Conner stepped out of the shower and quickly dried off. Exhaustion ate away at him. His eyes were gritty with the need for sleep and a headache was blooming to life. Ignoring all that, he brushed his teeth and then leaned against the sink to call his brother. The text earlier assured him Kade was fine, but he needed to hear his voice. Kade might be older than him, but that didn't negate his worry.

Kade picked up on the first ring.

"I'm fine."

"I know you're fine, fucker, but are you okay?"

"I'm scared shitless," Kade admitted. "Nikoli wants to send the women and children to Russia."

"He's not wrong. Sloan will take them out to hurt you."

"When will it ever fucking stop? This shit was supposed to stop happening after the cartel. Maybe Mason's right. Maybe we're cursed and the people we love pay for it."

Mason wasn't wrong. Conner came to accept that a long damn time ago. It's why he never got involved with anyone outside of a few dates. It was easier. Kade didn't need to hear that right now, though.

"I'll be in New York soon. I need to make some arrangements here in Chicago so I can get Jeremy out of the city safely..."

Liquid spewed and Conner grinned despite himself. Kade knew his history with Bradford.

"Jeremy Bradford?" his brother finally wheezed out.

"The same. Strings were pulled and I got assigned as his security detail."

"I wondered how you knew about this. I tried you yesterday, but your cell went straight to voicemail."

He'd been in the jungles of Peru yesterday and cell reception tended to be non-existent there.

"Sorry about that. My phone's been spassing out. I need to get a new one."

Kade was quiet for the longest time. "You'd tell me if you'd rejoined the military, wouldn't you?"

"I haven't." He worked for the White House.

"You swear? Mateo couldn't handle it if his favorite uncle went and got himself killed."

Mateo was Kade's son. He'd been stolen from them at birth and raised by the cartel. Conner helped rescue the kid years later. The boy had been abused and seen things no child should ever witness. He was as broken as Conner and perhaps that's why the two of them shared a bond not even Kade could claim with Mateo. Broken souls recognized each other.

"I swear to you I'm not working for the US military."

"But you're working for someone."

Shit. "Leave it alone, Kade."

His brother sighed. "When should we expect you?"

"I don't know. I'll call when I have everything in place."

"Are you sure you shouldn't stay where you are? It'll be easier for Sloane if both his targets are in one place."

Conner had thought about that, and Kade was right. If Sloane was here in Chicago, it would be better to keep him here, but he couldn't fully protect Jeremy if he was worried about his brother. The only way to negate that worry was to be where he could keep an eye on the both of them.

"I'll handle it."

"I heard they think Sloan shot him."

"I haven't briefed him yet, but that's the going theory. Ballistics are a match to the bullets they pulled out of the other victims."

"Fuck, maybe we should send the family to Russia. If it weren't for Papa's treatments..."

"Motherfucker, I forgot about those. We can't leave him open to attack because of his chemo. Can his doctors work out something with the hospital in St. Petersburg for the short term?"

"It comes down to if they have access to the same drugs I think. I'll call them in the morning and see."

"Don't send them away until I have time to get there and say goodbye. God only knows how long this is going to take to resolve."

"Jeremy and I tracked him down before and we'll do it again."

"I'm sure the FBI ordered you to stay out of the investigation."

"And?"

Conner shook his head, expecting the answer.

"Get your game plan together by the time we arrive. We'll hunt this motherfucker down and make him wish he'd never come after us."

"Angel's calling me. I have to go, brat. You take care of yourself, da?"

"Always do."

"And leave Jeremy the fuck alone. He's not into men."

"I'm not most men."

Kade started cussing. "Sexual harassment, Conner. Ever hear of that?"

"It's only sexual harassment if my attention isn't wanted."

"He doesn't want it."

