I cupped the side of Lany’s face as I glanced down at him. “Are you sure you’re okay, Lany?”
“Yeah.” Lany sighed. “But I’m hungry. I never got to finish my teriyaki noodles.”
I smiled despite my need to throttle the man. “We’ll grab something on the way home.”
“Oh, can we get subs? Mario’s just got in garlic roast beef from upstate. He swears it’s the best thing ever. You’ll love it.”
“Whatever you want,caro.” I knew Lany would want a veggie sub. He didn’t eat red meat. Just chicken and fish. Mario’s didn’t have either.
Lany Delvecchio was the be all, end all of my entire world. If it was in my power to get him whatever his heart desired, I’d do it. I’d lasso the moon for the man if I could.
“We need to stop by the hospital and check on Eddie,” Lany said. “Lyn and I promised to help him set up his art show and I need to know what he needs us to do.”
Controlling my groan was something I had mastered over the last three years. I was getting really good at it.
“Art show?”
I would sell my car if he said truck show.
Lany beamed at my interest. “Oh yeah. He got some gallery over on the East Side to agree to host a showing for him and a couple of other up-and-coming artists. There’s supposed to be art critics from the papers and everything.”
Peachy.
“And you’re helping why?”
Lany blinked up at me in all his sweetness. Man, there just wasn’t a conniving bone in Lany’s body. I loved that about him, but I also hated that about him. He’d agree to help the Pope wallpaper the Vatican if asked.
“Eddie got shot,” Lany said. “He needs our help.”
Of course he did.
“Okay, Lany. I still have to clean up here, so you can—”
“I can go up to the hospital with Lyn.”
“Oh, hell no!” I didn’t mean to snap at Lany, but no.
Just no.
“You’re going to go sit your cute little butt right there in that chair until I’m done here”—I pointed to a seat by the entrance—“and then we’ll go up to the hospital together. You’re not leaving my side until I can get the sight of you covered in blood out of my head.”
It might be awhile.
“Oh man,” Lany mumbled as he trudged toward the chair. “I’m going to be grounded for the rest of my life.”
I chuckled because how could I not. I wasn’t that bad, but the sight of Lany covered in blood and being held at gunpoint wasn’t one I would forget anytime soon. I’d seen Lany injured enough to last me a lifetime.
Thank god he didn’t drive anymore.
I didn’t take too long to wind up my part of the scene. My team and I were the muscle. We did the heavy lifting and let others decide where everything went. Once the scene had been secured and we had given our statements, we could turn it over to the detectives. I would still need to write up a report on the incident, but I had twenty-four hours to do so.
The bigger headache was turning over one of my guns to the crime-scene investigators. I had shot a man, which meant my gun had to go to ballistics. I would also have to see the department shrink, something required for any officer who discharged their gun.
By the time I shook the incident commander’s hand and headed for the front of the restaurant, the sun had gone down. Something warm and comforting loosened deep in my chest when I reached Lany and found him asleep, his head resting on his arms on the table.
I could probably stand there and stare at the beautiful man for the rest of my life, but I knew he would be more comfortable at home in our bed, which meant I needed to get him up to the hospital to see Eddie first. I knew my Lany. He wouldn’t sleep restfully until he knew for a fact his friend was okay.
I squatted down next to the table and brushed a lock of light brown hair back from his face.
