blotchy, but held resolve like the rest of them.
He clamped a hand on the young man’s shoulder as he climbed in
behind him and into the back seat. Storm road up front, Wild sat next to
Frost. Noah, Mac, Jake, and Allison were in the third row. Their gear was
stored in the very back.
Yakov Lakhonin was responsible for Seth’s disappearance! Frost knew
it in his gut. Now the only question remained, who had Yakov hired to do
the deed? The fucker wouldn’t have gotten his hands dirty. It couldn’t be
Marco Jennings; the guy was dead. That left Jagger Miller, but according to
Stefano, Miller was in the wind.
Frost curled his hand around his weapon until his knuckles turned
white. They were still no closer to locating Yakov. It wouldn’t matter, he
would tear apart the fucking planet. He’d find Seth. And Yakov was going
to pay.
“The store clerk called the cops this morning. Said he found a car
abandoned with the door open. The clerk checked the security camera and
saw the abduction and called the police. The cops tracked down Giovanni
Rossi about an hour ago,” Reggie said, breaking into Frost’s thoughts and
filling the team in on what he’d found out so far.
“When was he taken?” Frost narrowed his eyes.
“Last night…” Reggie whispered.
Fucking hell. Why had Seth gone to a closed store? Frost rubbed at the
bridge of his nose.
“You get a ping on Seth’s cell phone?” Wild asked Reggie.
“Yep, we’re heading there now. It’s somewhere at the scene. The cops
are waiting for the feds to show up.” The techie took a left and headed in
the direction of a small outdoor shopping area with a barber, hardware
store, and small, local grocery store. “I have it on GPS.”
They located Seth’s car in the parking lot. One portion of Seth’s phone
had a small cone marking its location. The phone had been crushed and the
case was missing.
Walking the scene, Frost couldn’t find a damn thing that would lead
them to Seth.
They fanned out, each taking a direction, and walked the outer edges of
the cracked and chipped parking lot.
“Here,” Allison called out.
When Frost reached her, she was crouched down, lifting something with
the edge of her pen.
“It’s the case to Seth’s cell phone,” Frost said. He’d recognize that
Batman logo case anywhere.
“Why is it so far from the kidnapping point?” Reggie asked.
“Could be more than one vehicle.” Wild pointed to the tire marks on the
pavement.
“Yeah,” Allison said and slipped it into an evidence bag. “Reggie, see
what you can do.”
“I’m on it. We also found blood.” Reggie took the baggy and jogged
back to the vehicle.
Hopefully, they’d get a print off of one of the portions.
If Seth had stabbed one of the kidnappers, even better.
The door gave way beneath the battering ram. Wood chips flew in all
directions around the men dressed in armor and fatigues. He didn’t wait, he
went in fast and hard, too pissed to shout orders. Good thing Roscoe, who’d
met up with them a few moments earlier, didn’t have a problem.
“FBI, hands on your head!”
“Federal Marshals, don’t fucking move,” Mac Mackenzie snarled.
“Stay the fuck down,” Roscoe’s voice boomed through the front room.
Frost quickly moved through the small, rundown house on the outskirts
of the city. The print they’d found on the cell phone case matched a petty
drug dealer by the name of Farlo Bailey.
“Where’s Farlo Bailey?” Mac asked the perp cuffed and sitting on the
dirty sofa.
“Fuck you, pig.” The guy hawked up a loogie and spit covered Mac’s
boot.
Frost moved lightning quick and had the guy by the throat. Rage filled
his vision. He didn’t even feel the hands clawing at his arm as he squeezed,
cutting off the guy’s air.
Storm’s hand came up and settled on his shoulder, but it barely
registered. The whole room became like a heated sauna, even the air
appeared foggy. The smell of chemicals and piss hung in the air.
Frost shook the guy and power lifted him with one arm. He slammed
the suspect against the wall and held him there.
“Frost, hey buddy. He can’t speak if you choke him to death,” Wild
whispered next to his ear.
Wild’s softly spoken words finally penetrated his rage. Snapping out of
the red haze, Frost tossed the guy down on the sofa. He crouched in front of
the man and the guy tumbled back, eyes wide with terror.
Frost pulled out a suppressor from his pocket and screwed it on the end
of his gun.
Wild pushed the perp sideways and dug out the guy’s wallet. He flipped
the ID open and showed it to Storm.
Storm, in turn, showed the driver’s license to Frost.
“Mac, Roscoe, you might want to leave the room,” Storm advised
quietly and tossed the billfold onto the cushion next to Farlo Bailey.
Frost pulled off the chain that held the Marshal’s badge and tossed it to
Mac.
Mac nodded, caught the badge, and then he and Roscoe turned without
another word and walked out the door. Roscoe and Mac could both be heard
shouting orders to their men.
“No! Don’t leave me with him! Come back!” Bailey wailed, finally
finding his voice again. It sounded like raw sandpaper through his bruised
throat.
“They aren’t going to help you,” Frost’s said in a deadly tone, his voice
devoid of emotion. “Now, tell me about the guy you snatched at the grocery
market last night.”
Seth had been gone almost twenty four hours. Every hour had been
agony. They were running out of time. Frost pressed the end of the silencer
right between the man’s eyes.
“Okay, don’t shoot. All I know was we were hired to take out the guy
when we could.”
“Take out what guy?” Wild asked.
“A man named Seth O’Leary.”
“Who hired you?” Frost snapped.
“I don’t know his name.”
Frost pressed the gun harder.
“I’m telling the truth!” the guy wailed. “I don’t know his name, but I
know someone who does.”
Seth
He had managed to work one hand free and link his fingers together to
keep his free arm over his head, giving the illusion he was still fully tied up.
If Starr or any of his men came close, he was going to wrap his legs around
their head and snap their neck.
The plan was then to use whomever as leverage to get his other hand
free. If he had all of his strength, Seth could have pulled himself upward
enough to loosen the chain, but he was running out of energy.
He managed to wedge his thumb and fingers together so his free arm
stayed up and he didn’t need to try and hold it up over his head. It also took
the strain off his other wrist.
Weakening by the minute, Seth hoped to hell he had the power to pull
this off. It was a last ditch effort to gain freedom. The soft voice hadn’t
returned, and now Seth wasn’t sure if he’d imagined it.
Blinking, he looked around the room as much as his blurry vision would
allow. After a few moments, the room grew dim and he actually welcomed
the darkness.
A scuffle woke him. Not a scuffle with his unconscious body, but rather
someone or several someones were in a fist fight. The scene was a blur, and
then sharpened into focus as men were beaten and shot, and one was
stabbed not far from where he hung.
Phoenix had arrived.
Relief welled and tears streamed down his face, but he didn’t care.
In the next second, the tears of relief turned to shock. His blood turned
cold when he heard a vaguely familiar voice. Seth lifted his head and tried
to clear his vision, focusing his eyes on the group of men at the other end of
the room.
“You got in the way of something you shouldn’t have.” Yakov Lakhonin
stood in front of Starr. Yakov spoke in English, but his Russian accent gave
the words a drawling thickness.
Stanley Starr hung beaten and suspended between two of Lakhonin’s
men.
Seth’s vision swam and he blinked quickly. Did Yakov know Starr?
What the fuck was Yakov doing in this rundown, filthy, abandoned office
building? It didn’t seem like the kingpin’s usual hang out.
“Fuck you! His father owes me millions.”
“Oh, ya, I read about that. You’re nothing but a common thief,” said the
sex trafficking, Russian mobster, drug lord. As if he were better than Starr.
Seth might have laughed if he hadn’t been hurting so much.
“Fuck you,” Starr spat at Yakov.
“I believe those will be the last words you will ever speak,” Yakov said,
then abruptly stuck a knife into Starr’s stomach.
Starr’s eyes bulged with shock. Yakov yanked the knife up and ripped
Starr open to his throat. Then, Yakov quickly stepped back from the blood
pouring out of Starr and wiped his sticky blade clean on a pristine white
handkerchief.
“Toss him into one of the rooms,” Yakov ordered his men, and then
turned to Seth. Seth blinked and opened his crusted eyes wider.
“Hello, Seth. I’ve waited a long time for this moment.”
Seth clenched his teeth. “Can’t say the same.”
Yakov laughed. It was a loud and delighted laugh as if he found Seth to
be highly amusing.
“What the hell do you want, Yakov?” he growled around the metallic
taste in his mouth.
Yakov studied the end of the knife he’d used to kill Starr with and then
lifted his cold eyes to hold Seth’s gaze. “I want Noah Bradford and you’re
going to deliver him to me.”
“You’re insane.” The words came out mumbled through his swollen
lips.
Yakov’s mouth tightened. “Well, that’s a matter of opinion.”
Seth struggled to draw a breath, the pressure on his wrist was making
his head foggy. Yakov frowned.
“Untie him,” Yakov ordered his men. “And put him over there.”
Seth couldn’t stop the sound of pain that bubbled up when his wrists
were released and he was lowered onto a filthy blanket on the floor. He
curled into a ball, sucking in air.
“Pay attention, Seth!” Yakov yelled. The kingpin’s voice came from in
front of his face.
Seth pried open his eyes and found Yakov crouching right in front of the
makeshift bed.
“What makes you think that I have anything to do with Noah
Bradford?” he whispered and coughed through his raw throat.
Yakov’s head went back when he laughed and then he sobered and
nodded to someone on his right. A hand came from that direction and Seth
flinched. Expecting a blow, he was completely caught by surprise when a
bottle of cold water was pressed to his lips. He almost didn’t drink it. Fear
that it was laced with poison or something to drug him concerned him, but
the promise of the water drew a sting in his eyes.
“We can’t have you expiring before you serve your purpose. Now
drink,” Yakov commanded.
Seth opened his mouth and took several small swallows until the bottle
was pulled away. The relief was instant. He didn’t know how long he’d
gone without water. He had no sense of time nor how long he’d been held
captive in the windowless room.
Fingers snapped in front of his face. His eyes swiveled back on Yakov.
“I think you are very close to Noah.” A deadly look shone from Yakov’s
eyes.
“We’re not close.” It became easier to speak.
“I disagree. You see, Seth, just as you were watching me and my men,
my men were watching you and yours.”
Seth’s heart skipped a beat. “And what is it you think they saw?”
“You and Noah. He called you cuz.” Yakov’s smirk grew. “I can only
think of one reason he would call you cuz. You’re related.”
Fuck. The room wavered, grew dim, and his vision swam. They had to
be very fucking close to overhear anything they’d talked about.
“If you were close enough to hear us talking, why not grab us then?” he
mumbled. An invisible wad of cotton felt wedged between the roof of his
mouth and tongue.
The kingpin’s mouth tightened and his expression turned ugly. “That
was a fuck up that won’t happen again.” Yakov tugged at his shirt cuffs
with a snap. Seth got the feeling the fucker had killed his own men. The
murder caught on video flashed through his mind.
He spoke around his thickened tongue. “We were joking around. We’re
not related. Like I said,” he slurred, “we’re not close.” Blood dripped from
the side of his mouth and onto the blanket beneath him adding to the filth.
Yakov paused and smoothed a hand over his hair. The room dimmed,
whitened, then Yakov came back into focus. The man was really well put
together, confident, and maybe in some circles, a much sought after man. If
Yakov hadn’t been a madman, he’d probably be considered a catch. Jesus,
he was losing it.
“I sure hope that’s not the case, Seth.” Yakov smiled and Seth shivered.
He swallowed, opened his mouth, took a breath and rasped, “What do
you want with Noah?”
“He killed my half-brother.”
Seth had been there in the alley the day Terrance Manning, Yakov’s
half-brother, had been shot dead while trying to kidnap Noah. Yakov was
wrong. Storm had delivered the shot that killed Manning, not Noah.
Yakov went on. “Noah is also the son of Giovanni Rossi. Which I’m
sure you know Rossi killed my nephew many years ago.”
Yakov paused, and then went on as if Seth had a choice to listen.
“Terry and I were very close growing up. Our sons were best friends
when we grew older. When Terrance was killed in that disgusting alley,
well, it enraged me,” the man said with so much calmness. Seth wondered
if Yakov ever showed emotion.
Then abruptly that changed. Yakov jammed a fist against his own chest.
“It cut out my fucking heart to lose my brother!”
Seth said nothing. Shivers raked his form and even through the pain, he
tried to clench his teeth to stop.
“Nothing to say, I see. This is probably old news to you. But to me, I
have very little family left. My two sons. One of which is in a Switzerland
prison.” Yakov’s nostrils flared.
“That’s his own fault. Hit and run is a crime,” Seth whispered.
“I know about your unit.”
Ice chilled Seth’s veins. He stared at Yakov. The kingpin had just signed
his death warrant with those words. How much did Yakov really know
about Phoenix or what his team was capable of?
“What is it you do exactly?” Yakov murmured.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” So, apparently Yakov didn’t
know as much as he boasted. Seth eased his jaw, poking his tongue at his
swollen bottom lip, tasting the tang of blood as the cut welled.
Yakov’s mouth tightened and he brushed at one sleeve and then the
other of his pristine suit jacket.
“Nobody is coming for me.” The words slurred on Seth’s tongue.
“Well, for your sake, I hope you’re wrong.” Yakov smiled, but it didn’t
reach his cold, dead eyes. Yakov turned to the two men behind him.
“Keep him here and call me when they arrive.”
“How are they going to know how to find him?” one of the men asked,
and then gasped when his boss backhanded him.
“Stupid! They are trained to find people. They will follow the wide path
that Stanley Starr left for them. Take Noah Bradford alive and kill the rest.
Is that so hard to do? There are eight of you. Do what I pay you to do.”
“Yes, sir,” the man said, sounding subdued.
Yakov sighed and turned back to Seth. “Be a good boy and don’t cause
trouble.”
“Sure, I’ll get right on that.” His words came out garbled, almost
incoherent, yet Yakov appeared to get the gist of it.
Yakov’s eyes narrowed and without another word, he turned and walked
out of the dirty room, leaving Seth shivering on the filthy blanket.
Seth let his head roll to the side. He lay waiting for the beatings to start
up. But surprisingly, Yakov’s men didn’t touch him. There were only two
men in the room. Seth had to wonder where the other six were.
The two men in the room began a debate as to who was going to drive
for fast food. They were more worried about where they were going to eat
than they were with their prisoner. Which worked to Seth’s benefit. He
discreetly used his cheek to rub gently against his fingers and wrists to help
the circulation return to his digits. They tingled and he couldn’t form a fist.
The hand he had worked out of the chain came to life first and he
whimpered. He couldn’t believe his luck that Yakov’s men hadn’t noticed
he was only chained by one wrist. Maybe they had and didn’t care. They
had guns and he was pretty fucked up. They figured he wasn’t going
anywhere.
They figured wrong.
Seth stretched his legs out and bit back a quiet moan. Funny, they’d
taken his shirt off but had left his boots on. He couldn’t believe his luck that
his feet remained protected. At this point, he’d take his feet over his hands.
Feet, he could run with.
Seth lifted up just a bit and tried to get a look at his prison, but the room
spun. He dropped back to the hard, unforgiving floor.
He awoke to silence.
Curled into a tight ball on his side, he listened for some time. He heard
a distant cough and the smell of cigarette smoke lingered in the air, but all
was otherwise quiet.
Taking a breath, he eased to his side and took in the room. It was empty,
save for the garbage that littered the floor, an old filing cabinet that sat with
the front broken in pieces, and the blanket beneath him.
Gritting his teeth, he eased himself upright to sit. Getting up from the
floor and into a standing position proved more difficult than he had
anticipated.
Seth rolled to his knees and lunged upward, using every last ounce of
strength he had to get to his feet.
And down he went.
He almost sobbed aloud. He couldn’t hold himself up, and he met the
floor with a hard smack. Biting his lips to keep the scream bottled up, he
took short, quick pants to stave off making any further sounds.
If they walked in right that moment, his attempt at freedom would end.
They’d tie him up or worse, beat him and then tie him up. He wasn’t sure
he’d survive another beating.
He moved to his hands and knees and crawled across the floor toward a
missing chunk in the wall.
The place looked like it was ready for demolition. There were several
dark holes to choose from, so he picked the one that he’d barely fit through.
He hoped they would think he had gone through one of the larger openings.
Glass on the other side of the hole cut into his palms and he had to slow
his crawl through the darkness to avoid any further damage.
“This way,” a soft voice whispered and Seth’s head snapped up. And
then quickly lowered when his head swam.
It was the same soft voice from before. A voice he had believed was a
hallucination. He slowly lifted his head again and strained to see, but there
was only darkness ahead.
