In Too Deep (Tenebrae Cove #2)

Chapter 1

Chapter

One

FRASER GORMAN

Fray sat on the pier with his feet dangling, not looking out at the foggy water or to where Tobin’s boat should be moored but wasn’t. He was staring into the space in between, staring at nothing, trying to quieten his mind.

He had a head full of unwanted thoughts, voices and realisations he wasn’t ready to hear.

He knew they spoke the truth, but still... he wasn’t ready to acknowledge it. Once he did, it was all over.

He’d spent far too many years in love with a man who’d never once looked at him like that. Like Fray had wanted him to look at him. There was comfort in unrequited love. It was safe. It was his fascination, his obsession. It made him feel something without any risk at all.

Because Tobin would never love him.

And up until very recently, Fray had always had Ciaran. Eternally single and happy to be on his own, Ciaran had been the best best friend ever because they were a perfect match. Platonically, that was. Brotherly, even.

But now Ciaran had Sawyer, and Fray had lost his partner in crime.

His one person who understood.

Well, he hadn’t lost him. He still had him, but things were different now.

And Fray couldn’t blame Ciaran. Not at all. Finding your mate was a huge deal. A total prize, like winning a lotto jackpot.

Fray was happy for Ciaran. He really was. But he was also a little jealous. How could he not be?

He was jealous that Ciaran had found that bond without even trying. Ciaran’s perfect match had basically walked into his life unbidden, when Fray had struggled for years. He’d been in love with Tobin forever, spent years pining for him, and had nothing to show for it.

Not including his broken heart. He had that, that’s for sure.

And it stung a bit, being suddenly relegated to second rung on Ciaran’s ladder of priorities. Ciaran found his mate, and Fray lost his best friend. But it wasn’t Ciaran’s fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault.

Unless he could blame fate.

Which he kinda did.

And the worst part was, Fray actually liked Sawyer. He was a nice guy. Funny, and he took no shit from Ciaran at all, which was perfect. So no, he didn’t blame Ciaran or Sawyer.

He didn’t even blame Tobin.

Fray blamed himself.

He heard muttering behind him and turned to see Ciaran and Sawyer heading his way. Ciaran was wearing nothing but board shorts, while Sawyer was wearing a full-body thermal wetsuit, including face cover. His eyes were the only visible part of him.

He looked fucking ridiculous, and Fray had to laugh. It felt good to smile. “Dude, where’s my phone? I need photos,” he said. “You look like a mailbox.”

Ciaran chuckled, and Sawyer gave Fray the bird. “Gonna attempt the water without the almost-dying part,” Sawyer said, now eyeing the water with what could only be described as cautious optimism.

“I thought you wanted to stay away from the water?” Fray asked.

Ciaran growled and mumbled something under his breath.

Right.

So this was Sawyer’s idea, and Ciaran didn’t agree.

Maybe it was a mate thing to give in to whatever your other half wanted. Fray had to wonder what that was like. It didn’t sound like fun to Fray, but then maybe the heart-eyes they gave each other and the freaky sex made it worth it.

“I’ll be fine,” Sawyer said to Ciaran in a tone that told Fray it was not the first time he’d said that. “I have you to look after me.”

“I’m not infallible, Sawyer,” Ciaran said. “If something happens to me down there—because I could stay underwater forever if I had to—you’re dead. You get that? Your lungs fill with water, and it’s all over. There’s no reset button, no second chance. Do you know how stupid human lungs are?”

“I’ll be okay, and Fray is here. He can supervise.”

Fray sighed. “Jesus Christ. Please don’t start him on the frailties of the human form.”

Ciaran growled at him. “Fray.”

“But yes,” Fray said quickly, trying to help his friend out here. “Sawyer, this is not your finest idea. And Ciaran is right. It’s dangerous for you.”

“There’s something down there calling to me,” Sawyer said.

“We need to find out what it is. We need to be prepared for whatever the fuck is coming or whatever this Lusca has planned. The sooner the better, before it gets worse. Before something happens to one of you guys, because I refuse to sit around and wait.”

Ciaran let out a long-suffering sigh, but Fray made a face at Ciaran and shrugged. “He kinda has a point.”

Ciaran lasered his gaze at Fray. “Not helping.”

“Consider it police work,” Sawyer added.

“I consider it a death wish,” Ciaran said. “Which, quite frankly, is disrespectful.”

“Disrespectful? How?” Sawyer asked, his stark blue eyes widening in the mail slot of his wet suit.

Ciaran ran his hand through his hair, pulling at the strands. “Because you’re putting yourself in danger and don’t care what it will do to me if something were to happen to you. It will kill me, and you don’t care.”

Sawyer deflated, his gaze softening. “Ciaran.”

Ciaran was still not impressed, though. “Douglas.”

Fray cringed at Ciaran. “Ouch. Did you just proper name him?”

And now Sawyer looked at Ciaran, offended. “Did you just proper name me?”

“Doug. Less,” Ciaran said, childishly.

Fray snorted, which Ciaran clearly did not appreciate. He levelled a glare at Fray that sent a shudder through him. Fray cleared his throat and turned to Sawyer. “He kinda has a point.”

Sawyer’s eyes hardened to ice cold, and he aimed them directly at Ciaran. “Well, here’s the thing. I can either go in the water with you or without you. Your choice.”

Yikes. An ultimatum...

“You know,” Fray said, trying to add a bit of levity. “You two could be putting all this tension and pent-up aggression to much better use and having some fucking hot freaky sex right now. Instead of whatever the hell this is.”

They both stared at him.

Fray shrugged. “Just sayin’. I know what I’d prefer to expend this level of energy on.”

Ciaran was mad at first, but when Sawyer didn’t say anything, Ciaran looked at him. Sawyer shrugged apologetically. “He kinda has a point.”

Ciaran let his head fall back and groaned out a sigh. “This has been so exhausting, I need a nap.”

Fray laughed, but then he heard the sound of a familiar boat engine coming into the Cove. The three of them turned toward it, and sure enough, Tobin’s boat came putting out of the mist.

Just fucking great.

Fray was immediately nauseated, and his bones felt wrong. He couldn’t see if Tobin was alone or if he was bringing the pretty blonde backpacker back into town with him.

He didn’t want to know.

Instead, he pulled his T-shirt over his head. “You know what? Going for a swim is a really good idea.”

“Fray,” Ciaran murmured, trying to reach for him.

But Fray was done. He was so fucking done. Well, he wasn’t really. Not yet. But he needed to be done. He wished he was done. He needed to feel nothing. He needed silence and to feel the weight of the ocean around him.

He needed to not be human for a while.

So he closed his eyes and let his body melt through the cracks of the pier, then slipped into the depths of the dark, dark water.