"You feeling better?" Avi asks as he walks into Tim and Adam's bedroom.

Tim was standing at the window looking out at the snow-covered property.

"Yeah. You?" Tim asks glances over his shoulder at his longtime friend.

"Yeah, a lot better." Avi answers before looking around the room. "Where's Adam?"

"Taking a shower." Tim answers before turning his attention back to the scenery outside. "Tell me something, Avi."

"If I can." Avi replies as he walks up beside the hitman to look out the window.

"Why in the hell would someone born and raised in Texas not far from the gulf end up buying a mountain lodge with asshole deep snow?" Tim asks as he stares out the window in a hypnotic state.

"It's not always like this, Timbo." Avi laughs. "But you have to admit it's beautiful. The snow in the pines and around the lake."

"Yeah, I guess. It's just too d*mn cold though." Tim says with a heavy sigh.

"Oh, hey, Avi." Adam says as he comes out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. 

"Hi, Blondie. How ya feeling?" Avi asks, turning away from the window.

"Better. Still a little weak though." Adam answers as he grabs a pair of boxers from the dresser.

"Same. But we've been living off chicken noodle soup for the past couple of days. Nothing that a good few meals won't take care of." Avi smiles as he walks toward the door. "Speaking of which, I think I smell bacon."

"You okay?" Adam asks as he walks up behind his husband and gently begins to massage his shoulder.

"Yeah, it's just this weather is a bit depressing." Tim answers as he closes his eyes. Adam's massages always relaxed him and ease the pain in his shoulder. "You know, I've been thinking."

"About what?" Adam asks, leaving soft kisses on his husband's shoulder.

"Maybe Nate would know of someone who would take a look at my shoulder and wouldn't ask any questions." Tim says. "I mean, the pot eases the pain but I don't want to get dependent on it like I did the pills."

"True. Maybe he does know someone. There's gotta be a reason why it's still hurting you so bad." Adam says as he moves to stand beside the brunette. "Kevin wasn't a qualified doctor. Yeah, he was able to remove the bullet but that's all he did. He didn't look for any other type of damage."

"I'll talk to Nate about it." Tim nods. "But right now, I need a shower and food."

~~

For the first time in several days, the whole gang was able to gather at the table and eat breakfast.

One by one they had begun to get over their sickness with Tim, Adam, Avi, and Austin being the last to recover. Nate refused to rest until everyone was feeling well enough to leave their rooms. With the final four joining them for breakfast meant that he would finally get some well-deserved rest. 

After breakfast, Nate retired to his and Chris's room while the others cleaned up the kitchen.

Afterward, Tim excused himself and headed to his office to get caught up on phone calls, paying bills and other business. He had several missed calls from Rob that sounded urgent.

The others were trying to find things to do. They had been laid up for a few days and was going stir crazy. Eddie, Avi, Chance, and Adam made their way to the game room. Chris and Austin headed to the exercise room. Esther and Kirstie decided to go swimming in the inside pool.

"Are you cheating? I believe you are cheating." Eddie says as he and Avi battle at a game of pool.

"I'm offended." Avi chuckles as he eyes the pool table. "It's not my fault that you suck."

"DIE YOU SON OF A B*TCH!!" Chance yells at the video game that he and Adam were playing.

"That's me, you moron." Adam laughs.

"Oh, sorry about that." Chance chuckles.

"So, are you ever going to open your bar?" Avi asks as he lines up another shot.

"Yep, I'm hoping to this weekend if the roads are clear." Eddie answers.

"We get free drinks, right?" Avi asks.

"I can't make no money that way." Eddie says with a cocky smile.

"Like you really need the money." Avi says as he rolls his eyes. 

"You can never have enough money, Kid." Eddie chuckles as he pats the much shorter man on the back. "Besides, it keeps me from being bored. Austin and Esther don't need the money either but working at the bar will give them something to do with their time. I'm thinking about asking Kirstie about working there too. She did a great job filling in at the other bar with Tim when I went to Isreal."

"Kirstie?" Avi asks as he lays his pool stick on the table.

"Do you object?" Eddie asks with a raised brow.

"Well, no. I don't guess. If she wants to it will be fine with me as long as she's safe." Avi says.

"Oh, she will be safe. I guarantee it." Eddie nods. After what had happened at the other bar he understood Avi's concern for his wife.

"If you need a bouncer, I'm available." Chance says as he concentrates on the game he and Adam were playing. "My sweetie is working there so I don't mind hanging around."

"That would make me feel better if you were there. At least I would know that Kirstie would be safe." Avi replies.

"Oh, you don't trust me?" Eddie asks with a smile.

"No, I didn't say that. You'll be busy running the bar though." Avi tries to explain. "I know how hectic that can get."

"Actually, that's true." Eddie nods. "Chance? The job is yours. What about you, Adam?"

"Is Tim going to be helping out?" Adam asks.

"I doubt it. He has his own 'business' to take care of." Eddie chuckles as he does the hand quotation around the word business.

"Then no." Adam answers and returns his attention to the game.

"Isn't he retired from his, uh, business? SH*T!!" Chance asks right before his character gets killed.

"You can't retire when it's in your blood." Avi says as he makes his final shot. "YOU LOSE, SUCKERRRRR!!" 

"I quit!" Eddie says as he puts his pool stick back into the rack.

"Me too." Chance says as he throws down his controller.

"But I was winning." Adam pouts.

"Me too." Avi adds.

"Adam?" Tim calls softly from the doorway. "Sweetie, can I talk to you for a minute in private?"

"Yeah, sure." Adam nods before giving the others a worried glance.

"Just whenever you're ready. I'll be in my office." Tim says before walking away.

"Ooooo, you in trouble." Avi chuckles as he hops up on the pool table.

"I don't believe Boss Man would have called him 'Sweetie' if he was in trouble." Chance says as he puts away the controllers.

Adam walks slowly toward Tim's office. A million reasons why his husband wanted to talk to him in private runs through his mind.

"Hey." Adam says softly with a nervous smile as he walks into the office.

"Come mere." Tim says as he pats his lap. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Okay?" Adam says as he walks over and sits down on Tim's lap. "Something wrong?"

"Uh.... Rob is in need of my help." Tim says as his eyes meet those of his husband.

"What kind of help?" Adam asks. Rob had become a dear friend and Adam was concerned.

"He, uh, he needs....." Tim pauses and takes a deep breath before finishing. "He needs me to do a job for him."

********

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