Page 31

It was maybe the nicest thing Gabe had said to Danny since he could remember.

It was probably the pain meds talking, but still.

Gabe brushed a hand through his dark hair. “I came back thinking that after so long away, I’d finally be in a position to help you out. Watch over you. I didn’t really consider supernatural creatures as one of the things I’d need to look out for.”

“Roman won’t let Luc hurt me, Gabe. And now that we know you’re a target, he won’t let him hurt you either.”

“You really trust him, don’t you?” His brother looked floored by that fact.

“With my life,” Danny confirmed. “Besides, I never needed watching over the way you thought, Gabe. I’m an adult.

I’ve been an adult, fending for myself, for a long time now.

I’m not always perfect at it, but I’ve been doing okay.

I just needed someone to…I don’t know…be there.

I was lonely. Lonelier than I thought. And then Roman appeared, and he’s just…

here for me. I don’t feel lonely. I feel loved . You don’t need to worry.”

Danny paused there, considering telling Gabe about what Roman had done for their mom, but it didn’t feel like the right time. Particularly with Gabe so fixated on the whole mind-control aspect of things.

Gabe let out a deep breath. “I haven’t been a very good older brother.”

“Well, you’re the only one I’ve got, so I guess I’ll just have to love you anyway.”

Gabe closed his eyes, leaning back against his pillows. He must be beyond exhausted. Danny should let him rest. “Which orthopedic surgeon is on call today?”

His brother answered without opening his eyes. “I didn’t think to ask.”

“I’ll find out for you.”

“Thanks.”

Danny was on his way out the door when Gabe called out to him, “You know I love you too, right?”

Danny smiled. “I always have, silly. Get some rest.”

Danny was on his way back down to the ER to find out who would be operating on Gabe when a strong hand grabbed his wrist and yanked him into a supply room he hadn’t even noticed he was walking past.

He was pulled into a hard chest, his head pressed down at an angle that prevented him from seeing the man’s face. He heard the door snick shut behind him.

“Hello again, Mr. Kingman.”

Well, fuck, fuckity fuck, fuck. That was not the voice Danny wanted to be hearing right now.

Danny stepped back as far as the vampire’s grip would let him—not nearly far enough, but at least he could see now—and looked up into familiar black eyes.

For a man that had just mauled Danny’s brother, Luc was looking awfully refreshed, every strand of his salt-and-pepper hair perfectly in place, not a wrinkle to be seen on his… Was that an Armani sweater?

A mix of rage and fear bubbled up in Danny’s chest, and he was speaking before he knew it. “You asshole . You hurt my brother.”

Luc shrugged a broad shoulder carelessly. “Oops.”

Oops? Oops?

Danny knew he was about to say something stupid, but he still couldn’t stop the words from spilling out of his mouth. “Is that really all you have to say about it, you fucking psychopath ?”

There it was. Stupid.

But Luc only smirked at him, black eyes glinting under the fluorescents. “My, aren’t we feisty for someone I could kill faster than he could even blink.”

“If you’re gonna kill me either way, then it really doesn’t matter what I say to you, does it?”

“True enough.” Luc’s face took on a mock-serious expression. “I am sorry about your brother. I really didn’t intend to do any lasting damage. I just got so annoyed with little Soren sticking his nose in that I may have gotten a tad overzealous. Did you know he’s been stalking your brother?”

Uh, what?

Luc raised a dark eyebrow at whatever he saw in Danny’s expression, which must have reflected his surprise. “Ohh, you didn’t know. Interesting. And here I thought maybe the four of you were planning to go on some sickeningly adorable double dates.”

Danny would have to process the inappropriate stalking of his older brother at a later time. A time when he wasn’t stuck in a tiny room with a killer.

A horrible thought occurred to him. “Where are Soren and Roman? Did you hurt them?” His gut clenched at the thought of Roman wounded.

Luc just smirked again, like the asshole he was.

“Don’t get yourself worked up, Daniel. I haven’t touched them.

Though, I admit it’s cute how they’re posted outside like little guard dogs.

I arrived before they did. Surprised Soren didn’t smell me out, actually, expert tracker that he is.

Maybe he’s not quite as sharp as he used to be. Dulled by the decades.”

“Or maybe it’s just hard to predict the movements of the truly unhinged.” Why did Danny’s mouth keep saying stupid things without his brain’s permission?

