The circles under Andy’s eyes were starting to worry me, and I didn’t know how to put him at ease. He’d awakened me with his nightmares the last couple weeks, and I let him lie to me when he tried to play it off. I knew the only thing I could do was make sure Andy was safe and that meant taking on what had turned into my greatest fear—putting him in danger. I didn’t give a fuck how many of Bradford’s men would have our backs or the cops that would litter the crowd of Epiphany. It would only take one stupid slip up for everything to go nuclear. Although, their plan couldn’t get any more perfect.

“So, how’s this going to work again?” Andy asked as he went through the shopping bags I’d just placed there. “You all still leaving the cops in the dark about the backup team?”

He hadn’t had clothes appropriate for going to a club, so I’d taken him shopping. I’d hated every fucking minute of it, and I put him in charge of helping me blend. I was more Jazz club or pub for a pint than some nightclub where everyone would probably be half my age. I leaned back against the headboard and just watched him.

As much as I was worried about him, I knew I was doing everything in my power to make sure our operation went down without issues. That didn’t mean there wasn’t the possibility of fuck ups. I was more determined than before. After we’d had the talk about what would happen between us after they took down the killer and his partner, I was excited at the chance of keeping him and trying to have a normal relationship when he was safe.

“Bradford and his boy will be there to point out the man he’d seen with the other victims. And his guys will be there for some extra eyes. Bradford will contact me through my earpiece as soon as the partner shows.”

The cops were still clueless about Bradford’s involvement, or at least I thought they were. If they weren’t then I was surprised by the absence of Green’s bitching.

“Do you think it’ll be that easy?”

“I don’t know, I’m…hopeful.”

“Where’s the pessimist that I know and adore?”

“He’s still very much there, I promise.”

“What’s Green going to think when he learns that you have criminals running backup?”

“They’re just…misunderstood, there’s no evidence.” I chuckled at the playful roll of his eyes. “But in all seriousness, I don’t trust Green and his team to care about more than taking down a killer.”

“You don’t think they’ll have my safety in mind?” he asked as he glanced at me as he hung up a few shirts.

I shifted and crossed my ankles. “I’m not taking the chance. Come here.” I patted my thighs and smiled as he approached, when he straddled my legs I wrapped my arms around him. “I promise I won’t take my eyes off you for a second.” I flexed to tug him closer and my man draped his arms over my shoulders.

“I trust you, I wouldn’t even think about doing this if I didn’t.”

I leaned in to kiss the sexy tilt of his smile and deepened the kiss but refused to let it get out of hand. I wanted to make sure he was prepared for every step. Moments like this I could pretend that we were any other couple. I wanted to wake up one morning without the specters of killers hanging over our heads.

“I just want you safe, baby, and I’ll do whatever I have to do.”

“Don’t put yourself in danger.”

The worry in his voice almost made me lie, but I couldn’t do that to him. It wasn’t in me to provide false hope that I wouldn’t get hurt.

“I can’t make a promise like that. All I can tell you is I’ll have my vest on and men I trust at my back.”

I knew he wasn’t satisfied with my answer.

“Baby, please listen to me.”

I waited for him to raise his gaze from where it rested on my chest. He was nervously rubbing the sides of my t-shirt between his slender fingers. It took a few minutes, but finally he listened and turned his worried and slightly teary eyes up to me. I brought my hands to his cheeks and traced the lush curve of his lower lip with my thumbs.

“I’ll do everything within my power to make sure we’re both in one piece. I just can’t lie. Honesty is important to me, and I need you to go into this with your eyes open and prepared for whatever.”

“I get it, Ray, I really do, but…I just see the potential for more and I’m not ready to lose it.”

I laughed when Andy squeaked as I rolled until I was on top and resting heavy in the cradle of his thighs. I awkwardly stripped Andy’s shirt over his head one-handed. While I gently kissed him, I let my left hand roam over the silky smooth skin of his chest and stomach. I groaned as his hands slipped under my shirt and tweaked the hair on my stomach, then chest.

“We won’t.”

Whatever serious conversation we were going to have ended as I teased his tongue with mine and we quickly stripped. As I slid balls deep I savored every sound he gave me, and I groaned as his nails dug into back. My pace increased as I pushed him toward release. I wanted his ecstasy before I took mine. His hole clamped down on my dick and his release painted our bellies. When I took his mouth roughly, I emptied into the latex and pumped my hips shallowly until my muscles relaxed. I collapsed on him and kissed him between labored breaths.

I looked forward to a life with him, and I wouldn’t let a killer and his psycho partner fuck that up.

Three nights had passed, and my frustration grew, I was living with a horrid techno beat repeating in my head even after we left Epiphany every night. I had to believe our plan would work. Although, we were on night four and still no takers, well, at least none that were our targets. I wasn’t the jealous sort, or at least I hadn’t previously felt that particular emotion. Every man who approached Andy caused me to growl from my secluded corner where I had a perfect view of him.

“Man, you’re gonna have to relax,” Richie warned, then took a draw off his beer. “That kid doesn’t see anyone but you.”

“I trust him,” I protested. It never occurred to me that he would take any of the offers seriously.

Even the loud music didn’t cover the man’s snort that came through the earpiece. Okay, I wasn’t hiding it well, and Andy had called me on it after the first night. I’d taken him home and fucked him against the wall as soon as we’d entered the kitchen. It was a bullshit alpha move and I wasn’t proud of my actions.

