Chapter Fifteen

Before buying groceries, Echo stopped at the contact he’d arranged ahead of time and picked up two new handguns and ammo for him and Ice. And because he was super paranoid, he used Justice’s contact to purchase a few knives.

It was there that he called Justice to check in.

“How’d it go? How’s Ice?” Justice asked.

“He’s doing better. It was touch and go there during the first week we were here, but the doctor you suggested did great.”

“That’s good. Any signs of trouble?”

“No, none.”

“Well, stay vigilant.”

“You too…and Justice?” He continued when the assassin stayed quiet. “Thanks.”

“Anytime. Check in when you can or I’ll worry.”

Echo ended the call and selected two very nice blades from the arrangement the owner had placed on the wooden desk. One was a limited-edition fixed blade carbon steel knife that fit in his empty sheath, and the other was a standard MK 3 Navy Knife similar to one he’d seen Rogue carry.

While he and Ice hadn’t taken their weapons on board the flight, Echo had checked a bag that contained his favorite daggers. He’d take these two knives and add them to his daggers. It never hurt to have too many.

The grocery market was busy and over an hour had passed since he’d left Ice alone. Sweat beaded his brow. Some of it was from the humidity, but most of it was from being separated from Ice. And he still had to go to the cell phone store and buy them fucking phones. What was supposed to take forty minutes tops would turn into several hours by the time he was done.

“Echo?”

Turning his attention from the oranges he held in his hands, he met the eyes of Savage Markel. Not only was Savage an assassin, he was also a former fling. That was the correct term for the two weeks of sex one hot summer four years back.

“Savage, I didn’t expect to see you here.” Echo felt his insides churn and he reached behind his back, gripping the handle of the Navy Knife tucked beneath his shirt.

Savage saw the move for what it was. “Hey, I’m not here for anything other than a little R and R.”

Echo held the assassin’s gaze for several long moments.

“You know you can trust me. Just like I trust you,” Savage murmured and ran a hand through his dark hair, rumpling the ends. A worried expression swept over the assassin’s face. One thing Echo did know about the man standing before him, Savage wasn’t good at lying and he saw no deceit in those blue eyes.

Lowering his hand from beneath his shirt, Echo nodded and stepped out of the way when two women walked by ogling Savage. He certainly was eye catching, kind of like sin rolled into one hunky body. And Echo remembered having the hots for the guy. But now all he could see was Ice’s blond hair and blue eyes versus Savage’s dark hair and sky-blue eyes.

He hoped to hell Savage wouldn’t make it awkward by asking to come back to his house.

“Babe!” a voice called out, and Savage held out one arm to a slender blond man with a wide smile and cute face. When the man stepped up, Savage draped an arm around him and pulled him into his side.

“Echo, this is Thane.”

“Hi there,” the man said.

Thane, it had to be an assassin nickname and Echo gave a slight smile. “Hello.”

“So, let’s do dinner,” Savage said.

Echo blinked at Savage and Thane slapped the man on the arm.

“You’re such a neanderthal.” The blond shook his head. “We’re staying at a hotel nearby; we can meet at the restaurant. If you’re not busy?” Thane’s smile was wide.

“I’m busy tonight, but how about in a few days?” Echo found himself returning the man’s infectious grin, and he chalked it up to the island.

This place had a way about it that made a person relax. Which was bad for his health, but for some insane reason, he wanted to join them for dinner and bring Ice.

“Sure, that’s awesome,” Thane said and pulled at Savage’s arm. “We need to hurry.”

Savage smiled fondly at the slender blue-eyed blond and then at him. “Call me, you have my number.”

Echo tapped his temple. “Right here.”

With a wave, the pair walked away, but Echo could still hear Thane talking. The man was a chatterbox, which was probably a match for the big and quiet Savage.

Hauling ass out of the store with enough groceries to last a week, he sped to the phone store and then raced back to the house.

Unloading the groceries, he shoved the cold and frozen stuff in the fridge and went into the bedroom and found it empty with the bed made. If there was one thing that he knew about Ice, it was that the man loved sitting outside in the hot sun. He hoped like hell he wasn’t out there sweating and overdoing things.

Grabbing a glass from the counter, he poured iced tea into it and carried it through the house to the open double doors and stepped out into the sand.

Ice’s chair was empty.

Carrying the glass, Echo stalked back inside.

“Ice?”

He searched the house, but there was no sign of Ice. Maybe he went for a walk on the beach.

He was going to wring the man’s neck for going near the water without him. What if he fell? What if he ran out of energy?

Why was he suddenly so fucking worried?

Echo hurried back outside and glanced immediately toward the ocean, but there was no sign of Ice at all. Where the hell was he? Had something happened? Had someone found them? Only a few people knew he owned a home here, but nobody knew exactly where the house was located.

This place was filled with crime.

Tossing the full glass of tea into the sand, Echo ran full out toward the water and then cut down the beach.

“Ice!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.

After a very long conversation with Scotty at the bar, the two men finished their drinks and left.

Finished with his beer and fries, Ice made his way out of the open bar, careful to stay alert.

There was a souvenir stand next door and he walked over to step through the tables and racks, looking at the keychains and souvenirs, but also looking around. Spotting a straw hat in an off-white color, he plunked it on his head. He bought a new shirt and changed right there after paying. This one was in a blue and cream wild paisley pattern. He paid for both and walked back out onto the hot sand. Now he really looked like a tourist with his white knee-length cotton shorts. That was enough of a disguise for now.

He figured Echo would be back about then, so he headed down to the water to walk along the edge, making his way back toward the house.

“Ice!”

Echo’s frantic shout startled him and he searched until he found Echo’s flying form running down the beach toward him.

If he hadn’t have had this damn gunshot wound, he would have opened his arms wide. Not that Echo would run into them, but it was a nice thought.

