Marcel moved to leave the office.“Catch you later, Sam.Oh, and make sure you invite your men to thehousewarming.”
Sam felt a wash of warmth through hischest at that.It was nice to know that the men who had been more afamily to his than his own accepted not only his unconventionalrelationship, but the two men at the heart of it.
He turned back to Riley, who wasgrimacing as he settled his black Stetson on his head and satbehind his desk.Sam couldn’t hold back the grin.“Blue balls, huhRiley?”
Riley glared at him.“Yes, damn you,and it ain’t going to go away until I get home tonight.”Riley satback with a shit eating grin on his face.“Christ, it feels good tosay that.I know that I live with that man, in a house I built forhim, and he’ll be there waiting for me.”
Sam grinned as he sat down on thechair across from Riley’s desk.“That’s what I wanted to talk toyou about.”
Riley nodded.“I figured as much.Youwanna talk about the house you’re going to build on the plot ofland Dev gave you.”Devon owned the property the facility was builton, and he had given him, Marcel, and Glenn large plots of land fortheir own homes.
Sam nodded.“Yeah, I do.Hell, it’sonly early days for me, Nick, and Aiden, but if things go the way Iwant them to, then I will want a house for the three of us to callour own.”
Riley grinned.“Aww, it does my heartgood to see you get your happily ever after, SamWilson.”
Sam blushed and shrugged.“Yeah, well,be that as it may.I wanted to ask about what you needed to knownow in order to get things started.”
The sound of Sam’s cell phone ringinginterrupted them, and when Sam saw that it was Aiden calling him,he shot Riley a look of apology before swiping his finger acrossthe screen and answering the call.
“Hey, not that I don’tappreciate the call, but I thought you were locked in the writingcave for most of the day.”Sam loved that Aiden was an eroticromance author.He’d read a few of his books, and had insisted thatthe three of them act out the ménage sex scenes he’d written assoon as Aiden had confessed that Sam had been the inspiration formany of them.
“Sam.”The tone of Aiden’svoice had Sam sitting upright.Something was wrong.
“What’s happened?Whereare you?”
“I’m heading to thehospital,” Aiden said, and Sam heard the strain and worry in hislover’s tone.“I’m listed on Nick’s file as his next ofkin.”
“What the fuck’s happenedto Nick?”Sam leaped up from the chair and bolted out of theoffice, aware that Riley was right on his heels.
“He’s alive, but he’s insurgery.There was an explosion, and he was hit by shrapnel orsomething.”Sam heard the acceleration of Aiden’s truck over thephone, and from the squeal of rubber on the road, he’d taken acorner too damn fast.
“Aiden!”Sam shouted downthe phone.“Slow the fuck down and get to the hospital in onepiece, do you hear me?I’m on my way, and I sure as shit do notwant to have to deal with the two of you hurt.Got it?”
Sam listened as he heard Aiden take afew deep breaths.“Yeah, I got it.Okay, I’m only about a mile outfrom the hospital.Get here when you can, Sam, okay?”
He heard the fear in Aiden’s tone ashe reached his truck.Sam was pushed out of the way when he reachedfor the door handle, and he glared up at Riley as he opened thedoor and slid behind the wheel.Rather than waste time arguing, Samran around the back of the truck and got into the passengerside.
“I’m on my way, baby,okay?I’ll be there as fast as I can.”He spent a few minutes onthe phone with Aiden as Riley roared out of the farm and headed inthe direction of the city.As soon as Sam was certain that Aidenwas safely parked at the hospital, they disconnected so Aiden couldconcentrate on finding out as much as possible on Nick’scondition.
“Call Dev,” Riley said ashe expertly handled the truck through a tight corner.
Sam nodded as he dialed.His heart waspounding and fear was building within him, but he needed a clearhead, and calling his LT was something to do, and kept the fear atbay for a moment.He cursed all the time he’d wasted not being withNick and Aiden.He’d let his past and his own goddamn pride get inthe way, but he was done with that.
****
“I swear to God, Nick, Iwill shoot you myself if you don’t lie back down and let me dothis!”Aiden heard the frustration in Sam’s voice and grinned.Thedoor that led to Nick’s hospital room was slightly ajar, and Aidenstood outside for a moment listening.
“Fuck, sitting still,there’s nothing fucking wrong with me!”Nick’s growl rang withirritation.“All I need you to do is use that goddamn medicaldegree you have and disconnect these needles and beeping fuckingmachines from me so I can get the hell out of this bed!”
Aiden decided that was the moment toenter the room.Nick was a stubborn son of a bitch at the best oftimes, but when he was hurt he was even worse.He laughed when hesaw Sam and Nick fighting over the needles that ran into Nick’s armfrom the IV stand behind the bed.They were slapping at each otherlike teenage girls in a schoolyard fight.
“Who’s winning?”Aidenquipped as he placed the bag he was carrying down on the chairagainst the wall by the door.
“What?”Nick scowled inhis direction.
Aiden crossed his arms over his chestand stared as his lovers.“Well, I was just wondering who waswinning this high school slap game you both had going onthere.”
“Thank Christ you’rehere,” Sam grumbled as he re-taped the IV into Nick’s arm.“You’veknown him longer.How the hell do you get him to sit still and dowhat the damn doctor ordered?”
