by Rae Marks
“I’m not heartbroken. I’m disgusted by faggots like you.”
Sam smiled.
“I wonder if Kozak would care if my gun accidentally discharged?” Sam asked Ax.
“I bet they have cameras all over this place,” Ax mused. “All I’d have to do would be to brake hard and it would look like I missed my turn.”
Sam made sure his gun was cocked as he pressed the barrel to Fedir’s temple. Fedir had to swallow twice before telling Ax to turn right. Sam kept his gun to Fedir’s head until they came to a stop next to the building Fedir had indicated.
“What I do in the privacy of my own bedroom doesn’t affect how deadly I can be outside it. You’d be smart to remember that before you go around insulting people.”
With a nod, Fedir opened the door, hopped out and hurried away. Sam wasn’t sure he’d learned any real lesson, except that Sam was as dangerous as his bosses.
Sam un-cocked his Sig and slid it into the holster at the back of his waist. Ax got out and kept watch as Sam came around the back. Ax’s hand remained at his back under his jacket. His hand was on the butt of his gun, Sam was sure. Sam’s posture wasn’t much different.
They stood by the car, watching each other’s backs as they waited to see what was in store. A door banged open in front of them and Fedir appeared in the opening. He was a little out of breath as he stepped back outside, followed by Kozak.
Kozak looked back and forth between Sam and Ax. Fedir reached for the gun in his holster but Kozak stopped him. They went back and forth as Fedir quietly told his boss that Sam had held a gun to his head. Kozak snorted and told him to stop being a pansy, and that he might consider keeping his opinions about their clients to himself.
“Please come inside, Wheeler,” Kozak said as he motioned Sam inside.
Neither Sam nor Ax moved. Kozak told Fedir to go inside. Fedir looked back and forth between all three of them before finally stomping away. Sam considered it a win that there had been no derogatory remarks as he’d done so.
Ax kept watch at the door as Sam made his way down the hall. Mase came around a corner, and Sam thought his friend would be a barometer so they might know what they were walking into. Sam relaxed a little until he saw Mase’s face.
Mace wore a mask of indifference, but his blue gaze was shooting daggers, and they were aimed right at Sam. They’d known each other long enough to be able to read each other, and Mase was ready to take Sam down without the help of the Ukrainian mafia.
Sam’s confusion must have been apparent, because Kozak looked back and forth between the two. Not knowing how to resolve any of this or what Mase’s anger meant, Sam said the only thing he could think of that would excuse his long look at Mase.
“Where’s Sergiy?”
Mase snorted but Kozak gave him a look that shut him up.
“Let’s go in here to chat.” Kozak opened a door.
Sam looked at Mase. The daggers were still in his glare and his nostrils flared in anger as he stared directly into Sam’s eyes. Was Mase pissed at Sam because Brayden was there? Sam had done everything he could to keep the kid away.
“I’m not negotiating anything around Brayden. I want to see him now. There’s a certain amount of trust that needs to exist between people who do business together.”
“No negotiations. There was an incident we must discuss.”
“What incident?”
Sam looked back at Mase as fear gripped his gut. Too late, Sam remembered he couldn’t look at Mase too long, so he looked back and forth between Kozak and Mase as if waiting to see who would crack first and tell him what had happened.
“Please, we will talk for just a moment before we take you to your friend.”
Sam turned to Ax and motioned for him to join them. Kozak walked into the room, moved behind the desk and sat in the high-backed office chair. Mase stood against the wall behind him, his arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed.
Sam sat in the only other chair in the room. Ax settled behind him, his posture mirroring Mase’s. Kozak leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath before he finally spoke.
“What you said before,” Kozak said. “We do not give trust easily. You and I have been doing business for a year. In this business it takes longer than that to have any real trust.”
“I trusted you when I walked into this compound. My bodyguard can only do so much to protect me. If all your men came at me at once, our chances of getting out of here would be slim-to-none. Yet you feel comfortable kidnapping my boyfriend.”
