His smile falls as he steps back, and his eyes are blown wide.I crack up and rub his arms.“You fell for that so easily.”
“It’s not funny!”he replies, laughing.
“You can’t seriously be threatened by the nurse practitioner of the Union.”
“I can when they’re handsome Asian blokes.”
My laughter dies down, and I hold him closer.“Cedric is cool.We’re just coworkers.He said I have a clean bill of health.I have the paper to prove it.”
“Glad you’re in one piece.”
“In fact, he suggested I get my bloodwork done.”I lean closer to his ear and run my fingers through his hair.“I could get tested so we can have raw sex,” I whisper in an almost sing-song voice.
He shoots me a pleasantly surprised grin, then pecks my lips.“You almost die, but you’re still horny.I hit the boyfriend jackpot with you.”
Warmth prickles my cheeks.No one has ever valued me this much.I kiss his hand, and he leans his head on my shoulder as we gaze into the small window.We watch as Cedric checks out Vikrum’s arms.The man doesn’t really resemble my boyfriend?he’s shorter, and his hair is darker, where Taz is blond?but in the twelve hours he’s been back on Earth, he appears to be in good health.
“How is he?”I ask.
“As well as one can be knowing they lost, like, fifteen years of their life.”
“It seems like he was frozen that whole time.I recall him being in a coma.”
“Yeah.He hasn’t aged a day.I consider it a blessing, he’s got this fountain of youth thing going on.”
We both chuckle, and he turns to me.Holding my hands, Taz looks me up and down.“I can’t thank you enough,” he says, voice so soft and delicate.We’ve shown each other vulnerability, but Taz seems so exposed in this moment.
“Hey, you saved me.Plus, we’re boyfriends.”I kiss his hand and shrug.“It’s what we do.”
He shakes his head as his eyes begin to water.“No, they don’t.Because I was so ready to pull you out, to forget my brother.And if the roles were reversed, I don’t think I would have risked it.”I reach up and wipe the tear from his face.“You’ve given me everything, Westbrook.”
My heart feels like the sunrise after a cold winter’s night.“We’ll continue to help each other, Devries.That’s the deal when you love someone.”
He nods against my palm.“I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you.”
“I feel the same way.”After kissing him gently, I smile.“Hey, now that I have a clean bill of health, why don’t we go back to my place and continue to love each other?”
“I’m dead tired, babe.My bones ache like mad.”We both chuckle.“So maybe a couple of shower hand jobs.”
“Deal,” I say through a giggle.Before we can saunter off, we spot Necia walking towards us with a determined look in her eyes.
“Oh no,” I say.
“Oh yes.”She nods.“Chief wants us in his office.”
Five minutes later, we’re gathered in Chief Tuttle’s small office.Necia, Max, and Girish are seated to the right, but it feels like Taz and I are the only ones about to be chastised.
The chief stares at the reports on his desk and rubs his eyebrows.“I just want to clarify some things,” he says in a strained, exhausted tone.“The dark cultist perp…teleported away.Meanwhile you…were pulled into the Other Side?”
It’s quiet, so I take that as my cue to answer.“The dark cult had lined up sacrifices and already killed one by the time we got there.We didn’t realize there was a blood magic ritual in progress.Perhaps if we had noticed the runes carved into the ground…”
The chief waves my explanation away.“So then, a small rift opened up?”
The five of us nod at each other.
“And you were pulled in?You were actually exposed to the Other Side?”
I nod.“But Cedric gave me a clean bill of health.”
