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“They fucking filmed him…being beaten and raped,” Jude said. He spit into the trash can. His voice was ragged with a mix of horror and rage. “That wasn’t porn. That wasn’t consent.”
“The guy beating him didn’t hide his tattoos. We can get Rowe’s people on this,” he offered.
“I want the man who touched my brother. I want the person who fucking filmed it and put it on a website,” Jude said, enunciating each word.
“I’m so sorry, Jude.”
“There is no sorry, Ash. My brother was fucking beaten and raped. I want those fucks who did this to him,” he replied, his voice growing louder with each word.
“We need to call the police,” Snow said calmly when he was feeling anything but calm.
“I want Rowe on this.”
Those words slithered cold and hard between them. He didn’t like this turn for his lover. Jude was always the voice of reason. He believed in allowing the cops to do their job. He believed in working within the system, not outside of it.
Snow and his friends were definitely not the poster boys for working within the system. And he knew if that video had been of any of his family, there would be no calling the police. He’d only be happy when he killed that tattooed fuck with his bare hands.
And right now, Jude felt the same way.
Picking up his cell phone from where he’d placed it on the desk, Snow dialed Rowe.
“Hey, old man! What are you up to?” Rowe laughed when he answered the phone.
“I need you here.”
“Twenty minutes,” was all Rowe said in a hard, even tone and the line went dead.
Snow had twenty minutes to help Jude into the bathroom to clean up and then hold him. He needed to hold Jude and tell himself that they’d get through this. That they’d find a way to help Jordan through this when he finally woke up again. That they’d be able to close their eyes and not see those images flashing through their brains.
And then, when those twenty minutes were up, they’d plan to set the world on fire.Chapter 10Snow had just gotten Jude back down to the living room when Rowe showed up on his doorstep. He was surprised his friend didn’t just use his key to enter the house, but he figured Rowe had given him a minute to answer the door before he walked in on his own. A scowl drew his features taut as sharp eyes swept over him from head to toe. Rowe didn’t say anything. He just grabbed Snow and pulled him into a tight bear hug that brought tears to his eyes before Rowe released him again.
He could easily imagine that he looked like shit. Jude looked worse. His partner was seated on the couch, pale and drawn. His hair was a mess, sticking up in every direction after the number of times Jude had run his fingers through it.
Noah Keegan silently followed Rowe into the house and hugged Snow as well, his expression matching his lover’s. Snow wasn’t surprised to see Rowe’s shadow following close behind. After getting a second chance at love, those two were rarely apart now and they both seemed perfectly happy with that arrangement.
And that was fine with Snow. Noah and Rowe might both be crazy, but they also had double the Army Ranger experience between them.
Snow joined them in the living room, where Rowe was watching Jude with a curious and cautious look, while Jude had yet to look up or even acknowledge them. Both Rowe and Noah were aware of the attack on Jude’s brother. Snow had talked to each of his friends once since they got that initial call, and he was sure they’d all shared information and concerns between them.
“Rowe…” Snow paused and cleared his throat. “We need your advice on something.”
“Anything,” Rowe immediately said, and Snow’s heart swelled. When Rowe said that, he meant it completely. If it was in his power to do something, he would do it.
“I need you to go up to my office and watch the video that’s up on my computer. You…you won’t need to watch it all, but you may want to start from the beginning.”
Rowe nodded before he and Noah wordlessly jogged up the stairs.
“You might want to pour them some drinks,” Jude whispered. It was the first time he’d spoken since he stopped sobbing in the bathroom.
Snow grunted. Rowe and Noah were definitely going to need drinks. Stepping into the kitchen, he pulled down two clean tumblers and poured two fingers of whiskey into each. He then got another glass that he filled with ice water and put down in front of Jude in the living room.
Jude picked it up and shook his head, but he still took a couple of tentative sips before putting it down again. Yeah, Snow got it. He’d much rather have the alcohol, to drown in fucking alcohol until he couldn’t remember his own name. Snow would much rather have that. But after puking his guts up for ten minutes and then dry heaving on top of sobbing, Jude was dehydrated. Alcohol wouldn’t help him.
