“Thanks.” Bay smiled at him. “And really, I’m fine. I promise.”
Sila figured the two of them had discussed those markings while he’d been unconscious. He didn’t blame them. Despite what he’d said to the Imperial, the types of brutal play they got up to in the bedroom wasn’t meant to have been shared with anyone. He simply hadn’t accounted for Haroon poisoning him or his brother having to get involved in the end.
He’d underestimated the enemy.
That wouldn’t happen a second time.
Chapter 30:
It took another two days for Berga to develop an antidote and, by then, Sila was on the verge of going stir crazy. His mood was so sour, not even his brother wanted to hang around him, so driving Sila home from the hospital fell on Bay.
Not that he minded. If he had his way, the two of them would never be separated further than twenty feet again.
He hadn’t left the hospital once in all the time Sila had been bedridden, only going so far as down the hall to use one of the vending machines when the cafeteria wasn’t open and he couldn’t call for meals to be delivered. Because Kelevra’s family name was plastered all over the place, he’d pulled some strings and allowed Bay to bypass visitation rules, allowing him to stay indefinitely.
The Imperial Prince had also ensured no one else filled the extra bed in Sila’s room, so there’d been somewhere for Bay to sleep. If only Kelevra had known not to bother, since every night Bay had curled up against Sila’s side, his ear pressed over his heart.
He’d been afraid the poison would get him and he’d wake only to find the younger man gone. It’d bothered him more than it had Sila even.
“Do you want me to stop anywhere?” Bay asked as he drove them away from the looming building. Berga had cured Sila and reassured them that he was fine now, though Bay had tried insisting he stay another night. It was dark out, with no other cars on the streets as they made their way through downtown. “There might still be a fast-food restaurant open.”
“Are you hungry?” Sila had his head back against the headrest, his eyes closed. His coloring had mostly returned, but the fever that had swept through him for two days straight had taken a toll.
“No,” he admitted. “But—”
“Just take me home, Kitten.” His brow furrowed as a thought occurred to him. “Damn it. No one was there to clean up the mess we made.”
Right, all the blood and…other bodily fluids that had no doubt stained the flooring and the sheets.
Bay grimaced. “I didn’t get a good look at the place, but I’m pretty sure you had a big enough couch in the living room. You can lay down there while I take care of the cleaning. Do you happen to have an extra set of sheets?”
“Is that a joke?” the corner of his mouth tipped up, but his eyes remained closed. “I bought several knowing that you were going to dirty them, Kitten.”
“I’m not sure how that falls on me,” he replied. “It takes two to—”
“Do not say tango, Professor. Laughing hurts.”
“Chest pains still?” Bay asked worriedly. The fever had turned into a tightness in his chest, resulting in shortness of breath. The doctors had put Sila on half a dozen medications to keep him stabilized while Berga had worked. “Should I turn around?”
“I just want to go home with you,” Sila sighed. “No more doctors or hospitals orpeople.”
“I’m a person,” Bay drawled, only pretending not to understand.
Whenever a stranger was in the room, be it Doctor Ome or one of the nurses, Sila automatically slipped into the role of Prince Charming. He’d smile even through the pain, laugh and tease the staff. Put on a show. Bay was convinced that half the time, he wasn’t even aware he was doing it, so used to needing to hide behind a mask it’d become second nature for him.
“You?” Sila snorted. “You’re a kitten. My kitten.”
He licked his dry lips and swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. There’d been possessiveness in Sila’s tone just now, but in all the time they’d spent in the hospital, neither one of them had brought up the things spoken about in that house or while the younger man had been out of it with fever.
“Should we talk about it?” Bay sounded uncertain even to his own ears. He was afraid though. Afraid it’d been the poison talking and Sila hadn’t meant any of it. According to Berga, he’d been infected even before Bay had woken tied to that chair, which mean all of the younger man’s actions were questionable.
What if he no longer felt or thought the same? What if Sila was annoyed that Bay was even considering that he could have been telling the truth when he’d been in that state?
The bridge came into view then and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. He’d forgotten about how they’d have to cross it in order to make it to the house Sila had purchased. When they’d driven to the hospital, he’d been too distracted to notice, clutching Sila to him in the back seat while the Imperial Prince had sped and Rin had asked a slew of never-ending questions Bay could only partially recall now.
He risked a sideways glance over, sighing in relief when he found Sila’s eyes still closed. If he could just get them over the bridge without drawing attention then maybe—
Someone rammed into them from behind suddenly, cutting that thought short. In a panic, Bay struggled to control the wheel as their hovercar swerved. From the rearview mirror, he saw a black vehicle coming up on them a second time, and only just braced when it crashed into their bumper.
