“No?” Mason pursed his lips and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he narrowed his eyes at Paolo. “I suppose that makes sense, seeing as how that company doesn’t exist.”

  Paolo’s brows drew together in confusion. “I do not understand.”

  “It’s a shell company. It doesn’t exist. Tell me, Mr. Vicente. Why are you transferring large sums of money to a company that doesn’t exist?”

  Paolo opened his mouth, but Mason cut him off.

  “Unless this nonexistent company belongs to a killer for hire who doesn’t want to be traced.” Mason leaned over and plucked the documents out of Paolo’s hands. “Lucky for Mr. Galanos, you didn’t know what you were doing and ended up hiring a shitty marksman.”

  “This is madness! I did not hire anyone to kill Laz. That is absolutely ludicrous! I do not know anything about these payments or any shell company.”

  “Really, because you used this account while you were in Madrid. You expect me to believe you didn’t notice seventy-five thousand dollars leaving your account?”

  “No, I just use the card. I do not check how much is in there, what comes in or out. My wife’s accountant takes care of everything.”

  “Yeah, about that. We spoke to Mrs. Vicente’s accountant, and he says his access to your business account was revoked the day you flew out of the country. That’s quite a coincidence, don’t you think? That he loses access just before you leave the country, and at the same time, three large payments to a fake company leave your account, and shortly after, someone tries to kill Mr. Galanos.”

  Paolo’s eyes were huge, and the severity of the situation must have started to sink in because his entire body began shaking. He was putting on one hell of a show.

  “No, this is not right.”

  Mason handed Paolo another document, and Red recognized it to be the email Laz had printed out during their last visit to the precinct.

  “How about the email you sent to Mr. Galanos, threatening him shortly after you left this precinct?”

  The blood drained from Paolo’s face when he read the email. His head shot up, panic in his eyes. “I did not send this.”

  “Really, because that’s your email address.” Mason took all the documents and stacked them neatly on the table. “I suppose you don’t know anything about the photograph texted to Mr. Galanos of Mr. Russell McKinley and Dr. Alexandra Bradbury?”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about!” Paolo jumped to his feet and started pacing. “I did none of those things. None! I want to speak to my lawyer. Not one more word.”

  “I cannot believe this,” Elena said, lifting a shaky hand to her head. “It is not bad enough he is a lying cheat, but to go as far as to hire someone to kill for him?” She shook her head, her trembling hand going to her chest. Her bottom lip quivered as she turned to Laz. “Oh, Lazarus, I am so sorry. I will do everything in my power to keep your name from this. I will not let him drag both our names through the mud.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Laz replied, hugging her close when she started to cry again. “And we’ll figure it all out. They’re the ones who did wrong, not us.”

  “The scandal is going to be horrible, and with my spring launch in just a few days, what am I going to do? Paolo was supposed to be there to offer support.” She pulled back, her eyes widening as an idea seemed to strike her. “Please say you will be there.”

  Laz glanced at Red before looking back to Elena. “Be where?”

  “At my spring launch. I cannot do this alone. People will ask where Paolo is, and I’m afraid I will fall apart. There’s so much to do, and it is too late to cancel or move it….” She broke off into another sob, and Red handed Laz the box of tissues he’d found on one of the tables. He felt for Elena. She was a little quirky but seemed like a lovely woman. She didn’t deserve the scandal she was about to be thrust into. From what Laz had told him about Elena, she was a much beloved designer, a huge name in the industry, known for her charity work and never-ending cheer. The press would be merciless on their coverage of this story.

  “Of course I’ll be there,” Laz offered sweetly. “Whatever I can do to help, Elena.”

  “Oh, thank you, Laz. You are such a sweet boy. Together, we will show those two jackals that we are strong. That they will never break our spirit.” She gave a decisive nod. “Yes, we will show them. I will not let them win with their lies.”

  A knock on the door had them both turning, and a tall man in a very expensive-looking suit peeked in. “Elena?”

  “Fausto. Thank you so much for coming. Laz, Red, this is Fausto, my attorney.”

