“It is. From this point on, no unnecessary risks. I’m assigning a small team to patrol Colton’s property round the clock, just in case.” King opened the door and addressed the others. “Stay vigilant.” They escorted Laz to Ace’s car that was parked between a huge black truck and Lucky’s motorcycle, which Joker had dropped off earlier.

  “Oh God, I just remembered my equipment.” Laz raked his fingers through his hair, grabbing fistfuls of it. Don’t panic. Breathe. Shit. His camera, all his lenses, his laptop…. “I’m so screwed.” What if his insurance wouldn’t cover the loss? Where the hell would he get the money to replace all of it? At least all his images were saved to the cloud, but the rest of it?

  “You mean this equipment?”

  Laz’s head shot up at Ace’s words, and he stared, dumbfounded, at the open trunk of Ace’s car. His heart hammered in his ears. It was all there. Well, everything that fit.

  “King’s got the bigger stuff in the back of his truck.” Ace said, pointing to the charcoal-gray truck with the covered truck bed. “He’ll drop it off at Colton’s for you.”

  “You guys are the best,” Laz said, tears in his eyes. He threw his arms around Ace, squeezing him tight and making him laugh before he turned to Red and hugged him. “Thank you. You’ve done so much for me.”

  Red wrapped his arms around Laz, his cheek resting against Laz’s head and his words soft. “You’re welcome. You can always count on us, Laz.” He squeezed Laz before pulling away. “Let’s go.”

  “Don’t forget to make that list,” Lucky said, opening the back door of Ace’s car for Laz. “Text it to me. Red will give you my number, okay?”

  “Thank you, Lucky.” Laz climbed into the backseat and buckled up as Red slid in beside him. He’d expected Red to sit up front with Ace but was grateful Red had chosen to keep him company instead. It was stupid. He’d been on his own for so long, he shouldn’t be feeling so damned needy. Then he reminded himself someone was trying to kill him. He’d earned the right to feel a little needy and vulnerable. His brother’s words echoed in his head.

  “You don’t have to prove how strong you are all the time. It’s okay to lean on others.”

  Except Laz had been doing that for too long, depending on his brother, on Colton. Bryan’s voice infiltrated his thoughts, and Laz closed his eyes, hating how deep the words cut because of their truth.

  “You were a nobody when I met you! You couldn’t even afford the equipment you needed without big brother and his rich friends to help you.”

  Despite working full-time and studying full-time, Laz would never have been able to afford his equipment, not without his brother and Colton’s financial help. He’d tried to set up a payment plan with them to pay them back, but they’d refused. All they’d wanted in return was for him to follow his dream. Laz quickly shook those thoughts from his head.

  Maybe he’d been a nobody in the industry when he’d met Bryan, and Bryan had certainly showed him a few doors, but Laz had been the one to open them and step through. He’d worked himself ragged getting his portfolio together, building his contacts, perfecting his craft. What about all the explosive situations Bryan had ignited that Laz had defused, saving both their careers? He could do this.

  “By the way, I haven’t told Colton what happened yet.”

  Laz’s attention snapped to Ace, and his eyes widened. “What?”

  “It’ll be fine,” Ace replied nonchalantly.

  Was the man insane? How could he be dating Colton and make such a ridiculous statement?

  “He’s going to lose his mind,” Laz said with a groan. He loved Colton. Had grown up around him. Admired him, respected him, and steered clear of him when he exploded. Colton was passionate and sometimes a little dramatic. He tended to overreact when his emotions got the better of him, especially when whatever was freaking him out had to do with someone he cared about.

  “Yes, he is,” Ace agreed. “There will be yelling. Lots of yelling. At me. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”

  “That really doesn’t put my mind at ease,” Laz muttered. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back, a small smile tugging at his lips when he felt Red pat his leg. Maybe Ace was right and everything would be fine. For all they knew, whoever had been sent to kill him had decided he wasn’t worth the trouble now that the police were involved.

