Page 123 of Nothing Special X: The Last Stand

Blood dripped down his sleeve and Xander made a sound that damn near ruined him.

“That’s not a scratch.”

Tech shrugged off his jacket and gave it to Xander. “Here, put pressure on it.”

Xander’s hands shook violently as he bared down where the sleeve was torn apart.

Cassidy lifted his left hand and cupped Xander’s cheek. His fingers weren’t steady, but they got there. “Calm down, I’m all right.”

Xander shook his head, furious tears welling in his pretty eyes. “Don’t you dare say that like I didn’t just see you get shot.”

Cassidy softened his voice despite the pain. “I’m okay.”

“You jumped in front of me.”

“That was the plan.”

“That was not the plan.”

“It was always my plan.”

Free came through the comms. “I got the studio doctor in route to the hotel. Fifteen minutes behind you.”

God’s voice followed. “Morrison. Status.”

“I’m good,” Cassidy answered.

“I need a better report than that.”

“Vest caught two. Right arm grazed.”

Cassidy closed his eyes for half a second.

Xander shifted closer, almost climbing into his lap. “I’m scared,” he whispered.

Cassidy opened his eyes, those words hurting worse than the vest impacts.

He slid his hand from Xander’s cheek to the back of his neck and drew him forward until their foreheads touched. “I know.”

Xander shook against him.

Cassidy wanted to give him more. Reassure him better. Promise nothing like that would ever happen again, but he couldn’t lie to him. Not when gunfire still rang in his ears and pain pulsed through his shoulder with every heartbeat.

So he gave him the only truth he had.

“I’m still with you.”

Xander squeezed his eyes shut.

Slade took them around to the back of the hotel, bypassing the main entrance and rolling into a service lane they’d cleared with management to use weeks ago.

Tech opened the rear door and Cassidy stepped out on his own.

Barely.

Xander wove under his left arm, tucked so tight against him, he couldn’t tell if he was supporting Xander or Xander was supporting him. His right arm throbbed like fire, blood sliding down beneath his cuff and dripping onto the polished service floor, leaving a dark trail behind them.

At that time of morning, the hallway was empty, the few staff on the clock were probably in a breakroom somewhere with their feet up watching television.