When he said the last word, Sam looked up at Mase. The muscle in Mase’s jaw ticked and his left eye looked like it was twitching. There was bad news on the horizon.
“Kidnapping is a strong word. We intercepted your…your friend while he was on his way here.”
“Are you afraid he would have been able to breach your security?”
“No.”
“Then why ‘intercept’ him? He’s fairly harmless, just a little jealous.”
“It wasn’t jealousy that drove him here.”
Sam’s body went cold with fear, but he didn’t lift his gaze to meet Mase’s. That would have been too telling.
“Are you saying you know my boyfriend better than I do?”
“No. I’m saying I know what he said.”
“What did he say?” Sam asked.
“He was coming here to make sure you were safe.”
“What? He thinks he can protect me?”
Kozak chuckled. Sam belatedly realized that maybe Brayden had been talking about protecting his brother, not Sam. Either way, his surprised response worked in his favor.
“It appears you may not know your friend as well as you think you do, Mr. Wheeler.”
“He knows I have Ax for protection.”
“Maybe he knows about the trust you must put in the people you do business with. Maybe he’s not as trusting with the man he loves.”
“Loves?” Sam choked the word out.
He closed his eyes for a moment, because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to resist looking at Mase. Brayden must have really put on a show for Kozak.
“He said he was in love with you.”
Sam shook his head to dispel the excitement that bubbled up at the thought of a sweet kid like Brayden Hart being in love with him. Then again, Sam knew that love wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. When Sam didn’t respond to the comment, Kozak changed the subject.
“The reason Sergiy isn’t here is because of the misunderstanding,”
“What misunderstanding?”
“Ruslan and I told a few men to keep an eye on your friend. As I said, we don’t trust easily. We wanted to make sure he was exactly who you said he was. Their directions were to follow, not to apprehend.”
“What happens around here when men don’t follow orders?” Sam asked.
Kozak looked at him for a long time before answering, “It depends on the order that wasn’t followed.”
“And this misunderstanding?”
“Your friend must have thought he was going to be harmed, because when they arrived here, he ran.”
“And what did your men do?”
“It took a few moments to find him. Your man is resourceful. He made it up onto a rooftop with a gun, so my men went a little overboard.”
Sam flicked his gaze up to Mase, who was running his finger along his lower lip.
“Not Mr. Mason,” Kozak said quickly. “He’s one of the only ones who kept a cool head. But Sergiy? Well, Sergiy always had a…I think you call it a short fuse? Anyway”—Kozak waved his hand—“Sergiy’s fuse has worked for us in the past, but today he made the whole thing worse.”
“Worse how, exactly?”
“He didn’t realize what a delicate situation it was and got a little too physical while apprehending your friend.”
Sam stood from his seat.
“He’s fine. Nothing a few nights of good rest won’t cure, but the same isn’t true for Sergiy.”
Mase mumbled something, but they all ignored it as they waited for Kozak to finish.
“Sergiy was shot twice, once in the foot and once in the thigh. We’ve advised him that his service is no longer needed. Next time, simply bring your friend. Even if he can’t sit in on our conversation, at least we would know where he is.”
“If story time is over, I’d appreciate it if someone told me where Brayden was. I need to see him for myself.”
“Mr. Wheeler, Sam.” Kozak stood and walked to Sam. “This truly was a miscommunication. I hope this won’t affect our business dealings.”
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep. And I’m sure as hell not promising anything until I see Brayden’s injuries.”
“Of course. This way.”
Sam followed Kozak through a maze of hallways until he finally opened a door. At first, all Sam could see what the top of a blond head. Brayden had his arms folded on the table, his head resting on top of them.
He was angry as hell at Brayden for disobeying a direct order, and yet when Brayden’s head popped up and their gazes met, Sam went weak in the knees with relief—the same relief he saw in Brayden’s eyes.