“Hurry,” the voice urged.
Seth just wanted to sleep. He was so fucking tired. Reaching deep, he
moved toward the voice and kept crawling even when his body screamed at
him to lay down. He crawled down a hallway in what he knew now to be an
old, abandoned office building. Apparently, an office building that had been
condemned if the state of it was any indication.
He reached a set of stairs, there was no way he could go up, so he slid
down them on his ass. The voice had disappeared, no longer whispering
words of encouragement.
Yakov’s men were going to notice him gone soon and he hunted
frantically for a place to hide. Searching for a cubby or a nook to tuck his
body away in until Phoenix could find him.
“This way.”
Finally, that soft voice again. Seth gasped quietly, choking back a sob as
the voice urged him to keep going. He crawled down another set of stairs,
and then another. He must have made it down three flights of stairs by
sliding on his ass before he pulled open a door and scooted inside.
Another dark hallway, but his eyes were adjusting. He still couldn’t
stand, but he crawled on his hands and knees and made slow progress down
the old, carpeted hallway.
Ahead, he saw a faint glow of an exit sign and gave a quiet sob of relief.
He made his way slowly toward the door.
Reaching up, trembling fingers grasped the knob. He turned it and
pushed at the same time, but nothing happened. Frantic, he used his
shoulder, yet the door held firm. Fuck! He’d come all this way. Freedom
was so close he could taste it. Failure burned in his throat like acid and hot
tears trailed down his cheeks.
A slight sound came from his right and he became aware there was a
large, gaping hole in the wall. At least it would give him somewhere to
hide. He pushed himself and pulled on his legs until he was inside of the
hole. It was there he sat, back to the open-beamed wall, gasping for air. He
took shallow breaths, trying to keep his noise down. They’d busted
something inside. The pain was getting worse.
He sat there for a long moment before the hair on the back of his neck
stood. Glancing slowly to his right, he found three pairs of eyes watching
him.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Seth rasped, resting his head back against
the insulation.
“You look hurt really bad, mister,” a young male voice said from the
dark, one that sounded suspiciously like the whisper that had helped him.
“This?” He coughed wetly. “Just a scratch.”
A body emerged, accompanying the voice, and moved from the darkest
part of the small room closer to Seth.
“You were the one they brought into the office upstairs.”
Seth’s vision blurred. “I am. Thank you for helping me.”
The boy dismissed Seth’s claim like it was no big deal.
“I’d appreciate if you wouldn’t tell them I’m here,” Seth panted, then
shifted and winced.
“I won’t. Those are some bad men. They killed some other men
upstairs. The ones that carried you in here.”
“They did,” Seth croaked, closing his eyes. His head was still spinning.
“Mister, if they search this whole building, they’ll find you here. I know
a safe place.”
“Alright. Just give me a minute,” Seth said, fighting back nausea.
“Here, we’ll help you.” The guy was strong when he helped Seth to his
feet. The boy was not as young as Seth had first guessed, but he would bet
money the boy was still a teenager. Homeless, on the streets. Life fucking
sucked.
It was slow going, the two other kids weren’t much help. They kept
their distance, their gazes wary.
They managed to get out of the main office building and into a utility
tunnel by way of a completely different exit. Seth would have never found
it. A gap in the structure of the building covered by boards. It was slow
going and they stopped for him to catch his breath several times.
Finally, cold air hit Seth’s face and he sucked in several deep and
grateful breaths. But the guy hurried him along and didn’t let him linger.
Across a wide chunk of land that sat empty, land left from a demolished
building, large chunks of cement sat lifted where weeds had pushed up
through the dirt. The guy helped him over a particularly large chunk of
concrete, and that was when Seth noticed the array of tents on the other
side.
It wasn’t noticeable at first, but the area was filled with all kinds of
people. Mostly tucked away beneath structures or sitting out of the way
against fences that ran beneath the freeway. It was a small city of homeless
going about their business. They didn’t pay Seth and the boys any attention.
The kid moved deep into the area and eased him down onto a pile of thick,
old blankets and covered his shivering form with another one.
He couldn’t remember ever seeing this homeless encampment. He
remembered the area beneath the freeway at Fifth Street, but this one, he
couldn’t place. This smaller one was secluded and off from the main
section.
He swam in and out of consciousness and then finally gave up the fight
and closed his eyes.
Frost
The drive to Folsom State prison took about an hour and forty minutes
from Oakland.
It used to be the California State prison only housed the most dangerous
and difficult criminals, but currently, they also detained level one inmates.
Seth’s father was in for armed robbery. What a fucking life for a kid to
grow up in.
During the drive to the prison, Noah had called. On speaker phone,
Noah told him, Roscoe, Wild, and Storm the story of how Rossi and
Stefano had rescued Seth from a shit hole the boy had ended up in after his
dad went to prison. Frost had to wonder what kind of man puts his sixteen
year old son in charge of tapping into jewelry store security cameras. What
kind of man had his son break the fucking law for personal gain?
He squeezed the steering wheel.
“Careful there,” Roscoe said from the passenger seat. “You don’t want
to go in there and blow up. They’ll kick you out.”
“I won’t blow up,” he said through his teeth.
“He’s been missing forty eight hours, our window isn’t closed yet.”
He couldn’t look at Roscoe. “A lot could happen in that amount of
time.”
“Did you talk to him after he left the other day?”
“No,” he gritted out harshly. Guilt and regret hung bitter on the word. If
he’d been with Seth, none of this would have happened.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Frost. If you had been there, we might be
looking for you both,” Wild said from the back seat. Frost glanced into the
rearview mirror. Next to Wild sat a silent Storm. The man’s gaze met his.
Frost didn’t believe a single fucking word. If he had been there, he
would have either saved Seth or be dead because he damned well knew
he’d have died to keep Seth safe.
Roscoe handled everything via phone before they got to the prison.
They still experienced push back at the main office when they arrived. The
warden was called and they stood waiting. Frost paced, he couldn’t stand
still.
“It’s official FBI business.” Which it was. “Kidnapping is a federal
offense,” Roscoe told the warden when he finally appeared.
“Your staff is obstructing justice.”
“My apologies, gentlemen. We’re getting the prisoner ready now. You
guys can go into my private conference room and speak to him there.”
The conference room was roomy. In the middle of the room sat a table
with two chairs, one on each side. The room had a camera in the far corner.
Wild set about disabling the sound system.
Roscoe’s eyebrows lifted. Wild flashed Roscoe a quick grin. “I’m a man
of many talents.”
Storm grunted from where he’d taken up position against the wall.
Wild flipped Storm off and Roscoe turned a look of disbelief on him.
Frost just shrugged. No way in hell could he explain those two and he
wasn’t even going to try.
Ten long fucking minutes later, the door finally opened and a man
shuffled in. He didn’t have chains on his ankles, but his wrists were
shackled. The man must have been in his late fifties, although the years
hadn’t been kind. His shock of red hair was threaded with gray and his
green eyes were tired, his face lined with wrinkles that spoke silently of a
hard life. Frost now knew where Seth’s green eyes had come from.
Although, the father’s eyes were faded, while Seth’s glowed brightly when
he was happy.
“Finnegan O’Leary?” Roscoe asked.
“Yeah?” The old thief’s gaze was wary. It should be. It was all Frost
could do not to lunge, but he’d promised Roscoe.
Wild walked to the camera in the corner and lifted on his toes. He
placed a small piece of tape over the lens and then he stood in a position
near the door.
Storm’s impressive form took up a spot on the far wall near the corner
and out of the light, giving the man a menacing appearance.
Roscoe pointed to a chair at the table. “Sit, Mr. O’Leary. These men
have some questions for you,” the FBI agent said.
O’Leary glanced around at each of them before he shuffled over and sat
down. Frost positioned himself directly across the table from the guy.
Roscoe gave him a nod. “I’ll be right outside.” And then the FBI agent
quietly left the room and shut the door.
“I’m a friend of your son’s,” he said, turning to the man after Roscoe
left.
“You are?” O’Leary looked suspiciously at Storm and Wild and then
back to Frost. “What kind of friend?”
“What the fuck does that matter?” Frost growled, and the older man
shrank back in his chair.
“It, it, don’t matter,” O’Leary stuttered. “You just don’t look like
computer geeks.”
“I’m not a computer geek. Your son and I are dating. You know, the
funny thing is, Seth hasn’t said shit about you,” Frost lied, staring at
O’Leary.
“Seth doesn’t talk about me at all?”
“No,” Frost said abruptly. Other than one brief moment, Seth hadn’t
mentioned his father at all. Frost was sure Seth would have talked more
about his family if he hadn’t treated him like shit. He squeezed his hands
into fists.
“So, you’re his boyfriend?” O’Leary’s brow furrowed.
“We haven’t been dating for long.”
More like not dating at all, but he wasn’t getting into that with this man.
As far as he was concerned, Finn O’Leary had made Seth’s life a living
hell. He was grateful all over again for his own father and the stable life
he’d had growing up.
“Where’s Seth?” Finn O’Leary asked, worry pinching his mouth and
narrowing his eyes.
“That’s why we are here. Seth has gone missing,” Wild said.
The old thief’s eyes expanded and he sucked in a quick breath. Guilt
swam in O’Leary’s gaze and it was all Frost could do not to reach across the
table and choke the life from the guy.
“So you better start fucking talking,” Frost snarled.
“Are you the law?” O’Leary skeptically asked.
Frost came up out of his chair and leaned over the table. The convict
shrank back and almost toppled from his chair, but Storm was there. The
operative slammed the chair back down onto four legs. O’Leary’s gasp was
loud in the room and he shrank sideways to avoid Storm.
“No, we’re not the law. We’re something darker. Something more lethal
than you’ve ever come into contact with,” Storm rumbled low and
menacing near the man’s temple. O’Leary shuddered and swallowed.
Frost moved, leaning across the table and getting into O’Leary’s face.
Deliberately lowering his voice to a threatening snarl, he said, “What we do
is beyond anything you could imagine.”
The man’s eyes widened and then darted to the covered camera before
his face turned gray. Finn O’Leary looked like he might have a heart attack
at any moment.
Frost didn’t give a fuck. He wanted answers and wanted them now.
“What did you and Seth talk about when he was here a few weeks ago?”
he asked from between clenched teeth.
Wild moved from the door, advancing across the room. Finn O’Leary’s
eyes grew even wider. Storm planted his feet apart and crossed his arms
over his massive chest. O’Leary squeezed his hands together and sucked in
a sharp breath. Seriously, what did this guy have to lose? Seth was missing
and this asswipe was already in prison!
At the very end of what little patience he had left, he generated every
ounce of rage in his eyes and slammed his hands down on the table. A
sudden look of horror came over the man’s face. Storm grabbed and hoisted
the chair in the air with Finn O’Leary in it, then slammed it back down as if
he weighed nothing.
Seth’s father sang like a fucking canary.
The yard around the house was a pig sty. The house itself appeared dark and
unoccupied. He stepped in something and didn’t even need to look down to
confirm it was dog shit. The smell wafted up from his boot. He kept his gun
trained on the porch as he slowly made his way up the cracked stairs.
They had devised a quick plan. Wild. Allison, and several agents would
take the back. Roscoe, Kane, and another agent would cover each side of
the house in case someone tried to make a break for it out a window. That
left him, Storm, Noah, Mac, and his partner Jake, along with two more
agents, all going through the front door.
Frost nodded and the agent kicked in the door.
“Federal Agents,” the man shouted, and Frost quickly moved inside,
gun aimed and ready. Storm and Noah fanned out to each side.
Frost went through the living room constantly searching, eyes moving,
gun aimed. He kicked in a bedroom door and aimed the gun at an empty
mattress.
Dread churned in his gut. Stanley Starr was their prime suspect and it
looked like he’d flown the coop. The fucker could run, but he wouldn’t be
able to hide for long.
He stopped next to a bathroom and reached to turn the knob. Pushing
the door open, he found a woman huddled between the bathtub and the
toilet. He quickly pulled his gun up and away. Sitting on the sink was a
mirror with white powder, a razor blade, and a rolled up dollar bill. The
woman was sniffling and her eyes were wide saucers in her too thin face.
Frost would put her in her late forties or early fifties. Way too fucking old to
be doing this shit and want to live a long life. But then, some addicts could
not be saved.
He hoped to hell she didn’t have a gun as he eased into the room. Her
eyes darted to the closed shower curtain.
“Ma’am, I’m going to need to ask you to come out of there.” He held
out his hand.
She shook her head violently and slapped at his hands when he reached
for her. He tucked his gun in the waist band of his pants and grabbed onto
her with both hands.
Screaming, she scratched at him and shouted at the shower curtain.
“You keep your fucking mouth shut! Do you hear me?! Don’t you say a
fuckin’ word or I’ll kill you!” she shrieked.
Frost grunted and pulled the woman up hard and fast. He shoved her out
into the hallway and into US Marshal Mac Mackenzie’s waiting hands.
“You’re not killing anybody, lady,” Mac growled.
Lady was too good of a term to use on the druggie, but he had greater
concerns behind that shower curtain. He pulled his piece and nudged the
gun against the curtain.
“If you have a weapon, throw it out on the floor.”
Nothing. Then movement sent the curtain shaking. “Put it down now or
this bullet finds your head,” he commanded.
After another moment, a long, caramel-colored object tumbled out from
the side of the curtain. Frost did a double take just to be sure it was indeed a
bamboo back scratcher that had landed at his feet. He then yanked the
curtain back and found a set of wide, brown eyes gazing fearfully back at
him from the face of a cherub.
The little boy must have been about five years old. Dirty and
malnourished. Bruises covered his cheeks and arms. His clothing was
riddled with holes and filth and hung on his tiny frame. The kid tumbled
backward and landed hard on his elbow. Tears sprang to his eyes, but he
didn’t make a sound. Scrambling up, the boy crouched in the scum-filled
tub, holding his arm.
“Clear,” Noah shouted from somewhere in the house.
“Clear,” Roscoe and Allison echoed along with Wild and Storm.
“Clear,” Frost said to Mac.
Frost tucked his gun away and squatted next to the tub. “Hi there. My
name is Asher. What’s yours?”
The boy tilted his head curiously as if gaging the sincerity of Frost’s
voice.
“Austin,” the boy whispered after a moment.
“How old are you, Austin?” Frost asked, keeping his voice soft.
The boy held up five fingers on one hand and then two more on another.
So, not five after all, just really fucking small for his age. And perhaps a
learning delay.
“Where’s your mommy and daddy?”
“Daddy’s not here and mommy…” the kid pointed after the woman.
Jesus Christ, the woman had looked horribly aged from drugs. The boy had
probably been born hooked on junk.
Frost rubbed a hand over his mouth and pulled on the short hair around
his chin. Fuck, his heart hurt. When had the little boy last eaten or had a
bath or even a fucking kind word?
“I’m going to take you out of here, Austin.”
“They always bring me back.” The boy’s eyes were too old and jaded
for his sweet face. The boy suddenly found the shampoo bottle in the
shower fascinating and it took his attention.
“Austin?” Frost whispered softly, gaining the boy’s attention.
“I don’t want to come back,” Austin whimpered just as softly.
“To here?”
Austin nodded, but then said, “And the strangers.”
“What strangers?” Frost asked, trying to follow the boy’s thought
process. All the while, bile churned in his gut.
“The strangers that come to the house.”
The boy chewed his cut lip. Frost clenched his fist to avoid going after
the mother in the other room. Did she trick the boy out to pay for her habit?
Frost swallowed hard as horror punched a hole in his heart.
Austin glanced past Frost. Frost gave a quick look over his shoulder.
Mac, having passed off the woman to someone, stood silent and waiting, his
expression soft and warm on the boy, but Mac’s eyes were filled with a
quiet horror.
“Okay, Austin. Well, this time you’re coming with me. And I’m never
bringing you back,” Frost promised, making an executive decision.
“Are you going to hurt me?” The boy chewed at his bottom lip and
stared at him through fearful eyes welling with tears.
Mac made a sound in the back of his throat.
Frost froze for a moment. He swallowed several times before finding
his voice. “Never. I promise.” He crossed his heart and held out his hand.
After a long moment, Austin took his hand and he gently lifted the boy
from the tub and into his arms. Thin arms wrapped around his neck hard,
clinging. He turned and found Roscoe and Noah had joined them.
“This is Austin and he’s coming with us.” He held Mac’s gaze over the
little boy’s head.
“I’ll call social services,” Roscoe said.
