Page 34 of Private Exhibit (Gentleman Hackers #4)

ANDY LOOKED up local moving companies while the boys talked, and immediately made a call.

With a little extra money thrown into the mix, he had an appointment scheduled for first thing in the morning.

The movers would take care of everything: all the packing, the moving, and the setup once they got to Andy's place.

Once that was arranged, Andy left the boys for the night and went straight back to work.

He hadn't come any closer to an answer all week, but he had to keep trying. Somewhere in those files, there had to be some detail he'd missed. Some tiny, seemingly insignificant note that would make all the difference. There had to be.

Because Andy wasn't sure what he'd do if there truly was nothing to find.

Andy read and sorted and re-read the files until he found himself falling asleep at his desk again.

He thought about getting some coffee and keeping at it, but then he'd be no use to anyone.

Andy groaned. He definitely wasn't getting any younger.

The long hours used to be easy. Andy rolled his eyes.

Alright, maybe not easy , he admitted to himself, but certainly not as hard as they were now.

He was starting to feel stretched thin and wrung dry.

But he couldn't give up.

Except he knew he needed to, at least for the night. Andy scrubbed a hand over his face as he pushed back the chair, got up, and dragged himself down to the garage. He got into his car and let it drive him home. Once inside his apartment, Andy went straight to bed.

The next morning, Andy woke and glanced at the time, then jumped out of bed in a rush.

He ran straight for the washroom and got into the shower, then barely dried off before he made a beeline for the kitchen.

There was no coffee waiting for him. Damn it .

He'd been so tired last night, he'd entirely forgotten to preset it.

Andy braced himself on the counter as he waited for the pot to brew, then stood there, still with a towel wrapped around his waist, while he drank that whole first mug, letting the caffeine steadily take effect before he even thought about going to get dressed.

He had to be present for Devon today. The whole situation was difficult enough as it was, and now Andy was throwing a move into the mix.

Poor Devon was going to struggle with the change in surroundings.

With the unfamiliarity of it all. Andy cursed and shook his head.

It had to be done. He wouldn't feel easy until he had Devon under his own roof.

Andy snorted a laugh. Truth be told, he'd be happier if he could keep Devon confined to the E.R, where they could jump into action at a moment's notice, but he also hated the very thought of that. Of seeing Devon surrounded by white walls and machines? Andy shuddered.

Devon deserved beauty. And comfort.

Then again, Devon wasn't going to get much of that at Andy's apartment, either.

Andy grimaced as he looked around, seeing his apartment through Devon's eyes. The place looked so stark and impersonal. Devon needed colors. Patterns. Textures. Beauty and light and life.

But there was no time for any of that at the moment. Andy couldn't think past getting Devon there and then getting back to work, trying to solve the problem that had plagued both of their lives.

Andy finished the pot of coffee, got dressed, and rushed out the door.

The entire move was done before lunch. Besides their computers—which Oliver had insisted on packing himself—the boys didn't own very much between them. They'd lived as frugally as they possibly could. It all barely made an impression in Andy's apartment.

But having Devon there felt like a huge weight off Andy's mind. Now he wouldn't have to leave Devon every night. The boy would be right there when he got home.

Until the day Andy came home to find Devon was gone for good.

Andy shuddered, trying to drive that thought away. It wouldn't be for good. Not really. But the change would still be devastating. Devon would no longer be flesh and blood, warm and soft.

Damn it . Andy almost wished he still had his old apartment above the hospital, at the very least. Then he could get Devon to the E.R. in a hurry. As it was, they were no closer than Devon's apartment had been.

It felt closer, though, somehow. For now, that would have to be enough.

Andy glanced at Devon. The boy slumped in the wheelchair, watching Oliver do all the work of setting up their computers. Andy winced. Devon wouldn't even be able to use his machines. Not unless the attack eased off and gave him back the use of his hands.

The way the attack was going, Andy wasn't holding his breath on that.

A vibrating phone interrupted Andy's thoughts.

Devon looked around. “Damn it. That's mine.”

“I've got it,” Andy told him. He spotted the phone and picked it up, carrying it over to the boy. A notification for a new text message displayed, but when Andy tried to open it for him, he couldn't get past the lockscreen.

Oliver rushed over. “Here. I know his code.”

“Just disable the lock,” Devon mumbled. “Not really much point to having one anymore.”

“What kind of hacker are you?” Oliver teased, then quickly sobered and looked away, busying himself with unlocking the phone and handing it back to Andy. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I'll just…” He turned and hurried off to go finish setting up the computers.

“Who is it?” Devon asked quietly.

“It's from Hayden,” Andy told him.

Devon perked up slightly. “What'd he say?”

Andy read the message. “He wants to know how you're doing. Says he was worried about you after we left brunch the other day.”

Devon visibly deflated. “Oh.”

A new message popped up on the text thread.

Andy's eyebrows went up. “He wants to come by and see you.”

“No,” Devon gasped, his eyes going wide. “No, not like this.”

“Baby–”

“I don't want anyone else seeing me like this. It's bad enough that–”

“Hey,” Andy murmured, crouching down in front of him.

“If you don't want to see him, you don't have to.” He paused, thinking of how Junior had pushed all his friends away right before the end, not wanting to experience the humiliation of having them see him in a hospital bed, wearing a diaper, struggling to breathe.

“But he is your friend, right? I think he even said he considers you a brother.”

Devon grimaced.

“Dev,” Andy went on. “He cares about you. I know it sounds uncomfortable, but think about if your roles were reversed. Wouldn't you want to see him? To know how he's doing?”

