Page 24 of Play Dirty

“Uh-huh. And third…” Cas stalled out. “Nah, I think I actually covered it in two.” He stretched out on the lounger and canted his hips so that the fabric of the suit stretched even tighter over his cock. “Ah, there’s three.”

Madigan rolled his eyes, then closed them and tried to concentrate on the warmth of the sun beating down on his skin and the sound of the waves lapping at the shoreline.

The second the cargo plane had landed on a private airstrip outside of La Paz from Rio, Madigan had booked a flight back to the United States, taken a break from the Red Queen’s list of targets—god knew there were enough mercs after them now—in favor of two lower profile jobs. He’d kept an eye out for Az. But, given the shitstorm that had gone down in Rio, he’d not expected to see him. Didn’t mean he didn’t give a second look to every movement he caught from the corner of his eye or every broad back and strong neck capped by glossy black hair.

He’d kicked around on the West Coast while Cas did more research on the flourishing trafficking operation Madigan and Az had accidentally uncovered. He’d finally accepted an invitation from Jonah to come relax at their small compound in Belize.

That wasn’t exactly how Jonah had extended the invitation. What he’d actually said was, “You sound like shit. We’ve got a guest room.” That was rolling out the red carpet in Jonah speak, though.

He’d been here a week now, lying in the sun far away from the gray November skies he’d left behind in New York, eating all the fresh fruit and local cuisine he wanted, sampling the nightlife both alone and with Jonah and Cas, listening to Cas as he explained what he’d gathered about the trafficking ring and trying to convince himself he was relaxing. He might’ve even bought into the lie if his shoulders and back weren’t so tight all the time.

Now that Jonah and Cas were together, it wasn’t the same being around them. There was something about them that felt slightly inaccessible to Madigan, like they had an impermeable cocoon around themselves. He couldn’t help but revisit some of the things Azrael had said to him in Rio.

He sighed, picked up his beer bottle, and drank the warm dregs. “I don’t know that I ever properly apologized for what I said to you.”

“Which time?” Cas lolled his head toward him, his tone sarcastic, but his gaze curious.

“Any of them? All of them?”

“Were you jealous?”

Madigan shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. Jealous you stitched yourself into Jonah’s life in a way I never could.”

“That’s not true.” Cas’s gaze strayed to the porch again, and the corner of his lips twitched, like he couldn’t help himself. “You’re probably more deeply ingrained in him than I am. Just…differently. Like brothers now, maybe.”

“Something like that. Anyway. I’m sorry.”

“Jonah!”Cas called out, and Jonah was on his feet in a second, posture tense, hands gripping the railing tightly as he stared alertly down at them. “Something’s wrong with Madigan.” Cas grinned.

“Oh, come on,” Madigan muttered.

“There a problem?”

“Madi justapologizedto me.”

Jonah relaxed, shaking his head at both of them before returning to his work.

An hour later, Madigan stood and stretched, then threw his towel over his shoulder.

“Where are you going?” Cas asked.

“Back to the States.”

“No, I mean right now. As in, if you’re going inside, will you bring me back a bottled water?”

“I meant right now.”

Cas made a face. “God, mercs are so fucking weird. Fine. I’ll loop you in on anything else I uncover.”

Madigan nodded. “Good. If we have enough intel, Soren and I can probably make a solid plan for disrupting the network and taking it down.” He rubbed at a sudden pang in his chest. It felt strange—traitorous, even—not to include Azrael.

“I can help with any hacking needs that come up.”

“Yeah?” Madigan arched a brow skeptically.

Cas shrugged. “You apologized. I accept. Now, I’m ready to help.”

Inside, Madigan packed his bag quickly, wishing other things could be mended as easily as he’d seemed to mend fences with Cas.