Page 1 of Hard

“Get lost.”

Wolf didn’t move when the angrily hissed words came from the mouth of the man he loved.

He reached over and slapped the button that would bring the elevator to an emergency stop.

“No.”

Furious blue eyes glared at him as they stood toe to toe inside the elevator of a high-rise hotel in Virginia. The mirror behind Caleb showed not only how tense his husband was, but also his fine ass and incredibly long legs.

An ass Wolf had been searching forty-eight hours long for. Wait, it had to be over that… fifty-three hours, to be exact. Of course, he was the reason Caleb had left their home without a word, but it still irritated the hell out of him.

Wolf had only been gone two hours! And during that time, Caleb had disappeared. Imagine his surprise when he had walked back into their happy home and found Caleb gone.

Anger still lingered over the fact Caleb had packed a fucking bag.

“You left,” Wolf growled.

“Maybe we need a break.”

“No, we fucking don’t,” Wolf snapped. “Not by a long shot.”

“You left. You went to the meeting by yourself.”

The meeting had been texted to Wolf’s phone only and Caleb had been hot that he had been excluded.

“I was only gone for two hours, baby,” Wolf pointed out.

“And you told them you’d take that job in Central America, didn’t you?” Caleb spat with his lips pressed flat. The dimples Wolf loved to kiss were nowhere to be seen at the moment.

“I didn’t.” Wolf shook his head and tucked his hands into the pockets of his blue jeans.

“What?” Caleb’s lips parted with surprise.

“I didn’t take that job. I came back from the meeting to tell you that I wouldn’t go, but you had packed a bag and left.”

Caleb’s pupils had blown wide. “You’re lying.”

Wolf shook his head. “No, I’m not. I’ve never lied to you and you know in your heart that I’m telling you the truth.”

“I…”

“You what?” Wolf gave a sad smirk. “Gave up on us too quickly? Did you always plan to run when the going got rough?”

“Going to Central America on an op that you could potentially not come back from wasn’t something I considered in the ‘going got rough’ category.” Sarcasm dripped from Caleb’s voice.

The elevator phone started to buzz, but Wolf ignored it. They weren’t finished by a long shot and no way in fucking hell were theytaking a break.

“I can’t just turn off who and what I am.”

“I’m not asking you to. Working for Phoenix is what both of us do. I’m only asking that you take me with you.”

Wolf hadn’t wanted Caleb anywhere near the shit fest that was going on in Central America. Over the past several years, he’d tried to protect Caleb as much as he possibly could, but maybe therein lay their problem. Was he being too overprotective?

Wolf gazed at his husband with his dark hair, bright blue eyes, and sleek yet ripped, muscled frame. A black overcoat hid that compact body.

Suddenly, Caleb knocked the overcoat out of his way and Wolf caught a glimpse of a Taran Tactical Innovations TR-1 Ultralight rifle hidden inside.

Was Caleb on a mission?

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