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“I’m right. Now someone tell me what’s going on. The last thing I remember was coming home and carrying in the groceries.”
Snow released Ian’s shoulder, and Ian scooted so that he was sitting up against the arm of the couch. Lifting his head, he carefully touched the back of it, finding a lump and some crusted hair.
“We’re hoping you can answer that question for us too,” Lucas said. He stopped beside Snow, his arms folded over his chest. “We arrived a few minutes ago to find you flat out on the kitchen floor just over the threshold with some blood on the back of your head. Someone hit you from behind and knocked you out.”
“Who?” Ian asked and then winced when he realized what a stupid question that was. They arrived after he’d been knocked out. They wouldn’t have a clue.
“We didn’t see anyone. When we pulled up, we noticed the groceries in your car.”
“How long was I out?” Ian looked down at his watch, trying to remember the time when he’d gotten home.
“We don’t think long. Your ice cream hadn’t even started to melt yet.”
“Oh, shit! All the food!” Ian tried to get up from the couch, but both Lucas and Snow lurched forward, holding their hands up to block him.
“No!” they said in unison.
“You need to rest for a while longer and help us figure this shit out. We can deal with the food later.”
Ian opened his mouth to argue that he wasn’t going to let all his food go bad when Rowe’s angry voice echoed through the house.
“What the hell happened?” Rowe demanded as he stomped through the kitchen toward the living room.
“That’s what we want to know. What happened to your fabulous security system?” Snow snarled at Rowe as he appeared in the living room. Right on his heels was a worried Noah. The other man gave Ian a questioning look and Ian nodded with a weak smile, wordlessly informing him that he was fine.
“My security system is fucking fabulous!” Rowe shouted.
“I turned it off as I came in the door,” Ian said wearily. He paused and rubbed his temples with both hands. “I think he struck right after I turned off the alarm.”
Ian closed his eyes as the reality of what happened started to sink down on him. Someone had watched for him to return home and had been smart enough to wait until he’d turned off the security system before he was attacked.
But at least a few minutes had passed between the attack and Snow and Lucas’s arrival. What had happened in those unconscious minutes? Had he been touched? Had his home been ransacked? Robbed?
Oh God, where was Hollis? He wanted Hollis there to wrap his arms around him and tell him that everything was going to be fine. That they could handle it all together.
Opening his eyes, he looked around the room at the gathered family. “Did anyone think to call my husband?”
He was met with awkward silence and guilty looks. Ian was about to blast them when Noah held up his phone. “I’ve got it!” he shouted and started to head toward the kitchen again.
“Be sure to tell him I’m okay!” Ian called after him.
“We’re sorry, Ian. It wasn’t intentional,” Lucas murmured. “We’ve only been here a few minutes and wanted to make sure you were okay first. We didn’t know whether to tell Hollis to come here or the hospital.”
“But you called Rowe?”
Rowe at least had the good sense to wince a little. “I might have already been on the way over. Heard you were cooking for Snow and Lucas.”
Ian let it go. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Rowe and Noah were just going to “happen by” on a night that he was already cooking for Snow and Lucas. It certainly wasn’t the first time and definitely wouldn’t be the last.
“Rowe, can you do a sweep of my house? See if it looks like anything was touched?” Ian asked calmly.
“Got it,” Rowe said and he was gone in a flash.
Ian turned his attention to Snow. His heart was pounding in his chest so hard that it was difficult to speak. He didn’t want to get the words out, but he had to know the truth. He’d always wonder if he didn’t ask.
“When you found me…” Ian started at a whisper.
“Not one piece of clothing looked disturbed on you,” Snow answered immediately. “Your attacker didn’t touch you. I swear.”
Ian released a loud, shaky breath. Snow leaned forward and pulled him into a strong hug that threatened to break bones, but Ian didn’t care. He snuggled close and sighed. It was nice to feel his comfort and strength. Lucas’s hand landed on the nape of his neck and squeezed before a kiss was pressed to the top of his head. The only thing that would make this better, that would put his world back on the right course, was Hollis. And he was sure his husband was already racing to him.
