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-to-hand 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.