Shatter (Unbreakable Bonds 2)

Lucas steepled his fingers, amusement making his eyes sparkle. “It is interesting.”

He refused to accept the heat crawling up his neck, so it better not be visible. “I have a lot on my mind. Being distracted makes sense considering what happened in my home and in Covington.” And the last few nights…

“True,” Lucas agreed, but his smirk didn’t disappear. “But even then, you’d normally look. Could a certain paramedic have you too wrapped up?”

Ian looked back and forth between them. “What’s going on?” For the first time in over a week, life sparkled in Ian’s wide blue eyes, something other than pain and horror. “I know about what happened in your house and we are going to talk about that and about how you didn’t call me. But what’s Covington about? And what paramedic? The Snow I know would be scheming his way into a bed with a three-way. No matter what.”

The waiter came back and Snow picked up a menu.

Ian snatched it from his hands and handed it to the waiter before brusquely shooing the man away. “I’ve already ordered for us. Can you focus here? I feel completely out of the loop and I don’t like it. Someone was killed in your home, Snow. I can’t even imagine what you’re feeling.” He leaned forward to grab Snow’s hand and winced.

Snow frowned. “You need to let me take a look at your leg.”

He pulled his hand back and waved it. “Later. Right now, I really need to know what’s going on. Everything feels so damn…wrong without Melissa and my heart is breaking for Rowe. I can’t help but feel like this is partly my fault. If I hadn’t suggested we go shopping—”

“Stop right the fuck now.” Lucas leaned over the table and growled before speaking again. “That accident nearly killed you, too, and I for one am thankful that didn’t happen. Plus,” he paused, eyes flicking to Snow and back. “It wasn’t an accident. Hollis told us that a witness saw the whole thing and the hit was deliberate.”

Ian paled, sinking back into his wheelchair. “Someone hit us on purpose?” His voice became small and every last one of Snow’s protective instincts came roaring to the forefront. “But why?”

The bottom dropped out of Snow’s stomach. He closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried to think of the best way to say what needed to be said. Ian had enough on his plate without being scared about that psycho being back in town. He made the decision then to not tell him about that photo of him in the hospital. He started to launch into the whole painful discussion when a new voice made him open his eyes.

Hollis stood next to the table—right beside Andrei and another huge man Snow didn’t recognize. The blond wall of muscle stood a few steps behind Andrei with his hands clasped behind his back. A typical bodyguard pose. Muscles bulged under his black sweater—his arms and chest impressively stretching the material. He had his long blond hair in a ponytail. Like Andrei’s. For some reason, that struck Snow as funny and he grinned.

“Hey,” Andrei greeted them all before he pulled out the chair next to Lucas. He gave Lucas a smile that held warmth and a wicked bent that Snow recognized immediately. Lucas’s look back held the same heat. Oh, to have been a spider on their bedroom wall that morning, because what he’d heard had been pretty vivid.

“Hi Detective Banner,” Ian said. He pointed at the last chair at the table. “Sit down. I’ll order you some food.” He looked around. “We need to find a chair for your friend.”

“The jolly blond giant isn’t with me. He came in as a part of the ponytail brigade.” Hollis pointed at Andrei, then sprawled in the chair. “Thanks for the offer of food, but I won’t be here for long.” His gaze roamed over Ian, his brows meeting when he got to the cast.

Andrei gestured the huge blond to him and the man bent down. Andrei whispered something in his ear. The man nodded and walked toward the kitchen, disappearing through the swinging door.

“Get something to eat, Banner,” Lucas ordered. “You’ll be here longer than you think.”

Snow sat up straighter at the note of steel in Lucas’s voice, tilting his head in question.

Lucas slowly nodded, his gaze locked with Snow’s. “I think it’s time we let the cops know what we think.”

“What we think?” Ian leaned forward and winced again. This time, it was followed by cursing as he rubbed his thigh.

“Where is that nurse I hired for you?” Lucas demanded. “Mike?”

“I gave him a couple of hours off.”

Snow looked at Hollis. “Why are you here? Is there news about what happened to that man in my home?”

“I’m here about your little escapade last night. I still can’t believe you went into that place like a group of action movie spies. You all need to be locked up.” He sent his frown around to most of the members of their group, then stayed on Snow. “And as for your house, no we haven’t found anything. Whoever did this circumnavigated Rowe’s system and the only fingerprints we’ve found are those of yourself and your friends. It’s a good thing you have that alibi.”