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“I’ve been in your house.”
“Not recently. And you were out of the country when this happened. What I can’t figure out is why. Neither of them would have a reason to hurt me.” His face went even whiter. “I don’t want to call the police. Not yet. What if it is one of them?”
The pain in Richard’s voice twisted up Marc’s stomach. It was on the tip of his tongue to confess everything—the attempts on his life, the bodyguard. He caught a glimpse of Royce, lurking in the doorway and held his tongue. His reasons weren’t clear, but he just couldn’t bring himself to share his own fears. Not yet. And hadn’t he done the same? Gotten private protection instead of turning in one of his own?
Fuck, none of this made any sense. He was taking care of Lilah, so she’d have no reason to do this and Gabriel…well, he was a busy surgeon with a fabulous, active lifestyle. He saved people’s lives, for fuck’s sake! A part of Marc had honestly suspected it was Richard this whole time, not that he could think of a single motive for his brother’s potential betrayal.
“Oh God, Marc, why would either of them do something like this?” Richard’s rough voice shook.
Marc’s heart ached for his brother. Reaching out, he brushed back some sweat-damp hair from his forehead. “We don’t know anything for sure.”
“I know I’m not always easy to get along with, but I didn’t think either of them actually hated me. You know them better. Do they hate me?”
“I don’t think they hate you.” Marc closed his eyes and clenched his hands in his lap as he pressed on, saying the same things he’d told himself more than a month ago. “We need more information first. This could be something completely different.”
Shuffling footsteps brought his attention to the door as a nurse came in and frowned at them. “You shouldn’t be here right now.”
Marc nodded and stood. He put his hand on Richard’s arm. “I’ll be back during visiting hours today. When they let you out of here, I’ll take you to my place. We’ll figure this out.”
Richard just nodded, his eyes closing.
Marc and Royce left the hospital, and when he stepped outside, his first breath of fresh air made his head spin. He reached out to brace himself against the wall.
“Hey,” Royce said softly, pulling him into his arms. “What did he say?”
“He thinks either Gabriel or Lilah tried to kill him. He’s devastated and confused. Terrified.” Marc leaned down and buried his face in Royce’s neck as one small bit of relief spread through him. “It’s not him. He’s not the one who’s trying to hurt me. Somehow, he got a potassium overdose. Caused him to nearly have a heart attack. Like me…he’s like me. We both have arrhythmias.”
He felt Royce stiffen against him and frowned. He pulled back to look at Royce and caught the flare of panic in his eyes. “I’m okay with the medication. I told you that.”
But Royce stepped away and pulled out his phone. “I’m going to call this new information in, so Quinn and Gidget can turn their focus onto Lilah and Gabriel. Because it’s the middle of the night, I don’t think anyone will notice if I drop you off at Geoffrey’s. You’ll be safe there with Sven while I meet my uncle.”
Marc knew better than to argue this one. “Will you at least take backup?”
Royce stared at him. “I’ll let Quinn know where I am. Good enough?”
“Not really,” he muttered as he started walking toward the car. “And with Geoffrey? We’re just gonna show up? You don’t know him very well, do you? He sleeps late. He’s not even coherent in the mornings.”
Royce frowned. “How do you know that?”
Marc stopped walking and cracked up. “Starting to wonder just how many of your friends I’ve slept with?”
“It’s none of my business.” He said it, but his scowl grew darker.
“Because I’m sleeping with you right now, I beg to differ. It is your business.”
Hazel eyes narrowed. “I could stand to hear you begging.”
The fucking heat that raced through Marc made him dizzy. “Shit, Royce.” He shook his head. “Just so you know, I’ve never been with Geoffrey. He’s just a good friend. I know how he is in the morning because I delivered one of his paintings myself and caught his morning zombie shuffle routine. It’s pretty funny actually.”
Royce slung an arm around his waist and led him toward the parking lot. “I’ll make you beg later. Then this should be a lot of fun.”“What the fuck, Roycehole?”
Royce snorted at the disheveled blond glaring at him from his doorway. His hair, completely flattened on one side, stood straight up on top, and he had a crease across his cheek. He did look good in nothing but gray sleep pants with his toned body. He seemed so slender in clothes, Royce had been surprised to see how hard the man worked out when he’d taken shifts protecting him recently. Geoffrey yawned and leaned against the open door, nearly taking a header as it swung open more. He was caught by his boyfriend, who settled Geoffrey on his feet, a frown of concern twisting his lips as he stared at Royce.
