Page 4

A zrael felt like he was coming home when he stepped past the security guards and into the front marble-tiled foyer of Dave’s estate.

A few of the guards scowled at him, and he refrained from giving them the finger. They didn’t like the way he came and went on the property—he never used the front gate.

“Hey, bro.”

Azrael jerked at the sound of his brother’s voice coming from the other end of the foyer.

Apollo, wearing a big grin, walked over and grabbed him in a tight hug. Surprise kept Azrael mute, but he returned the hug. He clung and didn’t give a shit. Being with his brother made the world settle just a bit more. Like things had calmed the fuck down for a minute.

“It’s uncanny how identical they are,” Cash said.

When Apollo released him, Azrael turned in Cash’s direction and waggled fingers at the guy. His brother’s boyfriend was tall, sturdy, and muscular. In Azrael’s book, the guy was a great catch for his brother—he hoped the best for them.

“How’s college going?” Azrael asked when Cash pulled him into a quick hug.

“Relatively well,” Cash smirked and slipped an arm around Apollo’s shoulder.

“And dorm life?”

Apollo made a face. “I can’t wait until we get our own place.”

“I’ve told you before to say the word and Dave will set you up in a house near campus,” Stone said from the open doorway to Dave’s office that doubled as a library and sitting room.

Apollo smiled. “I know, but we want to buy it for ourselves.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Stone grumbled, but without any heat.

“How long are you staying for?” Azrael turned back to his brother.

“For the weekend. So, meet us for breakfast in the morning.” Apollo yawned, and Azrael was reminded that it was just after midnight.

“You got it.”

He left Apollo, Cash, and Stone in the foyer and turned toward the stairs.

Taking the staircase upward, Azrael didn’t stop until he reached the top level and opened the door to his old room. From there, he dropped his overnight bag on the bed and pulled open the window.

Stepping through the open window, he walked across the dark tiled roof and sat just shy of the edge so that he could hang his legs over the side.

Seeing Apollo and Cash had been a trip. Because they were in college, he didn’t get to see them often, and he was going to take full advantage this weekend to catch up.

First thing he would do would bring Apollo in on the information of YA.

Not that Apollo would join them, but Azrael wanted his brother to be proud of him.

Gazing up at the stars in the cold January sky, Azrael took a deep breath.

Normally, it wasn’t as clear during the winter months, but tonight was different.

This spot right here reminded him of Real.

Azrael sighed. He really needed to stop thinking about Real.

But that was easier said than done when this was the place he had first gotten to know Real. They had spent so many hours talking on this roof that Azrael felt he knew Real’s heart.

He didn’t. But what he did know was that Real was everything he wanted.

Real understood him. Like, really knew him. And that kind of understanding, forged in the time they’d spent together, came around once in a lifetime.

But he didn’t have much experience with men like Real—a former SEAL.

He had met the warrior when he had just turned seventeen and had thought they were destined for things together.

He was sure SEALs were called soldiers or servicemen or something like that, but to him, Real would forever be his warrior.

Now, more than two years later, Azrael felt further away from Real than ever.

Voices from below popped him out of the past and he gazed from the stars to the circular driveway where the guards were changing shifts. Leaning back on his hands, he returned his eyes to the sky, looking for the Big Dipper.

He was antsy, but the best thing to do would be to wait a few more hours to access the computer.

He also needed to select another hit job so Erebus didn’t bench him. Not that they would—since jobs seemed to be coming out of their asses at the moment. Every job he took made him stronger, more lethal, and further seasoned.

He needed to be strong, just like the rest of Erebus was. He needed to be strong in order to lead YA.

But not having Real at his side like he envisioned was a bummer.

Whenever he had pictured his future, Real had been a constant. But that wasn’t the case. And now? Now, he would keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Until his attraction for Real faded.

He wasn’t sure when that would happen because from the first moment he had laid eyes on Real, he’d been a goner.

He must have been nuts to think that Real was his soulmate.

Soulmate…

That was a fucking joke.

Soulmates didn’t hook up with other people.

Soulmates didn’t cheat.

And that was something Azrael would never forgive Real for.

He closed his eyes. He suddenly wanted to leave this place, but he had to get the information first, and he wanted to spend a few days with Apollo.

It was anger that was trying to send him running. Or it could be hurt. Because being there at Dave’s reminded him of Real, and thinking of Real brought up their past.

It brought up the fact that Real had fucked someone else. The hookup had happened over a year ago, but Azrael still felt the sting of betrayal.

