by Cara Dee
“They’re probably doing the whole nine yards on all of you,” Darius guessed. “Have they taken measurements?”
“Oh, right. Yeah.” Gray grimaced. “So I was at 201 a week before I was taken. Then I remember the fucktards weighed me in at 189 a few weeks before the auction.”
Darius shook his head. “Do I even wanna know?”
He bit at a cuticle. “I’m 169. I’ve lost thirty-two pounds, most of it muscle.”
“Christ.” Darius leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Gray’s temple and held him. “So, what’s next? You mentioned more tests. What about a counselor?”
Gray nodded. “One of those too. I think that’s next, actually. They wanted a quick eval to make sure I was ready to give my story to the agents.” He paused, hesitating. “Do you think I will see Mom before then? Some of the others have already been reunited with their families.”
For chrissakes, of course. Darius had been too selfish already. “I’ll go ask one of the agents right now.”
Gray quickly took on an anxious look. “Okay, but hurry back, yeah?”
“Absolutely.”
Darius ducked out of the room and asked the civilian agent who was in charge on this floor.
“Check the nurses station,” he replied. “Donahue should be there.”
“Cheers.”
Now that he felt better and could breathe like a functioning human being, the hall didn’t seem as long. He frowned to himself, wondering what he’d looked like earlier—if his disorientation had been obvious to others.
“If I get sent on another wild goose chase, I’m gonna fuck you all up, you fucking hear me? I’m done. I want to see my son—it shouldn’t be so goddamn hard!”
Darius’s brows flew up at the words he overheard, because he knew that voice. It was Gray’s mother.
“This is the third hospital we’ve been sent to.” That was Aiden Roe, Gray’s stepdad. Composed, but definitely pissed off. “We apologize for the tone, but understand that my wife hasn’t seen her son in over three months. Now, a federal agent sent us up here, so can you check again? Gray Christopher Nolan.”
Darius hurried down the hall, knowing they wouldn’t find Gray in any database. They’d all been admitted anonymously to protect their identities.
Rounding the corner, he came to an abrupt stop at the sight of a livid Chloe Nolan and her husband. The last three months were written all over her short form. Hair pulled back haphazardly in a messy ponytail, no makeup, shadows under her eyes, eyes that were filled with unshed tears. She’d lost weight as well.
“Mrs. Nolan,” Darius said, only to squint. Did he say Mrs. or Ms.? They were married, but she was still Nolan. Oh, fuck it. “Chloe.”
Her head whipped around, and she widened her eyes when she saw him. Holy hell, Gray had inherited a lot from her. It wasn’t anything Darius had paid attention to before, but it was clear as day now. It was mostly in the eyes—the anxious flickering. Little isms, like how their forehead creased or the pinch between their brows.
She darted toward him with both relief and desperation shining in her eyes. “Is he here? Please tell me he’s here. Can you take me to him?”
“Yeah, of course, yeah. Follow me.” His pulse kicked up a notch or eleven, and the emotions that surged up inside of him took him on a bizarre trip between wanting to smile and getting mushy. Reunions were rewarding; he’d always considered it a bonus to witness them. But he didn’t get emotional like Ryan.
“It’s very good to see you, Mr. Quinn,” Aiden said.
“Heavens, yes,” Chloe said, sniffling. “I’m sorry, my brain isn’t working right now.”
Darius didn’t reply. Gray was their focus, as he should be.
“This door here.” He gestured, figuring he’d let them go in alone. Gray would call for him when he was ready. “I’ll be out here. Just—let Gray know I’m around. He asked me to hurry.”
Chloe nodded quickly and wiped her fingers under her eyes. She was already losing it, and so far, she was only looking at a door.
Aiden pressed a kiss to the top of her head and opened the door for her. “You’ve got this, sweetheart.”
She whimpered and peered inside.
Okay, so Darius couldn’t count on being privy to this, but fuck if he was going to avoid it willingly. He positioned himself by the doorway and saw the exact moment Gray looked up and noticed his mom.
He broke, face crumpling and tears springing to his eyes.
“Baby,” Chloe wept, rushing to him.
