“I’ll be there. Are you able to tell me who the designer is that I’d be working with?”

  “I’m sorry. The designer is very adamant we keep that information confidential until the shoot is over. They’re hoping to avoid being hounded by the press.”

  “Of course. I understand. I’ll see you Thursday. Thank you so much.” Laz hung up, and Red laughed at the happy dance Laz did before he let out a loud whoop. He couldn’t believe they’d called him. After not hearing back from them for several months, he figured he wasn’t what they were looking for. It was hard to know whether his style would be a good fit when the magazine was keeping the name of the designer under wraps, but he’d submitted his portfolio anyway.

  “Good news?” Red asked, drying his hands on a dish towel.

  “Great news!” Laz ran over and hugged him. He was so excited. “I got called in for an interview with the editor of Único Lifestyle Magazine. I applied months ago for an editorial shoot. The magazine is doing an article on a huge fashion designer, and although I didn’t know the designer, whoever it was would be important, since the magazine was keeping it all under wraps. Anyway, the editor loved my portfolio and thinks I’ll be a great fit for the shoot. They want me to come in next Thursday.” He needed to calm down. “I mean, it’s not a done deal. There’s still the interview, and after talking with me, Ms. Vargas might decide I’m not a good fit after all.”

  “Would a lot of photographers have applied?”

  “Oh God, yeah. The magazine’s one of Florida’s biggest fashion magazines. The number of applicants must have been huge. Why the hell would they have picked me?”

  “That’s just it, Laz. Out of all those photographers, they called you. That’s fantastic!”

  Laz’s smile was so wide, his face was starting to hurt. He probably looked like a crazy person, but he didn’t care. They’d called him back. “I can’t believe it.”

  “I can,” Red said, smiling at him. “You’re incredibly talented. Congratulations. I’m very proud of you.” Red squeezed him tight, and Laz felt his cheeks flush hot. It was stupid, but hearing those words come from Red made his heart so happy, because he knew Red meant it. He was genuinely proud.

  “Thank you.”

  Red hugged him tight, and Laz allowed himself to bask in Red’s warm embrace. They hadn’t been like that very long before Red’s phone went off. It would seem the outside world had found them once again.

  “I better get that.” Red released him and picked up his phone, the smile dropping from his face. “It’s Mason.”

  Which meant possible news on Laz’s case. For a moment, he’d forgotten about the reason they were here together under the same roof.

  “Hey, Mason, how are you? I’ve got Laz here. Okay, one sec.” Red tapped his phone, then rounded the counter and placed the phone between himself and Laz. “Mason, you’re on speaker with me and Laz.”

  “Hi, Mason,” Laz greeted. “How are you?”

  “Could be better, to be honest. How are you two doing?”

  “Good. I’m guessing you have news?”

  “Yeah, I wish it was better news, but we keep hitting a load of dead ends. We questioned everyone who was at the beach and got nothing. Colton gave King permission to forward the list of Bryan’s friends who were in attendance the day of the party when you both argued, and we brought everyone in for questioning. Now, I’m gonna say this to you because we’re friends. Those boys are all hats and no cattle.”

  Red snickered, and Laz snorted out a laugh. He didn’t know exactly what that meant, but considering Mason was talking about Bryan’s friends, it wasn’t difficult to figure out.

  “Most exhausting four hours of my fucking life. Pardon my French. If Bryan is anything like the gaggle of airheads he hangs around with, then you are better off without him. One of them asked me if he could touch my gun. I shit you not. I swear, I have never seen anything like it. Anyway, sorry, getting off topic there. I’m still a little traumatized by the whole experience. We were hoping to have questioned Bryan and Mr. Vicente by now, but unfortunately that’s going to have to wait as they’re both out of the country.”

  “That’s some coincidence,” Red drawled.

  “My guess is Bryan and Mr. Vicente are still having an affair, and you know what that means.”

  “Either Mr. Vicente isn’t aware of the photographs,” Red offered, “or he isn’t threatened by them.”

  “The fact those two are out of the country isn’t looking good for them,” Mason said.

