Page 18

by Avril Ashton

“Mr. Storm—”

“I’ve never heard of you,” Is told him bluntly. “Tell me why the fuck you’re here.”

“It doesn’t surprise me that Reggie hasn’t shared our…association.” A cunning smile lit up his gray eyes as he reached inside his jacket.

Is tensed. Tek brought the gun to his forehead.

“Dane Hutchins, like I said.” He pulled out a badge and flipped it. “FBI.” He grinned. “But you can call me Dutch, Reggie does.”

Reggie was friends with a Fed? “What do you want?”

Hutchins stepped fully into the room and Tek closed the door, staying close to him, never taking the gun away.

“I put Reggie in contact with Vega,” Hutchins said. “Trust me when I tell you, Vega isn’t the one behind this.”

“Oh?” Is lifted an eyebrow. “And you know this how?”

Hutchins shrugged. “I just do.”

“That doesn’t work for me,” Is said. “My— Reggie is in fucking surgery right now after taking a bullet meant for me. I’m not interested in hearing your bullshit, Fed. Matter fact, why the fuck are you even here?”

Hutchins didn’t appear fazed by Is’ angry outburst. His face was expressionless when he said, “I’d love nothing more than for two gang leaders to go to war and kill each other. Less paperwork for me when you people go at it. Like with you and Zhirkov.”

Is narrowed his gaze.

“Thought for sure you would have dealt with him way before he became the problem he eventually grew to be.”

“What do you know?” Is asked.

“I know a lot.” The look in his eyes let Is know he wasn’t bluffing either. “For instance, I know just what role Xavier Storm played in your business until very recently. I know the depth of loyalty you have to this man,” he motioned to Tek, “and a certain gun-for-hire with the Scottish accent.”

Tek was motionless. Is didn’t fucking blink.

“And I know you’d rather be at Reggie’s side than here right now.”

Is cocked his head. “You’re right, you know too much. Now tell me what you want.”

“Simple. I want you to look elsewhere to lay the blame for what happened tonight. Vega is a very convenient scapegoat, but he’s not your target.”

“Who is?” Tek asked.

“I gotta do that for you, too?” Hutchins shook his head. “That’s for you to figure out,” he told Is. “Your enemies aren’t as distant as you think.”

“Fuck is this, the Ms. Cleo hour?” Is growled. “If you know something then spit it out, Fed. I’m a busy fucking man.”

“I’m done talking.” Hutchins shook his head. “Just know this, I actually like Reggie. There aren’t a lot of people I can say that about. I take this, and any time his blood is spilt, very personally.” He turned to the door then looked back at Is over his shoulder. “Handle this, Mr. Storm, otherwise I will, and you’ll be collateral.”

Chapter Nineteen

The murmurs registered first. Then the tight clasp on his fingers. Someone was holding his hand, talking to him.

Reggie moaned and blinked an eye open.

“Reg.” Is was there instantly, touching his face. “Fuck.” The word shook as did the hand Is pressed to Reggie’s jaw. “You’re back.”

Reggie tried to smile, but his face felt tight. “Never left.”

Is closed his eyes briefly then pulled the chair he’d been sitting in closer to the bed. “Damn it, you almost did.” The words hitched and his eyes, when he met Reggie’s gaze, was red-rimmed. “You almost did, Reg.”

He was scared, had been scared. Reggie saw it in Is’ face. He lifted his hand to touch Is, but the limb fell back onto the bed. “Sorry.”

Is shook his head. “A bullet. You took a fucking bullet for me.” The words themselves were hurtled as a projectile. “Don’t do that shit again.” He grabbed Reggie’s hand, hanging on. Reggie couldn’t decide who clung to whom. “My bullets are meant for me. They’re mine.”

His eyes looked wet, but his tone was sharp, serious, deadly. “Is—”

“I had to tell your parents this, do you realize that?” Is sighed. “Your moms already hates me, God only knows what the hell she’s gonna do when she gets here.”

“Is—”

“I sent Tek to get them from the airport.” Is pursed his lips. “She tried not to let it show over the phone, but she was scared.” He lifted his gaze to Reggie’s. “I know how she feels, Reg. You almost died and for what? What’s the fucking point?”

