“I don’t have a gun!” the man shouted as he took off running. “I’m unarmed!” He sprinted toward the back of the garage. Where Theo hid.
Ethan jumped to his feet, but he knew he’d be too late to tackle the man before he reached Theo.
“Theo, run!” he shouted.
But fear was Theo’s enemy, too. He cowered between the cars, too terrified to save himself. The man from the airport yelled something incoherent as he barreled toward him.
Max burst from behind a pillar and struck the running man, lifting him off his feet. Both men landed hard on the hood of a nearby Corvette, setting off the car’s alarm and flashing headlights. As they struggled atop the hood, a shard of silver caught the light.
Ethan jerked his gun out of his holster and fired twice, striking the man in the shoulder and chest. The assailant spun off into the darkness between the cars, the bloodied knife he’d wielded clattering to the pavement.
“Max,” Ethan gasped, praying for the best. But in his heart, he was aware of the brutal truth: a bulletproof vest provided no protection against a blade.
Chapter Ten
Ethan rubbed at his forehead. “Yes, you shouldn’t worry. Several months ago, we filed all the forms to make each other our attorney-in-fact for healthcare decisions. We each have power of attorney, too. Anything that Max needs, I have the ability to get it for him.”
He listened to his mother express her relief and then her concerns again, which he appreciated but couldn’t focus on. His thoughts were with Max, who’d been wheeled into surgery what seemed days ago. Ethan was having trouble keeping track of time.
Sitting in one of the family waiting rooms of University Medical Center was something he’d hoped to avoid forever. Despite his and Max’s relatively dangerous occupations, they excelled at deterrence. Avoiding injury was their primary goal when protecting a client.
For the hundredth time since the incident at the parking garage, Ethan asked himself what he could have done differently.
Obviously, he should have restrained Loren’s uncle better from the get-go. But Ethan had been caught off-guard by the man’s quick actions and strength. Maybe Ethan could have been more aggressive at first approach, but he’d given the other man the benefit of the doubt since he hadn’t had any proof that the man was violent. It had turned out to be an error, but being physically aggressive with an innocent person would have been a mistake, too.
He flexed his free hand and studied his trigger finger. If he’d shot sooner, Max could have avoided being stabbed. But until that knife had been revealed, Ethan had unable to use deadly force to defend them. He understood, logically, that he’d acted as soon as he could have. But that understanding did nothing to relieve his guilt at being too late to prevent Max from being harmed.
“—Ethan, yes?”
He blinked rapidly. “Sorry, could you repeat that, Mom? I zoned out for a moment.”
“Ah, honey. You need some rest. You’re under too much stress.”
“I can rest later. I need to be here for Max.”
“Yes, I know, honey. But you also want to be clear-headed for him, too. Is there anyone there with you?”
“A couple of the agents stopped by but I told them it’s better if they all wait until Max is out of surgery and ready to take visitors. There’s no point in any of them being here.”
“They could keep you company.”
He smiled wanly. “I’m fine, Mom. Max has endured way worse for me in the past.”
“It’s not a competition about who can suffer more,” she reminded him gently. “Maxmillian wouldn’t want you to be stressed. I think you know that.”
“I do.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose. “It shouldn’t be long now, Mom. I’ll be okay. If for some reason they think it’ll take longer, I’ll rest up a bit. But I’m really okay. I just have a lot to think about.”
“Don’t fall too deeply into your head, Ethan.”
“I won’t. Or at least I’ll try my best not to,” he amended.
“Please call us when you hear more or if you need to talk.”
“I will. Thanks, Mom. But you and Dad should really go to sleep. It’s past your bed time.”
She hummed. “It is late, isn’t it? I can’t recall the last time I was awake at this hour.”
“Exactly, so hurry up and hang up so you can get your beauty rest. Tell Dad not to worry. I’ll give you a call as soon as I know more.”
“Okay, honey. Love you.”
After ending the call with another promise to take care of himself, he closed his eyes and allowed his head to tip back against the wall. He’d heard a nurse mention to another that it was nearing three a.m. It wasn’t particularly late, but Ethan felt like he’d aged since he’d jumped in the ambulance to ride to the hospital with Max. In addition to seeing Max safely into medical care, Ethan had spent over two hours speaking with Metro PD about the attack. Loren’s uncle had been driven in a separate ambulance to UMC and was under police watch. Ethan had little energy to care about his fate, but he knew it mattered that the dangerous man had been taken off the streets.
His phone rang again. He was reluctant to answer it. His patience for questions about Max’s condition had run out quickly and he didn’t want to snap at someone who only meant well. He looked at the phone anyway, and grimly noted the identity of the caller.
“Now’s not the time,” he said tersely into the phone after answering it.
“You wouldn’t let me apologize!” Theo cried. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry. I’d tell Maxmillian—”
“You don’t need to tell him anything. We were doing our job. The threat to you is gone and the contract with us has ended.”
“Yeah, but I can tell you blame me!”
“Theo—”
“No, listen. You heard what I told the police. I didn’t believe Edward was a threat until just a day ago. That’s when Loren called in a panic and told me he’d learned his uncle was going to kill me for turning him gay. I thought he was exaggerating and I wanted to catch Edward on tape threatening me. I didn’t think—shit, I didn’t think he’d actually bring a goddamn knife with him!”
Ethan believed him, but that didn’t mean he held Theo blameless.
“You know this relationship isn’t right,” he said quietly but firmly. “It’s not healthy. Loren’s feelings for you—I don’t think he knows what he feels for you, if it’s anything at all.”
“No, he—”
“Move on,” Ethan said. “Have some self-respect, Theo, and move on.”
“But he warned me,” Theo said in a small voice. “That means he cares.”
“I’ve said what I needed to. Goodbye.”
“Not everyone gets to be loved.”
Ethan caught the words just as he was lowering the phone from his ear. Staring at the tiled floor, he brought the phone back up.
“You don’t remember what it’s like,” Theo went on in a voice just above a whisper. He sounded haunted. “What you have—hardly anyone gets that. It just doesn’t happen. I hate that you think it’s so easy. So don’t blame me for taking scraps when that’s all I can find. Don’t take away what little I can get.”