The boy's eyes widened again. “Oh.” He frowned. “I didn't even think about that.”

Andy gestured with Devon's phone. “I'm going to call him and tell him he can come over, even if it's just for a few minutes. If you don't like it once he's here, I'll send him home, I promise. Deal?”

Devon hesitated before he whispered, “Deal.”

“That's my good boy.” Andy gave Devon a kiss, then stood up and focused on Devon's phone.

The text app had a button that would initiate a phone call, so Andy pressed that and headed off to the kitchen.

Damn it . He was going to have to get some groceries delivered so the boys could eat while he was at work.

Andy filed that away as a mental note right as the call connected.

“ Hey! ” Hayden answered. “ How's it going? ”

“Hayden?”

A beat of silence sounded over the line. “ Who the fuck is this? ”

“It's Andy Gerard. I'm using Devon's phone.”

“ Oh! The sexy doctor ,” Hayden said with a laugh, then sucked in an audible breath. “ Wait. Oh my gods. Devon? Is he –”

Andy glanced over his shoulder, then moved farther out of earshot. “He's alright. For now.”

“ What the fuck do you mean, 'for now ? '” Hayden demanded. “ What's wrong? How bad is it? ”

“It's bad,” Andy admitted, feeling his heart rate kick up.

“ I'm coming over. Tell him I'll be right there .”

“Wait,” Andy blurted out before Hayden could end the call. “He's not at his apartment. We just moved him and Oliver into my place.”

“ What's your address? And before you try to deny me, keep in mind that I can just hack your shit and find out anyway .”

Andy almost laughed, then gave Hayden his address.

“ I'll be there in ten minutes .”

The line went dead.

Andy pulled the phone away from his ear, stared at the screen, and shook his head. He went to tell Devon that Hayden was coming by, then asked Oliver to put together a grocery list. They were right in the midst of that when a demanding knock sounded on his door.

When Andy answered it, he barely caught a glimpse of Hayden before the boy pushed his way inside, leaving Thomas Pennington standing there in the hallway, rolling his eyes.

“I apologize for the intrusion,” Thomas said. “There is no stopping him when he has his mind set on something.”

Andy waved it off. “Please, come in.”

Thomas stepped inside with a nod of thanks, and Andy shut the door.

Hayden ran straight up to Devon and bent down to give him a hug, then looked up and gasped. “Oh! Good. Oliver's here, too.”

Oliver blinked. “That's a good thing?”

“Of course it is.” Hayden rolled his eyes. “Look, we've forgiven you, alright? That's all behind us now.” Hayden paused and glanced at Andy. “Oliver had Thomas kidnapped and then threatened to kill my brother. Long story–”

“I never would have done it,” Oliver cut in.

“I know that now,” Hayden said. “The important thing is that you're here for Devon. That means a lot to me.”

Oliver shrugged. “He's my friend, too.”

Hayden gave him a smile, then rounded on Andy. “Right. So. I need the full tour right now. Every room.”

Andy blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Hayden,” Thomas bit off.

“I'm calm, Daddy,” the boy said. “I promise.” He strolled right up to Andy and hooked their arms together. “Walk with me, Doc.”

The boy hauled Andy away, heading into another room.

“So here's the deal,” Hayden said, pausing in one of the secondary bedrooms just off the living area.

“I've gotten really good at the transportation spell. Like insanely good. I can do it under the worst kind of stressful conditions. Part of that long story I mentioned earlier.” Hayden scanned the room like he was committing it to memory.

“But the thing with that spell is that you can't just go anywhere.

It can only take you to a place you've already physically been. What do you call this room?”

“It's a bedroom,” Andy replied with a frown.

“Yeah, but when you think of it, what do you call it?”

“Uh…the front bedroom?”

“Good. Alright. Front bedroom.” Hayden turned and hauled Andy into the next room. “I've been to the E.R., so that's covered. But since Devon's not at his apartment anymore,” the boy rambled on, “I need to establish a physical connection with this place. What's this room?”

“Home office,” Andy answered, though the room had never really served that purpose. He'd had no need for a home office since he gave up his practice.

“Alright. Next.” They went to the next room, and the next, until Hayden had taken a tour of the entire apartment and gotten Andy to name each room.

When they were done, Hayden dragged him aside and lowered his voice.

“Here's what's gonna happen,” Hayden said, standing there in his makeup and high heels, his expression fierce and demanding, not leaving any room for argument whatsoever.

“If things get really bad,” Hayden said, then held up a finger, “you do not call emergency services.

You do not perform C.P.R. What you do is you call me .

You call me immediately . You tell me what room you're in,” he went on, waving his finger around.

“This place is massive. The closer I can arrive to exactly where you are, the better. Then I can get you both to the E.R. inside of about ten seconds. Understood?”

Andy blinked.

“Give me your phone,” Hayden demanded.

“You might as well,” Thomas cut in, coming up to hover just behind Hayden. “He'll get his way regardless. Trust me.”

Hayden smirked.

Andy slowly shook his head and pulled out his phone. Hayden snatched it from his hands, then programmed his number into the contacts.

“There,” Hayden said, handing the phone back to Andy. “All set. I'm gonna go tell Oliver the same thing.” With that, he stalked off, the click of his shoes echoing through the spacious rooms as he went.

Andy watched him go and shook his head. He eyed his phone, still displaying the new contact card, then switched off the screen and set it aside. In the case of an emergency, Andy wasn't sure he could rely on Hayden's magic. He couldn't rely on anybody's help at all.

If anything happened to Devon, Andy was going to have to take care of it himself.