“I love you.”

“And I had a visit—” Is finally broke the tirade of words to stare at Reggie. “What?” His eyes bulged out of his head and his jaw dropped.

Reggie smiled. “You asked for what so I’m telling you, just so you know. In case it wasn’t already clear as to why I’d take a bullet for you.” He tugged on Is’ wrist, brought him closer. “I love you. And in my world that’s the point of everything.”

Is’ mouth opened and closed then he pulled away from Reggie and got to his feet, pacing the small space between the chair and the machines Reggie was hooked up to. Reggie just watched him.

“In the cabin you told me I had no idea what it felt like watching me in the hospital bed,” Is finally said in a hoarse voice. “I didn’t know then, but I do now.” Hands shoved deep in his jeans pockets, he kept talking. “Anyone I love I lose.” Anguish chopped up his voice and darkened his eyes when he looked at Reggie. “I survived it by becoming this person,” he tapped his chest, “but this person won’t ever survive losing you.”

“You won’t lose me.”

“I almost did.” Is’ voice rose. “I almost fucking did, Reg, and I haven’t stopped shaking. Haven’t stop bleeding.”

Watching Is hurt like that, right in front of his eyes, killed Reggie. He ignored his own pain and reached out a hand. “Come.”

Is didn’t hesitate. He dropped to his knees beside the bed and buried his face in Reggie’s neck. Reggie couldn’t hug him like he wanted, not with the IV in his arm, so he contended with running his fingers over Is’ nape with a chuckle.

“Kinda love how every time I say come, you drop to your knees before me,” he murmured.

Is lifted his head and took Reggie’s hand, bringing to his mouth and kissing his knuckles. “Tell me you’re okay.”

“I’m okay,” Reggie whispered. “Is,” he brushed his knuckles over Is’ lips, “I’m okay.”

Is made a low sound and bowed his head. When he brought it back up, his eyes were fierce and his hold on Reggie’s wrist tightened. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

Reggie stared at him. “You love me.”

“I let you see me naked and do unspeakable things to my ass.” Is narrowed his eyes. “Of course I love you.”

Reggie barked a laugh then winced at the pain it brought. “I knew it, you know. I knew that you loved me.”

“Yeah?” Is got up and sat on the edge of the bed. Leaning over, his brushed his lips over Reggie’s brow. “How?”

“You let me do unspeakable things to your ass.” Reggie grinned up at him. “That’s love right there.”

Is kissed away his smile, and Reggie was all too happy to let him do whatever he wanted. A knock came on the door of his room, and Is glanced over his shoulder.

“Yeah.”

“Is.” The door opened and Tek poked his head in. “They’re here.” He looked at Reggie. “Glad to see you up.”

Reggie gave him a nod then focused on Is. “Who’s here?”

Is grimaced. “Your parents, and I’m about to make myself scarce.” He kissed Reggie again, deep and hungry and loud when he finally pulled away. “Later.”

* * * *

His parents were exhausting. Reggie was glad when they finally left to go to the hotel Is had booked for them. They were with him when the cops showed up to question him, since hospitals were required to report any bullet wounds that came in. So his parents sat silent and sullen while he gave the officer som
e fucked-up explanation about an attempted mugging.

No, he hadn’t seen the assailant’s face. No he had no clue why he would be targeted. He felt his parents’ disapproval, icy cold, from across the room, but didn’t even feel bad about it. He didn’t know for sure who’d ambushed them, and he needed to talk to Is about that.

When everyone left he ignored the food one of his nurse’s brought in and settled back against the pillows. He only planned to rest his eyes for a second, but the next thing he knew low voices were waking him from a deep sleep.

“What are you doing here?” Is asked.

“Tek called.” The person who replied had an accent. Scottish? “He said you were hurt.”

“I’m fine, Eli. You shouldn’t have come.”

Eli, as in Elias Kote. Reggie had heard about him, but didn’t really know much about the man except he, Tek and Is had done time together on Riker’s Island.

