“The kind who can make sure you’re safe.” Grayson’s hands slid down Ryan’s arms and fell away. He pulled out his phone again, typing rapidly. “I’m putting protection on the clinic tonight. Extra security. If anyone tries to get near those dogs, they won't make it past the parking lot.”
Ryan watched him text, questions piling up in his mind. What kind of rescue organization had the resources for security teams? How did Grayson have access to people who could protect a veterinary clinic on a few hours' notice? The pieces didn’t fit together in any way that made sense.
“Grayson.” Ryan waited until he looked up from his phone. “What aren't you telling me?”
Something flickered across Grayson’s face. His jaw tightened, and he looked away, focusing on the far wall like it held answers. “There are things about the rescue work that I can’t explain. Not because I don't want to, but because it’s not safe for you to know.”
“Not safe.” Ryan laughed, the sound brittle and wrong. “Someone just sent me a death threat. I think we’re past safe.”
“This is different.” Grayson turned back to him, and the look in his eyes made Ryan’s breath catch. There was something there, something ancient and wild that didn’t match the man standing in his apartment. “Trust me when I say that some things are better left unknown. For your protection.”
Ryan wanted to argue. Wanted to demand answers. But the set of Grayson’s shoulders and the weight in his voice told Ryan it would be useless. Whatever secrets Grayson was keeping, he wasn't going to share them. Not tonight.
“Fine.” Ryan resumed pacing, needing the movement to channel the anxiety still coursing through him. “So what do I do? Hide in my apartment? Call in sick to work? Never leave my house again?”
“You go to work tomorrow like normal.” Grayson pocketed his phone. “Act like nothing happened. My people will be watching, but you won't see them. If anyone approaches you, if anything feels wrong, you text me immediately. Don't try to handle it yourself.”
“Oh sure, because I was planning to take on violent criminals single-handedly.” Ryan heard the edge of hysteria in his voice and tried to rein it in. His hands were shaking again. He shoved them in his pockets to hide it. “I can’t believe this is happening. This morning I was worried about what to wear to coffee, and now I’m getting death threats.”
“I’m sorry.” Grayson moved closer, and Ryan caught his scent. Something woodsy and clean but, underneath it, something else. Something he couldn’t quite place. Almost like the outdoors after rain, earth and grass and wild growing things. “You got pulled into this because of me. Because I brought those dogs to your clinic.”
“Don't.” Ryan stopped pacing and faced him. “Don't apologize for saving them. Those dogs needed help, and you gave it to them. I’d do the same thing again.”
“Even knowing what it would cost you?”
Ryan thought about the pit bull’s wagging tail. The mastiff slowly learning to trust again. The male with the milky eye eating his food without fear. “Yes. Even knowing.”
Something in Grayson’s expression softened. He reached out and tucked a strand of Ryan’s hair back from his face. The gesture was so gentle, so at odds with the situation, that Ryan felt tears prick at his eyes. He blinked them back furiously. Crying would not help. Crying was the last thing he needed to do right now.
“I need you to promise me something,” Grayson said. His hand lingered near Ryan’s face, fingers barely brushing his jaw. “If anything happens, if you feel threatened at all, you run. You don't try to protect the dogs or the clinic or anyone else. You get somewhere safe and you call me. Understood?”
“I’m not going to just abandon—”
“Understood?” Grayson’s voice dropped lower. The sound of it raised goosebumps on Ryan’s arms. It wasn't threatening, exactly, but it carried a weight that demanded obedience.
“Fine. Yes. Understood.” Ryan pulled away from his touch, needing space to think. “But what about Dr. Sullivan? And Janet? They’re at the clinic too. If these people show up, they could get hurt.”
“I’ll make sure they’re protected.” Grayson followed him across the room. “Everyone who works at that clinic will have eyes on them. These people won't get close enough to cause problems.”
Ryan wanted to ask again how Grayson could possibly guarantee that. What kind of resources he had access to. What kind of life he’d lived before moving here six months ago. But the closed-off look on Grayson’s face told him those questions wouldn’t get answers.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Ryan pulled it out, his stomach dropping at the thought of another threat. But it was just a notification from his email. Spam about a sale at some store he’d never shopped at. He let out a breath and tossed the phone onto the couch.
“I don't know if I can do this,” he admitted quietly. “Go to work tomorrow and pretend everything is fine. I’m not good at lying. People always know when something's wrong with me. My face gives everything away.”
“Then don't lie.” Grayson leaned against the arm of the couch, arms crossed. “Tell them you had a rough night. That you’re stressed about the rescue dogs. Both of those things are true.”
“Just leave out the part about the death threats.”
“Just leave out that part.”
Ryan walked to the window and peeked through the curtains again. The parking lot looked the same as before. Empty except for the usual cars. No suspicious figures lurking in the shadows. No one watching his apartment. But that didn’t mean they weren't out there. Didn’t mean they weren't planning something.
“You should stay somewhere else tonight,” Grayson said from behind him. “Pack a bag. You can crash at my place.”
Ryan turned around. “Your place?”
“It’s secure. And I’ll be there.” Grayson pushed off from the couch. “You shouldn't be alone right now.”
