Page 3 of Brush with Death (Not Quite Dead #3)

“I PROMISE I’M FINE,”

Cyril insisted. He could tell by the way Robbie was glaring at him that he wouldn’t get anywhere, unfortunately.

“We’ll let the doctors decide that,”

Robbie said.

“There was no need for me to come to the hospital.”

“Again, we’ll let the doctor decide. Last time I checked, you worked with dead people, so you don’t know what to do with living people, including yourself. You certainly don’t know how your brain works.”

“My brain is fine,”

Cyril grumbled. A lot of people would disagree, and maybe they wouldn’t be wrong, but the only thing that was different about him was his necromancy gift. His brain was fine, even though it felt a bit scrambled, and he had a headache.

Hitting a nightstand with your head would do that.

Cyril was pretty sure he hadn’t blacked out. He remembered hitting the nightstand and Robbie calling his name. He remembered hearing a woman crying and another yelling. He remembered letting go of Mr. Maxwell’s soul because there was no way he could focus on the man when his head throbbed the way it did.

Robbie had grabbed all of Cyril’s stuff and helped him out of the bedroom. They’d both been able to hear people fighting inside as they left, but it had been none of Cyril’s business. He was pretty sure that the only reason he’d been there was that Robert Junior had wanted to know why he wasn’t in his father’s will. They hadn’t found out, but there was no way Cyril was going back in there.

Mrs. Maxwell had caught up to them as they were stepping out the front door. She’d been apologetic, which Cyril had appreciated, and she’d paid him almost double what he’d asked as an apology. He suspected she’d been relieved that he had no intention of calling the cops. He’d just wanted to go home, and he thought that was where he was headed.

He’d been wrong.

Robbie had refused to even let him near his car. Cyril had been confused for a moment, but then the ambulance had arrived. He’d tried telling everyone that he was fine, but Robbie had told the paramedics what had happened, and somehow, they’d convinced Robbie that Cyril needed to go to the hospital.

So, here he was. They’d poked at his head and had shone a light in his eyes. He still didn’t have any results, which meant that he was stuck in a hospital bed, languishing. He yearned to go home, even though he suspected that he wouldn’t have to go that far to see Vale. There was no way Robbie hadn’t called him to explain what had happened.

Cyril was glad he’d see Vale soon, but he was less glad when he thought about how freaked out his boyfriend would be. He’d been afraid that something would happen to Cyril, and Cyril had proven him right. It hadn’t been Cyril’s fault, but it seldom was when something happened to him.

“We have another appointment later,”

he murmured.

“No, we don’t,”

Robbie said without looking up from his phone. He was sitting on a chair that had been placed against the wall. There was another chair close to the bed, but Robbie hadn’t taken that one, probably leaving it for Vale.

“I saw it in the planner app,”

Cyril insisted.

“I canceled it.”

“What?”

Cyril wasn’t actually surprised. He was annoyed, though.

“There was no need to cancel it. I’m fine. In fact, you should call back and tell the client that we’ll be coming in a little late, but we’ll be there.”

Robbie lowered his phone and snorted.

“You really think Vale will let you go anywhere?”

“He doesn’t get to dictate what I do and don’t do.”

“Keep telling yourself that. The man will wrap you in a blanket and force you to stay in bed. The furthest you’ll get away from it will be the couch.”

“There’s no need for either of you to act like this. I’m fine, and people need me. I realize you haven’t been working with me for long, but you saw Mrs. Maxwell when I reanimated her husband. These people need me.”

Robbie’s expression softened.

“I know you feel responsible, and it’s very sweet, but you can’t put anyone before yourself. You need rest, and I don’t think Vale’s going to allow you out of the apartment anytime soon.”

“He might be my boyfriend, but he doesn’t decide what I do and don’t do. Please, Robbie.”

Robbie sighed.

“Fine. I’ll call back and tell them we’ll be there tomorrow. That’ll give you time to rest today. You said you had a headache, and I don’t think you want to work through one.”

Robbie wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t easy to work with a headache, but Cyril had done it plenty of times. He would’ve done it today, too, but he could tell he was fighting a losing battle. At least Robbie understood and would reschedule the appointment.

The sound of hurried footsteps in the hallway made both of them look up. Cyril hoped it was the doctor, but he was just as happy when Vale burst in through the door. He looked frantically around the room for a few moments, relaxing only when his gaze stopped on Cyril. He rushed forward, clearly intent on grabbing Cyril, only to stop before touching him.

Cyril groaned in dismay.

“I’m fine.”

“What happened?”

“I’m sure Robbie already told you all about it.”

“He did, but I want to hear from you.”

“There’s not much to say. I was reanimating Mr. Maxwell because his wife asked me to, and I think his son wanted to talk to him about his will. Robert Junior didn’t take his father’s answer well. I’m not sure what he was trying to do, but he ended up pushing me to the side. I didn’t expect it, and I hit my head on the nightstand. I was never unconscious, and the paramedics didn’t look worried when they hauled me into the ambulance, which was clearly unnecessary.”