  They exchanged pleasantries before Fausto escorted Elena from the room to give her statement. Before leaving the room, Fausto had asked Elena if he was to counsel Paolo, and Elena’s reply had been a swift, “His boyfriend can find him an attorney.”

  Yep, she was definitely done with Paolo.

  “I feel kind of guilty,” Laz admitted, turning to Red.

  “Why?”

  “Because her spring launch is a huge deal, and my being there is definitely going to turn heads, but this wasn’t how I wanted to get invited.”

  “I don’t think you should feel guilty. Elena needs the support and asked you personally to be that support. You’ll both do great.”

  “Thank you.” Laz kissed him, heat spreading through Red, his body reacting to Laz’s touch.

  Red brought Laz up hard against him and released a moan as he deepened their kiss. God, how he’d missed the feel of Laz’s body against his, the taste of him, his scent. Last night he’d barely slept, his bed feeling cold and empty without Laz. He’d learned his lesson, though. He should have known better than to be so secretive, hiding things from the man he’d lost his heart to so quickly and thoroughly. As Laz swirled his tongue around Red’s, Red promised himself he would never take Laz for granted. A knock at the door startled them, and they quickly pulled away. Red chuckled at Laz’s flustered appearance, and Laz shoved him playfully.

  Mason stepped into the room, giving them a nod in greeting and a cheeky knowing smile before he turned his attention to Laz. “I thought it best to not have you witness my interview with Bryan. He is… not a pleasant man. Lord Almighty.” He let out a whistle and shook his head in disbelief. “Anyway, I wanted to let you know that we’ll be releasing him without charges. We’ve found no evidence suggesting he had anything to do with the attempt on your life, and quite frankly, the man doesn’t have enough funds in his account to buy himself an ice cream cone much less hire a killer.”

  “What?” Laz was stunned. “But he just returned from a trip to Europe.”

  “Bryan freely offered us access to his bank account, and I can confirm there is nothing shady about his transaction. Terrifying, but not shady. The man spends more money on hair and beauty products than I make in a year. According to him, his expenses are taken care of by various ‘benefactors,’ many of whom he was visiting when he returned from Milan, hence why we were having trouble tracking him down. Although Bryan states he was initially furious about the photos, he decided if the photos were to get out that he’d use the publicity to boost his career. He provided us with several press release statements he’d composed not long after your breakup. He stated he was only concerned about keeping the affair a secret for Mr. Vicente, or as I suspect, for Mrs. Vicente’s money.”

  “I wonder if Paolo knows about Bryan’s ‘benefactors,’” Laz asked.

  “I doubt it.” Mason’s eyes filled with mischief. “But I have a feeling that’s all going to change very soon.”

  “Oh?” Red asked.

  “The lawyer Bryan called in for Mr. Vicente happens to be one of Bryan’s so called benefactors.”

  Laz’s eyes went wide. “Well, things are certainly going to be interesting around here.”

  “We’ve called Bryan a taxi and sent him on his way, but we’ve informed him not to leave the country. Mr. Vicente is still denying everything, but we have enough to arrest him and press charges. I’ll keep you both informed.”

  “Thank you, Mason,” Red said. “We really appreciate it.”

  On the drive back to Colton’s, Laz was pensive.

  “You okay?” Red asked.

  “Do you think Paolo really did it?”

  “People have done a lot more for a lot less,” Red replied. “Paolo had the most to lose.”

  “You’re right. Bryan may have lost the clothing-line deal with Elena, but there’s no doubt in my mind he won’t find a way to spin whatever story comes out in his favor. He has a huge social media following, many of whom are people just as spiteful and mean as he is. Whatever story he weaves, they’re going to eat it up. They just love to jump on whatever drama he starts without sparing a second thought to whether there’s any truth to what he’s saying, or to anyone he might be hurting.” Laz shook his head sadly.

  Red took Laz’s hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “This will all be over soon.”

