Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Shaun pulled into the drive and hit the button for the garage before he noticed the unfamiliar truck already parked beside it. He climbed out, opened the back of his truck, and grabbed one of the cases of beer.
“Zen, you better not have started the fucking party while I was buying enough meat to feed your entire goddamn team.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, babe.” Zenko appeared from behind the workbench with Castiel right behind him, and both assholes looked guilty as fuck. He crossed the garage and stopped in front of Shaun. “You were gone fucking forever.”
“Forty-five minutes.” Shaun set the beer down, caught Zenko around the waist, and pressed a kiss to the side of his head before letting his hand settle at the back of his neck.
“Miss me that fucking much?” When he looked up, Castiel was watching them, something wistful in his expression before he glanced away.
A possessive edge Shaun hadn’t expected tightened low in his gut.
Castiel cleared his throat and headed toward the truck. “I’ll grab the meat and beer and get the grill going. You two can finish saying hello.”
Shaun waited until Castiel was out of earshot before turning back to Zenko. “You two ever fuck?”
Zenko blinked at him. “Me and Cas?” His eyebrows climbed before a grin slowly spread across his face. “Hell, no. Where the fuck did that come from?”
Shaun jerked his chin toward the backyard. “The way he looked at us when I kissed you. There was something there, and I didn’t fucking like it.”
“Possessive bastard.” Zenko caught the front of Shaun’s shirt and pulled him closer, a grin tugging at his mouth.
“Cas and me have never been anything except brothers. There was someone else on our old SEAL team, though, and there’s a whole lot of history there that’s painful as fuck for Cas.
That’s his story to tell, babe, not mine. ”
“Good.” Shaun slid a hand around Zenko’s waist and kissed him properly this time. “Because I like Cas, and having to bury one of your teammates before dinner would make things fucking awkward.”
Zenko laughed and shook his head as he released Shaun’s shirt.
“Jesus Christ. Five minutes ago, you were buying burger buns. Now you’re threatening to bury Cas in the backyard.” He leaned in and stole another kiss. “I fucking love you.”
“Yeah, well, keep that in mind the next time one of your ridiculously good-looking teammates gets wistful over us.” Shaun gave Zenko’s ass a squeeze before stepping back. “Now tell me what the hell you two were doing behind the workbench when I pulled in.”
“Absolutely fucking nothing.” Zenko’s grin turned suspicious as hell, and he shifted sideways until his body blocked Shaun’s view of the workbench. “Go help Cas with the food, babe.”
Shaun narrowed his eyes at the innocent expression Zenko wasn’t even trying hard enough to sell.
“You do remember this is my garage, right? Whatever the fuck you’re hiding back there, I’m eventually going to find it.”
“You can find it later.” Zenko caught Shaun by the shoulders and turned him toward the open garage door before giving him a shove.
“Right now, you’ve got groceries sitting in the truck, and Cas is probably already stealing my beer.
The others will start showing up any minute, so move your sexy ass. ”
“Bossy fucker.”
Shaun headed for the truck, but he only made it a couple of steps before another engine sounded beyond the gate. A dark SUV came up the drive.
“Looks like your assholes have started arriving.”
“Assholes?” Zenko stepped around him and headed for the drive, a grin already spreading across his face as the SUV rolled to a stop. “Show some fucking respect, babe. Those are highly trained members of one of the most covert military units in the world.”
Shaun snorted as the driver’s door opened. “I’ve met you all, remember.”
Castiel’s laughter carried from the backyard. “He’s got you there, Zen.”
Roman climbed out and reached back inside for a case of beer.
“If I’d known there was an admission fee, I would’ve brought the cheap shit.”
“You did bring the cheap shit.” Zenko crossed the drive and pulled Roman into a hard hug before taking the case from him. “Good to see you, asshole.”
Roman returned the hug without hesitation before another door opened on the far side of the SUV. Whatever Zenko might call these men when he was bitching about them, his whole fucking face had changed the second Roman arrived.
Reese came around the front of the SUV carrying another case, took one look at Zenko holding Roman’s beer, and shook his head.
“Jesus Christ, you’ve been medically cleared for five fucking minutes and you’ve already got people carrying shit for you.”
“Rank has privileges.” Zenko tucked the case against his chest and jerked his head toward Shaun. “Besides, I’ve got a Ghost now. I’m thinking about making him carry my shit permanently.”
Shaun folded his arms and smiled at his man. “Keep thinking that, babe. Let me know how it works out for you.”