“I didn’t say you didn’t.”

I needed to change the subject, so I asked the first thing that popped into my head. “Is our plan going tits up?”

“We didn’t expect instant gratification. Maybe they wised up after hitting too many back to back.”

“It’s another change in M.O. and I’m not comfortable with it.”

Their targets had gone into a frenzy a month ago, kills barely days apart and now, they were coming up on two weeks without another body turning up. That wasn’t something I would complain about, but I also knew that we needed another body, or at least for them to fuck up. I hated that another victim needed to surface, but it was the twisted nature of the game. Without forensics or at least a reliable witness ID, we were at a stalemate.

As much as I loved spending time with Andy and having him in my house, I needed to make him safe so we didn’t have this dark cloud over us.

“Heads up gentleman, we have a major issue,” Bradford’s voice sounded in my ear.

“What’s up?”

“We’ve spotted the supposed partner.”

Before I could ask, I frowned as Benji, Finn’s son, approached Andy. He pushed in close and crowded him, causing his man to flinch at whatever Benji whispered in his ear. I was off the stool and halfway to the two men with Richie at my six. Then things started to click, and I was sickened by the implications. I’d put Andy in danger without knowing it when I took him to Benji for help with tracking the phone.

I was only feet away from them when all hell broke loose. The deafening sound of fire alarms and the strobing of lights disoriented me, and I cursed as I lost sight of them. The sprinkler system rained down on us increasing the mob mentality of the crowd. I pushed bodies out of the way as hysteria took over and everyone panicked.

“Take Mac now,” Bradford’s order was growled.

I broke through the wall of fleeing bodies and Andy and Benji were gone. I turned in a circle and saw Andy’s ashen face, saw his mouth form my name in a scream drowned out by sirens. I barely saw Bradford’s men barreling through the crowd, but hundreds of people were blocking them.

My heart was in my throat as Richie and I combined our strength to tackle our way through. I could feel the cool air coming through the opened clubbed doors, but I no longer saw my targets. It seemed as if hours had passed before we reached the sidewalk where chaos reigned.

“Where the fuck are they,” I yelled in an enraged voice as Bradford appeared on my other side while Richie stepped up.

I heard cops yelling freeze and turned to find them drawing down on Benji who was knelt on the sidewalk with a smile on his face. He looked as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

I ran toward Benji and leaned down to grab the front of his t-shirt. “Where the fuck is he?” I moved in close and crouched down. “You don’t want to fuck with me, where’s Andy and your partner?”

“Detective, did you lose something?”

As I was about to throw a punch, Bradford’s caught my arm in the crook of his elbow.

“Ray, if he’s out cold we get no information. Get your shit together. Your boy is all that matters, you got me?”

The way the man dropped his smooth, posh vocabulary pulled me back from the edge.

“Clancy,” Green called my name.

I tore my gaze away from Benji and found Green holding a laptop inside a bag. A piece of paper taped to the lid with my name and watch me written in thick block letters. I surged to my feet and jerked the computer from his hands. I tore off the plastic and opened it as I set it down on the trunk of a nearby car.

I cursed loudly as I waited for it to boot up, and in the middle of the screen was a folder simply labeled Play. I clicked on it and everything else faded away except for the fear that an unknown killer had Andy. They were currently on the way to some location and I had no idea where.

The video player loaded and my brain expected to see Finn, but who I saw shocked me more than anything: my ex-partner Daniels.

“Well, hello, Ray.” The man’s calmness terrified me. “I knew you’d come back to me, but I must say, you played so hard to get. If you’re watching this, then I know you’re aware that I have your little whore.”

I clenched my back teeth and spread my hands on the cool metal beside the laptop.

“You really should have better taste than these…boys. First Mikey, but I took care of him even after you tried to send him away. I saw the way you looked at me, but you cheapened yourself with all those pretty whores. Every one of their deaths is your fault.”

I sensed when my friends crowded at my sides, and I only looked away long enough to take in the crowd forming behind me.

“Green’s boy was a bonus. The way he allowed you to lose your job, he deserved to be punished.”

Green’s gasp made me take in the way all the blood drained from the man’s face.

“Benji will let you know how this is going to play out. Follow his rules and your whore will probably survive. He just might not be as pretty as when you lost him.”

The video ended and I turned on Benji.

“What the fuck does he want?”

“Not that easy, Detective.”

“Ray, I’m gonna call Finn, we might need him.”

I didn’t answer Richie. All I could think were worst case scenarios and that even now, Andy could be the victim of the same as all those other young men. All the crime scene photos played out in my head, including the even modulation of Donnelly’s voice during the autopsies. I was barely keeping it together as I realized the game Daniels was playing was far from over.

“Get him to the station now,” Green ordered and then turned to me. “Clancy, you got this shit? I don’t want another crime scene, do you understand me?”

All I could do was nod, and then we were all on the way to the station. Benji was shoved into the back of a black and white, and I was in the back of Bradford’s limo.

“If anything happens to Andy—”

“There will be nothing left of Daniels, I don’t care how far he tries to run.” His voice cold as he made me the promise.

I took a sliver of comfort that my oldest friend would have my back. I wouldn’t let all my hope slip away. Daniels wanted something from me, wanted me, and he needed Andy for that. That meant my man would be alive for now, but for how long?