Darius barely registered Aiden entering the room and closing the door. The window gave him the view he needed, and watching Gray and Chloe fall apart in each other’s arms sealed the deal in a way. It was really over. Gray was home. He was with his family again. Darius had given Chloe and Aiden shitty odds but promised he’d do everything he could, and it had worked.
Chloe touched her son’s face while she cried, checking him for wounds, maybe. Darius could pick up a few words here and there. She could see he’d suffered, that he’d lost a lot of weight. In between hugs and I love yous, she seemed determined never to let him out of her sight again.
Gray screwed his eyes shut and hugged her harder.
Darius cleared his throat into his fist and shoved aside the stinging in his own eyes.
It marked an end he had to admit he wasn’t ready for, and it wasn’t only with Gray. As he’d known would happen, the boys were scattered now, focused on their families.
It was a loss. A loss of control, a loss of…he barely even knew what else it was, only that it fucking burned.
Would they get the help they needed? Would their folks overwhelm them with questions? Would they shelter their sons or try to get back to normal too quickly? Good intentions sometimes came with devastating consequences.
Just as panic started spreading in his chest, the door opened again.
Aiden looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to close the door on you. Please come in—”
Darius shook his head. “It’s okay. It’s a moment for family.”
“Bullshit,” Chloe croaked. “Get in here, Darius.” She went back to hugging Gray, murmuring another I love you and I missed you.
Humbled but uncomfortable as hell, Darius stepped inside the room and planted himself by the closest wall. Hands behind his back, feet aligned with his shoulders that were squared. A stance he took on automatically here and there. Though, once upon a time, it’d been synonymous with Pop, Jake, and Ryan. They called it parade rest. To Darius, it was more a way to show an assertive strength he didn’t possess at the moment.
“No words can express my gratitude, Mr. Quinn.” Aiden extended his hand.
Darius shook it firmly. “It’s Darius.” To prevent the moment from becoming heavier than it already was, he went with, “Sorry to have burned through your money.” A faint smirk would have to do.
Aiden chuckled once and shook his head. “Following the expenses brought us hope, if anything. When we saw the withdrawal for…” He trailed off and coughed uncomfortably. Not that the rest was needed. Darius cleared half a million before boarding the yacht, aware that Gray’s parents would know what the money was for. Because up until then, Darius had only used the card for motel room charges, work-related expenses, and minor bribes. “Chloe was truly alive that day. Despite the risks and uncertainties, she knew in her heart you were with him then.”
Darius hadn’t been. He’d been close.
“You haven’t taken out a payment for yourself or…anyone who’s helped,” Aiden noted pensively. “You told us from the beginning that you’d have help but that we’d look the other way to officially know as little as possible. But we know. We knew before your sister contacted us. So you’ll see to it that everyone gets compensated, I presume? Soon.”
“That’s not—”
“Not up for debate.” Aiden smiled and clapped Darius on the shoulder before walking over to Chloe and Gray. “I would like to steal a quick hug before I go pick up Gage,
Gid, and Gabriel. Gray—Christ, it’s good to see you, son.”
“You too, Aiden.” Gray hugged his stepdad tightly. “I can’t thank you enough for everything.”
Darius was left with an unfunny feeling. He was gonna withdraw his fee as well as wire payments to Ry, Ramirez, and Willow. But Aiden’s well-intended conversation had drawn a line that pushed Darius away more than a closed door ever could. Gray was a transaction, a job, an assignment. A point Darius wouldn’t have argued a few months ago.
Then he’d met the knucklehead and saw for himself that Gray was a lot more than a gig.
Sixteen
Darius had run out of arguments to delay his own care, so by the time Gray’s brothers arrived, he was in the bed next to Gray’s, and there was an irritating curtain drawn between them.
He listened with one ear as the doctor said his gunshot wound was healing okay, but they were gonna redress it and prescribe him antibiotics to prevent infection. Very interesting and all…and completely paling in comparison to three brothers showing how much they’d missed Gray in highly different ways.
The twins’ default approach was humor, even the times Darius could hear they were upset and their voices shook.
Gage, the eldest of them all, took to half jokingly threatening Gray never to worry him that way again.
