Above and Beyond (Twist of Fate 4)

Guilt went through me at Oz’s words. I heard my brother say his husband’s name. The image on the phone switched to a shot of the floor, so I used the moment to get control of myself. When the phone was righted, Jake was holding it and he had his husband pressed up against his side on the couch. Boo was curled up on Jake’s lap.

“Sorry, Zach,” Oz said softly as his sad eyes met mine. I felt like even more of a bastard when my brother leaned over to press a kiss to Oz’s temple. It was rare to see my brother-in-law looking so down. My gaze shifted to Jake and I immediately saw what Oz was talking about. My brother looked like shit. There were dark marks beneath his eyes and he looked like he’d lost some weight. I’d looked like that myself when I’d learned my brother had gone missing years earlier when he’d been a med student.

“It’s fine,” I choked out as best I could. “I’ll… I’ll talk to Tag about getting some time off over July fourth or something, okay? It’s not that far of a drive to Colorado.”

Jake smiled. “We’d like that, Zach.”

“Boo, I’ll bring you something pretty, okay?” I offered. I saw Oz smile even as the ugly dog in the glittery sweater ignored me.

“She’s in a pastel phase,” Oz said. “No florals, even though that’s the rage this year. Our girl likes setting new trends.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Got it.”

“I guess I should get back to work,” Oz said before he reached up to kiss my brother on the mouth. I had to clear my throat when things started to get too heated between the two men. Oz blushed while Jake sent me a look of annoyance. I wanted to remind him that they’d called me. Oz leaned in to whisper something to my brother before he shifted off the couch… and got on his knees in front of Jake.

“Uh, guys,” I began. While PDAs between my big brother and his husband were nothing new, I had to draw a line somewhere.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, baby brother,” Jake said as he shifted the camera. “Oz is working.”

I laughed out loud when I saw what kind of “work” Oz was doing. He was crouched over a pair of sparkly boots on my brother’s feet.

Women’s boots.

“I think that’s a bit too much heel for you, Jake,” I said as I took in the three-inch stiletto heels on the boots.

“Bite me,” Jake grunted.

“Actually, I’ve been trying to convince your brother to show some of my new models how to walk in these,” Oz chimed in. “His runway walk is to die for. Although he’s only done it for me at night after we—”

My brother’s hand appeared in the frame and clapped gently over Oz’s mouth. This time it was Jake whispering something to Oz that had the pretty young man blushing to the roots of his hair.

“Okay, that’s my cue,” I said because there was no missing the sparks that were flying between the two men. I said my goodbyes but I wasn’t even sure if the pair heard me because they were too busy having what sounded like an argument over who would be wearing the boots in the bedroom later.

I tossed the phone into my cupholder and leaned back against the seat as I tried to relax my mind. My head was screaming at me to seek a dark, silent place. I glanced at the door to Lucky’s apartment building and then reached for the keys in the ignition. As much as I wanted to keep watch on Lucky’s place to make sure his ex didn’t show up, I knew at the rate I was going, I wouldn’t be able to drive soon. I was just about to start the engine when the apartment door opened and Lucky’s familiar form appeared in the doorway. He was talking on his phone.

I automatically scanned our surroundings again to make sure there wasn’t anyone waiting for Lucky in the shadows. I’d been sitting at his place for over an hour and had only seen minimal foot traffic. I idly wondered if I’d be able to manage to follow Lucky wherever he was about to go… just long enough to make sure he made it to his destination, of course. Then I’d go crash in my bed for the night.

I willed the pain in my head to ease as I watched Lucky head to his car, which was parked on the opposite side of the street from me. I couldn’t see the driver’s side of the car from where I was, but there was no mistaking when Lucky paused at the car, then stepped around to the front of it. The car was parked under a streetlamp, so I could see his expression as he stared at the front of the vehicle. He looked… confused. His eyes lifted momentarily, then his whole body seemed to stiffen. I watched as he approached the windshield but I couldn’t make out what he was looking at. Lucky didn’t move for a good minute. As the seconds ticked past, my concern began to ratchet up. What if Davis had somehow gotten into the car and even now had a gun aimed at Lucky or something?