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And he was beginning to wonder how he was going to live without him when he finally got his normal life back.Chapter ThirteenEdward watched Daniel closely as they switched from Métro train to Métro train, zigzagging across the city. He had to be sure that there was no one else on their tail. He needed to be able to give Daniel a place where he could feel safe while he was sleeping.
It was midafternoon when he finally packed Daniel into a taxi that would take them to a little hotel he knew of in Montmartre. The neighborhood was away from the heaviest tourist traffic and chaos of the city. He hoped it would afford them some privacy…at least for a little while.
Once in the hotel, Daniel sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his hands. He didn’t rush over to the window to check their view of the city. He seemed drained and frazzled. But then Edward could too easily understand. Daniel had taken a life. Likely for the first time. It didn’t matter that he’d done it to protect Edward, saving his life. He’d killed a man, and it would weigh on his soul for a while.
Edward could still clearly recall the first time he’d taken a life. It had been in the line of duty, but he couldn’t point to one person and say that his actions had saved that person’s life. Not like Daniel could.
Putting the laptop on the small table in one corner of the room, Edward called down to the front desk and ordered up some food and coffee. He then stretched out on the bed behind Daniel, slowly rubbing his hand up and down his back.
“You were right when you didn’t believe my story about foster care,” he said out of the blue.
Daniel straightened slightly and blinked a couple of times like he was waking up. Twisting where he sat, he looked over his shoulder at Edward. “You weren’t in foster care?”
Edward shook his head. “I had an upbringing much like yours, only with one sister. Very normal, run-of-the-mill family.”
Daniel shifted on the bed so that he was now sitting facing Edward, a look of disbelief clear in his eyes. “Normal?”
“I know. Kind of hard to believe that a normal family could produce someone like me, but there you go. It can happen.”
Daniel stared for several, long moments, his green eyes soft. “Thank you for telling me that.”
“You believe me?”
“I do.” Daniel ran his fingers over Edward’s beard.
“Lying comes easy to me. I’ve had to lie for so long in my job, it’s like second nature. But for the first time in my life, I wish it didn’t. I don’t want to lie to you anymore.” He could hear something in his voice, something that Daniel must have picked up on, because the man kissed him slowly. Softly.
“Thank you for saving my life,” Edward whispered.
“I’m just glad I was faster than he was.”
“Why are you so skeptical of your own abilities? Did they give you that much grief at the FBI?”
Daniel shook his head. His fingers drifted down to play with the buttons of Edward’s shirt. He hadn’t yet changed from their shuffle at the Métro station. A shower and fresh clothes would have been great, but he wasn’t willing to be apart from Daniel yet. Not until he was sure the man was okay.
“It’s not from my time at the FBI.”
“Then this Ward Security place? You always sound like you love your job.”
“I do!” Daniel said quickly. “I do love it. Everyone is amazing.”
“Then what?”
Daniel shrugged. “I think that’s it. Everyone is amazing. I just don’t see how I fit. They’ve all done astounding things and have so many insane skills. But I don’t.”
This time, it was Edward’s turn to shake his head. “Didn’t you tell me that your boss showed up on your parents’ porch and recruited you? If that man went out of his way to get you, then he saw something in you that he felt fit his team. He also doesn’t seem to be the type to keep you around if you’re not.”
And if this Ward guy didn’t realize what he had with Daniel, he was happy to smack the man around until he did understand it.
“You’re really something, you know that?” Edward continued. “You’ve proved yourself time and again through all this mess. Probably should have stayed in the FBI.”
“I much prefer my life the way it is now.” Daniel watched Edward for a moment before a smile spread across his lips. The weight on his shoulders appeared to be lighter and some of the shadows were gone from his eyes. “So, are you going to tell me what’s on that thumb drive we found in the safe deposit box?”
“I think you’ve earned that, don’t you?”
Daniel nodded. “I’d like to know what I’ve been risking my life for.”