"Well, the way he kissed me said otherwise. I'll check back in with you soon." He ended the call before Kade could ask more questions. Truthfully, he didn't want to think about the kiss from that night in Florida. Jeremy had been the agent who worked Mateo's kidnapping for them. When Conner had first laid eyes on him, it had been instant lust. He was used to getting what he wanted and he'd pressed Jeremy, going so far as to kiss him. It left Conner feeling things he hadn't felt in a long time and he'd hoped Jeremy wouldn't take him up on his offer.

He hadn't for which Conner had been grateful.

But now motherfucking fate had landed him back in Conner's lap and he'd stay there for the foreseeable future.

Jeremy was a complication Conner did not need.

He threw the wet towels in the shower and walked back into his bedroom to find clean clothes. He pulled on a pair of sweats and a white t-shirt before going back downstairs. The TV was on, but Jeremy was standing by the windows staring out at nothing. You couldn't see anything but the steel beams that made up the fence and the parking lot. It was as impenetrable a fortress as he could get. In any other circumstance, this would be his first choice for a hideout. His brother changed the situation.

"We're flying to New York as soon as I can make sure the proper precautions are taken. I need to tie up a few loose ends and make arrangements to get you safely to the airport."

Jeremy turned away from the window and spotted Conner grabbing a beer from the fridge. When he bent over the tight white tee did nothing to hide the way his muscles rippled. Jeremy never noticed other men, but he did Conner. It was that fucking kiss. He'd never been able to truly get it out of his head and seeing the man now brought all those memories back.

This was not a good situation. Going to New York where he at least wouldn't be alone with Conner all the damn time appealed to him, but the FBI agent in him reared his ugly head.

"Wouldn't it be better to keep Sloan's targets away from each other?"

"It would be, but I can't concentrate if I don't have eyes on my brother." Conner shut the fridge and started digging through a drawer, pulling out several sheets of paper that looked like takeout menus. "What do you want to eat? I don't have any real food in the place since I was supposed to be out of the country for the next few weeks."

"You don't need to babysit me. I'm fine on my own."

"I'm not going to babysit you. I expect you to fully help in the investigation. Kade said you two took Sloan down before and you could do it again."

"Fuck yes we will."

"Good, now what do you want to eat? I haven't seen real food in two days and I'm starving."

Jeremy hadn't eaten since late yesterday either and his stomach had been vocal about it for some time. "I'm good with anything."

"Chinese okay? MingHin over on Archer Avenue is my favorite."

"Never tried them."

"Then you're in for a treat." He pushed the menu and a pen from the drawer across the counter. "Circle what you want and I'll place the order. It'll take me a few minutes to go get it. They deliver, but I don't want to chance it."

Jeremy took the menu and scanned it. He circled several items. He went to pull out his wallet and Conner waved him off.

"I got it."

He wasn't sure he was comfortable with Conner buying him dinner, but the man left him no choice. He snatched the menu and was on his phone before Jeremy could protest.

Some of the curtness was gone from Conner's expression. He seemed to relax once they arrived here. He'd also probably spoken with his brother which would have put him even more at ease. Kade and Jeremy had been close, best friends even. They still kept in touch too. He was relieved to know he was okay, but Jeremy was worried about the man's family. Sloan was brutal and would use them against him. At least with Jeremy, his uncle and aunt were well protected. It was the one comfort he had in all this.

"Did they call you in any prescriptions for the arm?"

Conner's question startled him out of his thoughts. "Yes. To Walgreens."

"The one closest to the hospital?"

Jeremy nodded. "I think so."

"I'll pick that up too. Do you need anything else while I'm out?"

"I need to get my clothes from the hotel."

"Give me the room key and I'll do that too."

Jeremy sighed.

"Look, I know you think this is bullshit and I'd be pissed to if they assigned me a watchdog, but the truth is you need a watchdog. You're injured and your reflexes will be slower because of it."

He hated to admit the man was right. He wasn't on top of his game right now.

"Sloane's good, but I guarantee I'm better."

"Ego much?"

Conner grinned, a little of the man he'd met in Florida slipping through. "Just stating facts."