“You took the bullet out yourself?” the doctor asked Darius.
“Yeah,” he lied.
She hummed, inspecting the wound below his shoulder. “Any tingling or numbness?”
He shook his head.
“Interesting. Are you a medical professional, Mr. Quinn? We noticed Mr. Nolan’s gunshot wound was treated with the same precision.”
“No…not a professional.” He flinched when she studied the stitches. “I mean, field medicine is different. I have some experience in that.”
“I understand.” She reached for the supplies laid out on a metal tray. “Well, it looks very good for being treated with limited resources. You’ll have some scarring, but unless the X-rays detect any internal bleeding, we’re going to leave it as is.” She paused while she covered the wound. “A nurse will give you new stitches when the bloodwork comes back.” Another humming sound. “Remarkable, really. You said you only had a regular first aid kit?”
Oh boy. There was no way he could pull that off to a doctor, who would eventually give her professional opinion to the agents.
“It had a bit more than that,” he admitted. “It wouldn’t have mattered if we got off the boat or not without supplies, so I made it to the kitchen. They had a bigger kit there.”
“I see.” She nodded. “That makes sense.” Well, that was a relief. “I’ll be back later, and we’ll get you guys some food too.”
“Something starchy, I bet,” Darius grumbled. Starchy and bland as fuck.
The doctor smiled wryly. “This isn’t your first rodeo, is it, Mr. Quinn?”
“Getting shot or kick-starting my digestive system?”
“Both.”
He shrugged and contained a smirk.
“It’s only until we get the test results back. If I understand it correctly, your diets haven’t been as bad the past two weeks.” She stuck her hands into the pockets of her coat. “Get some rest.”
He offered a two-finger salute. “Yes’m.”
She left, and he leaned back with a sigh. He could really go for a smoke. And a burger. And coffee…fuck, coffee.
“Gage, you’re closest…can you open that thing?” he heard Gray ask.
“Sure.”
The curtain was pushed to the side.
Darius eyed a whole family of Nolans staring at him.
Gray was all kinds of sweet, and he looked comfortable, back to sitting on the edge of his bed. He had his head resting on Chloe’s shoulder, arms wrapped around her waist.
Nose stuffy, eyes bloodshot, he still managed to look good whenever he smiled. Darius’s personal favorite was that soft tug of his lips that showed a hint of one dimple.
Gage was in a chair between the two beds, and the twins stood by the foot of Gray’s bed.
Aiden must’ve gone out. Weird that Darius had missed it, since he was closest to the door.
“Hello,” Darius said.
Gray’s smile widened slightly. “I was just telling my brothers that you’re my hero.”
Hell.
Chloe had the same soft smile. “I think I speak for everyone when I say you’re our hero too.”
Double hell.
Darius shifted forward to sit up, and he rubbed the back of his neck. What the fuck was he supposed to say?
Gray snickered quietly. “Look how uncomfortable he gets.”
Darius shot him a narrow-eyed look that made Gideon and Gabriel laugh.
“Gray is as much a hero,” Darius said. He hoped he didn’t sound childish. “If it weren’t for him, the other boys might not be here.”
“Bitch, please,” Gray chuckled softly. “You wouldn’t have left them even if you’d tried. You maintained your I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude for approximately one day.”
Goddammit.
“I’m a bit of a hero myself,” one of the twins said.
Chloe looked at him in amusement. “Please tell us how.”
He shrugged bashfully and waved it off. “I’m not the bragging type.”
Everyone cracked up at that, even Gray, and Darius soaked up the carefree sound like oxygen.
It was late in the afternoon when an agent came in to say it was almost time to answer some questions. A polite, subtle way to give Chloe and Gray’s brothers a few minutes to wrap up for now.
“You’ll be back, right?” Gray asked worriedly. “I don’t know if we’re staying the night.”
“I’ll speak to your doctor, sweetie,” Chloe said. “Then I’ll wait right outside the door.”
There was no reason for them to stay in the hospital overnight, Darius figured. If he could get away from hospital food for a single hour, he would.
A knock on the door had their attention, and Darius did a double take when he saw who poked her head in.