  The ride to Colton’s house—now also Ace’s house, since Ace had moved in with Colton—took a little over forty-five minutes via A1A N. The mid-July sun was sweltering, and come August it was going to be even worse. The humidity made the temperature feel like it was in the hundreds. Thank God for air conditioning. Maybe he could make the most of a bad situation. Colton’s house was amazing. It was huge, with an awesome game room, a pool, and a private walkway down to the beach just a few feet away.

  “Why don’t you two go on ahead,” Red suggested when they pulled into the driveway. “I’ll bring in Laz’s equipment.”

  Ace peered at Red through the rearview mirror. “You’re not fooling anyone.”

  Laz looked from Ace to Red and back. “What are you talking about?”

  “He’s trying to avoid getting yelled at.”

  Red’s expression turned deadpan. “You’re right. Good luck.” He swiftly opened the door, got out, and closed the door behind him.

  Ace shook his head in shame. “Do you see this? This is what I have to deal with.”

  “Well, Colt is your boyfriend.”

  “Of course you would take Red’s side.”

  Laz snickered in amusement. “What does that mean?”

  “Everyone always takes his side. It’s those damned puppy dog eyes. So not fair.” Ace climbed out of the car, ignoring Laz’s chuckle. He opened the back door for him, grabbed some equipment from the trunk, then followed Laz up the set of steps to the front door where Colton was standing waiting for them.

  “Laz, this is a lovely surprise.” Colton froze, and Laz cringed. “What happened to your head?”

  “It’s just a graze,” Laz replied calmly. “We’ll explain everything inside.”

  Colton nodded and followed them into the house, heading for the living room after them.

  “Babe, Red and Laz will be staying with us for a while. Starting today.”

  “Of course. What’s going on?” When Laz looked to Ace and there was no response, Colton frowned. “What?”

  Ace drew Colton into his arms. “First of all, I want you to know everything’s going to be okay.”

  “That doesn’t reassure me at all,” Colton muttered, eyes narrowed. “What happened?”

  “I don’t want you to worry.”

  “Well, it’s too damn late for that,” Colton growled. “That’s like starting a sentence with ‘you can’t get mad’ when you know whatever you’re going to say is going to cause that exact reaction. How many times have you done this?”

  “Lots, but, babe, you have a tendency to get a little emotional, and—”

  “I swear if the next words out of your mouth aren’t what the hell is happening, my emotions are going to be the least of your worries!”

  “Just calm down. I’m only—”

  “Someone tried to kill me,” Laz blurted.

  “What?” Colton moved away from Ace to stare at Laz. “Oh my God. What? Oh my God.”

  “Thanks, Laz. That was… that was great.”

  “Sorry. It’s been a long day.” He was so, so tired.

  Colton gasped, and in two steps had Laz wrapped up in his arms, a hand to the back of his head as he crushed Laz to him.

  “Colt, I can’t breathe.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Colton released him, then started to pace. “Okay, I need to call Nadine and have her reschedule the meeting, cancel my flight, hotel, and—”

  “Stop. Colt, please stop.” Laz took hold of Colton’s arm, stopping his pacing. “I don’t want you cancelling your trip.”

  “Are you kidding me? I’m not leaving this house knowing there’s a killer out there looking for you. I need to call Gio.”

  “No,” Laz snapped, startling Colton. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just really tired. Please, don’t call my brother. He worries enough about me as it is. The last thing I want is for him to drop everything he’s doing and run back home. He’s done that enough for me.”

  “He’s your brother, and he loves you. Of course he’s going to drop everything and come home. Someone is trying to kill his little brother!”

  “Colt, Gio is halfway across the globe helping people, helping others lift themselves out of poverty, saving lives. For all we know, I’ll be causing him trouble for no reason. Whoever shot at me might be long gone.”

  “Laz….”

  “It’s fine. I’ll be fine. I’ll talk to my brother when he gets back from his trip. In the meantime, Red’s going to be with me, and if we have any problems, the rest of the Kings won’t be far. Mason’s a detective now with major crimes. He’ll be working on my case.”

  “Mason’s working your case?”

