Elijah wiggled closer, pressing his lips to Shep’s before saying, “No. You said your job wasn’t about pain, it was about pressure… applying the right pressure. Surely, you could think of some way to make me talk without hurting me. Right?”
Shep searched Elijah’s face like he was looking for some hidden truth written on his skin. “Rabbit… I…”
“Please, Sam. Please. I want the splinter out. Make me say it. Make me tell you his name.”
Elijah could see the moment he’d won. Shep gave a heavy sigh. “Fuck. Okay, rabbit. But not today. Not now.”
Relief bloomed behind Elijah’s ribs. “Okay, Sam. But soon. It has to be soon.”
Shep kissed Elijah’s forehead. “Soon. I promise.”
Elijah wiggled himself closer still, until their bodies pressed together, slipping his leg between Shep’s knees, and resting his head on Shep’s bicep. His eyelids were heavy. “I love you,” he whispered almost to himself, pressing a kiss to his chest.
“You say that now…” Shep murmured, but Elijah was already drifting off to sleep.
Shep’s promise to Elijah became his own kind of splinter, wedging itself beneath his ribcage and piercing his heart. He wouldn’t hurt him. He wouldn’t emotionally manipulate him either. Shep supposed he could threaten those that Elijah loved, but he knew Shep would never hurt the people Elijah loved and if Elijah didn’t believe the threat, it was worthless.
He would have to think on it. Do his research. In the meantime, he had no choice but to move ahead with the information at hand. Whoever had hurt Elijah, was close enough to this Leonard Medford guy to send Elijah into a blind panic, to have him sacrifice a deal worth millions of dollars. Since he was no longer Elijah’s bodyguard, he now lacked the resources provided to him by Elite, namely Webster’s hacking skills.
Shep considered calling Linc and explaining everything, but there was too much of a risk of Linc reassigning or firing him and Shep wasn’t ready to burn that bridge. With Elijah sleeping in the bedroom, he slipped out of bed and crossed the suite to the other bedroom.
Calderwas posted up in what had once been Shep’s room. Now that the world knew Shep and Elijah were a couple, there was nothing to keep Shep from sleeping in Elijah’s bed. It seemed ridiculous to Shep to have Calder there at all, but Linc had insisted. Something about appearances.
How much longer would the studio continue to pay for Elijah’s security now that he’d pulled out of the deal? Was he really out or was there still time for him to mend this? If Shep could find some dirt on this Medford character, maybe the studio would oust himfrom the film and Elijah would feel safe enough to return. Except Medford hadn’t harmed Elijah… not physically anyway. But he’d clearly shielded Elijah’s assailant. It made little sense. Elijah said that the man had been his acting coach. Why would a director protect an acting coach? They had to have a history. Maybe blood ties?
Shep wrapped his knuckles on Calder’s bedroom door, then waited.
“Come on in,” Calder drawled.
Calder lay on the bed in jeans and a black t-shirt with the name of a bar on it, his feet crossed at the ankles, his fingers laced behind his head.
“Hope I’m not interrupting,” Shep said, not really caring if he was or not.
Calder scoffed. “Interrupting what, man. I don’t even know why I’m here.”
Shep walked to the high-backed Queen Anne chair in the corner, but didn’t sit, just leaned against the wall. Arms folded across his chest. “I told Linc not to bother. I’m with Elijah twenty-four hours a day. I can protect him better than anyone.”
Calder launched himself up into a sitting position, hands on his knees. “I hear ya, but I do what the boss says. Besides, I think I’m just here to make sure you don’t let Elijah do something stupid to further damage his career.”
Shep frowned. “Like?”
“Like take his giant ginger boyfriend on a date in the middle of the gayborhood when he’s supposed to be dating the adorable twink down the hall crying into his boyfriend pillow with Elijah’s face stitched on it.”
Robby. “It’s better this way. Now the boy can move on. Elijah was always too self-centered for him. He couldn’t even see that the kid had actual feelings for him. They never would have worked as a real couple.”
Calder shook his head. “I agree with you, brother. But I don’t think that will bring him any real comfort.”
Shep arched a brow at Calder. “Do you know him?”
Calder snorted, his face flushing. “What? No. Why?”
Shep shrugged. “You just seem awfully invested in his happiness. Just thought maybe you knew him.”
“No. I don’t know him. I just feel for the kid. He’s just been humiliated on an international scale. He seems a bit… fragile.”
Shep nodded. “Exactly my point. Elijah needs to be the center of attention. He needs all of my time and focus. Robby appears to need the same. They never would have worked out. The kid will see that in time. He’s good looking and famous. It won’t take long before he finds somebody who will give him what he needs. That will never be Elijah. Ever.”
Calder smirked at the edge in Shep’s voice, but he didn’t care. Elijah belonged to Shep. He was off the market. Robby would have to be some other man’s problem.