“You do that. But he’s not going with them until we can figure out why
he’s being sent back to this shit hole,” he rasped.
“Ro?” Mac said.
Roscoe turned back and looked at Mac. “Yeah?”
“She threatened his life. I heard everything,” Mac said, gazing at the
boy in Frost’s arms. “As a US Marshal, I’ll take temporary custody.”
“Perfect. I won’t spend time calling them then,” Roscoe said and
disappeared back down the hallway. The agent could be heard giving orders
to his men a few moments later.
“Austin?” he said, rubbing a hand down the boy’s boney back until the
boy lifted his tousled head.
“This is Noah and that’s Mac. They have a really cool house on the
beach. I think they might let you stay there.”
Austin looked at Mac for a long time. “You think that would be okay?”
the boy asked, hopeful. “I never been to the beach.”
Noah visibly blinked and held out his arms before Mac could. “I even
have a room for you,” Noah said with a smile.
“Thanks, you guys,” he said.
“Find him. Find Seth,” Noah said, taking a deep breath.
“I will,” he vowed.
“My daddy is at the engine shop.”
What was the saying? Out of the mouths of babes. “Thanks, Austin,”
Frost said, ruffling the boy’s hair.
He went in search of Roscoe while Noah and Mac took Austin out the
back to get the boy settled in one of the SUVs.
Roscoe looked up when he entered the room.
“Starr has an engine shop or car repair, small engines, I don’t know. Get
me that address,” Frost ordered.
Roscoe nodded, giving the command to his agents.
“Let’s tear it up.” Storm’s deep, rumbling voice filled the room.
“Wait! Don’t be tearing up my things!” the woman sitting in cuffs on
the sofa screamed.
Frost held up a hand and the team stopped.
“Where is Stanley Starr?”
The woman scrunched her lips together.
“You’ve lost custody of your child. You’ll never be allowed to see him
again. You can make it easy on yourself and tell me where your husband
took Seth.” Because he very much doubted that Starr would use his own
machine shop for a kidnapping.
“Fuckin’ kid’s lying! I haven’t done anything to that little shit!” she
yelled.
Storm cleared a book shelf with one swipe of his arm and the woman
screeched. Wild stood with his arms crossed over his chest, long hair
hanging free, looking like a wild man if there ever was one.
Frost moved right into the woman’s face and regained her attention. She
yelped and lifted her hands in front as if to ward off a blow. “You have one
chance to speak. Better make it good,” he sneered low and deadly.
“It’s an office building near the waterfront,” she said, gasping for
breath.
“Address,” he barked, and loomed over the woman with his fists
clenched.
“I don’t know!” she screeched again. “But it’s just off of Second Street
in Oakland.”
Frost looked up and caught Storm’s gaze. The operative nodded and left
the room with Wild at his back.
“Book her,” he told Roscoe. “Accomplice to kidnapping, child
endangerment.” Hell, the woman threatened to kill the kid in their presence.
He hoped they threw the fucking book at her.
“Now wait a damned minute. You said I could go free.”
“I said you could make it easy on yourself,” he corrected her. “As for
going free, that’s for a jury to decide.” He turned away and left the woman
as she screamed and wiggled, trying to get away from the agents carrying
her out of the house and to the waiting police car.
“Fucking bitch,” Frost heard one of Roscoe’s men snarl, dabbing at a
scratch where the woman had clawed him. Frost silently agreed.
Seth
An old man shuffled slowly across the pavement. When he reached the
partially hanging flap, Seth tensed. A bottle of water being held in the
homeless man’s hand came forward and he gestured to the boy to take it.
After several gestures, the boy finally reached out and tentatively took
the water. The man waved his dirty cloth-wrapped hand toward Seth and
mumbled something. Seth rolled his head to the side and noticed the same
type of dirty cloth around the homeless man’s feet. Makeshift shoes.
The boy held the bottle of water up to Seth’s mouth so he could drink.
The water was warm, but Seth gratefully swallowed as much as he could. If
he ever got out of this mess, he was going to buy that old man a pair of
shoes.
“What’s your name?” Seth whispered through swollen lips. Blinking
hard, he tried to focus in on the boy’s face. After a moment, his vision
cleared.
“I’m Jordan.”
“Thank you, Jordan. My name is Seth.”
“I think they’re coming. Quiet.” Jordan hurriedly pulled a blanket over
his head. Seth froze. Shit. He was a sitting duck lying here.
Willing his body to stop shaking, Seth strained to listen. In the distance,
people were shouting and someone screamed to leave their basket alone.
The quiet that followed sounded ominous. He was so cold, his teeth started
chattering. It was a spine numbing cold. He flexed his hands but couldn’t
feel his fingers. Damn it to hell.
He drifted in and out of consciousness. He heard voices and then
silence. Asher, he needed to call Asher. Were they still together? No, wait,
that wasn’t right. Asher was with another man.
It was too much of an effort to keep his eyes open and he faded. It was
hot, boiling hot, the next time he woke.
“Why doesn’t he love me?” he mumbled. He kicked at the blanket. It
smelled like old sweat and filth. Using his hands and feet, he shoved at the
stiff, scratchy thing until he got the cover off of him. Who had covered
him? It was too hot for covers. He gasped for air.
“Shhh,” Jordan whispered close to his ear. “They’re coming back this
way, you have to stay still and be quiet.”
Seth stilled and tried to swallow around his dry throat, then gagged at
the putrid smell of the enclosure he was in. Jordan placed a hand over his
mouth and his nostrils flared, trying to draw breath through the bloodcrusted opening. He fought to calm his panic.
“Shhh. It’s okay,” the boy hissed, and then lifted his hand away. Seth
sucked in gulps of rank air, fighting to remain as quiet as possible. Jordan
covered his head with the blanket again and left him there.
Several minutes passed. Seth strained to listen over the pounding of his
heart. Somewhere in the distance, there were sounds of crashing and glass
breaking. The quiet roar of people growing angry filled the air. Seth
shivered. He couldn’t have moved even if he wanted to. All he could do
was lay there helplessly until the bad guys or Phoenix found him. He wasn’t
sure which one would be first. After several moments, the roar of the angry
crowd dulled and faded out with only an occasional shout.
A few moments passed before Jordan returned and pulled the blanket
away from his face. “Okay, it’s clear. They went the other way.”
Seth clenched his teeth and his body violently shook. At least he was
quietly shaking. Jordan drew another old, ratted blanket over him and gave
him several more sips of the warm water.
“I don’t have much time,” Seth whispered. “I need you to call 911.”
“No! I can’t do that. The cops will come.” Jordan’s fingers gripped at
the dirty coat he wore and pulled it firmly around his skinny form, holding
it tight.
Seth’s head lolled on the blankets. “Okay, will you call a friend for me?
Please, Jordan. Please.” He wasn’t beyond begging.
“Oh, oh, ok,” Jordan finally stuttered. A shock of dirty hair fell over the
boy’s forehead and his blue eyes were dim from who knew how many years
on the street, but beneath the dirt was a striking boy. He was scared and
nervous, but appeared willing to call for help.
“I’ll have to find a phone,” Jordan said, rubbing his hands down his
dirty shirt.
Seth softly recited a number and a name, watching as Jordan tugged a
small metal box onto his lap and lifted the lid. He rummaged around a bit
and then produced a well-used pen. Carefully, the boy wrote the number on
his hand.
“Tell him, tell him that Seth needs him. Tell him,” Seth’s breath caught
when pain sliced into his stomach, “to hurry.”
“I will. You better not die, Seth,” Jordan worried. “I mean it.”
Seth gave the boy a tired smile. “I’ll try.”
He wanted to cry when Jordan hunkered down next to him. He opened
his mouth to protest that Jordan go now, but more shouting, this time
sounding farther away, traveled across the distance. Seth held his breath and
Jordan flipped the blanket over his head again.
Tears seeped from the corners of his eyes and soaked his temples. A
moment later, Seth gave up and let the darkness take him.
Frost
They tore apart every fucking warehouse and piece of property that Stanley
Starr owned. They had the feds looking at neighboring properties as well.
The chief had called for extra help, and the military sent in a team. The
extra man power was not surprising. Many had volunteered when they
heard that Phoenix needed help. The men took this shit seriously and came
in hot and hard when word got out that one of their own had been taken.
They found the abandoned office building where Seth had been held.
He was gone when they got there. Only a chain hanging from the exposed
beam and Seth’s bloody shirt tossed aside remained.
Frost sank to his knees near a dirty blanket and gripped the shirt. This
was what Seth had been wearing when he came by his house. It was an
expensive dress shirt and Frost lifted it to his face. The scent of Seth
lingered.
“He’s gone,” he said hollowly.
“Frost.” Wild placed a hand on his shoulder.
Frost fought to look up at his friend, his eyes burned.
“They’re going to pay,” Frost said gutturally.
“Every fucking one of them,” Storm growled from where he stood next
to Roscoe.
Frost let Wild pull him up. He wouldn’t stop until he had Seth back in
his arms.
“Sir.” One of Roscoe’s men approached. “We found a body.”
Frost lurched and Wild steadied him. Storm stayed close to his side.
With every step he took, hope that Seth was alive began to crumble.
If it was Seth’s body, he would fall into a hole so deep, he’d never find
his way out of it. He swallowed back bile and clenched his fists as he
stepped through a doorway and into a small room.
“Who the fuck is that?” Wild asked.
Frost didn’t give a fuck. All he knew was it wasn’t Seth and he placed a
hand to the wall with relief. He took in several quick, deep breaths.
Storm pulled out his phone. “It’s Stanley Starr.” Storm held up a photo
they’d snapped at the house.
“No way,” Wild said, sounding skeptical.
“Yes way,” Storm replied, holding the picture near the dead man’s face.
“Huh,” Wild admitted. “I guess it is.”
The guy’s face was relatively intact considering the rest of him. Stanley
Starr had been gutted from navel to throat and it looked like a very, very
painful way to die. Of course, Frost didn’t think the guy had suffered near
enough for taking Seth. Now there was only one question remaining.
“Who the fuck has Seth?” he questioned harshly.
“Looks like someone took him from Starr,” Wild replied. “There was a
struggle.”
They moved to the rear door and gazed out. The back of the office
building faced an underpass filled with tents and homeless people.
“Fan out, ask people if they’ve seen Seth,” Frost ordered, and they
moved in groups of two, ever vigilant, watching each other’s backs.
Frost stood near an SUV and guzzled down ice water from the cooler. For
hours, they’d all combed every inch of the surrounding area of that damned
office building and the blocks around it, only to find nothing.
It had been sixty hours. The chance of Seth still being alive was
diminishing. They’d reached so many dead ends. But he wasn’t giving up.
The team looked at him somberly. Probably waiting for direction. Some
of the faces were blotched with grief.
“We are not fucking giving up. He’s alive. I can feel it,” he said,
clenching his jaw so tightly, it ached.
He would know in his heart if Seth was dead, he didn’t know how, he
just knew it. “He’s out there somewhere, so buck the fuck up and think!” he
raged, shoving away from the vehicle he paced around.
“Alpha team, come in.” Roscoe’s voice came over the radio and Frost
jumped at it.
“This is Alpha. Over.”
“Frost? We apprehended two vehicles traveling south out of the area.”
“Is Seth with them?” Hope surged. He squeezed the radio.
“No.”
He slammed the radio down onto the center of the dashboard and then
tossed it.
“Easy, Frost,” Storm’s deep, calm voice rumbled. “Let’s keep searching.
There’s a shit ton of homeless to search through still.”
He nodded rapidly. Glancing up, his gaze was met and held by Wild’s
worried gaze.
“Frost,” Wild murmured.
“No, Wild, just save it.” His eyes burned. “He’s alive.” He has to be.
His cell phone rang and he swiped it open. It was an unknown number.
“Frost.” he yelled into the phone.
“M…Mr. Frost Grayson?” a young, trembling voice asked and Frost
snapped to attention.
“Yes, this is him,” he said, automatically gentling his voice. “Who is
this?”
“Um, I’m Jordan.”
“Hello, Jordan,” Frost greeted and flipped up a finger to the team.
Reggie snapped up like fucking wildfire to trace the call coming into his
phone.
“What can I do for you, Jordan?”
“There’s a guy here, Seth. He’s hurt real bad.” Frost’s heart leaped up
his throat. He almost snarled. Instead, he prowled. His fist clenched around
the phone.
“Where are you, Jordan?” His gaze raked over the surrounding area.
“I can give you the location. But you need to come alone because where
we stay, well, that’s a secret. Hurry, Mr. Frost. I think he’s gonna die,” the
boy said, sniffling, his voice shaking.
“I’m on my way, Jordan. You hang tight,” he promised. His heart
lurched with fear that Seth would die before he could get to him. “Tell me
where to meet you.”
The boy gave him an address and ended the call. Frost pivoted. Storm
caught and held his stare from across the distance.
“He’s alive, but I don’t know for how long.” His voice cracked.
“It’s a phone from a business down on Hollywood Way. That’s really
close to the office building and that tent city we searched earlier,” Reggie
said, jumping out of the fully loaded tactical and surveillance SUV.
Everybody galvanized into motion. Frost filled them in on him having
to go in alone. They all nodded.
That meant Frost would be the only visible one. The others, with the
exception of Reggie, would become ghosts and track Frost. Reggie would
stay with the SUV.
“Could be a setup,” Storm advised.
“True,” Frost agreed. “But if there’s the slightest chance Seth is in
there…”
“Hell yeah, we’re going. I’m just saying, it could be a trap,” Storm
replied.
Frost hoped to hell it wasn’t a setup. In any case, it wouldn’t matter. As
long as Seth was found and safe, that was all that mattered. That, and when
he found Seth, and he would find him, Frost would fucking beg for Seth’s
forgiveness.
The place was dank, dark, with very little light. It was off of the main tent
housing of the homeless and if Frost hadn’t been led there by the small,
skinny teenager, he wouldn’t have even known of its existence.
He had to stoop in some places to get through a maze of broken down
walls and holes. The sound of water dripping and soft creaks of the ceiling
accompanied them. A musty smell permeated the air and clung to the walls.
Frost crouched, pulling himself through one particularly small gap in
the wall and stood when he reached the other side. The cramped way in
which to arrive at the place gave the wide, spacious, outdoor area a feeling
of vastness. People went about their day and only spared him a few curious
glances. They greeted the boy as if he were family.
Jordan took his hand and led him through a maze of cardboard sleeping
areas and blankets strewn over small structures to the far corner.
It was there, resting on a pile of clothing, rags, and blankets where he
found Seth.
His heart leaped into his throat and he dropped to his knees next to the
makeshift bed. The gray pallor of Seth’s skin scared the shit out of him.
“Seth?” His voice shook.
Seth’s eyes slowly opened, his gaze unfocused. He appeared confused
and then surprised.
“Frost?”
His code name on Seth’s lips ripped the air from his lungs and broke his
heart.
Seth
He came for me.
The cold ate at what little strength he had left. He could barely lift his
eyelids when hands brushed the hair from his face. His cheeks were numb.
At first, he thought he had imagined the touch and the shaky voice, but
when he blinked open his eyes, Asher was really there.
Asher’s intense blue eyes were gazing down at him, their depths burned
with some unnamed emotion. Seth tried to smile, but he wasn’t sure he had
managed it. He saw Jordan hovering over Asher’s shoulder.
“You did it,” Seth praised the boy.
Jordan smiled. “Yep, just like you told me.”
“Stanley Starr’s dead,” Seth whispered to Asher.
Asher nodded. “We found his body.”
“Yakov killed him.” Seth struggled to form the words. He needed to get
the facts out while he was still able.
“Don’t talk. There’s plenty of time for that.” Asher’s words were a lie,
the truth could be seen in his eyes. The man seemed really worried. Which
was strange because they were over. Seth opened his mouth but nothing
came out.
“Shhh, it’s okay, just stay still. I’ve got you,” Asher murmured, gently
lifting Seth into his arms.
Seth cried out at the stabbing pain, sucking in several breaths between
bruised lips. Tears welled from the corners of his eyes and trailed in cooling
rivers down his temples.
Asher sucked in a sharp breath and held him cradled gently in his arms.
“I gotta carry you, Seth. The ambulance can’t reach you in here.”
He couldn’t even manage to lift his arms to loop them around Asher’s
neck, much less nod.
“This way, it’s shorter,” Jordan said through a hazy fog.
“Thank you,” Asher replied. The man’s voice sounded so fucking good.
“I hope he makes it.” Jordan sniffled.
“Jordan?”