"You're worse than Kade. He has an ego on him the size of Texas."

"It's a Kincaid thing." Conner shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm going to head out. Feel free to use the shower and go through my closet. Throw those clothes in the wash or throw them away. Not sure that shirt's going to be salvageable with the bullet hole anyway."

Jeremy glanced down at his shirt. The bloody hole where the bullet pierced his shoulder stood out like a sore thumb. Conner was right. The shirt would go into the trash. "Thanks."

Conner grabbed a set of keys and left, leaving him alone in the apartment. He wasn't worried about being here alone. Sloane wouldn't be getting through Conner's security and there would be no sniper shots from the roof of an adjacent building. The blackout paint assured him of that.

Going upstairs, he found Conner's room easily enough. The door was open with a big ass bed staring him in the face. He averted his gaze and kept his thoughts strictly on cleaning up. A dresser set directly across from the bed, a TV gracing it's surface instead of a mirror. He had a similar set up back in Virginia. Curiosity got the better of him and he took a moment to actually look. There were clothes lying on the floor and the bed wasn't made. Pictures of his family were scattered throughout the room. It looked lived in and even a little homey despite the very masculine decor.

Conner lived here. While he had a place in New York, this was his home. It felt like him. Kade had told him on more than one occasion that Conner was nomadic, not calling any one place home. If he could see this, Kade would realize how wrong he was. This was his brother's home.

Shaking his head, he did a quick search of Conner's drawers and found a t-shirt, loose jogging pants and a clean pair of boxers. He'd wondered if Conner wore boxers or those skin tight things that did nothing to hide your junk. Those thoughts sometimes haunted him late at night and they were ones he pushed away, but being here surrounded by all things Conner Kincaid, he had a feeling those thoughts weren't going to go far.

The shower took a little more effort than he cared to admit. His shoulder hurt like a son of a bitch. There was no help getting it wet even though he'd been warned not to. He had dried blood and filth on him. If he'd had hair, it would have been damned hard to wash. He preferred his head bald. It wasn't simple vanity, but necessity. He had to be ready to fly at a moment's notice and sometimes that included getting his ass out of bed in the early hours of the morning. It was just easier to not have to worry about his hair. Helped with the ladies too. They found it sexy.

He'd just gotten himself dried off when he heard Conner calling his name.

Shit!

He grabbed the sweats and managed to yank them on right before Conner opened the door.

"What the hell?" he barked out and reached for the shirt.

"You didn't answer and I got worried."

"I was in the shower."

"You could have fallen and hit your head. I didn't know if they'd given you anything at the hospital to help with the pain. Drugs that might have knocked you out since that's what the prescription they gave you will do."

"I'm not taking that shit then."

"I figged. I got you some Motrin."

"Thanks," he said awkwardly, clutching the shirt to his chest like a shield and feeling like a damn idiot doing it.

"You got your stitches wet." Conner frowned and moved into the room.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting the first aid kit. Sit on the toilet."

"I'm good. I can doctor myself up."

"Sit." The command was clear and Jeremy reluctantly sat, wishing he'd just answered when Conner called his name.

Conner rummaged under the sink and finally found the first aid kit he kept there at all times. It contained everything from simple bandages to high powered antibiotics. In his line of work, he never knew what he'd need.

He'd nearly had a heart attack when he'd come home to find the shower not running and Jeremy nowhere to be seen. He really had been worried about him passing out, but he hadn't expected to find him half-naked, clutching that damned shirt like a woman shielding herself in front of a man. It was cute as hell and he tried hard to keep the laughter from his expression. Jeremy wouldn't appreciate it.

"This might sting," he warned Jeremy who only grunted in response.

First he cleaned the wounds with alcohol which he knew hurt like a bitch from personal experience, but Jeremy didn't so much as flinch. The bullet wound was a through and through and the hospital should have at least kept him overnight for observation. He suspected the FBI was the one who'd had them break protocol when the ballistics came back a match to the other shooting victims. He'd have done had he been in their situation. It was a good call.

