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.”Jack stroked the top of Brant’s head, a gentle caress.“Be rightback.” He met the first duty officer, Doug Hennesey, on his way inside through the front door.“Give him a few minutes to come around.He took a hard hit to the head.”Jack answered questions of his involvement as he found the bottle and filled a glass with water from the fridge spout.“And that was when you arrived?”Jack nodded, motioning with a rolled shoulder for Hennesey to follow him to the bedroom.“Brant?” He placed the glass and bottle on the nightstand.Lashes lifted, focusing immediately rather than drifting.That was a good sign.“Can you sit up?”Brant reached out a hand and Jack gave him something to leverage himself by, namely a steady shoulder.“Better,” Brant sighed.“Drugs.Now.”Jack opened the bottle to drop three into his open hand.“If it doesn’t stop, I’m taking you to the hospital for x-rays.” With a forlorn glare of acceptance from Brant, Jack stepped away, letting Hennesey take his place to question him.He downed the pills in a single swallow.“I opened the door thinking it was Jack, and Ryan cold cocked me before I said hi.”“He hit you with the gun first?”“No, his fist.I got this—” He touched shaky fingers to the apparent bruise on his temple “—from the gun, but he threatened to shoot me before I lost consciousness.”Jack’s fists tightened, hidden in his jacket.What if he’d been late? Not even bothered to come? Ryan’s intent had been assault and rape.Who knew just how far Ryan would have taken it if he hadn’t shown up.Brant reiterated for the record how he was sure Ryan had found him.“He’s never been here before today, so no, I had no reason to expect him.”“Not a lovers’ quarrel?” Jack snarled.Brant’s eyes found his, though he couldn’t read their message.Ryan would never hurt Brant again.“No.We broke up a couple weeks ago.”“This wasn’t the first time he’s tried to overpower Dr.Teller,” Jack added.“Oh?” Hennesey’s pen paused, waiting for the details.Brant thought about it, then, “Slick’s.I forgot.He accosted me in the club then attempted to take me against my will from the premises.I knocked him unconscious.I guess he learned to be faster than me.”“How?”“Third degree black belt.”Hennesey nodded, making a few more notes on the pad in his hand for the report.“Impressive.Well, we have enough to press charges.He’ll cool at the tank for the afternoon.If you want to add more to the charges as they stand, let us know.”“Thanks, Officer.”Jack walked him out.“Hey, ask dispatch to have his vehicle removed, would you, Doug?” “Sure thing, Jack.” He saluted with a tap to his brim then slid into his cruiser to follow his partner to the station.Jack closed the door, thankful neither had said a word about his involvement in the whole thing.It wasn’t unusual for a man to have friends.It was unusual for Jack.His chest moved with a jagged breath, his forehead pressed to the door.His heart was still in his throat over the thought of Brant being shot.Shivers rolled over his spine knowing he had arrived by sheer luck to stop more from happening.It tore him apart knowing Brant was lying in that bed, hurting, injured.He was getting too close as it was, caring too much.This had to stop.He had to stop it, but before he found the strength, Brant’s voice reached him.“Jack?” Locking the door, he rushed to Brant’s room almost skidding to a stop at the edge of the bed.The bed had been neat; the white fluffy down comforter was mussed now from Brant’s movements.He stepped over porcelain shards to stand near Brant’s shoulder.“Everything okay? Is your head getting worse?” He was sure the man needed his head looked at, though the saying doctors make the worst patients seemed to be holding true.Brant lifted a hand and Jack answered, slipping his fingers into Brant’s smooth palm without a single hesitation.A firm squeeze took him by surprise.“Thank you, Jack.”“Can I do anything for you? Something to drink? Are you sure you don’t want to go get x-rays?” He shook his head.“You can do something for me.” Brant smiled up at him, the swelling of his lip making them puffy, though the cold water appeared to have helped there some.“Name it.”“Take your jacket off and lay down with me.”“Brant…” Warm fingers tightened on his, halting his reflexive retreat.“It’s okay Jack.I know it won’t mean anything.I just need it.” “Your head—”“Isn’t going to roll away.” Brant scooted over pulling thecovers up, leaving a space large enough for Jack’s broader frame.“Just…keep me warm.” Jack’s throat worked.Repeating silently every reason he knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t find one to actually stop from crawling into that bed.Not if Brant needed it, wanted it.He slid the zipper free on the jacket and tugged it off his shoulders.It landed at the foot of the bed with a low rasp of nylon.Turning, he sat at Brant’s hip and toed off his sneakers.“What about the mess?”“Later, Jack.” A light jerk on his shirt at his shoulder told him he was stalling, and it wasn’t going to work.Stretching out, he stiffly lay beside Brant who was casually covered in jeans with a hole in the knee and an old college sweatshirt.A relaxing Saturday that wasn’t [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]