“Yeah?” the boy replied from nearby.
“Why don’t you come with us?”
“I can’t.”
Seth wanted to say something, but he couldn’t get his throat to work.
“Alright. You keep that number. If you need anything, you call me.”
Asher’s deep, rumbling voice reverberated against Seth’s ear and he
became lulled by the comforting sound. And he was so glad when Jordan
answered.
“I will. Thanks,” the boy said, then the portion of fence scraped and a
chain clanged before Asher carried him through the secret entrance that led,
from what he could see, to a nearby street.
He was jostled again and cried out. He struggled to draw air into his
pained chest. This must be what suffocating felt like.
“Hold on, Seth,” Asher pleaded in a shaking voice. Seth couldn’t figure
out why Asher was crying.
“Get an ambulance at Third and Pine,” Asher said to someone and Seth
drew comfort from the man’s deep, commanding voice. A few more jostling
steps and then all was still.
“Don’t leave me, Seth.”
Seth clearly heard the words or maybe he was hallucinating. He didn’t
answer. His mouth wouldn’t work. The air in his lungs grew hot, thick, and
his chest hitched. It was all he could do to wheeze air in and out. Sirens
filled the air and voices of the team pounded against his ears before he
finally slipped into blissful darkness.
At first, everything was a blur of noises and pain. Unknown faces prying
open his eyes and a light so bright, he cried out. Then there was cursing; a
deep, violent growling of words until a needle prick lulled the terror and
took the pain.
As the day slipped into night and then day again, he found he was able
to stay awake more often. A sound drew his gaze and he spotted Asher
sitting in the chair next to the bed. The man’s ass had been glued to the
same chair for days. Every time he woke up, turned over, or sneezed, Asher
had been there. Seth was poked and prodded until he wanted to scream, but
even that would have been too much effort.
Finally, he found his voice and the cranky energy to yell at Asher.
“What do you want…?” Okay, it sounded more like sandpaper scraping
over glass than a yell, but he was keeping it, thankful for the ability to speak
at all.
Asher said nothing, just stared at him with some unnamed emotion
glinting in blue-hooded depths.
“I was falling for you.” He threw the words out.
Asher’s eyes darkened, then the man finally moved and reached for
him, but Seth slapped Asher’s hands away.
“Asshole,” he spat. “And you threw that in my face,” he croaked.
“I’m so sorry, Seth.”
“You take and take and give nothing back. What the hell do you want?”
On his last nerve, he’d raged. He didn’t hold back, he just exploded. “Of
all the nerve! Of all the motherfucking audacity! You’ve either lost your
fucking mind or you have selective memory loss and conveniently have
forgotten that you threw me away!” He pounded the bed with clenched
fists. He had to hand it to the guy, Asher didn’t even flinch.
Seth took a breath to continue, but suddenly he was exhausted and
stopped. He wasn’t too tired to glare. He crossed his arms and huffed.
“I know you’re mad at me, but your anger is nowhere near what my
own is at myself.”
“I doubt that!”
The nurse came in and checked his vitals and took the slip of paper he’d
filled out for food to eat. An extra person in the room calmed the tension
between them and he let his head rest on the bed. Truthfully, though, he
didn’t want Asher to leave, but he didn’t want the guy staying out of guilt
either.
“You don’t need to stay,” he said after the nurse left.
“I want too. But if you want me to go, I will.”
He closed his eyes and Asher stayed.
“Can I tell you something?” Asher asked.
Seth sighed. It had been almost a week and he was sick of the hospital.
He’d been distant with Asher, but the man kept coming around.
Pursing his lips, he poked at the dessert on the tray. Keeping his eyes on
the wiggly green goop, he nodded.
“My mother, she left my father when he was in the hospital recovering
from a life threatening injury that ended his career in law enforcement. She
took everything, Seth. She wiped out their bank account, maxed out credit
cards, and took everything that wasn’t nailed down from the home.”
Seth’s chin trembled and for a brief moment, he looked away. No
wonder Asher had gone to such lengths to get his things back from Dennis
for him.
“I was a teenager and had just gone away to college, so I wasn’t there to
stop her.” The words brought his gaze back around. Asher’s hands squeezed
the arms of the hospital chair.
His heart ached for a young Asher who’d been so alone, with his
mother’s desertion and an injured father.
“My dad spiraled into booze. I didn’t know how badly until I received a
call from a nurse.”
“I’m sorry,” Seth said quietly.
Asher took a breath. “I quit college. They’d saved for me to go.
Thankfully, the money had been transferred into my name. I took my
college fund and paid off my dad’s house, and then got two jobs to take care
of everything else. When he was stable, I joined the marines and sent home
every penny I could until he was debt free.”
Seth clenched his jaw even though it hurt like a bitch. It took a selfless
person to give up their dreams for family. And while he wanted to hate
Asher, he couldn’t. To give up everything for his father was a completely
honorable act.
“I never forgave her,” Asher admitted, his gaze tormented.
“I don’t think I would have either,” Seth admitted.
Asher gave him a half smile. “I’ve kept track of her, though,” he added.
With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t even know why,
you know? I mean, she’s a piece of work. She had a kid and then divorced
that guy and married another guy and had two more kids.” Asher paused as
if thinking. “She divorced again and took that man to the cleaners and then
married again and had another kid.”
Seth couldn’t stop his mouth from dropping open. “How many brothers
and sisters do you have?”
“I don’t know.” Asher ran a tired hand through his hair, leaving the dark
strands mushed.
“Jesus,” Seth whispered.
“She almost destroyed my father,” Asher told him.
And it sounded like the woman had destroyed Asher as well. If Asher
hadn’t stepped in, who knows where the guy’s dad would be today. Seth
admired Asher’s dedication to his father.
“I know why you keep track of her.” He gave a wry smile when Asher’s
gaze turned curious. “My mother did the same thing. She walked out on
us.” Seth frowned. “She never did marry my dad. She just left us both for
some rich dude across the city.”
“I knew Rossi took you in, but I didn’t know about your mother.” Asher
rubbed a hand down his chin and sighed.
“I kept track of her in hopes that someday she’d want to see me. She
never did,” Seth continued. “So, you see? I understand more than you
realize,” he finished tightly.
“I’m sorry,” Asher declared. “I know that doesn’t excuse what I did.”
“I get that you’re sorry. But you can’t just go fuck someone else
whenever you get angry with me!” He pounded the bed with his fist. He
glared at Asher. The fucker! All the anger came rushing back when he
pictured that man, that shirtless stranger, sitting on Asher’s couch.
“I didn’t!” Asher said hurriedly.
“I don’t believe you!”
“Seth, I didn’t sleep with that guy. I swear!” Asher pleaded. “I paid the
guy and he left right after you did.”
“That you could pay someone and hurt me like that just shows how
fucking shallow you are!” Seth yelled, and then winced in pain.
He slapped Asher’s hands away again when the man tried to help him
sit up in the hospital bed.
“Seth, please let me make this right. I’m so sorry. Please give me
another chance.”
“At what? Casual sex?” Seth wrinkled his nose. He wasn’t a casual type
of guy. He should have known better than to get into bed with Asher. After
what had happened, he doubted Asher’s intentions. How could a man
change so quickly?
“There’s something I haven’t told you. Something that happened that
night.” Asher swallowed, looking away.
“At the restaurant,” Seth guessed, but it wasn’t hard. He knew
something had been off that night.
“Yes.” Asher struggled with the words for a moment, then said, “That
woman you saw was my father’s fiancé. Out with another man.”
“Oh.” Seth rubbed at his forehead.
Asher nodded. “I thought she was cheating and I thought that… this is
it. This is what relationships end up being. A bunch of bullshit and lies.”
“And is that how you still feel?” Seth rubbed at his chest.
“No.”
“Why not?” Seth asked, his voice skeptical.
“Because what I didn’t know was that Karen, that’s her name, wasn’t
cheating on my dad, they had broken up. Mutually, because my dad is in
love with someone else.”
“I’m not a cheater.” He sniffled. “I don’t cheat.”
“I know. I’m so sorry.”
Asher’s shoulders drooped, unaware of how defeated he appeared.
“I talked to my dad. I’ve been…” Asher began, taking a deep breath.
“I’ve been basing my opinions and actions regarding relationships on what
happened with my mother.”
Seth twisted a piece of the blanket between his fingers. That was a big
admission. “I can see how that would happen,” Seth agreed. Hadn’t he
himself been afraid of living alone? He’d let his mother’s desertion affect
his life. That was why he’d hung on to Dennis so tightly.
That still didn’t answer the question of why Asher was here. Had Asher
had a change of heart?
“What do you want from me?” he asked with a sigh.
Asher looked up and something fierce burned in his eyes. “You’re so
much stronger than me, Seth.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. You went through basically the same thing I did as a
child. Yet, you came out with the capacity to love. That’s strength.”
“You love. You just don’t know how to show it. You think loving
someone makes you weak. That if you let yourself love, you take a risk of
getting hurt. Well, there’s always a risk. But without taking a chance, we
have nothing. If we don’t at least try to love, then we just lead a lonely
existence.”
“See?” Asher smiled. “So much stronger.”
Seth shook his head and glanced away. Asher thought he’d escaped
unscathed from his mother, but in reality, Seth hadn’t. He wasn’t strong, not
really. He needed to figure out if he’d wanted Asher because he loved him
or if he wanted Asher because he was afraid of being alone. One thing was
for sure, they both had a lot of shit to fix and Seth wasn’t sure if he was
ready to forgive.
Frost
It had been two weeks since Seth had been released from the hospital, and
Frost was driving himself crazy. Seth still hadn’t forgiven him.
He was ready to get down on his knees and beg. He would fucking beg,
too, if Seth would give him a chance. He’d get down on his knees right this
fucking instant and grovel if that was what it took.
Noah was furious with him. It was written on the man’s face when he
stepped out onto the porch. The chocolate-colored Labrador sat panting
near Noah’s side. Frost didn’t blame the guy and would have welcomed a
punch in the jaw or hell, even a bite in the ass from the dog. Anything to
take away the pain in his heart.
He didn’t move from the spot he’d taken up for the past four hours. His
back hurt, his ass was numb, but both were nothing compared to the pain
he’d feel if Seth never forgave him. He looked hopefully up at Noah and his
heart sank.
Noah shook his head and then sobered. “Give him time.”
Frost couldn’t speak over the ache in his chest and nodded.
“When Mac left me, I was so pissed and hurt for a long time. I don’t
know if we would have made up if we hadn’t spent years apart.”
“Jesus, Noah. I don’t want to wait years for Seth.”
Noah quirked an eyebrow.
“But I will. I fucking will. I’ll wait forever,” Frost admitted.
“Hopefully, not on my front porch,” Noah chuckled.
Frost couldn’t even crack a smile. “Wherever he is. As long as it takes.”
“Why?” a soft voice asked from the shadows near the far end of the
porch. Frost’s heart lurched and he closed his eyes as the low tenor of Seth’s
voice washed over him.
“Because I love you,” Frost said without hesitation. He turned his
burning gaze toward the shadows and the beautiful man. Seth had
apparently come out the side door and had taken a seat on the porch. Frost
had to wonder how long Seth had been sitting there, but in reality, he didn’t
care. He only cared that he was there.
“Noah, give us a moment,” Seth said softly, and the man’s cousin turned
and left them alone on the dark porch.
Frost swallowed hard. This was it. This was where Seth told him to fuck
off and he had every right to do so. But what Seth didn’t realize was that he
wasn’t a quitter. He might leave to give Seth space, but he wasn’t going to
give up on the only good thing that had happened in his life.
“Now say it.”
“I love you,” he said again without hesitation.
“How can I believe you?” The hurt and doubt in Seth’s voice killed him.
“It’s the truth,” he said, leaning forward, straining to see Seth’s face
through the darkness. “Please, Seth. Give me a chance to prove it.”
“And how are you going to do that?” Seth challenged.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“By sitting on Mac and Noah’s porch all night?”
“No. I just wanted to stay until I could tell you that I love you and I’m
not going anywhere,” he finished softly.
There was a long moment of silence. Frost squeezed his hands around
the porch boards to keep himself still. The last thing he would do was
crowd Seth.
“I’ll think about it and if I decide to, maybe… and I mean maybe, see
you again, you’re going to fucking work for it, Grayson,” Seth declared
suddenly and firmly, and Frost sucked in a breath.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, his heart in his throat. He
couldn’t stop his lips from stretching into a smile and he blinked at the
sudden tears. Not giving a shit as they spilled over, Frost dashed at his
cheeks.
Seth had yet to use his given name, and Frost mourned the loss of it. He
craved hearing his name on Seth’s lips almost as much as he craved Seth.
He started when Seth slowly stood. Jumping to his feet, Frost kept his
hands outstretched to steady him should Seth stumble.
“I’ll want a real date. And this time, we’ll go dancing afterwards.”
“Dancing?” Frost nodded even though he wasn’t really one for dancing.
“Yeah, you got a problem with that?” Seth asked, taking a small step
forward.
Frost moved and placed a gentle hand at Seth’s waist.
“None whatsoever,” he said on a shaky sigh. He’d fucking pole dance if
it meant Seth forgave him.
“And this will be on my time, not yours,” the man added.
“Agreed,” Frost vowed, even though it killed him to have to wait. But
he’d fucked up and he knew it. He wanted Seth desperately, but he would
wait. He had no other choice because Seth was his happily ever after. Like
he’d told Noah, he’d wait forever.
Suddenly, the pounding of small feet sounded on the floor from inside
the house. The porch light was flipped on, momentarily blinding them, and
the front door was violently yanked on.
“Asher!” Austin yelled, and he struggled with getting the screen door
open. Noah was behind the little hellion and unlatched the screen for the
boy. Austin toppled out with a jump and tumbled into Frost’s waiting arms.
“Hey, little buddy.” Frost smiled as small arms closed around his neck
and squeezed him tightly.
“Asher, Asher,” Austin crooned against his neck, and then set his sweet,
hot cheek against Frost’s shoulder and shoved his thumb into his mouth.
“I see who the favorite is now,” Seth teased the little boy. The sound of
Austin’s giggles drew a lump in Frost’s throat.
Seth’s hand reached out and stroked the boy’s cheek. Austin had filled
out in the few weeks he’d been under Noah and Mac’s roof.
Soon, Frost was going to start the paperwork to become a foster parent.
He hoped that having the FBI and US Marshals in his corner would help the
process. Since Mac Mackenzie was a US Marshal and had overheard the
death threat Austin’s mother had shouted, Mac had been able to gain
temporary custody of Austin.
“Wove you, Sef,” Austin said around his thumb.
“I love you too, little man,” Seth whispered.
“I’m going for foster parent,” Frost told Seth.
“I know. Mac told me.” Seth’s look was gentle.
Frost held Seth’s gaze. His arms cradled Austin’s small form. The boy
had stolen his heart, just like the man standing before him.
“I know it’s a lot to take in. And I know that you’re probably thinking,
what have I taken on? But as the saying goes, go big or go home.”
Seth looked at him for a long moment. The porch light cast a shadow on
Seth’s face, so Frost couldn’t get a read on what Seth was feeling.
“Baby steps,” Seth finally murmured.
Frost managed a smile even though he wanted to protest. But he’d do
anything to redeem himself in Seth’s eyes. Frost found himself nodding in
agreement because really, what could he do? Seth wanted baby steps, then
he’d fucking get baby steps.
The smell of cinnamon and sugar wrapped around Frost as he stepped
through the door Maryanne pulled open. The woman didn’t even let him get
a word in before she wrapped him in a tight hug. She had moved in with his
father shortly after Ten had informed Frost of his love for her. Ten was
overjoyed when she said yes and Frost couldn’t have been happier for them.
“What brings you here?” Maryanne closed the door and headed farther
into the house.
He took a deep breath, following the woman’s petite form. Beneath the
smell of cookies lingered the onions and spices of the promised pot roast.
His stomach growled and Maryanne’s tinkling laugh rang softly in the small
hallway. The woman had a way of cooking that Frost couldn’t seem to stay
away from. He ate there at least three times a week. Her cooking was
starting to affect his waistline.
Frost patted his stomach and she grinned at him.
“Is my dad home?”
Lately, his father had begun getting out of the house. A community
center sat not far from the house, and Ten had recently met several new
friends. The group had taken up playing chess and checkers in the park on
weekdays.
“He is. In fact, he just got home.” Maryanne turned with a curious look.
“He’s in his chair, you know the spot.” She winked at him and then
disappeared into the kitchen.
