"What are we doin' here?" Zero asked. Although, to be honest, he had a pretty good idea.

"I wanted to talk to you. Away from the arena," Jude answered, handing him a container of hot liquid. Zero's fingers lightly grazed his own before Jude slid into a chair opposite him.

"You sure you're not trying to get me on a date?" Zero toyed.

While Stellar Stags Coffee and Tea Emporium was four blocks from Devils Arena, it was only another to the Abbey, a gay bar that Jude had shown a casual interest in going to.

No fucking way.

However, having morning coffee together wasn't that much different from when he stayed overnight at Jude's place.

Jude narrowed his eyes and twisted his lips but remained quiet.

They were seated at one of the rear tables near the restroom, facing a big corporate logo of a woman poised to take a dainty sip of tea opposite a steaming cup of coffee.

Zero's view was slightly blocked by a white column, as the sunlight filtered through greenery in front of the large windows.

"We coulda done this at your apartment," he smirked, savoring a short drink of his velvety double cappuccino.

He could see Jude's green eyes flit with desire and his lips part slightly, before he got ahold of himself.

Jude cleared his throat and sat up straight, while absently touching his paisley tie. "I never would have pegged you for a specialty drink kinda guy," he muttered, as he brought his large, black coffee to his mouth.

"What can I say, I like small pleasures… well, not all of my pleasures," he teased, which got a short, self-conscious smile from Jude.

That made him smile. It was nice to see Jude relax. If only a little bit. "You should smile more," Zero said huskily.

"You make me want to."

He could see that Jude meant it, and for a moment he liked it. But just for a moment.

The air around them suddenly became awkward.

"So, talk," he spoke; all business, breaking the tension. He figured that the other man was still a bit suspicious when it came to whether he'd overheard Derek's and his conversation. Maybe this was to scope him out some more.

Now it all made sense as to why Derek had helped Jude get a spot at the Agency. Jude had mentioned doing "favors" in the past for Derek. He'd taken a big risk scoring coke… and gotten a big reward.

Zero'd been surprised. Well, not that surprised. Jude was an agent. Hell, he, himself, had met Callie Malena's girls at a party thrown by his former rep, Drew Moss. He knew his lover was ambitious and was trying to live up to Oscar Kinkade, and everybody knew that Oscar wasn't the type who liked flattery. He liked people who got shit done.

Truth be told, it only made Jude more exciting for him. But it also made Zero want to… protect him?

Regardless of the sex, Jude was his friend. Jude had gotten him here, and had stuck with him… so, he, Zero, had to stay with him. No matter how shaky it all was right now and how much he wanted to get Derek Roman out of the way.

The night, after he'd fucked Jude to sleep, but before, he'd rolled out to meet Kendall, he'd gone on a little apartment scavenger hunt and found a red envelope. He wasn't sure why Jude hadn't shredded, burned, or hell-even flushed the evidence that linked him to that Olivia Vincent woman.

Some kinda guilt?

Was Derek or he guilty of killing Olivia? The last couple of days that's all anybody in the press, at the arena, or in the locker room, was talking about.

Chase Vincent had been cleared, but somebody-took her out …

"I've got a bunch of new endorsement talks, in the next couple of weeks. I'm thinkin' maybe lay off trying to come between Derek and Terrence. Terrence is not going to get nearly as much play… that makes room for you… but Derek is healthy, and his game is on point. Maybe we should learn from the Jelena situation and just focus in on the game... people are a little less angry since you let Ahsha off the hook..." he advised.

Zero nearly choked on his drink.

He looked around the Stellar Stags' wood paneled interior, observing that Devil Girl, Kyle, leaning over the counter and flirting with the barista.

"Reggie, you know I enjoy it… hot."

After he made sure that no one would overhear, he looked deeply at Jude. "Hell. No," he whispered. "After everything… I've done. Sacrificed. There's no way I'm giving up the idea of taking over."

"Fine… I'm just thinking a lower profile might be the best thing for both of us," replied Jude, distractedly playing with his brown coffee sleeve.

He was trying to be cagey and failing miserably. Zero almost wanted to tell him that he was safe. He wouldn't ever tell. But then Jude would probably take it the wrong way. As a sign of something more. And that's just it. It was more. Zero fucking worried about him. But that was it. He didn't do relationships… especially…

"Well, hello, there!" said a woman's voice.

They both looked up to see a floral, halter-dress clad Kyle standing over them. In one hand she gripped a personal coffee and in the other, a cardboard holder that contained a duplicate of their orders. She easily placed the fragrant drinks in front of them.

"Congratulations!"

Jude looked at her confused. "For what?"

Her blue eyes swept from one to the other, momentarily, lingering on Jude.

Zero couldn't quite put his finger on it. He saw knowing, pity and suspicion sweep across that pretty face before they were quickly replaced with a mask of cheerfulness. He didn't know what this chick knew. But he recognized a player and a hustler when he met one.

"On your guy here, makin' it to the Finals! I also, wanted to say thanks for not throwing Care Bear under the bus… I mean, we all know about-well, you know, what went down with you two," she said settling her gaze on Zero.

It was now his turn to look at her confused. "Care Bear? What went down?"

"Ahsha… and you and Jelena," she responded with gossipy sympathy, as she scrunched her nose, and nodded her head.

"We broke up," he replied blandly. Never volunteer information or admit to anything. Two lessons learned in foster care.

He could tell she probably had Jelena's number, but unlike Ahsha or him, she had no reason to call it. She did, however, seem to be on high alert.

He felt less guilt for inserting himself into Jelena's personal vendetta against the Hayes women, and more like a chump for letting himself get used and outplayed by her.

He'd get his revenge. But that was for another day.

"Well, see you in Boston… you two boys have fun now," she said with a wink and a grin before she sashayed away, leaving behind a rich blend of coffee bean and magnolia musk.

"What just happened?" he asked.

"I have no idea…" said Jude as his cell went off. He reached into his pocket. "It's Oscar." He answered and pressed the phone against his ear. "Yeah, hi-"

"… fucking need you to do some… for… ASAP… be a woman targeting… bitch… there, trying… cause trouble… you to manage it...!"

He was so loud and angry that Zero could make out practically every word.

So could the couple at the table next to them. Both guys gave them annoyed looks.

"Okay, okay. I'll get right on it," he replied, stress clear in his tone.

Zero couldn't imagine jumping through this many hoops for anybody. Especially not somebody like Oscar. If the rumors about him were true-and it was pretty much a guarantee that they were-everyone knew that Oscar was as far from a family man as a person could get. He could keep Leo and Carla company.

"Gotta go," he said after he'd hung up, but didn't make a move to leave. Instead, he ran his palm down the front of his tie.

Neither did Zero. He just took a quick sip of his now cooled-down cappuccino.

They just looked at each other and tried to relax, despite the tension that Zero could feel again. It had nothing to do with Oscar or some weird blonde, and little to do with the coke situation.

It all felt bigger than those things.

He did not want that. Did he?