He wiped the stitches carefully, trying to keep from causing him any more pain then necessary, but the stitches should never had gotten wet. Had he known the man would be stupid enough to remove the bandages, he never would have offered him the shower. Fucker should know better.

Conner debated using the triple antibiotic. Infection was a worry, but he had enough medication to combat that should it be necessary. He was more concerned about the stitches drying out than anything, especially after wiping them down in alcohol.

"We'll bandage it up after we eat. It's needs to dry out first." He pulled the t-shirt away from Jeremy. "It needs to air more than you need to preserve your modesty."

Jeremy muttered something he couldn't quite catch, but he was too fucking tired to care.

"Come on. You can fill me in on Sloan as we eat." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving Jeremy to follow him. He started unpacking the food onto the small dining room table. His mouth watered at the heavenly scents wafting out of the containers. He grabbed two plates and a couple beers. He heard Jeremy come down the stairs, but didn't say anything. Best to let him come in on his own. He was wary of Conner and that was okay.

When he saw him approach, he pointed to the waiting plate and the beer. "Grab what you want. They sent it family style instead of individual orders. Not sure how that happened, but I'm hungry enough I don't care. Your meds and the motrin are on the island. I know you don't want to take anything that will knock you out, but I'd recommend it for tonight. That's going to hurt like a bitch later."

Jeremy didn't say anything as he helped himself to food. Conner watched him out of the corner of his eyes. His body was strung tight and he moved stiffly. The shoulder wound had to be painful.

He took his plate and both beers and sat down on the couch. Jeremy would have a hard enough time carrying his plate without trying to balance it and his beer one handed. "Can you bring the chop sticks over with you?"

Jeremy nodded. "You got a fork around here? I never managed to learn to use the sticks."

"Drawer on the left by the sink."

Jeremy came over a minute later and sat down on the couch as far from Conner as he could. He handed over the chop sticks, careful to make sure his fingers never brushed Conner's.

"Look, let's get this out in the open now. I'm too damned tired to try and jump your bones tonight."

Jeremy looked up, startled. "I didn't..."

"You were thinking it. That kiss we shared in Florida is the elephant in the room and you know it."

Jeremy's eyes shuttered and Conner knew he hit the nail on the head. Fucker had been thinking about that kiss.

"I was in Peru when I got pulled from my assignment. I haven't slept in two days. Fucking is the last thing on my mind right now. I'm dead tired. So what do you say you stop acting like I'm over here making plans on your virginity and we enjoy the meal?"

"I'm not a virgin," he sputtered.

Conner grinned. Oh but he was. It was the grin he gave anyone who tried to deny they were attracted to him, man or woman. It promised pure sin. He knew it's effect on people and Jeremy wasn't immune.

When Jeremy realized what he meant, his eyes widened. "I am not..."

Conner waved his hand, cutting off his righteous indignation. "We'll table all sexual innuendo for tonight. I haven't slept for almost three days and I know you have to be tired too. Let's eat and you tell me about Sloan and the case. Can we do that?"

Jeremy nodded. "I can do that."

Conner noted he didn't really relax though. He still sat stiff and as far away from him as possible. It was a good thing, he told himself. Jeremy was under his protection and he wouldn't fail him. Fucking him would distract Conner and neither of them needed him to be distracted right now.

"Do you remember that case a few years back where members of Congress were victims of a sniper?"

Conner nodded. "I wasn't in the country, but I remember. It was all over CNN at the time. He took out quite a few people."

"He did. We got involved and it was Kade and I who narrowed down the profile that captured him. He blamed the entire team, but it they weren't there when we took him down. I'm the one who arrested him. Kade and I split up as we'd come up with two possible hiding places for him. It was a coin toss as to who went where."

"Which is why he sent you a warning shot over the bow."

"Yes. He promised to make us pay for interfering with his mission. He's crazy."