Ten looked up with a pleased smile when Frost entered the room. “Hey,
son.”
“Hey, dad.” Frost took his favorite seat right next to his father.
Ten muted the television and studied him for a moment. Frost wasn’t
quite sure where to start.
“Did you get your man back?” Ten’s hand settled on his shoulder.
Frost shook his head. The past two months, he’d spent time with Seth,
they’d talked, but repairing what he’d done and building a new relationship
was taking time. They had yet to go on a first date and he still owed Seth
that promised dance. Seth was taking it slow and Frost was learning
patience. Seth needed time, so that was what he would get.
“I’m working on it,” Frost said. He blinked and looked away.
“Work harder,” Ten ordered, punching lightly at his arm.
Frost gave a choked laugh and then swallowed hard and nodded.
“What is it?” His father peered at him.
“I want so badly to foster Austin,” Frost admitted. For the past few
months, ever since he’d rescued Austin, he’d been trying to come up with a
plan. “Noah and Mac can’t keep him indefinitely. Mac’s Aunt Leslie can’t
watch him all of the time. I know I can get a baby sitter, but that’s not the
main issue. It’s my work, dad.” Frost rubbed a hand over his mouth and
down the shortly cropped hair on his chin and jaw.
“That could be a problem,” Ten agreed.
“Yeah, what I do is dangerous.” More dangerous than they knew with
the current man hunt going on.
“It is.”
“And it’s not only that, I’m rarely home. I’m out of the country or on a
stake out or investigating a crime scene. I sleep at the office most nights
now.” Frost shook his head. He had no desire to be home. It was a quiet,
lonely place. Most of the time, he sprawled out on a cot in the back room of
Phoenix headquarters. “That’s no life for a seven year old.” He closed his
eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them.
Maryanne set a cup of coffee on the small table near his chair and took a
seat next to him on the couch.
“It’s just not practical. I have to think of Austin.” Frost gave a half
laugh. “You should have seen me, I had all the paperwork.” He dug into his
back pocket and pulled out folded pieces of paper. “When I got to the
occupation and employment section, I couldn’t fill it out.” The papers
floated from his hands and Maryanne reached down to help him pick them
back up.
“I can’t put Austin through that. I mean, what if I don’t come back and
he’s all alone?”
Maryanne made a sound and placed the papers gently on the table
before she set her hand on his arm.
“I don’t know what to do,” Frost admitted. “But I do know that my job
is not conducive to caring for a child. I won’t have the time to care for
Austin like he needs. As it is, we are juggling his therapy and doctor’s
appointments.” He owed Aunt Leslie more than he could ever repay with
her continuous help. “He’ll need to be registered when school starts and…
all that… he needs dentist appointments, someone to take him school
shopping. It’s not like I don’t have the money, because I do. It’s just finding
the time.”
“Kids are a lot of work, son,” his dad said.
“Can I make a suggestion?” Maryanne asked.
He nodded but couldn’t see anything beyond giving Austin up, and the
thought made his stomach queasy.
“I’m retiring from nursing now that your dad and I are together. I’ve
been wanting to retire for a while and when Tennessee asked me to move
in, it seemed like the perfect time. I haven’t had a chance to tell you.”
“Congratulations on your retirement.” He couldn’t have been happier
for her. Surely, she didn’t mean what he thought? His eyes widened and he
turned his complete attention on her.
Maryanne cleared her throat. “Your dad and I, we’ve talked this over
because we could see you facing the same problems with fostering Austin.
The same issues you just pointed out.”
“You did?” Frost laid his hand gently over Maryanne’s. The woman was
amazing in so many ways. “I just don’t want to fail him,” Frost
acknowledged.
Tennessee frowned. “You are not failing Austin. In fact, I’d call what
you just said a success at truly loving someone.”
“That wasn’t how it started out, dad,” Frost confessed. “I wanted to
prove something. When I found Austin, I thought, here is my chance to
become a better parent than mom. And then I realized that I was doing this
for the wrong reasons.” Frost’s voice cracked.
Through recent therapy, he’d been able to work on his anger toward his
mother. It was there that he’d come to understand just how much his anger
at his mother had guided his decisions and actions. It was slow going, but
he was making progress.
“This is Austin’s life, not some way for me to get back at my mother,”
Frost whispered.
His father reached for him and pulled him into a tight hug. “Ah, my boy,
I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault I’m so messed up, dad.” Frost wrapped his arms
around his father and hung on. He was learning to share and hell yes, it was
uncomfortable, but if he ever wanted to become a better man, a better
person, this was his way.
Ten set his cheek to rest against the side of his head. “I’m so proud of
you.”
“What?”
“I am,” Ten said firmly. Releasing him, his dad continued, “You put
other’s needs before yours all the time. You did it with me after my accident
and now you’re doing it with Austin.”
“It hurts, dad. So bad. And I don’t see how I’m putting his needs first.”
“I know it hurts, but you are putting him first. Sometimes we have to let
people go in order to show how much we care about them.”
Frost rubbed at his chest. Letting Austin go was going to hurt, but he
wasn’t ready to give up on Seth. That thought was inconceivable.
“You know,” Maryanne’s soft voice broke the silence, “we didn’t say
anything at first because you had to be the one to decide if you could make
it work with Austin or not. If that makes sense.”
He nodded. “It does. I thought there was a way, but I can’t see it.”
“Well then, this is what I propose.” Maryanne took a deep breath.
Frost held her gaze and waited.
“Your Dad and I want to petition for foster care and eventually adopt
Austin.”
“You want what?” Frost’s mouth fell open and then snapped shut. “But
that would be like raising another kid.” Frost looked at his dad, then
Maryanne, and back again.
“It would, but I’m pretty proud of how you turned out,” Tennessee said
with a wink. “Plus, you’ll be here when you can to help us. You’ll be like a
big brother.”
“Exactly,” Maryanne said. “And I have never been able to have children
and would love to have Austin with us now that I’ll have the time. I’m
sorry, but the thought of letting that little boy go to another family just
doesn’t sit well with me,” she admitted.
“Don’t be sorry, dear. I agree with you.” Ten and Maryanne exchanged
smiles. They both had grown attached to Austin in the last few months.
“I want to be more than just an honorary big brother. If you two truly do
this, I’m going to help you support him. I would love it if you would adopt
him so I know he’s permanently safe, but I’m still going to help financially,
as well as be here as much as I can.”
“I love that idea,” Ten said and looked at Maryanne, who smiled and
nodded.
“I can’t believe it.” Frost was in a bit of shock. He had never imagined
the outcome of his visit going like this. All he’d wanted was another
opinion on doing the right thing. His dad and soon-to-be stepmother had
surprised the hell out of him.
Tennessee clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Son, I’m proud that you
understand it’s better if you don’t adopt him. It takes a bigger man to see
that than go blindly through without thinking of all the consequences.”
Frost abruptly pulled his dad into his arms. Maryanne placed her small
palm against his shoulder and Frost snagged her into the group hug.
“I love you both so much.”
Seth
“So, have you made a decision?” Seth asked, turning his face from the
wide, picturesque window and view of the ocean from Noah and Mac’s
front room.
Allison smiled, curled her legs beneath her on the sofa that sat across
from his chair, and nodded. “Yes. I’m staying here. I’ve thought it over and
you’re right. Moving away doesn’t guarantee I’ll find love.”
“Oh Ally, I’m so glad.” Seth reached out and she leaned forward to link
their fingers together. He had to blink back tears. Since his ordeal, he’d
become emotional over the past few months.
“Me too,” she said, smiling.
They stayed quiet, watching the water rush up onto the shore. The day
was mostly overcast, but the sun fought to peek out from the clouds every
once in a while. Austin was currently at the playground with Mac’s aunt.
She came and took the child each day to the daycare saying it would help
Austin to socialize. Seth had to admit, the little dark-haired boy was coming
out of his shell more and more because of it.
“And how are you feeling?” She sat back and gave him her mamma
bear look, and he laughed.
“I’m better. At first, it hurt to move. But the past few months have
helped.” At her skeptical look, he held up his hands. “I swear! I can move
around much better and the headaches are completely gone.” Seth twisted
from side to side to show Allison he was true to his word. Even the marks
on his back were healing nicely. “It’s just the leftover bruising on my legs.”
He made a face, plucking at his pajama leg.
“It’s not that bad. Just some yucky left-over yellow,” she teased. Having
helped him quite a bit in the beginning, she’d seen the worst of it.
“Gee, thanks, not!” He narrowed his eyes, but couldn’t stop the smile
from pulling at his mouth.
“So, what’s up with you and Frost?”
He blinked. “Um, why?”
“It’s just that you haven’t said much other than he sat on your porch for
four hours a few months ago.”
He rubbed at the back of his neck tiredly. “I know.”
“So you haven’t seen him since?” Her eyes grew wide.
“Yes! I’ve seen him.” Seth huffed a breath. “He’s practically on Noah’s
porch every time I open the door.”
“And…” She waved her hand. “You’ve talked to him, I assume?”
“Yes,” he said, smiling and then sobering. “We talk a lot some nights,
and then other nights, we just sit on the porch and watch the sun set or take
a walk.”
“How often does he come by?”
“A few times a week.” Seth set to plucking a piece of string on a throw
pillow. He desperately missed him. The days the man didn’t visit settled
like an ache that was as constant at his confused feelings.
“So… just getting to know each other again?”
“If I ever even knew him.” Seth grimaced.
“What are you going to do? Date him, dump him, or what?” she
pressed.
“I just don’t know what to do, Ally.”
Allison shrugged and stood, walking to the kitchen. “So he wants you
and wants to foster the kid,” she said. Her voice clearly traveled the
distance between them.
“Right, that’s another thing. He went from being a player to suddenly
wanting me and a kid? I mean, how can someone change so quickly?” Seth
worried, getting back to the reason he’d called Allison over. He’d wanted
an unbiased opinion, but now he wasn’t so sure she was the right person.
“People don’t change that quickly,” Allison called back.
“Of course you’d say that. You don’t like him,” he mumbled.
“Let me finish!” She glared, reentering the room with a soda. “I was
going to say that people don’t change that quickly, but it’s been two, almost
three months. Is he showing signs of trying?”
“Yes, very much.”
“Well then, if Frost is trying, and if he’s the one you really want …” She
rolled her eyes.
“Like I said, you don’t like him.”
“I like him. He’s just an asshole,” she snorted and plopped back down
on the sofa. “Are you going to stay here indefinitely?” Allison looked
around the cozy living room.
Mac and Noah were gone each morning when he woke up. Mac had
started taking Havoc to work and with Noah going into the office every day,
it left Seth with the house to himself. Although they never hinted at him
being in the way, he still felt like an interloper. He knew he should start
looking for his own place soon.
“I’m actually thinking of moving out. There’s this nice little area across
the bay. I think I’m going to get an apartment there.”
“You? Live on your own?” Allison clutched her hands to her chest.
“Why do I put up with you?” Seth looked at the ceiling.
“Because you love me.”
“I do.”
“So… back to Frost.”
He groaned.
“What?” Allison shushed him. “The guy can be difficult.”
“Yeah. He can be challenging.” Leaning his head back against the soft
easy chair, he stared out the window to the water beyond. “I told him I
wanted to take it slow. I haven’t accepted a date with him yet.”
“Wow, that’s really slow.” Her eyebrows rose.
“It’s killing me not to be with him,” Seth confessed.
“If you like him, then call him. Go out with him.” She tipped her head
to the side, studying him.
Seth snorted and couldn’t stop the corner of his mouth from lifting.
“Are you running a fever?”
“Smartass.” She poked her tongue at him.
“That’s me.”
“No, seriously, Seth. If you like him, go for it.”
“I did go for it.” His gut churned remembering the embarrassment of
showing up at the man’s house, of the wasted candy and flowers strewn at
his feet. The deceit.
“Now you’re just hanging on to old crap. What he did was shitty, but in
light of what happened earlier…” Allison shrugged.
Seth nodded. He refused to tell Allison the details of the night Asher
caught his dad’s fiancé out with another man because that was Asher’s story
to tell. But Seth had told her how Asher claimed he’d hired the hook up that
night and they hadn’t fucked.
“My impromptu visit to his house wasn’t one of my better ideas.”
“Maybe you need to try again. Now that you’re talking and he’s trying
to be a better man.” She waved her drink at him.
“Ok. What gives with you trying to set me up with Asher?”
“I’m not! It’s just that sometimes when nobody’s looking, you look so
lonely and miserable, Seth. I don’t like seeing you this way.”
Seth frowned. What could he say? He was miserable and lonely.
“And I saw him when you were kidnapped. You can’t fake that kind of
devastation,” Allison admitted. “I don’t think he would have come back
from that if you had been…” She gave a slight shake of her head.
The past few months, all the time spent with Asher, sequestered in the
dark on the porch and the intimate conversations, had gone a long way to
healing Seth’s heart.
Asher had also been the one to confirm that Finnegan O’Leary had told
Stanley Starr where to find him.
“He should have never put you in that position,” Asher had said.
“I know,” Seth admitted. His dad had put his life in jeopardy. Finn had
confessed to Asher that he’d only done it so Starr would get off his back
about the jewels. Hence the reason Stanley Starr knew what city to move to
and how to find Seth. Seth had trusted his dad with his home address and
cover story. Hell, he’d even given Finn the temporary address to Noah and
Mac’s home.
Finn’s betrayal had devastated him and he’d cried. Only Asher’s arms
holding him tightly had lessened the hurt. The man had held him so
tenderly and promised to be there even though Seth had given no sign he
would do the same.
“I think I’m in love with him,” Seth confessed with a whisper.
“With who, Frost?” Allison teased, gasping dramatically and clutching
her imaginary pearls.
“Brat!” Seth tossed his wadded napkin at her. She laughed and dodged
it.
The doorbell rang, breaking into their laughter, and they froze.
“You expecting someone?” she frowned.
“No.”
Allison stood and pulled her gun.
“Is that necessary?” Seth gripped the pillow in his lap.
“Yakov is still on the loose, you know!” She glared at him and slipped
toward the door on silent feet.
“I doubt he’d ring the bell,” Seth hissed. His heart leaped and
apprehension dried his mouth. He suddenly wished for his gun tucked away
in the gun safe.
Peeking through the peep hole, Allison relaxed and tucked the gun away
before dramatically jerking the door open and throwing it wide.
“And that’s my cue to leave,” she tossed over her shoulder and blew
Seth a kiss.
“Wait!” Seth protested with a pounding heart.
“It’s getting late anyways.” She smiled and darted out the door before
he could say another word.
“What the…” Seth mumbled. The words trailed off, drying to a drizzle
as Asher stepped inside and toed the door shut with his foot. Asher’s hair
was windblown and he brought with him the salty air of the sea and a scent
that was all Asher. Looking downright sexy, the man wore faded jeans
molded to his hips, as well as a dark shirt that strained and stretched over
muscles that didn’t quit.
What Asher held in his hands held his full attention. Having risen, he
shakily sank back down onto the chair and held his breath.
“For you,” Asher declared, thrusting out the box of expensive
chocolates before placing what looked to be a rose garden into his lap.
With his head tipped downward, he stared blindly at the roses. Blinking
for several seconds, he staved off the sting of threatening tears. There were
so many roses, some of them spilled from his lap onto the floor and covered
his feet.
Seth curled his hands around as many as he could in order to keep the
delightful flowers close.
Asher squatted in front of his chair. This put the guy at almost eye level.
So close, it left him drowning in the blue of Asher’s eyes.
“You have every right to throw those in my face,” Asher said gruffly.
He nodded, but tightened his hands possessively around the fragrantfilled, velvety red petals.
“And I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I deserve that and more,” Asher
finished. The man’s throat moved as if he were having trouble swallowing,
and then suddenly, he looked away.
Seth reached out and traced the droop of Asher’s lips. Closing his eyes,
Asher kissed the tips of his fingers before the man’s gaze once again
searched his face.
“I don’t know how it happened, but you snuck in. You captured my
heart when I didn’t think I had one to give,” Asher whispered against his
fingertips. “These past few months while you’ve allowed me to get to know
you have been the best months in my entire life.”
“Asher…”
The man froze at the sound of his name. It was the first time he had
used Asher’s given name since his kidnapping.
Asher swallowed hard. “Please, Seth. Please give me another chance. I
want that date even though I can’t dance. I can’t promise the road won’t be
rocky, but I can promise to love you to the best of my ability.”
“You really do love me.” The air left Seth’s lungs and he held his
breath.