  Laz smiled at him, but it was clear he was still worried, and Red understood. Sooner or later it would be all over the media. Until now, Elena had managed to keep a low profile, but with the unveiling of her spring line happening next week down in Miami and charges being brought against her husband, that was all going to change very soon.

  “I’m going to have to testify in court, aren’t I?”

  “Yes, but I’ll be right there with you. So will the rest of the Kings, and Colton.” It was going to be a long, ugly battle, especially with Bryan involved, but Red would do everything possible to shield Laz from the ugliness as much as he could. “It’s possible that we’re going to be called in to testify as well.”

  Laz’s head snapped up, his eyes wide. “What?”

  “Well, me, Colton, and Ace were there when you and Bryan fought that night at the party. When you told him about the photos.”

  “Shit.” Laz pulled his hand out of Red’s to cover his face. “Oh God. I’m so sorry, Red. Fuck, the guys are probably going to hate me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because now I’ve dragged them into this too.”

  “Laz, we own a private security company. Being called in to testify in court is nothing new to us.”

  Laz blinked at him. “Really?”

  Red nodded. “We had to go to court for Colton’s case, remember?”

  Laz’s pout was sweet, and Red couldn’t wait to get him inside and pounce.

  “That’s right. I almost forgot about that.”

  “See? So don’t worry. We’ve got your back.” Red winked at Laz, and they had a pleasant ride down to Colton’s despite the traffic. He even managed to make Laz laugh by putting on some of his disco tunes and doing a little boogie. Things were finally starting to feel like they were getting back to normal, and he couldn’t wait to get Laz alone in bed so they could release some of the tension they’d been carrying.

  At Colton’s house, Laz apprised Colton of the situation while Red got Ace up-to-date as he helped Ace cook dinner. Ace was making his mother’s famous carne asada with congrís and plátano maduro. Red loved plantains. If he wasn’t careful he could eat a whole plate of them alone.

  “Oh my God, that was so good,” Laz said, patting his belly. “I’m so full. I can’t believe how much I ate. And I had dessert.” He shook his head as he looked down at himself. “I have no idea how I even had room for that rice pudding.”

  “There’s always room for dessert. It goes into a special part of your stomach,” Ace said, before shoveling another spoonful of rice pudding into his mouth.

  “Or some people just have bottomless stomachs,” Colton teased, motioning toward Ace.

  “Hey, this body needs lots of fuel, especially with the kind of muscle pounding workouts I get.” Ace waggled his eyebrows, and Colton gasped.

  “Ace!”

  “What?” Ace blinked innocently. “I was talking about gym workouts. What were you thinking I meant?”

  As Ace teased Colton, Red met Laz’s gaze across the table. Speaking of pounding….

  “Okay, you two need to go get a room right now, because seriously,” Ace said, shaking his head at Red.

  “What?” Red asked, confused. “You’re the one who started bringing up pounding workouts.”

  Ace thrust a hand at Laz, whose cheeks were a lovely shade of pink, his eyes wide and a little glazed. His breath seemed to be coming out labored, and oh God, the way he was looking at Red….

  “If you don’t get him out of here, I think he might spontaneously combust, and I just replaced the fire extinguisher.”

  “And why is that, love?” Colton asked, placing his hand on his chin as he arched an eyebrow at Ace.

  “That’s not important right now. What’s important is that Red and Laz go have some makeup sexy times so they can stop making dinnertime weird.”

  “Yes, because they’re the ones making dinnertime weird,” Colton drawled.

  Ace let out a bark of laughter and planted a sloppy kiss on Colton’s lips. “God, I love you.”

  “I love you too,” Colton replied with a chuckle before returning Ace’s kiss.

  Not waiting around for things to get any more heated up at the dining room table, Red swiftly got to his feet, rounded the table, and grabbed Laz’s arm, pulling him to his feet. “Thanks for dinner. I’ll do the cleanup for a week. Gotta go.” He didn’t wait for a response, but he didn’t think he’d be getting one anytime soon, since Ace and Colton were currently going at it like they were about to run out of oxygen.