"I gathered as much from the file. I already requested copies of the case file to be sent to Kade's home. I need to study it so I can learn everything I need to protect you."

"I can protect myself."

"Normally, but not at the moment. You're injured. A good soldier knows when he needs help and isn't afraid to ask for it. That's the kind of thinking that keep men alive. Know your limitations."

Jeremy frowned, but started to eat. "I thought you weren't in the military anymore."

"I'm not. I work for the White House."

Now that got Jeremy's attention. "What?"

Conner chased his food down with a swig of beer. "You heard me."

"But..."

"But nothing. I work with the military sometimes, but I typically work on cases of national security. Sometimes I deal with problems that can't be legally dealt with and require my particular skills."

"Skills?"

"I get in and out without detection and I don't leave evidence behind."

He watched Jeremy take that in and leaned back against the couch. He was shocked. Conner expected that. His twin, Viktor, would hit the roof if he found that out, but Conner was good at what he did. This gave him outlet for his rage and he needed that right now.

"Is what you do legal?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly..."

"Ask me no questions and I'll not be forced to tell you any lies."

"That doesn't do a damned thing to reassure me."

"All you need to know is I'm good at what I do and right now that means keeping you alive."

Jeremy made a noise and shoved more food in his mouth.

"Can you give me your profile of Sloane?"

"We knew he'd be ex-military based on how precise his movements were. Detail oriented and strict. Structured more so than a police officer's routine would have been."

Conner tried to stay focused, but when Jeremy's lips closed over the fork, an image of his lips closing over his cock in the same manner danced in front of him and he found it damn distracting.

"Given his accuracy, we assumed he'd be in his thirties. His eye sight was too good. Once a person hits forty, their eyes start to go. Glasses are required."

"Couldn't he have used contacts?" Conner shifted, bring his leg up and setting the plate on it to hide a growing erection.

"It was possible, but you have to remember. A profile is a tool to help aid in catching the unsub. Actual police work is what caught him."

"But it was based on your profile?"

Jeremy nodded. "Yes, but you can't interpret it literally. It's a general idea using recognized patterns based on unsubs we've successfully captured in the past. Our profile said he'd be divorced, unhappy with the world and incapable of the kind of relationship necessary to hold a marriage together. He'd never even been married. Profiles aren't one hundred percent accurate."

"They're a tool."

"That's all it is. A good guess based on things our experience has taught us."

"Fairly good guess if you ask me."

Jermey smiled and it went straight to Conner's dick. Shit, he was in trouble. He started to ask him something else, but he saw him wince. This could wait until tomorrow. The man needed to take his meds and get some sleep. He did too for that matter. A good night's sleep might help him to get himself under control too.

He got up and found the prescription bottles. He shook two out and then gave them to Jeremy. "Don't argue. You need this tonight. You can start the Motrin tomorrow."

Jeremy didn't say a word and Conner looked down, impatient. Only Jeremy was eye level with Conner's crotch and had a front row seat for the epic hard-on he was sporting. His expression was comical, but Conner didn't laugh. He knew Jeremy struggled with his attraction. Hell, he was over here berating himself for his own attraction. Just for different reasons. Jeremy was someone who could hurt him, someone he didn't want to let in.

He told himself to move, to walk away, but as much as he knew that was what the smart move was, he stayed where he was. His fingers stroked down Jeremy's cheek and that night in Florida came rushing back. He remembered how his entire body lit up like it hadn't for anyone in years. He remembered the feel of Jeremy's lips against his, how his blood heated with desire. He remembered it all.

Conner shook himself. This was not going to help either of them. He reached for Jeremy's hand and dropped the pills in into them. "The spare room is across the hall from mine. Take these and get your ass to bed."

Jeremy looked up and Conner groaned at the mixture of confusion and need stamped in them. "Conner..."

"Knock if you need anything." He turned and for the first time in six years he ran and didn't look back.