They worked together.
They went to the movies together.
They got tattoos together.
The two of them had been as thick as thieves, and for the first time in his life, he didn’t have to worry about being alone. He’d found his person.
Saving Noah didn’t just save him, but in a way, it saved Alex, too.
Yeah, they didn’t have sex, but they had something more.
Connection.
Trust.
A relationship—of sorts.
When they’d watch a movie, and fall asleep on the couch, countless times, Alex would watch Noah sleep, and wonder what it would be like to be loved.
Because no one ever had before.
Then, that was torn away, and out of the pain came a miracle. The day he’d met Corbin Price, it all stopped hurting again.
Elizabeth had called them into the office, and they met. In that moment, something happened.
There had been a click.
That night, they had dinner after work, and they laughed and laughed for hours. It had been the first moment’s peace that he’d experienced in forever.
There had been no need to numb pain, because it all disappeared. It melted away, like it had never existed.
At work the next day, Corbin brought him a coffee, and they started a case.
When he became his backup, instantaneously, he became his best friend.
That was a miracle in Alex’s life.
In that moment, he knew that what they had was special, and something so unique. It was more than what he had with Noah.
Until it wasn’t anything.
And he needed to find out what he’d done to make the man not want to be near him.
If he didn’t find out, it would continue to tear him apart—like his whole life had.
Finding Corbin hadn’t been easy either. The man was trying to evade him.
He’d called down to the desk, and pretended to be Corbin, once he figured the man wouldn’t leave the hotel.
He told him that he’d lost his key, and could he get another when he got there.
They didn’t even question it when he flashed his badge, and said that he was Corbin Price. The shift change had happened, and the night crew didn’t know any different.
They passed it right off—not even checking to make sure he was who he said he was.
An FBI badge got you through many closed doors. Now, it would get him into Corbin’s.
With the room number, and a key in case he tried to hide, Alex headed back upstairs.
