Page 44 of Nothing Special X: The Last Stand

The joking died at Gen’s end for a moment.

“Yeah,” Gen said after a beat, quieter. “I know. It’s messed up, man. He comes out gay and people wanna kill him. I thought we were past all this hate shit.”

“I don’t know if it’s only that,” God said. “Me and the guys talked about it. LA’s a global haven for the queer community and hate crimes against gay men aren’t as common here. This thing with Xander feels bigger than somebody just hating a gay man. The violence is too deliberate…coordinated. I think it has more to do with the fame, the awards, the films, maybe someone’s money is getting threatened. But we still have a lot to dig through.”

“Then Wes and Law put the right men on the job,” Gen said. “If anybody can get to the bottom of it, it’s you.”

God lifted one brow at the phone. “Flattery won’t change my mind.”

“Damnit, come on.”

God tucked the phone in the cradle of his shoulder and flipped another sheet of paper. “I said no.”

Across the room, Free stood and slid into Day’s chest like a damn housecat with an agenda.

“Oh fuck,” God muttered.

Free wrapped both arms around Day’s waist and kissed his cheek. He rested his forehead against Day’s and swayed gently with him while gazing at him through those long lashes that had gotten him damn near anything he wanted from them since the day he joined the team.

Day stared at Free and smiled.

God narrowed his eyes. He could recognize when his husband was being charmed.

Shit. Free wanted something.

And if he was going to his husband first, that meant he wanted Day to make God do something.

Free leaned closer, whispering in Day’s ear.

God couldn’t hear the words, but he didn’t need to. He knew the play. Free’s eyes were soft, making Day’s expression shift, the corner of his mouth curving.

After a few seconds, Day nodded and kissed Free’s forehead before he released him.

Free beamed like a thief who’d found the vault already unlocked before he went back to his laptop and got back to work.

Day came toward him.

God straightened. “Leo—”

Day took the phone out of his hand before he could finish. “Gen, you and Curtis can come out here at the end of the assignment. I’ll let you know when.”

God closed his eyes.

Day kept talking. “Free will get you on the lot for a day. But then you and Curtis have to go with him to do a bunch of touristy shit he has planned.”

“Deal!” Gen shouted loud enough that God heard it without the phone to his ear.

The line went dead almost instantly before he could veto the deal.

He stared at his husband, then over his shoulder at Free and Tech.

Free continued typing with intense concentration, as if he was suddenly fascinated by whatever was on his screen.

Day stepped between his legs, clutching his waist with that easy ownership only he possessed. His husband kissed him slow enough to make his irritation lose some of its bite.

God refused to melt…for three seconds.

Day deepened the kiss, and he sighed into his mouth in defeat because his husband and Free together made one hell of a tag team.