Sam didn’t like that it made him feel like a hero. He wasn’t a hero. He also didn’t like how his heart rate kicked up when relief turned to a look of adoration—even if it was good for their cover, even if it was probably just relief that the kid wasn’t going to die there.
“Sam.” Brayden sat up straight but winced as he did it.
Before he thought better of it, Sam took two strides and knelt next to Brayden’s chair. Using gentle fingers, Sam lifted Brayden’s shirt up to see a few bruises forming. He turned his head and shot a dark look at Kozak before quietly asking Brayden if he was all right. He answered with a nod but his eyes were downcast.
“I’m sorry, Sam,” Brayden whispered. “You were right. I shouldn’t have come.”
Brayden looked over Sam’s shoulder when he said the last part. Mase and Ax were standing outside the open door and Kozak stood just inside. Sam didn’t know what had happened between Mase and his brother, but he knew it wasn’t good.
Chapter Eleven
Brayden
When they'd untied his arms and legs, Bray hadn't been sure to be relieved or more frightened when they'd left him in the room alone. Had they wanted him to run so they could shoot him? He was sure he'd heard someone standing guard outside the door.
Then the door had opened again. When Bray had looked up to see Sam, he’d almost collapsed with relief. The concern on Sam’s face had caused butterflies to flutter around his insides. He reminded himself that Sam was just playing a role, but Bray soaked up the attention.
When Sam had knelt beside him, whispered to him, touched him, Bray had wanted to throw his arms around the man, to fall at his feet. Sam could have just left him there to rot or be tortured or killed. He had no idea what Oleksiy Kozak and his men would have planned for him.
When he’d told Sam that he regretted coming, there had been curiosity in Kozak’s eyes. Mase’s gaze had been empty, lifeless except for a spark of anger, but Bray hadn’t seen any brotherly love.
He wanted to scream. He wanted to rail at his brother. He wanted to punch him for not recognizing his own flesh and blood. Even if it had been years, they had the same eyes, their mother’s eyes. Bray had their father’s sharp, chiseled jawline. Mase had a masculine version of their mother’s button nose. They were family. They were brothers.
“Let’s get you out of here,” Sam said.
He practically lifted Bray out of the chair by his arm. Bray winced at the pain in his ribs as he stood. When he looked up, he saw Sam send Kozak a sharp look. But Sam was gentle as a hummingbird when he lifted Bray’s arm around his neck and wrapped his own arm around Bray’s back for support.
As they walked down the hallway, they passed by a room with the door open. Several men were seated on couches and in chairs. They were joking and laughing about something. At one particular comment, Sam’s body tensed. Someone said something about 'Wheeler's twink' but everything else had been in Ukrainian. Kozak reached past them and closed the door.
“Just men blowing off steam, Wheeler,” Kozak said. “We’ve had good dealings. I hope that will continue. I think Ruslan will be open to working with you as well if we can get past this misunderstanding.”
After a long moment, Sam gave one sharp nod.
“I’ll speak with Bernard, but I won’t hide this incident. As I said, trust is vital in this business.”
Bray coughed so he wouldn’t snort, then sucked in a breath as his body protested. Lying and being a hypocrite sometimes came with the territory, but Bray had never seen it so ‘in your face’.
“Are you all right?” Sam whispered in his ear.
A shiver tickled its way down Bray’s spine. He could only nod in response. Sam’s bodyguard stayed behind them. It felt good to have someone at his back that Sam trusted, because Bray realized he already trusted Sam.
As they stepped out of the building, Sam slid his free hand under the jacket of his suit. Bray was even more relieved when he recognized the move. The bodyguard wasn’t the only one armed.
Sam opened the back door of his car and helped Bray slide gently in. Bray was grateful Sam didn’t ask him to scoot over but walked around the back of the car.
The bodyguard got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He opened his mouth to speak but Sam told him to wait. The guy rolled his eyes in the reflection of the rearview mirror.