  “Yes? Is that, um—” He darted a glance at Ace before turning his attention back to Colton. “—okay?”

  Colton put a hand to his chest and sighed in relief. “Oh thank God.”

  “You’re… happy about that?” Laz asked, puzzled.

  “Yes. Mason will keep me updated on the case, and unlike certain individuals,” Colton said, casting Ace a sideways glance, “he won’t hold back information to keep me from worrying.”

  Ace frowned. “Wait, you talk to Mason?”

  “All the time.”

  “What do you talk about?”

  Colton shrugged. “Lots of things.”

  “Like?”

  “We’re in the middle of something important, love.”

  Ace narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think I like this.”

  “Oh, so you can be friends with your ex-boyfriend, but I can’t?”

  “I’m confused by that sentence. That’s generally how it goes.”

  “No, I don’t think so,” Colton said, sounding amused. His smile fell away as he turned to Laz, his blue-gray eyes filled with concern. “How can you expect me to leave knowing the danger you might be in?”

  Red walked into the living room, and Laz was immediately at ease. He smiled at Red. “I wasn’t alone on the beach when it happened, and I’m not alone now. Besides, Red’s getting pretty good at saving my life.”

  Red chuckled, shaking his head as he took a seat on the couch.

  “There are better ways to end up in the arms of a big, strong, handsome man,” Colton teased, arching an eyebrow at him.

  “Again with the handsome,” Ace murmured, ignoring his boyfriend’s soft laugh.

  Colton nodded. “Okay. I’ll go on one condition.”

  “Anything.”

  “I want daily check-ins from either you or Red.”

  “Deal.”

  “Done. Our home is your home. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks. Why don’t you get set-up in one of the spare bedrooms? Do you need me to pick up some stuff for you from your apartment?”

  “Thanks, but Lucky’s going to take care of it for me.”

  “Okay, feel free to use my office if you need it, or set up your equipment wherever works best for you. I’m going to finish getting ready for tomorrow. I have to leave for the airport stupidly early, so I won’t see you in the morning. If you need anything at all, you just call me or one of the Kings, okay?”

  “I will. I promise.”

  Colton turned to Red. “This is your home too.”

  “Thanks, Colton.”

  Ace wrapped an arm around Colton and kissed his cheek. “I’m going to drop by King’s place and pick up Red’s stuff. I’ll be back in a bit.”

  “Could you stop by my place and pick up my laptop?” Red asked. “He thought I’d try and work while I was supposed to be recovering, so I only had my tablet at his place.”

  “No problem. If you think of anything else you might need from yours, just text it.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Colton said, turning in Ace’s embrace and wrapping his arms around Ace before giving him a kiss. Ace took it and ran with it, returning Colton’s kiss. They were sweet together, and Laz was happy for Colton. He deserved to have someone who made him happy.

  Leaving the two lovebirds, Laz turned to Red. “Would you mind helping me get my equipment to my room?”

  “Of course.” Red stood, and together they grabbed the bags and cases containing his gear.

  Laz took the stairs up to the second floor where the bedrooms were, heading straight for one of the rooms at the end of the hall. It wasn’t until he’d placed his laptop bag on the bed that he realized he’d picked the same room he’d slept in the night of the party. The room where Red had stayed with him all night. Red had slept on the couch, but Laz had felt his presence as if they’d been in the same bed. For the first time in a long time, Laz had slept peacefully. Now here he was again, in trouble, and again Red was with him, looking out for him, protecting him.

  “How are you holding up?” Red asked softly, coming to stand beside him at the foot of the bed, his hand placed gently to Laz’s lower back.

  “How do you guys do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “Deal with people shooting at you. Even after King yelled for everyone to move, I couldn’t wrap my head around what was going on. If you hadn’t been there, I would have been dead. I had no idea what to do.” Laz put a hand to his chest, feeling like his heart was going to beat out of him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so scared. No, he could. It was the day his brother told him their dad was dying.

  “Most people don’t know what to do, and that’s normal. We have a lot of training behind us that allows us to do what we do.”

