Page 31 of Nothing Special X: The Last Stand

“Just be happy for the millions my lawyer said me and Luke are going to get from the studio settlement.”

Xander stared at him.

“And after all this rehab shit is over, we’re getting married somewhere far away. I’m thinking on an island. Barefoot, quiet, no phones, cameras, or crowds. Just us and nature. We’ll mail the pictures to our friends and family.”

Xander smiled. Solitude did sound nice right about now.

“And then,” Devyn continued, “we’re building a house near the Gulf, or maybe Cancun, and starting up one of those charter fishing companies where tourists pay to take them out all day and show them the best spots to fish.”

“Fishing?”

“Yeah.” Devyn grinned, his eyes glossing over. “That’s always been Luke’s dream. I think that man might be half shark. He took me out on his stepbrother’s yacht once for deep sea fishing, and I swear to God it was the best day of my life. I’d never seen him smile and laugh so much.”

Xander wanted to believe it, but this couldn’t possibly be a happy ending.

Devyn loved stunt work, he’d been doing it since he was fifteen years old. He lived for danger and adrenaline.

Now he expected Xander to believe he was ready to spend his days on some fishing boat with tourists who thought a good vacation activity involved yanking hooks through the mouths of innocent fish?

He wasn’t buying it.

But he also knew his friend was trying everything to make him stop blaming himself.

So he kept the apologies trapped inside his head, where they’d continue to play on constant repeat.

He stayed until visiting hours were over.

He’d been feeling good about his visit, especially when he’d gotten a chance to pop in on Luke.

He’d been asleep most of the time, but when he cracked his eyes open and saw Xander, he’d smiled around the tube taped to the side of his mouth.

Security was moving him through a private route down the official access halls that emptied into a back exit, but the moment they stepped outside flashes exploded through the darkness.

“Xander!”

“Over here!”

“How’s Devyn?”

“Is Luke Mercer alive?”

The security the studio provided loosely surrounded him in a way that didn’t make him feel safe at all.

They grinned for the cameras, while halfheartedly waving the small mob back, tossing out lines like, “All right folks, back it up,” and “Let’s give him some room, he’s had a long day.”

“Studio wants him rested up,” another added.

The cameras blinded him as questions crashed into him from every direction.

“Xander! One picture!”

“Did the hospital confirm Devyn’s release date?”

“Are you increasing your security detail?”

“Xander, look this way!”

“Damn, you got some sexy guards, Xander!”