Once the chain-link gate slid shut behind them, Sam seemed to relax as he slumped back against the seat. Relief overwhelmed Bray. Tears pricked his eyes as the reality of the situation hit him. His own brother hadn’t had his back, but Sam, a total stranger, had.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” Sam burst out. “That was incredibly stupid. You could have gotten yourself killed. You could have gotten us all killed.”
“I’m sorry,” Bray said quietly without looking away from the window. “I had no intention of trying to get in. I just wanted to see if he was there. I got accosted as soon as I left the hotel.”
He didn’t want either of his companions to see how close he was to crying. No one responded to his apology. The tension in the car was suffocating.
“Fucking backward bigots,” the man driving murmured.
“Ax,” Sam scolded.
“Sorry. Not you, kid,” Ax said.
Bray opened his mouth to say that he wasn’t a kid, but he sure felt like one in that moment. He’d done something stupid and had almost paid too high a price for it.
“Those men,” Bray said. “What were they saying?”
Both men were quiet for a moment, but their eyes met in the mirror.
“They were making fun of Sergiy,” Sam finally said.
“What happened to Sergiy?”
“You shot him,” Sam said.
“Oh. I didn’t know who attacked me. He got me from behind. I also wasn’t sure if I hit anything. I only got two shots off and they were blind.”
“You’re a lucky shot then.” Sam shook his head. “You got him in the foot and in the thigh.”
“They were making fun of him because he got shot?” Bray asked.
“No. Those assholes were making fun of him because he got taken down by a ‘faggot’.” Ax’s voice deepened on that last word.
“You’re gay?” Bray asked.
“I’m bi.” Ax nodded.
The look he flicked over his shoulder at Bray seemed almost defiant before he turned toward the windshield and continued. “But these backward assholes think homosexuality is as bad as a pedophilia. Some people think the terms are basically interchangeable.”
Bray nodded. He’d been to places like that while serving as well.
“How are your injuries?” Sam asked.
“Mostly just bruised ribs and a headache. He got a few good kicks in, but—”
The words dried up in Bray’s throat as Sam slid his fi
ngers through Bray’s hair. In his head, he knew Sam was checking his scalp, but his body reacted as if it were a lover’s caress.
“Lift your shirt,” Sam commanded once he’d let go of Bray’s head. “I want to check your ribs again.”
Bray licked his dry lips before leaning back against the seat and lifting his T-shirt. Sam lowered his eyebrows when he took a closer look at Bray’s abdomen. There were a few bruises forming. Sam gently prodded the tender skin and Bray sucked air in through his teeth at the jolt of pain.
“They’re not broken,” Bray said. “I’ve had broken ribs before. It’s just the bruises. I was able to back away before he got too many kicks in.”
“What you did was risky and foolish.” Sam pulled his hands away.
“I had to see Mase. He didn’t even recognize me.”
“Oh, he recognized you,” Sam said. “I think he blames me for your presence here. Maybe you played your role too well. You shouldn’t have told Kozak you were in love with me.”
“I didn’t. He told me I was in love with you. I thought it was strange, but—”
“Fuck. The hotel room,” Sam said.
“The hotel room,” Ax confirmed.
“What did you say in the hotel room?”
“I called Sin and my mom called me.”
Sam leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes and blew out a breath. Bray was once again on the man’s bad side.
“Did you mention Mase’s name?”
“No. I didn’t say Mase’s name.”
“Not even to your mom?”
“I was careful. You told me not to, so I made sure I didn’t. She asked me about my ‘mission’. I told her it wasn’t going well and not to expect miracles.”
Sam nodded then asked, “Who’s Sin?”
“A friend. One of my best friends and…he was helping me find you.”
“So Sin’s the ace in your pocket? He’s how you trailed me to Kiev?”
Bray nodded but couldn’t meet Sam’s eyes. He hadn’t realized the damage he could cause.
“So you spent that conversation asking for information on me? No wonder Kozak had men on you.”