“Of course, I’m gonna come,” Elias said. “You need me, I’m there.” His deep voice grew closer. “This man, you love him.”

“Tek is gossiping again, I see.” Is chuckled. “Go ahead, speak your piece. I know, you’re shocked that I’m with another man.”

“Doesn’t shock me as much as you loving him.”

“What, like I don’t love people?” Is scoffed. “I care about you and Tek.”

“Brothers. We’re your brothers.” Elias sounded as if he were smiling. “This is different.”

“Yeah well, it is what it is.”

“Then I suggest you figure out who inside your crew wants you dead, and fast.” Footsteps shuffled. “You were set up.”

“You know something?” Is asked.

“Nothing except someone really wanted you to think Vega was behind it. They want you two at each other’s throats.”

“A war.”

“Yes. Someone who benefits from the destruction of both you and Vega.”

They had a snitch?

“How are you and Zhirkov getting on?” Elias asked.

“You know the Russian?”

Elias laughed. “I do jobs for him from time to time.” He sounded as if he were grinning when he said, “Rather incestuous, this business of ours, isn’t it?”

Is grunted. Reggie took the opportunity to open his eyes. He cleared his throat. Is was standing with his back to Reggie and he spun around, racing to Reggie’s side.

“Reg, you okay?” He touched Reggie’s forehead with the back of his hand. “Need a nurse or something?”

“I need you to tell me if it’s true.” He flicked a glance to Elias then back to Is. “We got a snitch?”

Is scowled. “We don’t have a snitch. I have a rat I’ll be exterminating in due course. In the meantime,” he motioned to Elias who stepped forward, “there’s someone I want you to meet. This is Elias Kote.” He pronounced the last name as “Cody”. “Eli, this is Reggie. I’m with him.”

Elias grinned and held out a hand. “Any man who’s with Is…Well, you’re a lucky bastard.”

Reggie shook his hand, not at all surprised by the strong grip. “Thanks for coming.”

He was built, muscles stacked atop muscles, with full tattooed sleeves on both arms. The sides and back of his head was shaved down to his shiny skull, but not all the hair was gone. The ginger-red hair on the very top of his head —matching those on his chin—was pulled back into a ponytail. His eyes were arctic blue and the two diamond studs in his left ear winked when they caught the light. Dressed casual in a black t-shirt, jeans and boots, Reggie could see why Elias was an efficient and prolific mercenary. He looked the part.

What didn’t jive with his image was the simple gold band on his ring finger.

“I gotta get back,” Elias said. “Maddie has a checkup. I never miss those.” He smiled at Reggie.

“Thanks for coming.” Is pulled him into a hug and they slapped each other on the back. “Even though you know you never have to.”

“I do.” Elias stepped away and saluted Is with two fingers. “And I’ll always come.” He strode to the door.

“Say hi to the family,” Is called.

Elias waved and disappeared.

Reggie frowned up at Is. “He’s married? Who is Maddie?”

“Yep, he’s married, and Maddie is his daughter.” Is poured Reggie a glass of water from the pitcher on the table next to his bed. “Drink.”

Reggie pressed the button on the panel on the side of the bed to bring it to a sitting position and sipped the water. “Does Elias’ wife know what he does?” He didn’t even know how that would work.

“Husband,” Is corrected him easily as he took the glass from Reggie. “And nope.”

“Damn.” Reggie stared at the door Elias had disappeared through. “Who’d have thought?”

Is chuckled. “Most would say the same about us.”

Reggie knew that. He cleared his throat. “Tell me about what Elias said. We were set up. Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

“Why would I?” Is frowned at him. “This is my shit to deal with, and I will, but you and your recovery comes first.”

“What affects you affects me, Is.” Reggie caught Is’ hand in both of his. “You don’t get to go to battle alone, not when I’m here.”

“I want you nowhere near my battles,” Is said sharply.

Following up that remark would only end in an argument and Reggie wasn’t up for it right that minute. “Okay. Tell me the real reason Tek and Elias are so loyal to you. Don’t say it’s nothing,” he rushed on when Is shrugged. “Obviously those two men will do anything for you. I want to know why.”