The fucked-up part was that he and Real had spent Christmas together since then.

And Christmas had given him hope that they might have a chance together. He would never forget when Real had shown up at Dave’s holiday get-together in Colorado.

Being with Real during Christmas time had Azrael holding onto that memory of them together long after he should have let it go.

He had held onto the belief that Real would not fuck anyone else after their time spent together over the holiday.

He had been so wrong.

So fucking wrong.

Azrael did have his pride.

He could have excused the one hookup prior to Christmas, but all the hookups after that?

Hell fucking no.

And it didn’t matter that he didn’t have a commitment from Real. It didn’t matter that Real and he were not in a sexual relationship. It didn’t even matter that Real didn’t want him in that way.

What mattered was that he felt betrayed.

And he needed to get over it. He needed to move the fuck on. They were nothing, and that was fact. So, it was none of his business how many people Real fucked.

But no matter how many times he reminded himself of those facts, Real sleeping with someone else bugged the shit out of him.

Sudden footsteps crackling on the tile made him smile. Apollo had probably followed him out here—so much for going to bed.

“This is my favorite time of the night,” Azrael said, his voice soft, eyes on the sky.

“Mine too,” a rough, deep voice said.

It was Real, not Apollo who spoke. It was Real who settled his big, muscled frame next to him on the roof.

Azrael steeled himself, gathering his thoughts and slamming a lid down on his emotions.

He struggled to breathe.

From the corner of his eye, Azrael caught sight of the tattoos covering Real’s left arm in a deep-sea panorama.

He had seen the man without his shirt, and the word Alpha was tattooed in black right below Real’s belly button.

Alpha was fitting and suited Real’s sharp jaw and dark hair.

His firm lips were set in a cool, straight line as if the world were more of an irritation than anything.

Regardless, all of Real with the mouthwatering ink etched over rippling muscles was stunning.

Azrael shot Real a glare that was probably lost on the guy since it was dark. He scooted back from the ledge and lifted to his knees on the roof.

Azrael turned to face Real head-on.

The move brought him closer to the bigger man.

Much closer than he thought it would. This close, he could see the intensity in Real’s eyes from a street light near the front of the house.

Not that the color was clear, but Azrael didn’t need daylight to know how blue-gray those eyes were and how they changed colors in different lightings.

Real had gone still.

Azrael held his breath.

His eyes dropped to Real’s mouth. A muscle twitched in the former soldier’s jaw, and Azrael slowly moved closer.

He licked his lips and Real’s hands settled on his hips, gripping them tightly.

This right here was what Azrael had wanted for so long.

The attraction between them was hot and turned the air between them thick. Azrael’s dick went hard and he parted his lips.

Voices came from below, and Real shoved him away.

Like a dash of cold fucking water, Azrael fell to his ass on the rooftop, his heart breaking. Humiliation heated his skin, making his hands shaky.

Real cleared his throat.

“What? Are you on your way to see your flavor of the fucking day?” Azrael sneered.

He had heard Crow using the term—flavor of the month one time—and now he found it fitting to change it to flavor of the day.

“Can we have a civilized conversation?” Real asked with a deep sigh.

Conversation?

Mortified, his anger burned quick and hot. Azrael pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs.

“No,” Azrael said, he didn’t care that he sounded like a bitch.

“We used to talk about everything under the sun,” Real gruffly reminded him.

The words slapped him in the face.

Rage swept through his gut and sent his heart pounding. White noise filled his ears.

Rather than sit there and listen to whatever the fuck Real wanted to say, Azrael was done.

This right here showed him that Real didn’t want him. How many fucking times was he going to beat himself on this rock?

“The window is there, see yourself out,” he snapped, turning his face away.

“Az…”

The way Real shortened his name had him suddenly leaping to his feet. His heart was bursting with sorrow.

Real stood up and reached a hand out.

And Azrael bolted.

He flew across the top of the roof toward the edge. He didn’t care if Real followed, because he knew the man could never catch him.

Leaping the distance from the roof, he landed like a cat on the eight-foot-high wall that surrounded the property. He didn’t look back before he disappeared over the side and let the darkness swallow him.

There was no way he could have sat there. Being near Real made him want to force his kiss on the warrior.

What he should have done was punch Real.

Once the idea occurred, it took root, and Azrael vowed that the next time they met, he was going to do just that.

He might need a ladder, though.

Real was a lot taller than him.

Azrael released a snorting laugh as he walked down the darkened street.

Damn, he was messed up.

Good thing he already knew that about himself.

Maybe he should get his head checked.