  “Yeah, but Bryan had that shoot in Madrid booked months ago, back when we were still together.” Mason’s words sank in, and Laz gritted his teeth. That fucker! “Wait, you said Paolo’s out of the country as well. Let me guess. They’re in the same city.”

  Mason released a heavy sigh. “You would be correct. But even if Bryan booked his trip months ago, it does not negate the fact he could have taken the opportunity to make a move on you. I’m also concerned by Paolo’s travel itinerary. Or should I say itineraries.”

  Laz’s eyes went slightly wide. “Itineraries?”

  “Paolo has travel arrangements for two cities during the same two-week period. He flew to Paris with his wife and will be flying back with his wife, but he has a luxury hotel booked in Madrid as well as other services. It would appear that those were paid for with his personal bank account, whereas the Paris trip was all paid for by his wife.”

  “They’re still seeing each other.” Laz had been right. He let out a snort of disgust.

  “Which makes me think that neither man sees you as a threat. Now whether that’s because they believe you won’t go public with those photos or because one of them—or both—have decided to take you out of the equation remains to be seen. I’ll be bringing them in for questioning the moment they get back. In the meantime, I’ll keep looking into Paolo. If the man’s hiding a secret lover, what else might he be hiding?”

  “Thank you, Mason,” Laz said.

  “I’ll keep you fellas in the loop.”

  “We appreciate that,” Red replied. After thanking him, they said their goodbyes, and Red hung up. He turned to Laz. “Are you okay?”

  Laz frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “It looks like Bryan and Paolo are still involved.”

  “Bryan’s not my problem anymore. If he wants to risk his career by continuing an affair with Elena’s husband, then that’s on him. I’m not surprised. It just confirms what I suspected all along. If I’d let him convince me to stay, believed him when he said he was going to change, he’d still be seeing Paolo behind my back, swearing he wasn’t cheating on me.” Laz shook his head. “I’m still not convinced either of them had anything to do with what happened on the beach, though.” The idea that Bryan would somehow have found a way to hire someone to kill him was laughable.

  “Well, we’ll leave that up to Mason.” Red stood and stretched, his muscles bunching and shifting beneath his T-shirt. “I think I’m going to hit Colton’s gym for a while.”

  “I have those photos to finish editing.” Laz looked out past the dining room and the wall of floor to ceiling windows. “It’s gorgeous out there. I think I’m going to take my laptop out on the porch and do some work there. Do you think it’s safe?”

  Red nodded. “There’s nothing but beach and ocean for miles, and we’ve got guys all around the property in case anyone tries to hide in the greenery on either side of the house. I won’t be long, but if you need anything, just shout for me, okay?”

  “Sure.” Laz went upstairs to his room to change. He didn’t want to lounge in his pajamas all day, so he pulled on a pair of long shorts and a T-shirt, slipped on some flip-flops, and grabbed his laptop. Colton’s house was amazing. If Laz was going to be stuck indoors for a while, being relegated to Colton’s beach mansion was hardly a chore. He loved Colton’s house. It was huge, with two-and-a-half floors, wrapping verandas, tall ceilings, filled with light, wide open spaces, and most of all, it was wonderfully peaceful. The bedrooms were upstairs, while the game room, home gym, kitchen, dining room, living room, and movie room were downstairs. The pool and cabanas were located at the back of the house, along with a small helicopter landing pad, and beyond that, a private walkway led down to the beach. It was a far cry from Laz’s cramped little studio apartment.

  After college, Gio had tried setting Laz up in a one-bedroom apartment on the beach, knowing it was Laz’s dream to wake up every morning, step out onto his balcony, and see nothing but miles and miles of ocean water shimmering beneath the Florida sun, but Laz wasn’t about to live off his brother’s hard-earned money. Gio sacrificed so much for his career. While guys his age were out enjoying their youth, getting drunk, going clubbing, getting laid, Gio had been building his life’s work from the ground up, making a name for himself while also raising Laz. Gio paid for Laz to attend college and helped pay for half his equipment, while Colton paid the other half. The least Laz could do was pave his own path and make them proud of the man he’d become.