“Nothing to tell. We bonded when we were in Riker’s.”

“That was over two decades ago,” Reggie pointed out. “What happened there to form that kind of loyalty?”

Is scrubbed a hand over his face with a put-upon sigh. “Tek was my cellie. There was a brawl. Someone thought because he was a scrawny kid that he was an easy target. I disabused them of that notion.”

Obviously there was a lot more to the story, but Is didn’t appear to want to rehash it. “Okay. I get Tek’s allegiance then. What about Elias?”

“He helped me protect Tek and I helped him deal with some issues of his own.” Reggie stared at him until Is asked, “What?”

“I will find out the entire story, you now that, right?”

Is smiled. “I know.”

The door clicked open and a dark-skinned man in an EMT uniform stepped inside. “Israel.”

“Quinn.” Is got up and went to him, hugging him then quickly letting go. “Reg, this is Quinn. He’s family.”

“Hey.”

Reggie nodded at him. He was gorgeous, this Quinn, with skin as smooth as cocoa, dark hair cut close to his scalp and a trim goatee. He came up to the middle of Is chest, but his small frame was tight and compact. His whiskey-brown eyes were shadowed though, haunted, as if he’d seen some bad things. Reggie remembered what Is had told him about Quinn and Xavier.

“I just came to check up on you,” Quinn said. “I’m off my shift, ’bout to head home and crash.”

“Thanks for everything,” Is said. “I promise I’ll explain soon.

“You’d better.” Quinn waved and walked to the door. “And please take Tek with you when you leave.” He pulled open the door. “I’m not—” Quinn’s words cut off.

Reggie glanced up. Two men stood in the doorway, Xavier and Dima. Xavier was frozen with his hand up, fist balled as if to knock. His face was— Shocked was too mild a word. Dima on the other hand, now his expression went from shocked to blank in a matter of seconds.

Next to Reggie, Is tensed. “Fuck.”

Chapter Twenty

“Quinn?” Xavier frowned.

Is got up and went to stand next to Quinn. Talk about Goddamn timing. “Hey, cuz.” He nodded to X, trying to speak with his eyes. “Quinn was just leaving.”

“What—” X looked beyond Quinn and into the room. “What are you doing here?”


; “I—” Quinn stepped back, bumping into Is. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” X stepped forward and cursed when Quinn flinched. “Fuck, Quinn.” He reached out and Quinn ducked away, pushing Dima aside and running off down the hall.

“Shit.” Is started to go after him, but Xavier grabbed his forearm.

“What the hell, Is? Why is Quinn here?”

“I’ll explain later.” Is shrugged off his hold and went off in search of Quinn. He jogged down the hall, but didn’t see him. He found Tek coming off the elevator. “You seen Quinn?”

“No, why would I?” Tek frowned. “What’s up?”

Is banged his head against the wall. “Shit. Shit”

“Is. What?”

“Xavier is here.”

Tek shook his head. “Okay?”

“They were married, Tek. X and Quinn.”

“What?” The nurses at the Nurses Station a little way down all turned and looked at them when Tek’s outburst echoed in the hall. “Married? Quinn was married?”

“It didn’t end on a good note.” To put that shit mildly.

“Is that why Quinn wakes up at night screaming?” Tek’s expression morphed into something hard and unforgiving. Is was familiar with it, though. “Was Xavier the one who hurt him like that?”

Jesus H. “X didn’t hurt him. He loved Quinn.” Is grimaced. “Still does, I think. But yes, Quinn went through something horrific and seeing Xavier might have been too much. He ran off.”

“Goddamn it.” Tek looked about ready to murder someone.

Is cocked his head. “You wanna tell me what’s going on with the two of you?” he asked. “And why Quinn wants me to take you with me when I leave?”

“Stay out of it.”

“Goddamn it, Tek.”

Tek smiled, but it was a self-loathing gesture. “Funny, isn’t it, that I might be uniquely qualified to know just what Quinn is going through?”

“They’re not the same things.”

Tek regarded him with eyes filled with over two decades worth of pain and anguish. “I’ll go look for him.” He walked away before Is could say anything else.