“I understand that part at least. When you’re ready to talk about the rest, I’m here to listen.” It was all he could do, and he felt rather helpless.

“Thanks.” Liam pushed away, and this time Jude let him. When Liam spoke again, his voice was quiet. Thoughtful. “Speaking of relationships, have you fu-made love to Lily?”

The distinction in terms didn’t escape him. “Yes. Does that upset you?”

“Of course not.”

Jude smiled. “Seems our Lily was being straight about sharing our kinks. She-oh, crap.”

“What?”

“I sort of promised her that she could join us the next time you and I were together. Would you like that, all of us making love?”

“Yeah, man. That’ll be freaking hot!” Liam poked his chest, good cheer restored. “Except we didn’t wait for her.”

“A situation that can easily be remedied tonight. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“I’m cool, trust me. I like Lily. There’s something special about her. She fits in here.”

Warmth spread through Jude’s middle. “She does.”

“Jude, I-I…”

He waited.

“I’d better get back to the kitchen before I ruin dinner.”

Jude squashed his disappointment that, in the end, his friend opted not to share what was bothering him. “Nothing fancy. You’ll need lots of energy for later.”

“Hey, you didn’t hire me to cook you boring food.”

“No, I hired you because you were the kindest, most beautiful young man I’d ever met,” he said, letting the emotion in his words carry his message. “You had the soul of an angel and you steadied me, made this empty house a home. Don’t ever doubt your place as my dearest friend.”

Liam grabbed Jude, gave him a brief, hard hug. “That’s all I need to hear,” he said, slapping him on the back.

“You’ve got me, my friend, and I’m not going anywhere.” Liam turned loose of him and stepped back. “You need help getting dressed?”

“No, but I do need my cane. It’s still in the studio.” Which he’d trashed. Not his brightest moment.

“Wait here and I’ll find it.”

Liam yanked on his clothes and left to fetch the cane, while Jude pulled on his shorts. More like fled. Too much honesty between two guys, he supposed.

Despite his concern for Liam being put through hell by his mysterious lovers, Jude felt better than he had in days. Maybe it was selfish, but having his best friend and an intriguing woman to fill his home with light was just what he needed. Perhaps it would be enough to pull him back from the precipice, keep him from falling into whatever pit of doom awaited in his dreams.

Maybe the horror would vanish altogether and he’d never worry again about what he might have forgotten in his past.

Those secrets would simply vanish into the mists of time as though they’d never been.

Whoever you were, you’re not that man anymore.

No matter that his nightmares insisted differently.

Lily pulled into a space near the park and glanced around furtively. Pretty sure nobody was paying attention, she flipped open her cell phone and speed-dialed her boss’s number-her real boss, not the arrogant shithead who’d taken over and made the protocol at SHADO nearly unrecognizable.

“Ross residence,” a very British man said in greeting.

“Simon? This is Lily Vale. Don’t hang up on me-I have to talk to Michael,” she said, more than a little desperate. “This is regarding one of his agents and he needs to know-”

“Miss Vale, I’ll impart to you what I’ve said at least twice before. Michael has given me strict orders that he is not to be disturbed under any circumstances.”

“But-”

“That includes fire, flood, the next apocalypse, and wayward agents.”

“He has to hear-”

“The man is grieving and he has a full staff of educated personnel quite capable of handling whatever conundrum they’ve muddled their way into,” he said politely. But firmly. “I promise to have him phone you at his earliest convenience. Good-bye, love.”

Click.

“Fuck! Fuckity-fuck-fuck!”

A knock on her window nearly sent her into cardiac arrest. Jumping in her seat, she whipped her head around to find Robert Dietz smiling at her in amusement. Jackass.

Shouldering her purse, she shoved the cell phone and keys inside, got out, and punched the lock. Dietz stood back, waiting, and gestured toward her purse.

“I think you beat your poor phone to death.”

She shot the tall, sandy- haired man an annoyed look. “Crappy service. What can you do?”

“I can relate,” he said, nodding. “Let’s walk.”

They headed into the park, two nice professional- looking people out for a stroll. No one paid them any mind. “When you called, I told you I don’t have much.”

She braced herself for his question.

“Have you administered the first dose?”

“I have it planned for tonight,” she answered truthfully. Her stomach rebelled.

His piercing blue eyes pinned her with a searching look; then he seemed to relax. “Not as soon as I’d hoped, but it will do. What else do you have?”

“What makes you think I have squat?”

“Because you’re one of my best agents, that’s why.” He smirked.

One of Michael’s best, needle dick.

“As a matter of fact, I do. I’ve found St. Laurent’s war room.” The instant the words left her mouth, she felt as though she’d betrayed Jude. She hated the crawling, oily sensation on her skin. “Or at least I believe so.”

“I don’t pay you to tell me what you believe. I want results.” He said it as calmly as if he’d remarked on the Yankees’ current stats.

She restrained the sudden urge to break his nose. “The access is in his master closet. Behind a hidden panel there’s a ladder descending to what is, in my opinion, an underground room. I think it’s likely we’ll find one or both of the files secreted there.”

“And were you planning on receiving an engraved invitation to visit it? Why the hell haven’t you been down there?”

“I’m not exactly alone in the house,” she snapped. “The housekeeper only comes once a week, but his chef lives there full-time…”

In horror, she trailed off, hoping to keep the bald emotion from her expression. Sweet Mother of God, she’d just thrown Liam to the wolves. Her pulse beat a mad tattoo in her chest. If Dietz suspected she had an ounce of feeling for her new friend, he wouldn’t hesitate to use it to his advantage.

“Make an opportunity, slip St. Laurent and the chef both something if you have to, but get down there and see exactly what he’s got. I’ll expect a full report tomorrow.”

She stopped walking and gaped at him. “You want me to go down there tonight?”

“What better time? You’re giving our rogue agent the first dose, putting the chef out of commission. Hell, poison him, too. Who will know?”

Lily felt the blood drain from her face. “No. Both sick at the same time? If they didn’t suspect foul play, someone else would, eventually. It’s too risky.”

“Fine. I don’t give two shits how you corral the O’Neil kid, just do it.”

Oh, God. “You know his name?”

“Vale, I know everything.” Dietz gave her a wolfish grin. “I know, for example, when sweet Liam makes his trips into the city, and who he meets for a torrid tryst when he’s supposedly out buying groceries. I know he likes to jog along that isolated road out there in the mornings. Alone. Unprotected. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” she said, choking down her rage.

“Good. Don’t fail in your mission to kill St. Laurent, and pretty Liam lives to fuck you by the pool another day.” Reaching out, he touched her cheek. “Talk to you tomorrow, Miss Vale.”

He left her there, rooted to the spot, staring at his retreating back. In the space of ten minutes, the motherfucker had redefined the meaning of hell.

Dietz was everywhere, eyes and ears watching her every move. He knew things, personal stuff, he wasn’t supposed to-