  For Laz, Giovanni Galanos was his big brother. To the rest to the world, Gio was a rising star. When his charity work hit headlines, he’d been named one of the world’s most influential philanthropists. Gio was also a private person. Despite his wealth, he wasn’t flashy or frivolous. Instead, he used his money to help others, and he was always trying to help Laz, not because he didn’t think Laz could take care of himself, but because they were family. Gio loved him and wanted him to be happy, but he’d already done so much for Laz.

  Laz wanted to show his brother that everything he’d sacrificed had paid off. For now, Laz’s dream of living on the beach would have to wait. He settled at the table out on the veranda and got to work touching up his photos, getting them ready for his client. He’d just finished touching up the last one when his phone rang. He smiled wide as he answered.

  “Hey, Fitz.”

  “Hey, cutie. How are you?”

  Laz hated the worry he heard in Fitz’s tone, seeing as how he was the cause of it. The previous night, he’d called Fitz just before going to bed, and his friend had been beside himself with worry. It had taken Laz over an hour to calm him down and convince him that he was fine.

  “I’m doing great. Sitting out on Colton’s veranda, listening to the waves crash on the beach.”

  “That sounds heavenly. You sound better. I’m glad.”

  “Thanks. You know Colton’s house is like a second home. Can’t believe I stayed away for so long.” Laz had loved coming to visit Colton, but it had been nearly impossible with Bryan, who behaved liked a spoiled brat whenever they visited. Bryan wouldn’t allow Laz to come on his own, but then when he accompanied Laz, he spent the entire visit bitching and whining about how bored he was. Colton had put up with it for Laz’s sake, but after several disastrous visits, Laz decided he couldn’t put Colton through that anymore, so he’d stayed away.

  “Me neither, but let’s not talk about Miss Thing. What I want to hear about is you and your sexy redhead.”

  Laz laughed. “What about us?”

  “Oh, no. Don’t you even think about it. I want details. For example, are certain things in proportion to the rest of him?”

  “He is… not a small man.” The screech of joy Fitz let out made Laz laugh, and he loved to hear the excitement and happiness in his friend’s voice. Fitz was the suffer-in-silence type. Unless he was angry, then there was nothing silent about him, but when he was deeply hurt, he preferred to act like it was no big deal when Laz knew that wasn’t the case.

  “Well, don’t stop there. Come on. I want to live vicariously through you. Was the sex out of this world?”

  “Who said we’ve had sex?”

  Fitz snorted. “Please. You just said he’s not a small man, so unless he flashed his junk at you, or you perved on him when he wasn’t looking, you two got up close and personal.”

  “Did we get up close and personal?” Laz paused, knowing it drove Fitz crazy. After several frustrated grunts, and a little whine, Laz decided to put Fitz out of his misery. “Yes. This morning in bed. Then the shower. Then the kitchen.” His faced flushed, and hurt from smiling so much. “I don’t know what it is, Fitz, but the guy just presses all my buttons. I’m such a slut for him.”

  “Oh my God! Laz, honey, I’m so happy for you!”

  Laz laughed at Fitz’s enthusiasm. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed Fitz until now. Fitz had been another casualty of the destructive force that had been Bryan. Laz had been so stupid. He’d allowed himself to lose so many good friends. All for that selfish asshole. “It’s just sex, Fitz, not a marriage proposal.”

  “Don’t act like he’s just some random dude you hooked up with in one of the backrooms at Sapphire Sands.”

  “No, of course not. Red’s….”

  “Special.”

  “You think so?”

  “Honey, I know so. The way that man looks at you?” Fitz let out a dreamy sigh. “We should all be so lucky.”

  “Oh? And what about Jack? How did he look at you?”

  The silence that followed went on for so long Laz thought maybe the call had been disconnected.

  “Fitz?”

  “Hm?”

  Laz sat up with a gasp. “Oh no you don’t, hussy. You don’t get to ‘hm’ me like I don’t know what I’m talking about. Lucky told me all about your little moment with Jack.”

  “It wasn’t a moment,” Fitz said casually. “He was nice.”

  “Nice? You know, I don’t think I have ever heard that word come from your mouth.”