His heart thudded, and fuck if his ears didn’t feel hot.
“Hey,” Elise whispered. “Is this a bad time?”
“For you? Never.” Fucking hell, this was…this was more than he could have dreamed of. Both Elise and Willow had very specific quirks, but flying wasn’t one of Elise’s.
“Introduce us, introduce us,” Gray said.
Darius glanced over at him and chuckled, then turned back to his sister—and…Ethan? Well, hell. Ethan paused in the doorway, holding Elise’s one-year-old.
Elise was only a year older than Willow, yet she’d already started her own family. They shared a mind even though they were different; they were the same but so far from it. The same slight forms, pale complexions, dark hair, and green eyes. Elise didn’t dye her hair black or blue, though. She wore cute dresses, where Willow was swallowed whole by baggy pants. Elise ran her own pastry and candy shop. A bit different from Willow’s hacktivism and personalized panties.
“I’m touched, guys.” Darius swallowed and sat up straighter.
Elise smiled and tiptoed over to give Darius a tight hug. “We just got here, but I wanted to say hi before we headed over to the hotel.”
“Thank you for being here. You didn’t have to.” Darius gave her a squeeze and sent Ethan a grateful look. While Elise had no issues flying, crowds still caused her anxiety, and Ethan had probably tagged along to be her buffer.
“Of course, big brother.” Ethan offered a wry smirk while little Hazel grabbed at his face. “When I get off work, no one greets me with a parade, but whatever.”
Darius grinned. “Just hand over my niece, ya bitter fu—”
“Hey.” Elise tugged at Darius’s ear. “You don’t think I’m struggling enough with Ave? I swear the girls learn new curses every day from him.”
Darius stifled his chuckle and accepted an incoming toddler, who squealed and held her arms out as Eth
an flew her in like a plane.
“Hey, little poop monster.” Darius planted a smooch on Hazel’s cheek. “Is your father teaching you and your sister to speak properly?”
“Mama!” was her response.
Darius snorted. “Speaking of, what’s he up to? And where’s my little trooper?”
“Grace is down with a cold, so Mom is watching her. Ave and his brother are repainting the upstairs,” Elise said. “He figured he’d take the opportunity when we’re not home. He sends his best, though.” She tucked a short curl behind Hazel’s ear. “I think he misses you. He tried to teach me boxing, and I was like…” Darius and Ethan were already cracking up. “It’s not funny! I did okay.”
“Sure, squirt.” Ethan patted her on the head. Behind her back, he let out an inaudible whistle and shook his head.
“Anyway.” She gave Ethan a shove. “I told Ave I couldn’t replace you—your gym time together or whatever, and he got all grumpy.”
“Well…” Darius nuzzled Hazel’s nose before handing her over to her mother. “Tell him I’ll be back soon to kick his ass.” Behind Ethan, he could see two agents waiting. “We have a date with the Feds now, but—” He gestured in Gray’s direction.
“I’m Gray,” a certain knucklehead said. “I’ve heard a lot about you guys.”
“I remember you.” Ethan nodded with a polite smile. “I reckon half my staff at the gym has a crush on you and your buddy.”
Gray puffed out his chest briefly, eliciting an amused eye-roll from his mother.
“It’s nice to meet you, Gray,” Elise murmured. “You’ve had the whole town worried. I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Thank you.” Gray smiled. “Who do I go to for more gossip on Dare?”
Ethan raised a brow at Darius and mouthed, “Dare?”
Oh, whatever.
Elise snickered. “Probably Ryan and Lias—or Mom—”
“Definitely Ma,” Ethan agreed.
“Right,” Darius interrupted pointedly. “We have questions to answer.”
“Of course.” Elise leaned in and kissed Darius on the cheek. “We’ll get you a room—”
“Oh, we have that sorted, hon.” Chloe spoke up. “My husband reserved a block at the Westwater down the road. There’s—actually, we’re stepping out anyway. I’ll call him for you, and we’ll get you guys settled.” Before leaving Gray’s side, she hugged him hard. “Miss you already, baby. I’ll be back in a little bit, okay?”