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A groan rose in Snow’s throat but he swallowed it down. “Ian?”
“No. He knows there’s something in our past regarding Ian because all that’s happened with Gratton, but he doesn’t know all the specifics.”
“Geez, Vallois.”
“I’m fucking this up, aren’t I?” he asked in a weary voice.
“Yeah, big time. You’ve met the man’s parents. Hell, we all had Thanksgiving with them. He’s made big changes for you. You’ve got to give him something. Even I know you’ve got to prove that you’re in this thing with him too.”
Lucas groaned softly, dropping his head to Snow’s shoulder.
“Do you trust him?” Snow pressed when Lucas didn’t speak.
“Of course.”
“Then tell him. You have my permission. Tell him anything and everything.”
Lucas tightened his arm around Snow’s chest. “Thank you.”
“Now go to sleep or go back to the man in your bed.”
“No matter what man I have in my bed, you are always going to be important.”
“I know that,” Snow whispered before he chuckled. “But let’s not pretend that any other man is ever going to be in your bed.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Lucas’s comfort helped Snow drift off again, but a part of him wished it was Jude in his bed. Worry gnawed at him. He’d dragged Jude into the darker side of his life and it was just possible that what he’d see tomorrow night would be enough to push him away for good.Chapter 15Jude closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath through his nose, holding it for a five count before pushing the air out through clenched teeth. His heart was still pounding crazily in his chest, but he didn’t feel as if he was going to throw up all over the incredibly expensive suit he’d borrowed from Andrei. The bodyguard was the closest to his own height, but apparently Jude was a little broader in the shoulders and a little thicker in the waist. Maybe a sign to pass on seconds at Mana’s. Hell, if he lived through this, he’d start taking his trips to the gym a lot more seriously again and possibly even ask Andrei for some fighting tips if he was going to continue to see Snow.
Street lights flashed by his window and a low hum echoed as the black town car glided over the Suspension Bridge, slipping across the Ohio River and into the heart of downtown Cincinnati from Lucas’s penthouse. It was late, nearly midnight, and traffic was sparse for a Thursday night. They were heading for Music Hall, which simply flabbergasted Jude. How could such a horrendous event take place as such a well-known venue? But sometimes the best place to hide was out in the open. And if you had enough money, who the hell was going to call you on it?
Truthfully, after Jude had found out where the auction was supposed to take place, his brain had shut down. Watching Lucas and Andrei carefully lay out their plan had left him stunned. He’d mentioned contacting the cops once and only once. Even Snow had looked at him like he’d lost his mind.
Of course, seeing the general in action was enough to make him hard as they sat there in Lucas’s living room. Cool, precise, and controlled, Jude could only imagine the surgeon looked exactly like that in the operating room. It wasn’t hard to see that Snow and Lucas had a long history together. When in planning mode, the two men were finishing each other’s sentences and talking almost in code, referencing past exploits. Jude had caught Andrei’s eye, and the other man just shrugged and smiled as if he were accustomed to their behavior.
Thank God for Andrei. He was the only thing keeping him from feeling utterly out of place when both Lucas and Snow were in the same room together. He was sure the feeling would be worse if Snow’s other close friends had been there. But Andrei was always calm and relaxed as if the man was tapped into some secret Zen pool of peace. Sure, Lucas was calm, but his calm appeared as if he were corralling all the forces of nature, bending them to his will so that energy cracked in the air around him. And Snow…well Snow always looked as if he were half a step from snarling, but he liked that about the doctor.
“Jude.”
He looked up to meet Andrei’s gaze in the rearview mirror. The bodyguard’s seemingly ever-present smile was missing now. He’d had turned coldly serious the second they’d stepped into the elevator to head down to the garage.
“You’ve got this.” Andrei held Jude’s eyes for a second longer before turning his attention back to the road. “Lucas would never have asked you if he thought you couldn’t handle this.”
“What about me?” Geoffrey demanded, sliding to the edge of the leather seat. His delicate hands and long fingers wrapped around the passenger seat headrest. The small, slender man had barely sat still since entering Lucas’s home and being in a car certainly wasn’t slowing down his fidgeting.