Luc smiled at him then, all sharp teeth and dead black eyes.

Danny was suddenly very aware of the strong grip on his arm, from a hand that had very recently snapped his brother’s bones like a twig.

“Too true. A bit hard to predict the movements of the lovestruck as well, it seems.” Luc leaned in close, until they were nose to nose.

“Tell me, Daniel, why hasn’t Roman done the one thing that could actually protect you from me?

Are you scared to turn? Afraid you’ll become a monster like me? ”

Danny tried to keep his expression blank, but clearly Luc read something in it anyway, because he started laughing, that terrifying sound again. “Ohh. Don’t tell me. He hasn’t even asked you yet. How interesting.”

Danny was getting awfully tired of Luc finding everything about him “interesting.”

“We’ve only known each other a few days,” he gritted out through clenched teeth.

“Of course, of course.” Luc’s voice was a parody of sympathy. “But still, you love him already, don’t you?”

What was it with everyone trying to pull love confessions from Danny today?

“He tends to have that effect on people,” Luc continued. “And I’m sure he’s very fond of you too. Staying here even with the big, bad wolf in town.” He reached out with the hand not gripping Danny and pushed a piece of hair behind his ear, a horribly intimate gesture.

Danny suppressed a shudder. It felt wrong to be touched by this vampire. He only wanted to be touched by his vampire.

“Tell me,” Luc crooned. “Has he made you promises? Vows to stay by your side forever?”

“I know where this is going. You’re not going to make me doubt him.”

Luc smiled again. “Wouldn’t dream of it.

But I think it’s important to have all the facts when making big decisions like these, don’t you?

He promised me forever too, you know. Promised he’d stay by my side, through thick and thin.

And at the first sign of difficulty, he was gone. Like I was nothing .”

Danny wasn’t sure trying to kill your best friend counted as just a “sign of difficulty,” but regardless, there was real pain behind Luc’s words.

Danny could feel it. There would have to be, for Luc to be so fixated on Roman.

And Danny knew what it felt like to be left behind by those you loved.

He may not have murdered anyone about it, but still.

“I don’t understand why you two don’t just talk it out. ”

“Oh, you sweet, naive little boy.”

Rude, but okay.

Luc’s grip on Danny tightened to the point of pain. He’d have bruises from the vampire’s fingers. “Monsters like us don’t just ‘talk it out.’ We fight it out. And mere mortals should be very careful about getting caught in the crosshairs.”

“My brother wasn’t in the crosshairs though, was he?”

Luc tutted. “You’ll have to take that up with Soren. I apologized already, and I’m frankly a little bored talking about it. Now, when I let you out—graciously leaving you unharmed, I’d like to point out—I need you to tell Roman something for me.”

Danny’s irritation got the best of him. “What is this, grade school? Tell him yourself.”

Luc hummed at that. “Well, see, I’m a little worried that after this morning, he might be in a bit of a ‘punch first, ask questions later’ kind of mood.’”

“Well then, wasn’t that the whole point of attacking Gabe? Sending your message?”

“I told you,” Luc gritted out. Apparently Danny wasn’t the only one getting irritated by this exchange. “I got annoyed . Things didn’t go quite as planned. Probably shouldn’t have bothered at all, but it seemed convenient at the time.”

Danny thought about the vacant look in his brother’s eyes, the confusion and fear Gabe had shown him. The impending surgery and weeks of recovery ahead of his brother, all because Luc “got annoyed.” Danny’s blood boiled. A noise he’d never made before came out of him.

Luc just laughed, the absolute dick. “Did you just growl at me? Adorable. Tell your boyfriend I want him to keep his promises. A man should be held accountable for his words.”

“That’s it? That’s the big message?” Honestly, Danny expected more maturity from centuries-old beings.

“That’s it. I find simple is best with these things.” Luc released his grip on Danny. “Now run along before your white knight comes bursting in. You stink of human, and it’s making me hungry.”

Danny hated that he was shaking as he exited the supply room, walking down the hallway as fast as he could without it being technically considered running.

How was this his life right now?

He was getting awfully tired of being threatened and pushed around and just generally messed with. He may not have been physically strong enough to fight back when it came to Luc, but he wasn’t willing to just sit around and play the victim either.

He may be a human, but he wasn’t weak.

It was time for a conversation.