  “Shut up.”

  “Talk to me, Fitz. What happened?”

  “Fine. I was freaking out because not only had some crazy person been shooting a gun, but apparently he’d been shooting at you. I didn’t know where you were, and I kind of lost my shit a little bit. Lucky was trying to calm me down, but I was just spiraling. I thought I was going to have a panic attack. Then this guy steps out of the passenger side of this flashy convertible, and it’s like everything stopped. I don’t know what the hell was going on, but all I could see was him. He was beautiful, but a different kind of beautiful. I don’t even know how to describe it. I mean, he looks just like a regular guy, nothing special, dark hair and stubble, but something about him….

  “It was his smile. It was just so sweet and genuine. He’s got these amazing gray eyes, and when he saw me, he smiled, and it was like everything made sense. Everything about him is just…. God, I don’t know. Even the way he walks, like he’s so unassuming you would never guess he’d been a Green Beret, but the man was Special Forces, for crying out loud. Then he talked to me, and his voice, holy fuck, I thought I was gonna come in my pants right then and there. It was like the world slowed down and I could breathe again.”

  “Jesus, Fitz.” Laz’s jaw had all but hit the floor. He’d never heard Fitz talk about any guy the way he’d just talked about Jack. “What happened after?”

  “He was so sweet and kind, Laz. You should have seen me. I was like a freakin’ bobblehead. All I could do was nod. He probably thought I was like those vapid airheads. I couldn’t string two words together to save my life.” Fitz groaned. “It was so embarrassing. I bet he thinks I’m a moron.”

  “No. I’m sure he thought you were just shaken up by the whole thing, which you were. I’m sorry for worrying you. Are you going to talk to him again?”

  “Why?” Fitz sounded startled.

  “Why? Because of everything you just said. As far as I know he’s single, so why not?”

  “Please, a guy like that has no interest in a guy like me.”

  Laz frowned at that. “Why not? What’s wrong with a guy like you? You’re talented, gorgeous, smart, and successful. He’d be crazy not to be interested in you. I really hope you’re not about to give me some silly spiel on how you’re not good enough, because then by that account Red is too good for me, and we talked about this, didn’t we? We both deserve better.”

  “But I turn into such a bumbling asshat around the guy. Will you stand next to me when I talk to him and, like, help me do the words and things?”

  Laz chuckled. He could almost hear Fitz pouting. “Because I am such a smooth operator.”

  “Hey, you landed yourself some prime beefcake, so you gotta have some game.”

  “Was that a compliment, because I’m not so sure.”

  Fitz laughed. “So you’ll be my wingman on Saturday?”

  “What are you talking about? What’s happening Saturday?”

  “The 20th Annual Orlando Fabulous Fashion Charity Gala.”

  “Oh, I, um, didn’t get an invite, and the tickets are out of my price range.” The whole point of ticket sales to the event was to raise money, and as much as Laz would have loved to be a part of that, he couldn’t justify that big of an expense right now. Mostly, because there weren’t enough zeroes in his bank account.

  “But you’re going because you’re my plus one.”

  Laz bolted upright. “What?”

  “You heard me, boo. So dust off that sexy suit and get ready for a night of schmoozing and boozing.”

  “Oh my God, Fitz I don’t know what to say. Wait, I can’t leave Red.” As excited as he was about the opportunity, there was no way Red would want Laz out there unprotected.

  “Don’t you worry, your man’s already on the list.”

  “He is?”

  “Well, yeah. He might not know it, though, since he’s still off duty, but his company is the one handling security for the event.”

  “That’s great!” It struck him then. If the Kings were handling security…. “Wait a second. Since when are you excited about schmoozing? Normally you just drink, people watch, gossip, and go home.”

  It was a great networking opportunity, and the event benefited a great cause, but neither he nor Fitz were big party people. They tended to mingle, chat, stay a while, then sneak away the moment everyone started having a little too much fun. Bryan would make fun of him for being such a “grandma,” but he never complained about Laz leaving since it meant he could get up to whatever he wanted unsupervised, and that suited Bryan just fine.