Angelo

I glanced at Sam's phone when it rang. I thought about not answering it, but my avid curiosity—and maybe a bit of jealousy—got the better of me.

It said private number.

"Who is this?" I asked after swiping my finger across the screen.

"Who is this?" came the terse reply.

I bristled with indignation. I couldn't remember the last time someone had talked to me like this. "This is Officer Sam Brodsky's phone and—"

"I know who's phone it is. That's who I was calling."

"Who is this?" I repeated.

"This is Lyn. Who is this?"

"Oh, Lyn." I blew out a relieved breath. "This is Angelo. Sam is in the shower. Can I take a message?"

"Do you think you could go get him? This is kind of an emergency."

"Yes, of course." I started walking toward the guest room. "Give me just a moment." I pressed the phone to my chest and rapped my knuckles on the bathroom door. "Hey, Sam? Lyn is on the phone. He says it's an emergency."

I caught a flash of naked skin and rounded ass as Sam turned off the shower, opened the stall door, and reached for a towel.

I was sad to see all that skin covered up.

I handed the phone over when Sam held out his hand.

"What'd Lany do now?" Sam asked. He was silent for a moment as if he was listening to Lyn talk and then he asked, "Lyn?" He chuckled. "Okay, just making sure." Sam put the phone on speaker then set it on the counter. He reached for an extra towel and began drying off.

I had no shame.

I leaned against the doorframe and watched.

"Sal and Lany are busy because Lany fell and hurt himself," Lyn said in a harried voice. "David is on his way to the airport to fly back from visiting his aunt. You're next on my list."

"I'm in Martha's Vineyard, Lyn."

"Martha's Vineyard?" Lyn sounded confused.

"Massachusetts."

"What are you doing there?"

Sam grinned at me. "Angelo wanted to show his beach house."

I wanted to show him more than that. I just wasn't sure how to go about it. I had carefully cultivated my friendship with Sam Brodsky over the years, wanting to make sure he was a man I could trust.

I'd met a lot of boneheads in my time.

Unfortunately, my hesitation pushed us firmly into the friends category and I'd been trying for ages to move us into the boyfriend category. I thought this trip to my beach house might do it, but it looked like I might have hoped for too much.

"Did you all get the week off or something?" Lyn asked.

I was confused for a moment until I remembered that Officer Lyn Philips had resigned from the SWAT unit Sam served on. He'd gone to work for the FBI's cyber crimes division. Both were dangerous as hell. I'd rather run my corporation. At least there, if someone tried to stab you in the back, it was usually financial and not lethal.

"Sal gave us all a three day weekend so he could spend some time with Lany and the kids."

I waved my hand until I caught Sam's attention then quickly mouthed that I could fly him home in just a few hours if he needed to go. I understood Sam's dedication to his job and his friends. That was the world I wanted to belong to.

"Angelo says he can have his jet fly us back," Sam explained to Lyn, "but it'll still be a few hours. Can you hold out that long?"

"Probably not."

Sam's eyes were pinched with worry when he shot me a look. "Have you called Clarke?"

"No, not yet. I still have a few people I can call."

Sam rolled his eyes. "You can call Clarke, you know. He was a little bent out of shape when you quit, but I'm sure he'd still help you if you're in trouble."

"I'll call him if I can't find anyone else."

"I'll have my pilot get the jet ready. We can fly out as soon as you're dressed," I whispered before pulling my cell phone out of my pocket and quickly typing out a message to my pilot. He was new so I didn't know how long it would take him to get things going.

"Okay, Lyn." Sam sighed. "Angelo says he'll fly us back tonight. We should be there in a few hours."

"Let me see if I can get a hold of Vinnie first. I don't want you to have to cut your trip short. I'll talk to you later, Sam."

Lyn hung up before either Sam or I could say anything more.

"What was that all about?"

Sam shook his head. "I don't know, but Lyn usually isn't the one in trouble. Lany is."

Oh, I'd heard about the things my brother-in-law did, and they made me shudder. My brother should get a freaking metal.

"How much time do you need to get ready to go?" I asked.

I guess it was a good thing we hadn't gotten unpacked yet.

"Ten minutes tops."

"Okay, I'm going to grab my bag and call for a driver." I glanced at my watch. "We should be to the airport in about thirty minutes."

"Hey, Ang, I appreciate you doing this. I know you wanted to spend the weekend here. I'm sorry we have to go back early."

I shrugged so he wouldn't know how much I wanted this, and how much I hated leaving. "We can come back another weekend."

"Yeah, but how many weekends do you get off from work and have a sitter for Cole?"

Not many.

It had pretty much taken having all the planets aligned just to be here now.

Still, my thoughts went back to how much Sam cared about his friends. If I wanted in his life in a more permanent manner, I had to accept that about him. I even appreciated that about him.

Sam Brodsky was made loyal.

"I'm sure we can figure out another weekend."

I'd tell Sam Brodsky anything he liked as long as he kept smiling at me like I mattered. 

"Get dressed."

I turned and walked out of the room before I could stay and beg.

I was close.