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Chapter 1

Over-the-Rhine during the holiday season held a cheery, urban appeal that drew Ian in He was already in this little neighborhood frequently because it held some of his favorite unique stores, but the holiday season beckoned him, even when he didn’t have tis that featured different nineteenth-century architecture, loved that people decorated their bikes with Christhts, and he enjoyed quite a few of the restaurants tucked into the old structures

After parking his Volt, he strolled up 14th Street toward Vine where he wasAndrei at a sushi bar He tossed his favorite broool scarf around his neck, tugged on the h the evening crowds

OTR was busy for a Tuesday night, but the various weather into the area despite the fact that it wasn’t yet Dece to enjoy some time out and about before they were potentially snowed in for a few days

Not that Cincinnati was prone to blizzards, but occasionally the tri-state area would get hit with a good blast, shutting down roads and closing schools And no one wanted to get stuck inside when it was pri done and attend holiday parties

Even now, snow fell in soft flakes, giving the historic district ic atmosphere He stopped and lifted his face to feel the tiny stings as they melted on his cheeks

He’d been working too ht he’d taken off since Thanksgiving Spending it with Andrei was a no-brainer considering hon theof the reason why, Ian pulled out his cell phone to see if Lucas had texted hih, he had Lucas always responded, but all his answers lately had been nothing more than terse, short sentences This text held just one word

Yes

Ian had point-blank asked if he would be home soon

Lucas was running—so Ian was not used to when it came to his friend Lucas Vallois was the ultih he’d never seen himself that way But Ian kneas the force that held their group together, so his long trip overseas had left all his friends feeling off for the holiday Off and sad, and Ian was still pissed about it

But then, they were all reeling from what had happened just before the holiday The culprits behind the fires that had razed some of Lucas’s businesses as well as soer’s daet hoe to property and even the death of one of Rowe’s bodyguards But it had been too late Lucas couldn’t deal with the knowledge that his actions against Chris Green had brought on the death of their friend, and Roife, Melissa He’d taken off—supposedly to work, but Ian knew better

Ian’s sleep issues had been out of control as well Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the twins’ murder and suicide over and over, so he went out of his way to avoid sleeping Unfortunately, when he finally gave in, he never knehere he was going to end up

Snoas the only one who’d caught hi him a “sleep crawler” He didn’t walk around like normal sleepwalkers No, he scuttled around his house like some kind of animal Ian couldn’t contemplate what kind of messed up inner psyche he had to have to spend his unconscious ti around on all fours

That uest bathroo he’d hit those stairs while asleep scared the crap out of hiain awakened in a safe, contained spot The last ti Ian hadthis for years: he was looking for somewhere safe

It pissed him off that he had no control over the problem Luckily, it only happened when his stress levels were through the roof Like now

His phone rang, and Andrei’s ie popped up on the screen It was actually a picture of Lucas and Andrei he’d snapped at Rialto one night They had been looking at each other like each was responsible for the other’s air He sighed, angry with Lucas all over again, then answered “I’ late”

“No probleo ahead and order your drink What do you want?”

“Beer is fine See what they have of the local brews I’ new”