  They hurried to Laz’s bedroom, and Red had just closed the door when Laz launched himself at Red. The moan Laz let out when Red cupped his ass and hauled him up against him was raw and full of need. They attacked each other’s mouth like they were starved for each other’s taste.

  “Oh God, Red. Let’s never fight again,” Laz said, rutting against Red. “Or if we do, let’s have really filthy-hot makeup sex.”

  Red was so fucking turned on all he could do was grunt. They tore at each other’s clothes, and Red didn’t even wait to get Laz into bed. He dropped to his knees and swallowed Laz’s cock down to the root, relishing in the sounds Laz made as Red sucked, licked, and laved. Laz dug his fingers into Red’s hair, his hips thrusting wildly as he fucked Red’s mouth. Red stroked himself, the beads of precome leaking from his slit helping with the friction.

  “I want you to fuck me, Red,” Laz pleaded. “Fuck me until all I can feel is your big, hard cock inside me, imprinting me, marking me. Leave your mark on me, so everyone knows I’m yours. Always yours.”

  Red popped off Laz, and picked him up, loving the gorgeous smile he got in return. He lay Laz on the bed and quickly grabbed the lube from the nightstand before returning to the beautiful man stretched out on the mattress, offering all of himself to Red, his body and his heart, because there was no doubt in Red’s mind that he had Laz’s heart. Maybe they weren’t ready to say the words, but the love Laz felt for him shone brightly in his stunning eyes, and Red was going to spend the rest of the night showing Laz how deeply that love was returned.

  Chapter 13

  Not long after Paolo was arrested, Elena demanded the event manager up security for her show. She’d suggested the Kings be brought in for additional support, but the event had an exclusive contract with a local security company. With Laz in attendance, King had spoken to the head of the event’s security. The guy’s condescending tone and arrogance made it clear he was an ass, but his second-in-command, Ignacio, was more cooperative. The information Ignacio had given King indicated adequate security, even with the pissing contest with his boss. But Red had no intention of letting Laz out of his sight.

  A few hours before, King had called to inform Red that Paolo’s bail hearing was moved up to the same day, and the Kings weren’t taking any chances. They might not be providing security, but that didn’t mean they were going to stay home. They’d be arriving soon. Besides, with them looking to open a branch of Four Kings Security in Miami, King figured he and the guys would do some location scouting later.

  As much as Red wished their industry was filled with professionals who were respectful, had integrity, and were concerned with providing the best possible service, that was not always the case, especially when high-profile clients and multimillion-dollar contracts were involved. Until a contract was signed, anyone could come in, make a better offer, and lure the client away from a company. The Kings never resorted to such tactics. If a client wanted to hire them, no one could provide them with better terms of service, and if they were offered a cheaper deal, the Kings helped them understand what they were sacrificing for the cut in cost. With security, you got what you paid for.

  Then there was the backstabbing, pissing contests, and posturing. Some security personnel not only took offense that a bunch of nonstraight guys did the same manly job they did—and good God were those women they employed for personal security? Because apparently life on Mars was plausible, yet a woman security officer was inconceivable—but that the Kings had built one of the top security companies in the state. The Kings did their best to avoid dealing with those companies. In the end, their actions put any arguments to rest.

  This was the first time Elena had done a show in Florida, so although Red knew she was a big deal, he had no idea just how big. The venue was a huge studio in downtown Miami with two indoor buildings and an outdoor area, all filled with guests. It was an impressive sight, everything decorated and lit up in colorful lights for the evening show, the buildings’ white facades glowing pink and purple from the lighting. The unveiling would be held in the east building, but before that, a cocktail party was being held in the outdoor waterfall garden. After the fashion show, the after-party would move back to the garden.

  Red stood in the waterfall garden next to Laz, the sun having gone down and the colorful paper lanterns casting a magical glow. Hammocks were stretched between palm trees, and waiters dressed in white linen suits offered the guests champagne and appetizers. There was an open bar, and one of the buildings housed a restaurant for guests who wanted to have a meal before the show began, or have a more intimate conversation.