Shatter (Unbreakable Bonds 2)

A rock that hadn’t been there when he’d walked inside.

Snow quickly looked around the front yard, watching for any signs of movement. Nothing else seemed out of place, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. Something dark curled painfully in his belly. The light reflected off something partially under the rock. He bent and snatched up the photograph.

His stomach dropped to his feet.

It was a picture of Ian asleep in the hospital.

There was only one person who would be gruesome enough to take this picture and taunt him with it. And they’d hardly left Ian alone, so Gratton would have had to have been watching closely to catch Ian like that. Asleep. Completely. Fucking. Helpless.

Sick fury slammed into him so hard, he couldn’t breathe. He ran to the edge of the yard and frantically looked both ways down the street. A small blue sedan trundled slowly by, the driver watching Snow as she passed. She pulled into a driveway three houses down. Dogs barked from different yards but none seemed more agitated than the others. Something rustled to his left and he swung around to catch heavy clumps of snow falling from a high branches.

Snow pulled out his phone and called Lucas. He cursed when he didn’t answer and shoved the phone back into his pocket. Gratton was too smart to let on to his location if he was still there and Snow was too easy a target standing out in the yard. Heart in his throat, he backed into the house and locked the door. He knew where Rowe kept his gun cabinet and he knew the combination. He helped himself, his hands shaking with fury the entire time because he was now sure that Dwight Gratton was responsible for the accident.###

It was seven o’clock when Snow let himself into Lucas’s penthouse and he frowned into the darkened living room. They must have gone to Ian’s tonight instead of tomorrow. Before he could turn to leave, movement on the balcony caught his attention. Through the wall of glass, he saw Andrei turning to lean back against half-wall. Lucas, stretched out on a lounge chair, held up a corner of the heavy blanket he was bundled under and beckoned him over. Snow stepped into the shadows and watched as the Romanian smiled and walked over to slide under the cover. He propped his head on his hand. Lucas raised his hand to stroke Andrei’s jaw before pulling him down. They started kissing. The snow had stopped falling and moonlight bathed the open areas of the balcony. Their cozy corner was free of snow but probably still pretty damn cold. Snow couldn’t think of a reason for them to be outside.

But then his friend was in love and people in love did strange things.

Lucas may not be saying it, but Snow knew Lucas better than anyone else. Andrei moved his body on top of Lucas’s under the covers and for the first time all day, Snow smiled. He thought about standing here to watch and see how far they took things out there, but then he thought of the picture and all his amusement fled. He stalked to the window and knocked, then turned his back on them and walked to the liquor cabinet. Moments later, the door opened behind him, sending in a rush of cold air. Lights flickered on.

“The Snow I know would have let us get much farther before alerting us to his presence,” Lucas said from behind him. “But after today, I get it.”

“It’s a bit cold to be fucking outside, isn’t it?” Snow asked as he opened the cabinet.

“Andrei is really warm inside.”

“Lucas!” Choked laughter came from the Romanian. “Fucking hell!”

That surprised a snort out of Snow. Shaking his head, he hit the expensive bourbon, pouring three glasses without asking. He turned to find both men standing by the couch where Lucas had tossed the blanket. Both sported red cheeks from the cold and poor Andrei an obvious erection tenting his gray sweats. He crossed his muscled arms, not bothering to try and hide it. His hair was a mess of loose black curls all around his face, his lips swollen from kisses. Hell, Snow could happily sit and stare at the man, but when he looked back at Lucas, he had to swallow another snort. Lucas stared at Andrei like he planned to toss him over his shoulder and carry him up the stairs.

Snow felt bad for interrupting them, but what he had to share was just too big to sit on any longer. He cleared his throat, made Lucas’s a double instead, then held out the glass. He was going to need it. Lucas looked his way, merely raising a questioning eyebrow as he took the drink and got a good look at Snow’s face. Andrei sobered up fast as well, nodding his thanks and walking around to settle on the couch with his bourbon. Lucas followed, curling one leg beneath him on the cushion.