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 long-haired 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.