Roman glanced between them before reaching into the SUV for another bag.
“Fuck me, Zen, we leave you unsupervised for a month, and somehow Shaw still hasn’t killed you.”
“Jealousy is fucking ugly on you.” Zenko shifted the beer to one arm and hooked the other around Shaun’s neck, dragging him against his side. “Some of us are fucking lovable.”
Shaun laughed and let himself be hauled in as Reese walked past them toward the house with a bullshit cough.
“Yeah, babe. That must be it.”
Reese stopped beside Shaun and jerked his chin toward the cases still sitting in the truck.
“Need a hand with the rest of that shit?”
“Yeah.” Shaun grabbed the bags of groceries while Reese took the remaining beer, and they started toward the backyard. “Zen apparently thinks feeding Red Squadron means sending me to empty half a fucking supermarket.”
“Jeez, he can use his brain cells? Who the fuck knew?” Reese adjusted the cases against his chest and glanced toward Zenko. “You probably shouldn’t get used to that.”
“Fuck you, Reese.” Zenko followed them around the side of the house with Roman beside him. “I’ve got plenty of brain cells. I keep them in reserve for important shit.”
Castiel looked up from the grill as they came into the backyard. “Which explains why you never use them.”
Shaun laughed as Zenko flipped Castiel off, then another engine sounded from the drive.
“Please tell me that’s the last one before Noble and Max. I’d like to actually drink some of the beer I bought before you assholes start whatever the fuck passes for a party around here.”
“Yeah.” Zenko glanced toward the drive, and the grin that spread across his face told Shaun exactly who it was. “That’ll be Saxon. Then we’re only waiting on Eagle and Cupid.”
“Thank fuck.” Shaun reached into one of the cases Reese had set down and pulled out a beer. “Because I’m officially off fucking host duty.”
“Good luck with that.” Castiel turned back to the grill and lifted the lid. “You fell in love with Ambra One. You’re gonna be hosting us for the rest of your fucking life.”
Shaun took a long drink of his beer and pointed the bottle at Castiel. “You say that like I didn’t know exactly what I was getting into.”
“Bullshit.” Zenko stole the beer straight out of Shaun’s hand and took a drink before Shaun could stop him. “You knew what you were getting into with me. You didn’t know you were getting all these fuckers as part of the deal.”
“Still don’t see a problem.” Shaun took his beer back and wiped the mouth of the bottle against his shirt purely to piss Zenko off. “Although I reserve the right to revise that statement once I figure out what the fuck you and Cas were doing in my garage.”
“Fair warning, there’s a decent chance you’re going to regret asking.” Castiel closed the grill and reached for his beer as the sound of a truck door slamming carried from the front of the house. “Especially now that Berg’s here.”
“Why the fuck does everybody keep saying shit like that instead of answering me?” Shaun looked between Castiel and Zenko, but both assholes were grinning now. “You know what? Forget it. Whatever happens, I’m blaming Zen.”
“Get in line.” Saxon’s voice came from around the side of the house a second before he appeared carrying a bottle of bourbon in one hand. “We’ve been blaming that fucker for years.”
Shaun lifted his beer toward the newcomer. “Good to know. I was starting to think I’d picked the wrong man to blame for everything.”
“Fuck all of you.” Zenko grabbed another beer and twisted the cap off. “Berg, food’s almost ready. Noble and Max are still on the road, so you’ve got time to make yourself useful instead of standing there talking shit.”
Saxon looked at the bourbon in his hand, then at Zenko. “I brought a contribution. That makes me useful.”
He headed toward the table, but his boot caught something hidden in the grass beside the path. “What the fuck?” Shaun barely had time to look down before Saxon jerked his foot back and something tucked beneath the grass snapped tight.
Shaun heard a sharp pop before a cloud of gold glitter exploded over Saxon, coating his hair and shoulders.
For one completely silent second, nobody moved. Then Saxon slowly turned his head toward Zenko.
“Marks.”
“Wasn’t for you.” Zenko was already backing away, laughter breaking through the words as Saxon started toward him. “Seriously, Berg, think about this before you do something fucking stupid.”
“Oh, I’m thinking.”
Saxon lunged.
Zenko fucking ran, and Shaun barely had time to get out of the way before Saxon went after him. Castiel was already moving in the opposite direction, a grin spreading across his face as he disappeared around the side of the house.
Shaun stared after him for a second before looking back at Zenko. “What the fuck is happening?”