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.