Lucas gave him a thumbs-up.
Izaak pulled the door closed.
Lucas peered over the edge of the bed, finding Ajax relaxing with his fingers linked behind his head and his ankles crossed. He couldn’t help the smile that exploded across his lips at the sightof Ajax. “Well, well, General Ajax. Dereliction of duty. What would your prince say?”
“He’d probably ask if you live up to the rumors.”
Lucas rolled onto his back and roared with laughter. Ajax was genuinely his favorite person. Lucas never tired of him.
Ajax popped to his feet. He peeled his dress shirt off and then his undershirt. Lucas watched him fold the items before setting them aside. Ajax’s sexy smile swung Lucas’ way as he climbed back into bed.
“You look like you’re having a hard time staying awake. Close your eyes.” Ajax tugged Lucas into his arms to snuggle.
Damn. Lucas wished like hell he felt better. Ajax had kissed him, though. Lucas wouldn’t let him have any peace now. At least, not until Lucas had what he wanted: the sexy general straddling his hips, crying Lucas’ name.
Chapter Three
Thewalkerhadabuilt-in seat. Just like his mom’s. It was depressing but oddly freeing. Ajax made him walk laps around the room. He sat when the exhaustion beat him and then went back to walking when he caught his breath. Ajax sat on the edge of the bed, looking like a proud papa. Of course, he had shown up with the walker, so he probably patted himself on the back with each one of Lucas’ turns. Lucas was the one who had to do all the damn walking. He knew he needed to regain his strength. Lucas genuinely didn’t want to stay stuck in bed forever feeble. He just hated all this work to do things he had done his entire life. It was bullshit. He wanted his life and freedom back. Lucas felt like a prisoner trapped inside his own body. That was the one place there was zero chance of escape.
But then Lucas’s gaze would lock on Ajax, and he felt an odd pang of… something. It was like all his senses lit. He smelled liberation.
As Lucas pushed his walker toward Ajax, a luminous smile lit Ajax’s features. “You’re looking chuffed to bits right now.”
“I always look this way. You know I’m cocky.”
Ajax chuckled as he helped Lucas steer the walker as closely as possible to Ajax.
Lucas sat.
Ajax helped him turn the walker to face him and pulled him even closer. Once he had Lucas where he obviously wanted him, Ajax ran his hands up Lucas’ thighs. “I’m not sure it’s cockiness if you live up to the hype.”
He felt the smirk that stretched his lips. The reaction was out of Lucas’ control. He had always been naughty all the way to his soul. Everyone had a talent. His was being very good at being bad. At the moment, Ajax was the forbidden fruit. Lucas wanted to taste him.
“Oh.” Ajax leaned back and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. “I have something for you.” He passed Lucas a phone. “No luck finding your old phone. I bought you a new one. It’s unlimited everything and on Noir’s dime, so go wild.”
Lucas tried to not wince. Another connection to Noir. Every day, it looked less and less likely he’d ever escape this mess.
“Thank you.” Lucas turned the phone on and worked to set it up. By the time he had signed into all his accounts, he already had a message waiting. Lucas clicked on the message. A smile exploded across Lucas’ face. Ajax had sent him a gif of a penguin running at him like it intended to hug him.
Lucas shook his head. “You’re one of a kind, for sure.”
A light knock landed on the door before Ajax responded. The short warning gave Lucas just enough time to push his walker with his feet and away from Ajax before Izaak stuck his head inside the room. “You have a visitor, Lucas.”
That confused the fuck out of Lucas. He didn’t have friends beyond Ajax and—as far as he knew—no one knew he was here. “Uh. Okay. Send them in, I guess.” Even to his ears, Lucas sounded unsure.
Kash strolled into the room, looking exactly like the badass he was. “Hey! Look at you. You live. I had started thinking otherwise since you haven’t bothered to call.”
Lucas couldn’t help his smile. Kash was such a come and go guy. Lucas never knew when he was in town. When he was, it was usually bad news for someone. “Hey, Kash. I’d say the phone runs both ways, but this is my first time touching a phone in months.” Lucas motioned toward the phone as he made the claim.
Ajax stood and squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll let you visit with your friend. Text me if you need anything.”
“Okay.” Lucas couldn’t help the way his gaze followed Ajax to the door. As Ajax passed Kash, Kash nodded at him, but didn’t acknowledge Ajax in any other way.
Kash didn’t speak again until they were alone. “The general of The Republic of Serveno, huh? That’s a hell of a guard. How did all this happen? I heard you were stabbed a few months back, but I never expected all this.”
Lucas used the last of his energy to shift from the walker into the bed. He didn’t respond until he was covered and caught his breath. “Yeah. It seems I died and everything, but here I am.”
Kash’s features hardened as he sat in the chair next to the bed. “Who do I need to kill?”