“Where were you?” Echo skidded to a stop several feet from him, panting, eyes wide. The man’s face was pale, his gaze fierce and fists clenched.

“At the bar.”

“The bar?” Echo repeated through his teeth and then the man’s legs gave out and he dropped to his knees in the sand.

Fuck!Ice’s stomach twisted.

He had scared Echo. The assassin had expected him to be at home, but he’d gone out like a dumbass, and he hadn’t even left a note.

“I’m sorry,” Ice said, stepping closer to pull Echo up from the sand. He closed his hand around Echo’s wrist to keep the assassin from bolting. And for some reason, Echo didn’t pull away. That gave Ice hope. He rubbed his thumb over Echo’s pulse point. “I should have left you a note. I just didn’t think I was going to be gone that long.”

Still panting, Echo did something completely out of character and it surprised the fuck out of Ice. Echo turned his hand and linked their fingers together and then started pulling him back toward the house. The pace was making his side ache.

“Slow down, please.”

Echo slowed immediately and Ice couldn’t hide his pleased smile.

Reaching the house, Echo released his hand, snatched up a glass from the sand, and marched inside.

Feeling like the biggest ass on the planet, Ice lost his smile and followed Echo into the air-conditioned house. He found the man in the kitchen and he took a seat at the bar to watch. Echo started pulling food out of the fridge and Ice dropped his new hat on the bar.

When Echo eyed the thing, Ice grinned. “Like it?”

“It looks stupid.” The man sniffed and started washing green onions.

“I think it suits me. I could get used to living here. What about my new shirt?”

Echo shrugged and continued washing the vegetable.

“Did you get our phones?”

The only response was a nod.

“I’m sorry, Echo. I really am.”

“It doesn’t matter.” The words came out muffled beneath the sound of running water.

“It matters if I worried you.”

“It’s fine.” Echo shut off the water and slapped the onions on a cutting board.

Ice released an annoyed sigh. “Why can’t you open up to me?”

Without answering, Echo grabbed up a knife and started chopping and Ice studied the curve of the man’s cheek and long dark lashes.

“I thought we were growing closer,” he whispered, unable to keep the hurt from his voice. “We have something good, don’t we?”

The knife slammed down to the wood and Echo whirled around.

“We can’t grow close! I’m broken!” Echo shouted, tears pooling in his eyes.

Ice slid off the stool and rounded the counter to take Echo in his arms. When Echo tried to tear away, Ice held him tighter. The pain in his side was worth holding Echo even if it wouldn’t last.

He was wrong. It did last after that first initial struggle, and instead of pushing him away, Echo suddenly burrowed closer.

“I’m here for you,” Ice whispered against the top of Echo’s head, cradling him close.

“Nobody ever stays for long.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I think I’ve proven that by now.”

“You didn’t come find me when you got back from Greece.” Echo’s voice sounded clogged.

“I was giving you space.” Ice smoothed his hands down Echo’s back, keeping him close and locked together.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” He smiled at the croaked word. “Oh.”

Standing there with Echo in his arms, Ice kept an eye on the knife sitting on the cutting board.

They still had hurdles to go through. He’d been stabbed too many times by Echo to completely trust the assassin.

And after getting shot, he was going to be very careful, but someday he would get to the bottom of Echo thinking he was broken.

“What are you making?” he said lightly, easing Echo away.

“Chili. It’s the quickest thing.”

“Sounds good.” It should go perfect with the fries he’d eaten earlier. And if not? He could just take some antacids.

Twenty minutes later, they carried their bowls outside to eat and Echo lowered the mosquito netting around the back porch area before he sat down.

They didn’t talk much, but it was a start as far as Ice was concerned. They both still had trust issues, but he was hopeful for the future.

Well, as much of a future two assassins could have.

“How long have you known that guy?” Ice said.

“Justice? He’s Wrath’s little brother.”

“That Justice? Was that him? Damn, he’s grown up.” Ice had met both of Wrath’s brothers a long time ago during military leave, but Justice and Rip had both been scrawny teenagers at the time. He hadn’t connected the teenage Justice to the man he’d become.

“You know him?” Echo asked.

“Yeah, Wrath and I served in the military together. How’d you meet Justice?”

“On a job. He’s a medic like Wrath.”

“I imagine Wrath is proud of him,” Ice said. Although, he knew Wrath had been at odds with his brothers for years. It was the job. Being an assassin did shit to people.

“Wait…does Wrath know Justice quit the Army?”

“No.”

“Does he know that Justice is an assassin?”

“I don’t believe so,” Echo said with a sigh.

Oh, shit was going to hit the fan when that tidbit of information came out and Ice was not going to be the one to deliver it. The brothers could sort themselves out on their own.

Ice reached over and linked their fingers together and after a quick searching look, Echo turned back to the ocean as they finished their food.

Ice watched as the sun sank lower before displaying a beautiful sunset over the Indian Ocean.

“I met a friend today.”

“Friend? What friend?”

“I’ll just say he’s in our line of business.”

Ice gritted his teeth. He tried fighting the green-eyed monster that churned his gut, but quickly lost the battle. “What else was he?” he said from between his teeth.

Echo’s eyes snapped to his and the man’s lips twitched. “Jealous?”

“Hell yes, I’m jealous.”

“Don’t be. I never stabbed him.”

Ice gaped and laughed, clutching at his side.

“Oww, fuck! My side.”

Echo was up and out of his chair, leaning over him, and Ice grabbed and pulled the assassin onto his lap.

Right where he fucking belonged.

“Were those love bites?” he teased through his laughter, and Echo grinned and kissed him.

“You’re corny.”

Corny he may be, but Echo shouldn’t underestimate him.

Now that they were together, Ice would end anyone who came between them.