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“Cael, Drayce, get to bed. You can shower in the morning before we leave,” Eno ordered.
“Let me just sleep here. I don’t wanna move,” Cael moaned.
Eno took a few steps into the living room and kicked the end of the couch, giving it a good shake. “Go now,” he barked at them, leaving no room for question.
Caelan lifted up and glared at him over his shoulder. There was irritation there, but also worry. Luckily, whatever he was thinking, he kept it to himself as he levered the rest of the way upright. Nudging Drayce with his foot, he got his friend moving toward the one bedroom. The pair mumbled and joked with each other, shoulders bumping as they disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door.
“Get your medic bag and go take a shower,” Eno ordered, keeping his voice low so Caelan and Drayce couldn’t hear him. If Rayne didn’t want anyone to know he was injured, Eno could at least help him hide it from the other two.
“I’m fine,” Rayne said sharply. “It’s just a couple of scratches.”
Eno would bet his left nut that it was a hell of a lot more than scratches as the man stiffly grabbed his entire pack and carried it into the bathroom. He winced and clenched his teeth with every step as he disappeared behind the door.
Only when he was alone could Eno walk into the kitchen to get a water from the fridge. Before opening it, he found himself placing it on the counter and gripping the edge with both hands as a shadow of the terror that had hit him at the base swept through him. He clenched his eyes shut and tried to push it back down again.
The gunfire in the darkness. Rayne alone.
He could have been killed.
When they’d chosen to separate, when they entered the base, Eno had not allowed himself to think about what could possibly happen to them. But the moment that first burst of gunfire ripped through the night, all his mind could picture was Rayne’s long, lithe body ripped apart, blood splattered. His beautiful jade-green eyes staring lifeless at the midnight sky.
He hadn’t been able to breathe. Caelan had needed to force him forward, to remind his body how to operate.
Even now, when he closed his eyes, all he saw was Rayne dead, and something in him screamed.
Rayne had been a constant in his life for the past several years along with Caelan and now Drayce. While Drayce was a force of chaos, and Caelan enjoyed his moments of recklessness, Rayne had proved to be an unmovable rock of stability. He was tranquility. He was the path through the darkness.
If Rayne were gone, there would only be darkness and chaos.
Clenching his teeth, Eno pulled at the ragged edges of his mind and soul, trying to drag them together again. This was their life for the foreseeable future. Living on this edge where any of them could be killed without even a moment’s notice.
And he found he couldn’t live with the idea of either of them dying without…
Eno shoved away from the counter and straightened. The sound of water falling in the shower broke through the silence of the apartment, just barely reaching over the sound of both Caelan and Drayce snoring. The two men had probably dropped into the bed fully dressed and passed out. They were gone to the world for at least a few hours.
Grabbing the bottle of water, Eno walked to the bathroom and quietly opened the door, slipping inside. Unfortunately, Rayne heard him close the door and peeked around the curtain.
“Eno?”
“I brought you some water. I thought you might need it if you took some pills.”
Rayne disappeared behind the curtain and sighed a little. “Thank you. I took something with the water from the faucet, but a drink would be nice after the shower.”
Eno placed the bottle of water on the cracked and stained counter and hesitated only for a moment, then reached to snag the hem of his shirt. He ripped it over his head while he toed out of his shoes, his heart pounding so hard in his chest. Dropping it, he unfastened his pants and shoved off the remainder of his clothes.
Naked, the choice seemed so much easier now. So natural. He pushed aside the curtain just enough to step into the small bathtub. His quick movements blessed him with a brief picture of Rayne completely unguarded. He stood under the hot spray, his head tilted while one arm was braced against the wall, holding him upright. There was still pain in his expression, but also a hint of relief. He’d never seen Rayne like this, unguarded and vulnerable. It triggered every instinct in him to pull Rayne close and protect him.
But then Rayne opened his eyes and his entire body jerked. He scrambled backward a step, but there was nowhere to go in the small shower. Eno almost laughed when the proper man’s eyes dropped down and seemed to get caught on his cock before jerking to his face, cheeks flushing.