Vale gently took Cyril’s hand.

“How about we let the doctors decide what was necessary?”

“That’s what I said,”

Robbie grumbled as he got to his feet.

“If you don’t need me anymore, I’m going to head home.”

Cyril was already nodding, but Vale interrupted that.

“Actually, could you stay with Cyril for a little while longer? I want to talk to the doctor.”

Cyril groaned.

“I don’t need a keeper. You can leave me in this room on my own. Besides, shouldn’t I be the one to talk to the doctor?”

“You will as soon as I find them,”

Vale said. His expression was serious, and Cyril knew he wouldn’t win this fight.

Surprisingly, he was fine with that. Before he’d met Vale, he would’ve had to do all of this on his own. He was glad to have someone to take care of him now. He might not feel like Vale and Robbie should be fussing over him the way they were, but it felt nice to have someone love him this much.

Cyril could get used to it.

VALE DIDN’T WANT TO leave Cyril, but Cyril wouldn’t be alone. Robbie had been serious when he’d told Vale that he’d stay as long as Vale needed him to. Vale was glad. He needed to talk to the doctors, but who knew what his boyfriend would get into if he was left on his own?

After hearing what had happened, Vale knew that it hadn’t been Cyril’s fault—not that it would have changed anything if it had been. Either way, the result was that Cyril was in a hospital bed. Vale had sworn to protect him, and he’d failed.

He wasn’t an idiot. He knew that he couldn’t be with Cyril twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. He wouldn’t even try. He doubted it would do any good to them or their relationship.

Cyril was used to being on his own, as was Vale, but Vale still felt like he’d failed. It was going to be hard to let Cyril out of his sight for a while. Hopefully, they’d both find a way to deal with it. Their relationship was new, but Vale never wanted to do anything that would push Cyril away or make him uncomfortable.

He left the room after making sure Robbie and Cyril would be okay without him for a moment. He had no idea where Russell was, but he wasn’t looking for him right now, anyway. He was sure that Russell would find his way to the room Cyril was in. In the meantime, Vale would find Cyril’s doctor.

He got the name from the chart by Cyril’s bed. Vale had no idea where to start looking for the doctor, but he guessed that the nurses’ station was a good starting point.

A man was leaning over the counter when Vale reached it, but there was no one behind it. The nurses were busy, and Vale turned, already thinking about what his next step would be.

“How is he?”

the man asked.

Vale frowned and turned back toward him.

“I’m sorry?”

“Your boyfriend. How is he?”

The man finally faced Vale, who sucked in a breath.

“What are you doing here?”

Vale recognized him. He knew that John Smith wasn’t the man’s actual name and that the man was a professional killer. Was he here to hurt Cyril? If he was, he’d have to deal with Vale first.

John raised his hands.

“I’m not here to hurt anyone. I was worried about your boyfriend.”

“How did you know Cyril was here? Are you following him?”

John might look angelic with his blond hair and blue eyes, but even though he was a shitty assassin, he could still do a lot of damage, especially to someone who was in the hospital and wasn’t a fighter.

“I didn’t follow anyone. I just happened to be here when he was brought in, and I recognized him.”

“And what? You decided to stick around and risk your life to tease me?”

“He was nice to me before. I just wanted to make sure he was okay. Besides, the guy with him is hot.”

Vale snorted.

“I doubt Robbie will give you the time of day, but you’re welcome to try.”

“I don’t think I will, but thank you. So? How’s your boyfriend?”

“None of your business.”

Vale looked around. He really needed to find a nurse.

“I can find out anyway. His doctor went that way.”

Vale narrowed his eyes at John, who was still pointing in the direction he was claiming Cyril’s doctor had gone with his thumb. He looked innocent, but he was anything but.

“Just leave us alone,”

Vale snapped as he walked in the other direction. He wouldn’t give John Smith the satisfaction.

“I’ll see you soon,”

John called out.

Vale prayed he wouldn’t. He wanted nothing to do with John. In fact, he wanted nothing to do with that part of his life. He’d retired, and he was happy with his decision.

He didn’t find the doctor, but the man was in Cyril’s room by the time Vale gave up and went back. Vale scowled at him and kept his mouth shut as he listened to the doctor explain that Cyril would be fine. He didn’t have signs of a concussion, and there was no bleeding in his brain or fractures in his skull. The doctor warned that Cyril would probably have a headache for the rest of the day, maybe longer, and to come back if anything felt off, but Cyril could go home, which was a relief.

By the time they were ready to go, Russell had found them. He decided to go with Robbie, even though Robbie told him it wasn’t necessary. Vale was glad because he wanted time alone with his boyfriend.

