Adonis shook his head. He was alert, scanning around them the same way Connor was. Nerves jittered through Connor as they reached the dock.
“Remember what I said, okay? No falling for me as bait again if it comes to that.” Connor’s feet touched the sandy shore, but Adonis’s grip tightened.
His gaze snapped to Connor, his gills flaring wide. From his expression, Connor guessed he’d just copped to the fact Connor had to leave him for this part. Adonis’s jaw tightened. “No,” he said. He pulled Connor back to him.
“I’m going up there quietly, and if I see anything off, I’m coming straight back, okay?” Connor cupped Adonis’s cheeks and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Right back, I promise. I need to see if they’re okay.”
Adonis’s top lip curled back in displeasure. “Laurence.”
“Yes, I need to see that Laurence is okay. Let me, okay? Let me.” Connor slipped out of Adonis’s arms and floated to the shore. Adonis stayed quiet, which Connor was glad for. He crept his way up the sandy path to the house, pausing for a long time where he was hidden, and peeked through the branches, looking for signs of movement. He saw Trevor’s car parked next to the house. He waited a long time without spotting any movement before he continued his advance.
Chapter Thirty-Six
His mind churned out several better ideas than approaching a possible ambush, but at that point, he was stepping onto the back porch. Connor pressed his back to the wall and peeked in the living room window. He spotted two bodies; Nick and Laurence stretched out on the couches with blankets thrown over them.
Laurence stared at the ceiling, completely still.
Connor’s stomach dropped. Breathless, he lifted his hand, rapping his knuckles against the glass.
Laurence’s head turned; their gazes met.
Laurence leapt up from the couch with a cry, startling Nick, causing him to fall off the couch. Connor wanted to cry in relief. “Why were you playing dead, you little shit?” he cursed under his breath as Laurence vanished from the room. Laurence called out, ‘Dad!’ as his footsteps echoed. The door flew open, slamming against the house and bouncing back on Laurence.
Laurence skidded out the door, launching at Connor. Connor grunted at the impact but returned his hug, gathering up the smaller guy and squeezing Laurence tight in his arms. Laurence trembled. He let out a choking sound that, after a moment, Connor recognised as a sob.
Heavy footsteps crowded down the hall; Trevor and Nick reached the door at the same time. Connor threw his gaze over them. Nick had a ferocious shiner under one eye, and Trevor’s temple was a sickly green. Despite the sight of injuries, relief flooded Connor’s body. The high tension in his body released all at once, and he sank his fingers into Laurence’s hair with a heavy sigh.
It wasn’t until he saw them, safe, alert, that he knew he wouldn’t have been okay to find them otherwise. Even if he got Adonis out, even if they were free—he needed Trevor and Laurence to be okay as well. And Nick. But Nick was more about keeping those two happy than Connor.
Laurence let out a cry of distress.
Connor tensed again. He pulled back, sweeping his eyes down his slight frame. “Are you hurt?”
Laurence stared at Connor’s stomach with an expression of panic and devastation. “Dad, Dad—there’s blood—” Laurence sobbed.
“No, no, it’s okay,” Connor said. “All patched up, see?” He lifted the hem of his shirt, showing off his bandages. He glanced down and saw the blood from his clothes had run onto them, turning them pink. “You guys are okay? Is Edith fine, too?” He looked over Trevor and Nick’s shoulders, but the space behind them was empty.
“We’re okay,” Trevor said, his eyes sweeping over Connor the way he’d been examining Laurence. “Edith’s fine. She’s in the kitchen. Come in; we can have a look at you and decide do we need to call an ambulance.”
In all honesty, an examination wasn’t a bad idea. He had been stabbed, and even though Adonis had healed him with his magic, a doctor’s opinion was a good idea. He glanced at Nick, catching his confused frown as he looked over Connor’s shoulder.
Connor heard the sand sifting behind him and turned as Trevor surged forwards.
“Excuse me,” Trevor’s voice boomed out, filled with authority and force. “This is private property.” He stepped off the porch to stand between Connor and—
Adonis stood on the path. Tall, dark eyes menacing, legs bare and silvery. His cock hanging out, exposed.
“Chill, please,” Connor said, stepping off the porch and putting himself between Trevor and Adonis. “This is my boyfriend. He’s the one who patched me up and everything.” With a grunt, he shrugged off his jumper and approached Adonis.
He wrapped the sweater around Adonis’s waist, covering his dick, though he didn’t have enough fabric to cover the back. Connor stared up at Adonis, unimpressed. “You said you couldn’t transform here.”
Adonis’s hooded eyes fixed on Trevor. His jaw was tensed, his gills flaring out. Well… nobody was so far away they wouldn’t see that. There was also his eyes… black on dark blue, no whites. Connor sighed. If things started looking sketchy, he’d bail with Adonis into the ocean.
“Adonis, don’t glare at him,” Connor warned.
Adonis didn’t stop.
“If you hurt anyone, we’re breaking up.”