“I’m so in love with you.” Asher gave a lopsided smile, one dimple
flashing.
A joyful laugh bubbled up from Seth and he leaned in to meet Asher’s
lips. Somewhere between the quiet, late night talks and long walks along
the beach, he’d found it in his heart to forgive.
“Ditto,” he whispered, and fisted his hand in Asher’s shirt to pull him
closer.
“We need to be careful,” Asher mumbled against his mouth.
“Fuck careful. Bed now,” he purred aggressively.
“Your injuries.” Asher lifted his wrist and kissed where the bruise used
to be. Then Asher traced his fingers lightly over the healed marks around
his other wrist where the chain had bitten deep.
“Asher, it’s been close to three months,” Seth complained. “Most of the
pain is gone and the bruised kidney was pretty much healed in three weeks.
Cracked ribs were healed in six weeks. I swear, I feel fine.” Of course, the
pulmonary laceration had taken a couple of months to fully heal, but the
doctor said the scar tissue and wound site had healed nicely. In fact, he
could return to work in the next few weeks.
“I just don’t want to reinjure anything.”
“I need you, Asher.”
“I thought you wanted me to take you dancing,” Asher teased.
Seth drew his finger along the small dimple in Asher’s cheek. “Later,
you can show me how you can’t dance, much later.”
“Then hang on,” his man warned and carefully lifted him. The muscles
bunched and corded along Asher’s biceps and chest as he was lifted and
carried to the bedroom.
“I love that you can pick me up,” Seth admitted breathlessly, his smile
just a bit giddy.
“Me too.” Asher dipped his head.
Asher’s hand cupped the back of his head as he was eased down against
the bed. The way Asher held him so tenderly sent his pulse thrumming. In
the darkened room, Asher’s silhouette was a mixture of muscle and
shadows with only the glimmer of his icy blue eyes reflecting in a small
sliver of moonlight coming through the partially closed curtains.
“Condoms are in the drawer,” Seth breathed. “What?” He laughed at
Asher’s arched brow. “I put them in there when we got back from Russia.”
He loved Asher’s deep, husky chuckle. From beneath his lashes, Seth
watched as Asher removed each of his socks and then urged him to lift his
hips. Asher pulled off Seth’s pajama pants with a light tug and made short
work of the buttons down the front of Seth’s pajama shirt. The shirt slipped
from his shoulders and left him naked beneath Asher’s intense gaze.
Hungrily, he devoured Asher’s body as the man yanked at his own
clothing. Inch by inch, skin and hard muscle was revealed. Asher’s
gorgeous body was all power and when Asher leaned over him to tenderly
brush the hair back from his forehead, Seth bit his trembling bottom lip.
He’d missed this, Asher’s touch. The man’s hands on his body and the
taste of his lips. Seth hadn’t known just how much he craved the intimacy
they had shared until Asher’s hands stroked over his skin. A shudder rolled
through him, making him ache. Nothing mattered except Asher, and when
he lifted his head and their eyes met, Seth’s heart ached.
Asher’s hands slipped to the back of his head and drew him upward,
and Seth eagerly closed the distance. When their mouths met, it was an
explosion of heat sending Seth’s pulse throbbing.
It was a kiss that ruined him for any other man. When Asher took
control, Seth gave it up. Tonight, he surrendered, helpless to deny this man
anything. He wanted Asher like nothing he’d ever wanted before.
Asher kissed him again and again until Seth was lost in a hazy delight
of pleasure. His only thought was that he was finally here in his arms. What
Asher wanted from him, Seth would gladly give because he now knew
Asher would give just as much in return.
Their limbs entwined, tangled, and brushed against each other. Asher
was so very careful with him. Soft whimpers spilled from Seth’s mouth
when Asher tipped his chin gently and trailed his lips along his exposed
throat before biting and sucking. There’d be bruising against the tender
skin, but Seth couldn’t be bothered to care. He relished in the knowledge
that Asher was marking him. Leaving a mark for all others to see, and
before the night was over, he’d be making marks of his own.
The weight of Asher’s naked body slowly pinned him to the bed and
Seth stretched beneath him, loving the feel. Rather than fight his feelings
any longer, he let go.
He needed this. He needed to know Asher was all in with his heart,
mind, and body. Seth moved sinuously and when Asher let out a soft growl,
Seth did it again. Spreading his legs, he closed them around Asher’s thighs
and dug his heels into the man’s ass cheeks. Asher settled deeper between
his legs and Seth lifted his mouth into a nipping and biting kiss.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” Asher muttered against his lips.
“I’m all banged up, but glad you think so.” Seth brushed his tongue
against Asher’s bottom lip and drew the taste into his mouth.
Asher’s gaze glittered and he dropped his head and drew his mouth
along Seth’s skin, drawing from him one shuddering breath after another.
His back bowed, and Asher latched onto his nipple quickly, sucking each
small nub until they were red and wet.
Asher’s teasing mouth nipped and tormented until Seth wanted to
scream. His cock had been a solid, aching hardness from the get go, and it
seemed Asher was doing everything in his power to keep him that way. The
sharp bite of teeth turned his nipples so sensitive, Asher only had to lick
lightly at them to lift Seth’s back in an arch.
Seth groaned. His body throbbed, becoming one sensitive bundle of
pulsing sensation.
“Asher, please,” he begged, his hands lifting to twist and scrape along
Asher’s back.
Asher responded by lifting up and fumbling with the lube. He coated his
fingers and eased them between Seth’s spread legs. Asher’s heated gaze met
his and Seth drew his bottom lip between his teeth and sucked on it. Asher
groaned harshly and then slipped his finger inside.
“Oooh, fuck!” Seth released his lip and pushed his head back into the
pillow. His legs splayed apart and his hips lifted as his back arched. Asher
went deeper, and then another finger joined the first. It wasn’t enough, he
needed more.
“Now?” The question sounded guttural, coming from somewhere deep
inside.
“Yes, now,” Seth urged.
The muscle and sheer power of Asher was breathtaking. Hard-packed
muscles bunched as Asher bowed over Seth, drawing him close. The man
reached between them and Seth felt pressure. He bit back a groan when
Asher pushed inside of his body.
Seth lifted his mouth for a kiss and Asher swooped down and took his
lips, all the while pressing forward until he was deeply seated. The pain was
instant and Seth panted against Asher’s mouth while his body adjusted to
the length and girth. No one had ever filled him like Asher. The throbbing
in his ass soon turned to pleasure when Asher pegged his gland on each
inward thrust.
His arms were urged up over his head and their fingers entwined. Seth
moved, grinding up beneath Asher. The aches and pains of his injury
became distant memories as pleasure washed over him.
Begging between biting kisses, Seth sucked marks on Asher’s skin,
pleading for the man to fuck him harder. Asher wouldn’t, though. This was
going to be Asher’s pace. All Seth could do was hang on as Asher
controlled each thrust. Sweat streamed down their bodies and the wet
slapping sound of skin meeting skin melded with their panting moans.
He fucking had to come now! Like a wire on the verge of snapping, his
movements grew jerky and quick. Asher slowed even more, teasing him
relentlessly until every fucking touch sent shivers raking over his skin.
Asher seemed set on dragging out as much pleasure as possible. Seth
was losing his fucking mind. He lifted his hands and buried them tightly
into the dark, sweaty strands and squeezed hard.
“Asher, I need…” he whimpered, his voice broke, head tossing back
and forth on the damp pillow.
“I know what you need,” Asher growled, thrusting deep. Asher’s large
hand slid between them and he stroked and touched Seth from balls to tip,
squeezing at Seth’s crown and then doing it all over again until Seth became
frantic.
Asher linked their fingers and drew his arms back up over his head,
holding him there. Seth went wild, yanking at the grip. Asher shoved deep
and Seth could do nothing but fly apart. And fly, he did. Asher released his
hands and gripped his cock, and Seth erupted between them.
The world whitened as he emptied every ounce of come he had over
Asher’s hand, his own groin, and the man’s stomach. Seth tried to cry out,
but the words ended up in a strangled “argh” of sound, but Asher seemed to
understand.
After a moment, Asher released his sensitive cock and lightly gripped
his hips. Pounding into his ass, Asher shuddered, paused, and then lost it,
finding his own release. Asher’s dick pulsed and jerked as he pushed deep.
Seth imagined he could feel Asher’s come filling the confines of the
condom.
Asher’s arms shook as he tried not to sink down. But Seth was having
none of that, and reached up to wrap his arms tightly around Asher. The
man had no other choice than to sink down against him.
Breathing heavily, they lay entwined until their heartbeats slowed.
Asher’s lips were caressing his temple, ear, and jaw. Seth ran his hands
down Asher’s back; feeling the cooling of skin, he attempted to pull the
comforter over them.
“I’ll be right back,” Asher whispered and pressed a kiss to his lips.
Asher folded back the comforter before lifting up and striding to the small
bathroom adjacent to his room.
In short order, Asher returned and had them cleaned up. Tossing the
cloth into the hamper, Asher slid into the bed and pulled the comforter over
them.
He curled closer, resting his head on Asher’s chest.
“Tell me if you want me to leave,” Asher whispered, drawing his
fingers through his hair.
The soft yet firm strokes against his scalp lulled him. Seth closed his
eyes.
“Stay.”
Frost
He lay with Seth in his arms, content to stay there for as long as Seth would
have him. He hadn’t planned on coming here and making love to Seth. He’d
only wanted to profess his love once again and give him the flowers and
candy. If Seth asked him to stay and talk, all the better.
Sure, they’d had sex before, but this time it felt different. This time, the
level of love and commitment gave meaning to everything.
Frost knew it was because of his own change. Before, their stumbling
had never been on the part of Seth. Frost took full responsibility for their
rocky start.
He had wanted to buy the whole damned flower and candy shop and
have a truck deliver it, but Wild had talked him out of it. The tracker had
only said that sometimes it was the smaller gestures that mattered the most.
That sometimes fanfare and hoopla were just that and didn’t mean a thing.
Wild was a wise man.
“I think the flowers are history,” Frost murmured, running his fingers
slowly through Seth’s silky hair.
“I don’t think so,” Seth said, glancing up at him from where his cheek
rested on Frost’s chest. “While you were in the bathroom getting cleaned
up, I heard Noah and Mac come home. I’ll bet money they picked up the
flowers.”
He smiled. “Good. I want you to enjoy them.”
“There must be two dozen.” Seth huffed out a laugh.
“Four,” he confessed. Lifting Seth’s hands, he moved his mouth in small
kisses against each finger. Seth stilled and glanced over.
“What?” he asked huskily at the look in Seth’s eyes.
“You’re just so different,” Seth breathed.
“How so?”
“Fearless.”
“I am fearless.” Frost puffed up his chest.
Seth laughed. “I mean, not afraid to…to love.” Seth stumbled over the
last words and Frost’s heart hurt at the hesitancy in Seth’s voice. He hoped
with time he could erase Seth’s caution.
“I’m not afraid to love you, Seth,” he said, keeping his voice soft. “I’m
not afraid anymore. I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”
He held his breath, his heart stuttering in his chest. He hoped Seth would
allow him to redeem himself.
“Well.” Seth looked down at their entwined fingers. “I don’t think you
need to spend the rest of your life proving it. Just spend the rest of your life
showing it.”
“I will, baby,” he promised, and then gently eased Seth closer. His heart
resumed its steady beat as he closed his arms around Seth’s slender form.
Frost crouched in the darkness along with the rest of the unit. Trickling
water splashed against the surface of a nearby fountain. Crickets droned on
with a steady chirping. The occasional hum of a vehicle’s tires crunched on
the next street over and a neighboring dog barked twice.
But from the men around him, crouched in the waiting darkness, there
was only silence. He knew each and every single one of them was intently
and completely focused on the house. He held his breath when the last light
turned off on the inside and plunged the house into total darkness.
Frost glanced at Roscoe. The agent lifted a hand. That was the signal.
Frost moved quickly out in front as the rest of them broke up in groups and
dispersed. He didn’t need to see in order to know the cluster around the
house had only been the tip of the iceberg, the rest were waiting to converge
and completely surround the house.
He reached the entrance and slipped to the side of the doorway, locking
his gaze on the face of his digital watch as several fully geared and tactical
SWAT approached, dressed similar to himself.
In three… two… one, SWAT bashed in the front door with a battering
ram. The crack of wood splintered with a harsh bang and long, jagged
pieces of wood flew. Frost turned his head away briefly to avoid chunks of
debris and then quickly entered the home. The plan was to cover every
possible exit and with the amount of Phoenix, FBI, US Marshals, and police
they had, it would not be a problem.
The estate was big, massive really, and the bedrooms were on the
second floor. He took the stairs two at time. Glock in hand, he moved
swiftly along the hallway, not bothering to clear the rooms. His goal was the
master bedroom. He was personally going to make sure this shit ended
tonight.
“Watch your damn back, Grayson,” Seth’s soft voice said into his ear
and he smiled. Only Seth could make him smile at a time like this.
He knew Seth hadn’t wanted to be “left behind” as he called it, but Seth
wasn’t ready for full active duty. Or at least, Rossi was holding firm on that
even though the doctors disagreed. Asher couldn’t say he blamed them, he
wanted to keep Seth protected at all costs.
On dreaded desk duty, Seth was sitting where Asher had left him in the
SUV a few blocks over with Reggie monitoring the tactical electronics.
Seth had grumbled about it being techie work. Techie work it might be,
but in reality, it had been Seth’s technical work that had broken the case.
The genius had discovered a money laundering scheme that was shielded by
a dummy company set up by an HG Corporation. HG… Hans Grover. It
was clever, and Yakov had almost gotten away with it. Except Phoenix had
someone way more brilliant and clever on their side. Asher hadn’t really
thought about it before, but he knew it was in that moment when he truly
began to realize just how smart Reboot Hell was. Seth had flushed adorably
when both Rossi and Stefano acknowledged Seth’s hard work in breaking
the case.
“Copy,” Frost whispered through the tiny ear piece before quickly
opening the bedroom door. Empty. Fuck. It was the master bedroom, but it
was also vacant. He spun back toward the hall. The lights in the hallway
suddenly flickered and he raised his gun, only to find Roscoe heading his
way.
Frost nodded, lifted his night vision goggles to the top of his head, and
turned quickly down the hallway.
“West area clear!” Storm’s voice came through his ear piece.
“Wrapping up North,” Noah’s voice echoed.
Frost tapped his ear piece. “East not cleared.”
“South side not secure,” Allison murmured.
“Watch the exits,” Mac’s voice cut through the com line.
Frost turned down another hallway, this one shorter, and reached a
locked door. The door gave way beneath his boot with a crack.
A woman sat clutching a blanket and a man was sprinting across the
room toward a far door, tossing whatever he could in his path.
The woman shrieked when Roscoe advanced. Screaming, she launched
herself forward, fighting the agent like a wildcat.
Frost lunged after the guy who was tipping over lamps and small tables.
He ducked a metal water bottle that was chucked at his head. Hurdling over
the garbage strewn in his path, he leaped after the guy. The door banged
closed and locked.
He drew back, kicked, and it held firm. Shielding his face with his free
arm, he fired two bullets at the door lock and it jangled open. He kicked
again and it slammed open against the wall.
“Police, stop!” he yelled, but it was more for effect because really, he
planned on putting a bullet in the man’s head. He entered the darkened
room in a forward roll, coming up in a crouch.
“Frost is in pursuit of the suspect,” Roscoe’s voice came through his
mic with the sound of the woman crying in the background.
“Careful, babe.”
Seth. Just the sound of his voice grounded him like nothing on earth.
Hyper aware of the need to stay safe and come back to his love, he paused.
“Always,” he breathed.
A door at the far end of the humongous bathroom was gaping wide and
he moved swiftly onward. Slipping into another room, he paused. Adjusting
his night vision googles, he cautiously took the set of stairs leading
downward.
A bare light bulb hung from the rafters, shining brightly into what
looked to be a cellar. He eased off his goggles and leapt quietly down the
remaining stairs. A few feet into the room, Yakov Lakhonin stood hopping
on one foot, trying to pull on a pair of pants.
“Give me a reason,” Frost growled, advanced, and placed the barrel of
his gun to Yakov’s sweating forehead. Their gazes locked and held.
Yakov stopped hopping and dropped his leg, not even getting the pants
on halfway.
“Don’t shoot. I’m unarmed!”
So the guy wanted to go the innocent route. Fine.
“I don’t really give a shit.” Frost squeezed the grip of the gun.
