Page 30 of Relentless Touch

Silence settled over the kitchen. Rio couldn’t get the picture of Kevin, crumpled in the corner of that cabin, out of his head. Every time he blinked it was there.

He didn’t say much. Instead, he went to the walk-in, found a cold bottle of water, and pressed it into Kevin’s hand.

“You need anything else?” Rio asked, barely managing to keep his voice level.

Kevin shrugged, shoulders hunched up. “Maybe a nap. Or a drink. Got any tequila?”

Rio almost laughed. The sound came out rough, catching in his throat. “No tequila, but I’ll make you something better.”

He set about making coffee, because it gave his hands something to do. Kenai crawled up onto a stool, head down on the prep table.

“You good?” Rio said without looking up.

“Been better,” Kenai said. “Been worse, too.” He glanced at Kevin then at Rio. “Thanks for the rescue. Pretty sure I was about to end up in a shallow grave.”

Kevin shook his head, but his eyes were half-shut now, the energy draining out of him all at once.

Rio set coffee in front of both of them. The hum of the overhead lights, usually annoying, felt comforting tonight. He sat close, hands braced on the counter, watching Kevin.

“You kept your promise,” Kevin said, voice barely above a whisper.

“Always.”

* * * *

Kevin wanted to laugh, but the sound snagged in his mouth, stuck on the swelling in his cheek. Rio had come for him.

He gripped the coffee mug his mate handed him, grateful for the warmth.

“You don’t have to play superhero,” he managed.

Rio smiled softly. “That’s not what this is.”

Kenai made a rough noise, halfway between a groan and a laugh. “I just want this night to end.”

“I’m completely drained,” Kevin said, his voice croaky. His wrists burned where the zip ties had dug in deep, but he didn’t want to look at them. He licked his lower lip and tasted dried blood. “What about you, Kenai? You okay?” Kevin asked.

Kenai flashed a tired grin but winced when he tried to roll his shoulder. “I’ll live. That guy hits like a toddler.”

Kevin actually snorted. “That would be Ameer?”

“That’s the prick.” Kenai propped his head in his hands, elbows on the counter. “Saw his mugshot once, in a database for assholes with ‘anger management problems.’ He was the feature image.”

They were only half joking, but it felt better than silence. The adrenaline was fading, leaving exhaustion in its place. The hum of the kitchen lights and the coffee’s earthy smell helped a little.

Kevin tried to think it through. “Why would Izan send a psycho like that after me? I barely mattered to him for five minutes.”

“Wolves hate losing,” Kenai said. “Makes them do dumb shit, like kidnap people out of a restaurant parking lot.”

Kevin wanted to forget any of this happened, bury the whole mess in the backyard, but that wasn’t working. He’d felt real terror in that cabin. He’d honestly thought Ameer planned to kill him.

His gaze darted to Rio, who was watching him closely. It made his nerves settle, just a little.

“Sorry for making a scene,” he muttered.

Rio’s mouth twitched. “You didn’t. Wolves did.”

Kenai gave a half-hearted salute. “I’ll file the report. Victims— two. Assailants—dumb and dumber.”