  “It’s terrifying.”

  “It is.”

  Laz lifted his gaze to Red’s. “Does it happen a lot to you? People shooting at you and the Kings?”

  “Not all the time, but certainly more than we’d like. The Kings tend to handle more of the personal security cases, protection, kidnap, and extortion. Jack deals with designing and installing electronic security systems, consultations, cyber intelligence, that sort of thing, and Joker handles a lot of media and events. He’s also in charge of canine contraband inspections.”

  “Canine? Like bomb sniffer dogs?”

  “Yep. Joker was one of two engineer sergeants in our unit, so he knows his way around explosives and has lots of experience working with bomb-sniffing dogs. His best boy, Chip, is a gorgeous black Belgian Malinois that’s trained for off-leash hunting, bomb hunting. Smart as a whip. We tease Joker that Chip’s the brains of the operation.”

  “That’s what I don’t understand. You guys deal with multibillion dollar companies, wealthy clients, celebrities, people who have status. I’m a nobody.”

  Red placed his hand to Laz’s cheek, and Laz found himself leaning into the touch. “Status doesn’t make you somebody. Would your brother agree with the statement you just made?”

  “No.”

  “Would Colton?”

  Laz sighed. “No.”

  “Neither would I.”

  “Thanks.” He was in so much trouble. Everything about Red pulled at him. Red’s strength, those kind eyes, his tenderness, his warm smile. He was so different from anyone Laz had ever been with. Laz smiled when Red tucked some of his curls behind his ears, like Red couldn’t help himself, and Laz liked it.

  “Let me give you Lucky’s number so you can text him what you need from your place. Then get some rest. If you wake up before dinner and you’re hungry, just let me know and I’ll whip you up something. If you need anything, I’m right here.”

  Laz handed Red his phone, and Red quickly added Lucky and the rest of the Kings, along with Jack and Joker to his list of contacts before handing it back.

  “I really appreciate it.” Laz stood on his toes and kissed Red’s cheek. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”

  “I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”

  “Thank you.”

  They stood facing each other, their eyes locked, neither moving. The air grew thick around them, and Laz felt a rush of heat go through him. Red was so close, Laz could smell his rich, musky scent, and it was doing all kinds of naughty things to Laz’s insides. God, he smelled so good. A mixture of sweat, sunscreen, and….

  “Is that lavender?” Laz realized what he’d said and dropped his gaze, mortified. “Not that I was smelling you or anything, or that you smell, I mean, you do, but it’s a good smell, like really good. Oh God, I’m just going to shut up now.”

  Red laughed softly. “Yes, it’s lavender. It relaxes me. I know a lot of people think it’s a bunch of hippie nonsense, but aromatherapy helped me with my recovery.”

  “Recovery?”

  Red nodded, his jaw muscles working as he averted his gaze. “When we came home.”

  “I’m glad it helped,” Laz said gently, not wanting to pry.

  “Me too.” Red smiled at him then, and it was sweet but filled with sadness. Laz wondered what had happened. He knew The Kings had lost half their unit during an operation, but that was the extent of it. He couldn’t find any information about the incident or the operation online.

  Laz watched Red leave, his heart heavy for the loss Red and his brothers had suffered. He couldn’t begin to imagine the kind of pain the Kings and their friends had endured. Whatever happened, Laz would try his best not to be a burden to Red. He’d somehow gotten himself into this mess; he’d find a way to get himself out of it.

  Chapter 5

  “Hey, bro. I got everything he asked for,” Lucky said as he rolled two large suitcases with duffel bags into the hall. “If he needs anything else, just let me know.”

  “Thanks.” Red closed the front door, then headed back to the kitchen, where he was marinating flank steak for tonight’s dinner. Lucky headed straight for the fridge to grab himself some sweet tea. He poured a tall glass and gulped half the liquid down, following up with a satisfying sigh.

  “Mm, que rico. You make the best tea.”

  “Thanks,” Red replied, amused, since he could easily recall a time when Lucky shunned all things tea-related.