“What?” I said it so forcefully that I launched into another coughing fit.
The redhead burst into the room.“What?Fucker hurt you?”The other one came into the room as well, the refilled water glass in his hand.God, but I’d much rather have some tea.The redhead looked at…he looked at Lincoln.“Did you have to fucking call him, Linc?”
“Calm down,” this Lincoln person said with a relaxed force that reminded me of the pull of a planet, which was laying it on heavily with the metaphor, but damn.He did have presence.So much so that I wordlessly—mostly because I was still coughing—took the water from him and carefully gulped it all down.
Three sets of eyes were watching me, and it made my skin crawl, but not at all in an uncomfortable way, which was strange.And very counterproductive.I had no business noting that the three guys were hot.None.I needed to remain focused on making my escape.
Lincoln crossed his arms.“He said he was your boyfriend and that he would be here later today.”
“Hewhat the fuck?”I damn near yelled, which made my head hurt and started me coughing again.
The redhead raked his fingers through his hair.“Shouldn’t have called him.”
“Marcus.”Something in Lincoln’s voice made me look up at him, even if I was still coughing on and off.
Ellis’s hand was on my back, stroking me.How had I fucking missed that breach of personal space earlier?How had I not put a stop to it yet?
Lincoln went on.“If you don’t want him near you, just say so.We called him because he was listed in your phone as your emergency contact.If that has changed, there’s no reason you should have to deal with him unless you want to.”
There was something in his voice that I couldn’t identify, but those wild sparks in his green eyes?That was victory.What was he thinking, that he could drag me to his torture chamber just because I didn’t want to deal with my ex?
But hold on.If Lincoln and his cronies wanted to drag me to their torture chamber, why had they bothered calling Steven in the first place?Maybe they liked couples?Well, Steven and I weren’t that anymore.
No one was saying anything or moving so much as a muscle.Lincoln was still staring at me.I realized he was waiting for me to say something.
“Where am I?”
That was good.Keeping my options open and figuring out what my escape plan was.
“Near Pleasant Peak.”Lincoln came a step closer.“We know you were going to spend some time at Corpsewood Manor, and let me just say that I apologize for going through your phone, but you turned up in the middle of the forest with nothing but a laptop, an empty water bottle, and a head wound.Most people wear at least hiking shoes when they wander off into the woods.”
My jaw tensed.“It’s not like I was planning to go hiking.”
He shrugged, and I realized there was some tension in his shoulders.They were nice, broad shoulders as well, though not as broad as Ellis’s, who was still stroking me.
I looked at him, and he was smiling right back at me; a warm, comforting kind of smile.I was going to shake his hand off in a second.Any second now.
Lincoln came another step closer.“We guessed.I found your car and had it towed and informed the rental agency.Mary, who owns Corpsewood, said she can refund you, or you can use the room once you feel up to it.”
Damn.How and when had he gotten all of that shit done?I rarely got this much done before my third cup of oolong.
“Is my laptop okay?”It had everything on it.All of my work, everything I’d ever written.
The redhead left the room again and came back moments later with my bag.
“Doesn’t look broken.”He handed it over.
I took it from him and went through it.My laptop was in there, and so was my phone.I pulled that out and…it had power and everything.There were fresh messages from Steven, so it even had reception.Headed to get you, said the last one.Ugh.I shoved it back into the bag.
Ellis cleared his throat.“Perhaps you should get some more rest.Let me just take your temperature first.You do seem a little flushed.Out, everyone.”The redhead and Lincoln left the room quickly, quietly, and without a single word out of either of their mouths.
Well, if Ellis thought he could put a thermometer where it didn’t belong—but he pulled the harmless kind out of a bag on the floor, the kind that took the measurement in the ear.
“Won’t take a minute.”He inserted it into my right one.“Ah, yes, you’re running a mild fever.Too much time spent out there in the cold.”He put the thermometer aside and dug into his bag again.“How’s the pain?I only have relatively low dose paracetamol, but that should help both with your head and the fever.”
“I can’t be running a fever.”I touched my forehead.It felt normalish.“I feel fine.I need to go.”
I heard growling from somewhere outside the room I was in.What was with that damn dog?
