The V in VengeanceSlowly, Vic Braunson became aware of heavy breathing that tickled his left ear. Still asleep, he brushed his hand over his cheek as if he could fan away the hot air. One word woke in his consciousness—Matt. Without thinking, Vic stretched out his mind to connect with his lover’s.
Silence answered him.
One bleary eye opened to glance at the alarm clock on the bedside table. The red digital numbers read 9:58, two minutes before Vic’s alarm was set to go off. It took all the strength he had to extract his arm from the warm confines of his blankets and reach across the short distance separating him from the clock. As he fumbled for the switch, the clock changed to 9:59, counting down to a time when the early morning stillness would be shattered. Vic turned off the alarm, th