Yakov’s eyes shifted to the right, over his shoulder. Fuck. He spun a
split second too late and the blow was instant, a jarring thrust to the chest
that sent him stumbling backward and pain radiating through him. The thug
was big and it took Frost about two seconds to realize the guy was highly
trained when his gun hand was snap-kicked and his weapon slipped from
numb fingers and clattered to the floor.
Frost didn’t wait for another blow, he went after the guy with an
aggressive anger that was not his normal style. Usually, he was the one to
keep his cool, but he’d had enough. He struck swiftly and delivered a series
of blows that taught the guy really quick who the fuck he was messing with.
Blood spurted and the thug stumbled back, wiping at his nose.
Yakov ran in the opposite direction, into the darkened part of the room.
He could run, but he couldn’t hide, and just as soon as Frost took out the
trash, he would take care of Lakhonin.
Frost stretched out his palm upward and curled his fingers at the guy in
a universal sign to bring it on. The guy sneered and moved in. Frost bared
his teeth and let the fires of hell feed his anger and nailed the thug on the
side of his head.
The guy shook his head and then taunted him. “Bring it, motherfucker.
That was a lucky blow.”
Frost almost laughed.
Almost. Tired of the bullshit, Frost came in fast and hard with a series
of blows that drove the guy backwards. He had to hand it to the bodyguard,
the guy had managed to block about half his attacks, but only managed to
get off a few hits in return. Blood welled at the side of Frost’s mouth and he
poked his tongue at it.
From the corner of his eye, Storm’s bulk came down the stairs.
“Stay out of this,” Frost growled. His opponent took that moment to
bounce on his toes. Like that was going to fucking help. Frost delivered a
snap-kick that was effectively blocked. Done with fucking around, he
moved in and feigned right, dodged left, and delivered a kick that left the
guy spitting teeth before he struck the man in the head with a savage punch.
Gripping the back of the guy’s head, he slammed it down into his upraised
knee and dropped the thug at his feet. Out cold.
Storm leaped down the remaining stairs and zip-tied the guy’s hands.
Roscoe came jumping down the stairs on Storm’s heels.
Spinning, Frost picked up his gun and then strode to the far end of the
room. Reaching down, he grabbed the cowering man by the hair and
yanked him to his feet. Pressing the barrel of his gun once again to Yakov’s
forehead, Frost relished the fear and terror welling in the kingpin’s dirtcolored eyes.
“Frost.”
“Stay out of this, Storm.”
“Frost,” Wild’s voice stated this time. God damned the tracker was
quiet, he hadn’t even heard Wild come into the room. “He’s not worth it.”
“Oh, I beg to differ.” He studied Yakov like a bug beneath a
microscope. “It’s so worth ending his miserable fucking life.”
Frost felt nothing past the wall of his rage. This weaselly, little,
spineless fucker had caused enough fucking misery in the lives of his
friends, but when he’d come after Seth…. Well, that was a fucking game
changer. The motherfucker had tried to use Seth.
Frost growled deep in his throat, and Yakov closed his eyes and tried to
turn his head away, but the gun held tightly center mass to the guy’s
forehead didn’t allow for much movement.
“Don’t let him kill me.” Yakov’s voice trembled.
Frost fucking relished the sound of fear.
“So, where were we…?” Frost tipped his head slightly. “Oh yeah…Give
me one good reason why I shouldn’t put a bullet in your brain.” The words
were guttural. He was actually amazed he could speak at all.
“Be… be…because I can give you locations.”
Wild stepped closer. “All locations and I’ll call him off,” Wild
negotiated, as if he had control over him.
There would be no calling him the fuck off. He dug the barrel further
into Yakov forehead, creating a divot.
“Yes, yes!” Yakov squeaked. “All locations.”
Seth
The office was relatively quiet, which was odd because every member of
Phoenix was on-site. What surprised Seth was that his Uncle Rossi was also
there.
Asher shifted in the seat beside him and slipped his arm along the back
of his chair and over his shoulder. Seth eased closer.
He’d never been so fucking scared in his life like the day Asher had
held a gun to Yakov’s head. Not that putting an end to the bastard wouldn’t
have been deserved. But Seth didn’t want Asher putting his job or that of
Roscoe’s on the line. Sure, they had all killed before and always had a
damned solid reason for it, but shooting an unarmed man in the head while
their unit and an FBI agent watched wouldn’t have been a good idea—to
put it mildly.
Through the ear piece, Seth had heard Wild beg Asher to put the gun
down, but nothing had gotten through to his man. Both Roscoe and Storm
had tried.
“I have never seen anything like it before. Ever,” Wild had told Seth
later. “Usually, when he’s that far gone, someone dies. I seriously thought
Yakov was a dead man.” Wild shook his head.
“Then suddenly, Frost lifts his hand calmly as you please, touches his
ear, and murmurs, ‘I’m on my way.’” Wild had shaken his head in
amazement.
Seth knew, though. He knew why Asher had pulled back, and it sent a
warm feeling even now, warming his stomach.
Those few terrifying moments when he’d listened to Asher fighting, and
then as Wild, Storm, and Roscoe begged Asher to lower the gun. Seth
pictured his love and froze in fear for a few precious seconds.
“Come back to me,” he remembered whispering as he wiped at the tears
on his cheeks, his heart in his throat. He couldn’t lose Asher. He wouldn’t
survive.
Asher had instantly murmured back the sweetest words on the planet.
“I’m on my way.”
And just like that, Seth could breathe again. Reggie had driven them
around the few blocks and Seth had stepped from the SUV and anxiously
waited.
Asher had come out of the front door of that house. Larger than life,
tossing his helmet to the grass, and yanking at his bullet proof vest. Muscles
corded and rippled beneath the sweat soaked T-shirt, and when the man
moved, he moved like something wild and savage. The air caught in Seth’s
lungs when Asher had walked straight toward him and didn’t stop until they
collided, pulling him hard against his chest.
Seth had reached up and wrapped himself around Asher regardless of
who was watching. He loved Asher with every fiber of his being, heart and
soul.
Now, sitting snug against Asher’s side in the meeting, he looked around
the room and, to his surprise, found a couple of new faces. Well, one not so
new, but one he’d never met before.
Reggie, Allison, and Noah came from the kitchen laughing about
something and a low hum of conversations filled various parts of the room.
“Whatcha thinkin’?” Asher nuzzled his cheek.
He must have been lost in thought longer than he’d realized. “How
happy I am,” Seth whispered, resting their linked fingers on his knee.
Asher leaned and nibbled on his ear and Seth curled his shoulder away.
“Behave,” he whispered.
Asher harrumphed and Seth stifled a smile.
“Alright, people, take a seat,” Stefano called out across the room. They
had stacked chairs in three rows in front of a large flat screen monitor at the
far end of the space. The area was fashioned like a conference room without
walls.
Everyone took a seat. The commander stood in front and Seth’s Uncle
Rossi sat on the edge of a desk not too far from the group.
“Some of you may have noticed a few new faces in the group,” the
commander started. “Hell, you all better have noticed or I’m taking names.”
The group laughed and several heads swiveled to check out the new
faces.
“First, though, I’ve invited the chief to join us. We’ve tried to keep his
identity on the down low for reasons you all know about. We have talked it
over and have decided that it is no longer pertinent to keep his identity a
secret. Phoenix, I give you Giovanni Rossi, whom you will address as
Chief.” Stefano nodded and gave the floor to Rossi.
Seth glanced over and caught Noah’s gaze, they grinned at each other.
Seth mouthed, I knew it, to his cousin.
“Good morning. Thank you, Commander Stefano. By now, you all
should know why I kept my identity a secret. The threat to me and my
family was very real. With Yakov in custody, the threat has significantly
diminished. If you have any personal questions for me, you can catch me in
private. For now, we’ll stick to business,” Rossi said, nodding at Stefano.
The commander stood. “When I say your code name. Lift your hand or
wave so the team can identify you.”
“Reggie, Reboot Hell, Mamma Bear, Frost, Ghost, Storm, Wild,”
Stefano said, and each of them raised a hand or a few fingers in greeting.
“Fear and Rush.” Fear nodded to the group and the other man, Rush, lifted a
hand to wave.
“Fear is here on a temporary basis to help out with cleanup efforts.”
Well, that was weird. The guy hadn’t been interested in helping them
catch Yakov. Why the hell would Fear want to help them clean up Yakov’s
operation? Seth studied Fear as the commander spoke.
“He comes with a long list of—”
The door of the office swung open, cutting off Stefano’s words. Seth
had never seen a person move as quickly as Fear moved. By the time his
head swiveled to the door to see a figure in a dark hoodie, Fear was already
there, just that fast. In his seat one moment and at the door the next.
Asher stood a second after Fear and pulled his weapon. Storm was
across the room at Fear’s back. Wild moved, slipping out a knife as the rest
of the team shoved back their chairs and stood.
The figure in the doorway looked vaguely familiar to Seth. He sucked
in a breath when the hood was knocked back by Fear’s hand and the man’s
face was revealed.
Seth’s heart leaped when he saw the familiar face.
“Lash,” he blurted, and then he was moving, shoving people aside.
Lash shook back his hair and Seth’s eyes were drawn to the thin white
scar that trailed beneath the hunter’s chin and down his neck. Their eyes
met and held. Seth didn’t stop until he could wrap his arms tightly around
his friend. Lash didn’t hesitate, he returned the hug just as tightly, resting
his cheek on the top of Seth’s head.
Wild was next and the tracker stepped forward, meeting the hunter half
way, and the two men hugged tightly. “Welcome home.”
Fear moved back and took up residence against the wall. The soldier
was definitely intimidating with his quiet quickness and lethal movements.
“Alright everyone, come back and take your seats,” Stefano ordered
with a barely raised voice.
Seth reached out to cup Lash’s face. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
Lash nodded. Seth saw pain and sorrow in the hunter’s gaze before he
moved back.
Noah moved in and snagged a tight hug from Lash before stepping
back.
Seth turned, searching for Asher, and found him standing close. He
slipped his arm around Asher’s waist and settled near. His man drew a quiet
breath and wrapped him up in his arms.
“Today, people,” the chief urged, but his uncle was smiling. The
pleasure at seeing Lash back in the fold was clear in Giovanni Rossi’s eyes,
although the man looked worried. For the most part, Lash appeared
unharmed, but the dark turmoil in his shadowed eyes told a very different
story.
Resuming his seat along with the rest of the team, he turned his
attention back to the front.
“Welcome back, Lash,” the commander said to the man who opted to sit
in the back row.
Lash tipped his head. “Thank you, sir.”
“Now,” Stefano said. “As I was saying, Fear is assisting. He comes with
a long list of qualifications that make him an asset to our next mission.”
Stefano then listed tactical weapons, explosive expertise, military, and
previous homeland security experience. Fear said nothing, just tipped his
dark head in acknowledgment, gunmetal gray eyes shuttered.
“Rush is our newest recruit and comes to us from the FBI. He had the
opportunity to see us in action and approached me several months ago,”
Stefano continued and listed off Rush’s background in tactical experience as
well as many years of expertise in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and a medical tech in
the military. “I know the FBI is crying over this, but we are damned happy
to have him.”
The team laughed and Rush smirked and nodded. The medic’s hair was
a mess of shaggy, white-blond strands cut short but left long on the top.
Rush’s skin was pale and his eyes, behind the black rimmed glasses,
appeared the color of a changing sea, one minute blue and the next, green.
“Now that we are all together, Phoenix is nine men strong to date.”
Rossi’s voice drew Seth’s attention back to him. “This is it, look around. We
will hold our number at nine plus Fear when he helps out and focus on the
task at hand. We all need to be prepared through the coming months. We
don’t know the full extent of damage left by Yakov, nor how many victims
are still out there, but now that we have the head of the snake, it should only
be a matter of time before the operation crumbles,” the chief said, hovering
a laser pointer at the flat screen TV. The red light near the name Yakov
Lakhonin was in large, bold letters.
The commander held up an iPad. “With Yakov Lakhonin in custody,
we’ve been able to get the location of several operation sites. What was a
hunting mission has now become a rescue and clean up,” Stefano said, and
his worried gaze settled for a moment on Lash. “We’ll be working closely
with local and federal officials in all states effected.”
Rossi shut off the laser pointer and looked out over the room. Catching
his gaze, his uncle’s eyes softened with the love shining through. “Well
done, team. You can all be proud of yourselves and each other. You really
pulled together. Now, let’s rescue as many victims as possible and bring
them home.”
Frost
It
wasn’t easy, but he and Seth were working it out. He stood on the
doorstep of Seth’s apartment and rubbed his damp palms together. They’d
fought over the damned apartment. He had wanted Seth to move into one of
the spare rooms in his house, but Seth had said he needed space. Seth
insisted on learning how to live on his own without anyone there. That he
needed to grow as an individual. So, space was what Seth had gotten.
Frost knocked on the door and pulled at the collar of his shirt. He was
nervous as fuck, because tonight, he was going to ask Seth to marry him.
They’d been dating officially for three months from the night he’d given
Seth the roses. It hadn’t been very long, but the way he’d figured, he was so
in love with Seth, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. He only
hoped Seth wanted that as well.
They still had their ups and downs like normal couples. His love often
woke up from nightmares and Asher found himself struggling with sharing
his emotions, but they had, and they continued to grow, emerging stronger
after each curve in the road.
Beneath Seth’s love, he’d begun to think of himself as Asher, and not
Frost. They still called him Frost at work, but the truth of it was he’d clung
to the name because it provided a barrier that kept people at bay. Now, he
didn’t need that shield any longer.
One thing that was constant in their lives was the love they shared for
each other. As well as his own sessions, both Seth and Austin had also
started therapy. Austin appeared more resilient and was adjusting to the idea
of a new family with Tennessee and Maryanne.
“Ready?” Seth asked as he opened the door, smiling.
Then his love’s mouth dropped open.
“What? Too much?” He ran a nervous hand down the front of his black
Armani suit jacket. He’d been so fucking nervous that morning. He glanced
down at the matching pants, hoping he’d put on matching shoes.
He heaved a sigh of relief when not only the shoes matched, but the
gray-colored shirt complimented the matching handkerchief tucked into the
breast pocket.
Asher glanced up and held Seth’s bright green gaze. The gentle laughter
and love he found in the depths left him momentarily speechless.
“Oh my, Mr. Grayson, you look stunning,” Seth flirted, pulling him
inside and easing the door closed before stepping closer.
“So do you,” he said, finally finding his voice, and took in Seth’s black
tux. Seth looked absolutely mouthwatering. Beautiful. So much so, he
wanted to lock Seth away and throw away the key.
“Well, I am the best man, the tux was called for. But you… Asher…you
clean up really well,” Seth said with a sinfully wicked smile. A smile Asher
dreamed about on a nightly basis. And the sound of his name on Seth’s lips
thrilled him. Every. Fucking. Time. He’d never again take that for granted.
He reached out and took Seth’s hand and linked their fingers together.
The next moment, he pulled Seth up against his chest. Dipping his head, he
pressed a soft kiss to his lover’s lips.
His lover smiled against his mouth before his lips parted and he
returned the slow, sweet kiss.
“Mmm. You’re giving me ideas,” Seth murmured.
“Hold those ideas until later.” Asher chuckled and drew Seth from the
apartment and toward the waiting limo.
It was Noah and Mac’s wedding day, and before the day was over,
Asher hoped to receive a promise of happily ever after from the sexy man
by his side.
Noah and Mac’s wedding was held near the San Francisco bay shoreline.
Sun glinted off the ocean and the sky dazzled with a clear, crystal blue, as if
the weather wouldn’t dare rain on the couple’s day. It was perfect, magical.
The washed wood-colored walkway ended at where the grooms stood in
matching black suits. Flawless and eye-catching, the two men held each
other’s gazes and even from this distance, their love felt palpable. The pair
stood beneath a trellis overflowing with greenery and elegant white and
blue-colored flowers.
Beside Noah stood Seth as his best man, and beside Mac stood Kane
Quintana as his best man. Becca, Kane’s wife, and Allison both looked
stunning in royal blue. Asher overheard Noah tell Seth that every accessory
had to match the blue of Mac’s eyes.
Noah took a deep breath and spoke. His voice was clear and strong.
“Mac. What can I say to the man who saved my life? Literally.” Noah
grinned. The audience chuckled. Asher noted a glint of tears in the man’s
eyes. Noah was clearly not shy about showing his love for Mac to the
world. “The day you came for me will always be the beginning of a new
life I never dreamed I could have. I’ll always cherish that day. But the day
you told me you loved me will forever be the day I truly began to live. I
love you more than life.”