He’d been terrified when Robbie had called. He’d just found Cyril. He wasn’t ready to lose him yet, and he didn’t think he ever would be. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to ensure that Cyril would be okay short of locking him in the apartment, and that wasn’t something Cyril would be okay with. It wasn’t something Vale would be okay with. He didn’t want to clip Cyril’s wings, so he supposed he’d have to learn to deal with the fear.

In the meantime, he’d spend the rest of the day taking care of his boyfriend. Cyril deserved it. They both did.

CYRIL WAS HAPPY TO leave the hospital and go back to his apartment. He’d have to come up with a plan to get his car back, but it could wait until he didn’t have a headache pounding behind his eyes. The doctor had declared that Cyril was healthy and would be just fine, but right now, Cyril didn’t feel like it.

“Careful,”

Vale said as he rushed around the car to help Cyril with the door.

Part of Cyril wanted to tell him that he could do this by himself, but another part of him was glad to have the support. He didn’t have to be strong and do this on his own, even if he wasn’t sure he could. Not anymore.

He leaned against Vale and smiled. Smiling hurt, too. Cyril was pretty sure that doing anything beyond sleeping would hurt. Hopefully, it wouldn’t last long. He had work to do.

“I can hear you thinking,”

Vale said as he guided Cyril toward the apartment.

“That’s not a thing,”

Cyril grumbled. Usually, Vale was the grumpy one, but Cyril felt he could be given a pass today. He had just hit his head on the job.

“It is for anyone who knows you. What’s going on in that brain of yours?”

Sometimes, Cyril was still stunned by how well Vale knew him. He’d never allowed anyone as close as he had Vale. Only his mother had that kind of relationship with him, but of course, that was different. Vale was different, but Cyril loved it.

Cyril wouldn’t get out of this without giving Vale an answer.

“I feel guilty. I’m still not sure that asking Mr. Maxwell about the will was the only reason Mrs. Maxwell asked me to reanimate her husband, and if it wasn’t, I should’ve done more for her. I also had another appointment later today, but Robbie had to move it.”

Vale was silent as he helped Cyril to the couch. He grabbed one of the blankets and spread it over Cyril before crouching next to him to take off his shoes. Cyril allowed his boyfriend to take care of him. He closed his eyes and pressed his head back against the couch, enjoying the moment, even with a headache.

He heard the sound of Oscar rushing toward him. He didn’t have to open his eyes. Oscar skittered up onto the couch, then into Cyril’s lap. Cyril gently stroked the skull. He was home, and he could relax.

“I know you often feel guilty because you want to help people more, but none of what happened was your fault,”

Vale said gently.

“You did what you were hired to do.”

“Possibly not everything I was hired to do.”

“Maybe not, but if Mrs. Maxwell wants more, she can call you and make another appointment. As for the appointment you had later today, you said that Robbie moved it. I don’t think anything’s going to happen in the meantime. Besides, I’m sure that whoever hired you would understand if they knew what happened to you today.”

Cyril wasn’t sure of that because a lot of people tended to be selfish and only think about themselves and what was good for them, but he didn’t say it. He didn’t want to piss off his boyfriend. Besides, even though he felt guilty, Vale was right. Cyril would go to his appointment tomorrow and help the person who’d hired him. In the meantime, he was glad he’d have an afternoon to rest.

He frowned.

“What about your conversation with Russell? How did it go?”

“There’s no reason to talk about that right now.”

“So you didn’t decide on anything.”

“There’s no reason for me to rush into anything. Russell doesn’t want to leave the job yet, and it looks like I have my hands full with you, so it can wait.”

Cyril didn’t want Vale to put his life on pause because of him, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t happy to know that his boyfriend wasn’t going anywhere.

“You still need to find something to do now that you retired,”

he pointed out. Vale wasn’t used to sitting on his ass all day. He’d go nuts if he wasn’t somehow productive.

“Well, for the next few days, that something will be taking care of you. I don’t think Russell is going anywhere anytime soon, anyway.”

“He doesn’t have a job scheduled?”

“Not that I know of, and I need to talk to him anyway. I saw John Smith at the hospital.”

It took Cyril a moment to remember who John Smith was.

“You mean the guy who tried to kill me?”

“He’s lucky I didn’t kill him, but we were at the hospital. He’d probably have survived, what with all the doctors there.”

Cyril bit his lower lip so he wouldn’t laugh because he was sure that would hurt, too. He was slightly worried about this, though.

“He’s not here to kill me, is he?”

“I don’t think so, but I want to ask Russell to look into it. John asked about you, and I’m not comfortable knowing he’s around doing that.”

“What do you mean, he asked about me?”

“Just that. Apparently, he was at the hospital for unrelated reasons and saw you coming in. He asked me how you were.”

Cyril blinked because no matter how many times Vale repeated that, it still wouldn’t make sense. Cyril hadn’t expected that, but then, he’d had to deal with a lot of things he hadn’t expected since Vale had walked into his life. He couldn’t say he minded it most of the time.

He just hoped someone wasn’t going to try to kill him this time around.