Page 40 of Dual Destruction

I grabbed a bottle of wine from my counter with a frown, startling when I heard footsteps come up behind me. I hated this. I’d never been this jumpy or nervous before I met Sage. Before he’d been in my house.

“Figured you would need help,” Sam offered quietly.

Sam was a cute kid who’d grown into a good looking man with a mop of brown hair that always floated around his head like it had never seen a brush and luscious lips that looked like they were made to suck cock. It didn’t help that he liked to wear lip gloss and lipstick, always a shiny shade of pink that drew your attention without looking ostentatious. I honestly didn’t know how Rich survived him.

I pulled five wine glasses out of the cabinet and slid them to Sam, who picked two of them up between his fingers.

“Thanks.”

“You okay?” he asked, a slight tilt of his head.

“Things are complicated,” I told him. “It’ll shake out.”

“Do we need to worry?” Sam frowned. “You know how Rich worries.”

I did know how Rich worried. I’d known him long enough to understand the way his past colored his present. To know why he held onto Sam as tight as he did. To appreciate why he hated not knowing.

“Not yet.”

“That’s not promising.”

“It’s the best I can do,” I said.

Sam pursed those delicious lips of his and turned toward the living room. I followed behind him, passing the wine bottle to Ronan who would always be better at opening them than I was. He made quick work of the wrap and the cork, then handed the bottle to Kevin, who poured out four glasses of red.

“So.” I settled into an armchair across the room. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

“Ronan’s been tightlipped and Rich has been worried,” Kevin said, taking a drink of his wine. “Don’t buy this one again.”

I frowned and looked down at my wine glass, taking a tentative sip. It was strong. Not the worst wine I’d ever bought, but not even close to the best. “Show me the label?”

Kevin twisted the bottle toward me and I couldn’t stop the laugh that tumbled out of my mouth.

“What?” he asked, turning the bottle back toward him to see what had been so funny. “Rosetti Reds, 2016 Chianti?”

“Nothing.” I shook my head and took a larger drink from my glass. “Just an inside joke.”

“Who do you have inside jokes with?” Rich asked, irritation clear in his voice.

“Not you.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Fine.” I conceded, not wanting to argue and honestly being too tired for it anyway. “Something has come up, and I have a houseguest.”

“What’s come up?” he pressed.

My nostrils flared.

I didn’t know how much I wanted to tell him. The less Rich knew, the better, but Ronan already knew too much, and that meant Kevin probably did as well. I’d never talked about my job with them, and I didn’t want to start now, but there was clearly some shit about Sage I couldn’t just bullshit away.

“Someone I know,” I started, picking my words exceedingly carefully, “was attacked over the weekend and he’s been staying here to recuperate.”

“That’s concise,” Ronan mused.

“Attacked by whom?”

I shrugged.