Mac bowed his head and drew Noah’s hands to his lips and held them
there for a long moment. After a pause, the rugged man cleared his throat.
“Noah. You delivered the sunlight back into my life and heart. I loved
you before I walked away, I loved you when you came back to me, and I’ll
always love you until my last breath,” Mac promised.
The minister nodded, smiling, and said the final words before looking
up at the crowd of people gathered.
“I now give you Mr. and Mr. Mac and Noah Mackenzie.”
Noah told them he wanted to take Mac’s last name. He didn’t care for
the name he’d gotten in WITSEC and he would leave his mother’s name to
rest with her. It was a fitting testament to the couple’s incredible love for
each other.
The pair came together with Mac lifting Noah off his feet in a bear hug.
Noah’s blond hair spilled over his shoulder and a smile flashed on the man’s
handsome face before their mouths met in a heated kiss. The crowd erupted
with loud, whooping cheers when the kiss went on.
Asher eased his way through the throng of people and reached Seth’s
side. Seth took his hand, then tugged him through the crowd and up to
congratulate the grooms. He returned both tight hugs the groomsmen gave
him and congratulated the couple.
“Asher! Sef!”
Asher turned, catching sight of Austin pulling away from Mac’s aunt
and racing across the distance as fast as his little legs could carry him.
Seth turned as well, and laughed as he scooped up Austin when the little
boy reached them. Austin gave Seth a sloppy kiss on the cheek.
The little boy’s attention span was short and he soon spotted Maryanne
pushing Tennessee in a wheelchair along the boardwalk.
“Grandma, grandpa!” Austin shouted, and Seth set the boy on his feet.
Austin ran, charging up to Maryanne and Tennessee, and climbed into Ten’s
lap. The pair were now foster parents to the little boy and were going for
full custody of Austin as soon as possible.
Thankfully, Austin’s mother had given up her rights without arguing.
She was in jail for a long time on one count of accessory to kidnapping Seth
and several counts of child abuse and endangerment, not to mention,
threatening to kill a minor. Austin’s mother would be lucky if she ever saw
the sun without a fence around her.
Seth leaned into him, and Asher pulled the man’s back to his chest and
tightly closed his arms around Seth’s waist. His head dropped and he kissed
the side of Seth’s neck.
“Hungry?”
“Mmhmm.” Seth chuckled softly.
“I meant for food.” He laughed against Seth’s skin and rocked him side
to side.
“I am, actually. Did you see the buffet?”
“I did. I’m starving.” He linked his fingers with Seth’s and drew the
man toward the line of people.
The food smelled delicious. They piled food on their plates and carried
their drinks to a table with their name tags on it. Usually, the best man had
to sit up front with the married couple, but Noah insisted on a more
informal setting since both of the best men were in committed relationships.
Asher loved that people considered he and Seth committed. Because
they were. He was committed heart and soul to the man sitting next to him.
His team sat clustered around the table. Noah and Mac had arranged to
have Phoenix and immediate family at one large table.
Not satisfied when some people seemed to be cut out, the men had
shoved tables together with much laughter and a few spilled drinks.
The music played and the grooms danced to “I Won’t Give Up” by
Jason Mraz. After a few minutes into the song, the grooms gestured to the
crowd to join.
Asher took a deep breath and stood before turning to hold out his hand
to Seth.
Seth looked at him in surprise.
“What? I believe I owe you a dance.”
Seth’s surprise morphed into a smile that lit up the night. Seth reached
out a hand and Asher took it tightly and drew his love out onto the dance
floor.
“It’s true,” Asher said, pulling him against his chest.
“What’s true?” Seth wrapped his arms around him.
“I won’t ever give up on us.” Asher sang softly against his ear and let
the song fill in the rest as they swayed together.
Seth
It had taken some time and a lot of soul searching and long talks, but he and
Asher were making it work. The only thing Seth hated was the whole “not
living together”. But he knew it had been healthy for him to live on his own
for a while. Hopefully, though, he wouldn’t be alone much longer.
He missed Asher like crazy when he wasn’t around. Of course, they
tried to get together as often as possible, but it wasn’t the same as waking
up in bed with the guy. Those mornings were the best.
Love felt amazing. Heart pounding, pulse thrumming, wet and sloppy
amazing. He craved Asher like he’d never craved another person. At first,
he’d been nervous trusting the man. The guy had been the world’s biggest
player, but Asher’s commitment had never wavered. In fact, the guy never
even glanced at cute guys. Which was weird because Seth even glanced at
them on occasion. He’d asked Asher about it and the man had smiled and
hugged him.
“Been there, done that,” Asher said. “I don’t need to look any further.”
Seth’s heart had melted. He was finding out that Asher could be very
romantic.
Tonight, Seth was going to ask Asher to move in together. He dropped
his keys trying to get them in the door to his apartment. Asher had grown
quiet on the way over after they left the wedding. Seth was starting to worry
something was wrong.
“Have a seat. I’m just going to…” His words trailed off when Asher
snatched at his hand and turned him back around.
“Seth…”
“Yes?” Seth’s heart was in his throat.
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
Seth took a soft, relieved breath. “Me too,” he said in a rush.
“You do?” Asher blinked, and Seth nodded.
“But, you go first,” Seth urged.
“Okay,” Asher said and sank to his knees on the carpet.
What the hell was Asher doing? Seth gasped when it dawned on him,
and lifted a hand to cover his mouth. He gaped at the powerful man on his
knees before him.
He struggled not to burst into tears when Asher drew a ring box out of
his jacket and popped it open. The simple wedding band inside was,
without a doubt, perfect.
“Seth, I love you so much. Will you marry me?” Asher asked in a low,
gravelly voice, the words practically growled out.
Seth nodded through tears. “Yes!” A tearful laugh escaped and he found
himself in Asher’s strong arms when the man stood from the carpet and
snatched him close.
Asher firmly and confidently slipped the ring on his shaking finger.
“I don’t have one for you.” His eyes stayed riveted on the band.
“We’ll go tomorrow and pick one out together.”
“Okay.” Seth looked up into the eyes of the man he loved with all his
heart.
“What was it you wanted to ask me?”
“Will you move in with me?”
“Yes,” his lover responded instantly.
Lifting his hands, Seth fisted them into Asher’s dark hair and drew the
man’s head down. Their mouths touched. What started as a soft kiss ended
up growing into a hungry clash of tongues and lips. Soon, Seth was shoving
Asher’s jacket off and running his hands beneath the man’s shirt.
Asher was in agreement and powerlifted him with large hands on the
back of his thighs. Seth wrapped his legs around Asher’s waist and his arms
around the man’s neck. They continued kissing all the way down the hall to
Seth’s bedroom.
“Make love to me, Seth,” Asher whispered against his lips when his
back hit the bedroom door.
“Yes,” Seth moaned as Asher kicked the door shut.
Asher
That’s
the last of it,” Storm said with a groan. “Jesus, I’ve never seen
people with so much shit,” the operative complained, dropping down to lay
flat out on the carpet.
“Good God, Storm. You’d think you’d never done any hard work in
your life,” Wild said, thumping the man on the back of the head and then
leaping quickly away to avoid Storm’s hand grabbing his ankle.
Seth laughed and the sound drew Asher’s head up. He loved Seth’s
laughter. Asher sidestepped when Austin came barreling into the house with
Aunt Leslie on his heels. Tennessee and Maryanne had decided to stay
home on moving day and Aunt Leslie had offered to watch Austin. The
woman loved taking care of Austin, and the boy had begun calling her
Marm.
Storm made a growling noise at Austin and the little boy squealed and
ran down the hallway. Aunt Leslie laughed and scolded Storm before
stepping over the large man and heading after the boy.
“Well, we thank you,” Asher informed Storm.
“Bah. I know that,” Storm said gruffly, and then rolling to sit up, he
stood and sprawled on the couch.
The team and a variety of friends had just moved Seth’s furniture and
things into his house. Correction, their home. His lover’s furniture was
newer, so they used most of his pieces in the large living room and only a
few of Asher’s things remained like his oversized easy chair. Seth’s other
things had been placed in the garage to go through later. There was plenty
of storage in the two car garage and they had a massive shed out back.
They’d make it work. The most important thing was they were together.
Seth helped Wild clear off the sectional and dropped down to sit.
“I’ll order pizza,” Seth offered, and opened his phone before calling the
place he had on speed dial.
“Woot,” Noah said, coming through the door with Mac.
Behind them stood a tired looking Lash. Seth juggled his phone and
stood. He moved toward the man and drew him into the house.
Asher stayed back while his lover and Lash had a few quiet words.
When Seth turned toward him, Asher smiled and stepped forward.
“Glad you came,” he said to Lash.
“Thanks for the invite.”
“We brought the beer.” Mac held up two twelve packs. The couple’s
dog, Havoc, bounded into the room and ran down the hallway. Asher
stepped forward and snagged one six pack to place on the counter.
Seth spoke quickly to the restaurant, ordering enough to feed a small
army.
“It’s going to be around forty minutes.” Seth hung up the phone and
hooked his arm with Lash’s, drawing him forward and out of the way of the
open door.
When Roscoe, Kane, Allison, and Becca came in, each carrying boxes,
Asher pointed to a space at the far end of the room. “Place them there,” he
said.
Behind them carrying a small end table was Mac’s partner, US Marshal
Jake Coleman. The man placed the end table where Allison directed, and
then she tucked her arm in his and led him into the kitchen. Asher had heard
that Jake had made the move. The man was no longer staying part-time at
Kane and Becca’s, but rather had moved into the spare room at Mac and
Noah’s until he could find a place.
“Look!” Austin came running back down the hallway with Havoc
trailing behind. “Look, Noah! I have my own room just like at your house!”
The little boy was so excited, he jumped up and down. Austin had his own
room in three different homes.
“I saw that!” Noah said, smiling, and bent to hug the small boy. Aunt
Leslie came through the house from the back room, holding Austin’s
pajamas.
“Give everyone a hug, Austin. Let’s get you bathed and then you can
have pizza.
“Yay! Okay, Marm!” Austin whooped and ran to each person in the
room, hugging them tightly. The little boy had quickly wormed his way into
each of their hearts. After hugging Kane and Becca, he skipped to Reggie
and Roscoe. He did a hop jump onto Allison’s lap, where she sat on the
couch next to Jake, and snuggled close.
Austin told them he loved hugging Allison the most. The team teased
her, but she loved it. Austin would lay against her and endlessly play with
her long hair until Seth or Asher rescued her. This time, Noah did the
honors and snagged Austin up from Allison’s lap and gave the little boy a
wink before setting him on his feet.
“Finish up, Austin,” Asher encouraged.
Kicking at the carpet, Austin stopped by Lash next. Austin had met
Lash at Noah and Mac’s house, but the room held their breath as the little
boy approached the man. Last time they were together, Austin had
repeatedly asked about the silver scar that ran down Lash’s neck and
disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt.
Lash crouched in front of Austin and smiled. Austin reached up and
cupped the man’s cheeks with both small hands and smiled back. “Night,
Lash.”
“Good night, Austin,” Lash said, and returned the little boy’s hug.
Asher could have sworn a sheen of moisture crossed the man’s eyes, but
when Lash stood, there was nothing. He must have imagined it.
Lastly, Austin ran to Seth and him and hugged them, stretching his
small arms around each of their necks, squishing their cheeks together as
they crouched to receive the little boy’s hug.
“Love you, Ash. Love you, Sef.”
“I love you too, buddy,” Seth said, and Asher echoed with a tousle to
the boy’s hair.
Leslie scooped up Austin and headed back down the hallway with
Havoc trailing behind. Asher watched until they were out of sight and then
he stood with a smile and pulled Seth upright.
“Hey!” Noah suddenly yelled, and he walked over to them and reached
out. The man grabbed both his and Seth’s hands.
“What have we here?” Noah asked, and lifted Seth’s hand to show the
group.
Seth turned a charming shade of red and Asher chuckled.
“I think I hear wedding bells,” Allison sing-songed.
Seth pulled his hand away from Noah and darted a quick smile at Asher.
“Yes, you do,” Asher advised the group and winked at his fiancé before
pulling him close. Seth gulped and Asher chuckled before he nuzzled Seth’s
neck with a rough growl. Seth’s husky giggle was muffled in Asher’s shirt.
Before releasing Seth, Asher dipped the love of his life backwards and
planted a kiss on his lips. The room broke out in whoops and hollers along
with much laughter.
Asher had never been so happy in his life. He turned toward their
friends to show off their rings, content to keep Seth tucked securely in his
arms.
“Well, fuck,” Storm said, his mouth dropping open. “I never thought I’d
see the day.”
“What? That Asher would settle down?” Roscoe asked with a laugh.
“No, that they’d both finally stop all the dodging and admit they are
crazy about one another,” Storm said amidst the group’s laughter.
“I think you guys owe me twenty, each,” Wild said, holding out his
hand.
They groaned and pulled out their wallets.
“What the hell?” Asher blinked, watching everyone, including Jake,
pull out their wallets.
“What? We bet on if you two would ever get together. I knew you
would,” Wild said smugly. “They, however,” he pointed to the others, “did
not.”
“Seriously?” Seth glared at the group. “Pay up!”
Asher laughed loudly and Seth joyously joined him.
“Oh look, they even match!” Reggie said, coming over to look at both
of the rings.
True to his word, Asher had taken Seth the very next day to pick out a
matching ring. Seth had made a production of slipping the ring on his finger
and Asher hadn’t taken it off since.
At first, he had pestered Seth for a wedding date, but Seth said he was
enjoying his newly engaged status. Asher had waited a lifetime for a man
like Seth, and if Seth wanted to savor this, Asher decided he wasn’t going to
rush any of it.
The pizza came and the gang was fed. Most of them spilled out onto the
back lawn to find something to do.
Fear had been invited, but the man declined. Rush hadn’t been able to
join them today; the man was serving out his notice with the FBI and had
previous obligations.
Allison sat next to Jake and Lash on the patio deck. The low tone of
Lash’s voice drifted over the distance as he deflected her questions. Asher
wasn’t sure what had happened with Lash to keep him away for so long,
and the chief was being closed mouthed about it. But he suspected Lash
would tell them in his own time.
The missions they undertook had been outlined by Stefano on the day of
the meeting. They had successfully rescued several victims, as well as
arrested a few more key players in Yakov’s operation. Yakov had stopped
talking, but Frost was confident the man didn’t have much else to say. He’d
kidnapped and held a federal agent, trafficked humans, ran drugs, and was
caught on tape shooting a guy in the head. The guy was looking at the death
penalty. Right now, the unit was taking some much needed down time while
the FBI questioned the suspects.
Asher was glad for the lull. He worried about Seth, he always would.
But his lover was strong. They both were, and when Asher went into battle,
there was no other man on earth he’d rather have at his side.
Coming up behind Seth standing in the doorway, Asher wrapped his
arms around Seth’s waist. With a gentle tug, he pulled his lover back to rest
against his chest. The man glanced upward over his shoulder and gave him
a quick smile.
Asher drew in a deep breath and set his chin to Seth’s shoulder, and then
nuzzled into the man’s dark curls.
On the wide, back lawn, their friends were playing a game of Frisbee
using multiple discs. It became challenging, but also hilarious when
someone was tossed a couple of plastic discs at the same time.
Seth’s hands lifted to close around Asher’s arms. Asher closed his eyes
in contentment. He enjoyed being near Seth. Their life together was finally
moving forward.
“Going to join in?” Seth inquired.
“I’m content right here,” he said, squeezing Seth tightly.
He grew more content with each passing day. The man he held had
become his heart and home.
And really, Asher wouldn’t have it any other way.
The end
Thank you for reading Collide, the second book in my Out for Justice
series. Stay tuned for more stories about the men in the unit known only as
Phoenix as they continue to help people in need and protect their own.
Please feel free to leave a review, we authors love that!
You can reach me on:
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about what is coming next—Come join us!
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Reeseknightleyauthor@gmail.com
To my readers for believing in my men as much as I do. This one’s for you.
A native Californian, Reese spends her time creating stories from the
characters rattling around in her head, which causes her to talk to herself on
more than one occasion. Her love for reading action and mystery MM
books led to her love of writing. Next to writing comes her love of wine,
coffee, and chocolate, in no particular order. ;) When not writing, Reese can
be found working full-time where she day dreams of being able to one day
quit her job and write full-time. Reese loves to hear from her fans and can
be contacted at Reeseknightleyauthor@gmail.com